Thanks to our Sponsors..
All about it.....
2019 was our first year...
over 50 comics, podcasters and more were selected and traveled to downtown Paris Texas to perform over three days.
2020, adds another stage and 5 more shows including show cases, headliners, roast battles, and improv shows.
Last Year's headliners included...
Chris Fairbanks (Comedy Centra, Conan)
Sarah Tiana (Comedy Central, Fox)
Eric Schwartz (Netflix, NBC)
2020 promises to add even more national touring headliners and feature performers.
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.
2020 Headliner Jimmy Pardo
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. Never Not Funny also hosts the annual Pardcast-a-Thon fundraiser, a 12-hour marathon webcast to benefit Smile Train. To date, the Pardcast-A-Thons have raised over one million dollars for the charity.
2020 headliner jenny zigrino
Jenny Zigrino
With the sweetness of the Midwest and the iron balls of the East Coast, Jenny Zigrino is a comedian that packs a punch of truly original humor. She's charmed audiences across the country with her keen wit, observations, embarrassing anecdotes, and brilliantly honest for a compelling performance you can't ignore.
She made her late night standup debut on Conan O'Brien and keeps going back for a total of three appearances. She’s been a guest on the hit shows @Midnight, MTV's Girl Code and Adam Ruins Everything and featured on TBS, Oxygen, TruTV, Fox, and more. She created, wrote & starred in the Comedy Central Digital series Bad Ass Bitches of History showcasing bad ass babes through time. A rising star in Hollywood, her first film appearance was a leading role in 50 Shades of Black with Marlon Wayans and went on to star opposite Billy Bob Thorton in Bad Santa 2.
A Just For Laugh's New Faces Showcase alumna, Jenny has performed at festivals across the country including The New York Comedy Festival, Women in Comedy Festival, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Moontower Comedy Festival, and many more.
2020 Headliner Shane torres
Shane Torres
Shane Torres is a stand up comedian, writer, actor, and podcaster. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Shane landed in Portland, Oregon and began his comedy career. Shane has performed on festivals all over the globe including Montreal’s Just For Laughs, Comedy Central’s Clusterfest, San Francisco Sketchfest, Bonnaroo, Outsidelands, Bumbershoot, Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin, Red Clay Comedy Festival, High Plains in Denver, Laughingskull, New York Comedy Festival, Laughfest, and many more.
His television appearances to date have included Conan twice, Comedy Central Half Hour Special, IFC’S Comedy Bang Bang, NBC’S Last Comic Standing (barely), Tru Tv’s Comedy Knockout, NBC’s Red Nose Day, and Ron White’s Comedy Salute To The Troops on CMT. He has been heard on such popular podcasts such as Savage Love, All Fantasy Everything, Comedy Bang Bang, Doug Loves Movies and Bertcast. He tours frequently across the states and can often be found performing in a comedy club, theaters, and music venues near you. In March of 2019 his Comedy Central web series Shane Torres Conquers Fear is being released.
He has been reviewed by numerous media outlets including The New York Times, Onion AV Club, GQ UK, and more. His album Established 1981 came out in September of 2017 on Comedy Central records “Mr. Torres has a laconic drawling delivery with deliberate pacing, placing him firmly in the tradition of dry deadpan specialist like Tig Notaro and Todd Barry. But his style is warmer, relying on punchlines with corkscrew turns that have moments of vulnerability and even melancholy.” — The New York Times. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
The venues
Tower City Comedy
12 First Street NE
Downtown Paris Texas
The Blind Pig
119 S Main
Downtown Paris Texas
COMING SOON
Featured PErformers and Clinic
Lara Eastburn
Lara Eastburn | Facebook/Instagram Ads Specialist. AKA: Cut-up. Mother of Two. Wine lover. Word Geek. That Smarty Pants PhD Friend You Keep On Speed Dial. Lara started her first business when she was 12 and has been a champion for smaller business ever since. Self-professed “social media mixologist," she is a Facebook Ads expert with mad skills and a galactic clientele. Lara’s Southern as hell and doesn’t pull punches. Speak Human, Win The Internet. She will be hosting a clinic FREE to attendees.
Talk Show w/ Landry Miller
Talk Show Incorporated
w/ Landry Miller
(Comedy Central, Bojack Horseman)
Talk Show Incorporated is a character-driven comedy show hosted by Landry Miller, comedian and television writer, that features a line-up of hilarious stand up comedians. It’s a showcase packed with your favorite classic talk show elements with an underground, punk rock vibe. Come laugh at these talent comics and see what other surprise guests drop by the show!
The Brave Boys Podcast
The Brave Boys Podcast
The podcast tries to recreate the moments with comics before and after shows where drinks flow and jokes flow even faster. The live podcast features a new comedian every week to give the audience a glimpse into the comic’s life. With over two years of shows, hours of podcast episodes, hours of YouTube videos, and multiple appearances at other venues, The Brave Boys guarantee the goods. We’ve had Kevin McDonald of Kids in the Hall, David Liebe Hart from Tim and Eric, nearly all of the Funniest Comic in Texas finalists, as well as fantastic not-yet-famous local comics. The Boys work hard to support the DFW scene on a weekly basis; providing a place for the performers to shine on their own, a dedicated live audience, and consistent payment in more than “exposure”. We also coordinate the comedy for Denton’s Thin Line Film festival, the funds of which go to funding the arts. This backing has garnered several area sponsors who care about the development of local art and entertainment. Don’t believe us? Just ask Dallas Observer, who named us Best Podcast in DFW. Or ask Slovenia, where we’re the #1 Comedy Podcast for some reason.
SELF PRODUCING MEDIA
Brandon Davidson and Daryl Felsberg chair a panel on how to create, and distribute media on your own. Daryl shares how he produced and charted his CD on both iTunes and Billboard with out record label. Brandon joins in as they both talk about their upcoming Amazon Special "Dad Jokes". They share the secrets and risks of self producing a video fro distribution.
Coming Soon
COMING SOON
Coming Soon
COMING SOON
THE LINE UP......
With over 200 entries it takes a panel fo five judges from both inside the industry and outside to watch videos and score comics. We accepted the top 50 scores and will place them in shows and showcases that better fit them. Congratulations are in store for those who were selected or the 2020 Tower City Comedy Festival:
Cheryl Anderson Minneapolis, MN
Wes Corwin Dallas, TX
BK Sharad Denver, Co
Arash Tadjiki Salt Lake City , Ut
Tyler Wash Sydney, Ia
Alex Ansel Henderson, Nv
Henry Price Houston, Tx
Mary Upchurch Phoenix, Az
Zehava Glazier Tulsa, Ok
April Gallarty Portland, Or
Gains Kelly Ardmore, Ok
TV COrrales Dallas, TX
Josh Larsen Portland, Or
Ricky Gerro Lake Dallas, Tx
Gianmarco Soresi New York, NY
Barry Whitrwater Dallas, Tx
Clint Carroll, Whitehouse, Tx
MJ Moody Plano, TX
Michael Brown Little Rock, Ar
Steve Gemmill Fort Worth Tx
Terry Bluez Waco, TX
Arun Rama Irving, TX
Linda Stogner Dallas, Tx
Jeff Kohen Denver, Co
Dante Martinez Dallas, Tx
Ryan Perrio Irving Tx
Trevor Gertonson Chicago, Ill
Mike Honore Baton Rouge, La
Matt Ziemak Tucson, Az
Anthony Walton Denton, Tx
Casey Flesch Minneapolis, Mn
Irma Ruiz San Antonio, Tx
Jonathon Pace Austin, Tx
Marissa Nieto Dallas, Tx
Josh Lathe Oklahoma City, Ok
Tracy Kellett Colorado Springs, Co
Landry Miller Tulsa, Ok
Drew Harmon San Fransisco, Ca
Rick Shaw Tulsa, Ok
Phil Griffiths San Fransisco, Ca
Sandra Robinson Houston TX
Sam Silverman Santa Barbara Ca
Sam Rinow Austin, Tx
Taylor Higgenbotham, Denton, Tx
Hannah Vaughn Dallas TX
Shannen Holahan New Orleans, La
Joe Christianson Minneapolis, Tx
Jonathon Mann Dallas TX
Jared Kassebaum Los Angeles, Ca
Al Gonzales San Antonio, Tx
CR Parsons Tulsa, Ok