Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Driver.
Anthony, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
All my life I was trained to follow the traditional trajectory for a Middle Class Black kid that involves being raised in the church, staying out of trouble and doing well in school. Fortunately, I did well enough to receive both football and academic scholarships to Tuskegee University where I finished with a degree in electrical engineering.
I was in love with football growing up. The idea of getting to play in college for a free education was what I cared about most, and after devoting myself to the sport for so long, my identity had become very attached to it. Once college was over, the thing I loved to do the most was no longer there for me to pull any confidence or self-worth from. Only then was I able to realize what I am at the core and that’s an artist.
At Columbus High School (Columbus, GA) I played multiple instruments. Jazz Band was my favorite. It was structured yet free. The chance to improvise over mesmerizing chords and melodies spoke to the desire for me to be able to express myself in a rhythmic fashion. My passion for it was clear. However, a future in it was never a realistic goal for me. This was mostly due to the upbringing that influenced me to focus on a career that is more stable than music/entertainment. I quit the band after my Junior year in order to focus on what was most important to me at the time, and that was getting a scholarship.
After college, the job in my field I was able to get at the time wasn’t going well. I was stuck in a place where I felt very unmotivated and unsure about where to direct my energy for the future. I knew that the next en devour must be a labor of love, and something I am willing to devote my life to. One that lets me develop an infrastructure that doesn’t involve waking up at 6 am and having to answer to people I don’t aspire to be. In order to find this out, I asked myself one simple question. “If I didn’t have to pay bills, what would I do all day?” The answer? Well, that was easy. I’d talk shit and drink beer non-stop. Radio host and Stand Up comedian were the first things that popped into my head, and stand-up sounded the most fun. I was working temporarily in Tampa at the time, and I told myself that as soon as I got back to Atlanta, I’d get on stage.
Tuesday, Feb 25, 2014. I did my first set ever stand up set at The Laughing Skull Lounge open mic and it changed my life. Only then did I have a true feeling of knowing what God put me on this Earth to do, and that was to express myself.
Stand-up comedy is the vehicle that I instantly fell in love with more than anything I’d done up to that point. It enabled me to have a voice and be conscious of timing, rhythm, and style the same way I’d experienced in music but better. Pretty soon I was getting booked locally and I won the Judge’s Pick at the 2015 Charleston Comedy Festival after doing comedy for a little less than a year.
Since then, I’ve hit as many stages as possible and tried to learn as much as I can to position myself to refine the brand that I developed to promote myself promote and propel myself into the future. Kill And Be Cool.
Kill And Be Cool is my mantra. It’s how I go about each day. I try my best to blow people away when I perform and be a man of integrity and respect afterward
At this point, I’ve been focusing my efforts towards producing shows and content. So far that’s lead me to be a key host for one of the best local shows in the country. The 1 AM Secret Show at Smith’s Olde Bar every Saturday night. This show always gives me a chance to meet and perform with professional and up and coming comics from all over when they passed through town due to its popularity. The Kill And Be Cool Jam Sessions is a show series that I started with Christian Davis (comedian/musician) that’s been going on for the past couple of months at Relapse Theatre. It’s by far the dopest thing that I’ve gotten to do in the four years I’ve spent doing comedy. Not only is it amazing because it uses a live band with comedians doing improvised stand upsets, but this lets me produce something of my own that enables other comics in this city to express themselves in ways they’ve never been able to before. I can’t wait to do the next one on May 11 at Relapse Theatre. My newest show series is a variety show called Kill And Be Cool @ 529. Amon Garner (musician) and I put this together to merge music and comedy scenes in the city and provide an experience that’s as limitless and diverse as we can make it while still getting people to laugh. It’s on March 29 at 529 EAV.
On the content side, I have multiple projects in the works, but they are all in the pre-production phase at the moment. Once they are complete I’ll be that much closer to my ultimate goal which is to structure a life that enables me to function independently and do what I love every day so that I never have to “work” again.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not always, but I think it’s like that for anyone who wants to be successful. Comedy is tough. It requires a lot of work, you’re judged every day and there’s no set pat for any of us. The things I struggle with the most is trying to balance comedy with work and my relationship. However, I’m fortunate in the sense that my current girlfriend and day job have been nothing but supportive along the way. Given that, I try to make sure I’m always putting my best foot forward and doing the work that it takes in order to show those who believe in me that they were right to do so all along.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kill And Be Cool – what should we know?
Kill And Be Cool is a brand that promotes and sells any live shows, content or merchandise that I produce. Hopefully, I will get the chance to use it as a platform for others in the future as well.
Currently, I’m known as a stand-up performer, but I’ve always been a producer at heart. Production is where I am trying to position and develop myself early in order stay in comedy for the long run. I do my best to specialize in creating things in nontraditional formats. I love it when artists from different backgrounds merge their disciplines to create new experiences for people to discover and enjoy. I’m all about pushing that concept.
I’m most proud of having something I can call my own and be recognized for what it is without having to explain it to strangers when they see me. All they think about when I arrive is Kill And Be Cool and know when that phrase is in the air something special is always bound to potentially happen.
I think what sets me apart is authenticity. Whatever you get from me is derived from the depth of my soul, deep thought and a good time; not anything I remixed that I saw from somewhere else.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Ethic. Refusal to quit. Willing to chase the vision and stay committed to the journey or die trying. Either way, I get to do what I love and keep getting better until the end of my time.
Contact Info:
- Website: killandbecool.com
- Phone: (404) 956-9315
- Email: killandbecool@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/killandbecool
- Facebook: facebook.com/killandbecool
- Twitter: twitter.com/killandbecool
Image Credit:
Sean Warren, SWarren Imaging
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