They say laughter is good medicine. After a heavy September, I decided to test the theory. Luckily, it wasn’t hard to find a hook up for the funny. Once a month there’s a showcase at the Hi Tone called Don’t Be Afraid of The Comedy. The event was on my radar after some ostentatious advertising at the P&H open mic night. Josh McLane and Benny Elbows sparked a seemingly unprovoked feud that escalated to physical violence at an alarming rate. Despite a somewhat affected delivery, the resolution to the local feud between Josh McLane and Benny Elbows promised an entertaining climax. As I guessed in my earlier post, I paid $3 to get a healthy dose of laughter therapy.
Grabbing a VIP seat atop the ping pong table, I had a great view of the crowd filtering in. The wrestling-themed Octoberslam intrigued a variety of Memphians so it was a great turnout. Personally, I am starting to prefer shows in the “small room” at Hi Tone. The main stage can sometimes have a glass half empty feel. When the comedy show got started that night, it was a packed house. I’m glad I got there early for a good seat.
As the host, McLane did all the things entertainers do to keep the audience engaged. Polished and organized, he enthusiastically kept the showcase flowing. Pleasantly entertained, part of me kept waiting for Benny Elbows to show up and drop a chaos bomb on the stage. Of course that didn’t distract from the very funny comics featured in the show. Thomas Jenkins shared the finer details of his dating life while Mike Degnan focused on other people’s sex life. Then McLane introduced the special guest comedian for the night – and he was sitting right next to me. I was treated to stand-up from Reggie Junior, which covered his famous father all the way to his early sex life. For a wrestling-themed evening, everyone was pretty focused on the carnal side of things. Finally, the funniest man in Memphis comedy, Rob Love, treated us to his take on current events, among other things.
After enjoying the always funny Rob Love, McLane finally got around to addressing the elephant in the room. Not surprisingly, the elephant then strolled in ostentatiously wearing a robe and golden crown. Benny Elbows rose to the challenge of the evening with enthusiasm. More hilarity ensued between the mismatched opponents and ultimately ended with the original challenge fulfilled – McLane selected an audience member at random and she was indeed funnier than Benny Elbows. Mission accomplished.
Amped up on comedy, the fun didn’t stop there. Friday I attended the much anticipated Slightly Bent Showcase hosted by Lisa Michaels. Held at Dru’s Place, I was braced for a good time. Unlike some of the other venues I frequent, the patrons of Dru’s are invested in their entertainment. Right from the start, when Jowa Horn took the stage the crowd was interested. A line of regulars at the bar enthusiastically chimed in on Horn’s social commentary and the birthday party at the front couldn’t hold back the giggles.
After that, cover band Where’s Mona? took the reigns and doled out their brand of music applied to a wide variety of songs. Putting their own spin on popular songs, I didn’t even think of them as a cover band. Two cute blondes with a bohemian country style, I’d enjoy any song they decide to take on. Further proof resulted when the girls took time to honor requests made by the audience. Even in the face of “Rocky Top” the two girls were diligent and soulful with their sound.
After that Tommy Oler took the stage. I enjoyed the chance to watch him hone his skills on a boisterous crowd. Comparing himself to his famous look-alike, Ray Romano, Oler was ready to engage with the crowd. Continuing the doppelganger theme, he then made famous face comparisons with the cluster of birthday party-goers at the front. It was established that Perez Hilton had crashed the party. Unfortunately, I had to leave at that point but a little bird told me that the next comic, Ashawntee Johnson, was a crowd favorite by the end of her set.
At this point, the theory has proven true. October has been a fabulous month and I give credit to the laughter. I’ve jumped around to a few other venues since the beginning of the month and have yet to be disappointed. Open mic comedy at the P&H is just the beginning. If you have fun there, take a night to try one of the curated shows around town. There are plenty to choose from and you’ll get something different every time. Check it out and report back. Cheers, Memphis.