Амир Камиаб

Amir Kamyab, a UCLA graduate in history and political science, was working in real estate in Southern California when the market crashed in 2007. Unlike some liberal arts majors with suddenly reduced prospects, Kamyab had a backup plan: comedy. “I always knew I wanted to be a standup comedian – it was just a matter of time before I got into it,” he says. “When that happened, it was the right time. It was now or never, so I jumped all in.” He moved to L.A. and has since sparked his share of buzz as Amir K. His resume includes wins at several SoCal standup competitions, regular stints at the Laugh Factory, a nearly year-round schedule of dates around the country, and maybe, possibly movies soon (he landed a small role in the next Ben Affleck vehicle). Over five nights starting Wednesday, July 25, patrons of the El Paso Comic Strip will get to enjoy his energetic, off-the-cuff standup. Born in Tehran, Iran, the 30-year-old comic moved to Orange County when he was 4. Necessarily his humor has a Middle Eastern child-of-immigrants perspective, but his love of the ridiculous and his quasi-improvisational style are the real draw.