We were lucky to catch up with Ike Avelli recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ike, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Well, to go way back, I was 7 years old watching The Carol Burnett Show, and I remember wanting to put together a variety show like that one day. I was so impressed with the costumes, the sketches and the musical numbers. I would put together small shows for family. A few years later when I was 13, I discovered Joan Rivers on television. I was blown away with her honesty and comedic timing. Years later it was Sandra Bernhard and Tracey Ullman who inspired me. While I didn’t pursue Standup untiI I was in my early forties, it was those queens of comedy that ignited me to put my first Adult Variety Show together in 2013.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I finally began my career in 2009, writing, producing and starring in over 13 different kinds of shows. Everything from Adult Variety (50 Shades of Gay) to a Musical Parody of Grease (Lube: A Gay-sical). 50 Shades of Gay has been selling out venues around the country since 2015 and the production is a fast paced show filled with Comedians, Singers, Drag Entertainers, Wigs, Sketches, Costumes (Thanks to my costume designer – Suze GX Designs), and there is lots of audience participation. The production has been nominated for many awards in different cities and walked away a winner in some of those venues too. My newest show “Bitter Betty’s” is an action/comedy play that will premiere this summer in NYC.

Joan Rivers always said to keep re-inventing and I have been keeping every path possible open. Outside of performing, I am also an author, and my first book “A Year In The Life Of Ike Avelli…And It Ain’t Pretty was in Amazon’s Top 20, selling out multiple times. I am also the host of “Loose Lips The Podcast” along with Tym Moss, and the show can be heard all over the world.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I did not know much about social media when I first started performing. I did realize that it was key in promoting and getting your name out there. Once I started hitting the stages, I had business cards made up. I went out to perform my first open mic in NYC. All the comics came up and did there thing for about 5-10 minutes. I was the last person to hit the stage. I came out with Drag Queens, two male models who were topless and they carried me out. The reaction was insane. Last person on, first person they will remember, so I had to make it big. In that moment, I began to pass out my business cards and watched my social media platforms grow. After that performance, I began to expand my audience further, by booking more open mics, but this time around the country including Las Vegas. You want the audience to remember you, especially when you are starting out in a field that 24 other people are performing in as well. Be noticed and prepared to have something prepared to share when they ask for your contact information (business cards, QR Codes, etc.).

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I am lucky to be in a field where I was able to come up with other artists who were just starting, many of them I still work with today. We learned from each other, whether it’s timing on stage, or just the business aspect and learning as we go to just be in control of our careers. Because of that, I am the manager, promoter, marketing guru, writer, producer, booking agent and everything in between. One of the best things we do is support each other when we have the time. We will attend performances near or far. I met one of my best friends, Tym Moss back in 2013, and when we put our heads together, the sky is the limit. Since then we have worked together on more than a dozen projects, some of which are still being produced, like The Tym and Ike Show, which can be seen on YouTube!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ikeavelli.net
• Instagram: @ikeavelli
• Facebook: @ike.holler
• Twitter: @ike_avelli
• Youtube: @thetymandikeshow501

Image Credits
Eleni Lucas Tyrone Desperado