“FRIENDLY FIRE”
BY TONY SPIRES, THE COMEDY DOCTOR
Have you ever heard of a war where nobody gets killed? The fact that America is in the midst of waging at least two bloody wars may make it a little hard to imagine. Have you ever lived through a barrage of deadly, shrapnel-laden artillery coming at you from any and all directions, including your own, and survived to tell the tale? Well, that’s exactly what happens to over 60 comedians each and every year at the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition & Festival. But it’s cool, though.
Usually, when one thinks of “friendly fire,” one envisions troops on the same side of a battle or conflict, shooting at each other-usually ending in a tragic occurrence of carnage, dismemberment and death. It’s not so severe in comedy. In war, friendly fire is perhaps the most stinging and bitter of all military eventualities because in the context of armed conflict, it could’ve been avoided. If commanders had the opportunity to re-live the moments that led up to the catastrophe, they surely would do it differently the next time. But in the context I’m going to tell you about, it all happens according to plan. Bear with me. I’ll set the stage for you.
It has been my observation that when scores of African Americans and other so-called “minorities” converge on a tiny suburban hamlet, less than 20 miles from a major urban city and hangout in large groups in restaurants and malls, etc., the natives and authorities of said village, get restless. If you’re a regular reader of my column, you already know my feelings on “Breathing While Black.” And, I must admit, that even my wife Rhonda, my son Derell and I have been pulled over by the officers in that municipality that are sworn to protect and serve. But it just makes us grind just that much harder and makes victory just that much sweeter!
The Bay Area Black Comedy Competition & Festival, the national urban comedy showcase that brought us all together first, has been “putting it down” in one venue or another since the 80’s. This was one of our strongest fields of young stand-ups ever. If the audience’s cheers and the number of standing ovations last weekend were any indication, it may’ve been the most comically potent year since Jamie Foxx took top honors in 1991 or since Don “DC” Curry and Sheryl Underwood wooed judges and dazzled crowds on their way to a Final Round of epic proportion in 1995. But I digress.
Less than inviting police, negligible numbers of Negro residents and even inclement weather in their point of origin never seem to stop two full busloads worth of comedians hungry for stage time and knowledge about the industry from showing up on time and giving their all at the BABCCF. So, you’ve never seen people dive headfirst into the fiery furnace? Or fire on each other with reckless abandon, only to tend to each other’s wounds later-after the smoke clears? Well, my dear reader, you simply haven’t lived or perhaps you’ve never sat up close and personal at “The Bay Area Black!”
It was a beautiful thing for the comedians and it “wasn’t no joke” for the producers, either-no pun intended. The celestial stars were in alignment over Pleasanton, California and shone brilliantly on the future stars of urban comedy during Opening Weekend of our 24th Anniversary. On a holiday weekend that is typically wroth with pouring rain and chilly winter temperatures in the San Francisco Bay Area, it was nearly as warm and dry as three days in the middle of spring. The nights, on the other hand, we’re… full of fire… friendly fire, that is.
Exactly 65 national representatives of the next generation of urban comedy descended on Pleasanton’s Tommy T’s Comedy Club, 17 miles from Oakland International Airport and made a strong argument for their position that when it comes to talent and comedic diversity, the future is now. Record-sized audiences shoehorned themselves into the intimate, converted steakhouse-turned-“A-list”-comedy club and rallied around their picks to move on to the Finals April 17th at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre. Another record was also broken. For the first time ever, a record nine finalists were selected to represent their respective cities and compete for over $15,000.00 in cash and prizes, including $5,000.00 in cash for the winner.
We’ve been doing this since the 80’s and this was one of our strongest fields of young stand-ups ever. The comedian class of 2010 was just as potent as the crowds. I can't remember when I’ve received as many compliments on the caliber of the talent as we had this year. The comics definitely gave it up!... except for two or three duds. Those special characters always keep things “interesting” and, well… funny. More than once, I’ve seen unfunny acts come back and put in some serious work a few years later. I firmly believe that you can’t keep a determined comic down!
A diverse crowd of comedy lovers packed the place. Shows were at capacity, as lines were around both sides outside of the club. Everyone was patient and their patience was rewarded with six one-of-a-kind shows that can only be experienced at "The Bay Area Black." It was truly a blessing, especially in these uncertain times, to see that The Competition is still king in the Bay Area, especially when you consider that both Mike Epps and Dave Chappelle were only about 25 miles away, in Oakland, also playing to full houses! If laughter actually is the best medicine for the soul, nearly 2,000 people were cured at The Competition last weekend. God is good!
Setting the pace for each evening was our host and emcee Evan Lionel. I urged him not to hold back, as hosts some times do, to give the contestants a chance to shine. I explained to Evan that he should not only warm up the audience but also set the bar for the contestants. He did that and then some. He “lit it up,” interacted with the crowd and kept all the shows moving at a frenetic pace. The feedback on the job he did was outstanding.
My sincere thanks goes out to our fans and supporters and everybody who helped us make the 24th Edition of the Opening Weekend Of The Bay Area Black Comedy Competition & Festival a huge success! A special thanks goes out to our wonderful judges: Mary Lindsey, owner of Chicago's Jokes and Notes; Bay Area comedy promoters Rick Sullivan and Shelly Tatum, singer/Songwriter Ajuana Black, Comedy Central Executive Toni Magon, actor and singer William L. Johnson, comedian/actor Don Reed, Oakland city official John Hill and Rapper/Producer Krushadelic. And let’s not forget the people that really make it all possible the comedians. Hey, y’all, we couldn’t do it without you!
The Final Round of The Bay Area Black Comedy Competition & Festival 2010 will be something very special. We’ll have host Don "DC" Curry, surprise guests and a special performance by Full Vision Arts Foundation's Vision's Kids, as they present their newest work, "The Art Of Education," an upbeat musical journey into the performing arts. But the most important people who’ll be on hand on Saturday, April 17th at Oakland's Paramount Theatre are the record nine of the funniest up and coming comedians ever to grace a competitive stage. They are:
B.T. Kingsley-Sacramento, CA
Henry Coleman-Memphis, TN
Key Lewis-Sacramento, CA
Kirk McHenry-Oakland, CA
Marc Howard-Washington, D.C
Marcus Combs-Chicago, IL
Nate Jackson, Seattle, WA
Rion Evans-Inglewood, CA,
Willie Lynch, Jr.-East St. Louis, IL
Thanks to all of you for reading my column. It’s my pleasure to share my insights with all of you. Remember, people, this is merely the way I see it. Live your life! May God Bless you and yours. Holla at your doctor!
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Tony Spires is a filmmaker, poet, musician, award-winning playwright, acclaimed director, event producer, personal manager, and columnist for The Humor Mill Magazine. He is also co-founder of Full Vision Arts Foundation. Known as The Comedy Doctor in comedy circles, he is perhaps best known as the founder of the nationally reputed Bay Area Black Comedy Competition & Festival: http://www.BlackComedyCompetition.com and as writer/director/producer of the acclaimed feature film, “Tears Of A Clown” available on DVD. Email Tony at:
ComedyDoctor@BlackComedyCompetition.com. Visit his youth Arts Organization at: http://www.FullVisionArts.org.
