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KERMET APIO
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I started doing comedy at an open mike night in 1989. Since then I've performed in 42 states and 2 Canadian provinces. Still, to this day, I have yet to work in either of the Dakotas. But the dream stays alive...... I was born in July of 1967 in Honolulu, Hawaii. My Mom and Dad (Arlene and Boyd) held me in their arms and came up with the name "Kermet" (after Kermet Johnson, a football player with the Miami Dolphins). That decision is probably the main reason I became a comedian. You learn to laugh at yourself at an early age when you grow up with the name Kermet. I am the oldest of three. Luckily for my sisters, they both got normal names. Growing up I spent a lot of time watching TV. I enjoyed comedy shows the most. I also went to the beach and played Atari Pong. Pong was THE game. If you had Pong in your house you were cool. We didn't get it until a year after it came out, but by golly, we got it. After I graduated from high school, I went to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. I fell in love with Seattle. It's a great city. I knew I'd be there for a long time. I started working at United Airlines after college. Nothing glamorous, I worked in the food service counting liquor. Hey, somebody's got to do it. A co-worker took me to open mike night at the Comedy Underground in Seattle. Open mike nights are Monday and Tuesday. They put about 16 people up ranging from working comedians trying new material to people who have never done comedy before. For a few weeks my friend had been telling me I should go on. I was SO nervous, but I did it. Nine years later, I have yet to stop. I quit my airline job in 1990 to pursue comedy full time. I have performed in 42 states since then and have really enjoyed the ride. Growing up on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you can't really imagine how much of America there is to see. And how much you really shouldn't see. All in all, comedy is a great job. Not great health benefits but the hours are good...
Star Search My first national television show. I won two shows and lost my third. Got to shake hands with Ed McMahon. I may have done better in the spokesmodel category. Maybe not. This show no longer exists. A&E's An Evening at the Improv The host was Charles Durning. Janeane Garafalo was on that episode. Most famous comedians have done that show at some point. It was quite a thrill. It no longer exists. Short Attention Span Theater One of Comedy Central's first shows. I was in a hotel once and saw myself doing a bit I had since dropped because it was stupid. They would buy old comedy productions and chop it up into short segments. If I never see that clip again, I will be a very happy man. Gee, I wonder if this show still exists. Comedy Showcase Louie Anderson hosted this show that followed Saturday Night Live on NBC. As of this year, I'm 5 for 5 because this show is now gone. HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival '98 Every year this Comedy Festival in Aspen features all things comedy from celebrities to television shows to films to new comedian showcases. I was one of the new comedians invited to participate. It was not only a great honor, but a wonderful way to spend a week. NPR's Rewind Rewind is a fun weekly radio program for National Public Radio. It takes a humorous look at news stories of the week. I have been a regular on this show since 1998.
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