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Meet Aaron Kyle Miles, host of the show In On The Joke in North Phoenix

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Today we’d like to introduce you to  Aaron Kyle Miles.

Aaron, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Sure. The whole concept for the show In On The Joke got started in a fantasy football league, believe it or not. I’m in a fantasy football league filled with stand-up comics. And in this league, the last place has a punishment: Perform jokes written by all of the other comics in the league. It has led to some hilarious performances and it was such a funny thing to witness that I wanted to be able to share it with more people or find a way to capture that magic.

So I created a show where that was the central theme. Comics performing material written for them by either friend, family, or other comics. The show took a long time to even get started because I wasn’t really sure how it would be received. But at the same time, it was something I really wanted to do. And I had to be true to myself and see it through, regardless. I finally brought the show to a stage on October 18th, 2017 with fellow comic Dan Amaro. The venue was a small comedy club in Mesa called Comedy Off Main Street, a cozy spot ran by another fellow comic, Chris Zuiker.

Chris wanted shows that were different. Something you couldn’t find anywhere else in the Valley, let alone Mesa. Opening a new club, Chris also wanted to generate more revenue to keep the club going. Sadly, the club closed after a year or so of having its doors open. Dan had moved out of state and the show had hit its first real struggles. It didn’t have a home. I ended catching a few breaks along the way. I was able to take my show to LA for a Friday at a nice theatre called Skiptown Playhouse that went amazingly well.

The show had also been accepted into the Big Pine Comedy Festival, which was the show’s first acceptance into any festival. But the real big step was getting picked up by another local venue, House of Comedy. The show moved locations and changed dates, but the theme remained the same: comics performing material written for them. Of course, there’s always comics on the line-up who are performing their own material too. That way, the audience is always guaranteed some laughs. And House of Comedy has some of the best audiences we could ask for as we continue to grow and build. The show was recently featured in the Four Corners Comedy Festival as it continues to build an audience and following.

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?
When the show found a home, Comedy Off Main Street, we were excited. We had an actual comedy club to build the show and grow it into something special. And we did that. But sadly, the comedy club closed its doors too soon, leaving the show in limbo. I took that time to take the show on the road to LA, where it did amazingly well. After that, the show was picked up and featured in the Big Pine Comedy Festival, which was an incredible experience. But after the festival ended, I knew that I would need to find a solution. But shortly after, House of Comedy reached out to me about having the show there monthly and ever since then I’ve never looked back!

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I love that there is no other show like mine in either Arizona or the world honestly. It’s such a unique and fun concept that has truly put some hilarious sets on stage. Comedians performing jokes written by their husband or wife. Or performing jokes written by a family who ACTUALLY SHOWED UP FOR ONCE! There have been so many unique performances and they continue every single month. That never gets old and sets the show apart.

Comics always fear the unknown aspect of it. Some think it’s homework- to have to write for someone else. But I think it hones your craft and makes you a better comic. Whether you’re writing for someone or performing jokes written for you. And seeing it on stage? There’s nothing like it.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
It’s hard to pick the “proudest” moment because there are so many for me. I am so thankful to have the show accepted into the festivals and comedy clubs. It has helped the show and helped me as a comic. But what makes me most proud is when a comic tells me, “that was fun” or “I am going to use some of these jokes.” Because that’s what it’s about. A lot of comics go in with apprehension. They don’t expect to come away with anything or sometimes they just don’t get the theme.

But afterward, when they come up and they are just pumped to do it again… yeah that makes it worth it. Having a show that both comics and audience members alike enjoy is great.

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