A new UCC. A new venue. Friday night was the beginning of a new adventure for everyone involved. It was an exciting and fun way to kick off a new era in local comedy!
First off, the new venue. The Idiot Box has moved from its downtown Elm Street location. The new location actually is the result of a partnership, of sorts, with Geeksboro Coffee and Beverage Company. The shows take place in the downstairs cinema space. The new venue adds a whole new dimension (for lack of a better word) to the club going experience. As you walk into Geeksboro, there is almost a palpable buzz in the air from the coffee, the game players (video and otherwise), and the gathering of friends. If you are not used to such an atmosphere, it can catch you by surprise, but once you get past that, the friendly and, yes, slightly goofy, vibe is almost impossible to miss. Even more so than the downstairs location, it is very possible to make an evening of it. Either stay in Geeksboro and enjoy the goodies they serve or walk next door to either Hops Burger Bar on one side or Boo Radley's on the other. What makes it especially appealing is that it makes it easy to make it a family outing for an all ages Improv show downstairs and hanging out for games upstairs.
Okay, moving on. It is almost show time, so you head down the stairs to the cinema space. You step into the room and realize that it is a smaller venue then the old one. Don't let this put you off though! This is one time when talking about an intimate venue is not only fitting, but accurate as well. The room is a work in progress, but there is nothing to distract from enjoying being there or from enjoying the show. With the refurbishing that has been done to the space, it has a definite comedy club vibe. Another thing you may notice is that it seems to kind of amp up the ambient energy level, making it feel even more welcoming. The buzz of conversation and anticipation builds up the energy; helping 'warm up' the audience.
Then it happens! The lights go down and the voice of Steve Lesser pours out of the speakers welcoming everyone to the 2016 Ultimate Comic Challenge opening night. Then, with the introduction of the host, Eric Trundy, the evening is off and running. As good as he is at hosting in larger venues, this set up plays incredibly well to Eric's strengths. Within 2 sentences, the crowd is caught up in Eric's energy, laughing loudly and responding with hoots and hollers. The energy didn't even waver as the rules and voting method was explained. Not giving the audience a chance to drop their energy, the first comic of the night is introduced and the real fun begins.
The show itself was amazing overall and showcased a wonderful mix of styles and topics. Each of the comics were well received by the audience. It was one of those crowds that is ready and willing to laugh and respond; giving back as much energy as they were getting.
Leading off the show itself was Caleb Elliot. A great choice for the first slot. Caleb hit the mic and had the crowd well in hand in short measure. Demonstrating a smooth delivery style and easily bouncing from bit to bit, Caleb made it almost impossible not to get caught up in his routine. In what was an indicator of things to come, the interactions between him and the crowd were spot on. Getting a good response as he finished his set, he left a lot of energy for the next comic to build on.
Next up was a comic that I am familiar with, and always enjoy watching work her comedy magic, Mimi Benfield. I had high expectations for her set and she did not disappoint. The set was one of the most enjoyable I have seen her perform. Her set was polished without seeming impersonal. She played the audience well. The intimate venue helped make her set feel even more personal; like that one friend that is always catching you up in their stories without trying or meaning to. I also thought she had one of the best bits of the evening (spaghetti girls...).
Coming next and riding the energy from Mimi's set was Seth Fox. Another comic new to the UCC, he had a kind of frenetic delivery style that was a perfect follow to Mimi's. There were lots of high points in his set and the audience responded well to them. He worked best when he was either focusing his humor on himself or when he was doing bits that kind of made the audience nervous.
Next up was a comic that I have seen perform lots of times, Leo Hodson (Greensboro's only sit down comedian). It has been a busy year for Leo, comedy-wise, and it showed. His routine was as honed as any I have seen from him and his timing was dead on. Always good at using the deliberate pause to full effect, Leo was the master of this technique in his set. His delivery style was an interesting contrast to the prior comics and it quickly helped him win over the audience. It never fails to be fun to watch how audiences respond to his poking fun at his being in a wheelchair and he had one of the most memorable lines of the evening (...maybe next year).
Following a set like that can be nerve-wracking, but Zach Yonk faced the challenge well. Using self-deprecating humor as well as any comics I have seen in a while, Zach had the audience on his side from the start of his set. With an incredibly personable stage demeanor, it is hard not to get caught up in his routine and root for him.
The next comic up picked up the pace and the energy even more. Jiwan Kapp took the stage and had the crowd hooked in short order. With his high energy and the way he smoothly transitioned between bits, I was left a little breathless after his routine ended. Of course, the fact I was laughing almost the entire set may have been a factor there too. It was the first time I have seen him on stage, but I am more than ready to see him perform again.
The final comic was, like Jiwan, a comic that I know by reputation and have been looking forward to seeing on stage, Kenyon Adamcik. Also, just like Jiwan, Kenyon exceeded my expectations. He had a high energy, fast paced set, but he focused more on longer bits, milking each topic for maximum laughs. He is another comic that I can't wait to see on stage again.
With all of the comics done, Eric took the mic again to re-emphasize the voting procedure. After all the ballots were collected, Eric did a set to entertain the crowd until time to announce voting results. Again, playing the crowd perfectly, Eric showed off the chops that helped him become a UCC winner. It was definitely a set that needs to be seen to get the full impact of it.
Time to name the winners, but before that, a reminder of how this works: 2 of the comics advance straight to the 2nd round by virtue of audience vote. One other comic gets a chance to advance to the wild card round by virtue of comic vote, with another chance at the 2nd round on the line.
Having said that, the comic that was voted into the wild card round:
JIWANN KAPP
The two comics voted straight to the 2nd round by audience vote:
KENYON ADAMCIK
&
the night's top vote getter,
LEO HODSON!
Congratulations to the night's winners and again, a huge thank you to the rest of the comics for helping kick off the UCC in proper style and making the show so enjoyable!
SETH FOX
MIMI BENFIELD
CALEB ELLIOTTT
ZACH YONK
Another great write up
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