By Joseph Thomas
Dec. 9, 2024
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Memphis comedy was on the rise.
In 2019, Bluff City had several weekly and monthly showcases, the most notable occurring at the now closed P&H Café on Madison Avenue. Superstar comedian Kevin Hart featured locals like LaToya Polk, Mo Alexander, Richard Douglas Jones on his YouTube channel, LOL! Network, and with the help of Memphis-based writer and director Craig Brewer produced “You Look Like”—a comedy competition show created by local comic Katrina Coleman.
Memphis comedy was excelling.
Like so many things, though, once the pandemic hit in March of 2020, the momentum stalled, and Memphis comedy was struggling again.
“But when we had to shut everything down … we definitely did not have anything that was strong enough,” Coleman said.
Today, the scene has changed. Several of the open mics and showcases have new, younger hosts. There are still a few of the founders ready to impart some wisdom to the new generation, though, or at least be there to humble them on occasion. No matter the mixture or the motives, Memphis comedy is on its way back.
One new comic, Zach Williams, has noticed growth even since he started comedy in December 2022.
“I think Memphis has a good scene,” Williams said. “But I think it’s a DIY scene.”
The driving force behind this DIY scene is weekly open mic nights.
Open mic shows are simple. Comics sign up and get to perform for an allotted amount of time. Each show is different with different with different purposes, feelings, guidelines and attitudes. The host sets the tone for every show. If a host is laid back, the comics and audience will be too. That attitude is rare, though, because comedians sometimes do not do well with lack of structure.
These open mic nights give local comedians a chance to work out new material in a mostly risk-free environment. Bombing means there is plenty to learn. Succeeding means they are doing something right. But none of it matters much overall outside of education and experience. The comics can learn how to craft and deliver their jokes with an audience providing instant feedback.
Open mics are the backbone of Memphis comedy because, according to local comic Charlie Vergos (yes, of the barbecue restaurant Vergoses), “standup comedy is an instrument that can only be practiced in public.” They are where local comics grow. Occasionally, they are where touring comics, in town for paid gigs or just traveling through, come to workshop new material.
If you would like to visit a Memphis open mic, click here to check out when and where.
“Developmentally, the open mic is everything,” Vergos said. “It’s where you learn to get comfortable on stage, where you learn to be funny to strangers. It’s where you learn what it takes to stand out.”
The Open Mic at Hi-tone Café
On Tuesdays local comic John Miller hosts an open mic at the Hi-tone Café at 282 N Cleveland St., just down the road from the Crosstown Concourse. He runs his like any traditional open mic from the venue to the show itself. Signups are at 7 p.m. with performances beginning at 8. The show begins with Miller doing a few work-in-progress jokes, and then it is time for the performers. He will then provide commentary or comic relief depending on the quality of performances.
Each comic gets four to five minutes. With one minute left, Miller will flash his cell phone flashlight to give them time to wrap up. Once he flashes the light again, it is time to get off the stage. These are the only rules of the night, but they are permanent and immovable. If anyone does stay on stage once prompted to leave, or “run the light,” they pay for it with public humiliation.
At best, they will be roasted mercilessly from the stage and then receive a stern talking-to after their set.
At worst, they could be banned from performing again. Most of the comics at the Hi-tone on Tuesdays are newer, having only been performing for a couple of years; however, some more experienced comics, those with 10-plus years under their belts, show on occasion.
Bell Curve Comedy at Urban Consequence Brewing Company
Bell Curve Comedy happens each Friday night at Urban Consequence Brewing Company located at 239 Cooper St. Developed and hosted by Zach Williams, this show is set up like any other open mic, signup at 7:30 with the show starting at 8, but at Bell Curve there is a twist.
Williams bills the show as clean(ish) comedy. He explained that he noticed no one was doing clean comedy, which tends to be more difficult due to the lack of reliance on shocking language, in Memphis.
“Don’t just complain about the problem. Do something about the problem,” Williams said he told himself one day. The result was a brand new clean(ish) open mic.
What stands out about Williams’ show is not only the lack of vulgar material, but also the way he keeps that material out. At the beginning of each show, Williams gives one audience member a bell. If a comic crosses the line of what that person considers appropriate given the parameters of the show, he or she will ding the bell which gets the audience more involved and forces them to pay attention to what is happening on stage, a difficult task at most open mics.
Some comics see the bell as a challenge—testing how close they can get without getting dinged. Some want to see how many times they can make the bell ring during their few minutes. Some use it as a guardrail and try to stay within the rules and still make people laugh. The bell element creates a fun game within the show which makes the evening more entertaining for everyone present.
Building a Quality Comedy Scene
Because of the experience, practice and sense of community gained by performing at open mics, they have become a necessary part of any comedy scene, and Memphis is no different. The more open mics, the better the resulting performances. Performing before audiences in several venues and circumstances allows a comic to build positive relationship with his or her jokes, which ultimately benefits the audiences.
At least this is the belief that Vergos holds.
“Each joke will have been to dozens, if not hundreds, of open mics and been tested in front of every context,” Vergos said. “It’s almost like you bond with them so that when you get to a real showcase, you trust everything you’re going to say.”