Lyons prescribes laughs for Med City
Mar. 2—ROCHESTER — Eric Lyons takes comedy seriously.
A stand-up comic and former comedy club manager, Lyons said he was disappointed to learn Rochester didn't have an active comedy club when he moved to the city last year. The longtime comedy club Goonies is currently looking for a new location to reopen.
"My thought when I moved here this summer was this is a very serious town," Lyons said.
He said it's a missing component for a city dominated by the health industry.
Research indicates laughter has measurable positive effects on health
.
"If you don't have a little laughter and levity, that can weigh on you a bit," he said.
Lyons managed a comedy club in Boise, Idaho, and has worked in and performed at comedy clubs in Seattle and Portland, Oregon.
Lyons approached several venues to host comedians he knew and worked with for shows.
"I have a ton of contacts," he said. "I figured I could use them here."
Sean Jordan, who performed at Kinney Creek Feb. 20, was the most recent comedian Lyons brought to town. Kinney Creek, Hidden World Vinyl Records and Janky Gear helped sponsor the free-admission show. Lyons' goal is to curate quality comedy and build an audience for it.
"The best way of doing that is to consistently put things together where the quality is high," Lyons said. "There's a lot of bad comedy out there."
Under the banner of "Dr. Goose," Lyons has set up three shows so far featuring touring comics he has met working in the industry who are on the road between venues.
The next one, featuring Seattle native Monica Nevi, will be March 17 at Hidden World Vinyl Records.
In between the Dr. Goose shows, people can catch weekly comedy open mics at Brothers Bar and Grill, 812 Broadway Ave. S.
Goonies, which shared space with the Crooked Pint at its former location on West Circle Drive, is currently closed. Club owners say they are looking at options to reopen and may have a public announcement in the coming weeks.
What: Stand-up comedy featuring Monica Nevi
Where: Hidden World Vinyl Records, 519 Second Ave N.W.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, March 17
