DIVING HEADFIRST
Heather Land brings laughs and ‘Age Gap Tour’ to Bethlehem
Heather Land’s smart-alecky wit and her filter-faced “I Ain’t Doin It” videos have become a worldwide sensation, garnering more than 300 million views. That was enough to make the one-time administrative professional and worship leader change roles and dive headfirst into comedy.
Land now performs shows across the country, regaling audiences with her humor on such real-world topics as failed diets, raising teenagers and holidays — as well as referencing her “I Ain’t Doin’ It” videos. Her specialty is finding the funny in the frustrating and reminding everyone that it’s ok to laugh at themselves.
Land is currently on the road with her “Age
Gap Tour,” which makes a stop in Bethlehem at
ArtsQuest’s Musikfest Cafe at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct 17.
I recently spoke with Land about her upcoming performance and more.
Q: How would you describe your brand of comedy?
A: I’m definitely a storyteller. True stories I elaborate on along with a lot of self-depreciation. If we can’t laugh at ourselves then good grief, what are we even doing?
Q: What else can fans look forward to with your performance in Bethlehem?
A: Most know me from “I Ain’t Doin It,” so there will be obvious references to that. People often ask how I can do it without the filter face but I’m there to make them laugh. A lot of times I’ll do music at my shows as well. It’s great to be back out and seeing people again.
Q: Comedy wasn’t your original career goal, was it?
A: My original career goal was leading worship in church. I went to bible college and that’s where I landed for a long time. I thought that would be it but then I went through a divorce after a long marriage and had to switch gears. I started doing administrative work and making videos. All of a sudden, the videos started going viral and I suddenly found myself becoming a comedian.
Comedy wasn’t something I set out to do but I’m really glad I took the risk.
Q: How did you make the transition from administrative work to stand-up?
A: I didn’t think I would ever try to do stand-up. I was just doing my admin job and once the videos I made started going viral I started getting thousands of messages a day for months. Most of them from people asking me to come and do comedy.
I was like, “I’m not a comedian” but one of my cousins said, “Well, you are, you just don’t get paid for it” [laughs]. We had also sold a bunch of “I Ain’t Doin It” t-shirts, so I knew there was potential. A friend of mine helped me set up a bunch of bookings and I decided to quit my job and go out on the road.
Q: What were those first few shows like for you?
A: It was scary and vulnerable. Doing worship really helped me because I was used to the stage. I wasn’t afraid of being in front of people but when
you do comedy as opposed to music it’s a whole new ball game. With music, you can do a set and get off the stage and not know if people loved it or hated it. With comedy, if the audience doesn’t laugh every few minutes, you’ve got a problem. It took some time to find my groove.
Q: How do you choose what topics you want to cover in your show?
A: I’ve always had a lot of material to pull from because I made so many videos. I also look at what’s going on in my life right now and the stories I’ve cultivated. I like to pull from real-life experiences.
Q: Do you use notes on stage to remind yourself of where you are in a set?
A: I don’t use notes but I always try to have a visual of the end of a bit and how to get into the next one. For example, I have a short bit about the Baldwin brothers and the next bit I go into is about the holidays. So, I always picture Stephen Baldwin in a Santa hat [laughs].
Q: What other projects are you currently working on?
A: I worked on a movie last year called “Family Camp” that will be out in the spring and am also working on more new music. Right now, the focus is on getting back into the swing of things with this new tour.
Q: Of all the highlights of your career thus far, is there anything that stands out to you as memorable?
A: You know, I met my husband on my first tour back in 2018. He was the production manager on my “I Ain’t Doin It” tour and three years later became my husband. That’s probably been the greatest takeaway. If comedy doesn’t last, I’ll still have this guy and the beautiful life we have together.