Ep. 272 Taking Over the Evansville Comedy Scene with Jason Bell & Nich Bass

What happens when the local open mic scene becomes unbearable to deal with? You start your own show. In this episode of The Days Grimm Podcast, local stand-up comedians Jason Bell and Nich Bass stop by the studio to discuss taking over the Evansville comedy scene with their new venture, Comedy Underground. Brian Michael Day and Thomas Grimm sit down with the comedy duo to talk about the gritty reality of starting in stand-up comedy. The guys share hilarious and incredibly dark stories from their pasts, exploring how trauma can become a comedian's greatest asset on stage. Jason opens up about his unconventional upbringing living in the basement of an escort service, and how he turned his family's dark history of suicide and tragic accidents into a successful stand-up routine. Nick shares the story of his first time performing at Damsel's after years of privately writing jokes in a notebook. The group also reacts to this week's "Death of the Week," a bizarre hammer throw accident at a Colorado track meet. Later, they complain about difficult open mic crowds and explain why they launched their new monthly show in the basement of the Clover Club. If you are interested in the mechanics of writing jokes, handling a tough room, or just want to hear the unvarnished truth about grinding in a local comedy market, this episode delivers. This episode provides a raw, unfiltered look into the reality of the local comedy grind. It highlights the resilience required to get on stage, fail, rewrite, and eventually take control of your own destiny. Aspiring comedians will find immense value in hearing how Nich and Jason navigated bad rooms and hostile crowds to create a better platform for themselves and their peers. If you enjoyed this look into the local comedy scene, be sure to like this video, subscribe to The Days Grimm Podcast, and share it with a friend. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and support live, local comedy! TIMELINE : 00:00:00 - Introduction of Nich Bass and Jason Bell 00:11:25 - Death of the Week: Colorado Hammer Throw Incident 00:20:50 - Growing up in Chandler and Evansville 00:24:16 - Jason's childhood living beneath an escort service 00:36:15 - Nich's first time doing stand-up at Damsel's 00:40:36 - Jason's first time doing stand-up at Spanky's 00:46:15 - Using intense family trauma for dark comedy material 00:54:01 - Reviewing the Clover Club and its unique atmosphere 01:10:05 - The process of polishing jokes and pushing boundaries 01:16:04 - The Dark Moment: Dealing with disrespectful open mic crowds [The Days Grimm Podcast Links] YouTube:    / thedaysgrimm   Our link tree: linktr.ee/Thedaysgrimm GoFundMe account for The Days Grimm: https://gofund.me/02527e7c [The Days Grimm is brought to you by] Sadness & ADHD (non-medicated)