Don’t Stop Misbelievin’
As the saying goes, no two journeys are the same. Everyone has a story to tell, with its fair share of peaks and valleys along the way. In this day and age, some would argue it’s never been easier to pursue a career as a creative. With the freedom to post your art to a variety of free social media platforms, become a viral hit in a matter of moments, and not be confined to the archaic constructs of a release schedule, this may be true. Childhood dreams of being a musician, painter, or dancer develop early on and can be fostered by parental encouragement and funding. Although Darrin “DC Paul” Carkum was making his family laugh at home and voted “Most Humorous” while at McMain High School, he didn’t give the occupation of stand-up comedy much thought. Unlike many of his contemporaries, who began in their late adolescence or early adulthood — Eddie Murphy (15), Dave Chappelle (17), Chris Rock (19), Richard Pryor (23) — DC Paul didn’t begin telling jokes onstage until recently. “I got into it because I hosted a comedy show one time and it was really fun. I didn’t have any jokes… [just] making the people laugh… I just wanted to keep doing that,” says Paul.
The grind waits for no man, woman, or non-binary individual — especially in New Orleans. We’re a city of get-rich-quick schemes, daily hustles, and strategic business plans where our arts and culture are often underpriced and undervalued by locals and visitors alike. Much like the Big Apple, if you can make it in the Big Easy, you can make it just about anywhere. Soon enough, stand-up comedy wasn’t enough to satiate the self-coined Millennial Arsenio’s artistic hunger. In addition to being a part of the Young Funny comedy group and their Tuesday night open mic at Bar Redux, Paul hosts the weekly Wednesday Jam Session at the New Orleans Jazz Market, curates Blaze and Worship (a good vibes-infused, smoke-friendly safe space every last Sunday of the month, at an undisclosed location*), and delivers lighthearted content to listeners every Saturday evening on The Misbelief, his WBOK 1230 AM show.
The latter began as a two-hour YouTube “pilot,” complete with musical performances, guest interviews, a live studio audience, and a theme song by Tank and the Bangas. Originally scheduled to occur monthly, the show’s hefty…