My odd comedy locations: Biker bar, strip-club, more

Sharon Lacey,
Portland comedian
From a Road Comic’s Life #6

In the nearly five years that I’ve been doing standup comedy, I’ve had some of the most amazing, challenging, adventuresome, memorable, exciting, scary, unpredictable, unexpected, hilarious moments of my life. Take, for instance, some of the crazier venues where I’ve performed. I’m not talking about the many fine comedy clubs, casinos, military gigs, and colleges that have booked me.  I mean places where I never would have guessed I’d be performing if you had asked me this five years ago.

BIKER BAR: I was a little scared at first…until I discovered that rough looking guys and gals in tattoos and leather need to laugh as much as anyone else.

SWINGERS CLUB: I have to admit, I’d been curious about what it would look like inside a place where people enjoy a different “lifestyle” and like to “play”. I was expecting to see amazingly gorgeous women and superbly handsome men, but it turned out most of the people looked pretty much like me…except I wear a lot more clothes!

36,000 FEET HIGH: I was invited to do 10 minutes of my act while flying on Southwest Airlines from California to Oregon.  The great thing about this was that no one could walk out if they didn’t like my jokes!

HEAD SHOP: Tommy Chong was going to be at the grand opening of a store in Vancouver that sells things that people like to use at 4:20 in the afternoon. I was asked to perform for the huge crowd while they waited for Tommy to make his appearance. It wasn’t much fun for me…nobody could focus, and they kept wandering off to Taco Bell.

STRIP CLUB: Puh-leeeeze.  Why on earth would anyone in their right mind hire a middle aged, plain looking female comedian to tell jokes in a “gentlemen’s club” while the strippers go on break???  I was fully clothed, but felt naked standing next to that brass pole that was too small for me to hide behind. The men weren’t any more thrilled that I was there than I was, but I will say that the strippers were the most supportive audience I’ve ever had!

APPLEBEE’S: Of all the strange gigs I’ve done, last night’s was, I must say, the worst!  Wholesome, un-crazy Applebee’s. The regional manager wanted to see if having a comedy night in their bar area would be a good thing.  It wasn’t.

For 23 years I spent every weekday in a nice, safe, predictable classroom. I’ve had enough of predictable. Good or bad, I can’t wait for the next adventure!


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