By Peter Lindblad
Smile and the whole world smiles with you, as the saying goes.
That philosophy has worked so far for Ron Funches, the happy-go-lucky, multi-talented comic with the thousand-watt grin, who dreams up some of the most absurdly funny scenarios and unexpectedly savage roasts in the business. The element of surprise is his greatest weapon.
Well … it’s that and his devilishly dark sense of humor.
An actor and a writer, as well as a popular stand-up comic, Funches will be appearing at Comedy on State in Madison July 13-15 for five shows – two of which are already sold out.
Chances are, you’ve seen him on “The Tonight Show,” “CONAN” and “@midnight,” as well as foodie shows like “Cupcake Wars” and “Chopped.” His acting credits include standout performances on scripted TV shows, such as “New Girl,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Drunk History” and “Black-ish.” He also played a warm, charming gang member in the Kevin Hart-Will Farrell vehicle “Get Hard.”
Want to feel good? Forget medication and exercise. Just take a swig of Funches’ uplifting podcast “Gettin’ Better,” which focuses on “… staying motivated, reaching goals, and working towards the things you love,” according to https://ronfunches.com/gettin-better/
Get your bunches of Funches right here: https://ronfunches.com/videos/
Skyline Comedy Club – Milwaukee Improv – Milwaukee (July 12); Appleton (July 13)
Trae Crowder – Proclaiming it “The Summer of Skew,” Crowder is a Southern man who’s going to be a funny fish out of water in Wisconsin. Crowder truly arrived in 2016 by going viral in his series of “Liberal Redneck” videos, where he hilariously vented his spleen about a world gone mad. Gathering no moss, Crowder’s been a rolling stone ever since, writing books, touring the country like a nomad and going on ABC (“Nightline”), MTV, HBO (“Real Time with Bill Mahr”), MSNBC (“Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell), NPR and WTF with Marc Maron, while also acting as Chattanooga Charlie in the resurrection of “Veronica Mars.” Crowder is getting his podcast on, too, with the “WellRED Podcast” – with fellow comics Corey Ryan Forrester and Drew Morgan, talking politics and other dumb stuff – and “Puttin’ on Airs,” a deep dive into Southern weirdness and bougie pretension. https://www.traecrowder.com/
Here’s Crowder at his best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhEt2E-2WQ0
Barrymore Theater – Madison
Ramy Youssef (July 21) – Peace in the Middle East is achievable through laughter. Just send the likeable, down-to-earth, Egyptian-American comic Ramy Youssef to handle the negotiations. He’s already doing wonders for Muslim relations with other groups of people, providing a lighthearted perspective on current events and what it’s like to live in the U.S. as a follower of Islam. An optimist at heart, Youssef is a sneaky clever joke teller and a deft, engaging storyteller, a creator, producer, director, actor and stand-up comedian whose voice needs to be heard from every possible angle. He won a Golden Globe in 2020 for his work in “Ramy,” while earning a couple of Emmy nominations, too. He is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Netflix series “Mo.” Here’s Ramy in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9R6vtcD09I
Orpheum Theater – Madison
#imomsohard (July 21) – Get a babysitter for the kids, because the wildly popular web series #imomsohard is coming in hot to Wisconsin, with bottles of wine in hand. It’s their Ladies Night tour, and Kristin and Jen hold nothing back, commiserating about motherhood and womanhood, joking about sex after marriage, moms’ bods, spanks and nipple hair, among other things. You might see them at the local PTA meeting or school drop off if you’re in L.A. “Both women write and produce the #IMSH series with a common goal: Maybe we can make you feel better about the job you’re doing if you see the terrible job we’re doing,” says their website, https://www.imomsohard.com/ladies-night. Swimsuits get them a little riled up, as you can see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyNfyiVrImo
The Laughing Tap – Milwaukee
Mike Stanley (July 28-29) – Nobody goes rogue like the Mike Stanley, whose delightfully crude and vulgar comedy comes with a side of warm humanity. The Detroit native went to Chicago to sharpen an already cutting wit, resulting in Stanley being named “Best Chicago Stand-up Comedian” in a people’s choice poll conducted by the Chicago Reader. HOUR Magazine named him the “Best Detroit Comedian.” He’s still flying under the radar, but he brings the goods in a blunt, unfiltered kind of way. https://www.mikestanleycomedian.com/
Here’s some of the good stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOvS8hFz5Sc