Questions with comedians: MK Paulsen comes to Vail

Comedian MK Paulsen is flying in from Los Angeles this week. He has a TV show on Amazon Prime and runs a comedy show called “In-Unit Laundry” that has showcased comics like Hannah Einbender from Showtime and Steph Tolev from Netflix, who will be headlining the September 15 Vail Comedy Show. Here’s a short Q&A with Paulsen.

Have you ever performed in Vail?

I’ve never performed in Vail before. I was supposed to last winter but sadly had a snowboarding injury and had to cancel a few weeks out. But, the buildup is all the more magical and I can’t wait to get there and explore Eagle County.

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Do you have a favorite Colorado comedy memory from any mountain town?

If you remember in February 2021, there was a winter storm in Texas that knocked out the entire state’s power grid. I happened to be there visiting my family and spent three days with my parents in the coldest, darkest, strangest experience I’ve ever been through in Texas. When our electricity finally came back on (and our home and my family was safe) I saw that some New York friends were doing a comedy show in Steamboat Springs. Pretty much on a whim, I jumped in my car, asked if there was a floor or couch I could sleep on and drove a solid 15 hours to get there in time for the show. I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to get on stage because the show had so many people on it. But I had such a great time on that trip and made lifelong friends. I ended up just ski bumming there for a few weeks and since then Colorado has become one of my favorite places on the planet. God the beer is so good!

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What do you know about the Vail Comedy Show?

I did the online show during the pandemic and had such a fun time. Everyone seems hot! I hope you all haven’t let yourselves go since then!

What is it like to be on Amazon Prime?

It’s an interesting experience because the folks that watched the show really connected with it and I still get recognized from time to time. But most people have no idea and sometimes I even forget I was on TV. Overall though great experience and I still feel very lucky to have been a part of it. Ten out of 10 stars!

Can you talk about your new comedy show in Los Angeles?

I’ve run a lot of independent comedy shows in Los Angeles with some really great producing partners. Sadly, the pandemic prohibited live shows for a while, and I am finally getting back to producing one. And I couldn’t be more thrilled to be doing it with my best friend, Simon Gibson, who also happens to be one of my favorite comedians. The magic of living in Los Angeles is you never know who is going to drop in, and we intentionally made it a Tuesday night show so some big names would be able to pop in and do sets. If you’re in LA, please come check us out. It’s called “In-Unit Laundry” every Tuesday at the Lyric Hyperion. We called it “In-Unit Laundry” because our next big Hollywood dream is to have in-unit laundry.

How would you describe your comedy?

A fast-paced, stream of consciousness, silly, wonderful joy ride from hell.

What is next for MK Paulsen?

I think I’m going to have some lunch and then go for a walk. And then this October I’m planning to record an album in Austin.

Any final thoughts?

A: I’m excited to get to Vail. Once a few years ago I thought of working at the resort for a season and I signed up to get job notifications via email. I still get those emails and somehow just haven’t gotten around to unsubscribing. I think that I subconsciously like the idea of living and working in Vail so enjoy seeing them in my inbox. Maybe I will?! Is this the year? I’d like a six-figure salary and full benefits if possible. Please and thank you! And excited to hang out soon. Keep in mind I have 14,000 unread emails in my inbox!