Questions for Gary Fields, West Michigan's go-to guy for comedy
You've been in the comedy business for 25 years booking comedy and running Gary Fields Comedy Club. Before you started working with comedy in West Michigan, what was the scene like?
In West Michigan, comedy was a pretty hot item. That was before television had ‘Last Comic Standing' and all the comedy channels and the different comedy shows. For a long time in the ‘90s, I was ranked in the top 10 comedy clubs in America, and that was amazing. A&E actually came in and did a story about us that we were one of the only comedy clubs that survived in an under 150,000 population.
That's definitely something to be proud of.
Yes, it truly was. Because when you get to a bigger town like Lansing or Grand Rapids, there are a lot more people to draw from, and it's easier to survive. In a small town like Battle Creek, all the comics went away in the ‘90s.
How did you get involved in comedy?
Well, a long story short, I did a term paper on humor and comedy, and my English teacher reluctantly gave me a B on it and he told me in front of the whole class my humor in comedy would never get me anywhere. So that was kind of my catalyst.
How would you describe your sense of humor?
I try not to be corny, but I know sometimes [my sense of humor] is. I'm a joker. I like jokes, and I can remember every joke that I was ever told as a child. And I love to tell a good joke. Most comedians are observational.
Is there a go-to joke that you have?
Oh no, I love new stuff.
In your opinion, who's a timeless comedian?
Bill Cosby.
How so?
He's very clean, very clever, and he speaks of everyday occurrences. Everyone can relate to what he's saying.
What have you been working on lately?
Every week, we're at Firekeepers, where we do two free shows, and it's a great place to be because there's a lot of excitement there and we bring in all the national acts that I book from the Funny Business Agency.
What have you enjoyed about working with Firekeepers?
They're really professional. They run a pretty tight ship, and they're just nice people — very friendly. Like I said, it's really nice to work with a professional group.
How is booking acts at Firekeepers different from having your own comedy club?
Well, for me, it's kind of put me into semi-retirement because I actually do the shows and they take care of everything else. I do have to take care of the comedians in terms of their transportation and housing needs, so basically, I get to enjoy the show when I'm there.
That must have freed up a lot of time.
Oh truly. I have one day a week there, and I still do one weekend a month at the Red Ball Joint.
So, what have you been doing with all that free time?
I've got a lot of hobbies. I have a boat and a street rod; I've been able to catch up on a few things, workin' on my guitar playin'. Also, I'm a hypnotist, so I've been working on that. Want me to hypnotize you?
Maybe another time.
I've been working on my hypnotist show. Everybody says ‘Why would you want to be a hypnotist,' so I said, ‘Well, I put people to sleep when I talk to them anyway, might as well get paid for it.' And that's my line, and that's what I use.
Would you ever want to go back to owning your own comedy club?
Sometimes I would, I think about it, but I really enjoy this part of my life now. I get my comedy fix without all the hassle.
So semi-retirement's treating you pretty well?
Yes. It's a lot of fun this way.
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED, CONDENSED, AND EDITED BY LINDSAY PATTON-CARSON
PHOTO BY ROB ATKINSON
