The lights and music go down and Steve Lesser introduces the host for tonight, Jennie Stencel. There is a bit more of an interplay between Steve and Jennie tonight and it is hilarious. I will give you fair warning, stay away from the orange Starbursts or face the wrath of Jennie!
As a suitable mood has been set in the room, let's get on with the show!
First up is Maddy Gross! As seems to be the case throughout the show, there is an abundance of charm and very good writing. Maddy definitely set the bar in many ways for the show. She has an aura of mischief that shines through. Her writing is crisp and her delivery perfectly draws in, and plays off of, the audience. A great start to the night.
Next up is Frank Henry. Frank brings a low key affability in both his personality and his writing. The crowd seemed to be pulling away as he began his set and he seemed a bit nonplussed by this, but he rallied. His set got better and better and he had one of the most solid finishes of the night.
Next up is the self-proclaimed 'Bad Boy of Christian Comedy', John Eisenhardt! I admire john a good deal for being good at a version of comedy that is really hit or miss; the basic setup and punch/one liners. John's personality also makes it easy to root for him on the stage; the "aww, shucks, ma'am, tweren't nothing" to John and his amazement shines through. Tonight, there was no question of whether he wins over the crowd. The audience wasn't quite sure what to make of John at first, but that didn't last long. His timing was as good as I have ever seen and his interplay with the audience was impeccable.
Our next comic to take the stage is Tab May! There is an aura of roguishness about Tab as the set goes along, that the audience seems to buy into. The usual charm is there, of course, but there is more a sense of controlled energy as I have noticed in the past. It plays well and, added to Tab's natural charm, serves well in winning the crowd over. The writing is as sharp and smart as always.
Next up, David Lerner! David jumped right into his set and the crowd quickly warmed up to him. There is a slight bit of goofiness, for lack of a better word, that I think adds a lot to his performance and how much the crowd brought into it.
Next up is Dejahzh Hedrick. His smooth, more laid back style is a nice counterpoint to the more frenetic and high energy sets before. His writing is sharp and his delivery is precise. It always amazes me how a comic like Dejahzh, with a more deliberate style can pull energy at a level that equals, and sometimes betters, higher energy comics. level
Next up is a comic that had energy to spare (and I think she had it turned up to 11 on top of that). Her name is Renora Malloy and she hits the stage like F-5 tornado. She is off and running as soon as he grabs the mic and keeps the energy high throughout her set. There is hardly a pause to catch your breath as she slides into and out of different bits. She is very good at tying her related bits together, which is good with her energy level as it can be easy to lose the thread in such a rapid fire delivery.
The next comic is the perfect follow up to such a high energy set. Tori Chaffee is another comic who can win over an audience before she gets into her material. Well, at least she did so tonight. As is usually the case, her writing is sharp and she accentuates how sharp it is with her delivery and pacing. She is also very effective in using facial expression and body language to enhance the effect of her material.
Now we come to our last comic of the night, Grant Sheffield! In Grant we have a comic who is very adept at changing pacing and tempo and can handle both very efficiently. He is also good at changing up between storytelling and joke telling within the same set. On top off all that, the way he builds up the energy in the crowd and then uses it to fire up his own energy level is amazing. He ends the show perfectly.
As usual, the lights come up and the comics are called back up. As happened last week, it seems to take a slight bit longer for ballots to be filled out and turned in.
As the lights are dimmed once again, it turns out that we are in for a pretty cool surprise. We have a nationally touring comic in the club and she is going to perform in the usual host spot as votes are tallied.
The comic is Reena Calm and she is on her first tour through North Carolina. Hailing from Chicago, most of her material concerns the Midwest, but it was very relatable. The audience is very appreciative of her efforts, and she seems to enjoy the crowd and the performers as well. It was also very cool to talk to her after the show ended.
Reena wraps up her set as Jennie returns with the results.
MOVING ON TO THE WILD CARD ROUND BY COMIC VOTE:
JOHN EISENHARDT
MOVING ON TO THE 2ND ROUND BY AUDIENCE VOTE:
MADDY GROSS
GRANT SHEFFIELD
TORI CHAFFEE
DEJAHZH HEDRICK
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND A HUGE, WHOLEHEARTED THANK YOU TO ALL THE COMICS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS SUCH A GREAT SHOW:
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND A HUGE, WHOLEHEARTED THANK YOU TO ALL THE COMICS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS SUCH A GREAT SHOW:
FRANK HENRY
TAB MAY
DAVID LERNER
RENORA MALLOY
KATIE HALE
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!
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