MINNEAPOLIS — Comedian Ira Ford will soon host a showcase featuring Twin Cities-based comedians he believes are funny but aren't getting the spotlight they deserve.
"I was tired of having good comics looked over," Ford said. "Comics I enjoy seeing will get a chance."
Performers include Mahdi Gotti, Ell-Emaj Hill, Ben Hur and Willie "Big Will" Sawyer II.
"A couple of them are a couple of years in, and I remember when I was a couple of years in, I was funny but nobody was giving me shots," Ford said. "It was only, like, open mics. Or, I can go to do a 3- or 5-minute guest spot on somebody else's stuff."
Ford is giving each comic an equal 15 minutes when they perform Friday, Feb. 16 at the Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge. And because all of them are Black men, he's calling the show:
"F.A.B. Comics," Ford said. "Funny A-dollar-sign, dollar-sign, Black Comics."
Their resumes range from about a year to 19 years, and seasoned comedians Hur and Sawyer agree there haven't been many opportunities to shine.
"There used to be a Black scene here," Hur said.
"It was called the Brothers, the Brothers Comedy," Sawyer added.
"Well, there was that, then there was the Blackness, then there was Baddies," Hur said.
Sawyer says the experience and frequency of performing differs depending on the area.
"I'll do shows once a month if I'm lucky in the Twin Cities," he said. "Generally, I'm in front of a bunch of people in rural towns in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, trying to make people I have nothing in common with laugh, and it works, and it's like maybe one Black person there, and I'll offer that Black person a ride back to the Cities just in case."
The group is expecting a diverse audience at the Minneapolis venue Friday.
"I tend to talk to the audience before the show and find out who I'm talking to so I can know what I can get away with," Sawyer said.
"You don't have to be Black to enjoy the comedy," Ford added.
Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. for happy hour and mingling with the comedians, and the show starts at 8 p.m.
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