Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're really
digging into the career of a comedian who kind
of perfectly shows the modern way to build success.
Yeah. Blending that deep regional feel with a
really smart digital approach. We are unpacking
the story of Amber Preston. And what makes her
story so interesting, I think, is this like tension
you see in the sources. She gets called a top
comedian to watch by, well, Marc Maron, a huge
name, back in 2011. Right. Very early on. But
then like seven years later. Alice calls her
one of the best undiscovered comedians in America.
And then she hits number one on the comedy charts.
It's quite a path. That contradiction, that's
the perfect way in, isn't it? We've pulled together
pretty much everything available on her career,
you know, from her background where she grew
up to the big successes. OK. And our mission
really is to trace how a performer builds that
national name while staying, well, fiercely true
to this very specific, very regional identity.
We want to go beyond just like. listing awards
right more the strategy behind it all how she
made it last exactly the strategy because when
you just look at the basic facts the story grabs
you straight away born raised in fargo north
dakota makes the move to l .a a big strategic
step and then her first album sparkly parts comes
out in 2020 and boom number one Both Amazon and
iTunes comedy charts. Yeah, the kind of immediate
impact for a debut. Yeah. Especially after years
plugging away, it suggests there was a real plan
there, a carefully built thing. Absolutely. And
that's the plan we want to dissect today. Okay,
so where do we start? We'll begin right where
her comedy often starts. Yeah. That solid Midwestern
foundation. The Fargo years. Minneapolis, too.
Exactly. And some pretty unexpected family ties
that actually anchor her comedy. Then we'll look
at defining her specific voice, how she uses
those roots. It's almost like a comedic tool.
And the critical praise she got along the way.
Right. And finally, we'll get into her major
projects like that album Success and really analyze
what seems to be the real engine of her rise.
Her huge, very strategic presence online, especially
in podcasts. Okay, let's dive into that foundation.
Because for Amber Preston, where she's from isn't
just background info. It's like part of the character,
right? Oh, absolutely. It's fundamental. She
grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. Graduated West
Fargo High in 96. The sources really stress how
that Fargo identity is just, well, it's a core
to what she does. Grounds everything. Yeah, the
grounding element. So after high school, she
does what a lot of creative folks in that area
do. Moves to Minneapolis. Late 90s. Which is
a big step in itself. Huge. Right. And crucial
for two big reasons. First, she gets a theater
degree there from the University of Minnesota.
So she's building that formal performance skill
set. Second, Minneapolis isn't just any city.
It has one of the best regional comedy scenes
in the U .S. Really vibrant, competitive, but
also... So it let her really sharpen her stand
up skills. Exactly. In a tough environment, but
maybe without that intense, immediate pressure
you get in New York or L .A. right away. And
the sources show she didn't just like rush off
to the coast. She spent years building that base
in Minneapolis. That's right. The big strategic
move, the pivot that came way later, 2014. That's
when she moves from Minneapolis to L .A. And
specifically to focus on stand -up and acting.
Specifically, yeah. So what does that tell you?
Waiting almost two decades after high school,
well after starting comedy, to make that jump.
It tells you she's playing the long game. She's
being calculated. You see so many comics, they
just jump straight to L .A. or New York. And
burn out fast. Often, yeah. Because maybe they
haven't really found their voice yet or they
don't have a solid 45 -minute set they can rely
on. Preston spent those years mastering the region.
Winning contests, getting good reviews locally.
Right. So when she finally hit L .A. in 2014,
she wasn't just like raw talent hoping someone
would notice her. She was already a proven comic.
She had a fully formed act. She had fans, even
if they were mostly regional back then. It shows
real professional maturity, I think. Yeah. It's
like the difference between going to L .A. to
figure out how to do stand up versus going there
to really do stand up professionally. Precisely.
But this whole deep connection to the Midwest,
it brings us to one of the most surprising little
details we found in the sources, something that
connects her to this, well, very specific part
of American entertainment history. OK, I think
I know where you're going. This is the Lawrence
Welk connection, isn't it? Bingo. For listeners
who might not know, Lawrence Welk, the famous
TV band leader, the accordion player known for
that. wholesome champagne music and his well
very distinct accent that's the one and the sources
confirm amber preston is actually related to
him which seems you know totally random for a
modern stand -up comedian it does on the surface
but this isn't just a fun fact it's become a
specific kind of marketable anchor point for
her comedy how so how does that work in a routine
Well, the key thing is she talks about it. She's
explicitly brought this kind of absurd family
link into her stand -up. Okay, so how does that
land comedically? Taking this figure of ultimate,
wholesome, mid -century entertainment and mixing
it with modern, personal stand -up? It works
on a few levels, I think. First, it instantly
helps define her character, right? She's this
comic from Fargo, she has the accent, and boom,
this relationship immediately grounds her in
this specific regional past. It's kind of dorky,
but it's also deeply authentic. Right. It adds
a layer. Yeah. And second, it creates this great.
comedic juxtaposition. You know, she could be
talking about something totally contemporary,
like dating apps or whatever, and then she drops
the name Lawrence Welk. This figure of almost
unbelievable wholesomeness. It highlights the
gap between her life and maybe what you'd expect
from that family history. Exactly. It's self
-deprecating, but it's also tied to her real
heritage. It gives the audience this unique hook,
something specific to remember her by, and it
really leans into the idea that Her comedy is
hers. It could only come from this particular
slightly quirky Fargo family background. It really
shows she's not afraid to use every part of her
own story, no matter how unusual. So for you,
the listener, right away this tells you something
important. We're dealing with a comic whose material
comes from these super specific personal details.
And often that's the kind of comedy that really
connects. And that focus on the personal, it
leads us right into talking about her actual
comedic voice. She started building this right
after college. And the sources are really clear.
The material is personal, but the delivery is
rooted in place. So what are the key things you'd
hear in an Amber Preston set? What makes it hers?
Well, the first thing is just the sound. Her
routines really feature her distinct Upper Midwest
accent. It's central. And her Fargo upbringing
is this constant theme, this backdrop. And it's
not just about sounding authentic, is it? No,
it's more than that. It's like signaling her
identity, her perspective. The accent itself
can be part of the humor. For a national audience,
maybe it sounds inherently funny in a way. But
for people from the region, it's relatable. She's
basically highlighting these regional quirks.
And nothing shows the specificity, the detail
in her material quite like the example the sources
give about her New Kids on the Block fandom and
KOTB. Oh yeah, this isn't just like, hey, remember
the 90s. This goes deep. Really deep. It's like
comedic obsession level deep. We know she doesn't
just mention the band. She actually sometimes
reads out loud on stage from this specific series
of novels. From the early 90s. Where the new
kids are having adventures. Like... In the style
of the Hardy Boys. Okay, stop right there. That
is amazing. Isn't it? Think about the layers.
It's almost like archival comedy. She's digging
up this piece of genuinely forgotten 90s pop
culture artifact. This book series written just
to cash in on teen obsession. And she performs
it seriously. Well, maybe seriously as comedy.
She's relying on the audience, you know, to get
the sheer absurdity of that cultural moment.
She's basically saying, look what we loved. Look
at this thing we consumed. That's brilliant.
But doesn't focusing on something that niche
like NKOTB adventure novels, doesn't that risk
maybe losing some of the audience, making it
too small? You'd think so, maybe. But I think
the risk is lessened by her authenticity and
just the performance itself. Really great comedy
often finds something universal in the extremely
specific, right? Yeah, that's true. She's not
just talking about NKOTV. She's talking about
like the intensity of being a teenager, how earnest
that pop culture was, how time passes. The novel
is just the vehicle for that. And the vulnerability
of admitting you loved this slightly embarrassing
thing. Exactly. That vulnerability connects.
And honestly, it takes guts. to bring actual
props like old books onto a comedy stage. Yeah,
no kidding. And this unique style, this voice
she was building, it started getting her real
recognition regionally, even years before she
made the L .A. move. For sure. Back in 2011,
City Pages, which is a big deal in the Twin Cities
art scene, they named her one of the top 100
creative people in Minneapolis. That's major
local validation. Huge. maybe even more important
for her career path, was winning that competition
in 2011. The best of the Midwest competition
at Gilda's Laugh Fest. That's in Grand Rapids,
Michigan. That one's so critical. Because, well,
the Midwest comedy scene is massive. Winning
that contest. basically signals to everyone,
agents, bookers, other comics, that you've kind
of conquered the regional circuit. You're ready
for the next step. It was like her regional diploma.
And we can see the immediate effect because the
sources point out she was actually performing
at that laugh fest when she got her first big
national break, her first appearance on WTF with
Marc Maron in 2012. The timing is perfect, right?
Yeah. That connection is clear. Yeah. And she
kept competing, too. She was a finalist in 2012
at the Great American Comedy Festival. That one's
held. in Norfolk, Nebraska, Johnny Carson's hometown.
Wow. So placing there connects her to this bigger
history of American comedy. Definitely. And it
showed she could hold her own outside her Minneapolis
base. But the really big national stamp of approval,
that came even earlier, didn't it? 2011. From
Marc Maron himself. Yeah, Maron named her one
of his five top comedians to watch very early
in her career. That kind of endorsement, well,
it opens doors. And we even have the quote, what
he said about her. Yeah, Marin called her a brassy
gal who could play a one -nighter at a bowling
alley or a thousand -seat theater and just nail
it. That quote says so much, doesn't it, about
her versatility, her toughness. Totally. It highlights
someone whose act works anywhere. She doesn't
need fancy production or a specific type of room.
The material and her presence are strong enough.
She's a road comic, a true professional, a comics
comic. Okay, so now we get to that core puzzle,
the contradiction we need to really unpack. Right.
Marin, the ultimate comedy insider, he's hyping
her in 2011, top talent, then seven years fly
by, it's 2018, and Thrillist, the entertainment
website, names her one of the best undiscovered
comedians in America. Yeah. How does that work?
How are you a top... Proven talent, but still
undiscovered almost a decade later. This gap,
this is such a key lesson in how the modern comedy
business works, I think. It just highlights the
massive difference between industry recognition
and actual mainstream visibility. Okay, explain
that. Marin's praise meant the people inside
comedy knew her. The other comics, the bookers,
the club owners, they respected her. She'd paid
her dues, won the right contest, toured, built
the act. Right, known within the scene. Exactly.
But Thrillist. Yeah. They're writing for a much
broader audience. People who mostly find out
about entertainment through, you know, online
lists, mainstream websites, social media. So
Undiscovered basically meant she hadn't broken
through that next level of mainstream amplification
yet. Like she didn't have the big late night
set or a recurring role on a sitcom or the huge
Netflix special deal. Precisely. The label isn't
really a critique of her talent at all. Right.
It's just a reflection of her market penetration
at that point. It shows just how crowded and
tough the entertainment world is. You can be
championed by the absolute best, have a killer
act, and still spend years kind of flying under
the radar for the average person. But the fact
she was still making those kinds of lists in
2018, that also says something positive, right?
Oh, absolutely. It confirms her quality was consistent.
She didn't disappear. She had the stamina, the
persistence to keep working through those years
it took to bridge that gap between the industry
buzz and real commercial breakthrough. And that
stamina, that consistency, it really did pay
off commercially with her debut album, Sparkly
Parts. Let's get into that. Released April 17,
2020. Stand -up records. Right. And we know she'd
built the fan base, the reputation over years.
But the success was immediate. And really significant.
How significant? It debuted at number one on
both the Amazon and the iTunes comedy charts.
Wow. Both. Both. Now, that tells you more than
just, oh, she has some loyal fans. It shows that
all that groundwork, the regional touring, but
also crucially, all that digital outreach, we'll
talk more about it, had built a big enough network.
People who were ready and waited to buy her stuff
the second it dropped. That first week surge
is what gets you to number one. Exactly. That
immediate buy in. But the timing here is wild.
April 2020. Yeah. Right as the world was basically
locking down. Yeah. Coronavirus quarantine hitting
hard. So no big album release party at a comedy
club. Nope. Couldn't happen. So she had to pivot
instantly. Which really shows that, you know,
necessity breeds invention in comedy, too. What
did she do? Instead of the usual club show, she
live -streamed a comedy set right from her home.
Smart. Really smart. It not only marked the album
release, but it also gave people stuck at home
some much -needed timely entertainment. Great
timing, in a weird way. And the reviews backed
up the sales numbers. They did. Richard Lenoy
over at the Serious Comedy site, he reviewed
Sparkly Parts and called it a hoot to listen
to. And this part is key. He said it had no weak
moments. No weak moments. That points back to
all those years of work, doesn't it? Absolutely.
That's the payoff of that long regional development.
By the time she recorded that first album, she
had road tested every single joke. Dozens, probably
hundreds of times. First in Minneapolis, then
nationally in L .A. and on tour. So the quality
wasn't some accident. It was earned. Totally
earned. The product of just relentless consistency
and editing down to the best stuff. Now, besides
her own solo work, Preston seems really involved
in the, like, community side of comedy, too,
especially out in L .A. Yeah, she co -hosts this
weekly showcase at the Hollywood Improv. It's
called Punchline Punchout. Okay, tell us about
that. Well, first off, she co -hosted with another
fantastic comic, Andy Erickson. who is, fittingly,
also a Minnesota transplant. Ah, keeping the
Midwest connection strong in L .A. Seems like
it. And the show itself, the format, it sounds
intense. It's designed to keep comics sharp.
It runs like a game show. Comics get just 10
minutes, apparently, to come up with punchlines
really fast, all based on a specific topic they're
given. Wow, 10 minutes. That's pressure. High
pressure. It forces quick thinking, improvisation
mixed with... structured writing. It's like essential
training for any working comic. It keeps you
from just getting stuck doing the same old material
over and over. It's constant agility practice.
Makes sense. Keeps the writing muscles flexed.
Exactly. And doing that collaboration with another
comic from back home right in the middle of Hollywood,
it just reinforces that regional bond, that shared
viewpoint. Probably influences the whole vibe
of their show. And she's branched out beyond
just stand -up too, right? The sources mention
acting, film work. Trying to diversify? Yeah,
definitely making moves there. She starred in
a short film in 2019 called The Poacher. Okay.
Did it get seen anywhere? It did, yeah. It had
a pretty decent festival run. Played at the Culver
City Film Festival and the Yucca Valley Film
Festival in 2019. Then in 2020, it screened at
the Los Angeles Short Film Festival. So respectable
indie festivals. Exactly. And that's important
because these shows, she's not just like waiting
for her stand -up fame to maybe get her an acting
gig. She's actively going out and getting roles
in projects that are getting critical attention
on the festival circuit. It helps broaden her
profile from just comedian to, you know, versatile
performer within that L .A. industry machine.
OK, this section feels absolutely crucial to
understanding how Sparkly Parts hit number one,
her podcast history. It's extensive. Oh, it's
huge. And looking at the list, it's not just,
oh, she did some podcasts. It's like a strategic
roadmap. It shows exactly how she built her network,
raised her profile over years, using the digital
space almost like a second stage. It's the modern
comedian's playbook, isn't it? Absolutely. If
you're not constantly on the road, you're constantly
on podcasts or both. Right. And these appearances,
they work on so many levels. They're promo for
her live shows, for the album eventually. They're
networking, connecting with other comics hosts.
And they're a way to actually workshop material,
especially the really niche stuff, for audiences
who might specifically get it. And the biggest
connection, the one that really tracks her career
arc, is Marc Maron's podcast, WTF. She was on
three separate times. Three times, which is significant
in itself on a show that big. Let's look at the
timeline again because it tells the story. Okay,
first time. Episode 292 back in 2012, recorded
live at Gilda's Laugh Fest. Right. Right when
she was winning awards, getting that first wave
of critical buzz, that appearance was basically
Maren telling the national comedy audience, hey,
pay attention to this person. It put her on the
map for listeners outside the Midwest. Then fast
forward three years, 2015, episode 576. And this
one was different. It was a multi -guest episode.
She's on there with huge names, Whitney Cummings,
Pamela Adlon, Shelby Farrow. Wow, that's heavy
company. Right. Being included in that lineup,
that's validation from her peers. It shows she's
now seen as a respected working conic operating
at a high level within that L .A. scene. It's
industry acceptance. And then the third time,
episode 1132, June 2020. Perfect timing. Just
after Starkley Parts dropped. Using Maren's massive
platform to push the album. Exactly. That's the
commercial payoff appearance. So just tracking
those three WTF episodes, you get this clear
narrative, discovery, peer respect, and then
commercial launch. It shows this ongoing relationship
with one of comedy's biggest platforms and how
she used it strategically at each key stage.
But it wasn't just the huge shows like WTF. Her
strategy seems much deeper going on to niche
podcasts, too. This is where you see the real
planning, I think. She used these smaller, more
focused podcasts to really dig into her specific
material, like that NKOTB stuff. Right. You mentioned
she did a whole episode about that. Yeah, on
Obsessed with Joseph Scrimshaw, 2016, episode
92. The entire episode was focused specifically
on her new Kids on the Block material. That's
brilliant targeting. Isn't it? It's not just
general promotion. It's finding the exact audience
that's already primed to love that specific slice
of pop culture history she's mining for comedy.
It let her go way deeper into the bit than she
probably could in a typical 15 -minute club set.
And she did Jackie Cashin's show, too, The Dork
Forest. Yes, in 2015, live from the Bridgetown
Comedy Festival. And Jackie's show is literally
about people's specific, often nerdy obsessions.
So again, a perfect fit for someone whose signature
bit involves reading from obscure 90s boy band
novels. It shows she knew where her material
would resonate most strongly. Totally. And she
even showed some versatility by going on... probably
science in 2015. That's a comedy show about science.
Yeah, basically. Yeah. Comics riffing on science
news. Appearing on that suggests her humor isn't
just based on telling personal stories. She also
has the quick wit, the smarts, to hang in a conversation
about... you know, current events and science.
It signals adaptability to bookers and listeners.
She's not a one -trick pony. And the rest of
the list just shows this was ongoing, consistent
work. Shows like Stuffed Animal Party way back
in 2013. Later on, things like Magnetronic, Lady
to Lady, somewhere right up near the album release
in early 2020. Year after year of engagement.
That digital space. It really was her second
touring circuit. and probably her main marketing
engine. She was building connections, building
trust, creating anticipation with literally thousands
of listeners across all these different shows
and niches. So when Sparkly Parts finally came
out? Those thousands of listeners who felt like
they knew her, they knew her voice, her specific
stories. They were ready, ready to click buy.
Her success wasn't some overnight viral thing.
It was the direct result of years, almost a decade,
of consistent, maybe low -key, but very strategic
digital outreach. Hashtag digital outro. So looking
back at the whole picture, we've really traced
Amber Preston's path from that Fargo high school
grad related to Lawrence Welk using her accent
as part of her act in Minneapolis all the way
to being this chart -topping comic based in L
.A. getting nods from the biggest names in the
business. It's a really powerful story of just
sticking with it and staying true to your specific
voice. Absolutely. I think what her career really
demonstrates is the incredible power of consistency.
But consistency mixed with that super personal,
super... specific material. She never tried to
hide or sand off the edges, the regional stuff,
the dorky stuff like NKOTB, the woke thing. Totally
leaned into it. And she combined that unique
vulnerability with just relentless hard work.
The competitions like Gilda's Laugh Fest, the
film projects, being part of the scene with shows
like Punchline Punch -Out, it was all part of
the build. And managing to hit number one with
sparkly parts. right in the middle of a global
pandemic, pivoting immediately to that live stream
release. It just proves, you know, if the material's
tight and the network's been built and the timing
hits, the comic who can adapt, they win. She
was ready. She'd done the work, built the audience.
And that audience, stuck at home, was probably
desperate for exactly the kind of authentic,
funny escape she offered. Yeah. And that brings
us to maybe the final thought for you, the listener,
to chew on. Think again about those two labels.
Top comedian to watch in 2011 from Maren the
Insider and then undiscovered comedian from Thrillist
in 2018 aimed at the mainstream. Right. The talent
was clearly there all along. The visibility was
the variable. Exactly. So what does that gap
really tell us about how we measure success now?
Is real national recognition maybe measured less
by who the traditional gatekeepers say is good
and more by stuff you can actually count? Like
hitting number one on iTunes, which means the
audience directly voted with their wallets. Direct
engagement versus critical acclaim. Maybe. Is
that the new metric? And thinking about her foundation,
how she turned that very specific Fargo Midwest
identity into a national asset, it makes you
wonder, doesn't it? Wonder what? Well, what other
regional voices are out there right now? comics
in, I don't know, Boise or Austin or rural Pennsylvania
who are mastering their own specific niche, building
their own digital network quietly, just waiting
for that perfect moment to drop their album,
make their pivot, and maybe surprise everyone
by hitting the top of the charts too. Who's next
to bridge that gap?