Portland is a hotbed of terrific comedy talent, which is why the Mercury is proud to book the best local, established comedians (as well as hot, rising newcomers!) for our annual Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy show on Saturday, September 21 at Revolution Hall! Lovers of local comedy already know that the Geniuses of Comedy is the most hilarious stand-up showcase of the year—which means you better get your tickets quick at merctickets.com, because it will sell out.
Need further evidence this show will make you laugh your guts out? Then let’s meet the Mercury’s 2019 Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy!
CORINA LUCAS
Despite (or perhaps thanks to) her Catholic upbringing, Corina has become one of the most sought-after comedians in the scene. Delightfully honest and sweetly raunchy, Corina was a favorite at the Portland Queer Comedy Festival and SF Sketchfest, co-hosts The Gay Agenda monthly stand-up show, recently recorded her first comedy album, AND placed second at this year’s Portland’s Funniest Person contest! Don’t accidentally die without witnessing Corina in her hilarious glory!
SHAIN BRENDEN
Another top three finalist in 2019’s Portland’s Funniest competition, Shain Brenden also hosts two very popular local shows: Dough, performed weekly at Mississippi Pizza, and the late-night Kickin’ It at Kickstand Comedy. He’s performed at multiple comedy fests around the country and you may also recognize him from the chat show Blazers Outsiders on NBC Sports NW. However, he’s most proud of having thrown a half-eaten corn dog at Eli Manning during a 2003 Memphis vs. Ole Miss game, which got stuck in the quarterback’s helmet. That alone makes Shain a comedian to watch!
DYLAN CARLINO
New to the scene and already hot, hot, HOT, Dylan started his comedy career in Massachusetts, where he opened for the great Phoebe Robinson and performed in the High Mud Comedy Fest. Locally, he’s appeared at the Portland Queer Comedy festival, the Mercury’s Talkin’ Dirty sex-ed show, and he co-hosts The Gay Agenda with fellow Genius of Comedy Corina Lucas. And... oh, yeah! He also made the 2019 Portland’s Funniest finals... but he’s not one to brag. Here’s your chance to hop on the Dylan train!
SHRISTA TYREE
Shrista is the host of two hip-hop shows, the co-host of the Mercury’s sex-ed comedy show Talkin’ Dirty with Shrista & AJ, AND the proud owner of a massive dildo collection—plus she’s also one of Portland’s most exciting comedy talents. Shrista has a varied skill set which she brings to her stand-up, which includes some very funny opinions on the subject of sex (in particular, pink nipples). Quick-witted, nasty, and sweet, Shrista is one of Portland’s most interesting and hilarious comics.
EDDIE SU
Hailing from Taiwan, Eddie’s comedy centers around the shock he experiences navigating gay culture in America—and it is so funny. After charming the pants off (not literally) of the audience at this year’s Portland’s Funniest competition, he’s been making a name for himself as one of the hottest new talents in the scene. (His hobbies include working on pronouncing the word “fuck” and watching white people get lost in Asian grocery stores.)
WENDY WEISS
The Mercury adores comedian Wendy Weiss because she combines Portland’s three greatest loves: stand-up comedy, teaching, and stripping. She’s also the host of her own podcast, Dark Tales with Wendy Weiss, which documents the Northwest’s creepiest stories, and these dark, hilarious sensibilities regularly spill over into her comedy, which nabbed her a semi-finalist spot in the Portland’s Funniest Person competition. Currently she's somewhere trying to trim her own bangs for a stripper's look on a teacher's wage.
LANCE EDWARD
If you love your comedy mixed with great storytelling, Lance is the comedian for you. This comedy veteran with 11 years in the business relies on his razor-sharp wit and old school, over-the-top energy to keep the laughs rolling in. Expect tons of whip-smart observational comedy that includes the highs and lows of modern weed, and the various (and unnecessary) flavors of Cheerios.
DIANNA POTTER
Though Dianna started her stand-up career just recently after celebrating her 60th birthday, she’s already killing it around town, and on her first try made it to the top 12 of the Portland’s Funniest competition. What makes her stand-up so endearing is that she’s one of those rare comics who has a very particular and interesting point of view, covering topics such as sex and drugs in the ’70s and her (uninvited) visits to various correctional facilities. Dianna is one to look out for!
D&D
Sketch comedy duo D&D (David Wester and David Burnett) use comedy to explore the mysteries of the unknown—the universe, the psyche, and the absurdity of masculinity. Having never lived up to their fathers’ standards of lawn care, the Davids began their collaboration in 2016 and have quickly become favorites at the Siren Theater, the Portland Sketch Comedy Festival, and Seattle Sketchfest. They’ve been described as “smart and strange,” and “[like] Neil deGrasse Tyson and Jason Bateman were in a sketch comedy duo together.”
TORY WARD
Tory is sharp as a goddamn tack—which is something you already know if you’ve seen this Portland-based comedian in any of her many gigs around town. But she’s also a founder of the very fun and influential Undertow Comedy Fest, co-hosts the For the Birds weekly show at the Nest and has previously appeared at the All Jane Comedy Festival and the Portland’s Funniest competition. Get ready for a lot of laughs on topics such as death, prescription drugs, and foreskin. Yay!
BEN HARKINS
Originally from Pittsburgh, the delightfully dry Ben Harkins is a seven-year comedy veteran whose unsweetened wisdom and deadpan delivery have made him an audience favorite throughout the Pacific Northwest. His subversive material attacks everything from the extinction of various species to the cost of pizza—Little Caesar’s, to be specific. He’s the host of Dark Web Tonight, a live late-night video clip show at Kickstand Comedy, a YouTube series called Ben Harkins for Men, and he has some very wise things to say about Dollar Tree.
AND DON’T FORGET YOUR HOST... NARIKO OTT!
As a three-time host of the Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy, Nariko finally knows what he’s doing and will host the shit out of this show—so don’t miss it!
IMPORTANT REMINDER: You can bet your butt that a night with this many laughs will sell out quick—so don’t mess around! GET YOUR TICKETS (at merctickets.com) NOW!
