Married life, children, lactose intolerance, sports and politics made for funny fodder at the Joe Torry Comedy Show at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture last week.
“Now I know why my daddy drank and my momma read the Bible. I’m married with three kids,” said Torry who was dressed in black jeans, black jacket and matching cap. “Kids mess up your time with your wife because they are the worst roommates and they hear everything.”
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The audience really got their laugh on as they related to many of Torry’s topics.
“They should have the Crips, Bloods and the KKK get on the plane and fight the war in Iraq. We’ve got proven killers in jail so why are we paying for them to eat? We should put them on a plane and let them fight the war.” Torry said.
Torry, who was raised in St. Louis with five siblings, currently resides in Los Angeles. The versatile entertainer, who has made strides on the big and small screen and of course in comedy, has visited the City of Pittsburgh on numerous occasions.
“It’s been a while since I visited Pittsburgh. I kind of missed it. I used to visit Pittsburgh when Nat’s was a bar. I used to go in there with $20, buy everyone a drink and come back with change,” he smiled, recalling the memory and endearing himself to older and younger Pittsburghers alike.
The evening, which was hosted by KDKA reporter Bob Allen, began with local comedienne Comma’ Dee who warmed up the crowd with her brand of humor.
“Black Friday people are crazy as Steeler fans,” she said. “They will run over your grandmother for a flat screen. (The thought of getting) hypothermia doesn’t matter.”
She had the audience rolling in their seats.
Next on the bill was local jazz keyboardist Kevin Howard and his band mellowed out the crowd with smooth renditions of John Legend’s “Ordinary People” and renditions of his band’s original music including “Desert Morning,” and “Random Groove.”
“Kevin Howard is one of our best local musicians who plays with his hands, head, elbows and everything else,” Allen said to a pumped up crowd.
Howard, a mainly self-taught musician, studied under Pittsburgh’s Jazz educator, Carl Arter. Howard has been on the Jazz scene for more than two decades. He has three CD’s “Special Edition,” “Collage,” and “Random Groove.”
The show ended with “The Baddest Band in the Land,” 76 Degrees West, a 10-piece jazz/funk/R&B group out of DC. The band took the audience on a journey into the past with renditions of old school jams like “Jungle Boogie,” “ Let’s Groove,” and “Hollywood Swinging.”
76 Degrees West also threw in some contemporary jams that made the audience stand up and dance in their seats like Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You.”
The band, which got its name from the longitude for D.C., has been in existence since 2008. Since that time, the group has skyrocketed in popularity playing to enthusiastic audiences along the East Coast. This was the band’s second appearance in The Steel City. They performed at the Black Family Reunion last summer.
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