At the 1988 WBCN Comedy Riot in Boston, Marc Maron placed second. It was a moment that kickstarted his comedic career, spending those early years performing all around New England.
"When I came in second to Sue McGinnis in the riot, that's when I started working," Maron said on Boston Public Radio Thursday, ahead of his show at Medford’s Chevalier Theatre. "So I spent a lot of formative, traumatic time there doing one-nighters all over the New England area."
The acclaimed comedian reminisced about his time in the region, from a grueling 9-hour drive to a gig in Machias, Maine, where he opened for an X-rated hypnotist, to taking his “aggravated, neurotic” personality up to a bar in Ogunquit, Maine. But despite the challenges, Maron described his time here as "impactful."
"It was so developmental for me, performing for every type of New England audience," he recalled.
"Coming back to this part of the world always feels very familiar — and a little bit like returning to where the trauma happened," Maron added. "But I still love it."
In keeping with the theme of New England, Maron couldn't help but mention Dunkin' Donuts.
“One of the greatest sort of depictions of my experience in my idea of what New England is that Dunkin Donuts commercial that SNL did.”
Maron also joked about returning to his alma mater, Boston University, for a comedy event with other alumni when John Silber was still president.
“I had made comments about Silber," he recalled, "and in the alumni magazine [article about the show], I was erased from the gig. I was not mentioned.”
Maron is the host of the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast and is currently on tour with his show "Marc Maron: All In."
