Ragains’ rich humor cheers Bear’s Place

Comedian Rich Ragains performed to an enthusiastic audience Monday at Bear’s Place as part of this week’s Comedy Caravan.

Ragains, a long-time comedy veteran, has traveled across the country opening for acts such as Dave Chappell, Carrot Top and Larry the Cable Guy.

Ragains has also appeared on Country Music Television, NBC and “The Bob & Tom Show”.

Ragains, a Louisville, Ky. native, calls Bear’s Place “like going to Grandma’s house.”
“I’ve tried out so much new material here,” he said. “Performing at Bear’s is the most normal I’ve ever felt on stage.”

Hostess Stephanie Wagner was particularly excited about having Ragains as a headliner.

“Rich Ragains is a fantastic comedian,” she said. “He’s one of the funniest comedians I’ve seen.”

Wagner was first on stage and went over some ground rules for the show.

The first comedian to go on was Brad Lanning. Lanning started with a joke about meeting people from high school.

“One person told me they couldn’t believe I was a comedian,” he said. “She said ‘because I never really thought you were funny.’”

Lanning also told his dream of Michael Vick winning MVP for the upcoming Super Bowl.

“I want to hear Vick say ‘I’m going to Disney World. Pluto, lookout,’” he said.
Next to take the stage was Jeff Bodart, who utilized crude humor involving the crowd and jokes about his weight.

“I joined a gym and I’ve lost $145,” he said. “They tell me that’s the first place to start.”

Bodart continued by talking about his time at a fast food restaurant when he tried to order ranch with his cheese sticks. He said the woman asked him what he was going to do with the ranch before she gave it to him.

“What does she expect me to say? I’m going to rub it all over my chest, throw some seeds in it and let birds peck it off my body,” he said.

Ragains took the microphone after Bodart concluded. He started his set by picking on the audience.

The comments seemed to be well received.

Some of Ragains’ main targets were on a woman who was overly bossy to her boyfriend, a girl celebrating her 22nd birthday and a man with a large mustache.

“Wow, this guy’s mustache makes me think there’s going to be eight more weeks of winter,” he said

Ragains later decided to take a vote from the crowd on whether or not he was going to continue with his comments or actually do the jokes he had scripted. Though the audience chose to stay with the unscripted work, Ragains did continue with some of his written work.

Ragains commented on one of Kmart’s slogans and how poorly written he thought it was.

“Who writes this stuff?” he said. “Could you imagine him talking to his mother, ‘Momma am I Kmart smart? No you are Dollar Tree dumb.’”

Later in the show Ragains asked if anyone had been to Virginia. One woman said she had been to West Virginia and tried to claim that it was the same as Virginia. Ragains responded to the woman.

“No, Virgina and West Virginia are not the same,” he said with sarcasm. “North Texas is Texas, Maine is Oklahoma.”

Ragains’ comedy brought laughter, and the audience joined him in doing shots of jager.

“I’m really feeling you guys tonight,” he said. “Cheers to this crowd.”