Column: Stand-up comedy reminds students of life outside class
Published March 23, 2010
On the dimly lit street of Broadway every Tuesday night, a group of locals gather at the town's only alternative bar to share insight into their lives and society.
Dan Friesen's "As Yet Unnamed Comedy Show" has etched itself into something college towns around the nation need to have: a creative outlet. Friesen is a former Maneater columnist.
Each Tuesday night, the performers and fans crowd into Eastside Tavern and reflect on the issues of the day.
Before Friesen's founding show, the only place for creative expression through the art of stand-up comedy was at Déjà Vu Comedy Club. The Vu is a professional comedy club with large crowds and paid performers. Getting stage time is very competitive, and this is intimidating for a lot of local comics. Friesen's show has opened the opportunity of stand-up and spoken word performances to the vast majority of students, local businessmen and residents who have a passion for making other's laugh.
There is a drastic difference in setting between the bright lights of the Vu's stage and Eastside Tavern's comfortable surroundings, but the comedians I've talked to agree both are vital to their growth as performers.
"It's good to get a variety of experiences," comedian/writer Daniel Shar said. "The things that work at one place don't necessarily work at the other, and it's nice to be able to have options and different audiences. It's helpful to expose yourself to a variety of crowds, especially if you can find jokes that work at both places. Then you know you're doing well."
The "As Yet Unnamed Comedy Show" is a peculiar beast; it features a DJ and a host who remain on stage the entire time, sitting just behind the performer. The show's format is relatively structured, but it's not out of the ordinary for special guests to drop by. Working comedians, the bartenders and even strange characters, such as a talking glacier, have graced the "As Yet Unnamed Comedy Show" stage.
Support for the show has grown drastically in the past few months, only furthering the argument of how important an outlet like this is in a college town. A community has formed around the performers and the art form, making Columbia one of the funniest cities, if not the funniest, in the state of Missouri. Comics from St. Louis travel to perform Tuesdays at Eastside Tavern, because the show provides a welcoming and supportive environment.
The show allows for people to express their feelings about things going on in their lives. For so many college students, it is a necessary reminder there is a world outside their upcoming midterm and everyday struggles.
What this comedy show has done for Columbia's community is create a place to reflect and laugh. College is a strange time for everyone, and a show created by and tailored to college-aged audiences has become crucial in the experience of so many people.
Stand-up comedy is an art form many people write off as lesser, but nothing else cuts to the core of issues and insatiably points out the things in life that keep us human.
The "As Yet Unnamed Comedy Show" is a place where people can come and grow together. It is much more than a venue for silly jokes; it has become a sub-culture in Columbia and has struck an important chord in the lives of many people. I encourage you to experience this community that holds town hall meetings every Tuesday night.