On Saturday, May 4, some of the Pacific Northwest's funniest people will take the stage at the Egyptian Theatre as part of The Stranger's Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy showcase. Andy Iwancio! Dan Hurwitz! Chris Mejia! Monica Nevi! Juno Men! Bernice Larson! Kermet Apio! And headliner Sam Miller! Plus, the whole night will be hosted by Emmett Montgomery, beloved weirdo, host of Friendship Dungeon and Joketellers Union, and one of 2023's Undisputable Geniuses.
It's going to be very funny! I hope you come! Tickets are available here! Exclamation points!
This week, ahead of the show, we're getting to know all the comics. Bernice Larson isn't just a standup comedian, she's also a PowerPoint pro and often incorporates slideshows into her acts to provide better evidence for her arguments. It's like debate club, but funny!
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How does it feel to be declared an Undisputable Genius of Comedy?
Honestly, it kind of feels like thereâs been some kind of mistake. Like, maybe you guys accidentally booked the wrong Bernice, but you didnât notice in time and now youâre too embarrassed to say anything. I donât know, itâs surreal.Â
Getting to be on the show is a big deal to me, and I donât know how to play it cool. Shows like this are the result of so many wonderful, talented people working together to create space for weird and silly and important art in Seattle. Getting to be a part of that, even just for a little bit, is overwhelming. Iâm so chock-full of gratitude I think I might throw up.
The show is at the Egyptian, which is rumored to be haunted. Do you believe in ghosts?
No, Iâm a man of science. Occamâs Razor states that the simplest answer is usually correct. So, itâs probably just some guy in a mask who fled the circus as a child and now lives in the bowels of the theater, exacting misplaced revenge on show-goers because nobody ever recognized his musical talent.
I saw on Instagram that you referred to yourself as the âbabyâ of the show and that youâve been doing stand-up for just three years. Does that mean you picked it up during the pandemic? Iâd imagine that was a difficult time to establish a comedy career!
Those were Emmettâs words, but heâs right. Iâm definitely the baby of the show, and a very lucky baby, at that. Itâs incredible to be sharing a stage with so many comics Iâve looked up to (literally and figuratively) since I first started.
Youâve made a very astute observation; my comedy career has been on a bit of a cursed timeline. My first show ever was in January 2020, when I joined a student-run organization in college, Comedy Club @ UW. After everything shut down, we had to do a lot of Zoom shows to keep the club (and our sanity) intact during the pandemic. I donât really count that year as âofficialâ experience, but it is the reason I developed a love for slideshow comedy. Regular stand-up just didnât hit the same over Zoom, so we had to get scrappy.
Whatâs your favorite place to see comedy in Seattle right now?
Oh man, Seattle is a wonderful place for comedy. There are too many to name.
Iâll be biased and say Joketellerâs Union at the Clock-Out Lounge in Beacon Hill. Emmett Montgomery and Brett Hamil have poured so much of their time and talent into fostering a lovely community there, and itâs where I debut most of my unhinged slideshow presentations.
Kitchen Sink Comedy at the Rendezvous is my favorite alt-comedy mic. Itâs produced by a rag-tag crew of very funny people: Ian Crowley, Molina Molina, Zoher Ghadyali, and Torria Pace. They welcome all kinds of acts, from stand-up to slideshows to music to clowns. Thereâs never a dull moment in that room.
Finally, Comedy/Bar in Capitol Hill is my go-to club in the city. And itâs infamously Fox Newsâ least favorite comedy club, so you really canât go wrong there.
The Stranger presents the 2024 Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy Sat May 4 at the Egyptian Theatre, 8 pm, $25, 18+. Tickets are available here.
Read our other interviews with Chris Mejia, Andy Iwacio, Monica Nevi, Kermet Apio, and Juno Men.
