Comedians Sean Wherley and Sarah Burford bring another round of the Laugh Out Proud Comedy Show to Martini’s Above Fourth on Sept. 8. The show will feature four LGBT comedians and one allied comedian including Los Angeles headliner Steve Hasley.
Hasley, best known for his stints on television shows like Will & Grace, How I Met Your Mother, and Six Feet Under, is a Los Angeles based comedian and has performed in such comedy venues as The Comedy Store, The Hollywood Improv and The Laugh Factory.
Wherley has now produced the Laugh Out Proud Comedy Show five times, and it is held monthly on the second Thursday of every month. “The line-up of comedians is always different,” Wherley said. “We have four LGBT comedians, Sarah Burford, myself, Erin Schauer and headliner Steve Hasley – in addition to ‘allied’ comedian Chase Brockett. A talented and funny group.”
The headliners are usually referred to Wherley, and the local featured comedians are people he knows and has seen perform live.
Headliner Hasley will be making his Laugh Out Proud debut, and is thrilled about the show, though he has performed in San Diego before at Doc and Fiduce’s Wild Card Comedy Show.
Comedy seems to have come easy to Hasley, a Niagara Falls native, who was surrounded by funny people while growing up.
“[I] had a great childhood – small town, lots of fun neighbors and great family.” Hasley said. “Hated high school. Typically picked on like most gay kids. Hated that. Mostly I excelled in eating my feelings in a bag of potato chips and an ice cold Pepsi. Pepsi is still the monkey on my back to this day.”
While Hasley admits he has a humorous family, he says he’s the funniest. “We were all a family of humor. But I was the funniest. Mostly in my witty asides and smart remarks. It was my way of sneaking into adulthood. I felt like an adult making adult jokes, which separated me from the horrible kids who made childish gay references toward me. My friend Heather, who I’ve known since third grade, taught me humor. She taught me that you could get away with saying anything to an adult or teacher if you say it with a wink and wit. She has always been very clever and sharp and I used to mimic her style, pushing the envelope.”
Comedians like Joan Rivers, Louis CK and Sarah Silverman are some of his favorite comedians due to their sharpness, and how they push the envelope when telling jokes. Their comedy has influenced Hasley over the years.
“I am always doing new material,” Hasley added. “Of course, I have my standard jokes that I fall back on, but every time I do a show I throw in something new. There is just so much out there to pick from. And so many things are topical and can never be used again. I love the Royal Wedding stuff, but there is a statute of limitations to that being relevant. Now I find Michele Bachmann’s hair funny. She’s a total monster but her hair, total comedy genius.”
When asked what makes him laugh Hasley isn’t shy, and is rather forthcoming about his sexuality, and how sex plays a big part in what makes him laugh.
“I like to laugh and LOVE to make others laugh. The human condition makes me laugh. Peoples idiosyncrasies make me laugh. Sexual innuendo and puns make me laugh. Dirty stuff makes me laugh. I like to find humor in the things I did as a kid. So completely gay and looking back at them and realizing I was a mo in training: that really makes me laugh. I am very self-deprecating because if I can expose myself and if others find an affinity with what I went through, then we can all laugh at the crazy things we do.”
The Laugh Out Proud Comedy Show with headliner Steve Hasley begins at 8 p.m. and is free with a two-menu item purchase and to those 21 and up on a first come first served basis. Martinis Above Fourth will be open for dinner prior to the show. Reservations are required and can be made by at martinisabovefourth.com or by calling 619-400-4500.
Martinis Above Fourth is located at 3940 Fourth Ave., Suite 200, in Hillcrest.
