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Sam Miller (comedian)

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Sam Miller
Born1982 or 1983 (age 41–42)[1]
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington[2]
MediumStand-up comedy, podcast
Years active2014-present
Websitesammillercomedy.com

Sam Miller is an American comedian from Olympia, Washington. He has headlined across the United States, and released his debut album Round Trip on Stand Up! Records in 2023.[3][4][5][6] His work is known for dealing frankly with issues of homelessness and drug addiction; Miller has been sober since 2008.[7][2] Seattle magazine City Arts called Miller "an endearingly positive presence" in the comedy scene of the Pacific Northwest.[8][9]

Early life

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Miller was born in a military hospital at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington.[2] Miller's father, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force, died when Miller was 12.[10] His mother, now retired, was a psychiatric nurse practitioner.[8] He grew up in Spanaway, Washington; after his father's death, the family moved to nearby Olympia.[11][2][12]

Miller began using drugs at age 14.[13] As a teenager, Miller was arrested several times for minor drug violations and similar offenses, and was incarcerated in Yakima County Jail.[8] After being expelled from high school, Miller worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a wilderness firefighter in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. He lost the job because of his drug problems.[4][2] He was homeless for about a decade.[14] During this time, he worked a variety of jobs, including dishwasher, bouncer, warehouse worker, landscaper, assistant preschool teacher, bartender, and farmhand.[15][12] Miller decided to get sober in 2008,[16][17] and eventually worked at a youth homeless shelter.[18][19] He graduated from Evergreen State College in Olympia in 2017 and became a chemical dependency counselor and public speaker on addiction recovery.[8][20][21][22]

Career

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Miller's first public performance was as part of a vaudeville show in Olympia in the mid-2000s, balancing a lawnmower on his chin.[23][24]

Miller first did stand-up in 2014 at an open mic in Olympia. Much of his comedy deals with issues of homelessness, the prison system and stigmatization of drug addiction.[25] Other topics include marriage and parenting, and living as a large person (he is 6 foot 6 and 360 pounds).[16][17][2][6]

Miller has performed across the United States.[5][6][19] Miller took second place in the 2021 Seattle International Comedy Competition.[16] He also competed in the 2016 SICC.[23][24][12][26] He was described by a fellow competitor as "like half grizzled sea captain and half someone who works at Build-A-Bear. You don’t know whether to be terrified or to hug him."[27] Miller also won the Seattle-based stand-up competition Comedy on Trial in 2017.[3][28]

Miller's journey from addiction to stand-up was profiled on the Seattle Times' Outsiders podcast in 2020, which looked at issues around homelessness.[14][7] He also wrote about his life story in an article for Newsweek in 2023.[15]

In 2017, he created and performed a multimedia stage show, The Jail Letters Project, based on correspondence between Miller and his mother while he was incarcerated in Yakima County Jail for drug-related offenses in 2003. During the show, Miller and his mother read excerpts from the letters and talked about how Miller's jail time and subsequent recovery from addiction had affected them. The project was inspired by a class on prison writing Miller took at Evergreen State College.[8][21][29]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Miller wrote 100 new jokes a week, performing via streaming on Facebook, to raise money for homeless nonprofits.[30]

Miller has also produced comedy shows in Olympia, including co-founding the ongoing open mic event Vomity. He puts an emphasis on promoting diversity and inclusivity in the shows he promotes.[31][32][21][22]

As of 2024, he is collaborating on a book with Seattle artist Pat Moriarity, who designed the album cover for Round Trip (as well as covers for bands including The Replacements and Soul Asylum).[17]

Podcasting

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Since 2023, Miller has co-hosted a comedy podcast, The Tarp Report, with Seattle comedian Jes Anderson.[4] The podcast, which often deals with issues of sobriety, has produced 59 episodes as of April 2024.[33] He has also guested several times on the syndicated radio program The Bob & Tom Show,[2][11][34][1] and is a frequent guest on podcasts not only as a comedian but for his expertise in drug and homelessness issues.[18][35][14][10][36][17]

Recordings

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Miller is signed to Minneapolis comedy label Stand Up! Records. The first of three planned works on the label, the video and album Round Trip, was released October 27, 2023. Round Trip was recorded on April 23, 2022, at the Capitol Theater in Olympia—the location was chosen purposefully, as Miller's last night as a homeless person was spent across the street, in view of the theater.[15][3][5] Round Trip reached No. 1 on the iTunes comedy chart the week of its release.[37][2]

Richard Lanoie of The Serious Comedy Site called Round Trip "interesting and original", and praised it as "the best comedy album I have listened to all year."[38]

Awards

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Miller won the Washington Center For The Performing Arts' Achievement in the Arts award in 2024.[3][39]

Miller also won three Best of Olympia awards in the annual readers' poll of Tacoma, Washington, alternative newspaper Weekly Volcano.[40][25][41]

Personal life

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Miller is married and has two sons.[4][30]

Miller is an avid magnet fisherman, and was profiled about his hobby in the Seattle Times in 2023.[42]

Miller is heavily tattooed; his tattoos include two important personal milestones in his comedy career: the marquee of Olympia's Capitol Theater,[1] and a picture of a vomiting man under the word "Vomity," celebrating the Olympia open mic he co-founded, Vomity.[43]

Discography

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Selected podcasts

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  • The Art of Bombing: A Guide to Stand-Up Comedy, Episode 100: "Sam Miller & Loads of Fun" (June 25, 2019)[44]
  • The Vance Crowe Podcast, "Coronavirus Perspective: The Homeless During Coronavirus" (March 26, 2020)[18]
  • Topical Depression with Natalie Holt, November 14, 2019[35]
  • Outsiders, Episode 5, February 26, 2020[14]
  • The Parental Compass, November 17, 2021[10]
  • Revisionary Podcast, January 5, 2022[45]
  • Fadam and Friends, December 26, 2022[16]
  • Open Mic'ers Podcast, July 6, 2023[46]
  • DADennial, "Comedy, Recovery, and Fatherhood" (July 19, 2023)[36]
  • Loose Toss, "Chin Balancing with Sam Miller" (October 31, 2023)[47]
  • Passion Pod, March 18, 2024[17]
  • The Bob & Tom Show, June 9, 2023;[11] October 18, 2023;[34] April 3, 2024[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Full Show Podcast for April 3, 2024". The Bob & Tom Show. April 3, 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Benoit, Matt (2023-09-07). "Olympia Comedian Sam Miller Brings Jokes, Inspiration to Fairhaven on September 15". WhatcomTalk. Bellingham, Washington. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  3. ^ a b c d "2024 Excellence In The Arts Award Winners". Washington Center For The Performing Arts. 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  4. ^ a b c d Drake, Jessica (May 10, 2023). "Comedian Sam Miller is 'real big' and gets big laughs". The Wenatchee World. Wenatchee, Washington. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  5. ^ a b c "Three nights of comedy coming to the L-A area". Sun-Journal. Lewiston, Maine. August 30, 2023. p. C12. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  6. ^ a b c McGouirk, Brandon (September 1, 2023). "From sobriety to stand-up: Comedy giant Sam Miller brings laughter to Macon this winter". WGXA News. Macon, Georgia. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  7. ^ a b James, Will (March 2, 2020). "Outsiders: A comedian's journey back from homelessness and substance use". KNKX Public Radio. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  8. ^ a b c d e Hamil, Brett (April 13, 2017). "Sam Miller and 'The Jail Letters Project'". City Arts. Seattle. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  9. ^ Denkmann, Libby; Burrows, Jason (October 2, 2023). "Comedian Hasan Minhaj admits he made up some of his material. How do Washington comics react?". KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio. Seattle. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  10. ^ a b c Bobby Williams (November 17, 2021). "Parenting as a Recovering Addict (Guest: Sam Miller) Episode 61". The Parental Compass (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  11. ^ a b c "Comedian Sam Miller On Going From Homeless to HOA President". The Bob & Tom Show. June 9, 2023. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  12. ^ a b c "Sam Miller – Olympia". Seattle International Comedy Competition. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  13. ^ St. Pierre Nelson, Simone (November 21, 2019). "Eleven years sober, this stand-up comedian now helps teens in recovery". KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio. Seattle. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  14. ^ a b c d Scott Greenstone (February 26, 2020). "Episode 5: Let's Dance". Outsiders (Podcast). KNKX Public Radio. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  15. ^ a b c Miller, Sam (October 22, 2023). "I Inhaled Drugs for 10 Years. One Bleak Moment Turned My Life Around". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  16. ^ a b c d Adam Tiller (December 26, 2022). "Bonus Pod with Sam Miller". Fadam and Friends (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  17. ^ a b c d e Chris Johnson (March 18, 2024). "Episode 138 Sam Miller (Comedian)". Passion Pod (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  18. ^ a b c Vance Crowe (March 26, 2020). "Coronavirus Perspective: The Homeless During Coronavirus with Sam Miller". The Vance Crowe Podcast (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  19. ^ a b Greenstone, Scott (October 22, 2023). "Sam Miller once slept outside Olympia's Capitol Theater. Now it's the setting for his comedy special". KNKX Public Radio. Seattle. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  20. ^ Gunstone, Tari (2017-01-23). "The Necessity of Laughter: An Interview with Local Comedian Sam Miller". Cooper Point Journal. Olympia, Washington. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  21. ^ a b c Gilmore, Molly (April 24, 2017). "Sam Miller's Letters From Jail". Oly Arts. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  22. ^ a b Greenstone, Scott (February 28, 2020). "Did you hear the one about the homeless guy? Sam Miller uses his own life for stand-up comedy". The Seattle Times. Seattle. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  23. ^ a b Gilmore, Molly (October 18, 2019). "Storyteller's condition fuels his comedy act". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. p. W5. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  24. ^ a b Gilmore, Molly (October 12, 2018). "Lord Franzannian leads a vaudeville comeback in Olympia". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. p. W4. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  25. ^ a b Carvajal, Christian (February 22, 2018). "Best of Olympia 2018: Sam Miller; Writer's pick: Best comic relief". Weekly Volcano. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  26. ^ "Our 2021 Field of Contestants". Seattle International Comedy Competition. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  27. ^ Gilmore, Molly (2021-11-15). "Olympia's Sam Miller leads the laughs in Seattle International Comedy Competition". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  28. ^ Haha, Johnny (August 20, 2014). "LOL-apalooza! A Guide to Bumbershoot's Comedy Offerings". The Stranger. Seattle, Washington. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  29. ^ Gilmore, Molly (2017-04-25). "Comedian Sam Miller bases show on letters exchanged with his mother". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  30. ^ a b Gilmore, Molly (2020-05-15). "Olympia comedian is spending the pandemic writing 100 jokes a week to benefit nonprofits". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  31. ^ Gilmore, Molly (July 16, 2021). "Laugh with Seattle comics, see 'Frog and Toad' or 'Goonies'". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. p. C1. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  32. ^ Gilmore, Molly (2020-09-18). "Don't we all need a giggle? Vomity Comedy is back". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  33. ^ "The Tarp Report". The Tarp Report: A Weekly Comedy Podcast. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  34. ^ a b "Sam Miller's Nightmare Flight". The Bob & Tom Show. October 18, 2023. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  35. ^ a b Natalie Holt (November 14, 2019). "Penguins with Katie Holt, Alyssa Yeoman, and Sam Miller". Topical Depression with Natalie Holt (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  36. ^ a b Mike Trenk (July 19, 2023). "Comedy, Recovery, and Fatherhood with Sam Miller". DADennial (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  37. ^ "Stand Up! Records". Facebook. 2023-10-28. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  38. ^ Lanoie, Richard (October 27, 2023). "Sam Miller – Round Trip". The Serious Comedy Site. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  39. ^ Cruz, Darlanne (February 21, 2024). "The CENTER Stage Awards and Gala honors local talents and advocates". JOLT: The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater. Olympia, Washington. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  40. ^ Carvajal, Christian (February 28, 2019). "Best of Olympia 2019: Unloaded Comedy; Writer's pick: Best Comedy Relief". Weekly Volcano. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  41. ^ McKinney, Rev. Adam (February 19, 2016). "2016 Best of Olympia: Vomity at Le Voyeur". Weekly Volcano. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  42. ^ Gladish, David (April 3, 2023). "Magnetic type of 'fishing' is growing more popular in WA waters". Seattle Times. Seattle. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  43. ^ Gilmore, Molly (2016-12-24). "Vomity quickly becomes part of Olympia's growing comedy scene". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  44. ^ Dan Bublitz, Jr. (June 25, 2019). "Episode 100: Sam Miller & Loads of Fun". The Art of Bombing: A Guide to Stand-Up Comedy (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  45. ^ "Drinking On His Tab featuring Sam Miller". Revisionary Podcast (Podcast). January 5, 2022. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  46. ^ Jason Robbins, Jacob Craig (July 6, 2023). "Ep. 162: Comedian Sam Miller". Open Mic'ers Podcast (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  47. ^ Willie Griswold and Collin Unger (October 31, 2023). "Chin Balancing with Sam Miller". Loose Toss (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-04-01.
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