Comedy nights at The Dayrock
Drew Plate took the stage at the first Dayrock Comedy Night in Wallace, hosted by JD Stephens, Ronikae Stephens and James Bosen.
Photo by JOSH McDONALD
WALLACE — A new hilarious event has come to the streets of Wallace as The Dayrock is now the home of Comedy Open Mic Nights.
This is a labor of love as volunteers Ronikae and her husband, JD Stephens, and local bartender extraordinaire James Bosen set this up as a closer avenue for comedians and give comedian JD a closer outlet than Spokane.
“My husband has been going over to the Spokane Comedy Club,” Ronikae said. “There are two or three places over there that are worth going to for comedians. He got out of the military in California and began doing it there.”
It can be challenging to make the trek over to Spokane from Wallace, even more so in the colder months with the dark, icy roads, but it was worth it.
“It changes his demeanor. His whole attitude towards life changes when he is getting ready for a show. One good performance or joke can motivate that person so much.”
She continued to explain that the comedy scene is often incredibly supportive, “Everybody has bombed. Every single person. So they know what it feels like. So it’s like you never laugh at that person bombing; you are laughing because you know what it’s like.”
Stephens still plans on attending comedy nights in Spokane but wanted to be a part of something in his hometown and they got to work.
“I contacted Dave at The Dayrock, which has to stay open at least once a month to stay in business,” Ronikae said. “It already has a stage, tables, chairs and a bar. Which is important because you need that liquid courage.”
The first evening was hosted by JD Stephens, who spent time working for the crowd with his set, and later introduced some familiar faces like Drew Plate and Brady Bourgard, both business owners in Wallace.
“It was amazing. It was so much better than we could have imagined,” said Ronikae afterward. “About 50-70 people turned out over the night. It was perfect — the crowd was so supportive.”
The show is a 21-and-over event, as it takes place at a bar, and anyone who tries their hand at an act gets a free drink.
The next live comedy night will take place Dec. 2 at The Dayrock located at 515 Cedar St. in Wallace.
To sign up or get more information, contact Ronikae Stephens at dayrock.comedyclub@gmail.com or call 208-630-1293.