For almost four decades, comedian Killer Beaz has used his southern fried observations and unique delivery to keep his audiences laughing. Currently, this hilarious Mobilian is filling his work day with many new projects, but he is taking time out of his schedule to entertain his Mobile fans at Azalea Manor on Friday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.
When Lagniappe caught up with him, he was just days away from flying to Roatan, Honduras to catch a ride on the Carnival cruise ship “Freedom.” Once on board, Beaz will perform five shows on a cruise from Roatan to Galveston. After reaching Galveston, he will remain on the ship for another five shows on the way to Jamaica. For a comedian, this schedule can present a number of challenges. However, Beaz years of experience on the stage has allowed him to adapt to this unique comedic environment.
“It is something that takes a cat with a lot of experience to do it,” he explained. “I’m glad I’m not a newbie. On the cruise, I do R-rated shows, but I also do designated PG shows where kids will be in the audience. It takes a deep amount of material and lots of stage time to be able to keep the different shows separate. I do five totally different shows on the ship. It’s a daunting task.”
Beaz also admits that his ever-changing audience on the cruise ship as well as the show’s format can be challenging. When he plays a comedy club or theatre, Beaz says that he usually handpicks a complementary opening act to get the crowd “warmed-up and tweaked” for his set. He also says that his club/theatre audiences are filled with people who came to see him.
His cruise ship sets force him to perform for a “cold crowd” that are taking advantage of the excursion’s free entertainment. With each show, Beaz is forced to win the love of a different audience. However, he does admit that people watching has provided him with inspiration for new material, which he has incorporated into his act.
“People watching is 50 percent entertaining and 50 percent disturbing as hell,” Beaz said. “There are mutants out there. There’s eye candy, and there’s the stuff that makes you wanna pull ‘em out and stick ‘em in a fire.”
When he is not delivering laughs on the high seas, Beaz and his wife/manager Terri Beasley have been working with the Nashville-based On Air Broadcasting to create a “unique multimedia comedy outlet” called TheComedyBuzz.com. This website will provide 24/7 access to the stand-up of a plethora of comedians from across the nation. One way that this website will deliver the laughs is through a constant audio stream of stand-up comedy.
The most impressive comedy platform that TheComedyBuzz.com will feature is “Killer Beaz Presents,” which is filmed at Zanies Comedy Night Club in Nashville. This taped comedy show will feature comedians from New York to Utah and all points in between, who were all hand-picked by Beaz. As viewers watch the sets, links will provide access to merchandise from the comedian on stage. Beaz says that they have already filmed two episodes featuring comedians with “squeaky clean” material.
“We taped it in Nashville knowing that if we went squeaky clean and promoted like that, then the media in Nashville will get behind it,” explained Beaz. “It’s the Bible Belt. Even though they do all kinds of music and entertainment, a majority is country music oriented. The media people there got behind the squeaky clean concept.”
Killer Beaz fans will not only be able to catch him online but also on the television screen. Beaz will be returning for his third season on the Discovery Channel docudrama “Moonshiners.” However, viewers will see him on the show in a different capacity. Beaz will be working alongside the white lightning legends featured each week.
“They’ve expanded my role on the show,” said Beaz. “Now, they’re going to show me on camera learning how to make moonshine.”
Beaz’s appearance at Azalea Manor will feature two sets at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $20 for both shows. Tickets can be purchased online through Eventgroove.
