Jim Tews is hoping people come out celebrate part of the holidays with him at two shows this week.Jim Tews may be a New York comic now, but he has not forgot about where he started and is headed back for a couple shows this week.
The former Lakewood resident will headline shows at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Grog Shop, 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd. in Cleveland Heights and at 9:30 p.m. Dec. 17 Reddstone, 1261 W. 76th St., Cleveland.
Tews was in finalist in the Boston Comedy Festival in 2006 and won the New York Comedy Contest in 2010.
And that comedy contest win, he says, has opened a few doors. “I got auditions at some New York clubs because of it, and it’s a nice credit to have.”
While honing his stand-up act, Tews also has a couple jobs to pay the bills. He writes and MTV.com and HolyTaco.com. "I'm also waiting tables on my off-weekends just to pad my wallet a little more. This city is pretty expensive."
Now living in Queens, Tews says things are a bit different in the New York City area. “Probably the most memorable one was seeing a young couple break up from my fire escape. That’s normally something that happens in private, but I’ve seen it at least three times on the sidewalk. That, and people crying in public.”
Tews ran the comedy night at Bella Dubby in Lakewood for a number of years, but he says New York presents even more challenges.
“First off, there are plenty of venues, so the challenge is convincing one of them to let you run a show. There’s a place called the Creek and Cave where I run a weekly show and they’re very supportive of independent comics, as are a few other places. But there’s just a lot of competition and a lot of stuff that already existed here for a long time.”
He has seen some subtle change in his stand-up since he has moved to New York.
”I’m just more comfortable, more in tune with what I want out of this.”
Tews has many people he credits with aiding his stand-up career. “Everyone here is at the very least cordial. But Ted Alexandro has helped me out a lot, Barry Weintraub and a guy named Tim Krompier, and all the comics I met and worked with at Hilarities in Cleveland.”
It’s easy for Tews to cite his comedic influences. “Dave Attell was a huge one for me. I also love Louis CK and Bill Burr. Those are guys that I’ve been following since I started and they’ve had a huge impact on me.”
When asked what he’s looking forward to on his return to Cleveland, Tews has a simple answer. “Christmas Ale.”
What can people expect at his shows this week? “The kind of stuff they wouldn’t see at the clubs. Maybe a little more personal. At least from me anyway.”
What are his hopes for the future in stand-up?
“I just want to get on television before my high school guidance counselor dies.”
Rodney Bengston covers Northeast Ohio's comedy scene. Contact him at [email protected].
See archived columns at cleveland.com/comic-capers.