Messed-Up To Set-Ups - A MichaelHalcomb.Live Podcast

About Messed-Up To Set-Ups - A MichaelHalcomb.Live Podcast

Reflections on Comedy, Stand-Up or Otherwise, from Michael Halcomb. Discussing The Messed-Up Things That Make Life Funny. www.michaelhalcomb.live (https://www.michaelhalcomb.live?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Discussing The Messed-Up Things That Make Life Funny

Category

comedy · comedy

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Dec 2024

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

159 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   How To Build A Comedy Career That Fits Your Life

   Hello, Friend! In episode 155 of the “Messed-Up To Set-Ups” podcast, I’m back in the lab with comedian Garrett McDonald. He’s actually my first repeat guest! In Part 1 of our chat, we have a real conversation about getting better without getting stuck in somebody else’s version of how comedy is supposed to work. We talk about the divide between online success and stage time, why “How long have you been doing comedy?” can miss the point, and the small performance changes that help a joke breathe. Garrett shares how his school-counselor perspective is shaping his comedy, what he’s learning about act-outs, and how social media became an unexpected creative outlet. We also get into the highs and lows of the past year, a show with one ticket sold, a corporate gig we did together that turned into complete mayhem, and the surprising ways comedy can help us keep moving through hard seasons. If you’re building a creative life while juggling work, family, and the fear of becoming stagnant, this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups is for you. Tune in! By the way, I’m building my comedy career alongside a full-time job, family, writing, podcasting, producing shows, and all the other stuff that apparently requires me to own a calendar. Because of that, I’m always interested in sustainable progress rather than somebody else’s definition of what a comedy career has to look like. That’s a lot of what I share each week in my FREE, weekly comedy newsletter, The Round-Up (https://www.michaelhalcomb.live/p/newsletter). If you’re building your own version of a comedy life and want practical ideas, things I’m learning, experiments I’m trying, and occasional evidence that I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, subscribe for FREE (https://www.michaelhalcomb.live/p/newsletter). When you sign up, I’ll also send you my FREE 17-page Joke Blueprint Playbook (https://www.michaelhalcomb.live/p/playbook). Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe (https://www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   10 Oct 2026

   How To Make An Audience Buy Into Your Comedy

   Hello, Friend! It’s episode #154 of the “Messed-Up To Set-Ups” podcast and I’m back with “Glacier” Ray Lloyd. In this one, we dig deep into the surprising similarities between pro wrestling and stand-up comedy. We get into persona, backstory, and how performers create an illusion the audience wants to believe in. We also talk about the role of emotion and making people feel something, protecting the fan experience, giving a crowd more than they paid for, kayfabe, the danger of chasing cheap laughs at an audience member’s expense, and the value of clean comedy. If you’re working on your craft and striving to make every performance count, you’ll love this episode. Tune in! And hey, if you’re working on figuring out who you are when you step onto the comedy stage, try my Comedian Persona Explorer (https://persona.michaelhalcomb.live/) app. It’ll help you think through your comedic voice, perspective, and the version of yourself you want audiences to meet. Give it a try and see what you discover about the comedian you’re becoming. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe (https://www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   5 Oct 2026

   What A Pro Wrestler Learned From Starting Stand-Up Comedy

   Hello, Friend! In this first half of my conversation with Glacier Ray Lloyd, we travel from his wrestling-loving childhood in Brunswick, Georgia, through college football, WCW, and the nerve-racking leap into stand-up comedy. Ray shares how a couple of wrestling connections changed his path, why the stage scared him in a whole new way, and what finally helped him stop putting the comedy dream on hold. We also talk about building momentum one idea at a time, keeping notes so inspiration doesn’t disappear, and the delightfully wild story behind his wrestling-inspired movie, The Unbreakable Bunch. If you’re working toward something that feels intimidating, or trying to keep growing without losing your love for the journey, I think you’ll enjoy this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups. Tune in! Oh, and hey, if you’re working on figuring out who you are when you step onto the comedy stage, try my Comedian Persona Explorer (https://persona.michaelhalcomb.live/) app. It’ll help you think through your comedic voice, perspective, and the version of yourself you want audiences to meet. Give it a try and see what you discover about the comedian you’re becoming. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe (https://www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

64

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0