Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

The Hold My Beer Haul Yuh Mic Comedy Tour continues to make its way around the country,  showcasing local talent to growing audiences. The initiative, the brainchild of comedian Rhea-Simone Auguste, has more than tripled in participation of comedians since its inception.

Auguste said she began the Haul Your Mic comedy showcase and platform in 2018 after performing as the opening act for Randy Glasgow’s Alternative Comedy Festival and realising there was a need for a platform for comedians, herself included, to practice their craft and work out material. The show quickly gained a following at Kaiso Blues Cafe and Auguste pledged to keep the platform going so comedians can practice. “Other open mics are mixed and don’t give you critical raw feedback. A lot of people think it’s easy to tell jokes on stage but stand-up takes a lot of work. There are structures, you have to do a lot of writing and tweaking and testing to make sure jokes land well and you can segue from one topic to a next smoothly. It’s not just telling jokes, it’s more a mix of jokes and storytelling, sometimes music or spoken word included depending on the comedian’s style. A lot of people have tried our Open Mics and only a few succeed. The platform was developed to discover and nurture comedic talent with an eye toward strengthening the industry. There are opportunities for good comedians but getting them requires building your brand and introducing people to your comedic style. This platform assists as we help expose patrons to new comedic talent and we help the comedians with building their fan base locally. “

She said the name Hold My Beer was chosen as the name for this year’s Haul Yuh Mic tour “as we typically use the bar areas in restaurants, lounges and clubs. It’s an adult comedy open mic. The phrase comes from a meme where someone tries something ridiculous but asks someone to “hold my beer” before they do it.”

Auguste said there has been a positive response to the series thus far. “People generally enjoy laughing. We’ve picked up a few regulars who attend the shows because no two shows are the same. It is the only comedy open mic in the country and we always get a decent crowd wherever we go because people gravitate towards the sound of laughter. Comedy is cathartic. It’s said that laughter is the best medicine and I think from a societal standpoint, comedy helps people relieve stress.”     

She said there has been an expansion in the comedic industry since the series began. “We started doing Haul Yuh Mic with 10 comedians and now there are over 35 active comedians working their material at shows with new people joining us every month. The last year has seen a lot of incredible talent surfacing and we hope to see more people come out to try it. Last year’s winners include: Carlon George, now doing his Relatable show, Louris Lee Sing, who’s currently doing FemCom shows at Euphoria lounge, National Poetry Slam host Thaddy Boom, Caricomedy Community Leaders of Stand Up member Jerome Richardson, Josiah Fernandes, and Fareed G. Ali.”

Auguste said stand-up comedy is a growing industry worldwide and she hopes some of the comedians developing their craft here will one day transition to the international market. “At this time, we have a lot of comedians who work material that has a lot of local content but there are some who do material that has international appeal because it is relatable. We’re hoping that by next year, we would have enough solid talent to do shows at bigger venues locally and regionally. Globally, stand-up comedy is a billion dollar industry. It makes sense to cultivate the talent so when international eyes turn to the Caribbean, we would be ready with performers that meet the international standards.”

In May, the Hold My Beer tour will feature shows every Saturday at Cottage Cafe in South Park Plaza, every Wednesday at Club Reign in Valpark Shopping Plaza, the second Thursday of every month at Kaiso Blues Cafe, a pop-up show at The Hillside Bar in Gran Couva on May 24 and Woodford Cafe at Price Plaza on May 30. Tickets cost $100. There is a sign up process for those interested in performing. Email bookyouractnow@gmail.com for more information on Open Mic opportunities and check out @SimmyTheTrini or @HaulYuhMic on social media. Patrons can get Open Tickets for the Hold My Beer Tour and any shows in 2019 by calling the dedicated Ticket Hotline: 780-7859.