For Chris Bowers, comedy comes naturally. Just visit Morty’s Comedy Joint at 3625 E. 96th St. for proof.
Bowers is not only the co-owner of Morty’s, but he also is one of its featured performers.
“As a comic, I like the experience I have at Morty’s,” Bowers said. “But there’s a lot of nights when I’m not on stage. I don’t want to be on stage so much that the people are sick of me.”
Bowers, who also is a motivational speaker for young people, has won several stand-up competitions, including the Midwest Ultimate Funny Championships and the Louisville Fight of the Laughing Skull Festival.
This November, he will proudly celebrate his fifth anniversary at Morty’s.
“I had always been into comedy and Morty’s was my home club,” Bowers said. “It was fun and I really enjoyed working with the people here. I was recently divorced, and I said to myself, ‘Now is the time.’ I was ready.”
On New Year’s Eve 2009, the original Morty’s hosted its final show. On March 14, Morty’s reopened under the ownership of Bowers and Tony Deardorff with an important goal in mind.
“We want to be an oasis for comics,” Bowers said. “We want them to feel at home, have fun, and we want them to want to come back. More importantly, we want to give the local comics a chance.”
Much of that development remains unseen by audience eyes.
“People don’t understand the technical aspect of comedy,” Bowers said. “One word can make the difference in a joke. Most comics get their experience in bars and at open mic nights where there are mostly single guys. That material is not going to work in a comedy club. The audience in a comedy club will be made up of couples and groups of single women. As a comic, it’s about reading your audience and knowing what works.”
Yet, Bowers has high praise for the Morty’s audience.
“We have a very loyal base clientele,” he said. “Our crowds are very diverse, and they are comedy savy.”
So, what works for the Morty’s crowd?
“We have a very eclectic mix of comedy,” Bowers said. “We don’t like filthy comedy, but we don’t have a lot of clean comedy. Edgy, adult humor is what we offer. We advise people to check the website before coming to a show so that they won’t be offended by the material. Now, you do have some guys out there who are just looking to offend someone. We won’t have those guys here.”
For more information, visit www.mortyscomedy.com.
Oct. 9 through 12, Morty’s will host “Trial by Laughter.” This is a national contest featuring 29 comics in a fierce competition that will be taped and featured on Comcast on Demand.