The Gem City is known far and wide for its innovation. Not only in manufacturing but in comedy as well. Dayton hosts a rich variety of comedians that perform all over the country, who all cut their teeth in the local comedy scene. Here is a look at some of the people who keep us laughing here at home.
Brent Bowser says he always knew he would get on stage. At a mere 18 months old, he was cracking jokes and making each room brim with laughter. Throughout school, he immersed himself in doing comedy skits and became involved in his high school theater which he continued his passion for throughout college. After this, Bowser found himself attending friends’ open mics.
“I watched one of my coworkers film his first album at Go Bananas [Comedy Club], and I thought that I could do it, so I asked how to get involved, and I was pointed in the direction of Wiley’s Comedy Club,” Bowser said.
Like many other local comedians, Wiley’s Comedy Club was considered home to Bowser until its closing in September 2024. There is speculation that it could reopen under the new direction of Dave Chapelle’s management company. In the meantime, comedians have found other comedy clubs around the city to hone their skills. Places like Bricky’s Comedy Club and the Laugh Zone House of Comedy have become bastions to up-and-comers as well as veterans of the craft.
Bowser has a wealth of experience to draw upon. Opening for acts such as Joe List and Dan Cummins, he is also a founding member of the Pullin’ It improv troupe.
Stand-up comedy is very much a performance. Everything is rehearsed, from the facial expressions to the pauses between words. Mastering the art of weaving improvisation into such a rehearsed performance is difficult but crucial.
“When the script doesn’t go the way it’s supposed to, improv has certainly helped me to be more aware of the audience and what they are feeling. Which allows me to adjust to whatever energy they may be giving me,” Bowser said.
Like Bowser, Lori Graves is also familiar with improv. Graves teaches the art of comedy at Ohio University. While traveling to Hartford, Connecticut for a show she shared her insights on the art.
“Improvisation is part of the performance, and if you can get the audience on your side then you can do anything, its just that you only have about 30 seconds sway them,” Graves said.
Graves also says that like any skill, it gets easier the more you do it. Performing the same jokes and routine can become tedious to keep the same energy you had the first few times it was told. To her, this is where improv and crowd work can really help.
Graves has performed all over the country and for all kinds of crowds. Some of her proudest recollections include working with non-profits like United Service Organizations and Wounded Warriors.
When she recorded her first comedy album, Graves could think of no better place than where she first got started: the Majestic Theatre in Chillicothe, Ohio. Graves did her first performance opening for a band that she is friends with. Unlike most comics starting out with a handful of patrons at an open mic, Graves first performed in a packed room of 300 people.
Graves is a veteran of the comedy world and has seen it transform drastically in her years as a performer.
“It’s changed a lot, but the biggest change was after COVID. Nobody has attention spans anymore; I am more of a storyteller, but now jokes need to be short and punchy,” Graves said.
Contrary to Graves’s experience, comedians like Patrick Callahan have only two years of performing under his belt. This is considered little experience in comedy circles, but with new blood comes new perspective and excitement for performing.
Callahan started the way nearly all comics do: bombing on stage in front of less than 10 people. His self-deprecating humor shined through during his interview when he opened up about his natural stage fright.
“I was terrible; I was so terrible, I don’t even remember doing it, I just blacked out and had an out-of-body experience because I was so scared. But its whatever, I’m delusional and I just kept going back up,” Callahan said.
Unlike most newbies, Callahan was not deterred from wanting to get back on stage. He fell in love with the life and other fellow comedians.
“90% of the comedy scene is just hanging with cool people, and every now and then you get on stage for a bit,” Callahan said.
Callahan missed the glory days of Wiley’s. Instead, his stomping grounds are at Bricky’s in Miamisburg, Ohio. The club set a world record last year for the longest comedy show ever performed at a mind-boggling 84 hours long, a feat Callahan helped achieve.
One of the biggest changes in the comedy scene according to Callahan is the way that comics get big now.
“The digitalization of comedy has changed how people get big. Road dogs don’t really exist anymore. Now people just post podcasts and specials to YouTube for free and try to get engagement that way,” Callahan said.
Traveling as a comedian is still important to Callahan; utilizing big cities is the best thing a comedian can do.
“Dayton is great because we are so close to big cities like Columbus, Cincinnati, Chicago, and others, but if you don’t ever leave Dayton, it won’t matter. The king of Dayton is a nobody in Milwaukee,” Callahan said.
Callahan’s goal is like every other comedian starting out; to be able to do it full time. He also hopes to make it onto “Kill Tony”, a popular comedy podcast. He wants the exposure and to be seen by a large audience, though he doesn’t know how the anxiety would feel in front of so many people.
Another slightly more seasoned comic shared their insights about dealing with anxiety for stand-up.
Jeremy Johnson says the key to conquering anxiety is learning to accept it as part of the act. Just like any first-time comedian is going to fail, they will also be nervous while doing it.
“I’m an anxious person by nature, so you can imagine how scary it is to get up in front of strangers…They serve alcohol in the clubs for a reason. We all need a little liquid courage to get going, but now I get on stage no problem,” Johnson said.
Like Bowser, Johnson always knew he would make his way to a stage one day. He got his first chance when his friend invited him to an open mic in Cincinnati. Johnson wanted to try it out somewhere he knew no one would know his name, just in case he ate it.
Fortunately though, Johnson had a great first set and his passion for making people laugh only grew from there.
However, even after a great first experience, Johnson was still plagued with stage fright. Out of fear of failing, he rehearsed his act so many times that he became tired of hearing it.
“I would rehearse every day in front of the mirror, and the issue with that is now the joke you’ve told 500 times isn’t funny to you anymore. So when you go on stage you are already nervous and now you think your own jokes suck,” Johnson said.
This is where a great support system comes in. Johnson called and did his act in front of a friend who loved it. This gave Johnson the ego boost he needed to get back on stage.
Stage fright is a spectrum that affects every comic differently. Some comics are never nervous, even the first time, while others vomit on their shoes before going on stage for the hundredth time.
The most important thing about performing comedy is being willing to commit to it and allowing the bad sets to happen. Failures do not define anybody; attitude and outlook determine how people will be remembered.
Noah Schlarman, Executive Editor