Standing on the stage at The Station Sports Bar and Grill on Wednesday night, 29-year-old Cameron Brexler couldn’t look more at home on his living room couch.
Brexler, a University graduate, is the producer for Above Ground Comedy, a live comedy entertainment planning service that has hosted weekly shows for two years.
After graduating, Brexler hit the road, touring around the country and figuring out that what Baton Rouge needed was an organized comedy event and that he could make it happen.
“I pitched the idea to a friend of mine,” Brexler said. “We made a logo and a website, and we just grew from there. We got a meeting with Robert — the owner of The Station — and saw [the venue] was a great [place], and the rest is history. It just sort of took off.”
Above Ground Comedy grew a reputation and gained performers from North Carolina, Texas and Florida who travel through Baton Rouge, Brexler said.
Six months ago Mockler Beverage became co-sponsors to form Bud Light Comedy Night, the name of the weekly event.
Brexler said shows are comprised of eight to 12 comics who generally bring two to 20 friends. Performers get five minutes on stage to deliver their acts and impress the crowd.
Joel Talley, one of the returning performers, will headline a show after a year of performing with Above Ground Comedy.
Talley said he usually draws from personal experience and things he finds to be obscure or weird, including pieces on his dad, who Talley said is “old as poo.”
Talley said his shows usually go very well, but in case of emergency flops, he has a last-ditch strategy for getting a rise out of the audience.
“Sometimes if things aren’t going well, I’ll grab an audience member and give them a punch line,” he said. “I’ll set up the joke and then have them deliver the punch line. It’s a good way to get the crowd involved.”
Bud Light Comedy Night is held every Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at The Station Bar and Grill. The cover charge is $5 with a two for one price starting at 8:00 p.m. A disc jockey plays music in between sets and the bar serves a two-for-one special on mixed drinks after the show.
Newcomers generally perform early, more experienced comedians go later in the show, Brexler said.
“We have not just stand-up comics, but people come and do musical comedy with guitars, keyboards or turntables,” Brexler said. “We’ve had comedy magicians, improv and things so far out you don’t know what to expect. But everybody has a good time — even on the slow dead night everybody has a good time. People love it.”
Will Merrill, a regular performer, also played the role of co-host for Wednesday’s show. The Baton Rouge native said he showed up one night, signed up to perform and has been involved since.
“I’ve learned that you have to have dedication,” Merrill said. “It may look easy, but it’s tough. Comedy really does something for a city’s culture as an alternative form of entertainment. We give people a chance to enjoy life and be happy and laugh.”
Brexler said many people are skeptical of open mics, but these weekly events are a good opportunity for new comedians to give the stage a shot.
“Here, comics really work at their craft regarding stage lighting, sound, backdrop and marketing,” he said. “Comics can tape themselves and get themselves out there — get booking for headlines or features because you never know who’s going to be in the audience. So we work really hard every week, and I think it’s a good thing.”
 
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]