TEXARKANA, Ark. - This past fall's Fresh Pour Comedy Tour stop at Hopkins Icehouse was so successful, they're returning to what Fresh Pour mastermind Blake Lensing calls a good comedy town.
Fresh Pour Comedy tour brings Lensing, Andre "Big Dre" Price and possibly a third comedian to the downtown Hopkins stage for a Saturday, Jan. 18, comedy show. Doors open at 7 p.m. for an 8 p.m. start.
"We ended up having about 50 folks that came to see a couple comedians from Los Angeles and myself, and they were a great crowd. It was super fun. They were into it, probably one of the best shows of the fall tour, as far as how engaged the crowd was and how excited they were for comedy," Lensing said about a September show here, noting audience members begged them to return. "That felt good."
When Fresh Pour started its last tour, they were only in three states, but this tour takes them to eight. That's the kind of success they've seen.
Price is an Arkansas-based comedian but grew up in Chicago. "He's done it all. He's a Navy veteran. He's a dad. He's been a comic, I think, for about eight years, just touring clubs. He's one of the best comedians you'll ever see at working the crowd," Lensing said. Expect some great off-the-cuff humor and an in-your-face style, but he's still a softie.
"He's very likable," Lensing said. Comedy can head in any direction with "Big Dre." What's he find funny? Family and children, relationships, everyday problems. "He's got a really good joke about crackheads in his neighborhood," Lensing said.
"Big Dre" has performed with the likes of Martin Lawrence, Carlos Mencia and Mike Epps.
"Kind of old school back-of-the-bus kind of sense of humor, if that makes sense," Lensing said.
He anticipates a large turnout at Hopkins, he said. He advises that people get tickets in advance if they think they'll attend. This show already has many RSVPs.
What made Texarkana a great spot for their first Fresh Pour foray here?
"I sensed something from the people in the crowd afterwards that they just really like comedy. Some towns are just comedy towns, and everybody there just seemed to have a good sense of humor," Lensing said.
The Hopkins audience came to hear jokes and wanted to hear jokes, "and they were wiling to go with us, all the comedians wherever we wanted to go," he said.
Texarkana will be the second show of Fresh Pour Comedy's winter tour, sandwiched between stops in Grapevine and Austin, Texas, for the tour's first weekend.
Fresh Pour is bigger than any specific comedian, so Lensing is reaching out to other comedians to bring them into the group. "Every place we've gone to wants to have us back," he said.
(Tickets: $15 online presale or $20 at the door. Get tickets at the event page on Facebook or at Eventbrite.com. This show contains adult content, 21 and older audience.)