Popcast from Reggie Watts on Vimeo.

Saw this guy live tonight at a comedy show put on by Nick Kroll (starring on The League on FX). Was pretty blown away by both but I’ve posted Nick on here before and had never heard of Reggie.

Reggie Watts (born Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts is a multidisciplinary comedic performer. Watts was born c.1972 in Germany to a French mother and an African-American father and raised in Great Falls, Montana. He attended Chief Joseph elementary school and graduated from Great Falls High School. Watts moved to Seattle at age 18 where he briefly attended the Art Institute of Seattle before eventually studying jazz at Cornish College of the Arts.

Watts made his name as the lead singer of the Seattle-based soul band Maktub in the 1990s. He also released the solo album Simplified on the Freestyle Records label in 2004. Since then he has shifted to comedic live performances for which he is best known today. His shows are mostly improvised and consist of stream of consciousness standup in various shifting personas, mixed with loop pedal-based a cappella compositions. Some of these improvised songs have become popular on YouTube and are often requested at his shows, such as the hip hop pastiche “Fuck Shit Stack” and “Out of Control”.

Watts’ comedic experience includes the New York–L.A. alternative comedy scenes, SXSW, projects with The Yes Men, the Montreal Comedy Festival, Cape Town and Edinburgh Comedy Festivals, TBA Festival in Portland, Oregon, New Yorks Under The Radar Festival, The Fuse Box Festival in Austin, Bonnaroo, Sasquatch Festival, several BBC live radio events and a recent feature on CollegeHumor.com’s ‘CH Live’ stand-up comedy series. Starting in 2007 he began creating experimental multi-media theater with long-time friend and playwright Tommy Smith. They have generated two pieces, Disinformation and Transition. The latter premieres at the 2009 Under The Radar Fest at the Public Theater, New York. He lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn presently.

Watts also performed at the Brian Eno-curated Luminous Festival at the Sydney Opera House from 26 May to 14 June 2009.

Watts appeared as part of the emsemble cast of UK champion beatboxer Beardyman’s Complete and Utter Shambles show at the Udderbelly during its residency at South Bank in July 2009.

He is winner of the 2005 Malcolm Hardee “Oy Oy” Award and the 2006 Andy Kaufman Comedy Award. The 2006 Seattle Mayor’s Arts Award. He was also awarded the 2008 MAP Fund and the 2009 Creative Capitol Grant for the performing arts. He won the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Musical Comedy Act.