the comic's comic

Meet Me In New York: Team Submarine

What do they say about New York City: There are eight million stories, and sometimes it seems as though eight million of the people telling them think they're comedians? No, that's not it. It is a fact, though, that America's biggest city is also its biggest comedy mecca. Hollywood may be Hollywood, but New York City is where comedians are born funny, become funny or arrive to thrust their funny upon us. I think we should meet some of these people. This is a new recurring feature, a mini-profile of newcomers, up-and-comers and overcomers of New York's vibrant comedy scene. It's called Meet Me In New York.

Two-man comedy can be a tricky thing to pull off, especially if the two men are not brothers, or do not possess an obvious physical dynamic (a la Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello). Team Submarine manages the feat quite well, though. Nate Fernald and Steve O'Brien, pictured here with friends in ICP makeup by David Angelo, are New Englanders who met in Chicago and formed Team Submarine before moving to NYC. David Cross and Bob Odenkirk asked them to open for them when they reunited for live sketch comedy at the Just For Laughs Chicago festival. And starting this Saturday, Team Submarine will host a monthly show at the Creek and the Cave in Long Island City.

Let's get to know them in our first team edition of Meet Me In New York, shall we?

Arrival date in NYC: May of 2008.

Arrived from: Chicago.

When and where did you start performing comedy?
STEVE: I started a sketch group in NH when I was in 8th grade with some friends.  We started doing a monthly show in the basement of a church and then played community centers and opened for a few local bands.  Nate and I met in Chicago and started doing a weekly show that we ran out of a small classroom.

NATE: I started a sketch group in college. The group was called "Sketch 22." And I'm pretty sure there are about 30 other college sketch groups with the same name.

 
What was your best credit before moving here? 
STEVE: I think our best credit was probably performing on The Sound of Young America.

NATE: I still think it was opening up for an improv troupe made up entirely of women over 60 called "Over the Hill-arious." 

 

Why did you pick NYC over LA or anywhere else?

STEVE: NY was our choice because we knew we wanted to perform live as much as possible.  We are also closer to our families in New England.  A lot of people don't know this but Nate has five children living Massachusetts.

NATE: I honestly just didn't want to have to deal with owning a car.