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player ready...Kristin Carnes said when “the neighborhood mommy squad” asked her if she and her husband had any little ones running around, she told them yes, and that they are in the basement. They’re furry and probably in the litter box, she added.
She’s talking about her cats, of course. That’s one of the many humorous anecdotes Carnes, who grew up in Waukegan, tells when doing stand-up comedy.
Though she’s lived in various parts of the world and now hails from Indiana, Carnes maintains a special place in her heart for Waukegan and its entertainment venues.
That’s why she created an annual Waukegan Comedy Jam in 2019, bringing regional eclectic comedians to deliver some fun to an audience in her hometown.
The pandemic halted the 2020 jam, but a 2021 jam is set at 8 p.m. on Sept. 17 and 18 at Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan.
Featured performers include a Hispanic comedian who grew up in Waukegan and Carnes, who graduated from Waukegan East High School in 1985. The event is suitable for those 21 years and older, and COVID-19 protocols will be in place at the indoor theater.
“Growing up in Waukegan, I never gave comedy a thought,” Carnes said, adding she certainly wasn’t considered the class clown, although she did have a sarcastic sense of humor. Her mom often listened to comic Steve Martin recordings at home.
Carnes added, “I got my sense of humor from my Dad, for sure. Dad was a little bit of a dirty birdie. I guess I am, too.”
She took her first plunge into stand-up comedy when she auditioned for a reality show in Colorado. “I didn’t get picked, and beforehand I was dry-heaving in the bathroom. But once I got on stage, I felt completely comfortable and I loved it,” Carnes said.
When she and husband moved to Boston in 2010, she glommed onto the huge comedy scene there, taking classes in improvisation. “I had a blast with it. Just being goofy, saying anything I wanted to say trying to set off another comedian,” she recalled.
By 2017, she was regularly appearing at The Comedy Studio and Improv Boston. She’s also performed at Gilda’s Laughfest in Michigan and coproduced a monthly comedy showcased in Cambridge.
Now living in the Midwest, she performs in the Chicago and Indianapolis area.
Carnes’ brand of humor is not observational like Seinfeld’s, she said, but based on life experiences. “Everybody has their unique experiences that are relatable to other people. When you use your own life experiences, you can’t plagiarize anybody,” she said.
She makes fun of her husband on stage because “he’s a total brainiac nerd,” she said. “I do a lot of self-deprecation when I discuss my husband. He’s a lot smarter than me.”
For example, she talks about how he gets to go to important places like Washington, D.C. and meet with important people like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, while she gets to do comedy in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
“I’m really nostalgic about growing up in Waukegan,” Carnes said. “I always felt the downtown has really come a long way. What better way to bring business downtown and in a way that I enjoy.
“I love the diversity of Waukegan,” she added. “Waukegan has a great mix of people.”
This year’s comedy jam will pay comedians, which Carnes said is “a big deal. Lot of shows don’t pay and comedians notoriously don’t have a lot of money.” Carnes said Three Brothers theater artistic director Josh Beadle agreed to share the ticket prices with the comics, she said.
Living in the Midwest, she’s gotten to know regional comedians, which have agreed to appear in Waukegan Comedy Jam, she said.
“I tried to find comedians who I think Waukegan audiences will appreciate. The style doesn’t have to be similar to mine,” she said, but she doesn’t want something “too vulgar or too dark. I want someone who I enjoy, too, and that I think the wider audience will enjoy.”
Jhovany Diaz, a comedian who grew up in Waukegan, also helped Carnes find comics who were the right fit for the northern suburban audience, she said. He’ll perform at the comedy jam on Friday. “He also does life experiences about growing up in Waukegan, some of the crazy stuff he’s done,” Carnes said.
“One thing important to me was to have more women on — women are so overlooked in comedy,” she added. Gwen LaRoka will also perform on Friday. “She’s really moving up and doing a lot of shows,” Carnes said.
“She talks about her life, about being Mexican American. I’ve heard her talk about being a gay woman. She’s a positive comedian, which I like,” she said.
Other performers Friday include host Christina Lundin, comics Anthony Fuentes, KB Marion, DJ Rybski and Carnes. The Saturday event will include John McCombs with host Jessica Misra and comics Jesnaira Baez, Matt Forss, Tom Filline, Soli Santos and Carnes.
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Forss is known for his keen sense of word play. “He does a lot of puns,” Carnes said.
When she comes to Waukegan for comedy events, Carnes often stays with her sister in Kenosha. Both her parents are gone.
“It’s a shame they didn’t live long enough to see me on stage. My dad would have laughed and my mom would have said, ‘Oh Kristin, I can’t believe you’re saying that,'” Carnes said.
Carnes said it’s a good time in Waukegan for a comedy jam. “We all need to laugh, and we all need to support downtown businesses. They have been hit hard by COVID,” she said.
Waukegan Comedy Jam
When: 8 p.m. Sept. 17 and 18
Where: Three Brothers Theatre, 221 N. Genesee St., Waukegan
Tickets: $10
Information: 224-419-4325, waukegancomedyjam.com
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.