Story & Lesson Highlights with Billy Brandes of Phoenix

Billy Brandes shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Billy, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I don’t know if I was afraid necessarily as much as it just wasn’t realistically on my radar for the longest time. But with the Buckaroo Lodge and sketch comedy I feel like I am where I’m supposed to be. In my lane. It’s something I can trace back to my childhood but didn’t have the opportunity to pursue until much later on in life. Once I got involved with improv and the performing arts I knew I had found that place. Now I want to continue to elevate and showcase our incredible sketch comedy community in the valley through education and performance.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey folks! My name is Billy Brandes and I’m the owner/artistic director/insert label here of the Buckaroo Lodge. We are a sketch comedy theater in the valley and a resident company at the Main Street Creative Arts Center in Mesa. We offer comprehensive sketch comedy classes, opportunities to write and perform in our shows, and an enjoyable and fun community of talented folks. Our most recent show was the Summer Vacay Sketch Show Getaway on August 23rd, 2025 at the Tempe Center for the Arts. That was an absolute blast!

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
Probably the relationships I had with my old skateboarding pals from back in the day. These were the folks who allowed me to be myself and right when I was beginning to understand my sense of humor and just who I was as a young person. I had a hard time connecting to any other kids whether it be at school or in little league or anything. The skateboarding community welcomed me with open arms and I met some lifelong friends. The subculture was always where I felt most at home. Still to this day that’s what has shaped my personality more than anything. There’s a lot of similarities and parallels between skateboarding and theatre culture in my opinion. Which is why it’s felt just as much like a home to me.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Two defining wounds of my life were when when my dad passed away when I was 17 years old and then again when I hurt my knee skateboarding when I was 22. Both for obviously much different reasons. But both very traumatic in their own way. I didn’t realize how much my dad passing away really affected me until much later on. But that totally changed life’s trajectory and paved the way for some less than stellar choices throughout my early 20’s. Not having a father at home to be accountable to made it pretty easy to get into trouble and fall behind in school. On top of that I had developed an eating disorder. And then with my knee… skateboarding was a huge part of my life as I mentioned before. So when I got hurt and wasn’t able to do it anymore it was like a part of me had passed away as well. And I didn’t really know how to handle that. It took years until I found something constructive and meaningful to fill those voids. Thankfully I discovered an improv theater in my early 30’s and was able to get a fresh start there and everything has really been incredible since. I truly can’t overstate how much improv, sketch, and the performing arts has done for me off the stage as well as on it.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
This sketch comedy theater. I’m in it for the long game. It’s one of the most productive and positive ways to spend the rest of my time here and don’t see myself ever walking away from it until I physically have to be dragged haha. We need this in the valley and it’s important for our community to have these spaces. Developing programs like this here in Arizona and not having to leave for Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York is the goal and something I am very proud of and am excited to continue to grow and foster.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I truly do feel like I am doing what I was born to do. In my element. My outlook on life and all it’s nuance have always been a little askew or random at times and that’s genuinely what a lot of comedy is… observation. Being able to see the world with a comedic hue into how we behave and what we do as humans. The complexities and the ridiculous. That’s the lens I was born looking through. Getting to operate this sketch comedy theater is a dream come true and I can’t thank everyone that’s been a part of it enough!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.buckaroolodge.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buckaroolodge/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555879164349
• Other: This link below is for tickets to our Summer Vacay Sketch Show Getaway at the Tempe Center for the Arts

  https://www.tempecenterforthearts.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/79890/5071?curm=8&cury=2025

Image Credits
Matt Francis
Josh Wendt