Bloomington comedians compete in festival

The search to find the best comic in Bloomington is on.

Wednesday night’s show at The Comedy Attic kicked off the fourth annual Bloomington Comedy Festival, an 11-week stand-up contest designed to recognize comedy achievement.

“It’s been as important to the confidence of aspiring comedians in the area as anything we’ve ever done,” said Jared Thompson, owner of The Comedy Attic.

Amateur comedians square off each week until the finals on August 22. After every show, an audience vote determines which comedians continue.

“The audience gets it right, and that’s why we do 100 percent audience voting,” Thompson said. “It also forces comedians to write new material a little bit faster than they normally would, which is always a good thing.”

Last year, eight of nine shows sold out.

“Competitions bring out the best crowds,” comedian Tom Brady said. “These crowds are going to give you everything. They’re giving you full attention and they want you to be good.”

Local Bloomington comedian David Britton will compete in the festival as a solo artist for the first time. Britton previously performed as part of the Vaudeville comedy duo
“Rembrandt and McGillicutty.”

“I’m just happy to get up there and perform,” Britton said. “And the further I make it, the more performances I get.”

Local Bloomington comedians fill 32 slots of the 40-comic roster. The other eight jokers hail from out-of-town comedy scenes like Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, Louisville, Ky., and Columbus, Ohio.

Participants save their best material for the festival with the intention to win. However, sharing the stage with people they know very well can lead to conflicts of interest.

“I’d love to advance, but all the comedians are kind of friends,” Britton said. “The competitive aspect is good because it brings people out, but we are not interested in beating each other.”

Brady, winner of the 2009 and 2011 festivals, is close friends with 2010 winner Joshua Murphy.

“I was very proud of him,” Brady said. “Josh is probably the funniest person I know. It was him and Ben Moore (in the finals), and I would have been happy either way. They’re two close friends of mine.”

Entertaining a packed room of strangers is an especially daunting task to the festival’s young comedians.

“I felt sick to my stomach,” Brady remembered of his 2009 victory. “I dreaded every night going in, but I ended up having the most fun I had ever had on stage every show.”

Brady has since opened for professional comedians Hannibal Buress, Kyle Kinane, Tommy Johnagin, Charlene Yi and Henry Philips.

“If I could do comedy and be able to afford beer and afford my rent, then I’m happy,”
Brady said. “Right now, all I care about is to become a better, quality comic.”

But only one comedian will have the last laugh.

Tickets for the Bloomington Comedy Festival are available at The Comedy Attic’s website, www.comedyattic.com. A $25 summer pass includes admission to each remaining show of the festival, but $5 tickets are available for individual nights.