The pop universe is littered with so-called one-hit wonders that, in fact, have a strong catalog of songs in their canon. Thomas Dolby’s predicament is worsened by his one hit, “She Blinded Me With Science,” brilliant as it is, given the song’s perception as more of a novelty record.

Of course proper artists — everyone from David Bowie and Pink Floyd to Eddie Van Halen and George Clinton — have always known better, as Dolby was able to get great musicians to appear on his albums, while he, in turn, did work for them in the studio and on stage. It was Dolby that inadvertently gave us Thompson Twins when he got that band’s chief songwriter, Tom Bailey, up to speed on the emerging technology of synthesizers back in the early 1980s. 

Dolby has recently returned to touring and last appeared in Cincinnati at the Totally Tubular concert, which featured the aforementioned Bailey, along with Men Without Hats and Wang Chung. His full set in Cincinnati this past Wednesday expanded on that playlist. On stage, it’s just Dolby, his keyboards, laptop, Trigger Finger drum pad and mini iPad. The latter he undocks from his keyboard station and roams the stage, seemingly mixing and remixing on the fly.

Like on the Totally Tubular tour, he started with a cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday,” which didn’t rely on the original’s signature drum pattern but was beautifully realized by Dolby’s deft keyboard and iPad manipulations. Later in the set, he did another cover, this time honoring friend and hero Bowie with a touching rendition, appropriately, of “Heroes.” He prefaced the song with a story about the two playing Live Aid back in 1985, and the helicopter ride from Battersea to Wembley Stadium that made the Thin White Duke, not a fan of air travel, particularly nervous.

Oddly, Dolby lamented that his songs rarely get covered. This led to a story about how pal Jason Mraz told him that he’d love to cover a Dolby song, before belting out a few verses of “My Brain is Like a Sieve” from Aliens Ate My Buick. Dolby wound up capturing it on his iPhone and folded it into a live version of the tune, complete with video of Mraz crooning, which then drifted into the very fine “Budapest by Blimp.”

Therein lies the paradox. The small but enthusiastic crowd didn’t just show up just to hear “Blinded by Science,” yet Dolby opted to play two covers while leaving several of his (real) hits behind — including “Radio Silence,” “Dissidents,” “Close But No Cigar,” “Eastern Bloc, ”the list goes on, as they say.

During this current tour, Dolby mixes up the set list a bit from show to show, swapping songs in and out. More interestingly, he literally mixes things up from show to show, as the versions he did of the same songs at Totally Tubular sounded different from the ones performed at Bogart’s.

Fortunately, my wife heard her favorite Dolby song, “I Love You Goodbye,” which he teased on Totally Tubular with a few bars of the intro, but did not play (boo!), and I heard my fave, “One of Our Submarines.” The latter offers the opportunity to suggest the reader to do a deep dive on Dolby.

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Jimmy Pardo is widely known as one of the country’s top stand-up comics and as a pioneer in the field of podcasting. His show, Never Not Funny, debuted in April 2006 and is still going strong today. Not only did he help establish the medium as we know it today, but he helped ordinary folks who were starting to dabble in it and find success. “I would get so many people that would ask to come on Never Not Funny and promote their podcast,” he recalls.  “I’d tell them, ‘If you had me on your podcast, it would be a better promotion. If I go on your show, people will follow it and see if they’re interested in it. It pays more dividends.’ I say that now,” he adds, “as I really don’t say ‘yes’ anymore.”

The show changed the trajectory of his career, leading to regular television appearances as well as making it possible to tour on his own terms. “The podcast still allows me to scratch the itch of comedy and be funny and creative with like-minded and funny people,” he says. “When I do get the chance to tour, I’ve chosen to do one show in a city per night, and I try to do it during the week.” That allows the club to book a headliner through the weekend. “I do one show on an off night, hopefully get a decent turnout, shake some hands afterwards, I get in my rental car, drive on to the next city, lather, rinse, repeat, and I’m home Saturday morning and get to spend the weekend with my wife.”

On stage, he’s never been sharper. “It’s looser than it’s ever been,” he says of his set. “You get very little material. It’s mostly stream of consciousness, talking about my day and doing crowd work, but in the right way, a clever way.” In other words, don’t expect garden-variety crowd work. “There are so many comics out there doing crowd work, lazily doing it for laughs, and it’s infuriating to guys like me that are good at it and made their living doing it and are known for it.”

“If you like Jimmy Pardo, you’re going to get Jimmy Pardo,” he assures. “And occasionally, I will end by asking if anybody has a story or bit they’d like to hear. If I can remember, it’s great, and if not, I’ll flub my way through, and that’s funny too.”

Jimmy Pardo is at Go Bananas on Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. More info: gobananascomedy.com.

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February is a great month for comedy in Cincinnati, with many comedy legends returning to the Queen City to entertain the masses. Here are the top can’t-miss comedy gigs in Cincinnati during the month of February.

Anthony DeVito at Go Bananas Comedy Club
“I was always interested in comedy for sure,” comedian Anthony DeVito tells CityBeat. Once a year his family would go to the local comedy club where he grew up in New Jersey. When he was 13, the family took a trip to Las Vegas. “I couldn’t go into the casinos,” he recalls, “so my mom surprised me with tickets to see George Carlin at Bally’s, and it was the coolest thing. I was amazed.” That started the desire to do comedy. The problem was he was painfully shy. “I wasn’t the funny guy in class I was more the guy who was working on things, writing them down, and showing my friends. ‘Is this funny?’ I would ask them.” In college, friends recognized his talent. “I grew up in North Jersey,” he says. “The funny kid is usually the bully. When people told me I was funny I was like, ‘really?’” Feb. 3-5 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (Friday and Saturday). $10-$15. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Lil Duval at Liberty Funny Bone
Lil Duval hails from Jacksonville, Florida, where he grew up as Roland Powell. His stage name honors Duval County, where Jacksonville is located. His comedy career took off after he relocated to Atlanta then later San Francisco. It was while in the Bay Area he was noticed by Cedric the Entertainer’s road manager, who asked him to join the veteran comic on tour. Duval has also dabbled in acting, having appeared in several films. He’s also expanded into music. In 2018, he released “Smile Bitch (Living My Best Life)” which featured Snoop Dogg and Ball Greezy. The song reached No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100. Feb 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. $47-$57. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Chad Daniels at Go Bananas Comedy Club
“I’m a boring interview,” Go Bananas favorite and Minnesota native, Chad Daniels, tells CityBeat. “I just love doing stand-up.” Though he loves touring, he came to a realization during lockdown. “Before the pandemic people were always trying to get out on the weekend and make the most of their 48 hours off. I think people realize game night with the family isn’t horrible, it’s actually pretty great.” Daniels, though, has recorded two albums worth of material and is looking to release both the audio and video some time in spring, so fans can look forward to lots of new material. Feb. 10 and 11 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. $30. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Michael Yo at Liberty Funny Bone
Michael Yo didn’t follow the usual path to stand-up. He started his career as a disc jockey before becoming a correspondent for E! News, The Daily 10 and Extra. Those stints led to him getting a gig as a panelist on Chelsey Lately, one of the few non-comics to fill one of those slots. Fans of the show, though, assumed he was a comedian, so he figured he’d have a go. In 2018, he appeared on America’s Got Talent. On stage he talks about growing up in a multicultural family, toddler parenting and current events. He also discusses being one of the first people to contract COVID-19 and winding up in the ICU. Feb 10 and 11; 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Saturday. $22. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Andrew and Leah Rudick at Liberty Funny Bone
Cincinnati natives and siblings, Leah and Andrew Rudick, perform a one-off show at the Funny Bone. They’re not a comedy duo, though, like the Sklar Brothers. Each will perform a stand-up set, then together they will do a Q&A with the audience. Older sister Leah started doing comedy first. “I went the theater route,” she explains to CityBeat, “and moved to New York. Andrew saw what I was doing and was super jealous because he was on his way to being an English professor.” Andrew adds, “Yes, I was going to be a nerd, but I wanted to be more of a nerd.” Leah found fame in sketch comedy and later developed a following on social media. Andrew worked his way up the stand-up ranks to become a headliner. Leah decided to have a go at stand-up, attracted by the freedom it offered. In addition to playing sold-out shows across the U.S., the two of also just launched a podcast called The Rudicks are Home. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14. $25-$60. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Jimmy Pardo at Go Bananas Comedy Club
Another Go Bananas favorite, Jimmy Pardo has worn many hats in his showbiz career, though he’s donned his stand-up cap steadily throughout. He has also done some acting, hosted several game shows and was one of the first podcasters to hit the Internet when his show Never Not Funny debuted way back in 2006. Pardo started as more of straight-ahead observational comic and joke teller but switched to telling longer tales when fellow comics told him he was even funnier offstage just cracking up his buddies. A massive music fan, he also hosts the YouTube series Jimmy’s Records and Tapes. It began with each episode focusing on a specific year from his youth and his musical memories of that time. Later episodes feature themes such as soundtracks, horrible songs and cover songs. Feb. 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. $15. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Josh Wolf at Liberty Funny Bone
“I had been told a bunch of times by my dad that I was a wise-ass, and all my teachers would say to me all the time ‘what are you a comedian?’ So I realized I don’t know how good I am at anything else,” Wolf tells CityBeat. When he arrived at the comedy club for his very first set, he asked what he should talk about on stage. The show’s organizer told him to talk about what he knew.  “The only thing I knew about at that time was my parents,” he says. “They had driven me to the show, they were sitting in the audience, and they were so proud and excited when I hopped on stage. And the funniest thing about my parents is that they had terrible gas. I did ten minutes on how much my parents fart.” Feb. 16-18; 7:30 Thursday, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, and 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Saturday. $32. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Rich Vos at Go Bananas Comedy Club
Rich Vos made comedy history as the first white performer to appear on Def Comedy Jam in 1995. According to Vos, his comedy career started after he discovered he was terrible at everything else. For a while, that included stand-up. He recalls he “died like a dog” his first few times on stage, but he kept plugging away. His big break came when he appeared on Last Comic Standing in 2003 and finished third. That was good enough, though, to boost is status as a headliner. In 2005, he married fellow comic and former Last Comic contestant Bonnie McFarlane. They currently co-host the podcast My Wife Hates Me. Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. $15. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Blake Wexler at Go Bananas Comedy Club
Blake Wexler will record his debut comedy special at Go Bananas during his run at the club. The Philadelphia native started doing stand-up at age 15 and continued to pursue it while in college in Boston. On stage he discusses life experiences and observations of everything from spiders to Blue Man Group. Feb. 23-26; 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (Friday and Saturday). $10-15. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Samuel J. Comroe at Liberty Funny Bone
Best known for his appearance in America’s Got Talent, Samuel Comroe is a Los Angeles native who jokes about his struggles with Tourette Syndrome, what that condition is and what it isn’t, as well as observations on daily life. Feb. 24 and 25; 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Saturday. $27-$37. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Mark Chalifoux with Billy DeVore and Karinne Turnbow at Skyline Chili
“There could be nothing more Cincinnati,” says Mark Chalifoux of his show at the Skyline Chili at 1001 Vine Street in  Downtown (and the first-ever comedy show at a Skyline Chili). Chalifoux was a nominee for Best Comedian in CityBeat‘s Best Of Cincinnati® 2022. Also on the bill are local favorites Billy DeVore and Karinne Turnbow. The show will be hosted by Wayne Memmott and Shawn Braley.Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. $10. Skyline Chili, 1001 Vine St., Downtown, facebook.com.

Pauly Shore at Liberty Funny Bone
“What’s up bud-dies?” Pauly Shore returns for a one-night engagement at the Liberty Funny Bone. A ’90s icon, Shore has seen a bit of a career resurgence thanks to renewed interest in that decade, as well as appreciation of his films such as Bio-Dome and Son in Law. On stage, Shore reminisces about those times and pokes a little fun at himself and his persona from back then. Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. $32. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

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December is a great month for comedy in Cincinnati, with many homegrown comics returning to the Queen City to entertain the masses.Here are the top eight can’t-miss comedy gigs in Cincinnati during the month of December.

Mike Cronin at Go Bananas Comedy Club
“I have a brand new comedy special that just debuted at the end of November on YouTube,” Cincinnati’s own Mike Cronin tells CityBeat. “It’s called Thick Worm.” After starting his career here, he moved to Chicago. After falling in love with a gal from Detroit, he moved to the Motor City. “We’re not married yet, but everything is going very well,” he reports. “I am talking a lot about parenting and my relationship with my fiancée,” he adds about his act. “I’m in the beginnings of building the next hour, so I have a lot of the old stuff in there but replacing it with my new material little by little.” Dec. 1-4 7:30 and 9:45 (Friday and Saturday). $15. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Godfrey at the Liberty Funny Bone
“Kids don’t appreciate things anymore,” says comedian Godfrey. “Simple things like McDonald’s would excite me when my father would take us there. My brother and I would have convulsions.” That’s the same father Godfrey famously compared, at least vocally, to The Lion King’s Mufasa. Friends calling the young Godfrey often heard a voice close to James Earl Jones saying, “Godfrey is not here.” Natives of Nigeria, his parents fled during the unrest in that country in the mid-1960s. Godfrey sometimes thinks the family’s hardships may have been exaggerated. “They tell you anything,” he says. “‘We were so poor that we only had one shoe and we shared it.’” To which Godfrey now responded, “Really? I think you was lying.” Both he and his brother were born in the United States, while his older sister emigrated from Africa. “I’m still going to turn her in,” he laughs. Dec. 2-4, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday. $27. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Dusty Slay at Liberty Funny Bone
Dusty Slay may look familiar to you. He often gets told he looks like the David Spade character Joe Dirt, or Mike Meyers’ Wayne Campbell of Wayne’s World fame. A top headliner, Slay was the youngest comic to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry. The Alabama native left the exterminating business in 2004 to pursue comedy. He joined the improv scene in Charleston, South Carolina, an unlikely comedy market, to be sure. After a few attempts at stand-up, he took a break, and then went back at it in 2008. He’s never looked back. Dec 9-10, 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $25. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Mark Chalifoux at Go Bananas Comedy Club
Mark Chalifoux, a former local radio producer, spent several years honing his craft in New York City before deciding he wanted to raise his family back home in the Tri-State. It’s all working out. “I recorded my first special for Dry Bar Comedy this year,” he tells CityBeat. “It was the first full audience for one of their TV tapings since pre-COVID, and it was a blast. That will be coming out early next year.” He also has several of his bits from his first album in rotation on SiriusXM. A new album is in the works for 2023. For his upcoming appearance at Go Bananas, he’s doing something a little different. “I’m filming a special to capture what a night in a comedy club feels like,” he adds. “It’ll have crowd work and less of a sense of urgency that a proper special has. It should be fun!” Dec. 15-18.  7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (Friday and Saturday). $15. Thursday show is $10. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Josh Sneed at Ghost Baby
St. Bernard native and national headliner Josh Sneed will be doing the first-ever comedy show at Ghost Baby in Downtown on Sunday, Dec. 18. The show is being organized by his college buddy and AGAR founder Josh Heuser. “I’ve known him for a long time and have been amazed watching him help shape and reshape the Downtown scene on so many levels. I love people who share the desire to make Cincinnati shine,” Sneed tells CityBeat. Ghost Baby was recently named by Esquire as one of America’s top bars. Sneed plans to record what he’s calling a greatest hits album that night. 10 p.m. Dec. 18. $25. 1314 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine, ghost-baby.com.

John Morgan at the Liberty Funny Bone
When you think of a road warrior comic, one name that should come up is John Morgan. Traveling to so many places over the years, he’s comfortable in most any city. “Being a comedian is definitely being a chameleon,” the Louisiana native tells CityBeat. “You’re able to blend into different cities.” The years of experience give him a unique perspective on the country, and he couldn’t be happier. “My career has blossomed. It’s opened up. I think where I am right now is where I want to be. I’m really blessed and fortunate.” Dec. 16-17, 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Saturday. $20. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Dave Waite, Go Bananas
Another comic making his way back to the area for a run of shows is Northern Kentucky’s Dave Waite. After a few years in New York City, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he is currently based. He’s always happy to come back to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, though. Dec. 29-31 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (Friday and Saturday). $10-$40. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Jason Banks at the Liberty Funny Bone
After winning numerous contests throughout Ohio, including the Funniest Person in Columbus, Jason Banks hit the road and worked comedy clubs all over the country. He’s made several appearances on Tru TV’s Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks, and many of his bits are featured on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network. On stage, he talks about everything from haunted houses to walking in on his parents being intimate when he was 9. Dec. 30-31, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Prices vary. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., 120, Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

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November is the month when we give thanks, and the Queen City can be very thankful that we have two top-level comedy clubs, as well as a number of theaters and other venues that host live comedy. Here are the top five can’t-miss comedy gigs in Cincinnati during the month of November.

Kevin Bozeman at Go Bananas Comedy Club
From Chicago comes comedian Kevin Bozeman. He’s been a headliner, and a Go Bananas favorite, for several years. Back in 1999, when Bozeman was six years out from a collegiate basketball career at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, he decided to finally pursue a career in comedy — and he hasn’t looked back since. “For an hour a night I’m wildly successful,” Bozeman has said of his decades-long successful comedy career, according to his biography on Go Bananas Comedy Club’s site. Nov. 17-20 ,7:30 and 9:45 (Friday and Saturday). $10-$15. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Ms. Pat at Liberty Funny Bone
Ms. Pat loves doing her hit sitcom The Ms. Pat Show (BET+, Paramount+) which has just been renewed for a third season. There are drawbacks though. “It does take me away from stand-up, which I miss a lot, so as soon as we wrap, I’m back out on the road full-time,” she tells CityBeat. “Stand-up is what I own. I can come and do as I please. With The Ms. Pat Show, I have to do what the network tells me to do.” The show does provide a different platform for her comedy, which is better for some stories. “There are so many stories, dark stories from my life that I haven’t even put on stage. Seeing things I’ve been through in life play out on the screen is really fascinating and exciting for me.” Nov. 18-19; 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $32. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Josh Sneed at Liberty Funny Bone
It’s become a holiday tradition of sorts as Cincinnati’s own Josh Sneed takes the stage for his annual Thanksgiving week show. When he’s not headlining comedy clubs across the country, he’s featuring for the likes of Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy at theaters and arenas. When he’s not doing either of those things, he’s running his highly successful t-shirt business, Cincy Shirts, with business partner, and former comic, Darin Overholser. Nov. 23, 7 p.m. $23. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Lachlan Patterson at Go Bananas Comedy Club
There was a time when comedian Lachlan Patterson would think nothing of driving his 1986 VW Westfalia clear across the country to get to a gig. No more. A top headliner, the Vancouver, British Columbia, native lives in Los Angeles, where he has thrived as a comic. “My dad, when I was a kid, always put me in class with the older kids, and on teams with older kids because he wanted me to play against better people than me so I’d improve faster,” Patterson tells CityBeat. “That’s why it was great for me to come to Los Angeles and see all this great comedy. I thought, ‘Okay, that’s how good I want to be.’ And it inspired me to work harder and push myself to work harder and push myself to improve.” Nov. 25-26, 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. $15. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Greg Warren at Liberty Funny Bone
It’s the return of Cincinnati’s adopted favorite son, St. Louis native Greg Warren. Though he started doing comedy in Houston, it wasn’t until he came to Cincinnati that he took it seriously. Eventually he left his day job at P&G and is now a successful headliner. Comedy fans may also know him from The Bob & Tom Show. Cincinnati is also fortunate to get a matinee offering of his all ages show. It’s one of only a few markets in which he does this show. “My act is pretty clean anyway, and it’s not a kiddie show,” he tells CityBeat of the all-ages set. “We pull kids up on stage and interview them, let them tell jokes. It’s pretty cool.” Nov. 25-26; 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday (family show) and 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Saturday. $20. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

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There’s a lot of great comedy headed to Cincinnati in October. From award-winning TV writers to podcasters, magicians and radio personalities, it’s sure to be a wide range of laughs. Here are the can’t-miss comedy shows taking place in Cincinnati in October.

Paul Mecurio at Go Bananas Comedy Club
It’s never been a better time to be Paul Mecurio. The veteran stand-up comic and TV writer is coming off a big Emmy win for his work on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “Man, I’ve got so many now I have no idea where to put them,” he jokes. It’s not just the small screen, though, that’s taking up his time these days. He’s slated to be in the new Megan Fox film Johnny & Clyde. “I have these amazing love scenes with her,” he tells CityBeat. “I told them in my contract I didn’t want to sleep with her, but they said I had to because of my handsome demeanor,” he laughs, before adding, “Just let me have my fantasy.”

He is still managing to get out on the road and do stand-up, and he says the slowdown gave him time to reflect. “It was interesting to go back with a fresher perspective. Re-energizing the act to be back out after time off because of COVID was very beneficial,” Mercurio says. “There’s a lot of new stuff in my act from dealing with COVID, and a lot of fun new themes that came from just observing. When you’re not going a hundred miles an hour, you have time to observe the world and comment on it.”

That means trying to navigate a post-COVID and more socially-aware world. “Can I just be the guy in the middle that agrees with some of what you believe in but not everything? And if I don’t believe in everything you believe in I’m not the bad guy,” he says. 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Oct. 7 and 8, Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Guy Torry at Liberty Funny Bone
Guy Torry went from working behind the scenes in the entertainment business to being a stand-up comic (at the behest of his comedian brother Joe). “I knew about Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor of course, but I wasn’t inspired until I saw people my own age making a living at it,” Torry tells CityBeat. Anxious to make a name for himself, he says he went by the name Guy T., so as not to be connected to his brother. Behind the scenes though, Joe showed him the ropes and introduced Guy to Martin Lawrence, who at the time had a very successful sitcom. “They gave me a gopher job, which to this day is the best job I ever had,” Torry says.

In addition to being Lawrence’s body double, Guy was also popular with the writers who asked him for jokes. Finally he said, in a jovial manner, that he wanted to be paid for writing. One of the writers took him up on it, and he co-wrote a script. He describes his stand-up as a “gumbo” that mixes with politics, relationships and social observation.7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Oct. 7; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Oct. 8. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Mike Birbiglia at Taft Theatre
Mike Birbiglia’s long-form storytelling style has made him a hit with comedy fans as well as with listeners of radio programs like This American Life, to which he sometimes contributes. Birbiglia wrote, directed and starred in the critically acclaimed film Sleepwalk with Me, which came together with the help of This American Life host Ira Glass. Birbiglia has also produced two comedy albums as well as four Comedy Central specials. His likable everyman demeanor makes him one of the most popular touring comics in the country. 7 p.m. Oct. 13. Doors open at 6 p.m. Taft Theatre, 317 E. 5th St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org.

Jimmy Pardo at Go Bananas Comedy Club
Jimmy Pardo is probably best known as the host of the very popular podcast Never Not Funny, a program that helped define the genre. He has also done extensive television work, including on Conan. Pardo started off as a traditional joke teller but switched his focus to telling funny stories about his life after fellow comics noted he was even funnier off stage just talking with his peers. That catapulted him to top headliner status. He only plays a few dates a year, but Cincinnati – where he has a sizable and loyal fan base – is always a stop. 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Oct. 14 and Oct. 15. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Dave Landau at Liberty Funny Bone
Like many comedians, Dave Landau made a conscious decision not to be based in New York or Los Angeles, opting instead for his hometown, Detroit. “I plan on staying there forever,” he tells CityBeat. “I’d move if I had to, but honestly I like where I’m at. I like raising my son there, so I’m in no hurry to move back to either coast.” Indeed, he has a handshake deal with a friend who functions as a booker but no agent. “I don’t see the need for one anymore,” he says. “It’s like I run my own business and do my own thing.” On stage he’s gotten more personal, opening up about being a recovering addict. His Midwestern upbringing also informs his set. “People crap on the whole rust belt,” he says, “but I think that’s where you’ll find some of the most real people in the country. It’s real families from real factory towns. It’s what America once was and still is but only in those places.” 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Oct. 14 and 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Oct. 15. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Kurt Metzger at Go Bananas Comedy Club
Veteran comic Kurt Metzger is known to audiences for his stand-up, as well as his involvement with hit series like Inside Amy Schumer and the animated Ugly Americans. A former animation student (he dropped out to pursue stand-up), Metzger loved his work on Ugly Americans. “Man, it was so great,” he tells CityBeat.  “Almost no cartoon is funny its first season, but that one was.” His stage comedy ranges from observational to dark, with a little social satire thrown in. Varying times Oct. 20-23. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

Josh Arnold October at Liberty Funny Bone
Josh Arnold, known to fans of radio’s The Bob & Tom Show, will take the stage at the Liberty Funny Bone. The St. Louis native was named the best male comedian in his hometown in 2011, which led to multiple appearances on the popular Indianapolis-based radio program. Before becoming a comedian, he worked for a sporting goods manufacturer and spent two years in South Korea teaching English. In 2016 he joined TheBob & Tom Show and has been a fan favorite ever since. 8 p.m. Oct. 21, and 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Oct. 22. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

Piff the Magic Dragon at Taft Theatre
Piff the Magic Dragon first came to the attention of American audiences via the TV show Penn & Teller: Fool Us back in 2011. He didn’t fool the duo, but they were definitely impressed, calling the young Brit’s act their favorite of that season. That helped pave the way for full-time work in Las Vegas, where Fool Us is taped. Currently settled into a regular gig at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino, Piff (real name John van der Put) takes his show on the road a few weeks a year. 8 p.m. Oct. 27. Taft Theatre, 317 E. 5th St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org.

D.L. Hughley at Liberty Funny Bone
“Nobody in my family is funny,” says D.L. Hughley. “I’m a kid from Warren, Ohio, and there’s nothing funny about that. In fact, my mother still gets angry that I now get paid for doing what I used to get a whuppin’ for.” Though he was born in Ohio, Hughley actually grew up in Los Angeles – specifically the infamous South Central area. Expelled from high school, he wound up in The Bloods gang. After his cousin was shot to death, D.L. realized it was time to change the direction of his life. He got a job at the Los Angeles Times as a telemarketer and began climbing the corporate ladder. He met his wife at that paper, and it was she who suggested he try stand-up comedy. Drawing on family experiences from both his childhood and adult life, D.L. and his tell-it-like-it-is style were a hit. He was one of the Original Kings of Comedy and has since branched into radio and acting while occasionally serving as a game show host. Varying times Oct. 28-30. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

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The post Local Laughs: 10 Cincinnati Comedy Shows to Catch in October appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Comedian Chris Porter recently made a foray into another type of stand-up activity: He took a gig on a cruise ship — his first and last, it turns out. “It was the most terrible thing I’ve ever done,” he says. “The audiences were great, but it’s weird when the stage is going up and down.” It wasn’t a dream vacation, to be sure. “The line I was working for doesn’t give performers guest quarters. They give you crew quarters, which is just one step above a white-collar prison.” 

The post Comedy: Chris Porter appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Ian Bagg had dreams of playing pro hockey, but switched to comedy because he grew tired of getting knocked around the ice by players he describes as decidedly more talented than him. Fortunately, he had a knack for humor. “It’s so much fun being on a [hockey] team and hanging out,” he says. “I think that’s where I got my comedy chops: chirping at everyone from the bench and in the locker room and having a great time.” Fellow hockey fan Dave Coulier told CityBeat a very similar story a few months back. Oddly, Bagg and Coulier have never met. “You’d think if there’s anyone I would know, it’s a guy that does comedy and plays hockey,” he says. 

The post Comedy: Ian Bagg appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Though he still plays serious music, about a third of Todd Yohn’s stand-up set involves songs. “I was told by The Bob & Tom All-Star Band that my music is complex with inane lyrics,” he says. That radio show’s co-host Tom Griswold often describes Yohn as one of the best all around comedians in the business. Yohn has been headlining comedy clubs, theaters and colleges for more than 30 years, and you can catch his non-comedy musical stylings on YouTube. Thursday-Sunday. $8-$16. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.

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