Comedian Lineup Saturday, January 18th
(MC – Kevin Kramis) Who’s 5’3”, runs an 8 minute mile and has performed for the U.S. troops on the Comics on Duty Tour in places like Bahrain, Djbouti, and Greece? It’s the Famous Kevin Kramis! Noted for his universal appeal, with stage presence and off-beat improvisations that captivate and involve audiences. Kevin works successfully before all kinds of folks from mature, discerning audiences at outdoor venues like DTE to the inmates at the super-maximum security prison in Mansfield, OH.
When Kevin isn’t telling jokes he can be heard behind the mic at sporting events across the country. Currently, Kevin is the public address announcer for Wayne State University, Eastern Michigan University, Madonna University, USA Taekwondo and a back-up for the Detroit Tigers.
Kramis has opened for Billy Farrell, Tim Allen, Louie Anderson, Kato Calin, Jeff Foxworthy, Judy Tenuta, Gabe Kaplan, Richard Jeni, Pointer Sisters, Michael Feinstein, Three Dog Night, Brian Setzer Orchestra, JJ Walker, Tim Lilly, John Hefron, Steven Wright, Jeff Hobson and Ben Creed.
(1st Show Feature – Connie Ettinger) Connie grew up in a tiny town in Northern Michigan until she was legally able to flee to the “Big City” of Ann Arbor where she received both her Bachelor’s Degree and Law Degree at the University of Michigan. She landed a job as an associate attorney at a prestigious law firm in Downtown Detroit, then became the firm’s youngest partner, then decided she was miserable wearing floppy bow ties and power suits, and finally said “Adios” to the practice of law. After playing “housewife” (or a pathetic facsimile of one) for over a year, and at her husband’s urging, she took a comedy class, got her first laugh, and was thereafter terminally addicted to performing stand-up.
Just like advancing up the ladder of law, Connie worked to find her voice in comedy and prove her chops to audiences of all types. Along the way, she worked with such comedic luminaries as Jeff Dunham in a number of A Clubs, but found her true passion was working in small clubs and even dive bars, performing for “her people.” “I was afraid of breaking stuff in nicer clubs, and I felt more comfortable hanging with people like the ones who populated my hometown.” She progressed from open mics to headlining gigs, and even performed on The View (during its early years).
Today, Connie continues to rely on everyday events to inspire her “inner funny.” “If you can’t laugh at the stupid guy sitting next to you, eating corn with a butter knife, even if you married him, you are sampling missing one of the greatest joys of life: feeling WAY superior to others.” She then coats her inner funny with a heavy coat of sarcasm, and finally tops it all off with a strong air of utter disbelief at how wrong everyone else is about virtually everything. Is she naughty or nice? You be the judge, while laughing ‘til your stomach muscles ache.
(1st Show Headliner – Derek Richards) “The only thing surprising about Derek is that he’s not bigger!” – Florida New Times
A regular on the Las Vegas strip, Derek’s act is fast, fresh, and at times, fanatical. He brings the funny with tales about his Irish- Catholic upbringing, divorce, the holidays, and his child-free existence. Described on a show review as, ‘Just the right amount of wrong.’
His one hour special with The Irish Comedy Tour can be seen on demand via Amazon Prime, DISH, DirecTV, iTunes, VUDU, Vimeo, Google Play, Microsoft XBOX and YouTube.
You can also catch him via the SiriusXM Satellite Radio Network, Pandora, The Weather Channel’s Top 10, The Tom Shillue Show on Fox News Radio Network, and The Anthony Cumia Show with Dave Landau.
A veteran of several USO and Armed Forces Entertainment tours, Richards has performed at U.S. base camps in Iraq, Afghanistan and 15 other countries. His work for the military has been featured in Newsweek.
On the concert stage, he’s been the opening act for Motown legends, The Temptations and The Four Tops.
His third comedy album, 60 MPH School Zone, garnered Honorable Mention accolades in the International Songwriting Competition. His release is sold at shows, iTunes and at derekrichards.com.
In October of 2018, Derek released his first self-published book, Whiskey, Cancer & Bad Decisions, which is his twisted memoir of a comedian’s journey with cancer. The release is available on Amazon, Kindle and Audible. (2nd Show Feature – Shane Dials) Shane is an upstanding comedian with a genuine and charismatic presence. With a fresh take on anything from technology to relationships, he gets the audience to engage in his stories while explaining his observations of the world around us. Shane performs literally everywhere, including places he shouldn’t like funerals, hospitals, and during fights with his wife.
Not only is he regularly hitting stages throughout Michigan, but he also runs his own showcases through his company, Seriously Funny Productions. His love for comedy doesn’t stop at the stage. Shane interviews comedians from across the country every week on “This is Funny, Right?” - his comedy based podcast on iTunes.
In his career, Shane has performed at the world-famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles, California, as well as resorts in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Shane was the winner of the Detroit Steam Vodka Comedy Contest and has been featured on Laugh Fest, Paul Bunyan and Live Laughs Comedy Festival as well as the Cincinnati Brew Ha Ha Comedy Festival.
(2nd Show Headliner – Dave Landau) Dave Landau might appear to be just like you, but he’s not really. His mind goes to places that angels would fear to tread, and he has no problem telling you about it. The mark of a great comedian, it is said, is the ability to find jokes where others would find tears. Dave finds jokes everywhere; with his own foibles and faults, to his family, to pop culture and the state of the world today.
Cutting his comedic teeth as a teenager in Detroit in the Second City’s Conservatory, Dave Landau has risen to become one of the most in-demand headliners working today. He’s appeared 5 times on Comedy Central’s and AXS.TV’s “Live At Gotham” and was a finalist on season 8 of “Last Comic Standing” on NBC. He became a regular on the extremely popular “The Artie Lange and Anthony Cumia radio show,” and was honored to be brought in full time as 3rd mic. When Artie left the program, it became “The Anthony Cumia Show with Dave Landau” and continues to gain popularity and new subscribers daily.