Stand up comic Kenny DeForest returns to SGF for the Chicago Stand Up Invasion
Less than 10 years ago Springfield had dedicated standup clubs. Sir Laugh-A-Lot was consistently pulling national acts, and for a short time Harpo’s (before a quick, not-so-painless death) had full rooms for the likes of Dustin Diamond. It felt like the switch was turned almost overnight, and the light was out on standup comedy. Suddenly there were no more options. One by one the clubs shut down and music venues pulled the plug on comedy nights. Stand up comedy in SGF was on life support.
Kenny DeForest had considered comedy, but no viable options to perform left him (and other comics) stageless. SGF comedian Merr (aka Mark Archambeault) found himself in the same position after having long been an opener for the national acts. Merr took to the music open mic nights and convinced DeForest to do the same. The early response to the change of pace from acoustic songwriters was mixed, but week by week the questioning faces began to turn. The two plotted shows at different venues and developed followings, but gigs were still hard to come by. DeForest fell in love with making people laugh and left Springfield for Chicago seeking further opportunity.
The Windy City held much of the same. Improv comedy gathered the masses, while standup was performed in the smoky back rooms of side street bars. Chicago comedy made famous by sketch and improv groups has launched several careers, but few in the way of standup. Similarly in SGF, The Skinny Improv has always performed for packed rooms. The “keep it clean” nuances of the Skinny certainly help fill seats with church groups and business functions, but outside of Saturday Night Live mainstream comedy is centralized around standup.
Merr says he thinks the standup success of the 1980s also led to its demise. There was total saturation in the ’90s and people got turned back off. There were too many unfunny comedians taking one of several stages nightly in every town. By the start of the 2000s crowds had turned away. “Comedy has grown into a very personality-driven and unique craft. There are no more taboos, there isn’t anything that hasn’t been done, it is now more of a relationship grown between the performer and audience because the craft and topics are known and the technique and style are what is unique,” he says. Hence the success of improv. Every night of an improv show will be different from the night before.
DeForest took improv training at I.O. Theatre (formerly known as Improv Olympics) and says he enjoyed the experience, but it wasn’t the same as getting behind a mic and sharing with a crowd. Though the path is a lot longer with a less comfortable crowd. “I think it’s safer to go to an improv show. There’s a full cast supporting one another and they’re not going to get too deep because it’s all off the cuff,” DeForest says. “I think people are more reluctant to explore stand up, because they don’t want to put themselves in the position to be uncomfortable or have their ideas challenged.”
SGF comedian Merr has helped revitalize stand up with Laughing Stock
In the last year SGF has seen an outbreak of national comedians at big venues. Jeff Dunham, Loni Love, and Bill Engvall have all hit the local stage. Ralphie May is confirmed for an SGF date. According to Merr those national comics don’t indicate the growth of the local scene, just the growth of large venues who will take the chance. “I think it helps to an extent, but it isn’t going to really springboard comedy in Springfield. Maybe a few people will go and realize how entertaining it is to be at a live show as compared to seeing them on TV but overall, it is not going to help boost local comedy. It’s not like people go see The Eagles at JQH Arena and think to themselves, ‘That was great! I need to go watch some local show!’,” he said.
Besides, DeForest says, national acts sell tickets because of the name, not because of the talent. “There are a lot of comedians getting work who aren’t really funny but they’re marketable because they have a recognizable name. The average person knows the name and buys a ticket, but that’s the only comedy show they’re going to go to that year.”
It’s the small grassroots comedy shows that are putting local standups back into the fold. In SGF it’s Laughing Stock, the monthly stand up showcase at the Outland put in motion by Merr. In Chicago, it’s events like Speak Easy, a weekly project of DeForest. Both are early-week features — Laughing Stock on Tuesday and Speak Easy on Monday — that allow local comedians longer sets with no restrictions. The growth in popularity of these events signals the upward trend of standup, though there’s a long way to go. As Merr has quipped in his routine, “there are more (exotic dancers) working tonight than comedians. I like my chances.” Several other comedy nights have begun to spring up locally as well.
DeForest brings a group of comics from Speak Easy to SGF this weekend as part of the Chicago Stand Up Invasion. It’s a double header in town for the group (tonight at the Outland — 10 p.m. — with Merr on the bill and Friday night at Icon Nightclub — 8:30 p.m. — hosted by Big Ron Hughes for a Dead Day Party). He hopes seeing comedians with names you don’t know helps the effort of moving standup forward and tonight’s show at the Outland will go a long way in showing how far local comedy has come since it was nearly given a toe tag. DeForest is excited to surprise his SGF supporters with his growth onstage while looking forward to sharing the stage once again with Merr. “He’s one of the big reasons I got started and I can’t wait to hear his new material,” DeForest says. It will be fun to reunite after all the shows we did together before.”
Though the crowd might feel uncomfortable, once won over a standup fan sticks. “The bizarre thing is how standup fans are really loyal,” DeForest said. “I have people come to the back room at sh**-hole bars to hear me work out jokes about how my farts sound.”
Chicago Stand Up Invasion Line Up
According to Kenny DeForest
“The Chicago guys will be a nice taste for everybody to see how good non-recognizable standup can be. They are two guys who go two completely different directions.”
• Kenny DeForest: The former SGFer is a self-proclaimed lover of “bull sh**ting” and the creative process. He can’t keep away from a lonely microphone making nightly stops at Chicago open mics. When he was in town before he still held onto notes during his shows. “Even if I go onstage now with nothing, I can rip something off for a few minutes and get some laughs,” he says.
• John Ming: After performing standup for the better part of a decade Ming started to receive some national recognition. As he began to sour on the direction of his material he met a girl. He got away from standup for a bit. Once single, he dove back in with a full head of steam.
• Derek Smith: DeForest describes Smith as a “Southern hipster” … he makes Jesus soaps on ropes. The Oklahoma transplant has a large following in his home state and frequently returns to a warm room in which to produce laughter.
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