Comedy can be a unifying factor, bringing masses under one roof. It can make people blush, incite anger, bring about a point or, maybe most importantly, bring laughter. Laughter should not be an afterthought, but as fast as some modern comedians talk – or sing depending on your preferred method of delivery – it can be just as easy to walk away from a comedy club with some absurd, albeit thoughtful, insight, as well as a split side.
Nick Guyton is a firm believer in the varied powers of laughter. In fact, he has decided to spread the wealth of a smile with his new brainchild, the Columbus Comedy Club. Starting the club is really a labor of love for Guyton, who is a native of Columbus, and attended his first open-mic there. It was hosted at Zachary’s, a local Main Street pub in Columbus. Guyton said he wants to see more open-mic nights, like the one he attended in the northern part of Mississippi, for good reason.
“There’s no reason at least 10 people here at Mississippi State University couldn’t make it big..,” he said when asked about the talent pool.
Guyton said he really wants this open mic night to be successful, if only for the reason of broadening people’s horizons.
“We can spin tales down here, and I do not think there is any greater outlet than to do that on stage to make people laugh,” Guyton said.
He hopes to bring in droves of people to Zachary’s, which is not such a lofty goal. With 20,000 plus people in the immediate 40-mile area, there must be at least a few people with a funny bone or, at the most, the moxie to hop on stage to try a few jokes.
“Even if you get one laugh, count it as a tremendous success,” Guyton said.
Guyton is off to a great start with the setup. He nailed down the venue with no problem.
“I had four or five places in mind … I contacted them (Zachary’s) and the first time I called, they were on board,” he said.
Apparently, this is an idea residents in and just outside of Columbus can get excited about. Guyton plans to host the open mic on the last Tuesday of each month, just enough to whet the audience’s appetite and give developing comics time to work on new material. When asked about his personal comedy act, Guyton said he is dedicated to his craft and practices often.
“It is not narcissism, but I do videotape my performances … to work on my timing and delivery,” he said.
With role models like George Carlin and Patton Oswalt, it is easy to see where the fire comes from.
It doesn’t take a world-wide comedy tour to get behind a microphone to tell a few funnies, but Guyton admits it is different.
“People watch shows like ‘American Idol’ and they think, ‘I could get on there and I could sing’,” Guyton said. “Nobody watches Comedy Central and thinks they could do it, but they could … funny or not, you can work on it.”