Comedy show is no laughing matter

WARREN — When comedian Billy Reno performed last year at Malone’s Tavern for the first time, the show tickled the funny bone of the audience.

“They were really into it,” the Shelby Township resident said. “It was fantastic. It was a packed house.”

Since the show went over so well, Malone’s is hosting another night of comedy on Jan. 13. Although Reno is not scheduled to perform, he has organized an evening with four comedians who promise to bring their best punchlines: Kate Brindle, Alana Gonzalez, Tonya Murray and Daniel Grinnell.

“We all need to laugh, and Detroit has such an underrated comedy scene,” Reno said. “I put it up there with Chicago and L.A.”

The Malone’s show is for comedy fans 18 and older. Showtime is 8:30 p.m. The comedians, set to perform for about 25 minutes each, will bring their own wisecracks to the stage.

Grinnell has cut his comedic chops in such clubs as The Morrie Birmingham and The Independent Comedy Club in Hamtramck. Gonzalez has been making audiences laugh for more than two decades by touching upon subjects that include parenting, relationships and modern womanhood.

Murray, a budding star in the Midwest comedy circuit who was influenced by Joan Rivers, is known for her sharp wit as a single woman navigating through the dating scene. Murray has performed at Gilda’s LaughFest and opened for Dave Attell, Jeff Ross and Jim Norton.

Whether she’s performing in a bar setting or a church, Brindle always brings her energy and her one-liners.

“I think there is so much stress in life, and we all just need a break,” said Brindle, who grew up in Dexter. “I think laughter is so cathartic and it can unite us. We’re all strangers at the beginning (of the show) and laugh and come together.”

The comic’s jokes often center around her role as a mother, her parents and “some of the silly things” fans have said to her after a show. Brindle, who has opened for Michael Che from “Saturday Night Live,” said going into comedy “was the last thing I would do.”

“I like to kind of challenge myself to do scary things,” she said.

So one night she performed a five-minute routine at an open mic night. That was enough to put the bug in her.

“I just fell in love with it,” Brindle said. “I love performing. The comedy clubs in Michigan are really welcoming. There’s a lot of improv moments. No one show is the same.”

Brindle has a goal of performing in all 50 U.S. states. So far, she’s at No. 47. One highlight was performing at Pine Knob in Clarkston with Sarah Silverman on the bill.

“It was really cool to be on the same poster with the people I’m a huge fan of,” Brindle said.

Like Brindle, Reno also got hooked on performing after he got his first laugh on stage. He lists Brian Regan and Bobby Collins among his favorite comedians, and feels most at home in smaller clubs.

“Comedy works best in an intimate setting,” Reno said. “When you’re close, everyone can see your facial expressions.”

Malone’s Tavern is located at 32350 Van Dyke Ave. For tickets, visit eventbrite.com and click on the “find events” page.