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Clean comic and Farmers Branch resident Tim Ketchersid will perform with Kevin Deanda, Hemi Ahluwalia, Ryan Perrio, Waldemar Berenguer and Komedian KG for Mixed Nuts - Funny Friday at The Meeting Place.
Ketchersid won the 2021 Clean Comedy Challenge, Lea Ciastko Spirit of Comedy Award and was recognized by the Dallas Observer as one of “10 DFW comics to keep your eye on in 2024.”
The Branch Herald sent Ketchersid a few questions to help readers get better acquainted with someone they may or may not know from around town.
Ketchersid and friends will perform 7:30-9 p.m. Friday, May 2, at The Meeting Place Event Center at 13612 Midway Road, Suite 601, in Farmers Branch. Tickets are $20 and available here.
What inspired you to get into comedy, and why did you choose to focus on clean humor?
On a wedding anniversary trip in 2017, my wife and I worked on creating a “Bucket List.” Doing standup comedy, being funny on purpose, was one of the things that made the Bucket List for me. In the spring of 2018, I started going to open mics. I do clean comedy because that way of talking is consistent with how I was raised and how I normally talk.
How do you come up with your material, and what tends to spark your best jokes?
Most of the material for any comic is born out of situations or things that irritate them. That’s true for me. I notice something that I think is weird, crazy, stupid or that rubs me the wrong way, and I try to turn it into something that is funny.
What’s been your most memorable performance—either because it went really well or hilariously off the rails?
My first ticketed performance was at the Dallas House of Comedy. It was essentially a “recital” that I had at the end of a class on standup comedy. A bunch of my friends and family came and they laughed at my jokes. It was a blast!
How do audiences typically respond to clean comedy, especially in a world where edgy humor often dominates?
If it’s funny, they laugh. If it’s not, they don’t. It’s probably fair to say that if you are performing in a bar show, or at a regular comedy club, audiences are comfortable with, maybe even expecting, that the jokes will be blue, course or shocking. But they don’t require that. Ultimately they want to laugh and expect the comics to be funny.
Who are your comedic influences, and how have they shaped your style?
I watch and listen to a lot of standup comedy. There are a lot of comics I like and who I think are really funny. I think Mike Birbiglia and Gary Gulman are smart and great writers and performers and I aspire to be like them.
Have you found that performing locally adds something special to your act? Any favorite venues or hometown crowd stories?
There is a vibrant comedy scene in DFW with lots of open mics and opportunities to perform. The only way to get better and test your material is by performing. I’m thankful there are lots of places and opportunities locally to go up. The Back Door Comedy Club in Richardson is a great place to go up.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about clean comedy?
I don’t know. There is a lot “clean comedy” out there. Practically all comics tell jokes that are “clean.” Whether a joke is clean or dirty probably isn’t the first thing people think about. If it is, they probably aren’t laughing. The first thing people should think about any joke is whether it’s funny. Maybe after that, they might realize it is also clean, but usually they don’t think that much about it.
What advice would you give to aspiring comedians trying to find their voice while staying true to themselves?
Write jokes that are funny to you and tell them as often as you can. If it’s not funny to you, don’t tell it, or work on it until it is.
