Alumni, Arches

On the verge of starting a Ph.D. in physics, Alex Kaufman ’17 ditched it to launch Bone Dry Comedy. The goal: to steer more comedians—some with TV credits, others with 100K+ Instagram followers—to theaters, taprooms, record shops, and VFW posts across Montana.

Tell me about your effort to seed stand-up in Big Sky Country.
I was doing open mics here in Bozeman [as a grad student at Montana State University]. While in Tacoma and Seattle, I had gotten to see cool, unbelievably funny people. I was like, “It sucks that that’s not here in Montana.” My motivation was to bring those experiences here.

How does Bone Dry money flow to the comedians you invite?
I guarantee them a pretty solid chunk of change to make it worth them coming out. A friend of mine described event promotion as basically a professional gambling addiction. [Laughs] It depends on the performer and other factors, but a show can cost $500 to $1,500. Then I just have to hustle and sell tickets to make that money back and hopefully some for myself.

Alex Kaufman ’17

Alex Kaufman ’17 was in grad school studying physics when he decided to start an entirely different pursuit. Kaufman brings in outside comedians, organizes open mic nights, and regularly does his own stand-up shows in Bozeman.

You mentioned a connection between physics and comedy.
There are really tough problems to work on as a physics student. That part is not necessarily fun in every moment, but when you crack the puzzle, the feeling of relief is great. The analytical aspect also exists in comedy. You take something you find kind of funny and figure out what is actually making it funny and what is extraneous, to get to that crystal-clear nugget of a joke you can tell somebody and get the reaction you’re hoping for.

Who are your comedy stand-up heroes?
I’m a big fan of Bo Burnham. I think Kyle Kinane is incredible. Gary Gulman is fantastic.

What about Andy Kaufman?
[Laughs] Oh yeah, I love Andy Kaufman.

He had nothing to do with you going into comedy?
He’s amazing, but I found him later on in my comedy journey.

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