Henry Allen brought his mom to his first open mic — because at 17, he wasn't old enough to get into the club. It did not go smoothly.
Sixteen years later, Henry sits down with Ira Cross at Rehab Tavern to tell the whole story: the Bo Burnham special that convinced him to start at 17, the bottle of Smartwater that turned his mom into a tornado at the host stand, and the legendary opening line he completely froze on — "Hi, my name's Henry." He digs into why he thinks the secret to comedy isn't years, it's reps ("your third joke is from 13 years ago"), the accidental 2.5-hour set he once pulled off, and how to shut a heckler down before they can swing back. Then he closes the whole thing by crying on command over the dumbest possible thing.
One of our funniest sit-downs yet — equal parts origin story and full-contact roast. (Sorry, Jesse.)
🎙️ Follow Henry Allen: [IG handle — confirm with Henry; he said he runs everything through Instagram] 🔗 Follow First Mic: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective | IG @indiecomedycollective 📍 Recorded at Rehab Tavern, Columbus OH
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