Meet Matt Tamburrino | Comedian & Comedy Show Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Tamburrino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
For me, laughter and comedy have always been an extremely important part of my life. When I was in Elementary School, my family was forced to move around a lot, which had me trying to make new friends almost every school year. I was never the most athletic kid, even though I loved sports, but I was smart and I knew how to make the other kids laugh.

Obviously, making people laugh was my way of connecting with them and a way to find acceptance from others, but it was when I was alone, that I found I needed comedy the most. Away from school, I never had much of a social life. I never really had a close group of friends that I could hang out with, so I spent a lot of my childhood by myself. That is when I fell in love with comedy movies, shows, and, especially, stand-up comedy.

My parents were fairly young when they had me and my Dad raised me on some great comedy. From a very young age, my Dad had me watching raunchy 80’’s/90’s movies, like Porky’s and Revenge of the Nerds, listening to “dirty” music like 2 Live Crew and Naughty By Nature, and I would constantly steal his stand-up cassettes and CD’s. My early favorites were definitely Pauly Shore and Eddie Murphy.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a stand-up comedian and comedy show producer. My ultimate goal, at the end of the day, is to make people laugh and have a good time. Luckily, I am able to do that through my own comedy and by being friends with the funniest people in the whole world.

I started comedy writing about six years ago and I have been performing stand-up for the last four years. My first couple years, I was grinding through the local open mics, hitting multiple shows almost every single night without ever getting paid. That is how every comedian is supposed to start.

After my first couple years, I was getting booked on paid showcases every 2-3 months, but that was not enough for me. I decided that the best way to get opportunities was to make them myself. It was not easy. I dealt with a ton of rejections but I persisted and finally found a venue to take a chance on me.

I did over 50 shows at that first venue and then actually started having other venues come TO ME wanting to start their own comedy shows. That is when I created the brand- Dirty South Comedy.

In our first two years, we have produced over 200 comedy shows at over a dozen locations. We also just started our own line of merch- tshirts, dog collars, mugs, etc.- on our website!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Atlanta is the greatest city in the World for a reason- and that is because of the diversity of the people, and the cultures that they brought with them. Hell, you can eat around the world in two miles if you go to Buford Highway. Just be sure to take a couple TUMS! Speaking of Buford Hwy, definitely set aside a few HOURS to explore the Buford Hwy Farmers Market.

Atlanta is also a great sports city- recently more than ever! It is definitely a great idea to check out a Hawks game, a United match, or go party at The Battery! I always explain The Battery as one HUGE party.. there just happens to be a baseball game going on sometimes. Home games, away games, off-season, MLB lockout- it doesn’t matter. There will always be a huge crowd there!

I would be in a lot of trouble if I didn’t shout out my birthplace- Marietta. It’s obviously where The Battery is now but there are a lot of other great places to visit there. My favorite area is definitely The Marietta Square. It is a beautiful old-school town square with candy shops, a record store, a trick shop, and incredible restaurants! I’m a little biased towards the coolest bar in the WORLD- Johnnie MacCracken’s Celtic Firehouse Pub. It’s an Irish pub inside of a 200-year-old Fire Station (the 2nd oldest in Georgia). The vibe/decor is amazing and the patrons are the best people on Earth.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents- Paul Tamburrino and Stacy Schott- for being there for me though every dumb decision that I make.

And for my Dogs- Tabitha and Isabella- for pushing me every day so I can afford to keep buying them the food with the blue buffalo on the front.

Website: www.dirtysouthcomedy.com

Instagram: @matttamburrino

Twitter: @matttamburrino

Facebook: Matt Tamburrino

Youtube: Matt TamBurrino Comedy

Other: Also follow @dirtysouth.comedy on IG!