Under a majority of circumstances, the idea of moving halfway across the country is a daunting thought to say the least. In the case of Shawn Carter, he may not be the exception, but he’s here to tell us all about the fun — and not so fun — times he encountered on his journey from Boston to Bristol.
With his new stand-up album Boston To Bristol, which lands on streaming services on Friday (December 15) via Blonde Medicine, Carter details all the exciting life moments, and everything in between, that have transpired since packing up his roots in Rockland to head for Bristol, Tennessee. From the move itself and getting married a second time to he and his wife adopting a child, a lot has happened in Carter’s life, and when he came home to The Rockwell in Somerville to record the album, he was really excited to share his experiences.
And even after having some time away from his original home turf, the reception he got during the recording made for quite a special and heartfelt night all the way around.
“It felt very natural. I’ve done a lot of shows at The Rockwell with the Boston Comedy Festival, and a bunch of other people, so I’m used to that space,” Carter tells Vanyaland. “I also had a lot of friends and family come out for it, so it was a friendly crowd. Even two of my high school teachers showed up for it, so it was just really nice to have everyone there and to have that support.”
While the stark contrasts found between Boston and Bristol, and the experiences that Carter and his family have encountered, helped to shape the overall vibe of the album’s material, Carter also attributes the update in perspective to his duties as owner and showrunner at Blue Ridge Comedy Club, which he opened in Bristol after arriving in 2021. In dealing with so many different types of people as he’s continued to operate the club, Carter has been able to have a better read of his audience and what the local townsfolk find funny.
“Running a club really forces you to play for the audience that might come out on a Friday or Saturday night, who might only make it to one comedy show a year, who aren’t hardcore comedy fans,” says Carter. “You really have to try to reach everyone, especially people who aren’t even huge comedy nerds, but they’re just looking at it as something to do during the weekend. You have to be a little bit more accessible. If you’re just a comedian who doesn’t run a club, you can move from one place to another if one spot didn’t work out, but if you’re running a club and you start to get the reputation that you’re alienating your own audience, then it’s going to be tough to keep your doors open.”
Over the course of the two years it took for Carter to bring these stories and jokes to what you hear on the album, he experienced many opportunities to expand the comfort zone he bested out during his years in the Boston scene. While it’s never too easy to realign, or completely relocate your comfort zone in artistic situations, Carter had fun with trying new things and being able to grow in front of his audience.
“I really think [my favorite part] was just pushing myself to write more all the time, and to put that idea out there that I hadn’t done yet, and get it in front of an audience to see if I could get the reaction that I want. That’s the fun part,” says Carter. “It is nice to get up there and do well with material that you know works, but you have to grow, and you have to force yourself and push yourself to grow, so getting out there in front of an audience with the new material was the most fun.”
The scenery may be vastly different than what he grew up around up north, but Carter continues to be excited for what the future holds for him, his family, and the comedy scene in Bristol. Now, while it may not be an overt message, he’s hoping that happiness rubs off a little bit on anyone who takes a moment to listen to the album, as well.
“I don’t know if it comes through on the album, but I’m very happy about where I live, being married and my family life, and I didn’t ever expect to have a family and move to Tennessee, or to even moved out of Massachusetts,” says Carter. “I’m very happy here, and I hope that comes through, and I hope it kind of helps people kind of look at it with the idea that you can be happy wherever you are as long as you’re with the right people.”