Beamon, who has been performing comedy for seven years, has been busy the last two years traveling the country and opening for local comedian Damon Darling. He also still has a strong local presence as he performs and produces shows.
“I’ve been juggling a lot,” he said. “I’ve been wearing a lot of different hats: opener, feature, content creator. I’ve been growing as a person. Learning what to do and what not to do.”
Three years ago, Beamon performed at the Apollo Theater in New York. He said that being on “Kill Tony” wasn’t really on his radar until a fellow comedian, Leyla Ingalls, encouraged him to try it. Ingalls was on “Kill Tony” in 2023.
“I would watch the show,” he said. “I will watch the bomb compilations, but more and more of my peers who were doing it kept telling me to do it. My jokes are really long, and you only get one minute. I had to condense it down, but I feel I stayed true to my style.”
This was the seventh time Beamon attempted to be on the podcast. He tried in Austin and Nashville before, but his name wasn’t chosen. This time, he was in Austin, and after standing in line with about 300 other comics, his name was pulled.
“Since I signed up so many times, the other times, I’d be going over my set,” he said. “I thought I’m not getting picked, so I was on my phone. I didn’t have ready what I wanted to do ready. I didn’t have time to be scared. I was definitely nervous about the interview.”
After the one-minute stand-up, the panelists will talk to and interview the comedian. Beamon ended up being on stage for 10 minutes, which is a pretty long time in comparison to other comics. Beamon talked about his personal life and gave a few shout-outs to Dayton.
“I liked the interview, but I was still worried about where it would go,” he said. “I’m in my head, and they would ask totally different questions. It’s like you’re on a bull, and it’s going where it wants.”
Beamon said he was happy that he tried it. Compared with performing at the Apollo Theater, he said, there were a few differences. He said he tried to stay grounded in his original comedy roots during his time on “Kill Tony.”
“It’s a stereotype in comedy that Black crowds are tougher, which I don’t believe is true,” he said. “The audience at ‘Kill Tony’ has a high standard, but millions of people will see it. It doesn’t matter what type of crowd is there as long as you are authentic. I’m authentically an Ohio kid, so I leaned into it.”
Beamon said he will continue to perform, travel the country and produce shows locally. He has a traveling show called “Jerrel’s Wheel of Comedy,” where comics spin a wheel and tell a joke based on what they land on. He will also be putting out a comedy special in May. Overall, he wants to get better and help fellow comics.
“I want to keep getting better at the craft and keep improving,” he said. “I’m stronger than I’ve ever been on stage. I’m trying to grow more of a brand and a following. I want to get better at the business side too … I like providing opportunities to other people, and I admire what they are doing in Austin.”
For more from Beamon, check out his pages on Facebook and Instagram.
Laugh Riot Girl round-up
Comedian Marlon Wayans will be in town this weekend for five shows: 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. March 27; 6:30 and 9:45 p.m. March 28; and 6 p.m. March 29 at Dayton Funny Bone, 88 Plum St. at The Greene. Part of the hilarious and infamous Wayans family, Marlon has been promoting his new edition of the “Scary Movie” franchise that comes out in June. Tickets are $58 and can be purchased at www.dayton.funnybone.com.
Season 1 of “Bumped,” a new comedy series set inside an upstart comedy club follows the door guys turned comics as they chase their dreams, will premiere at 9:30 p.m. March 3 at Bricky’s Comedy Club, 319 S. Second St. in Miamisburg. It features local comics Johnny Woods, Sixx Sense and Kevin Ruppert. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.brickyscomedy.com.
LAUGH RIOT GIRL
Laugh Riot Girl is a column by comedian and writer Jessica Graue that explores the local comedy scene. Reach her by email at jessica.graue@coxinc.com.
Credit: Chris West
Credit: Chris West
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