Matt Baetz

Artist Information

Biography

Craig Ferguson called Matt Baetz, "One of my favorite comedians in America" prior to his first appearance on The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.  Since then Matt has appeared a total of 4 times on the Late Late Show as a comedian and over 50 times as a featured sketch performer!

National television appearances make up just one facet of Matt's resume. He is a comedy "veteran" with 5 USO Tours under his belt. He is a regular contributor to the Playboy Radio Morning Show. In 2011 he appeared on Byron Allen's Comedy.TV and 2013 marks his 4th appearance at the Cristo Rey High School Standup for Students Scholarship Benefit in Baltimore CIty.

For the last 4 years Matt has spent a few months teaching a comedy workshop for the Cristo Rey students culminating in a student performance at the benefit. The chance to make people laugh and give something back is the number one priority for this hilarious comedian.

Now you can catch Matt at Universities, Clubs and Corporate Events at venues all over the world!

Instrumentation

Matt Baetz

Discography

"The Comedy Car Hole Presents: Matt Baetz"

Official Website

http://www.mattbaetz.com

Links

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Matty's Website
• MySpace

Audio

• My Chick Bad.mp3
  Listen   Download

Video

Matt Baetz NACA_90sec

Matt Baetz on Ferguson

Photo Gallery

Press

• Matt Baetz at Animal Collective Avey Tare CD Release Party [+ Show ]
  

  Matt Baetz performs at CD release party for Avey Tare of Animal Collective's solo CD release party i...Matt Baetz performs at CD release party for Avey Tare of Animal Collective's solo CD release party in NYC.

• "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" [+ Show ]
  

  "Matt Baetz in my opinion is not only a great comedian but is reasonably tall. He smells of lavende..."Matt Baetz in my opinion is not only a great comedian but is reasonably tall. He smells of lavender and I enjoy his humorous anecdotes about childhood in Scotland."

• Television News- Great Scot! [+ Show ]
  

  Late nights with Craig Ferguson -- The former punk drunk turned talk show sensation reveals his unli...Late nights with Craig Ferguson -- The former punk drunk turned talk show sensation reveals his unlikely role model and ruminates on showbiz stress
  More By Ken Tucker Ken Tucker
  Ken Tucker is critic-at-large for EWLate night is the province of the mono-name. Jay! Dave! Conan! Then there's that Scottish guy, two-name ID required: Craig Ferguson. You know, the one who can't quite be pinned down. After all, David Letterman doesn't fondly refer to his audience as ''my naughty monkeys,'' as The Late Late Show host Ferguson does in a furry Glasgow burr. And Conan O'Brien deploys his Irish descent for devilish wackiness, but he doesn't break away from a scripted joke about Stephen King's Children of the Corn, as Ferguson did recently, to muse spontaneously that a truer horror is ''creamed corn. It's like hot vomit.'' Ferguson then blithely asserted that Hot Vomit was ''the name of a punk band I was in in 1979.''
  
  Sure, all the talk-show hosts are clever fellows, but none rival Ferguson's waggish insolence. When O'Brien was still Harvard Lampooning, Ferguson really was in a punk band, but it was called the Bastards From Hell, and he performed in it, much of the time, dead drunk. Since taking over CBS' Late Late Show from Craig Kilborn in 2005, the onetime costar of The Drew Carey Show (remember the fussy boss Mr. Wick?) has brought a fresh burst of energy to the format. He's reinvented the opening monologue, doing away with most of the topical jokes and just ad-libbing about his life. He updates his audience and guests about his quest for U.S. citizenship (''presuming I know the capital of Nebraska, I should pass by Christmas'') and his preferences among James Bond actors: ''[Daniel Craig] isn't hairy enough for me; I miss the hairiness of Connery.''
  
  Along with fresh energy, he's brought something else — ratings. Ferguson, 45, doesn't get as much media attention as time-slot competitors Jimmy Kimmel or Conan, but with an audience of just under 2 million, he outperforms the former and has climbed within 500,000 viewers of the latter. Off camera, Ferguson swears like a Scottish sailor, and his TV role model might surprise you. When he was trying out for the job, he says, ''I researched the part like an actor. I watched hours of [Tonight Show hosts] Johnny Carson, Jack Paar, and Steve Allen. [But] it was actually Regis Philbin more than anyone else I lasered in on. You can watch him any day of the week, and he can talk for 10 minutes about fokkin' nothing — nothing! — and [he's] interesting about the smallest, most mundane things.'' Ferguson's voice rises. ''Regis is the Proust of television! That's the flavor I'm trying for. Retro-intimacy, that's how I think of it.''
  
  It's that approach — zany geniality, vehement foolishness with a core of decency — that's made Ferguson's Emmy-nominated show so distinct. His philosophy? ''Let's not pretend that I'm not just a guy talking to you in your house via a camera. I know you're not paying full attention at all times. I've watched TV before, I know the drill: You're asleep, you're not asleep.
  
  ''The truth is, anybody who [promotes] a movie, you're doing Dave and Conan and Jay and Jon Stewart, so all the information is going to be out there. My idea is, I'm gonna try and engage the person in a way that's more of a lark; [then] we can all wipe our makeup off and go home feeling a little better, and maybe the audience does too. Though without as much makeup.''
  
  Ferguson had a few careers before settling in America, including stand-up comic and musician. Coming up in the punk-era '70s, he played drums and still counts the Clash's Mick Jones as a friend, but says mildly, ''It was more a way to get drunk and get laid.'' Upon landing in America, Ferguson got some dirt-under-your-nails jobs: ''I worked on 127th Street in Harlem, construction work. I worked upstate New York, landscaping. In the 1980s I tended bar a little bit.''
  
  Oh, yeah: the bar. As any regular viewer knows, Ferguson says, ''I've made no secret that I'm an ex-drunk.'' A recovering alcoholic, sober since 1992, he sports a recently etched tattoo on his right arm: the Latin phrase Dulcius ex asperis, or ''sweeter after difficulty.'' It's mentioned that Internet videos from the '80s have floated around showing him singing funny songs with an acoustic guitar: ''That was me before I was sober.'' Yes, he looks pretty ''relaxed.'' ''Yeah,'' he says, laughing, '''relaxed' — relaxed as a fokkin' newt.''
  
  Once he landed the Late Late gig, he was tutored by a master: Peter Lassally, who produced the Johnny Carson Tonight Show for more than 20 years and David Letterman for four. The 74-year-old Lassally sums up his advice: ''I told him not to play to the studio audience, that he was just talking to one listener, who was in the camera.'' Ferguson took it to heart: ''Sometimes I'll say to the camera, 'Oh, crappy audience tonight,' and the audience thinks I'm kidding but I'm not. I'm tellin' the folks at home, if some of this stuff is dyin' in the studio, you know why — it's them, not me!''
  
  Aside from a stray bum audience, the job has other stresses. ''In the very beginning there was some network pressure here that I would dye my [graying] hair, and I said I'm not doin' it. I did it once and I felt like such an idiot.'' While Ferguson does well in female demos, he adds, ''I understand there's a desire to reach the 18-to-24 male demographic, but here's the problem: I don't chase 18- to 24-year-old men in my personal life, so I'm not gonna do it on television.''
  
  Twice divorced, with a 6-year-old son named Milo, Ferguson shoots down a rumor that he's recently become engaged to his girlfriend, art dealer Megan Wallace Cunningham, as ''crazy talk.'' As for the future, his production company is developing a game show tentatively called The Really Big Game Show With Craig Ferguson, ''but I doubt that [title] will remain. I'll host it, it'll have improv actors and contestants; hilarity and cash prizes will ensue.'' He's sold a sitcom pilot with the comedian Henry Cho to CBS, an idea for a drama to The CW, and has an offbeat project starring Matt Baetz, a production assistant for The Late Late Show. What's it about? ''A production assistant for a late-night show,'' he grins. ''It's kinda like Loser Entourage.'' Also the author of the 2006 novel Between the Bridge and the River, he's writing another, about ''a catatonic stroke victim who has a love affair with a crow that sits outside her bedroom window, but it takes a lot of time to explain how they fell in love.''
  
  Great, but what about your day (night) job, Craig? Signed to CBS until 2010, he says, ''Three [more] years is such a long time, I don't know. I might stay, I might go.'' Does he ever worry that such talk, along with other frank remarks about the celebrity life, might hinder his future?
  
  ''No. I worry about other things: Will I do something absolutely horrendous and embarrassing and get into a lot of trouble? Will I say the wrong thing at the wrong time — which is only a matter of time?... [But] you only have to look at the behavior of [stars] to know that it doesn't matter if you speak your mind, because a lot of people who are clearly crazy are speakin' their minds in ways that are clearly insane and it does not affect the work that they get.''
  
  He pauses and then speaks, if possible, in an even thicker Scottish accent. ''I'll just see where Providence takes me and try to look like I got there confidently.'' Spoken like a true ex-Bastard From Hell.
  
  
  

• Kassandra Wright - Loyola Marymount Univ. Showcase Events Manager [+ Show ]
  

  "Matt was hilarious! His act was original, well thought out and seamless. He interacted with the c..."Matt was hilarious! His act was original, well thought out and seamless. He interacted with the crowd so well, and there was never a dull moment in the house. I would ask him back to perform at our school any time!"

• Craig Ferguson, Kathy Kinney and Matt Baetz to Perform for Troops on USO/AFE Tour to the Persian Gulf [+ Show ]
  

  ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 13, 2006 – “The Late, Late Show�? host Craig Ferguson will be performing...ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 13, 2006 – “The Late, Late Show�? host Craig Ferguson will be performing stand-up comedy on his first USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour to the Persian Gulf. Ferguson will be joined by comedians Kathy Kinney and Matt Baetz on the upcoming tour, where the trio will meet with and perform for servce members at various locations in the region.
  
  Ferguson has been host of the “The Late, Late Show�? since January 2005. During his tenure, the show has set all-time viewer records, and Ferguson has been recognized for his compelling work with an Emmy nomination for his individual performance. His best-selling debut novel, Between the Bridge and the River was released earlier this year to critical acclaim.
  
  Best known for her portrayal of “Mimi Bobeck�? on the hit series “The Drew Carey Show,�? Kathy Kinney has been a long time comedian and loyal supporter of the USO. This marks the third USO tour for Kinney, who is now the headline act for the “Improv All-Stars.�?
  
  After a career as a broadcaster, which included stints with ESPN and The Golf Channel, Matt Baetz left the journalism world for a shot at comedy and hasn’t looked back since. He can be seen as part of a sketch comedy group touring across the country.

• Late Late Show Comic Booker [+ Show ]
  

  His timing and delivery recall the comedy greats of yesterday. He is truly a comic’s comic: smart, ...His timing and delivery recall the comedy greats of yesterday. He is truly a comic’s comic: smart, funny and always in tune with his audience...
  

• Next Round Showcase - Matt Baetz [+ Show ]
  

  "One comedian I would like to recognize specifically is Matt Baetz. He is a polished, big time comed..."One comedian I would like to recognize specifically is Matt Baetz. He is a polished, big time comedian. He has a ton of potential and I really look forward to seeing what comes from his career. I’ve seen Matt a bunch of times and he’s just flat out funny. He is about to pursue comedy full time and I think it’s a great decision. Ballsy…but necessary to make things happen."
  
  

• What's Eastern Washington University saying about Matt?! [+ Show ]
  

  Matt was such a gentleman, extremely professional and a fun from the time he arrived until the time ...Matt was such a gentleman, extremely professional and a fun from the time he arrived until the time he left the school which was very refreshing!

• Eagle Entertainment presents a comedy showcase for students [+ Show ]
  

  Posted: 9/30/09 Thursday night's Comedy Showcase, put on by Eagle Entertainment, started out with d...Posted: 9/30/09
  Thursday night's Comedy Showcase, put on by Eagle Entertainment, started out with dimmed lights and dozens of students, mostly freshmen, waiting for a night of laughs and some well-deserved loosening up.
  
  As a peachy glow shone down on an empty stage, and songs like "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkely blared loudly, students started to notice the moments pass by for a show that was supposed to start at 7 p.m. After throwing a couple of free red shirts reading "I (heart) college" to writhing throngs of restless freshmen, the show finally started at 7:16 p.m.
  
  "Now make no mistake, I am not here to make you laugh," joked Reggie Jr., the host of the show who walked on stage with a girl on each arm and to the beat of a modern rap song.
  
  Students seemed to be surprised that he was hosting the show, and instead of starting with his own jokes, Reggie Jr. introduced comedian Matt Baetz, who has appeared three times on Craig Ferguson's "The Late Late Show," and has traveled frequently to Afghanistan to tell jokes for the troops.
  
  The tall Matt Baetz walked on stage with a smile and a willingness to make a crowd of dozens of nervous college students enjoy their evening. He entertained with his guitar, singing humorous made-up songs like "My Girlfriend is a Lesbian," and a parody of the quintessential country music song that featured an apparent love affair with a tractor.
  
  Baetz took advantage of his talent for observational humor, touching on the subjects of drugs and alcohol, "in school they taught us about the gateway drug-yeah, it's Catholicism," relationships, "You have a couple of options when you can't get your girlfriend to sleep with you," and family life "you know how your mom can go from being really sweet one minute to screaming her head off the next?"
  
  Baetz made a couple of references to college life involving staying up all night and skipping classes. Perhaps the most memorable moment occurred when Baetz admitted that he was on the e-harmony dating Web site, and enjoyed selecting the option of "other" for the reason of rejecting a potential match; the comedian expressed his desire to have an "other" option when meeting women in clubs and places in real life as well.
  
  "I feel like you guys are like the judges up here," said Baetz to the first row of the crowd.
  
  Baetz did a great job overall, but it was pretty apparent that many of his jokes having to do with relationships from a male perspective left a large portion of the female crowd without smiles on their faces.
  
  The second comedian, who was named "Comedian of the Year" by Maxim magazine, did not disappoint. Rob Little, who utilized mostly self-deprecating comedy, kept the crowd heartily rolling. After Rob Little was done, Reggie Jr. finally appeared on stage and utilized his effective, yet clean sense of humor to make the crowd roll with laugher-even if it wasn't his intention.
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Setlist

45 Minute Stand-up Comedy/ Musical Comedy Set

Basic Requirements

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