One of the best attributes about a metropolitan area such as Toledo is the assortment of entertainment available to anyone who’s interested. Now that the weather has cleared and citizens are rising out of hibernation, the choices for entertainment are there for the taking. One of the stalwarts is the comedy hub at the Funny Bone, located in Levis Commons in Perrysburg. Home to up-and-comers and established acts, the club has another full slate for comedy fans looking for a bellyful of chuckles. Here is a notable list of upcoming acts.
Jessica Kirson
Friday, May 31 @ 7 & 9:30 pm
Saturday, June 1 @ 6:30 & 9 pm
Tickets: $35 – $45
Known for her strong crowd work and no-nonsense observations of daily life, Jessica Kirson brings a double-header of dates to the club. Whereas many comedy acts may swerve to one side of the social spectrum, Kirson abides by the K.I.S.S. method, telling jokes and riffing from the crowd to create a relatability that is silly for silly’s sake. Check out her Crowd Work Special available on her website at Jessicakirson.com for a taste of what the seasoned professional will bring to the stage.
Ben Brainard
Wednesday, June 5 @ 7 pm
Tickets: $27
One of the aforementioned up-and-comers, Ben Brainard delivers what may seem like a golly-gee-whiz act in the vein of John Mulaney. But, like the latter comedian, Brainard is astute in making fun of what reads as serious, on paper. His Youtube channel, The Table, plays off the TikTok craze in its skewering of such ‘serious’ material like Aliens, the Boeing coverups and the Government’s banning of the TikTok platform itself. Further dates and sketches can be found on his website benbrainard.com
Shawn Wayans
Friday, June 7 @ 7:30 & 9 pm
Saturday, June 8 @ 9 pm
Tickets: $42 – $52
For aficionados, Shawn Wayans is a part of a comedy family whose influence is undeniable. From his role as DJ on Fox’s In Living Color – which is still underrated – to his roles in Don’t Be a Menace In South Central While Drinking Your Juice and the Wayans Brothers Show to his stage work, Shawn Wayans has etched out a continuing career in skewering those cultural differences which have been perpetrated and turning them on their head.
Christopher Titus
Sunday, June 9 @ 6 pm
Tickets: $37
A road dog if there ever was one, Christopher Titus brings his astute perspective to the stage in what should be a blistering set. Coming off his latest special, Zero Side Effect, and working his next special, titled Carrying Monsters, Titus is at the top of his game as he pokes his finger into the side of what’s been irking him; presumably the collective madness beset by MAGA or the ghosts of his youth. Where other comedians of his ilk have chosen their team (looking at you, Jim Breuer), Titus would rather play in the middle of the road and thumb his nose while he has fun.
Kristen Key
Sunday, July 14 @ 6 pm
Tickets: $25
Prop comics usually get a bad rap but in Kristen Key’s case, it’s a different bit. With her acoustic guitar used as a well utilized tool instead of an easy ploy, her storytelling thrives as she serves up her life experiences for the audience to take in at a metronome that is solely hers. When you think her jokes will go one way, they go the other way. Do. Not. Miss her on her Lesbian Army Tour as she brings her off-aside humor to the stage.
Steve Hofstetter
Thursday, August 15 @ 7 pm
Tickets: $38
Hofstetter is the epitome of a consummate professional in the comedy industry. Well into his third decade on tour and more fearless in his voice, his set is a hammer-down take on our current times. Having seen him previously in 2022, I can attest that he is one of the best and most underrated comedians working. He’s the best parts of your favorite comics rolled into a Ginger Kid with a lascivious tongue to boot. His oeuvre speaks for itself: Nobel Prize nomination for comedy charity work, best-selling author, sports columnist, syndicated radio host, etc. A true man–of–the–people comic, I personally guarantee you will not leave without your guts in a tangle from laughter. Just don’t try heckling him, you’ll lose.
Tommy Davidson
Friday, August 23 @ 7 & 9:30 pm
Saturday, August 24 @ 6:30 & 9 pm
Tickets: $30 – $40
Another consummate professional whose made his nut being damn good at his craft, Tommy Davidson combines all the elements of a great comic – vocality, mimicry, body language – into a stick of dynamo about to explode off the stage into the audience’s lap. Most comedians sour or become complacent with age, but Tommy Davidson has ripened into an act who doesn’t know how not to be funny. The man is always on; he always has the green light.
Trae Crowder
Sunday, September 22 @ 6 pm
Tickets: $32 – $42
Crowder is among the best of the new crop of comedians making a name in the digital age. Don’t let the heavy Tennessee drawl fool you as the Liberal Redneck skews his proclivities of our conservative times with an absolutely hilarious, rapid–fire delivery guaranteed to leave you hunched over in laughter. A thinking person’s comic who is on the nose and on the money, as seen in his 2023 special, Damn Boy!
