Simmons returns to Valpo for 2 shows
The Market Lounge & Comedy Club in Valparaiso may be closing at the end of 2022 but not before comedian Dwight Simmons performs there again.
He does two stand-up sets Dec. 2 at the venue, which opened in 2020. Steven Saylor and Will Hill open both shows.
“The Market is incredibly supportive. It’s a fun room. You don’t always get that in comedy where they treat you like rock stars,” said Simmons, of Indianapolis.
“It’s been nice to be able to see familiar faces in the audience that remember the jokes that you did last year and are excited about the new material you have going forward plus I was blown away with how good the food was at The Market. It’s a really good menu. All the food is made with love.”
Audiences at Simmons’ last shows at The Market Lounge & Comedy Club may help shape his comedy special, which will be filmed in January at The Comedy Attic in Bloomington.
“I will be working some new material to get that camera-ready,” said Simmons, who has released two comedy albums: 2018’s “Sip and Pass” and 2015’s “Pacifist Aggressive.”
“It’s about life, being newly married and navigating our political spectrum and a bit of goofiness to go in there as well. It’s 45 minutes of who I am as a comedian and who I am as a person. It will be a hopefully fun set with a lot of punchlines and laughter.
“I like diving into real life and exaggerating out stories. This particular set is a lot of things that happened during the lockdown and pandemic, me getting married, life after that and this new life we’re all adjusting to post-lockdown. I’ve always had a silly style so it’s adding my own unique touch to that.”
Not only do there tend to be familiar faces when Simmons returns to The Market Lounge & Comedy Club but some audience members stick around for multiple sets.
“Especially at this venue a lot of people will stay for both shows so I like to switch it up a bit. I am running material for the special so there definitely will be some crossover but the sets won’t be identical,” he said.
“I’ll bring some special merch for the people that come to The Market. I’m grateful for being in the stable of comics that got to perform there regularly and I hope whatever they do next is successful.”
Simmons is working with Cincinnati-based
Four By Three Productions, which produces and distributes independent films and comedy specials, for the filming in Bloomington.
“That’s where I started comedy. This is my first special so I’m very excited about it. It’s nice to be able to go to a room that I’ve been to a couple of times. It’s like a home game,” said Simmons, who began doing stand-up at open mics while attending Indiana University Bloomington.
Simmons, a self-proclaimed craft beer hound, can be seen hosting the web series BrewTube Comedy, which he created a few years ago to see what happens when local comedians are in local breweries.
He also has been a writer for the nationwide radio program “The Bob & Tom Show” for approximately three years.
“When I couldn’t go anywhere to travel it was something that I was able to do from home. It felt like it kept me mentally sharp where I couldn’t just sit around and watch Netflix and play video games all day,” Simmons said.
Simmons estimated that he travels close to 40 weeks annually for his comedy.
“Indianapolis is a great scene where I don’t always have to travel but most of my shows are on the road. I’ve done stand-up in Los Angeles, New York and the Upper Peninsula,” he said.
Closer to home, Simmons has spent three years as co-director of the annual Limestone Comedy Festival, which presents its 10th installment from June 1 to 3 in Bloomington.