Not Your Average Joe
Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk to Joe Gerics—in my pajamas—in my kitchen. I mean, we weren’t both in my pajamas or my kitchen—just me, but that’s the magic of Zoom. Before you judge, you know you’ve all done it this past year over Zoom, Teams, join me, or whatever video conferencing platform you use. Over morning coffee, Joe and I discussed playing guitar, comedy, and the town we both live in and love. Fairfield.
Joe’s a comedian, do-it-yourselfer, entrepreneur, aspiring guitarist, and loving husband. He’s got a parts-caster (a Fender guitar he built himself) among other guitars, and I told him all about my latest addition, an American Fender Precision bass. But out of the many things he is, most notably, Joe is a founder and owner of the Fairfield Comedy Club, a creator of the Free Standup Festival in NYC, and can be found weekly on Saturdays at the Fairfield Comedy Club. Don’t worry, NY, he’s also a regular at the New York Comedy Club. It all adds up to Joe being a well-rounded and likable guy in my book—that, and he put up with my onslaught of questions for the better part of an hour.
Photo Cred: Joe Gerics / joegerics.com
Joe’s comedic style leverages personal life experiences in self-deprecating, sparkly blue Vans sneaker-wearing, wife joke-cracking blend of comedy honed over the years in the NYC comedy scene and here in Connecticut. The interesting thing about Joe is he doesn’t care about trying to get “big” or trying to make it onto some famous stage we’ve all heard of from comedy specials. Nope, not Joe. He seems to get equal satisfaction from making the stage and giving others a place to perform.
About a decade ago, Joe’s comedy quest started when some friends convinced him to get up on stage. He was always a fan of comedy, but not a comedian until that moment; he took the stage and delivered his best five minutes, making his friends laugh and setting the course for a future in comedy. Though he claims that he hasn’t bombed frequently, he has bombed, and any comedian will tell you that’s a right of passage. Joe tells me he even bombed at Mohegan Sun, saying, “I just couldn’t get a laugh, and later that day the same set went really well.” Bombing for those who aren’t well-versed in the comedy world is when a comedian doesn’t get laughs. It’s a side-effect of trying, testing, and learning new material and honing their craft. All the best comedians have done it, from Jerry Seinfeld to some of Joe’s favorites like Mike Birbiglia, George Carlin, and Jim Jeffries.
If you want to watch Joe not bomb, get yourself ready to laugh and check Fairfield Comedy Club’s calendar for a show. You can catch him and his FCC partner Beecher anywhere from The Circle Hotel, JB Percival, Penfield Pavilion, The Scandinavian Club, SHU Community Theatre, and more.
Fairfield Comedy Club came to be organically when Mike moved back from New York to Connecticut and wanted to bring comedy with him. “What better way to have a place to perform than booking the shows yourself,” says Joe. Which is the sort of spark that ignited the upcoming Connecticut Comedy Festival features acts like Joe Birbiglia and a slew of other local and national comedians. “We weren’t sure comedy would work outside,” said Gerics of the age-old entertainment form typically set in dimly lit bars or theatres, “but it worked—really well too.” These outdoor events were a result of the pandemic and lack of entertainment options due to indoor restrictions. Fairfield Comedy Club hosted a slew of outdoor comedy shows that sold out and brought happiness and laughter to the community during a time we all needed it most. Big time comedians, such as John Mullaney, Pete Davidson, and Michael Ian Black - just to name drop a bit all graced their stages.
You can catch Joe Gerics, Beecher, and many other local and national comics in the many venues which Fairfield Comedy Club books. What could be better than a few drinks, dinner, and some comedy for a night out on the town in Fairfield? It’s just another reason Fairfield is such a great town to live in, dine out, and laugh.