Comedian Rajiv Satyal is 'Taking a Stand' on Trump

Rajiv Satyal wants everyone to know he's "Taking a Stand" against pompous politicians and bad pop music.

The self-proclaimed "Funny Indian" has teamed up with pop singer/songwriter Taylor Alexander for his second national tour, and his first to combine live music and audience participation. "Taking a Stand" will tour the United States from June 29 through September 21, and will include guest musical artists, when possible.

"The show is about Donald Trump, but it's not heavy-handed or nasty; it's more about just having fun," Satyal said. "We'll be playing and singing rock, hip-hop and country. But make no mistake, this is a standup comedy show, not a concert."

Though he is known mostly for personal and observational humor, Satyal is no stranger to politics. As a college student in the late 1990s, he interned for U.S. Representative Steve Chabot (R-OH). However, he got his first taste of political controversy, on a personal level, after the U.S. State Department sent him and three other comedians on a goodwill comedy tour of India, called "Make Chai, Not War," in 2012.

"Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky later criticized Hillary Clinton during the Benghazi hearings for spending tax dollars to send three comedians to India, while she was Secretary of State," Satyal said. "Other conservatives, including Sean Hannity, jumped on the bandwagon. They completely misunderstood how our show served a legitimate purpose, to portray the United States in a positive light, through humor."

Satyal later opened for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Silicon Valley in 2015.

"That was one of the highlights of my life," Satyal said. "Being an Indian-American, to be involved with the Prime Minister's visit meant a lot professionally and personally."

Born in the Cincinnati suburb of Fairfield, Ohio, Satyal graduated from the University of Cincinnati and worked as a marketing executive for Procter & Gamble, before leaving the corporate world to pursue comedy full-time.

Taylor Alexander, meanwhile, is a Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter who combines pop, soul and rock. In 2016, he released his fourth studio EP, titled "Guardians." He plans to release more music later this year.

"Our creative freedoms are what keep us free," Alexander said. "I hope this show inspires others to create boldly and unapologetically."

While touring the country, Satyal and Alexander will launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to produce a TV talk show called "What Do You Bring to the Table?" Several prominent guests for the future TV show have already been confirmed, including Deepak Chopra and comedians Hasan Minhaj, Russell Peters and Hari Kondabolu.

Satyal and Alexander will bring "Taking a Stand" to the following cities: Atlanta, GA (June 29), Nashville, TN (June 30), Cleveland, OH (July 9), New York, NY (July 13), New Brunswick, NJ (July 16), Los Angeles, CA (July 20), Artesia, CA (July 21), Tempe, AZ (Aug. 6), Liberty Township, OH (Aug. 16), Newport, KY (Aug. 18), Chicago, IL (Aug. 24), Skokie, IL (Aug. 25), Naperville, IL (Aug. 27), Richardson, TX (Sept. 8), Austin, TX (Sept. 13), Houston, TX (Sept. 15), Sunnyvale, CA (Sept. 17) and San Francisco, CA (Sept. 21). Dates and locations are subject to change.

For tickets and other information, visit www.seerajiv.com.

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