Daryl Felsberg’s been a popular road comic for over 30 years, traveling out his home in South Texas. He figures he’s performed 13 or 14 times at Laff’s Comedy Caffe, where he’s headed May 19 and May 20. He loves everything about it, here, especially the rock people and the rock lawns.
Recently, he’s launched a YouTube channel about road food — taco stands, convenience stores and the like. It’s called “Daryl Eats.” He’s looking forward to adding an episode about the comparative merit of Tucson taco stops vis a vis his more familiar ones in Texas. (We gave him the lowdown.)
That Felsberg loves food is the most obvious thing about him. On the surface, he represents a population that is way too overweight to be healthy, but he just loves to eat. Otherwise, his eating and his weight, in current parlance, don’t define him. He jokes about related issues, but we won’t likely hear about related insensitivity.
That’s relevant because, when asked about how the comedy scene has changed over the past handful of years, he said, “I actually think that outside of, you know, culturalism, it’s a lot better than it was before.”
Wait. What about culturalism?
Felsberg has a theory about how and whether audience sensitivity to race, gender, “Me Too” and other “isms” have altered the character of comedy in recent years. He considers it, thoughtfully, from the perspective of his years as a somewhat weight-disabled person on the road, making people laugh for fun and profit.
“I think what’s happened is that the public has provided us new guidelines,” he said, “but that’s probably not going to work.”
He said the “guidelines” worked at first because comics weren’t working. As soon as venues open, he said, the “A-list” comics were working “B-list” venues just to get back on stage. It took a while for road comics to begin finding work.
Felsberg said he believes strongly, though, that standup comedy is the last bastion of free speech. When people abandon comics for their material, he said, “The good thing is that we’re finding people that move right into their place. If you don’t like the way a comic presents something, you don’t have to go. There’s probably two other people that’ll take your seat.”
We’ll see how that works out, but, notwithstanding some vulgarity, Felsberg’s own comedy isn’t likely to inspire walkouts. “There are comics who are extremely edgy that love to poke as hard as they can and incite people.
“I don’t particularly care for that.”
He suggested that provocative comics feel that the public “needs to hear their opinion on politics or whatever. We don’t need a comic to stand on stage and contradict (people’s) beliefs and theories and feelings.” He pointed out that a typical dinner-and-a-show evening for two costs upward of $100. “They’re trying to escape. They’re trying to get away from politics. They’re trying to get away from the division.
“We’re entertainment.”
Daryl Felsberg
WHEN: 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday, May 19; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20
WHERE: Laff’s Comedy Caffe, 2900 E. Broadway, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $15; two-item minimum
INFO: 520-32-FUNNY, laffstucson.com
Franco Escamilla comes to AVA
Hurry to get what may be the last available tickets to see Mexican comedian and musician Franco Escamilla at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 4, at Casino del Sol’s AVA Amphitheater, 5655 W. Valencia Road. Tickets start at $99 at casinodelsol.com.
Besides performing throughout the Mexican Republic and Latin America, Escamilla has sold-out shows in Paris, London, Barcelona, Hong Kong and Tokyo, and has toured Sydney, Melbourne, Israel and Dubai among others. In the United States, he’s appeared in such prestigious venues as New York City’s Carnegie Hall and LA’s Crypto.com Arena, where he performed in English with fellow Latino comedian Gabriel Iglesias.
He’s also logged four Netflix specials and dozens of TV performances and YouTube video episodes.
A musician as well as a comic, Escamilla passed through careers as a criminologist and an attendant at Kentucky Fried Chicken on his way to becoming an international star.
Comedy in Catalina
We’re glad to see Nicole Riesgo doing some hosting. She’s funny and strong with a unique outlook on being just enough different to make life amusing. She’ll host “Comedy in Catalina,” 9 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at Catalina Craft Pizza,15930 N. Oracle Road, Suite 178. Kenny Shade is producing the show with Tempe comic Manny Hernandez as headliner, and Mesa’s Ezra Storment as feature comic. Filling out the lineup are local favorites Connor Hanna, Allana Erickson-Lopez and Lisa Kristine. Admission is free with a donation of clothing or nonperishable food.
Open mic updates
We’ll be reminding you soon of all the regular open mics in Tucson, but meanwhile you should know of some changes. The Friday mics at Kava Bar and Spark Project Collective are gone, but two mics have returned after stepping away during COVID-19, and some comics are recommending a newish mixed mic downtown.
Espresso Art Café, 942 E. University Boulevard, is back at 8 p.m. every other Sunday. The next one will be Sunday, May 21. There’s a two-item minimum, but whoever performs the best set wins $20, and the runner up gets $15 tab. Rich Gary hosts.
Joey G is back hosting a Tuesday night mic at The Mint Bar, 3540 E. Grant Road. Signups are at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. Visiting comics sometimes drop in for a guest set. There’s a two-item minimum.
Thunder Canyon Brewery, 220 E. Broadway Boulevard, has an open mic for comedy, music, storytelling and spoken word. Signup is at 7 and the start time is 8 p.m.
Note that while all open mics are free, what keeps them going is sales. A two-item minimum may not be specified, but it’s the right thing.
Other shows this week
Tucson Improv Movement/TIM Comedy Theatre, 414 E. 9th Street, tucsonimprov.com, $7 each show, $10 for both shows, same night, free jam and open mic. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18, Harold Eta and “Shatfan;” 8:30 p.m. open mic; 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 19, improv jam; 7:30 p.m. “The Soapbox” with Lauren Spradlin; 9 p.m. “Femme Drop” (distaff standup); 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, “Tootpole” (musical improv) and “Game Show Show;” 9 p.m. “4th Avenue Confessions”
Unscrewed Theater, 4500 E. Speedway Boulevard, unscrewedtheatre.org, $8, live or remote, $5 kids unless otherwise noted, 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 19, family-friendly improv; 6 p.m. Saturday, May 20, Unscrewed Family Hour, $5 all ages; 7:30 p.m., family-friendly improv; 9 p.m. “The Backyard Improv Playground,” pay what you will.
