3 NIGHTS. 15+ SHOWS. 100+ Comics. Downtown Paris,TX. January 23-25, 2025
Ready to Laugh.....
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All about it.....
The Tower City Comedy Festival....
brings in over 100 comics, podcasters and more to downtown Paris Texas to perform over three days. They participate in panels, clinics and other industry growing seminars.
Starting in 2019, Tower City Comedy has become one of the premier festival for working comics in Texas and the South.
Performers come from...
All over the country and even the world. Comics find really useable networking connections and education to further their careers.
Treated Like Royalty. Kind of....
- All selected comics have access to:
- Hospitality Suite with free meals and drinks.
- Fest Bags with "goodies"
- Discounted hotel rooms
- Access to Panels, Clinics, and podcasts.
- This year we have parties and even a kick ass Texas BBQ!
2025 SHOWS
DOUG BENSON
LINDA STOGNER
DOUG BENSON
Doug Benson is known for his popular podcasts (Doug Loves Movies and Getting Doug With High), his films (Super High Me, The Greatest Movie Ever Rolled, Chronic-Con: Episode 420), appearances on TV shows like @midnight, The Trailer Park Boys and You're The Worst, and for presiding over The High Court as ‘Judge Doug’ on Comedy Central.
GENE POMPA
LINDA STOGNER
DOUG BENSON
Gene Pompa’s television credits include numerous appearances on Comedy Central,
Conan O’Brien and several appearances on The Late, Late Show on CBS. Other credits include
Stand Up For The Troops on CMT, HBO, BET, Scrubs and In Living Color. Most recently he had
the honor of entertaining our women and men in uniform in South Korea and Japan.
He has starred in two Happy Madison films “Just Go With It” and “Bucky Larson: Born
To Be A Star”.
Gene’s offbeat perspective seems to go over extremely well with the junior college age
audience. As well as crosses all racial and ethnic lines. He headlines regularly at comedy clubs
across the country; doing a stand-up show with great social relevance and irrelevance.
Gene was born in East Los Angeles and raised in the working-class suburbs of Southern
California. He’s been a Mexican-American for most of his life, except for a few years during the
80’s, when he was a “practicing Chicano”.
LINDA STOGNER
LINDA STOGNER
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
“Her mind is cracked - very funny!”
– Joan Rivers
Emmy-award winner, Linda Stogner, is a true original with a unique comedy style. Her zany imagination, storytelling skills and unusual point of view have earned her many comedy honors including her own Dry Bar Comedy Special, “Linda Stogner; Welcome to My Planet,”Funniest Comic in Texas, Funniest Female Comedian in the Heartland and Finalist in the The Funniest Woman in America Contest. The comedian/filmmaker has appeared in the Emmy Award winning PBS/ABC television series, “Life 360.” She has also appeared in American Network’s LOL Comedy Special and The Joan Rivers Comedy Special.
She has performed at comedy festivals and competitions around the country including the prestigious HBO’s Women in Comedy Festival and Laughing Skull Comedy Festival. She was a semi-finalist in both the Seattle International Comedy Competition and the Boston Comedy Festival and a finalist in the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. Linda has worked with Dave Chappelle, Arsenio Hall, Kathleen Madigan, Brian Regan, Ryan Hamilton, Elayne Boosler, Bruce Bruce, Bill Maher, Janeane Garofalo, Jon Reep and Joan Rivers.
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Such a fun and new show! Comics take turns leading tour groups to actual points of hisrorical interests, that they make up their version on their own. Sponsored by Sundae in Paris!
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Imagine performing at midnight by candlelight in a 100 year old basement, while a Paranormal Speciallist takes EPV readings during your set. Well that's the kind of wacked out #$%* we come up with!
GEORGE ASSILY Roast Battle
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
A tradition at TCCF, is the Annual Roast Battle, where the victor gets the following year's event named after them and are invited back to host it.
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
A group of comics perform stand up they have no idea what the topics are until given to them on the spot. Watch some of the quickest names in comedy turn a laugh or a complete bomb. Either way it's a great time!
2024 SHOWS
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
Laurie Kilmartin is stand up comedian and an Emmy-nominated, WGA award-winning comedy writer. She was a staff writer for all 11 years of CONAN on TBS, and has performed standup on CONAN, Late Late Show w/James Corden, and Comedy Central. She was a Top 10 finalist on season 9 of NBC's Last Comic Standing, and has been a guest on Marc Maron's WTF 3 times. Her first book, Shitty Mom, was a NY Times bestseller. Her special 45 Jokes About My Dead Dad, was named Vulture 's Top Ten Comedy Specials of 2016. She appeared on Episode 1 of Hillary Clinton’s 2022 Apple TV series Gutsy. Her 3rd album Corset was released in Oct of 2021- buy or stream Corset.
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
FRANCISCO RAMOS IS A VENEZUELAN-AMERICAN STAND-UP COMEDIAN WHO WAS PART OF THE FIRST EVER NETFLIX IS A JOKE FESTIVAL HELD IN LOS ANGELES. HE CAN BE SEEN CURRENTLY ON THE NETFLIX HIT SHOW “GENTEFIED”. HE DIRECTED, CO-WROTE AND STARRED IN HIS DEBUT COMEDY SHORT “ZOO ANIMALS”, WHICH WAS ACQUIRED BY HBO MAX TO STREAM ON THEIR PLATFORM. HE ALSO SHOT A STANDUP SPECIAL “ENTRE NOS” FOR HBO. HE WAS A TOP-TEN FINALIST ON LAST COMIC STANDING AND HAS APPEARED IN SHOWTIME’S SHAMELESS,” AND VOICING THE ROLE OF MARMOSET IN THE ANIMATED FILM “RIO” AND PART OF CARTOON NETWORK SHOW “VICTOR AND VALENTINO.”
FRANCISCO WAS CHOSEN TO BE PART OF LORNE MICHAEL’S “MAS MEJOR” WHICH HAS BECOME A PREMIUM COMEDY CONTENT STUDIO POWERED BY LATINO VOICES. BUILDING ON THAT FOUNDATION HE DIRECTED & CO-WROTE ZOO ANIMALS WHICH WAS LICENSED BY HBO, WHICH CAN BE SEEN CURRENTLY ON HBO MAX. ZOO ANIMALS WAS ALSO ACCEPTED TO OVER A DOZEN FESTIVALS, INCLUDING JUST FOR LAUGHS.
EARLY IN HIS CAREER, FRANCISCO WAS SELECTED TO PERFORM IN THE CBS MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY SHOWCASE, WHERE HE WAS ONE OF 12 SELECTED FROM A POOL OF 5,000 APPLICANTS. HAVING WON FIRST PLACE IN THE LUCILLE BALL COMEDY FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY NBC/COZI TV, AMERICAN LATINO PRODUCED A DOCUMENTARY ON FRANCISCO ABOUT HIS RISE AS A COMIC FOR LATINO OUT LOUD (LOL).
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Derrick Keener is a comedy purist who identifies comedy and gives forth funny in
every dimension. A physical comic with the enhanced talents of song, mimic and
impersonations, Derrick is organically gifted and has been thrown amongst the ranks
of the greats. He gets in where he fits it because there is no amount of preparation
needed for him to fill in the cracks where seasoned comedians used to be. He’s fresh
and new with the skills of a comedian whose done it all of their lives. His delivery is
relatable to mass appeal audiences and he adjusts himself seamlessly in any room.
Described as the new version of old school comedy, Derrick is gaining momentum
amongst talent bookers and promoters all over the U.S. From his great story telling
to his spot-on timing, his funny has a rhythm that audiences find naturally
embraceable. It's easy to see why this Arkansas native has Hollywood written all over
him. His versatility makes him a hit anywhere. Whether it's on tour with David and
Tamela Mann (Tyler Perry's, Meet the Browns), being the official host of The Louisiana
Black Heritage Festival, or featuring for famed Comedian Earthquake, this young
man is guaranteed to deliver.Currently tapped by BMG, Inc. as their new go-to- guy
for all things newly emerging, Derrick Keener has presently landed a spot with the
coveted Celebration of Praise Tour with the beloved Fred Hammond. His comedic
brand was a shoe in for the cohesive glue the bound the run of show beautifully.
Derrick is the son of a preacher who got his start in comedy on the campus of Prairie
View A&M University where he majored in theatre. His theatre coach told him to
consider stand-up comedy and then he provided Keener with a platform; and
Derrick hasn't looked back since.
From stage plays the likes of Marriage Material and Love Overboard or comedy
specials like Comics Edge or Uncontrolled Comedy, Derrick has been on a tear any
time he touched the mic. One promoter put it like this "Derrick Keener is a star. I'm
just waiting on the rest of the world to see it’…and it’s possible the rest of the
world will see it as he approaches the eve of one of America’s most sought after
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Sundae in Paris Hysterical Tour
Such a fun and new show! Comics take turns leading tour groups to actual points of hisrorical interests, that they make up their version on their own. Sponsored by Sundae in Paris!
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Imagine performing at midnight by candlelight in a 100 year old basement, while a Paranormal Speciallist takes EPV readings during your set. Well that's the kind of wacked out #$%* we come up with!
Patrick Sisk Roast Battle
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
Seance Comedy Show sponsored by TownsendFox
A tradition at TCCF, is the Annual Roast Battle, where the victor gets the following year's event named after them and are invited back to host it.
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
OFF THE CUFF
A group of comics perform stand up they have no idea what the topics are until given to them on the spot. Watch some of the quickest names in comedy turn a laugh or a complete bomb. Either way it's a great time!
2023 Alumni
Todd Glass
Paul Varghese
JIMMY PARDO
Tosh.O, Comedy Central, Netflix and host of the Todd Glass Show! A national treasure, who's fits of anger on stage make forsome of the best comedy.
JIMMY PARDO
Paul Varghese
JIMMY PARDO
A seasoned veteran of comedy clubs and late night television, Jimmy Pardo has appeared on such shows as The Tonight Show, Conan, The Late Late Show and his own half hour special on Comedy Central. Most recently he was the host of the critically acclaimed Science Channel show Race To Escape. Jimmy regularly appears on TBS’ Conan as a panel guest, but he has also been Conan’s go-to warm-up, field correspondent, sketch player and even fill-in cohost. He has also conducted some very unconventional celebrity backstage interviews for Teamcoco.com‘s “The Pardo Patrol.”
In 2006, Jimmy Pardo became a podcasting pioneer when he began hosting the raucous-but-smart weekly podcast Never Not Funny, which Entertainment Weekly called “one of the sharpest and gut-bustingest shows on the Internet.” The show has been named a top comedy podcast by The AV Club, Esquire, GQ and USA Today, and its guest list (Conan O’Brien, Jon Hamm, Richard Lewis, Zach Galifianakis and Sarah Silverman, just to name a few) reads like a Who’s Who of Hollywood
Paul Varghese
Paul Varghese
Paul Varghese
Paul Varghese insists he’s committed to making his career on stage, and doing it from Dallas. He already is, actually: He’s had a Comedy Central special, tours colleges and clubs and festivals around the country, and last year opened for Dave Chapelle during his impromptu swing through Texas.”
And there’s more: Varghese won the 2013 Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, a bracket of talent to rival anything March Madness can bring. This is all to say, Varghese has established himself as a top American comic and taken some of the biggest stages in the country, all before releasing his first CD.
Tower City Headliner Alumni
Jasmine Ellis 2022
Jasmine Ellis 2022
Jasmine Ellis 2022
Dry Bar, NPR's top 20 Comedy Album of 2022
Steve Byrne 2022
Jasmine Ellis 2022
Jasmine Ellis 2022
Comic, Director, actor, writer, Steve Byrne has has specials on Netflix, Comedy Central, and Showtime. Most noted for costarring role in TBS' "Sullivan and Sons".
Bill Dwyer 2022
Jasmine Ellis 2022
Joey Johnson 2022
Host on Battle Bots, Comedy Central Presents, Last Comic Standing and Parks and Recreatiion and more!
Joey Johnson 2022
John Wessling 2021
Joey Johnson 2022
Joey was our 2021 Roastbattle Winner and in a idea, we bring the winner back to host the following year and name the show after them! So enjoy the Joey Johnson Roast Battle!
Ralph Harris 2021
John Wessling 2021
John Wessling 2021
Movies like "Dream Girls" and "Evan Almighty", TV appearances like Seinfeld, A Comedy Central special, and a HBO half hour special makes Ralph Harris a Legend in Comedy!
John Wessling 2021
John Wessling 2021
John Wessling 2021
Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central, Live at Gotham, and the Roast oof Jeff Foxworthy. John Wessling is also a regular on Carnival Cruise Lines
Jimmy Pardo 2020
Jenny Zigrino 2020
Shane Torres 2020
Our largest crowd ever was held in court by the never dissappointing Pioneer of Comedy Podcasting Jimmy Pardo. Never Not Funny, That 70's show, Conan, and more!
Shane Torres 2020
Jenny Zigrino 2020
Shane Torres 2020
Vulture magazine called his Guy Fieri bit on Conan was one of the top 100 bits of the 2000's.
Jenny Zigrino 2020
Jenny Zigrino 2020
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Bad Santa 2, Drunk History on Comedy Central, at Midnight, with Chris Hardwick, Conan, what has she not done!.
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Quirky and lovable, Fairbanks was our first. His Conan appearance is one of our top 10. His style is not replicable.
Eric Schwartz 2019
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Eric Schwartz 2019
His ability to insert music into his act, make him a super exciting fun show to watch.
Sarah Tiana 2019
Chris Fairbanks 2019
Eric Schwartz 2019
From Reno 911 to Light's Out with David Spade to Rob Riggle's side kick, she's America's Sweetheart comic.
The venues
Tower City Comedy
12 First Street NE
Downtown Paris Texas
South Main Iron
255 1st St SW
Downtown Paris Texas
Rigby's CIgar Lounge
10 North Plaza
Downtown Paris TX
The Cellar on First Street
28 SE 1st Street
Downtown Paris, Tx