Listen Here
By Eli Schroeder, SchroederE2@Findlay.edu
The University of Findlay hosted the 24th annual Comedy Jam on Jan. 25 at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts.
The University and Marathon Center for the Performing Arts became a hub for laughter Saturday as the community welcomed three headlining stand-up comedians: Derrick Knopsnyder, Azeem, and Mike Paramore. Their performances of high energy, crafty wit and hard-hitting punchlines brought entertainment to Findlay for the 24th year in a row while highlighting the growing appeal of live comedy.
“It is all thanks to the work of the many students on the Student Activities Board (SAB),” said Sherinda Welton, recently retired Director of Student Activities, Commuter Services, and Leadership Development. “The students have worked very hard to put this event together, whether it was working with talent agents, handling contract negotiations, scheduling, and actually running the show.”
Welton emphasized the hard work put in by the students. The SAB worked for almost a year to piece together the event and find the right talent to bring to the city of Findlay for a night of laughter.
“Starting around March, the Student Activities Board goes and begins to scout next year’s comedic talent to get the process started early,” Welton said. “There is usually a group of students that goes, watches the comedians perform, and selects who they think should come and perform for the next annual event.”
Derrick Knopsnyder is a 15-year veteran who has quick wit, high energy, and began his career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“I was just a little kid when I saw my first live show,” Knopsnyder said. “In that moment, I realized people could have careers purely out of being funny.”
He discussed the joy he receives from seeing all the smiling and laughing faces in the crowd when he performs.
“I remember being a kid out on the golf course with my dad and his friends all the time. I always wanted to fit in, and the only way I knew was to make them laugh,” Knopsnyder said. “I learned early on that laughter has always brought people together.”
When asked about the importance of smaller communities, such as Findlay, experiencing live comedy shows, Knopsnyder had an interesting take. He believes that small towns and communities are the best places to perform.
“Since these areas don’t have the volume of comedy that New York or Los Angeles does, these people come ready to laugh.” Knopsnyder said. “From my experience, the audiences in small towns have been missing this type of entertainment. When given the opportunity, they show up and bring an energy you won’t quite feel all the time in those big cities.”
Knopsnyder can be found on social media at @DKComedy and his podcast, Bad Potato Salad, on YouTube.
Azeem, a 25-year comedy veteran from St. Louis has performed stand-up comedy all over the globe. He can be found on social media at @AzeemComedy.
Mike Paramore, a Cleveland native comic who’s won many competitions in the past including, the 2015 Cleveland Comedy Festival, the Laughing Devil Festival in New York City, and the winner of Laugh Fest Best in the Midwest competition.
