Axis of Evil Comedy Tour in Chicago May 31
The Bastion spoke on the telephone with the charming and funny Sherif (thanks to Chicago-based comic Mike Cody for the introduction) and got the scoop on the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour's swing through Chicago at The Vic Theater this Thursday at 7:30.
Years ago - right after 9/11, as a matter of fact - the Bastion saw Axis of Evil co-founder Ahmed Ahmed performing stand-up at the Comedy Store in L.A., and was immediately impressed with him. We exchanged some congratulatory e-mails with him when he won the Richard Pryor Award For Ethnic Comedy at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and have been pleased to see the Axis comedy tour get exposure on NPR as well as CNN and Comedy Central, which has been airing a special about the Axis tour.
An early version of the Axis of Evil shows got started several years ago with a suggestion from L.A. Comedy Store owner Mitzi Shore that prompted a series of shows called Arabian Nights. Those shows evolved a bit more in 2005 the comedians decided to continue disarming some of the racial and political tension they experienced on a personal level by turning it into comedy. They've also been conscientious about choosing local Arab-American comedy talent from the cities they perform in to offer them some more experience and exposure.
Sherif met the Axis comedians in 2003, and has been having a great time with the shows. After giving corporate America a shot, and even running his own successful computer business, Sherif decided to give up a well-paying tech job to pursue comedy full-on, and has been busy performing and promoting ever since. He says he's taken some criticism for some of his comedy choices (making jokes about his religion, for example) but doesn't worry too much about random commenters on posted videos and appreciates the reaction audiences give him to personal life stories, rather than straight up "jokes."
What's the show going to be like? Well, here's a sampler platter of the performers you'll see at the Chicago show. Enjoy, then hit up Ticketmaster for what's sure to be a fun night. First, here's a clip of Sherif performing at the Funny Bone in Dayton:
Ahmed Ahmed:
Aron Kader:
Maz Jobrani:
