Shawn Hansen’s Comedy Corner with Elvis Collins and friends

Shawn Hansen’s Comedy Corner with Elvis Collins and friends.

What to do on a Saturday night? I know, go to Kitty’s Restaurant at 123 Main Street in North Reading, Mass. and have yourself a nice bowl of Clam Chowder followed by a delectable Chicken Parmesan entrée. While enjoying great dining, sit back and laugh your head off as the back room in Kitty’s has mysteriously transformed into a comedy club hosting some of Boston’s best comics.

That’s what I did. On Saturday, Jan. 23, Kitty’s Comedy hosted Elvis Collins, Kelly MacFarland, and Juston McKinney.

“I’m Elvis Collins, Kelly MacFarland, Juston McKinney,” said Collins introducing everyone as the original Leprechaun tour. “Actually, I think MacFarland is a Scottish name, but that would just ruin this joke.”

Going up on stage, MacFarland looked at the audience, front row in particular, and noticed a man eating Haddock.

“I look at that, I want to snort that. It will be a little rough going in, but yum, momma wants some.”

Along with a slew of jokes, McKinney closed the night talking about how his parents were apparently illiterate because they spelt his name wrong.

“It’s spelled J-U-S-T-O-N. I come into this world a typo. Imagine if that was my name? Wouldn’t that be a cool name? ‘What’s your name?’ Typo. ‘Really? How do you spell it?’ However you want.”’

After the show, sitting down with Collins, he said, “The gentleman who books the room is Todd Kane. He has been doing comedy for about four years, and has been real generous, and he’s been helping me a lot.”

Shooting the breeze with McKinney, sharing advice for inspiring comics, he said if you want it, give it all you have.

“Go up there, get up on stage as much as you can, it’s all about stage time. There’s no short cut to developing your stage presence,” said McKinney.

He said, you should record all of your shows, keep everything that works, and if it doesn’t work, throw it out, or rework it.”

A few nights after Kitty’s comedy, April Macie, and Pauly Shore who will be in Boston on separate occasions coming up shared their thoughts of inspiration.

Macie said, “You can’t get discouraged. You’re not going to be George Carlin over night. It takes years to build an act, and don’t think you’re going to be the one comic whose not going to get away with not bombing.”

She said at first your going to fail, but you have to remember to keep getting up, and going out there.

On the other side of the inspirational fence – if you will, Shore said, “Don’t do it unless you need to do it. There’s no reason to do it unless it becomes your life style. If you do it, just try, and tell the truth.”

McKinney has a CD called, “I’m not making this up.” It’s a great CD; go to his Web site and buy one today. If you want to see Collins Comedy, go to www.elviscollins.com. For MacFarland Comedy, go to www.kellymacfarland.com, and for McKinney Comedy, go to www.justonmckinney.com. You can find everything Macie at www.aprilishilarious.com. Shore’s Web site is www.paulyshore.com.

Other comedy blogsites are http://www.smokingcoolcat.blogspot.com, and http://funymail.blogspot.com/.