Comedian Stephen Ferris is on the 112th episode of the Stab! comedy panel podcast being recorded at Luna’s. He was tasked to write an erotic poem about breaking his leg. Using a voice resembling a creepy, oversexed old lady, he begins to read his work.

Backstage
My heart pounding
Its beat sounding
Like soap covered hands washing
And my (censored) sloshing
The crowd roars

As he continues with verses that are equally horrifying and hilarious, the crowd at Art Luna’s historical venue known for poetry of a slightly less revolting caliber can barely control their laughter as the poem becomes too graphic to reproduce here.

Sacramento stand-up comedy veteran John Ross and The Comedy Spot’s improv and sketch writer/performing ace Jesse Jones have created a show that has spawned some of the most mind-numbingly brilliant, disturbing and side-splitting performances you’ll ever see. This Feb. 21 at their longtime home at Luna’s Cafe, Stab! will be celebrating its fifth anniversary show. I’ve been a fan since the first show in 2013 and in the interest of transparency, I’ve appeared as a panelist three times since then. Also in the interest of transparency, I must tell you that I’m fascinated by things I can see through.

The show features a panel of three comedians who were given prompts to write about in advance. Jones is the resident “House Panelist” on every show while Ross is the host. Taking turns, the panelists are asked to read work as bizarre as “Google Searches of a Drunk Santa,” a commercial for the tourism board of “Socialjusticeopia” or synopsis of a film titled “Blessed Be the Barnyard.” Every show features different topics and panelists, and more often than not is a brilliant showcase of weird and hilarious work. And with two episodes scheduled with each performance, the crowd gets to enjoy a wide variety of laughs for their comedy dollar.

Ross hosts with a deadpan style while managing an array of sound effects, including angry panther growls, while Jones brings an above-and-beyond writing talent to each show that clearly raises the bar for the visiting panelists. I interviewed the two in my backyard on a fine Sunday morning to talk about their unusual and hilarious show.

I asked Jesse and John what their most favorite piece that was ever on the show, and they both agreed it was the synopsis of a fictitious Mexican film, “El Diablo Tiene Un Palo Polla” (“The Devil Has a Dick Stick”). I found the notorious routine at the end of Episode 76 of their podcast, and agree it is a true work of art. Jesse Jones reads the story in a thick accent, “Manuel liked to cause trouble, pushing over carts of beans and making faces at all of the goats in the village.” He goes on to incite more mayhem including hitting a woman’s bosom with an ear of corn, picking fights with chickens, and “telling lies to the barn.” Disgusted by his tomfoolery, The Devil himself appears. Manuel calls him a big red onion and is horrified to learn his punishment for his misdeeds is having his fingers turned into “flaccid penises.”

Tell me about the origin of Stab!. Did you found it together?
Jesse Jones: It came at a time that we desperately needed to fill hours at The Sacramento Comedy Spot’s 48 hour Comedy Marathon. I ended up producing 14 hours of material. We had time to fill and John had an idea.
John Ross: I think Jesse and I were loosely tasked to come up with stuff to fill the time slots. I had been doing a show called Comedy from the Couch for a few years at the old Comedy Spot on Broadway and at Chico, and I told Jesse, “Hey, I got this idea!” I wanted to call it The Knee-Jerk Comedy Hour, where it’d be like a variety show with random short bits. It’s hard to say who founded it.
JJ: We used to have six to eight segments on the show.

I think I saw the very first one you did, actually, like “Extreme Guess Who” with wrestlers playing.
JR: You were the referee for it.

Oh yeah …
JJ: Corky Daniels, Jaime Fernandez and Nick Aragon were our first panelists.
JR: That was the earliest version of the show. It consisted of me telling the folks, “Hey, write this shit for me!” And everyone did.
JJ: The current 118-episode run started about a year and a half later at Luna’s Cafe.

Because it was originally not an episodic show, right? It wasn’t meant to be a podcast.
JJ: Well we did record those early shows.
JR: They were on Podbean, then it went away-ish. There was a lot of stop and start. We were like, “What do we want to do with this thing?”
JJ: Probably in July 2014 is when the current run started.

For someone who doesn’t know anything about Stab!, how would you explain it?
JR: It’s really just a comedy panel show that we happen to podcast. It’s writing-based. Recently on Facebook I realized we’d been branding the show incorrectly for the last five years. For me, when I hear another comedian has a podcast, I’m like, “I’ll never fucking listen to that” unless I’m really into what they’re saying, or their idea or premise.

Everyone’s got one.
JJ: It’s a comedy writing panel show.
JR: I’m not sure even that says what it is.

It reminds me of like if Whose Line Is It Anyway? was geared toward writers who had preparation. It definitely rewards comedy writing. The performances obviously add a lot to it, as well. I know people who have been on the show really know that it’s a challenge. Stand-up comedians are used to just showing up and giving you their best stuff, but you gotta bring completely new stuff here.
JJ: The reason that I was and am still interested in doing the show is because I’ve wanted to do the stand-up stuff in the past, but the main thing that has kept me from doing that is the idea of doing the same material over and over again for years on end. And this is exactly what I want to do: write things quickly and under a deadline.
JR: Stab! mixes the best elements of sketch writing and comedic banter. But it’s not a sketch show.
JJ: It’s the best combination of sketch, stand-up and a little bit of improv. It ropes everything together, which is why sketch writers and improvisers have done just as well if not better than stand-ups.

What are some of the prompts that are used?
JR: Well, we have “Reorganization” which we take an existing acronym and reimagine it. We have “Location Location Location” where you run a business in a shitty area so you have to make us want to shop there.

And what’s cool about your prompts is that they can go so many different ways with it.
JR: Yeah, sometimes if someone is really nervous about the show, I’ll just be like, “Don’t even worry about it, just do what the fuck you want. The more you fuck with the format, the better for me.”

John Ross and Jesse Jones will be presenting the Five Year Anniversary show of Stab! at Luna’s Cafe (1414 16th St., Sacramento) on Feb. 21, 2018, at 8 p.m. Tickets are only $5 and this show is expected to sell out, so show up early! You can listen to new and old episodes of Stab! at Stab4gold.com.

**This interview first appeared in print on pages 20 – 21 of issue #259 (Feb. 12 – 26, 2018)**

You probably know Nick Offerman from his breakout role as the thickly mustached, whiskey drinking, red meat devouring Ron Swanson on NBC’s sitcom Parks and Recreation. In real life, Offerman is also an accomplished stage actor, husband to fellow actress Megan Mullally (Karen on Will and Grace), and author of the book Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man’s Fundamentals for Delicious Living. He even owns a woodshop (of course he does!) in East Los Angeles called Offerman Woodshop. Between hand-making canoes and making us laugh on screen, somehow Offerman also finds the time to do stand-up gigs here and there and we’re lucky enough to have one in our very own region on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, when he will perform at UC Davis’ Mondavi Center at 8:30 p.m. “From lessons in manliness, to high-spirited sing alongs, to the occasional bout with nudity, his stage performances are inspirational experiences for those lucky enough to attend,” says Mondaviarts.org, which is exactly where you should point your browser to snag tickets to this not-to-be-missed comedy show. Prior to the show, starting at 7 p.m., there will be a free Comedy Take Over hosted by John Ross in the Corin Courtyard.

Organizers hope the second Sacramento Comedy Festival will make California’s capital a destination for comics nationwide

There is only one place where you can see 120 comedians in nine days. And we aren’t asking you to travel to San Francisco, Las Vegas or New York for this epic week. All of the comics are going to make their way to the Capital City to try and make your stomach hurt from laughing. The Sacramento Comedy Festival is ready to make its second appearance in September but this time with a lot more laughs to go around. You can catch local and out-of-town stand-up comedians, improv groups and sketch comics at Luna’s Café (in cooperation with comic Keith Lowell Jensen) and the Sacramento Comedy Spot from Sept. 7 through 15, 2012. The mastermind behind the giant laugh fest is Brian Crall, a veteran comic and owner of the Sacramento Comedy Spot, whose goal is to make Sacramento the next destination for great comedy.

In 2005, Crall created a comedy club that was easily available and affordable for comics in training and audience members. “We decided from early on that we are going to be different from any other club and we are going to be accessible for people,” Crall said over the phone. “They don’t have to spend a lot of money and they are going to get a good quality product.”

The Comedy Spot, located in Midtown, is a hot spot for stand-up comedy, sketch comedy and improv, drawing in big crowds. The club is home of the Anti-Cooperation League Comedy Troupe, In Your Facebook (where comics poke fun at your profile), The Syndicate (a sketch comedy team), Lady Business (an all-women improv team) and a Top 10 podcast who will all be performing at the festival.

“People come from out of town and they love our stage,” Crall explained. “They always compliment us on our professionalism and the quality of the local comedy groups, especially ones that the Comedy Spot produces.”

After more than seven years of running the Comedy Spot, Crall decided to create a comedy festival that can call Sacramento home. One way that Crall is spreading the comedy love is by inviting comics from all across the country to see what Sacramento has to offer.

“If we are going to make Sacramento a destination, we have to have a reason for people to come here in the first place, and people love performing in festivals,” Crall said. “We have people coming to Sacramento to see what we do, then they will start spreading the word and let people know that we have a great scene and that this is the place to do good comedy.”

Nick Pettigrew

Not only does the Festival draw comics and audience members to the Capital City for comedy but it’s a great way to put a spotlight on talented local comedians. A few of the performing local acts include Keith Lowell Jensen, Ngaio Bealum, Michael O’Connell, John Ross, Queenie TT, Carlos Rodriguez, Chazz Hawkins, Kristen Frisk and the improv group Mayhem from ComedySportz.

One of the local talents to be featured in the festival is Nick Pettigrew, the co-producer of Critical Hit, a geek-centric comedy variety show that was created at the Comedy Spot.

“I’ve been a geek my whole life and I love doing comedy, but it was hard doing geek-orientated stand-up but not finding an audience for it,” said Pettigrew over the phone. “So I wanted to create a show where I can make my own audience.”

Another great local to be showcased is Cheryl the Soccer Mom, whose style of comedy does not seem to match her innocent name. A few years ago, Cheryl was a legitimate soccer mom who would drop off the kids at practice and lived in the suburbs. But at a comedy club Cheryl has a hilarious and sometimes dirty stand-up routine.

Cheryl the Soccer Mom

“It depends on the audience. If it’s that kind of show, I can totally go there,” she said. “Not always but pretty often.”

Even though her soccer mom days are nearly over because her oldest child is leaving for college soon, her comedy career is quickly taking off. She has recently filmed a show for Nickelodeon and has been invited to participate in the World Series of Comedy in Las Vegas. Without the support of local Sacramento comics, getting started in the comedy world would have been tough, she said.

“When I started out all of the Sacramento comics were so helpful and so welcoming. I can’t imagine getting a better start in any other city,” she said. “There’s the typical [comedy] politics that you find anywhere but overall the support for new comics is really strong and support for each other, we’re happy for each other’s success.”

The Sacramento Comedy Festival is not holding back support for the out-of-town comedians. Multiple comedians have been invited to perform in the 25-show festival by Crall himself. A few of the traveling comics (improv and stand-up) include Joe Klocek from the Bay Area; Matt Gubser and Priya Prasad from Oakland; Andrew Holmgren from San Francisco; 70-year-old comedian Sandra Risser from Concord, Calif.; and Brent Gill from Denver. Former Comedy Spot cast member Jeff Sloniker will also be performing at the festivities.

Leeman Parker, Sacramento native and member of improv group Bro Squad 5 from Hollywood, Calif., performed at the comedy festival last year and anticipates the upcoming shows. “The place was packed, and it was a really cool atmosphere to do a show,” said Parker about the Comedy Festival last year.

Kurt Weitzmann

A first time performer in the festival but veteran stand-up comic, Kurt Weitzmann, who has been seen on Comedy Central, MTV and multiple comedy stages in San Francisco is also scheduled to perform for this year’s fest.

“I’ve always loved the Sacramento comedy scene. I’ve always thought it was really good people that came out of there,” said Weitzmann. “I’m just glad they’re doing it. I think it’s a great idea. I think every city should have a comedy festival. It’s not hard to do, everybody loves comedy.”

Everyone does love comedy, but I’m not sure if putting on a comedy festival is as easy as it sounds. Brian Crall along with the help from Mignon Foster, who is in charge of the logistics of the show, has been planning this festival for over a year. They have been working on making the festival bigger and decided to extend the festival to eight days.

“We just started off very simple last year. We did four days, and we tried to pack in as many things as possible but it was a lot of fun,” Crall explained. “We didn’t do a lot of publicity last year, it was just more of a trial run year…but this year we are going all out.” As soon as the 2011 laughs were over, Crall and Foster got straight to work on an encore. They have created an original logo for the festival, a website and have been screening tapes from comics across the country who wanted to participate. After all of this work, Crall is hoping for a big turnout.

“We want as many people to come out and get a good sampling of what we do, and we have put a festival pass together that allows you to see every show at the comedy festival for $55, when we have 20-plus shows that’s a pretty good deal,” he added.

The Sacramento Comedy Festival will kick off opening night with a ribbon cutting ceremony and music from the local rock group Dog Party. After that for eight days, you watch stand-up comics and improv groups from across the country brave the stage, you can geek out with Nick Pettigrew and listen to Cheryl the Soccer Mom’s MILF joke. With every laugh that comes out of the festival, Brian Crall will be one step closer to making his goal a reality in making Sacramento a destination for comedy.

We don’t have the space to list all the acts who will be performing at the Sacramento Comedy Festival. Good thing for you, ticket prices are affordable enough that we won’t have to. You can go see them for yourselves. The fest runs from Sept. 7 through 15, 2012 and for just $55, you can see every show. Go to http://www.saccomedyfest.com/ for more info and to purchase tickets.

Sacramento comedian Johnny Taylor’s recurring gig “Comedy Kill,” which goes down every fourth Friday at Sacramento Comedy Spot, is quickly becoming one of the city’s premiere stand-up nights. Taylor started Comedy Kill to give him and his friends somewhere to highlight the type of stand-up they’ve been doing. “I thought it would be really rad to showcase smart, offbeat comedy on a consistent basis,” Taylor recently told Submerge. “It’s grown to a point that I get to bring some really talented friends up from the bay area as well,” he said. Taylor has been doing stand-up comedy for just over a year, but has already performed a number of times at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, Calif., a highly sought after venue. “You never know when you’re gonna be sitting in the green room and Robin Williams or Dana Carvey stroll in,” Taylor said. “I always leave that place feeling starstruck at least once.” Taylor also recently had his set from a gig at Pasadena Ice House recorded for Comedytime.tv. Catch him hosting and cracking jokes at the next installment of Comedy Kill on Friday, April 27 at 9 p.m. at Sacramento Comedy Spot (1050 20th Street, Suite 130) alongside headliner John Ross and featured performers Nick Aragon and Kiry Shabazz. “There are so many talented comics in Sacramento,” Taylor said. “People sleep on this city, but I’d put the top guys in our scene against any other city out there in a stand-up comedy battle royale and feel pretty comfortable with our chances.” Get your tickets for Comedy Kill for just $10 at Saccomedyspot.com.

-J.Carabba

Shocking Subjects, Sensationally: The Comedy of John Ross
Words by Joseph Atkins | Photos by Duy Ninh

John Ross is occasionally unshaven, his hair is regularly maintained, and he wears thin black glasses. He’s got a low-key demeanor emphasized by his polo shirts and Dickies pants. He’s got three kids, a stable marriage, and he just got a job selling plumbing supplies. He’s a regular, well, John. Oh, and as a hobby he writes and performs jokes.

In July, Ross recorded his live set at the Sacramento Comedy Spot and since then has been hard at work editing it into a DVD feature. Ross will celebrate the DVD release of I Really, Really Love Me Nov. 13, 2010 by sharing the stage with his favorite local comedians and friends. We sat down just next to the Comedy Spot and discussed comedy, family and sensationalism over slices of pizza. For most of the interview, a group of children ran around us, sword fighting.

So, what does being born addicted to methadone mean?
It means my mom was born addicted to heroin, and my mom went on methadone to make sure I wasn’t retarded or developmentally disabled. There’s a weaning process, detox, when I was an infant. As far as I know there were no long-term effects. I don’t walk with a limp or anything. I do have a hard time focusing; I wonder sometimes if it has something to do with that. Or I’m just normal.

Your comedy relies a lot on your personal history. Why is that?
This sounds really cheesy, but I think I have a very interesting upbringing. Everything from being raised by junkies, to being Pentecostal Christian for a while–I’ve been through a lot of weird things. This might sound really retarded, but it might be an interesting story, so why not tell it? Not to exploit it. I’m not saying I think it’s a story that needs to be told to the world, but it’s a good story. A lot of my stuff is character-based, kind of true, kind of real, just embellished a little bit. I just tell you a story…

How did you decide that stuff would be a good subject for jokes?
It was kind of my first instinct when I started. I could do tons of dick jokes, jokes about having sex. If I do my parents are heroin addicts jokes, I know I’m not accidentally copying anyone. I’ve been doing jokes about when I was molested when I was 4, by a 12-year-old. Yeah they’re pretty harsh subjects, but it’s fucking funny. I like to build tension, and then release it. And if you’re going to steal my joke, it’s going to be obvious. Everyone’s going to know it.

What is it about absurdity that is so funny?
It’s just that you can say something and not say anything at all. You can take a real issue, something that you’re passionate about, but unless you’re like George Carlin or something, no one wants to hear you. Absurdity can take something pretty far; you can say something you wouldn’t say in a regular conversation. I’ve got a joke that Elvis is a racist, and I’m like, “I’m already a fan!” The further you go, the more obvious you’re not a racist. You can take a sensitive issue and go as far as you want; the further you go the more people know you’re not serious. They start uncomfortable and by the time you’re finished, they’re like, Thank God, he’s joking.

I think comedy is about awkwardness. I like to make feel people feel awkward, corporately. And let them know I’m messing around. I like to be as honest and absurd as I can. I don’t choke up. Anything horrible I try to make a joke out of; maybe it’s a defense mechanism.

I think your act is pretty funny, but I could imagine that some people might not really get what you’re doing. How do crowds react differently to your joke aesthetic?
With smart crowds you can get away with a lot more, people who know comedy. More conservative crowds, they just want to hear dick jokes, they don’t get subtlety. Lately I just say what I’m going to say. I did a show in Woodland, and it was a great crowd. But I could tell that I was making them uncomfortable. I didn’t apologize, or I didn’t apologize too much. If I get a really conservative crowd that isn’t biting on anything, I will punish them. Sometimes it’s just fun to be on stage, tell the awkward story to your friends.

Part of your routine relies on a weird music-box device. What’s that called?
It’s called an Omnichord. With the Omnichord I have to be careful, anything more than 15 minutes, people start going, “What the fuck? This is annoying.” In a shorter set, with the Omnichord, I like to do a lot of non-sequiturs, one-liners. You can get away with a lot of darker stuff with the Omnichord.

There’s a lot of shocking subject matter in your jokes. Would you consider your jokes in the tradition of shock?
I’m not going to say fuck just to say fuck. I’m not going to talk about junkies just because. I don’t go out to shock for the sake of shock. I’m not as edgy as some comics are. I’m actually fairly clean compared to some comics.

When you’re writing material, do you have an agenda, or are you just trying to come up with funny things?
I’m only 32, but the older I get, the more agenda-ridden I get. If I want to talk about something, I just do. My daughter turned 1 the other day, and I was thinking about it, all the change she’s going to see in her lifetime, all the technology. And the one thing I hope she sees before she dies is her first white president. As long as she makes it to like 3, she’s pretty good. Like wow, she only knows a black president. How weird is that?

Race seems to be somewhat taboo in our culture. What’s up with that?
I do a lot of racial jokes. I try not to do racist jokes. Race is fascinating to me, and I don’t think you find a lot of white guys doing race jokes. I don’t make fun of the homeless, but I saw a homeless guy wearing a “World’s Greatest Dad” shirt. And I was like, that’s all I have to say. I saw him. That’s the end of that joke.

You’ve been performing comedy for six years; who have you performed with?
I got to open for Bobcat Goldthwait at Laughs Unlimited last year. I think he’s doing comedy just to pay for his divorce. He was really nice; he bought me dinner. I thought he was funny.

The biggest guy I ever opened for was Norm MacDonald. I was in Los Angeles, and my buddy runs the Hollywood Improv and he put me last on an early show. It was completely packed. Right before I went up the promoter told me to cut my set to five to six minutes, Norm MacDonald had just shown up. And I’m like what the fuck! Norm MacDonald is my favorite. I love this guy. I had one of the best sets ever. I got done and I was shaking hands, and I look up and it’s Norm MacDonald. He was like, “You’re really funny there. That was really funny.” I was like, “Thank you, Norm MacDonald.” Oh my God. I floated back to my seat. I watched him bomb, it was funny. He was drunk. He’s a throwaway comic anyway. He doesn’t care.

That same night I met Nick Swardson. I talked with Gallagher at the bar too. My buddy told me he’s gay. I heard he tries to fuck young comics. He’s self-hating, that’s why he crushes fruit. He was kind of bitter. My buddy was like, “Watch out, man.” I’m thinking, “Gallagher’s not gonna fuck me. Well maybe he could, if it would help my career.” We talked about my Omnichord. He gave me some good ideas on how to use it. It was pretty surreal.

That was the best night of comedy ever. One night in L.A. is like six months in Sacramento as far as networking. I just met a ton of people on an off night, a Sunday night.

What advice would you give to aspiring comedians?
If there’s something fucked up in your life, find it and make it funny. And don’t steal shit.

Thanks man.
Thank you. If you can, don’t make me look like a dick.

John Ross will celebrate the release of his DVD, I Really, Really Love Me, at the Sacramento Comedy Spot on Nov. 13. Tickets are $10, and the show time is 7 p.m. DVDs will be on sale at the event for $7. For more information, go to www.saccomedyspot.com.

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

What do a Hindu, a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist and an Atheist have in common?

Not a whole lot, except that they’re touring as part of the Coexist? comedy tour.

The term “politically correct” is left backstage at a Coexist? show, and each member of the tour is known by his or her respective religion. The members are Tapan Trivedi, the Hindu; John Ross, the Christian; Sammy Obeid, the Buddhist; Tissa Hami, the Muslim; and Keith Lowell Jensen, the Atheist. “I get three names because I don’t have a God,” Jensen says, as seriously as he can manage.

The goal is to take the taboo subject of religious differences and present it in a way that gets people talking about it, replacing fear with a room full of laughter. Says Trivedi, “Once you laugh at something, you acknowledge its existence and deal with it; you cannot deny it anymore. When you laugh at something, it’s like, how heinous can it be?”

The group came together a year ago while founding members Jensen and Trivedi were performing their solo comedy acts in the Sacramento area. Trivedi and Jensen met at Luna’s Café, and came together when they noticed just how much they were at “opposite ends of the religious spectrum,” Trivedi says.

They talked it over, and started looking for other comedians in the area who fit the “comedians of a certain religion” bill. In fact, they put out an ad looking for a Muslim comic.

“It was part organic and part seeking people out,” Jensen explains. From there, it was a matter of deciding whether they could get along with this comedian while crammed into a tiny vehicle on long trips between shows. This is not a high-budget tour, and a private jet is not yet a reality. “What are the chances that they’ll give us a flight plan with a Muslim in it?” Trivedi jokes.

They performed for the first time in August 2007 at the Geery Theater in Sacramento, and since then have taken their rare breed of interfaith humor all over California, as well as to Portland and Seattle. They crack up audiences in comedy clubs, theaters, churches, atheist conventions and once even at a “clothing optional” hot spring.
“All ages, all colors, all races of people that have come [to our shows] they all liked it,” Trivedi says.

Jensen adds, “I like for people to understand that with all our high pretensions about it, it’s a comedy show. It’s funny, and no matter who you are you’re gonna laugh.”
Alternating between clubs and theaters, from large cities to tiny towns, can be challenging. The comedians try to tailor their humor to each location, which is why every show begins with a sort of meet-and-greet with the audience. Jensen explains, “We come out together and we say hello”¦and we find out what the audience is made up of. Let me hear from the Atheists; let me hear from the Christians in the audience. Kind of find out what sort of diversity we have in the crowd.” It helps for the audience to see them all together on stage before they start taking jabs at each other’s religions, he says, to let everybody know that they are friends after all.

The show is then passed to host Sammy Obeid, and each comedian takes a turn onstage. The bits really depend on the audience and whether they are performing at a theater or a club.

“Dealing with a theater crowd is like dealing with an old German Shepherd dog,” Trivedi quips. “He sees the mistake that you’re making, but he is kind of OK with it. The comedy club is like a Rottweiler. The moment he sees fear, ahh!”

So, why take on such a difficult topic? Basically, they explain that this is a conversation that just needs to be started. “You’ve got people who have potentially never met a Hindu before, and now they’ve come and they’ve not only met one but they’ve laughed with this person,” Jensen says.

The members of Coexist? are more likely to fight over who is taking too long in the shower than how many gods there are, and are always willing to help each other out with new jokes. Imagine a car ride with five comedians. With notebooks open and laptops out, they’ll work on jokes together for hours.

“What they say is that you can write the novel on your own, but comedy is almost always a team sport,” Trivedi says.

This theme of coexistence is magnified by these five comedians who not only come from different religious backgrounds, but also have extremely diverse comedic styles.

“We don’t get along by ignoring our differences or pretending they’re not there. I see a lot of interfaith entities kind of water down their beliefs to believe that their beliefs are all compatible, and we don’t need that to get along,” Jensen says.

Their upcoming show at the Crest Theatre on Dec. 12 will likely be the apex of this tour, as they’ve been saving the best for last. Trivedi refers to this show as their “swan song.”

Jensen says, “We have jokes that we put aside, but we pull them out for the Crest. So joke thieves, come to The Crest; buy a ticket. If we see Dane Cook in there, we’ll know. This is for you, Dane!”