New York-based, North Carolina-raised comedian Ali Clayton – who started her career in Chicago – has just released one of the most entertaining comedy albums of the year with Country Queer, her debut which was released via Blonde Medicine on May 31. The album is full of stories that are as entertaining as they are hilarious, highlighted by twists and turns that have you so far on the edge of your seat that you just might fall off of it.
Clayton refers to Country Queer as her “In your face I’m gay album” and much of the track-list details a journey of self-discovery as a person and as a comedian. With 15 years experience under her belt, a lot has changed for Clayton since she first took the stage and she examines every step of the way with care and hilarity.
“I was straight when I started comedy,” Clayton said with a laugh by phone earlier this month. “Not really, but I was presenting straight onstage. It was really hard to come out. In the Chicago comedy scene when I was coming-up in like 2009, it was like there was going to be one gay person or one woman on a show. So it was really hard to get booked and I was just terrified to come out because I was like, ‘Now, I’m going to get booked even less if I’m gay’ and ‘what are all these guys gonna think or say’ and ‘Will any of these guys want to book me anymore if they can’t fuck me’ type of thing.”
She continued, “The older I get, the less I give a shit. That’s been the good thing about aging for sure. It was definitely difficult but so freeing and at the same time heartbreaking because there were a couple clubs that I really, really loved that were like, ‘We love you and we want to have you here, but you just can’t talk about that.’”
Throughout Country Queer, Clayton leans into moments of naivety, adventure, or embarrassment to find laughs in the most surprising ways. One of the best portions of the album comes in the form of the four track sequence titled “The Hunt” (those in the know realize this isn’t the true title). This epic tale details a trip Clayton and her friend took to New York with one mission in mind – to meet women. Of course, everything didn’t go as planned, but lucky for us, Clayton shared the entire adventure in a story full of hilarity and suspense that even features a celebrity cameo.
“It’s all true – a totally true story. I have the picture with Ricki Lake. Yes, so ‘The Hunt.’ On stage I call it ‘The Pussy Hunt of 2009,’ but we had to be a bit more PC [on the track-list],” She said, later adding. “I’m definitely a storyteller, first and foremost, and that’s true on stage and that’s true in my real life.”
Family is another topic that Clayton has no trouble finding the funny in.
“I had a very wild upbringing. My parents would have huge parties in the living room. My dad was a lawyer so there would be judges there, but somehow the plumber would also be there and my mom’s friend would do drag shows in the living room,” she explained noting that she is already writing new material inspired by her upbringing.
Her mom Deborah, who, on the album Clayton explains is a big Steve Harvey fan, is a frequent character on Country Queer and in real life, she couldn’t be prouder of her daughter.
“She came to one of my shows when I was on tour preparing so she heard the set. She was so proud afterwards. She was like, ‘You did it, baby girl. That’s the best I’ve ever seen you do. You’ve made it.’ And I’m like, ‘I still nanny part-time, but yes.’”
As mentioned earlier, Clayton got her start in comedy in Chicago where she spent nine years navigating the scene. Her track “Showtime at the Apollo,” which closes Country Queer, details how she found a home at South Side comedy clubs like Jokes and Notes – where she learned as much about performance as she did writing – auditioned for the BET, and ended up traveling to the famed Apollo Theatre where she was booed not once, but twice, earning a badge of honor of sorts.
“Roy Wood Jr., a wonderful comedian who I’ve opened for quite a bit, heard me tell the story and he said, ‘It’s good, but it can be great,’ and he was like, ‘They have to know how white and ignorant you were.’ I was like, ‘Okay, these are great notes. Keep ’em coming.’ So, he re-read it for me a few times and gave me notes and I think it’s one of the reasons it’s so great,” she said, adding, “But, it took awhile for that to be funny to me.”
With Country Queer now out in the world, Clayton has plans to tour the Midwest with several Chicago dates on the itinerary including a headlining show at The Lincoln Lodge on June 22 at 7 p.m. The album and Clayton’s comedy in general, though specific in many ways, has a broad appeal as her storytelling has a way of making you feel like you are a part of each and every joke.
When asked what type of audience she thinks will most appreciate the album, Clayton said, “I think Queers will love it, but I’ve also had a lot of straight people come out and hear the material. It was really cool when I was performing in the South. I think a lot of southerners will like it. Performing in the South, I would get nervous sometimes. I was at one show and this man had his arms crossed. I said I was gay and he crossed his arms and I was like, ‘Oh great’ and then about 15 minutes later, he’s listening to these jokes and he uncrosses his arms and then he’s laughing and by the end he’s howling. And he comes up to me, he was a little drunk, and he was like, ‘Man, girl, I love you. I thought I weren’t going to, but I really do.’”
She continued, “I love the idea of changing people’s hearts in some ways. Just showing that, ‘Yes, I am this, but I’m a human just like everyone else.’”
Click here to pick-up a copy of the hilariously human album Country Queer and head over to Instagram to keep up with Clayton’s news and tour dates. More information about Clayton’s other projects – including her podcast “Y’all Gay” – can be found at Aliclaytoncomedy.com.