Five Drunk Comedians.

(Left to Right: Monica Nevi, Andrew Rivers, Cory Michaelis, Myles Weber)

(Bottom left corner: Laura Hayden. Bottom Right: Jubal Flagg)

I love the Tacoma Comedy Club. I try to make it to see all the headliners and especially the Wednesday open-mic night. If you are not familiar with the club's schedule it is typically this:

Monday- Closed
Tuesday- Closed
Wednesday- Open-mic
Thursday-Headliner
Friday- Headliner (two shows)
Saturday- Headliner (two shows)
Sunday-(Special Event)

The Sunday special event is varied, it could be a local comedian recording their new CD, the annual Tacomedy competition, or just a one night show from another headliner or multiple comedians. But the second Sunday of every month they hold an event called Comics Under the Influence. The premise is simple, five comedians do their sets and then get plastered and go up and do another set. Tonight was my first experience going to this event and I wasn't expecting much. I could not have been more wrong.

The show was incredible, each of the five comedians along with the host (92.5's Jubal Flag) killed, and afterwards I was sore from laughing so much. This was one of the most entertaining and rewarding shows I have seen in a long time. It was just a downright good time. What made it so great? Well here is my rundown:

Each of the five comedians (Monica Nevi, Cory Michaelis, Laura Hayden, Andrew Rivers, and Myles Weber) performed wonderfully. All are damn fine comics and a show with all of them in it was quite rewarding on its own. The first hour or so played like a typical showcase format stand-up show. Each comedian seemed excited to be there and I was impressed by each set. I had seen Michaelis and Rivers before, but their sets were fresh and I don't think I heard more than one joke I had before. To me this hour of comedy alone would have been worth the price of admission. Then came the drinks.

This is where things get interesting. The comedians took the necessary amount of shots to get properly liquored up and performed again. What ensued was around an hour and a half of not just comedy but of dancing, on-stage drinking, rapping, falling down, hitting on women, attempts at getting two audience members to go on a date, and of course Weber attempting to get Rivers laid while also on his own quest to catch a glimpse at some late night titties (especially the ones "covered in sin"). The audience also had the specialty drink of the night to to enjoy (and for cheap).

We laughed, we talked, we sang, we booed the girl who wouldn't go out with Rivers, and we cheered the girl who would! It was more than just a comedy show it was a community experience of audience involvement. And I don't mean that in the way those lame dinner-theater shows claim "audience involvement". It was more than just shouting out ideas or comments. The audience and the comics were perfectly in sync and around the time the comics took turns slapping Rivers in the balls as they handed him shots and then danced to Back That Ass Up it all fell into place. It was improvisational and flowing in the way only the best comedy can be. It was wild, raucous, and boisterous. And it was ours. How perfect for the show to have taken place on Mother's day, because for a second there it felt like family.

-SP McDonald