comedian at the Stress Factory in
New Brunswick. Closer to home,
he organizes showcases with fel-
low comedian and Montclairian
Paul Ward at Tierney’s Tavern
and the Park Street Market. The
consistent performing paid off last
fall, when he made his first tele-
vised appearance on Kevin Hart’s
Comedy Central show, Hart of
the City. It captured Raney
on stage at the Paterson club
Jacksonville, an experience
he looks back on as “nerve-
wracking.”
“I don’t feel that my set was
the strongest,” he says. “That’s
probably due to the nerves, just
being nervous on that level, with
that kind of platform. But I am
so thankful that I had that oppor-
tunity.” Despite his self-criticism,
the performance was good enough
to bring him future dates that will
help him strengthen his routine.
Raney is currently develop-
ing his own company to produce
comedy tours; he also dabbles in
stop-motion animation. He hopes
that at some point, making people
laugh can be a full-time job. “I
would like to be an entertainer
full-time,” he says. “That’s the
dream, that’s the goal.” ■
MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE MAY 2018
49