Nick Cox: Safety Pins & Duct Tape

Growing up in Memphis, TN, it's hard to imagine music not worming its way into your life in some form. They say it's best to "start 'em early", and Cox definitely got the worm early on, picking up the guitar at age 11, and music has been in his life ever since. At the same time, a much-loved DVD of the movie Clerks (with bonus documentary on the making-of) served to stoke Cox's desire to perform for laughs, in addition to lighters.

When someone brings up the "language barrier" of being in another country, it's most often considered a challenge. For Cox, it turned out to be a boon (at least for a little while).

Doing English comedy in Medellin for a primarily Spanish-speaking audience (with a sprinkle of expats) gave him that most rare of commodities for a new comic: stage time. The hosts of the mic often gave him upwards of 20 minutes, unheard of for an open mic set, giving Cox the room to explore material in long form.

It also gave him time to find what he wasn't quite good at yet; it definitely throws you for a loop when a "common" name drop like Stone Cold Steve Austin doesn't get a reaction: "I think at that point I was, like, there were so many things that were probably wrong with my set that the references were just one part."

Valerie cracks the case wide open by asking Cox the story behind an Instagram picture from Good Evening News that seemingly has him in an a child's protective underpants. "It looks like that because it's me in a diaper," Cox laughingly confirms, adding that he also made the bold choice to play not only a baby character, but one with a Boston accent.

He does note that he also had on boots and a hat, but we're not sure if that's better or worse.

The first 8-minute performance au-Pamper revealed he'd need a sturdier solution for the long-term, culminating in him sewing his own custom diaper. Dedication to a bit, indeed.

Having taken the first three levels of classes at the famed Upright Citizen's Bridge, Cox still wasn't sure that improv was for him. "I had to hype myself up to, like, a manic state," he recalls, just to get past his own fear that the lack of familiarity with the form was going to manifest in him being a grumpy stage partner. As with so many new experiences, though, you won't know until you give it a try: "I had a blast, and I ended up loving it," he confirms. A win for him and a win for us in the audience!