We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful CT Adams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with CT below.

CT, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

It all starts with being a bartender in Palm Springs. To get paid for making people laugh is the first skill you learn at a resort bar. My knowledge of alcohol and humor grew together. I worked everywhere I could, from weddings to funerals. My wine career began at Los Angeles Wine Company, ironically located in Palm Desert, CA.

I moved to Los Angeles to begin a career in wine, but I could not break into the wine scene. Instead, I worked in the TV field, first at Sony then for shows on BET and CMT and finally on the show ‘Little People, Big World.” Eventually I found my way back to the wine world in Studio City, where I ran a very popular tasting bar and wine store. It was then that I started The Wine Jerk, a wine business that consults and conducts private events.
During my showcasing of wine, I would weave in humor with the education. I then started to do standup at local clubs/bars in Los Angeles. Eventually I took comedy class to help with my writing at Tao Comedy Studio. There I made some good comedy friends, many of whom I still perform with today.

How do you learn the craft of comedy? Who could possibly answer this question?
I feel people are born funny. Then we write stuff down and we work hard to refine that material. No matter what field you are in, the refining of a product is the key to moving forward. Of course there are always false prophets, promising you a shortcut to your goals. No such thing exists! Buyer beware.
In comedy, there are so many lessons to be learned, in terms of performance. No advice fits all comedy situations, except ‘don’t run the light’ and ‘be funnier’.
For me, there are three big connectors that I focus on: Connection to self, connection to material and connection to the audience. If I lose one of these connections, I can lose focus and that leads to a subpar performance. Stay connected!

I am continuously learning and refining my craft. I try to perform in a multitude of different rooms, with different people. My comedy travels have taking me to OC, SFV, Santa Barbara, Las Vegas and Palm Springs. I have performed with so many funny talented people.
Shoutout to my comedy people; Mike Muratore, Lindsey Loon, Gini Sikes, Ron Bush, Suwon Weaver, Elyssa Phillips, Ryan Talmo [The Valley Jesus], Wendy Wilkins, Owen Garrett, CAN’T EVEN Comedy, Mary Huth, D-ROD, the list goes on and on…

CT, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Well, my business is split into two parts, although they frequently blend into each other. As the Wine Jerk, I am a wine expert that specializes in wine education [for people] and wine buying [for business]. I take the ‘scary’ out of wine. I try to tailor each experience to the clients needs. I am on wine podcasts and at wine events around the SouthWest United States.
As a Stand-Up Comedian, I perform in Southern California and Las Vegas. I perform with a multitude of different comics and funny people. I can also punch up your jokes, edit a presentation or help with that screenplay. I have been on many podcasts and always enjoy talking to new people and reaching a new audience.

I am most proud of the fact that my job is a mix of my two favorite things: Comedy and Wine. When it comes to wine I am happy to find a laugh, but I do take my comedy seriously.
One thing I am proud of is the fact that no matter what the situation, I can be me. In the wine world, I can find the wines and stories that interest me and bring them to the client. In comedy, I get to write and perform my own material, then bring that material to the stage and it feels good to have that artistic freedom. ‘You live and die by your wit’ was the first thing a good bartender taught me and that phrase still ring true.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want people to come together and share idea and concepts. To harness the good and block the bad. People have choice about the actions they take. There are options out there. In the wine world ,you can literally taste a new wine everyday for the rest of your life and never repeat one. I think the My comedy mission is the same! I enjoy watching diverse, robust, well-rehearsed voices on stage. Nothing worse than a joke that you heard a million times before, performed poorly. I talk about some hard topics like child abuse and drug abuse, but only because that’s what I came from. My comedy is meant for change. I want to give hope to the abused and the abuser.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In comedy, the Pivot is a almost daily occurrence. Everything has potential to change and mess with your rhythm: the line-up, the number of people in the crowd, the ticket price, the quality of the sound system, the venue, etc… You have to be ready to roll with the changes and still connect to your audience. Its a must for the comedy world.
My personal pivot story? When I was starting out, a comic performed before me and did a set consisting mostly of my jokes. I was furious! I didn’t have a lot of material so I panicked. I could feel my blood pressure skyrocket. With no time to be angry about the theft [that would come later] I managed to calm down and focus on the task at hand, and perform without the audience knowing any different. This taught me to be prepared for the worst, but give ‘em your best!

Contact Info:

• Website: TheWineJerk.com
• Instagram: @CTAcomedy
• Twitter: @CTAcomedy
• Other: CTAcomedy.com