Steven Rogers was never “the cool kid” growing up. Whether he needed to tell you that in order to believe him, or an entire album’s worth of material about it gave it away remains to be seen, but nonetheless, he’s finally able to share some material he’s been working on for quite some time in a big way.
With his debut album, Before He Was Super, which is streaming everywhere as of today (May 6), Rogers brings with him an impressive amount of self-deprecating and personal musings as he employs the same tools that not only saved him from tough social situations both in and out of school as a kid, but have also fueled his journey through the ups and downs of his stand-up career. And while he has consistently trudged toward becoming a household name in the comedy scene, the idea that this is, in some ways, just the beginning for Rogers is something that the comedy veteran finds refreshing, and he’s hoping listeners will catch on.
“My big statement that I wanted to make with this album sort of goes along with what the joke of the main title is for me,” Rogers tells Vanyaland. “It’s only the beginning, from a time ‘before he was super’ with all the starting material from day one to now I like this material, and I want everyone to enjoy this material, and I also want everyone to know that it really is just the beginning, and it’s going to keep getting better.”
Although this is his first venture into releasing recorded material, Rogers has been hard on the grind for the better part of the last nine years. Throughout those years, his gradual ascension through the ranks has come in the form of a myriad of milestones and opportunities, like opening for Brian Regan and stepping into the late-night spotlight on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but in many ways, this career mark of being able to send this material out to the masses makes the Syracuse native feel a refreshing sense of achievement.
“In any sort of arts, I don’t even know if there’s any sort of finish line, but it’s nice that, on the journey, you get these little markers that show how far you’ve come,” says Rogers. “It is refreshing, and for someone who doesn’t have much self-esteem, it’s encouraging and nice to have these little things that show that I have put in the work. I wouldn’t have been on Colbert or had the opportunity to open for Regan otherwise. And with this album, I feel like I wouldn’t have been able to put one out if I hadn’t put in a lot of work.”
With a hefty amount of the album’s vibe geared toward Rogers’ life as a nervous, stumbling, and awkward person, he felt it was only right to leave the final product as is, blemishes and all. Particularly, the moment in which he mishandles a joke during the set not only exemplifies this, but in its own way further highlights the undertone of the whole body work in that mistakes are okay and can be funny if you’re willing to “yes and…” the moment and ride it out. To Rogers, what matters most is just being present and honest in his work, and he’s hoping that shines through.
“I have a strong opinion that nobody wants to see a comedian who isn’t really there, or if I just made the mistake and just tried the joke again instead of rolling with it, because it would’ve felt like I was reading off of a script instead of being there for the audience in front of me,” says Rogers. “Yes, I was making a live album for people to consume, but I was there for that audience and that moment, so I couldn’t deny that that mistake happened and I had fun with it.”
For nearly a decade, Rogers has put the work in leading up to this milestone, and it shows. But the way he sees it, by no means was it a solo effort that helped him get here, nor was it the night of the recording. From his parents attending the show to his girlfriend and fellow comedian, Caitlin Peluffo warming up the crowd alongside Peter Wong and E.J Masicampo, Rogers continues to relish the chance to watch his friends make people laugh.
Rogers also has a lot of appreciation and admiration for a lot of the creative hands involved in this project. So much so, that he added a “special apologies” section to the end credits of the visual component in order thank those he may have missed, in addition to his fellow comics, the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, photographer Mindy Tucker, and the team at Blonde Medicine.
At the end of the day, all Rogers wants for this album,l is to have the chance to provide the comedic relief that comedy (specifically Ellen DeGengeres’ HBO specials) provided him as a kid in the throes of anxiety, depression and self-doubt. He’s also hoping that this album can be something of a physical representation of persevering through a lack of self-confidence, as he’s continued to do work on over the years, and show that anything is possible if you’ve got the right people in your corner.
“I want people to know that even if you have no belief in yourself, you can still pull things off if you have the right support group and just continue to fight for something that you want,” says Rogers. “Also, this might be cheesy, but if any parents are reading this, support your kids for god’s sake. My parents didn’t question my passions once, and they only made sure I pursued them, so the whole album and special is dedicated to them. If any parents are reading this, I just want them to know that they should just let the kid do what they want to do.”