The Ultimate Comic Challenge, 10th anniversary edition. Show 5

Wow!  What an evening so far!  With the way the room is filling up and with the level of energy already way up, it looks like we are in for another barn burner of a show!

As the lights go down and the music fades, the crowd goes almost completely silent but the energy doesn't waver one bit.  As Eric Trundy's voice comes up for the welcome and the introduction of the host for the show, Steve Lesser, noise and energy comes quickly to stunning levels.  This has all the makings of one helluva show!

Steve is at his usual hosting best and Eric seems to be in a good mood if he banter is any indication.  Steve makes the housekeeping announcements funny and  a nice lead-in to the show.  It really does seem like this is going to be a rare evening.

(oh, I will be pointing out somethings as asides throughout the night... bear with me. I will explain later)

(let's begin with Unicorn dick picks)

Steve announces the first comic of the show and we are off and running!

Leading off, and setting the bar for the rest of the comics is Anthony Lowe!  Anthony is a familiar face that hasn't been around for a while.  It is a pleasure to see him again.  His sense of humor hasn't changed much.  He is still very good at making a sensible subject into a nonsensical one; and even better at making out there topics seem perfectly presentable.  One thing I love is that quite often he gets this look on his face that either means he knows something that you don't or that he is about to see how far he can stretch the audience's willingness to keep up with him. Actually, it could easily be both.  Another strong point that is on display is the interplay with the crowd.  Without seeming to, he is very adept at getting responses or answers that he can build up upon, even if the result may seem off to the rest of us.  This a great opening for the any show, but it really opens up more opportunities for the rest of the lineup to use as jumping off points.

(having said that, next would be adult 'dating' sites, UDP)

Steve gets in a little bit of callback action at this point that serves as a direct bridge between performers. It is another one of those things that is close to impossible to plan for, but the effect is downright devastating... in a funny way!

(ads, udp)

Next up is one of the most unique comics I have had the pleasure to listen to, William Kwapil!  His voice catches you a bit off guard at first, but as you get used to it, it gives an added depth to his comedy.  He is another embodiment of the every man with a bit of an 'aw shucks, ma'am' charm mixed with  a straightforward `seriously?' edge.  Imagine Will Rogers by way of Jim Henson Productions. His writing is as sharp as his delivery and gives him many opportunities to take his performance where he wants it to go.  It is a freedom that isn't as prevalent as one would think.

(shout out to parent, udp)

Again, Steve is doing his best to make this not only a great show, but a complete on as well.  This is becoming comedy Tetris played by masters.

(parent call back)

Next up, Kelly Ryan!  Buckle up, this is going to be a wild ride.  Kelly is another comic that tends to be kind of aggressive with her comedy, and uses the aggression in a way that endears the audience to her.  Tonight is no different.  The fact that she gives a shout out to her dad, who is in the audience, after she has done a couple bits where she talked about...  ahem.. intimate details and he dad's reaction to some of them comes across as even more endearing.   Oh, I must also give proper credit to her use of Disney references as sexual puns.  The string was as breathtaking for the rapid fire delivery as for the laughter pulled out in its wake.

(obvious parental shout out, and Disney references)

It is fun to watch Steve as he figures out exactly how he wants to reference Kelly's routine a she decides to jump right in to the next introduction.

Answering the call next is Dusty Cagle, he of the meteoric rise.  I think that the most amazing thing is that, from the outside, his comedy seems not only simple, but simplistic.  You can use a simple explanation to describe his comedy and you wouldn't be technically wrong; but you couldn't be further from the truth about it.  This is a comic who can throw out pop culture reference like a ninja on speed throwing shurikens and then drop a gear to lay some personal material on you.  On top of this, he blends them so well together that there is not a chance of a lost step or a missed turn by the audience.  Hoover, if he drove like he performs comedy, no clutch or transmission would be safe.  Adding to his natural charm is the fact that his joy in doing comedy really shows through.

(udp and Disney references, as well as Disney references as life advice)

Next up is another of the most likable guys on the local comedy scene, Nathan Meauhead!  Capitalizing on the energy in the room, Nathan delivers one of the smoothest performances I have seen him do.  Nathan is one of the few comics I have ever seen who can deliver self deprecating material in a kind if aggressive way and it feels perfectly natural.  Like, Dusty, it is easy to tell that Nathan enjoys performing and that makes cheering him on the only real option you have. It is always a pleasure to catch Nathan on stage.

Up next is another of my former comedy classmates, Bryan Whitley.  The number of people that come out when Bryan performs is as much a testament to his general personality as it is to his comedic ability.  It would be easy to overlook Bryan at first glance.  He seems a bit reserved and straitlaced at first blush, well, except for that grin he gets..and the twinkle in his eyes that goes along with it.  As he gets into his set, you figure out quickly that the smile and twinkle in the eye are much more indicative of who he is on stage.  He is an excellent writer and so good at giving the writing life.   It is his attention to the details of his comedy that makes his comedy so irresistible.  A charming and charismatic guy away from the  mic, I doubt that even he is aware of just how much that gets magnified when he is in the spotlight.

(multiple ads references, several udp references)

By this point, the momentum between finishing comic, Steve and upcoming comic is almost a palpable, physical thing.  No matter how it finishes, this has been a wonderful and wonderfully unique experience...

(but wait!  there's more!)

In a lineup that seems to be a best of the Idiot Box mix, the hits do indeed keep coming.  Next up, Zo Myers!  It is hard for me to think of something to say about Zo and his material that I haven't said many times over.  However, one word that I can't escape using is surprising.  I know how good he is going into his set; I know how funny he is.  By the end of the set, it is clear that I didn't really know.  In a long list of great sets, this one is still a step above.  The writing and performance is tight without being impersonal.  You still get the impression that he is talking to you (or in this case, if you are a mom of one of the comics, that he is flirting with you.) And it always amazes me how much he can turn on the charm when he is on stage.  Once again in this competition, My jaw ends up on the floor as I am blown away.

As Steve thanks Zo and welcomes the next comic to the stage, he has a bit of fun with Zo about the flirting and it is cool to watch Zo's reaction to that; kind of embarrassed yet a bit pleased as well.  Another thing I like about Zo is that sometimes I don't think he is fully aware of how good his comedy can be and the effects beyond just laughter that it can draw out.

Next up, and leading off his set by calling out Zo on flirting with his mom, is Lucas Gumbrecht.  Playing off of his last name and the fact that he has alopecia (an autoimmune condition where hair follicles are mistakenly attacked by the immune system), Lucas uses both to optimum effect.  Going into a German accent that wouldn't have been out of place on Get Smart! (the show, not the movies), he plays well off of the possible seriousness of both going ahead and knocking out the nervous laughter before it can start.  As has been the case a lot in this competition, I would say that this is one of best sets I have seen him do, and it was a pleasure to witness to it.

(lots of parental call back of various types).

Next up, and our final comic of the night, Chauncey Miller!  A couple of times before and during the show I heard Chauncey mention being nervous.  I was kind of worried about him.  Silly friggin' me!  He was as smooth as butter and had charisma to spare as soon as he picked up the mic!  It is easy to see that he is an actor (as he mentions during his set).  In a group of comics that are masters at winning a crowd over, Chauncey showed that he was right where he belonged.  One thing that really made a powerful impact on me was the fact that after a few sentences, he elicited a very strong sense of familiarity in me. Not only that he belonged there, but that he had been there from the get-go. I can only think of one or two comics that got that reaction from me before.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the competition and beyond has in store for him in regards to comedy.  I can definitely say he won me over.

It is time for the lights to come up and for Steve to call all of the comics back up to the stage for a final bow and allow for the audience to once again put a face with the name, or vice verse.


Ballots are collected and the lights go down once again.  In an earlier write up, I talked about two things that Steve does at this point that I particularly enjoyed.  Tonight is a good example of the second thing.  Steve sometimes takes notes during the sets and calls back to parts of each.  In this case, Steve starts with call backs to Kelly's set, especially about her dad being in the audience and her talking about her sex life.  Steve starts talking about having 'the talk' with his own kids and how hard that was.  In the middle of a "can you imagine" followup, Kelly's mom completely stole the moment, with a "we had that talk with Kelly" reply that causes everyone to bust out laughing as well as earning an embarrassed blush for Steve and an applause break for Kelly's mom.  Steve went through a few more of the routines before the inevitable happens, Steve can no longer read his handwriting (it seems he and I have the same notetaking skill level).  Of course, how he responds to his lack of legible notes is also good for a big laugh..

A rough final tally for the show:  Double digit references/call outs/callbacks for: Unicorn dick picks; Adult dating sites; parents and movie/Disney as the basis for life lessons/advice.  Not a set or introduction missed out on adding to the total.  Talk about a unified show. Hell, talk about a complete show!  Here we have it.

Okay, it is now time to announce the comics who are moving on and thanking all that participated!

MOVING ON TO THE WILD CARD ROUND VIA COMIC VOTE:

ANTHONY LOWE

MOVING ON TO THE 2ND ROUND VIA AUDIENCE VOTE:

ZO MYERS

KELLY RYAN

DUSTY CAGLE

CHAUNCEY MILLER

AND A HUGE, WHOLEHEARTED THANK YOU TO ALL THE COMICS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS SUCH A GREAT SHOW:

LUCAS GUMBRECHT

NATHAN MEAUHEAD

BRYAN WHITLEY

WILLIAM KWAPIL

ANYTIME YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE ANY OF THESE COMICS, OR ANY OF THE COMICS PERFORMING IN THE COMPETITION, PLEASE DO!  SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMEDY SCENE, LOCAL COMICS AND FINE LOCAL COMEDY VENUES SUCH AS THE IDIOT BOX IS A WIN-WIN SITUATION!

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THUS FAR!

The Ultimate Comic Challenge, 10th anniversary edition. Show 4

Here we are once again, comedy fans! Another Friday and 2 more shows!  Let's jump right in with the 8:30 show, shall we?


The lights go down and the music fades as Eric Trundy welcomes everyone and introduces the show's host, Jennie Stencel!

With relatively little ado, we jump right into the show and our first comic, Jack Belliveau!  The show gets off to a genial start, with Jack charming the audience and picking up the energy in the room.  It is easy to warm up to this mohawked family man.  (Though I can't help but wonder if the WWE is /missing one of Sheamus' stunt doubles...).  This is a man who knows what he wants (to be seen as a giant..) and how to achieve it (babies... and a thriving miniature pony farm).  Being slightly goofier than one would think upon first view, Jack goes through his set with a warmth and charm that is impossible to resist.  It is a great way to start off the show.

Next up is Justin Scranton!  Showing the same level of charm as Jack, but in a much more 'aw, shucks' manner, Justin easily grabs on to the energy left over from the first comic and quickly proceeds to shape it as he wishes.  The aw shucks manner belies a very smart and sharp performer who is also adept at winning over the crowd. 

It turns out that the audience is eager to laugh and is very appreciative of the comedic efforts.

Next up is a comic that I am very familiar with, yet always seems to take me by surprise, James Hodge! The last time I saw James, his set was more mellow and more personal than any I had seen before and I wondered of that has carried over.  Within mere seconds, it was obvious that it had not.  With a focus on topical issues instead of the personal, James' set had an aggressiveness that almost takes my breath away.  I know that sounds bad, but the effect was anything but bad.  Combining some razor sharp lines with moments of  mind twisting imagery, you get swept up in his wake.  Also, by throwing in moments of self deprecating insight, it makes the aggressiveness almost endearing.  He starts to a bit of nervous laughter, but by the time he is finished, loud appreciative humor and applause sees him off.

The lucky comic to follow that is Eric Selenschek. As he takes the mic, Eric comes across as very personable.  His personality serves him well as he follows up James' set with one focusing on much more conservative material.  While the audience didn't respond well, to the conservative humor, they did to the comic himself.  When he turned to more personal material the crowd warmed up to him considerably.  He made very good use of the positive responses to finish his set strongly.  There is a lot of potential with this one.

Next up is David Decareaux!  As he goes through his set, I find it difficult to put into words the fine points and details of it.  As he finishes, I am not any closer.  I am not saying that he is a bad comic as he had several bits that readily drew laughter.  It is just that the set leaned rather heavily to the random side.  This is unfortunate because it tends to make it rather difficult to judge a comic's overall ability.  With the reaction ellicited by various bits, it shows that with a bit of focusing, he could be a serious player on the local com3edy scene for some time to come.  I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for him on the mic.

Coming up next is Stephen Hamlett! He seems kind of at a loss as to how to handle the weird energy in the room, and tries several subjects to see how they would play.  There was an obvious bit of frustration on his face as he worked through bit after bit, However, when he hit one that drew the audience out once again, the look of relief and the leap in his personal energy was very obvious.As he continued on wwith this train of thought, his confidence level and the audience's comfort level towards skyrocketed.  The charisma and his writing ability came to the forefront and he seemed to have won the crowd over.  As he finished his last bit, the crowd responded with loud laughter and applause.  It was great to see someone handle a situation that could have been so damaging and not only waethered it, he beat it. I am proud of, and impressed with, him.

The next comic to hit the stage pretty, Tank Smith much won the corwd over in a few words.  Tank brought sucha  high energy level and good naturedness to the mic and the effect on the crowd was almost instantaneous.  He had people smiling as well as laughing throughout his set.  He is a nice breath of fresh air cutting through the nervous energy pervading the room.

Coming up next and taking full advantage of the newly revived energy in the room is PhillipWarren. I will admit, in the past I have been fairly ambivalent towards Phillip's performances in the past.  I never could really put my finger on what it was.  It took one of the strongest performances of the last three competitions to remind me and show that he had mastered them. I won't even try to describe what he was wearing, but I will say if there are any pictures of the night, check them out.  That wasn't one of the reasons, but it still makes me laugh to think about it.In the past, where he might come across as daring the crowd to like him, this time Phillip seemed to welcome the crowd in and he seemed to feed off their energy each time it ramped up and used it to build an even higher, tighter routine.  This was the tightest, most committed-to routine I have ever seen him do.  The one time when it seemed he might crack, he caught himself and made it seem like he meant to do it.  His impression of MLK Jr. was spot on and there was not a bit of a sense of mockery or disrespect in it.   It is always the best thing to me when I get to see a fellow comic hit their stride, and this is one of the biggest and best versions of that, that I can remember. This is a case of being in the presence of greatness.  And I am very happy I was here to see it.

The randomizer must be congratulated again.  In one of those amazing moments where a perfect storm is created, following up Phillip's set with Maddie Weiner's.  Again, there is no way to plan for such a thing to happen in a competition. but when it happens, it is undeniable.

I am a fan of Maddie's and have been since I first saw her perform, but she was a bit of a puzzle to me.  She is kind of a more laid back, charming, quieter performer yet she tends to do very aggressive and possibly offsetting topics.  To me , there was a bit of a disconnect between performer and material.  Tonight something is different about her even as she steps up to the mic.  Maybe she had planned it out like it ended up.  Maybe it was just catching hold of the lightning left over from Phillip's set.  I just know that there is not one bit of disconnect in her set tonight.  She is very aggressive without losing her charm and charisma.  If anything, the contrast kind of intensified both. (yeah, weird I know, but it is what it is).  And what made it better, for me at least (and as I think about it, the same can be said for Warren's set), is the look of utter joy and power on her face as the set continues. (though, in Warren's case, his came as he was finishing his set)

My arms are sore from clapping and my sides hurt from laughing, both carryovers from both of the last two sets.

So how do you follow up both of those?  If you are the last act of the show, you do it your own way.  You don't try to match the other sets, because it would be bad to do so and miss.  If you are Brian Burns, you give the audience a lrge dose of understated charm and sharp comedic writing delivered with aplomb.  In a couple of performances, his understated style actually helped the performers before and after shine a bit more, taking the focus off of him a bit.  This time, with the benefit of the wild energy coursing through the room, he was able to make himself shine as much as it added an extra bit of shine to the two prior performances (in terms of the audience going back over each as they fill out their ballots).  This set is Brian intensified and a perfect ending to a very good show.


As we go pretty much straight to the ballot counting and then the announcement of those going on, I shall do the same here.

Moving on to the Wild Card Round via comic vote:

BRIAN BURNS

Moving on to the 2nd Round via audience vote:

MADDIE WIENER

PHILLIP WARREN

TANK SMITH

JUSTIN SCRANTON

CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE ADAVANCING AND TO THE OTHER COMICS  WHO HELPED MAKE THIS A GREAT SHOW:

JACK BELLIVEAU

ERIC SELENSCHEK

JAMES HODGE

DAVID DECAREAUX

STEPHEN HAMLETT

IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE THESE OR ANY OF THE OTHER COMICS COMPETEING IN THE UCC, PLEASE DO!  SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL COMEDY SCENE, THE COMICS AND WONDERFUL COMEDY VENUES SUCH AS THE IDIOT BOX!

The Ultimate Comic Challenge, 10th anniversary edition. Show 3

Hello and welcome back comedy fans!  It has been a great night so far, and the comedy rolls on into the second show of the night.  It will be very interesting to see how this show compares to the one just ended.  Sometimes it can be difficult for an audience to warm up and get the energy flowing for the second show of the night like this (especially when there is almost a 100% audience turnover rate.

The lights and the music go down and Steve Lesser is doing announcing honors for this show.  He introduces our host for the show, Eric Trundy.  Steve and Eric pulled out all the stops to try to get the audience warmed up and ready to go.  It seems to start that the crowd isn't buying it, but by the time housekeeping announcements are over, there is a noticeable build in the room's energy.  Here's hoping it keeps on and the crowd can be won over.

Our first comic up is Marcus Blyden!  As he starts out, the first thing to grab you is his Quiet, laid back delivery.  It is just the right combination to pull this crowd in.  What I like is the kind of quirky mix of personable and cynical in his material.  It seems to be winning the audience over.  There is not a lot of feedback in the way of out loud laughter, but there is a nice undertone throughout the set and the energy is definitely more noticeable in the room as he wraps up.  There are a lot of smiles and nodding heads as he leaves the mic.

Between the comics, Eric working the crowd in a very subtle, but usually effective, way.  As the comics leave the mic, there is a little interplay either with the comic, or with the crowd in regards to the comic.  This helps keep what energy is there doesn't fade between acts.  The energy is a little more relaxed at his point and it seems the crowd as a whole is finally getting comfortable.  Here's hoping!

Our next comic on the mic is one that I always enjoy catching up with, Mimi Benfield!  Mimi, as usual, is audacious and brassy, but in a very personable way.  It is a possibility that the crowd might not buy into her set... at least until she finishes her first bit.  The energy of the crowd takes on a more informal feel.  It is sort of like being in a group of people who are new to each other and there is the sizing up period before it is decided that everyone involved is cool.  The one thing that I think is most appealing about her comedy is that it comes across with such a personable vibe.  This is your best friend or favorite coworker tell you a slightly off-color story and you come away feeling even more positively about them for the sharing.  While, again, there was not much of an out loud response, the energy in the room is ramping up nicely.

Following Mimi, we have Rene Luna!  Rene is slick.  I say that in the most positive way possible.  He is the person we all know who everyone expects to be the prankster and even if that proves true, you have to still like the guy. You expect some shenanigans as he charges fully into his set.  This is almost the comedy equivalent of the 3 card monte.  You know the fix is in but you decide that it is worth a few bucks to enjoy the side show.  There is a bit more out loud laughing going on and the crowd seems fully relaxed and into the show at this point.  Rene's energy doesn't break for a second and the crowd is happy to be pulled along.

Next up, Criss Cain. Criss is almost impossible to sum up in a few words.  Looking very much like a younger Riff Raff, He kind of challenges the audience to keep up.  For the most part, he succeeds.  The energy level is all over the place as he goes through his set and if it weren't for the fact that Criss is orchestrating most of that, I would be worried.  So far, the response from the audience is the most varied.  There is a swing several times from out loud laughter to mild chuckling and back.  Criss plays well off of each ebb and swell with aplomb.  As he finishes, the crowd rewards him with a very sincere burst of applause and laughter.

Next up on the mic, Kenaz Graves.  Within a few words, Kenaz makes it very obvious what energy level he is working from.  He also comes across in a manner that makes you believe instantly that it will be worth it.  With his smooth delivery style and the aura of playfulness, Kenaz shows a deft hand in get enough from the audience to allow for a bit of interplay.  He easily pulls the response from the audience that he wants/needs to have a successful set. 

Following Kenaz, Kevin Delgado hits the mic.  It is an incredible thing to watch.  It is not even like watching a comic go through his set.  With Kevin on the mic, it is more like someone just just talking to friends who happen to find him incredibly funny.  There is an extremely deceptive sense of ease to what Kevin is doing on the stage tonight.  There is always a danger that audiences might underestimate comics with Kevin's persona and ability.  As a comic watching him, I am astounded; and a tiny bit jealous, to be honest. 

Once again, the genius of the randomizer shows through as Micah Hanner is up next.  Even Micah kind of riffs on it, making a joke about how it felt like Kevin had made a wardrobe change and was hitting the mic again.  The connection was much more than skin deep though.  While Micah couldn't quite match with Kevin on the interpersonal connection, he makes up for it with having one of the most complete on-stage personas I have come across.  He wins over the audience whether they want to be won over or not, plain and simple.  He effortlessly moves through his routine, showing the face that goes with each bit and never missing a beat.  Each face he brings out is attention worthy, and remains distinct even after the set is done.  With these distinct parts coming out in the real world, they call the funny farm.  With Micah, here on the stage, it isn't much of a stretch to call him a master of the art form.

(but wait....there's more.. yeah, you know how I love call backs, especially well done ones) 

It is now time for the final comic of the night, Angel Perez.  Angel starts off with an off the cuff zinger about being Kevin with yet another wardrobe change.  The audience surprises me by reacting very strongly to it.  Without probably meaning to, Angel just made his work a little bit easier.  Here, I have to say that Angel hits in a nice zone that can be described as a great mix of the strengths of the 2 prior comics.  The aggressiveness of some of the bits is done so well that you do not notice that you have been set up on the large X and a well aimed punchline is dropping on you as if you were a coyote named Wiley.  Then he switches gears and subjects you to a burst of charisma that makes you HAVE to respond. 

This is a rare case where I kind of wish the least three comics could come up in that order again.  While each comic was unique, the whole of their sets combined was what I want to experience again.  I really hope that makes any kind of sense.

As Eric thanks for crowd for coming out and calls the comics up one final time, I notice something else out of the ordinary.  The response overall was much more appreciative than the response to the individuals.  I truly hope the comics who had harder times with the crowd noticed this as well. 

After ballots are collected and they are off to be tallied, Eric once again takes the mic.  What I liked about this set is that it ended up kind of focusing the audience back on the show as a whole.  As I watch the crowd, it is nice to see the effect that Eric's set has.  There are smiles on a couple of faces that weren't to be seen earlier.  And, as the results are brought in for Eric to announce, there are bits of overheard conversation that hit on the show being better than was first realized.

Every comic on this show should be proud of the way they carried themselves in the face of a difficult crowd.  I am also very glad that the crowd seemed to finally understand what a good show they just experienced.

And now, the announcements occur:

Moving on to the Wild Card Round via comic votes:

KEVIN DELGADO

Moving on to the 2nd Round via audience vote:

RENE LUNA

MICAH HANNER

ANGEL PEREZ

MIMI J. BENFIELD

And as always, a great big thank you to all of the comics tonight:

MARCUS BLYDEN

CRISS CAIN

KENAZ GRAVES

IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE THESE COMICS, OR ANY OF THE OTHER COMICS COMPETING THIS YEAR, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR, GO SEE THEM.  SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMEDY SCENE, LOCAL COMICS AND COMIC VENUES!  IT IS WELL WORTH IT! 

The Ultimate Comic Challenge, 10th anniversary edition. Show 2

It is the second Friday of the competition and things really get rolling with 8:30 and 10:00 pm shows.  Let's look at the first show of the night, and 2nd overall.

It is a strong looking audience tonight and the buzz builds quickly.  There is a noticeable energy coming from the comics.  It isn't quite a nervous energy, though that is a part of it.  The nerves are combined with anticipation and it is very palpable.  You can see how it is affecting the audience, which is always a great thing to see and experience.  As the lights go down, the audience noise drops to a low hum and the energy spikes..

And the voice of Eric Trundy comes on over the speakers welcoming our host for the show, Steve Lesser.  As the stage lights come up the energy ramps up to an almost physical presence.  A particular bit of comedy happens that is a usual occurrence when Steve and Eric are at the helm together.  Eric's rather playful, yet understated banter with Steve serves to kind of shape and focus the energy in the room.  Add to that Steve's kind of every guy charm and sometime whiplash sharp asides and stray thoughts unleashed, and there is a sense of the audience buckling themselves in for what has the feel of a wild and spectacular ride.  Even though this is mostly the housekeeping section of the show, there is not one bit of energy lost. As a matter of fact, the energy ramps up again as the first comic of the night is introduced.

The comic who has the chance to set the bar for the night, as well as the remaining comics, is a new to me comic, Joel Rieves!  An amazing thing happens; we are presented with a smooth, if more than a little nerdy style and energy.  It may be tempting to think that this would have killed or at least dampened the energy in the room.  That would be a very wrong assumption. Using a disarming personality and delivery, Joel managed to not only keep the energy up, but he refocused it to his advantage within the span of one joke setup.  By the moment he had finished his first bit, Rieves had command of the sandbox and he built a tight structure and the crowd followed him willingly from start to finish of the tour. Joel was able to set the bar in many ways.  What followed was a showcase of the smooth and nerdy with eye opening, mindblowing counterpoints.  This may have been the first time I have caught him on stage, but I am already anticipating catching him many more times in the future.

While Steve meshes well with pretty much any type of comedy, he tends to shine in the presence of nerdy comedy.  Tonight is no different.  He is able to build upon the comedy of the various sets without overpowering them.  In many cases, in a sentence or a thought, he is able to kind of tie the various sets together, sometimes intentionally.  Tonight it was not intentional as there was no real way to know that each of the comics will contribute to a stream of smart and, yeah, nerdy  vein that runs through all of the routines.  Very familiar throughout, yet very unique in each part.

Case in point: the second comic of the night, Warren Bryan sets up a hilarious call back situation that runs through the next few routines.  Where Joel brought smooth delivery and personality into play in winning over the crowd, Warren is all energy and hyper charisma.  He sets up a follow the leader scenario that the crowd jumps onto with abandon.  With his use of almost clockwork timing and letting his Harry Potter nerd flag fly, it is a sheer joy trying to keep up with his energy.  The laughter and energy burst is as much a tribute to his enthusiasm as it is to his writing and performing ability.

At this point, you would think that the ride was over as Steve take the mic again for the transition between comics, but as it says in ads all the time, "But wait!  There's more!"  Steve, in a burst of almost childlike joy makes a simple comment/joke about "Spoilers!" of the HP books in Warren's routine which gets a huge laugh and you can see in the looks of the crowd that it made the crowd even more appreciative of what they just witnessed.

(hey, hey you...  wait, there's more)

The next comic in the lineup, Kenyon Adamcik, is introduced and in the process of welcome an setup, Kenyon hits the crowd with another HP 'spoiler'  and with no chance to recover we are off and running again. Kenyon's style is a nice mix of the two prior comics and it serves him well.  The call back was just an ad libbed cherry on a well made sundae.  When I say that Kenyon has a very calculated delivery style, do make the mistake of thinking that means that he loses anything as he jumps into the energy of the room.  Using a slightly self deprecating undertone, it can be easy to underestimate just how sharp he is.  You find yourself out of breath and perhaps eyes watered from laughing  and you are not quite sure how you got there.  You can't help but like Kenyon as much as his comedy. The pace is slowed, but the energy has not abated one bit.

Steve takes the mic.  The transition is made and our next comic, Mad Jaeckle, hits the stage. In Mad, we have another laid back delivery style.  Her material and style is a bizarre mix of understated and aggressive.  What makes it work is her undeniable charisma and outright likeability on the mic.  A few times during her routine she gives a smile or a little laugh that makes it seem that is something she knows that you don't and after a while there is an urge to find out what it is.  It is intriguing and there is definitely a desire to be drawn in.  It is a refreshing moment in the high energy show.

The next comic up is Jason Zaremba.  His placement in the lineup is almost perfect.  Like Mad, Jason has a deliberate style. When it comes to energy management though, his style is geared more to manipulating the energy by leading the audience down a path that only he knows for sure from start to finish.  There is a sneakiness and a slyness to his style that at once makes the audience wonder where they are going AND makes them want to get there.  As has been the case so far in the competition, the writing is as sharp as the delivery.  As Jason gives way to the Steve and the next comic, I am left with a sense of satisfaction at the journey Jason just led us all through.

With the next comic, Mark McPartland, the energy is once again ramping up and now is being sent out in waves that are almost as hypnotic as it is breathtaking.  Each punchline is delivered like a laser guided missile each time hitting the mark.  To say that Mark is sharp and precise is an understatement, but I am at a loss for appropriate words to describe how he does what he does and the effect he has on the audience. As he wraps up his set, the only word that I can utter is "Wow!"

The pace gets slowed down again as Mark is replaced at the mic by Crystalle Ramey, our next comic.  Crystalle is fairly new to comedy but that didn't seem to slow her down any.  One word that comes to mind as she goes through her set is 'southern'.  And I am talking about all of the best essences of that word.  There is an almost sultry quality to her delivery.  She, whether consciously or not, is able to use her voice to powerful and almost distracting effect. Especially at the start of her set when you aren't really sure what she is setting up.   With a developing writing and performing style, it is easy to see her growing into a devastatingly effective stage persona that is a play on the Southern femme fatale as mixed with the gentile Southern every woman.

We are down to our last three comics in what turns out to be a helter skelter rollercoaster ride to the end,

Next up, Jeremy Alder.  Not only is he very adept at playing the audience, he has a built-in surprise that kind of throws the audience, or maybe it was just me, for a loop.  This comic who one would guess at first glance to be a regular college student is actually older than he looks.  Not only is he a father, but he is a father a few times over.  Quite a few times I kind of forget that and each time he hit with a joke/bit that was most definitely a firm reminder.  Between the surprise factor and one of the smoothest deliveries I have seen so far, he is a veritable architect.  He builds his his set precisely an deliberately, but he reveals it section by section and each with a play on expectations or a a near perfect build up and pay off.

Sometimes a comedy show is like a battle where it seems that each comic is fighting for their spot, for their portion of the audience.  Tonight's show was more like a relay.  Each comic giving their best to not only shine themselves, but to make the whole lineup look good.  There have been small missteps, but no outright fumbles or falls.  As is appropriate the final exchanges of the night were indeed to the most precise and effective.  Keep in mind that the lineups are made by a randomizing program.  It makes shows like tonight even/ more amazing.

Next we come to the exchange to the next to last comic of the night, Artsy!  Between the end of Jeremy's set, Steve's setup and intro and the beginning of Artsy's set, one could almost believe that it was planned out and polished up.  Artsy started out with a smile and a quick set up and from there on, the audience was his.  Charming and charismatic, Artsy commanded attention in a way that came across as perfectly natural.  Each bit of his set was a master class on winning over and keeping the audience on your side.  Even with average writing, I have no doubts about the effect he would have on a crowd.  His writing is far above and beyond average. On top of that, his delivery style altered slightly with each bit. On the mic and in he spotlight, Artsy is a combination of surgeon, traffic cop, late night DJ and that one friend that is almost disgustingly perfect but you can't bring up a single negative thing to say about them when it comes right down to it...

From Artsy, we move on to a comic that I had the pleasure of being on stage with in last year's competition, but due to personal circumstances, I never got to do a write up on him, Carl Martindale.  What I remember from last year was an incredibly charismatic comic who was willing to go over the top in acting out bits (and had very good instincts on when to do so).  I was amazed.  Well, I am not sure how to say this... *deep sigh* but he did it again.  While there were no act out, what was present was very obvious proof that he has been honing his talent and putting in the work to put and keep him in rarefied air.  The charisma was very much present this time, but it was more automatic than last year.  He didn't need to work so hard at it, and I am glad he came to that understanding as well.  Where there was a touch of frenetic energy to his set last year, there was no need for it this time.  He was smoother this year also.  He is a force to be reckoned with on the local circuit now, and I see a lot of good things in his future.

After Carl finished, the lights came up and Steve called the comics back up so the audience could make sure they had the names on the ballot matched up to the comics.  As ballots were collected from the comics and the audience, Steve prepared to do his set as winners were decided.  There are two things that I really like that Steve does when he hosts. In this case, he kind of matches his material to a theme that runs through a show.  Whether it is planned as the show went along or just a happy coincidence, his set fit in almost perfectly to the rest of the show. There also was a bit of banter with Eric Trundy and with Jennie Stencel that was a very nice bonus.


Okay, it is now time to find who will be advancing on from this show.

Moving on to the Wild Card Round by comic vote:

JASON ZAREMBA 

Moving on to the 2nd Round by audience vote:

KENYON ADAMCIK

ARTSY

MARK MCPARTLAND

JEREMY ALDER

AND AS ALWAYS, A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE COMICS ON TONIGHT'S SHOW:

JOEL RIEVES

WARREN BRYAN

MAD JAECKLE

CRYSTALLE RAMEY

CARL MARTINDALE

IF YOU GET A CHANCE, PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT THESE AND ALL OF OUR LOCAL COMICS!

Better late than never, The 2017 UCC 1st round, Opening Night, Show 1

Hello again, comedy fans!  Sorry about the disappearance of my reports.  I hope I can do this year's competition justice.


It feels odd but good to be back at the Idiot Box for the UCC..for a lot of reasons... just saying...

Okay, here we go!  There is a good crowd early, which is always a plus.  It is a nice mix and they all seem eager so that is a definite good sign. Lot of energy from the comics as well, so it seems that this might just be a wild ride.

The lights dim and the energy builds to an almost tangible level.  Steve Lesser hits the mic to welcome everyone and to introduce the show's host, Jennie Stencel.  I have to laugh because Jennie is a bit..  unpredictable as a host, which makes it even better!

And Jennie doesn't disappoint one bit!  The housekeeping spiel, which in Jennie's hands always is a breathtaking fun ride even if she keeps it close to the script, hits sidebars and asides and random thoughts and is even more breathtaking than usual.. and the crowd is eating it up...

And with this laid out for them, the table is set for the first comic of the night, Freddy Valoy! It is always interesting to see how the first comic hits the mic and sets the bar for the comics to come.  Well, Freddy can be listed in the cool and smooth category.  Even if he wasn't funny, his charm would be enough to win over a crowd.  But have no fear, the charm is just an unadvertised bonus.  His writing was very sharp and he showed an amazing skill at playing off the crowd.  He is definitely someone I expect to hear lots more of very soon.

With the crowd definitely warmed up, Benjamin Malone is up next.  Before i go further, I have to add something here.  As soon as he started his routine, in the back of my mind the idea of a comedy voiceover kept popping up. Without actually hearing Benjamin talk, this may not make much sense.  And I mean this in the most appreciative way.  Benjamin is one of those lucky people who has that something extra that makes them very good at the performance part of comedy and makes an impression.  In this case, as you may have guessed, it is his voice.  Even looking beyond that though, his writing is top notch and he delivers it with precision.  It is always cool to see a comic that can set a level and not only nail it and keep it, but can get the audience to not only match it but at times, hitting the stride at the same time.  The comedy and the reactions are just about synched.  Sorry I can't explain that any better right now.  Just trust me that Benjamin was close to a complete package tonight.

Talk about hard to follow! But as the next comic is introduced, I realize that we have the perfect counterpoint, Reid Pegram.  Where Benjamin was more of a controlled  burst of energy, the energy level for Reid and the audience is more like a controlled chaos.  Some of that is planned, but sometimes it even seems to catch Reid off guard.  Those tend to be his better performances. And luckily for him, this was one of his best performances.  Reid is the kind of comic that embodies the what you see is what you get.  Even most of his off kilter observations come across as honest and you can't help to buy into it... even if you may not know what it is.  On top of that, his ability to use pop culture references is second to none.    In tonight's case, Reid's routine is very Borg-like; "Resistance is futile.  You will be assimilated".

I thought that the way the energy of the previous performers would be difficult to harness, for lack of a better word, could be a killer for the next comic.  Again, I shouldn't have worried.  The randomizer once again shows its wiseness and put Tom Stover next in the lineup.  Tom 's routines are a mix of the chaotic and the controlled usually.  Tonight was no different.  In the midst of the strange movements he makes to emphasize parts of his routine and his slightly over the top 'Aw, shucks! Rednecked' material it is easy to overlook just how sharp he is as a comic overall.  He makes Nascar speed-like pacing and timing seem deceptively easy to the audience.  If nothing else, that is enough for him to win me over as an audience member AND as a fellow comic.  There is always so much more, though.  Tonight it was a routine that was more personal than what I was used to.  If you know what to look for, you got a lot of the comic and the person.  This is definitely a case where 2-for-1 is definitely a great deal. Not sure if this will make sense, but not only did he make me laugh, he made me smile too.

Up next is one of the comics that always makes me smile, but I was kind of worried.  Jackie Flannigan is usually a more laid back comic.  I wasn't sure how she would play in the swirl of energy the evening has become.  Before I go on, it is hard to plan a perfect storm moment in a competition where you find out the lineup perhaps 15 minutes before the show starts.  There are way too many variables even after the show starts to account for.  When one happens, you just need to recognize and then sit back and watch in awe.  This brings me back to Jackie.  Tonight, Jackie was more aggressive in her performance (in a positive way).  It was her turned up to 11.  In a way, she might not be able to explain, she let the energy take her and she rode it perfectly.  One joke that she did was in a format that is very hit or miss for me; it is basically giving random takes on a single line ("Like a bulldog..."  "Like a bulldog...").  Even if done well, they usually leave me cold quickly.  I will say that I was very happy when she moved on from this, but only because I was hurting a lot from laughing.  Not only was it well written, it was delivered wickedly. I was expecting Scooter and got Animal instead.  This is beyond a good thing.

At some point, you figure someone would take the mic and try to rein in the wild energies, and that comic would be Wolfgang Hunter. It is interesting and cool to see the general reaction to the name alone.  Naw, no pressure at this point, right?  Wolfgang jumps right in like it was the simplest, most natural thing in the world.  He did rein in the wildness of the room's energy, but left lots of energy to play with.  Another pretty sharp writer, he gave himself lots of room to make the most of his performance.  He is another comic that brings a depth of charm to his material that draws you in and makes it nay impossible not to root for him.  As such, his ability to make a connection is impressive and I can't wait to see how he develops/polishes it as his career career continues.

And again, I must interject an observation before getting into the next comic's performance.  Timing and pacing are two skills that make for any comedy, essentially.  How a comic masters them can give you idea of how strong a comic they can be or are.  The next comic is the one that I almost always think of when the topics come up or I tend to use as an example of what the terms mean to me.  Now that I have said that...

Greensboro's premier Sit Down Comic, Leo Hodson takes the stage.  Leo goes ahead and gets rid of the 800 lb gorilla and makes a wheelchair joke to start his set and there is nary a bit of nervous laughter to be had.  There are so many things you can talk about as a strength for Leo, but another one became very obvious quickly.  In an intimate venue like this, Leo's use of facial expression and body language is devastating.  This is especially true when he makes wheelchair related jokes, when the audience gives a response that he uses to twist the expectations around on them and, strangely enough, when he talks about candles.  Another thing that just really hit me tonight was how good he used the motion of his wheelchair as a bridge between, and within, different bits.  He uses the chair the way John Madden used the telestrator (only much better).

The next comic to take the stage is Nate Bacon and he brings back a more controlled, deliberate energy to the room.  The writing was good and that elevated  Nate's performance.  While seeming a bit nervous, he did a great job of using the nerves to give his material just a little bit of an added edge.  He is a comic that really has a world of possibilities to work with as he hones his talent.  There is a lot to like in his material and was fairly fluid going from one style in one bit to another style in the next bit.  He is another comic that I expect to hear more of in the future!

Following Nate is Alex Garretson.  Here I have to note that the comic who did the most amazing control in raising the rooms energy did so with an almost completely deadpan routine.  I mean, doesn't it seem that a routine that involved no swings in energy or emotion and very close to a monotone delivery would be lost at this point?  Yeah, I was wrong too.  Using razor sharp writing, Swiss clock level timing and blistering use of the few changes in inflection or volume, Alex has the audience enthralled, not sure there is a better word than that to describe it.  It was almost like a contest where the audience had to find the difference or change, and they were all overjoyed when they did.  And there was Alex throwing down the Easter eggs with a magicians touch and then leading them to each one.  Not only did I laugh, I smiled a lot and as the routine ended, I was trying to applaud while also picking my jaw up off of the floor.

One comic left to go, and what a way to end the show as Cabell Wilkinson hits the stage! Brash and brassy is the way to end the night on the right note.  Cabell is one of the most charismatic people I have ever met and she uses it to perfection.  She has the audience well in hand within the first few words.  I honestly believe that when she is really on, you could watch a recording of performing, but without the sound and you could still catch the flavor her routine and even catching the hooks and payoffs.  She is larger than life in the best possible way as she goes through her routines.  And like Benjamin, she has the added benefit of a voice that sticks with you; when you remember her bits or routines, you hear them in her voice.  Again, I find my smiling as her routine came to an end.  A great way to end the show, indeed!

The lights come up and the ballots are quickly collected.  After a couple more minutes, the lights go down again and Jennie hits the mic once more.  And what a wonder it is to behold!  This the Jennie from the start of the show, only moreso.  This is as wild and breathtaking as it was earlier, but now, it also becomes very personal.  And since when she gets going, her inner censor just closes up shop for the night, all bets are off and essentially, anything and everything is fair game.  I am sure the 19 year old woman won't need TOO much therapy, but I am pretty sure the friends who are with her tonight will be bringing this up for years to come and she will still blush every single time.  The young woman was not the only person who caught Jennie's attention. And that as much as anything is why I love it when Jennie hosts.  Especially in this space, it seems like a bunch of friends hanging out and there is that one friend who always ends up cracking everyone up.

Steve enters and the lights go up, and after some really funny banter and little jabs at each other, he gives the results to Jennie to announce.

As a reminder of how this works, a comic can move on in one of two ways, audience vote or comic vote.  In both cases, the comics are voted on in descending order (1 being funniest, most liked, etc down to, in this case, 10).  Comics can't vote for themselves.  The top 4 comics in the audience vote move directly on to the 2nd Round.  The comic receiving the most comic votes and is not in the audience top 4 moves on to the Wild Card Round, with another chance to make the 2nd Round.

Got all that?  Good, because it is time to reveal the five comics moving on.

Going on to the Wild Card Round by comic vote:

 JACKIE FLANNIGAN

Going on to the 2nd Round by audience vote: 

FREDDIE VALOY

REID PEGRAM

LEO HODSON

ALEX GARRETTSON

Congratulations to tonight's winners!!!

And as always a big thank you to the other great comics tonight:

BENJAMIN MALONE

TOM STOVER

WOLFGANG HUNTER

NATE BACON

CABELL WILKINSON

And remember, go and support all of our comics when you get the chance.  Support the local comedy scene, local comics and local comedy venues, like the Idiot Box!