It makes good sense that comedian Louis Johnson would try a joke out on his wife, Karen, first, before taking it to the stage. Who else could a comic trust to make sure the material is audience-worthy except his better half?
But the response that Johnson says he looks for sounds like it might be grounds for a separation if his wife heard it.
If the joke doesn’t bowl Karen over, Johnson says, “I’ve got to break my neck to get to the club, because I know it’s going to do well.”
That sounds like Johnson, a standup comedian in his early 30s — who’s been performing since he was 18 years old — doesn’t think his wife has a sense of humor. That wouldn’t bode well for someone who was hitched to a jokemeister.
Except Johnson, who’s been married for 11 years, says that kind of response to his material is a good thing.
“She has her own sense of humor,” Johnson explains, adding that his wife will laugh at “different things.”
For instance: “I remember one day she was sitting next to me. She was just rubbing me on the arm. And I asked what’s that all about. She says, `I’m just getting rid of some dead skin.’
“I was like, `Get away from me, just get away from me. That ain’t funny, you ain’t right.’ “
Yeah, that doesn’t sound like the normal, two-ducks-walk-into-a-bar type of comedy.
“That’s her kind of sense of humor,” Johnson insists. “She likes to throw you for a loop for her stuff.”
Don’t laugh. (Karen probably wouldn’t, and is that a good or bad thing?) Johnson says he had a couple of jokes he used to do in his observational, physical act. “I tried it out on her and she went, `Yeah, that’s all right.’ And I went to the club that night and tried it out, and got applause breaks with them.”
Johnson, who has performed on A&E’s “Caroline’s Comedy Hour,” Comedy Central’s “Short Attention Span Theater” and his own Showtime “Comic of the Month” special, is performing at Zanies in Chicago starting Tuesday and running through July 26. The club is at 1548 N. Wells St. For show times and reservations, call 312-337-4027.
And if you happen to sit near a woman who hardly laughs at any of Johnson’s material — while the rest of the audience is in stitches — don’t be concerned. She’s got nothing but love in her heart for the man.
Unfortunate closing
If you didn’t read the news in the July 9 Newsmakers column of the Tribune, All Jokes Aside, the South Loop comedy club that featured African-American comedians, is calling it a career next month after seven years.
Located at 1000 S. Wabash Ave., the club is shutting down because its lease is up, and with new landlord the Chicago Housing Authority operating the building, “it sort of forced us to think about our future,” says co-owner Raymond Lambert.
“It wasn’t that they were getting in our way,” adds Lambert of the CHA. He also says the doors aren’t closing because patrons aren’t coming through them, a practice that several clubs around the country are faced with — and a practice that has caused many comedy outlets to cease to exist.
But instead of deciding whether to relocate, Lambert and his co-partners decided it would be better to close shop.
“I just don’t want to exist,” he says. “I want to do something that’s interesting.”
All Jokes Aside became a leading force in offering comedians of color to its patrons. Big names that have worked there include Chris Rock, Sinbad, George Wallace, Steve Harvey and D.L. Hughley.
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Lambert, who operated the club with partners James Alexander and Mary Lindsey, wouldn’t say if there are any future comedy plans.
“I think standup is very viable. I think there are opportunities that exist,” he says. “But I think personally, I’m going to take my time and just evaluate the different opportunities that exist.”
But he also adds: “I’m done, but I’m not done. I’m going to come back in another form.”
The club, which for the past few years had held its own comedy festival of several top-named acts appearing nightly throughout the week, will close out with a fest Aug. 5 through 9. For more details, call 312-922-0577.