Local Grins interviews hot comic Leslie Jones, who plays Grand Rapids’ Big Room later this month, spotlights an ‘open-mic map’ and rounds up comedy revelry at Tip Top Deluxe & Hard Times Bar.
Leslie Jones: Bringing her tour to Michigan later this month. (Courtesy Photo)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Local Spins regularly rounds up area comedy news and upcoming shows with “Local Grins,” a spotlight on the region’s comedy scene compiled by writer and comedy maven Virginia Anzengruber.
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Email comments, questions and show additions virginia.anzengruber@gmail.com. View full comedy show listings across the region online here.
Leslie Jones Stars As A One-Take Wonder – Leslie Jones is a real comic’s comic. The Saturday Night Live alumnus and veteran stand-up comedian is currently crossing the country on her “I’m Hot” tour, which will stop for a sold-out show in Grand Rapids at Silva’s Big Room on Nov. 14, presented by The Pyramid Scheme. (She also performs at Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak on Nov. 13, with tickets available here.) Local Grins spoke with Jones on the phone ahead of her appearance in West Michigan, and chatted about the idea of representation, working hard and earning your space, and how her “bowls” verse of the iconic “Back Home Ballers” sketch was shot in just one take.
Local Grins: In a 2016 press appearance on ‘The View,’ you famously got to thank Whoopi Goldberg for inspiring you as a young girl, and told her how it gave you an understanding of your own representation on screen to new generations of women who might see themselves in you. Ten years on from that interview, as an actor and comedian now so far into your career, with so many accolades, what does it mean to you to still have folks tell you the work is meaningful to them?
Leslie Jones: I think I’m not in my skin when people tell me that, you know what I mean? I do recognize it, and feel it and I acknowledge it. But, I try not to keep it, because I don’t want anything to stop me from continuing to grow. And sometimes, when you get those kinds of accolades, part of you may say “Oh, well I don’t need to learn anything else,” when that is literally the opposite of how I feel. I feel like every day we learn how to be a better person. Everybody needs to understand that they were made imperfect on purpose, so [they] can do the work. The work is the work. The work is what makes you good at life. That’s what we’re supposed to be doing with ourselves, because each person holds something very special that they need to give to the community. And only that person can do it. We need to stop thinking of ourselves as regular people. We’re not. We’re specific pieces of art made by God. It’s a very wonderful thing to have a mission to give what it is that’s inside of you to the community. So, I listen to the accolades, and that’s great. But, I’m always thinking, “Hey, I’m doing my job. Thank you for letting me know that I’m doing my job.”
“Whenever I do clubs and have, like, four shows, I’ll always pick the local comic to go up in front of me. I just kind of check in with them and see where they are in their heads. Usually people don’t know they’re allowed to leave that small pond and go to a bigger one and try to become a bigger fish. Some people don’t know that maybe they need to stay in that small pond and be the big fish. I just always check in with comics because we are a community. And we have to – I hate to say it this way – stay in the lane you’re supposed to be driving at the time of your career. Be what you are. Be the best opener, be the best feature, be the best headliner. But, stay in your lane until it’s time for you to change.”
Doing Her Job: Jones (Courtesy Photo)
(This echoes advice Jones herself received early in her standup career. After starting comedy at 18 years old, she took three years off from performing at the behest of Jamie Foxx, who told her to get off the stage and out into the real world. And when she returned …)
“I had something to talk about. I lived life. When I came back I had a gang of jokes! … I knew I was a comic. I knew I knew how to get on stage and that seed was there. I just needed to know how to farm it. So when he told me that, I thought ‘Ok, now I’ve got a plan. Now I know what to do. And when I came back I was more confident.’”
Local Grins: Your earliest on-screen acting credit was an episode of the classic sitcom ‘In the House,’ starring LL Cool J. I grew up watching that show as a kid, and I always loved his quote of ‘Dreams don’t have deadlines.’ You started comedy in high school and didn’t get cast in SNL until you were 47. What does it mean to you to have such career longevity, while maybe not reaching the heights you wanted as a young person until some years later?
Leslie Jones: When I made it, I didn’t think I was old. People were like “Oh, she’s old!” And I’m like “I’m 47, that is not old.” That is like, literally not old. Because your 50s is when life really starts. You work hard towards the end of your 30s and 40s. You work really hard, and the 50s is when you start reaping the seeds that you’ve sewn. It’s so crazy that young people think you’ve got to do it young. It’s really weird when you’re trying to be a millionaire before 25 – your cortex isn’t even developed yet! You don’t know what you’re doing! Everybody should make it at 47.
Local Grins: I want to ask a question about what I think is your most philosophical piece of work, which is, of course, the ‘bowls’ verse of the ‘Back Home Ballers’ sketch with Cameron Diaz on Saturday Night Live. Do you think the acquisition of bowls is a sign of maturity?
Leslie Jones: [laughs] Yeah, I’ve got bowls everywhere. I have bowls everywhere! It’s so crazy. And you know, I did that in one take. Because it was so hilarious, and I was like “Oh, I’m going to be like Missy Elliot! I’m definitely coming in there like that.” The toss of the candy into my mouth was one take and they couldn’t believe it. I had been waiting all day – hours – and I did it in one take. So, I started becoming “One Take Leslie Jones” because I don’t like pre-tapes, and I don’t like sitting around. I like to get it right. So, when I threw the candy in my mouth and said the line, they were like “Wrap it up!”
As for the Nov. 14 Grand Rapids show, Jones promises a “really good time. It’s very physical, my opener is awesome. It’s just going to be a good time. Come and be ready to laugh. Come and be ready to forget about everything.”
Brittany Melvin’s Definitive West Michigan Comedy Open-Mic Map – Brittany Melvin is one of the funniest and most creative stand up comedians working right now in West Michigan. The comic, known for her dry humor and Lego bow merchandise, Melvin is also a dedicated comedy cartographer, and she’s assembled and regularly updates an interactive Google Map listing of all of the open-mic comedy shows in West Michigan.
The map is updated regularly and can be found online here. For questions, or to have your show added to the map, contact Brittany via email at B.e.Melvin.269@gmail.com.
Tip Top Deluxe’s Tuesday Comedy’s New Era Begins – West Michigan comedy has been long-anchored by the free Tuesday night show hosted at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill in Grand Rapids. Since 2012, this stand up comedy open mic, founded by comedian Josh Courtnay, has hosted some of the most notable – and most up-and-coming – comics from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, New York and beyond. This summer, the show, which had been lovingly shepherded by Grand Rapids comedian Alex Plotkowski for the last handful of years, was turned over to new hosts Simon Carlson and Peter Sillanpaa. Aside from having the most perfect Biblically paired first names, Carlson and Sillanpaa make up two-thirds of the sketch comedy group “I’m Alive Down Here” along with fellow West Michigan comedian Brandon Cooley. Local Grins caught up with Simon Peter (Biblical) to chat about themselves and the show’s transition, and what they hope folks will enjoy with the new comedy administration.
Simon: I’ve been doing stand up in Grand Rapids since 2018 and Tip Top was the first open mic I did here after college. I credit it as the first place I really learned how to perform. It was the comedy open mic in town where everyone wanted to do well and gave newer comics the next best experience to performing at a comedy club. After looking for a room to run a new show, we had an opportunity to step in as the hosts and the timing lined up perfectly.
We want Tip Top to be a show that elevates and develops the local comedy scene. That means quality stage time. Experienced comics need good places to work out new material, and newer comics need a place to get better in front of good crowds. As hosts, we want to cultivate a fun and inclusive environment, give audience members a reason to keep coming back, and give the talented comics in Michigan a place to get better.
Peter: Similar to Simon, Tip Top was the first mic I did in Grand Rapids as well, and I remember it as being a hot room where everyone wanted to bring their A-game. We’re hoping to recreate that magic by consistently putting on quality shows and partnering with local businesses in order to provide cross promotion and get people excited about the local scene. One thing I hear regularly is that people would love to see a comedy show, but they’re not sure where they’re happening. We’re hoping to break through that communication barrier and let West Michigan know that we’ve got a great spot over here at Tip Top. You’ll see awesome locals, as well as Lansing, Detroit and even comics from Indiana on our lineups, and the talent pool is always getting better. Come check it out.
Tip Top Tuesday Comedy is a free show hosted every Tuesday at 9 p.m. at Tip Top Deluxe at 760 Butterworth St. SW in Grand Rapids. Follow them on Facebook and on Instagram.
Hard Times Bar Eases Hard Times with Free Back Door Comedy – Monday nights have gotten a lot funnier since Back Door Comedy has taken over the back room of Hard Times Bar. At 9 p.m. every Monday this free late-night open mic, hosted by Virginia Anzengruber, and produced by A La Carte Comedy, boasts one of the best vibes in the city for experienced and burgeoning comics alike. Comedy fans can enjoy an intimate venue with some of the best comedians in Michigan performing new and favorite material and some of the best cocktails in the Grand Rapids. Say hi to Gus at the bar, and mention seeing this article to Virginia at an upcoming show and receive a special gift. Comedians looking to perform at this show-up-go-up style show can reach out to Virginia or the show’s social media pages directly for booking.
Follow Back Door Comedy on Instagram to keep up with special shows, too. Back Door already has hosted a handful of memorable shows in its first 10 months, including the Tech Week Grand Rapids Comedy Show, as well as the album-release for Dr. Grins emcee and West Michigan veteran comic Gerrit Elzinga. Hard Times Bar is located at 952 E. Fulton St. in Grand Rapids (right next to Buffalo Traders Lounge).
Funny Stuff at Hard Times Bar (Photo/Virginia Anzengruber)
