Funny People

The artistic process pairs with the work through additional displays in the exhibit — like the artist studio setup during Gladys Swan’s early 2019 exhibition or the thoughtful placards providing context for the work, detailing the artist’s background and intention for the display. A participatory show in 2018, What Does Art Do?, invited guests to ask themselves that question as they entered and exited

the space. The responses created an evolving, collaborative piece that was on display for the duration of the show.

Gray’s emphasis on education means guests can get a glimpse into the artist’s thought process as they explore their body of work and the exhibit’s concept.

“Art isn’t just a painting hanging on a wall,” Gray said. “It’s about process. It’s a creative process.”

Artwork by spotlight artist Matthew Ballou is seen at the Montminy Gallery at the Boone County Historical Society on Friday, April 12, 2019. [HUNTER DYKE/TRIBUNE]

Rob Harris introduces a participant before a stand-up routine during a monthly comedy showcase at Rose Music Hall on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. [HUNTER DYKE/TRIBUNE]

PEOPLE FUNNY LOCAL COMICS FORM RAGTAG COMMUNITY

BY LAUREN MIERS | Columbia Daily Tribune

It’s Tuesday night. Chatter from the nearby FieldHouse patio bubbles into the quiet evening. A small wooden sandwich board sign advertising drink deals and a 10 p.m. comedy show sits outside Eastside Tavern. The sidewalk is otherwise empty.

Inside the bar isn’t much fuller. A few comedians and their supporters rest atop barstools and cluster around tables. Some pace or wander around the homey space known for its mismatched decor. Last-minute jokes are scribbled on index cards and notepads while the first round of drinks are downed. No one sits in the small collection of chairs arranged around the bar’s similarly-sized stage, not until just after 10 p.m. when the weekly As Yet Unnamed Comedy show begins.

Columbia’s comedy club isn’t a building — it’s a group of people. Members of the small-butmighty scene make us laugh regularly with their honest and creative storytelling. They’re not dying to be noticed, though they would love if you’d show your support by attending a show.

“We have this little community that I really love,” local comedian Clayton Mistler said.

“Everyone in it does comedy because they love it.”

Mistler regularly hosts the weekly As Yet Unnamed Comedy Show at Eastside Tavern and co-hosts Rose Music Hall’s monthly Pints and Punchlines showcase with Rob Harris and Tyler King. Both Mistler and Harris agree performing at Eastside is the gateway to time behind the mic in Columbia, something Harris equates to riding a roller coaster.

Just before the clock strikes 10, Mistler gathers those performing onstage for a huddle. As showtime draws, near the audience fills with both aspiring comedians, hopeful to get their name in the lineup one day, and spectators.

Those audience members could be sitting at home watching the latest Netflix comedy special from the comfort of their recliners. Instead they chose to see comedy live. It’s participating and interacting with art: The audience reacts to the performer, who reacts to the audience. It’s an endless, uncut feedback loop that a TV or laptop can’t possibly replicate. Plus, comedians riff off of shared experiences, so local performers can weave in jokes about the things we collectively love to hate, like Bird scooters and politics.

“John Mulaney started out at something like Pints and Punchlines or the As Yet Unnamed Comedy Show,” Mistler said. “There are people from Columbia who now perform in Los Angeles and New York that got their start at these shows.”

On this particular Tuesday, Ellie Bonilla, Cole Brendel and Max Roberts, among others, are set to perform. After Mistler kicks off the show with a few jokes of his own, the comedians take the stage one-by-one. Some jokes bomb and others take life in the audience’s laughter. Either way, As Yet Unnamed serves as a launch pad for those who hope to make a name for themselves.

Harris said he has seen the comedy community grow over the six years he’s been involved. Pints and Punchlines is a staple of the scene. For just a few bucks, attendees can see a handful of local and regional comedians hold court. Mistler and Harris source talent from all over the state as well as right here at home. Heading into its fourth year, Pints and Punchlines has a modest following of around 120 attendees monthly, growing from the initial 15 to 20, Harris said.

Harris loves the community at Eastside, but hopes Columbia can have an actual comedy club with a few nights a week dedicated to comedic acts. There’s need for a training ground to workshop material, get feedback, polish up and gain a following.

As for out-of-town acts, The Blue Note’s new CoMo Comedy Club series is filling the void left when Deja Vu closed in 2016. Now the likes of Drew Lynch, of “America’s Got Talent” fame, and Fortune Feimster, from “Chelsea Lately” and “The Mindy Project,” grace the venue’s stage.

Otherwise, comedy in Columbia occurs in unexpected places, like at Eastside or at Sidelines sports bar, which hosts a monthly show organized and hosted by Caleb Wright and Kovoski George. Unlike other art forms in town, there’s no brickand-mortar gallery to pass or marquee advertising the next show. Underground would be too strong of a word, but the Columbia comedy scene is something to be sought out.

As the night continues at Eastside, comedians taking the mic were honest and vulnerable. Topics like sexuality, death and addiction weaved through much of the material. Some punchlines fell flat, leaving the comedians to pick themselves up, shake it off and keep going. No matter how the set went, it always ended with raucous applause in support of the performer’s effort and courage.

MAKE IT UP AS YOU GO: COLUMBIA'S IMPROV SCENE

When it comes to laughs, stand-up isn’t the only comedic option in town. Several improv troupes, like The Stable Boys, call Columbia home.

Established in 2018, The Stable Boys performs long-format improv and are the house improv troupe at Talking Horse Theater. Member Monica Palmer said when most people think improv, they think TV’s “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Instead, long-format improv focuses on making up an entire play, complete with character development and interaction. The story evolves, or devolves, over the course of the evening.

“Audiences really get to be a part of the creation of something, which that's rare,” Palmer said. “Normally when you go to a theater, the scripts were written years before. With improv it’s all fresh. It's all happening right in front of your eyes, and you're a part of it.”

Improv and stand-up bear similarities in the crowd’s laughter, but how you get there, the methodology, is entirely different. Stand-up is fueled with prepared content based on lived experiences, and the mundane that everyone encounters and can share a laugh over. Improv, however, is a living document, so to speak, and a team effort.

“With improv, you and your team are living this experience together with a live audience right there in front of you,” Palmer said. “There's nothing scarier or more fun than I've ever done on stage.” — Lauren Miers