Comic Aaron Weber reveals the secret behind comedy’s ‘boom’ and why it’s ‘never been bigger’

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Comedian Aaron Weber, who's on the rise in Nashville, says we're currently in the midst of a significant comedy boom.

Just before his comedy special, "Signature Dish," debuted, the 32-year-old Alabama native and one of Nashville's most popular young comedians felt amazed by how appropriate the comedy scene is to popular culture, and by how extremely popular certain stand-up comedians have become.

Yes, there's a lot of talk about the comedy boom of the 80s, but I believe we're currently in the midst of an even bigger boom," Weber said to Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview, adding, "And I think a key reason for that is that it's never been easier to consume comedy.

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Fox was at Zanies Comedy Night Club recently, a prominent comedy venue in Nashville that was the location for his new television special.

The 30-minute special premiere's this Friday on comedian Nate Bargatze's YouTube channel, "Nateland Entertainment." It's packed with jokes that have brought Weber the most joy to perform over his nine-year career so far.

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They've been over 9 years of performing stand-up almost every night, and that was really the moment that got to where I am now," said the comic. "That 30 minute set was when I had the most fun.

Showcasing the sincere yet self-effacing style he brings to his comedy routines, Weber stated to Fox that he’s "pretty proud" of the new special, calling it a set that’s about "kind of nothing."

I'm really looking forward to sharing that moment with people. Let's be honest, it's all just foolishness. I get asked all the time, like, what do I even talk about when I'm speaking on stage? To be honest, it's really just nothing of significance.

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Teasingly referencing some of the offbeat material in "Signature Dish," Weber pointed out that one of the jokes draws inspiration from the popular candy-flavored antacid.

I keep mentioning Tums a lot on this special, so it's definitely not meant to be a teaching moment. We're just trying to have fun and hope everyone is having fun too.

When asked about the special's title, the comic said it's a nod to a segment in there about food, which is a major theme of his stand-up routine.

The special is called 'Signature Dish,' which is actually the title of one of the jokes. I find that appealing. It's about food in general, and I enjoy eating.

Weber, who was born in and grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, before graduating from Notre Dame and moving afterward to Music City to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian, expressed his strong enthusiasm to Fox, saying he is "excited" to be a comedian, even on "the bad nights."

The thing is, getting to do this for a living is pretty wild. Doing standup comedy is just an absolute blast - there's nothing quite like it when you get to perform and entertain people.

Weber's transition into comedy may have seemed sudden, given his academic background of studying marketing and philosophy, but he always had a passion for the art form, which he finally pursued seriously after completing college.

I was a huge fan of standup comedy for a long time - I watched all the greats and even memorized some of their routines. When I was a kid, I'd even perform for my family, but I never thought I could actually do it as a career until I was in college. That's when I realized that standup comedy is an extremely accessible field, and anyone can get started if they just show up.

He said that he began performing at open mics "every night when I could" after college, noting that a few months later, he took it very seriously.

Eventually, he quit that job, and comedy has been all he's done since.

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Weber, despite the obstacles and rejection that new comics commonly face, told Fox that he was determined to succeed in the industry, pointing out that he was aware his journey might be a long and difficult one.

I went into this with the understanding that it would take time. I'm going to have to make a lot of decisions that won't be financially rewarding. You know, I'll be leaving work early and driving three hours for a 5-minute spot that won't even earn me any money. You'll have to do a lot of that before any of this starts to make sense.

"I was set on doing this. I wanted to excel at it," he recalled, adding that he never even considered giving up.

Weber acknowledged that if he were a bit older and had greater obligations, he may not have pursued a career in standup comedy, explaining, "I had no responsibilities at the time, really. So it was a good time to do it."

I think that if I had a daughter or a family that relied on me now, I would have maybe been more careful.

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The comedian shared some thoughts about the Nashville comedy scene with Fox News. He called it a "really good place" for starting comedians to gain experience. According to him, there are many opportunities to get on stage and develop your act.

However, he also said it's become a great place to launch a standup comedy career in general, whereas in the past, a comic looking to make it would have to "move to LA, you'd have to move to New York. Now Austin's right up there, too."

I don't think that's the case anymore," Weber said. "Guys like Dusty Slay have proven that, Dusty being a Nashville standup star and co-host on Nate Bargatze's podcast. The comedian added that his colleague has "basically only been in Nashville for his career, is now a theater act with Netflix specials.

It's possible to have a successful career in comedy right here in Nashville, and I always thought to myself, 'If I can make that happen – I really like the city. My wife and I have a home here; I'm looking to raise my young daughter here.' If I could make a living doing comedy here, that's the ultimate goal.

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Some of what has made Nashville so appealing to the young comedian and father is Zanies comedy club. The venue is dimly lit, cozy, and features a modest stage surrounded by a blue-curtain backdrop and a large sign reading "Zanies." The club has a relatively small seating capacity of around 300 audience members, although Weber pointed out to Fox that this is actually a fairly substantial size for a comedy club.

Along the walls of the club are rows and rows of photographs of every comedian who has ever headlined there, and some of the biggest names in comedy are represented - among them Eddie Murphy, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, and the late Sam Kinison.

For me, there's no more honorable distinction in this town than headlining at Zanies," Weber said, referring to Zanies. "Every comedian I've ever greatly admired, everyone I've ever looked up to for inspiration and motivation, the way I've built my career and career path after, they've all had the opportunity to perform right right behind me on that stage. And I get to regularly appear on that stage, and that's not something that I take lightly at all.

That's high praise coming from someone who claims he became the youngest stand-up comic in history to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage, a world-renowned venue, at the age of 27.

He jokingly said, "To be honest, I have only glanced over this, but I believe I might be the youngest person to ever have performed there and so far nobody has pointed out that I'm wrong. I'm going to keep saying it until someone, that is a younger person than me, does it."

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Weber told Fox that the podcast has been "huge" for his career, stating that the majority of his standup audience is introduced to him through it.

A large number of people who met me in person initially got to discover who I am.

It's like a hub for my professional life. That's what the podcast feels like, and it's a lot of fun. I really enjoy all three of those guys," he said, referring to Bargatze, Slay, and co-host Brian Bates. "I have a blast recording it every week, so it's definitely a vital part of my career.

Weber said it's evidence of the comedy "boom" being driven by social media, whether it's for a sold-out show like the one in Nashville's Bridgestone Arena during his 2023 tour or the large influence that other podcasters and comedians now have in media.

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Mentioning how easy it is to get content out to a lot of people, he told Fox, "Look, I can tape a show tonight, post it on TikTok and get a million views. And it used to be that you would have to wait until a network or someone offered you the opportunity to do a special, and then that special would air on TV for an hour once. You would hope that a lot of people saw it."

Heavy on comedy has never been more popular," Weber said. He pointed to another extremely successful comedian as proof that the medium is still relevant. "They've broken into the mainstream like they haven't in a long time. Shane Gillis is like a huge A-list celebrity now. He's everywhere… It's only a few comedians who have ever reached that level.

The comedian stated in an interview with Fox that his personal definition of success isn't tied to drawing massive crowds or becoming a top celebrity.

Five years from now, if I'm making a living doing comedy full-time, that'll be a big accomplishment for me," he said. "However, I've already surpassed my initial goals, which were to just be able to support myself doing comedy.

Weber's "Signature Dish" is currently streaming on the Nateland Entertainment YouTube channel.

Comedian Aaron Weber Uncovers the Secret Behind Comedy's Huge Popularity and Why It's Bigger Than Ever