Don’t Be Afraid of the Comedy

There are things any rational person should be afraid of. Like Bigfoot. Or those enormous spiders that live under your toilet seat. But there’s no reason in the world to be afraid of comedy. That’s especially true when the funny business is all for a good cause. This month’s ”Don’t Be Afraid of the Comedy” show at the Hi-Tone has been rechristened “Don’t Be Afraid to Laugh for Love.” It’s the official unofficial kickoff for Rock for Love 9, a three-day, multi-venue music festival benefiting the Church Health Center.

”Don’t Be Afraid” host Josh McLane says the Rock For Love tie-in was obvious. The comedy event was already booked for the Thursday night before the festival’s Friday night kickoff, so it was just a matter of putting together a good lineup. “And we’ve done that,” McLane says.

Comics scheduled to appear include McLane’s monthly sidekick Jared Herring, 6′ 2″ funnyman Benny Elbows, Memphis Vine king Christopher Rex, and Black Nerd Power podcaster Richard Douglas Jones, who’ll soon be opening for Patton Oswalt. Memphis Comedy Festival founder Katrina Coleman will also perform.

Eric Huber

Josh McLane

McLane, who’s also a wrestling enthusiast and announcer, says he’s especially excited to have Reggie Junior on the bill. Junior is the son of pro wrestler Reggie B. Fine, and the two comics met when Junior dropped in on a wrestling-themed comedy showcase McLane was hosting called ”October Slam.” So, maybe it’s okay to be at least a little bit afraid?

Rock for Love kicks off Friday night, September 4th, with a Crosstown block party. It moves to Overton Square Saturday and ends Sunday night with a performance by the North Mississippi Allstars at the Levitt Shell.

The title “hardest-working man in show business” gets tossed around lightly at times, but it is certainly an appropriate moniker for local creative Josh McLane. Not only is McLane a highly respected drummer around town with bands such as Hombres, Heels, and Special Agent Cooper (just to name a few), he’s also a sturdy presence in the burgeoning local stand-up comedy scene.

But wait, there’s more! He’s also a podcaster, radio host, pro-wrestling ring announcer, independent film writer/producer/actor, and show promoter. How does he keep it all together?

“I enjoy doing a lot of things,” McLane says. “I get bored easily. Comedy is a main focus, but so is playing music and making sure my wife isn’t tired of it yet.”

Eric Huber

Josh McLane

McLane started doing stand-up more than seven years ago on a dare from local comic Mike Degnan, who said McLane was “funny enough” to get up at an open-mic. By his own admission, McLane’s early forays into comedy were somewhat one-note (“I was just screaming at everyone,” he says), but he has since developed a more nuanced, heartfelt approach to his performances and is now easily one of the scene’s unique and most consistently funny voices.

On Wednesday, McLane will tape his first stand-up comedy record live at the Hi-Tone. The event is called “The Don’t Be Afraid of Josh McLane Comedy Special,” named after the successful monthly show “Don’t Be Afraid of the Comedy, Memphis” that McLane hosts at the venue. The idea was born out of yet another dare — this time from Katrina Coleman, a fellow Memphis comedian who released her own debut album, Womanchild, last year.

“Josh has emerged as a reluctant mentor and role model to the other comics with the longest-running and strongest showcase in town,” Coleman says, who will serve as host for the show. “His stand-up is somewhere between a hellfire-spouting evangelist for reason and a chain-smoking stitch.”