Frank Caesar joins me on Only Bombs! for a conversation about roast battles, stand up comedy, the Austin comedy scene, and what happens when the momentum you’ve been building suddenly gets knocked off course.

This episode really became about three things: roast, reflect, and rebuild. We get into how Frank approaches roast battles, what actually goes into writing and preparing for them, his path into stand up, moving to Austin, and the competitive side of a comedy scene where everybody is trying to figure out how to make something happen.

Frank also opens up about a rough period in his comedy career, his perspective on the drama surrounding it, the decisions he would handle differently now, and what he learned about choosing where to put his time and energy. We talk about losing momentum, finding his way back, Roast Battle League, why roast battling feels almost like a sport, and what success actually looks like when being famous isn’t necessarily the goal.

A huge thank you to Frank for coming on the show and being willing to talk about all of it. The good, the bad, the funny, and the uncomfortable parts. I really appreciate the honesty, and I had a damn good time talking comedy with him.

🎤 Frank Caesar 📲 Instagram: @toaztedramen Frank Caesar on Instagram

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▶️ YouTube: @onlybombspod Only Bombs on YouTube

Yaqiao Yang came to America from Hunan, China long before stand up comedy was ever part of the plan. Years later, she found herself doing open mics, headlining shows, traveling for comedy, developing her own style, and eventually performing in front of an arena crowd. In this episode of the Only Bombs! Comedy Podcast, Yaqiao and I sit down for a full interview about how she found stand up, learning to write and tighten jokes, developing confidence on stage, reading different audiences, crowd work, touring, Kill Tony, and what she has learned from building her comedy career her own way.

What I really liked about this conversation is that Yaqiao doesn't talk about comedy like there is one perfect path. She talks about learning through experience, protecting her own voice, adjusting to the room in front of her, and continuing to work on the craft. When I asked about the support system behind everything she does, she summed it up better than I ever could: "No...just me, my drive, and my spirit.”

🎤 Thank you to Yaqiao Yang for coming on Only Bombs! and sharing her story. I really enjoyed having her on the podcast and getting to hear her perspective on comedy, performing, creativity, and everything that comes with trying to get better at this. -Trey

Follow Yaqiao Yang

Instagram: @yang_comedy

YouTube: @yangcomedy

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🎤 What does it actually take to survive stand up comedy in Austin?

Comedian AJ Higlesias joins ONLY BOMBS! to talk bombing, open mics, Kill Tony, finding your voice, social media, psychedelics, and the realities of trying to make comedy work.

AJ talks about why he moved to Austin specifically for comedy, doing stand up on mushrooms, learning from rough sets, finding his place in the Austin comedy scene, and figuring out who he is on stage.

We also get into something almost every comedian has to deal with now: social media. Somehow, one ridiculous frog video AJ posted exploded to 90 MILLION views and 1 million likes. 🐸

If you love stand up comedy, comedian interviews, Austin comedy, or just hearing what life behind the mic is really like, this episode gets into the side of comedy that people do not talk about enough.

🔥 IN THIS EPISODE

• Why AJ moved to Austin specifically for stand up comedy • What the Austin open mic grind is really like • Doing stand up on mushrooms and talking psychedelics • Bombing, confidence, and finding your voice as a comedian • Kill Tony, Vulcan, and the Austin comedy community • Why social media has become such a huge part of being a comedian • How a random frog video somehow reached 90 million views

📱 FOLLOW AJ HIGLESIAS

Instagram: @thatfunnydudeaj

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