Tag: Indiana

By Creig Ewing

Louisville Laughs is proud to have comedian Mike Larsen headlining a comedy show on Saturday, Sept. 19. at Roselynn Hill Winery in Jeffersontown.

Mike is a longtime comic, Emmy-nominated writer for sitcoms such as The Drew Carey show, Whoopi and 2 Guys and a Girl.

He will be joined at Monnik with comics Jordan Berry, Desirae Duncan and host Creig Ewing.

You can get tickets here. Use Promo Code MIKE and save $5 per ticket while they last.

Whoopi Goldberg and Mike Larsen

Mike took the time to answer 5 Questions from Louisville Laughs.

Louisville Laughs: You peform standup, have a long career of writing for sitcoms and also wrote political speeches. What’s the difference between a joke that works in standup vs. TV vs. a speech?

Mike Larsen: Everything I do begins with my ability to write jokes. I was obsessed with how jokes worked as a kid, and once I figured out I could make my mom laugh at the dinner table, I knew I found my calling.

Joke writing teaches us how to make our point with as few words as possible and elicit a response from our audience. That skill works whether I’m writing a speech, a screenplay or standup material. Jokes are about manipulating an audience to laugh.

The same trick can be used to manuipulate them to think, cry, or vote.

LL: You also put on writing workshops. What’s the most common trap new comics fall into? Also, what’s the best way to improve?

Mike: Let’s first assume the person we’re talking about is naturally funny. If that’s not the case, there’s a limit to what jokewriting can do for them.

The biggest writing trap comics fall in is not doing enough of it. They go on stage with premises that are funny in their head, then get upset when the audience isn’t on the same page.

I do this sometimes, too. A funny premise is the raw material — it might be strong enough to get a laugh on its own, but a real pro puts the work in to mine the gold buried in the premise.

I never stop working a premise — there’s almost always a better joke (or an extra one) waiting to be extracted.

LL: What’s one secret to coming up with quality jokes even when you’re not feeling inspired?

Mike: Write to the surprise. This is the real skill of a professional comedy writer. On some TV shows, I have to deliver 15-20 quality jokes a day. Doesn’t mattter if I’m in a bad mood, had a fight with my wife, or found out my dog had cancer.

If I got hung up on writing perfect punchlines, I’d never get started. But I can find something surprising to say about any topic, at any time. I teach my students: a joke is a short story with a surprise ending. Write to the surprise and the funny will follow.

LL: What’s the biggest change in standup comedy since you started?

Mike: Self-marketing. There are a lot of great comics who can’t market worth a damn, and a WHOLE LOT of mediocre comics who are social media whizzes.

I came up at a time when the clubs did the marketing. My job was to show up and be funny enough so the patrons bought drinks. The amount of time comics spend now on marketing is time they don’t spend on writing and improving their acts.

LL: What is your comedy horror story?

Mike: I’ve had plenty of rough shows and worked with some nightmare headliners, but I tend to forget those stories. I’ll tell you the toughest act I ever had to follow — and it was my very first real open mic:

I grew up in San Francisco, which at the time was a comedy mecca. I signed up for a mic at Cobb’s Pub — now a legendary comedy club — but just a neighborhood bar that did comedy then.

Dana Carvey (of SNL fame) was a local comic and the emcee that night. I signed up and was put at the bottom of the list. Right before I went on, after 3 hours of comedy, Robin Wlliams dropped in. He did 45 minutes and of course, killed.

I wanted to leave, but Dana made me go up. I had brought my brother, my best friend, and a woman I liked to see the show — and while I was utterly sucking on stage, I looked down to see my crush holding hands with my best friend.

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Check out Mike’s Website and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.

Get your tickets to the Sept. 19 show with Mike in Jeffersontown HERE.

Nationally touring comedian Myq Kaplan will be in Louisville for a pair of shows on Friday, Sept. 18, at Planet of The Tapes.

Myq tours across the country and has multiple specials out, including his new one-hour show “Rini,” which can be found on YouTube.

Myq took the time to answer 5 Questions from Louisville Laughs.

Louisville Laughs: You have multiple comedy specials and albums, appeared on all the Late Night shows, have two podcasts, an illustrated joke book, you’re a musician and actor. What do you do in all your spare time and what accomplishment are you most proud of?

Myq Kaplan: Thank you for asking, and for those kind words!

How much spare time do YOU have?

I am grateful for it all. I’ve gotten to perform at Carnegie Hall. I’ve gotten to meet, work with, and become friends with heroes of mine like Maria Bamford, Emo Philips, Gary Gulman, and more. I’ve made Howard Stern Laugh.

I’ve created hours of comedy that I love, and that others have loved. My most recent special, “Rini,” is something I’m particularly proud of because it’s a collaboration with my girlfriend of the past 10 years, Rini. I’m thrilled that we were able to create something so joyful and meaningful, a creative partnership arising out of our romantic one.

And as far as spare time goes, I have a joke that goes like this: “In my spare time, I’ve been working on a 4D printer that prints more spare time.”

I wrote that joke in my spare time.

LL: Where did the name Myq come from?

Myq: When I was about 14, I was at summer camp when Prince (the artist formerly known as “The Artist Formerly Known As Prince”) changed his name to a symbol. I didn’t know why, but I thought it was weird and cool, and I decided that I would be weird and cool like Prince.

Of course, there are a FEW differences between Prince and me. He’s got a few more albums, but at least my name change doesn’t necessitate the development of a new button for your keyboard (you’re welcome).

Later, I found out that his shift was due to some kind record label dispute, and eventually he switched back, leaving me the lone weird, cool name-changed standard-bearer. I’m out here now doing what Prince is no longer doing!

AND I just thought it would be fun to change all the letters of my name except the first initial, just in case anyone gets me anything monogrammed.

LL: Do psychedelics help with comedy or joke writing?

Myq: Have I had experiences with psychedelics that have been profoundly meaningful and beautiful in ways that have included leading me to create comedy differently? Yes.

Do I recommend it as a writing tool for beginning comedians? No. I recommend starting with a pen or pencil.

LL: What advice would you give comics who are trying to book spots as a feature or headliner?

Myq: Write and perform. Write and perform. Write and perform.

And in addition to writing and performing, do like Pete Holmes has said, and “live a life worth commenting on.”

Work on yourself. Go to therapy. Meditate. Exercise. Drink enough water. Get enough sleep. Eat healthily. Have other artistic interests. Listen to music. Go to museums. Walk. Experience nature. Communicate with the people you love. Invest in meaningful friendships and relationships.

And then send out a lot of emails to clubs asking them to book you.

(Sincerely, the specific answer to this question is going to vary so much based on so many individual circumstances. How long have you been doing comedy? How much time do you have? How much time do you REALLY have? Where do you live? What is the comedy scene like there? Can you move? Do you want to travel? Are you already a famous TikTok star? That sort of thing.)

LL: What is your comedy horror story?

Myq: Good question! I’ve experienced MANY gigs that were horrifying in ways, but because I’m no longer in those situations, I am now able to consider those situations funny.

For example, one time I was filling in for a friend at a show, and I was introduced like this: “Our original comedian couldn’t make it, because one of her parents just died of cancer, so please welcome Myq Kaplan!”

Can you believe that horror story about my friend’s parent dying happened to ME?

Sincerely, one of the beautiful things ABOUT comedy is its capacity to alchemize horrors into art, to be able to laugh at and through them.

Like, my grandmother died a few years ago, and now I share stories about her in my comedy. May her memory be a lucrative comedy blessing, and may all horrors be alchemizable.

Mr. Rogers always said “If it’s mentionable, it’s manageable.”

I’ll tweak that to offer this: “If it’s laughable, it’s livable. And maybe even lovable.”

Check out Myq’s Website and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.

Get your tickets to the Sept. 18 shows with Myq at Planet of the Tapes HERE.

By Creig Ewing

Afrolachia is a pioneering collective of headlining comedians from the heart of Appalachia, embodying the diverse, vibrant voices and narratives of Black excellence in comedy.

Comics include some of the most successful comics in Kentucky who often headline and travel across the country: Holly Lynnea, Joe Deuce, Will McKenzie, Keith McGill, Larry Starks, Goo McIntyre, Sean Smith and Eric Kimbrough.

Their motto is: Life is hard. So is our comedy!

They will perform Sunday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m. at Actors Theatre Louisville. Tickets are available here.

Afrolachia member Sean Smith of Louisville answered some questions from Louisville Laughs.

What is Afrolachia?

Afrolachia is an entertainment community providing an outlet for great entertainers of color in the Appalachian Region, using comedy in the way our people use music, storytelling and other art to tell the truth about our experiences.

Inspired by artistic movements by creatives banding together to make away for themselves and others, we aspire to craft a similar path.

How does Afrolachia differ from a traditional standup comedy show?

Most comedy shows are set up to showcase the headliner. Our show is set up to showcase the performers. We are trying to create a unique experience that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

At the end of every show, we end with a Question and Answer session that brings authenticity to the performance.

What can people expect to see at the show on Feb. 15 at Actors Theatre of Louisville?

People can expect to see a celebration of black comedy with 8 different performers having their own styles and original material. The heart of this show is our belief in stand-up comedy as an artform that can reach anyone.

It is a way that is truly different from any other performance style. Our expansion of the art form with music and filmed sketches is a way to add different elements to our show and set it apart from others.

Sean Smith

Do you find that comics from Black Appalachia have experiences that people haven’t heard or that many people aren’t even aware of a Black Appalachia?

I believe what you’re asking is if Black comedians have experiences that people haven’t heard or that many people aren’t aware of. I’ll answer that two different ways:

All of us have stories of getting on stage and saying proudly “I’m from Kentucky…” and getting off stage and hearing “They have black people there?”

Black people who don’t live in New York, L.A., or Atlanta often get grouped into one big, imaginary voice. But our experiences aren’t monolithic. We come from country roads, city blocks, small towns, and everywhere in between.

When we travel, sometimes we have to adjust to what the crowd thinks our voice should sound like. Afrolachia is about not adjusting. It’s about being fully ourselves and letting that resonate with whoever’s listening.

Turns out, authenticity travels well.

What is the goal for this Afrolachia?

Kentucky and surrounding areas are filled with incredible talent. Our problem is that our aspirations are too low. Everyone is fighting over the same stages and being recognized on local Top Ten lists. But what else can you aspire to if you’ve never seen anyone get more attention than that?

People tell us constantly that we have to leave whatever city we’re from to be “successful” in the art form. When they leave, those people are mysteriously no longer from your city. Now they’re being introduced as “From Chicago” or “From Atlanta.”

We will transcend traditional pathways to comedy stardom while shining a light on the voices within Black communities that have yet to be heard.

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Check out the Afrolachia website here and join the movement.

Get your tickets to the Feb. 15 Actor’s Theatre show here.

By Creig Ewing

Louisville Laughs is proud to have Dwight Simmons headlining a special show on Thursday, Feb. 22, at Monnik Beer Co. in Louisville.

Dwight is a co-director of the Limestone Comedy Festival and the creator and host of the web series BrewTube Comedy. His comedy special, “Who’s The Master” debuted on YouTube on July of 2023. He also has a podcast, Mat and Dwight Just Might.

He will be joined at Monnik with Louisville favorite Mandee McKelvey.

You can get tickets here to see two of the best comics in the region together for one night. Use Promo Code DWIGHT to get $5 off while it’s available.

Dwight Simmons

Dwight was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions from Louisville Laughs.

Louisville Laughs: You perform standup, you have a webcast, a podcast and you write for Bob & Tom on radio. How do you keep up with all that and what medium is next?

Dwight Simmons: B vitamins, caffeine and optimism LOL. When you do things that you’re passionate about, it doesn’t feel so overwhelming. I’m self-managed, so I think it’s important to try and explore as many avenues as possible just to see what sticks and what resonates with people. I’m a full time comic so if I’m not busy it feels like I’m letting down the boss (myself).

I really just want to keep pushing the things that I’m already involved with forward. Although, I’d love to write a book and a collection of short stories from the road.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dwight Simmons (@dwight__simmons)

On your comedy special, “Who’s the Master?” a lot of the humor is based on having a white wife. You make racial differences funny without being edgy. What’s the key to that?

Dwight: It just comes from a place of honesty. Personal experiences that I feel are hilarious. People think that talking about race is so controversial, and I’m like “this is my real life!” When you’re able to convey your own life experience in a funny way, I think you can talk about anything.

You are the co-director of the prestigious Limestone Comedy Festival in Bloomington. What are the best and worst things about festivals? What tips would you give comics when they apply to festivals?

Dwight: Festivals are great for networking with people at your same level and getting seen by industry. Unfortunately, networking is a big part of being successful in stand-up, but festivals make it feel not so icky and formal. Well-run festivals are really just a weekend-long party that feels like comedian summer camp.

Festivals can be expensive as you are often responsible for your own travel, lodging and food for the weekend. I often tell comics to treat it as a business expense and make sure you’re ready so that you can focus on having great sets.

What suggestions do you have for people newer to comedy — what should they avoid or do more of?

Dwight: Avoid chasing trends and focus on getting comfortable on stage. Also, listen to the “Mat and Dwight Just Might” podcast where we dole out stand-up comedy advice and answer relevant questions from up-and-coming comedians. Wink wink.

What’s your comedy horror story?

Dwight: In 2014 I was in severe denial about losing my hair. I had an afro, but the top was thin as hell. Like a young George Jefferson.

One night I was hanging in the green room at Morty’s in Indianapolis. Ms. Pat walked in, looked at me and said “IT LOOK LIKE SOMEONE SET A CUP ON TOP OF THAT BOYS HEAD!” I’ve had a shaved head ever since.

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You can find more Dwight on Instagram and TikTok. Check out his Website here.

Get your tickets to the Feb. 22 Monnik show here!