Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
Comedians Sam Miller and Lynette Manning set the comedic bar at Tenino’s Stone City Event Center extremely high, as the two comics filled the recently opened activity hub with laughter throughout the evening on Friday, Aug. 1.
Following the show, Miller reflected on the opportunity to perform at Stone City Event Center and what it meant for him and Manning to generate a night of laughter from the audience. He was grateful for Stone City Event Center for hosting such a welcoming environment throughout the event as well.
“I’ve been able to travel most of the country now, and there’s a divide between the cities and the more rural areas, but I think humor is a good way at bridging that gap,” Miller said. “There’s a lot to offer in cities, but out in the sticks, there’s a lot to offer out there, too. I’m very lucky that I get to experience the best in both worlds. I love doing comedy in Tenino, but I also love doing comedy in Chicago. You’d be surprised at how similar people in Tenino and Chicago are.”
Miller enjoyed his trip home to Thurston County.
Throughout his set, the local comedian was able to generate laughter from jokes detailing his local experiences throughout smaller cities in the county and state.
“It’s fun being in Tenino. I’m from Olympia, but I’ve always had a lot of love for the Rainiers, the Bucodas, the Yelms and the Teninos. It feels great to have that community come out and support. It was fun to poke fun at people a little bit, and also poke fun at Olympia,” Miller said. “The show was fantastic. Katie (Stann) and Bryce (Hughes) did such a good job.”
He was also thrilled with how his set in front of the jam-packed audience went. His jokes included everything from his own experience with homelessness and addiction to his affinity for “big women” and the road to finding sobriety.
“I was super happy with how my set went. It’s always challenging when I’m doing comedy in Thurston County, because there’s probably 20 or 30 people there that have seen me three or four times,” he said. “I want everybody at that show to have a good time, so I want to do material that’s very tested, which I know will get a big pop, but I also want to do new stuff.”
Miller was also gracious to work alongside Manning, a comedian he believes is on her way to becoming a routine headliner.
“Lynette Manning has become one of the most consistent and talented comedians in the Northwest. I’m enjoying having her open for me. She won’t be opening for anybody soon because Lynette Manning is on her way to becoming an established headliner. It’s just a matter of time,” Miller said. “She’s on fire right now. People don’t realize this, the comedians I work with, I want people to be funny. But consistency is so important, too. I want people to be consistent. Lynette has become very consistent. What’s funny is we were up in Birch Bay the next night (on Saturday, Aug. 2), and it was the same thing.”
Following his show in Tenino, Miller has hit the road for an upcoming tour across the United States. He performed in Nixia, Missouri, at the Ozark Event Center on Friday, Aug. 8, followed by a private show on Saturday, Aug. 9 in Little Rock, Arkansas, which is described as a recovery event on his website. He also performed at The Looney Bin in Little Rock on Sunday, Aug. 10.
After a brief hiatus, Miller returns to the road for a show on Wednesday, Aug. 20, in Bozeman, Montana, followed by a set on Thursday, Aug. 21, at the West River Comedy Club in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Eventually, he’ll return to Washington state for a set on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Bumbershoot in Seattle. His full schedule can be viewed online at www.SamMillerComedy.com/tix.
