Preview: Connor Wood at Houston Improv

Connor Wood, Austinite and UT graduate, returns home to Texas.

Formerly better known online as @Fibula on TikTok, the now comedian and podcaster took time offline to grow his audience in person, including a stop at Houston Improv on Tuesday May 21 with Fibs and friends.

In the media landscape, Wood believes humor has always played a key role in its success. “Comedy has been around forever,” Wood says. “I’m pretty sure I got hired for all my jobs because I was like a court jester, I think. I know my role was “marketing”, but it was definitely entertainment for everyone.

“Previously, comedy happened during COVID when I was laid off from my job – so I hopped on TikTok. I would post videos that I thought were funny, but I didn’t think they looked like “comedy” in the professional sense. But someone came up to me and said, you know, it’s stand-up that you’re posting online. I said, I’m actually sitting. This was so out of my wheelhouse that I didn’t know what it was. So I took that, about a year and a half ago now, and started doing little sets here and there. And in a year, it became a complete tour.

For those who struggle in comedy clubs, Wood’s story is one of a very rapid rise to headliner. But with his mostly digital background, the comic admits he’s hit a learning curve when it comes to making people laugh live.

“Online, you can delete it,” he says, comparing the two sites. “You are in damage control – the only eyes that have seen, you can see. In person, you don’t get that control. It’s a bit like jumping and hoping the net is there. Of course, it doesn’t always work, but it also builds character. It’s almost comedy too, when it doesn’t work.”

Wood continues: “I guess the difference is the immediate gratification and, in the same boat, that immediate disappointment. Oh my God, I thought this would work better. You just have to move forward. That’s the craziest part of the difference. I also think about recovery, I understand that much better. It’s so human and it connects people to you more. And the other jokes are better. All in all, I’m going to delete this joke. If you make a mental note in front of everyone, they say, “oh, he knows how it goes.” I’ve also seen it go the other way where people say it’s funny, but it clearly isn’t. Everything is fluid, it’s a learning experience for everyone. And my understanding is that that never goes away when you talk to veteran comics. Oh no, it happens forever. Get used to it.

One of the advantages of Wood is that the audience knows him a little before he goes on stage. “It’s such an advantage, such a leg up on other comics,” he says as a concession. “Because whatever you have – I don’t have to say ‘OK, I have a dog, I adopted him, his name is Max, he’s a year and a half…’, I can just say ‘You guys know. My dog, Max? I get so much time on stage because people have listened to the podcast. Like, how’s the big toe. from your aunt? I’ll say I forgot she had surgery – I should check on her.

Ironically, the moral of Wood’s story now is different than most aspiring influencers might expect. “Now I’m learning to share less,” he admits.

With the banner flying for “Fibs and Friends,” Wood is generous in sharing the spotlight with the other fun people who grace the stage each night. “For this leg of the tour, a few people did more shows,” the artist teases. “Isabel Steckel made a few saves. Maggie Winters is going to be on the Texas shows, excited for that.

“But when we go from city to city, if I don’t have direct friends or if someone I follow who lives in that city, we will instead ask close friends who are comics and they will come to the show. It’s pretty cool to go to DC or Chicago or Phoenix and have local comics, and a lot of people at my shows, it’s their first time to a comedy show.

“It’s this mutually beneficial relationship where these people are going to benefit from a great comedy show because they’re great comedians where they come from. They speak to their people. And these comedians bring a lot of people to where it’s their first comedy show. At the end, they’ll say “if you liked this show, I have a show next week…” and these comedians will text me and say “Dude, I’m coming over.” to sell out my show in Phoenix, because I announced it.” last week. These people get hooked on comedy the moment they come for the first time! “

Fans of Wood’s podcast, Brooke and Connor do a podcast which he hosts with online personality Brooke Averick, will be happy to learn that his new tour does not interfere with their production schedule. “We make it work, yes,” says Wood. “We film and record in advance, or we try to record remotely, which doesn’t work as well. We love being in person, it’s a much better experience for everyone. Listeners love it when we’re in person. The podcast is so much smoother when we’re in person. We’ve been lucky so far, with the dates we’ve been successful so far. No hiccups yet, knock on wood.

But does Wood think Averick could one day follow him into live comedy? He seems hopeful. “In the future, it’s quite likely. She has participated in several shows. The more she saw me doing stand-up, the more she thought that’s literally what we were doing on the podcast. I can imagine a world where we end up working together like that.

With a lot on the horizon, Wood is ambitious in continuing his television and film endeavors. “I want to sing, I want to dance, I want to take my own cruise!” Anything and everything,” he said. “Nothing is on the to-do list.”

But for the next generation of TikTokers, it will most likely be a different story – with the platform potentially being kicked out of America in the coming months. “We’re losing a platform, that’s all you can say,” Wood reflects. “We are losing a lot of visibility. This has obviously changed a lot. We are losing access to information. It’s regrettable. It was a fun way for comedians to break through the noise, outside of Instagram. And Instagram is a whole different beast.

People on TikTok are just trying to learn their way around, especially as comedians. It’s disappointing, but people always notice. We’ve already experienced this with Vine. We will adapt and overcome.

Wood’s performance is scheduled for 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21 at the Houston Improv, 7620 Katy Freeway. For more information, call 713-333-8800 or visit improvtx.com/houston. $60-180.