Wednesday night, the Holy City’s comedy-loving community showed up in force to watch what was sure to be a hilarious battle of wits: the Charleston Stand Up Competition Finals. The culmination of four talent-packed preliminary rounds, the Finals filled the Music Farm with over 600 folks eager to see who would be crowned the funniest person in Charleston. The lucky few that showed up early were rewarded with seats in front of the stage, while the rest of us stood a little awkwardly for several hours — there definitely wasn’t much elbow room. Kenny Z hosted the shindig, inserting jokes and comments between the performers.
The line-up included some familiar faces to the comedy scene — like Dusty Slay, Jason Groce, and Clint Nohr — as well as a few bright-eyed newcomers. Only a couple bombed, while many struggled to keep the attention of the loud-mouths in the back. Then there were the few that managed to keep the crowd’s attention through most of their set. Tyler Green shut everyone up with his quiet, awkward musings, while William Moody charmed the ladies with his sexy cape. Former City Paper intern Myles Hutto made us proud with his energetic, Chris Farley-esque bit, and Viet Huynh told a lot of funny Asian jokes. Timmy Sherrill, who ultimately won the competition, was a natural onstage and a sure contender from the beginning with his bit on cum towels. Ironically, the actor/comedian is based in Wilmington. But he was the funniest person in Charleston Wednesday night. Tim Hoeckel, who tied for first place last year, came in at second this time around, and Dusty Slay came in third.
The Finals made for an energetic, promising start to this year’s Comedy Festival, but the half of the crowd standing in the back hopefully learned a valuable lesson as well: Don’t talk over the comedians — you are not as funny as they are.
As you plan the rest of your weekend, make sure to check out the Comedy Festival website, City Paper‘s guide to the Fest, and follow along on Twitter @chascomfest.
Check out the complete performances of each round of winners at the links below!
Round 1 | Round 2 | Rounds 3&4
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