HISTORIC TRIANGLE — It is probably an over simplification to say that in order to make it big in the world of comedy, a person needs a combination of talent, work ethic, and opportunity. Local comic Jounte Ferguson (pronounced Jon-Tae) has plenty of talent and work ethic which has resulted in a lot of opportunities.
A veteran of standup and sketch comedy stages located in all corners of Hampton Roads, Jounte delivers his sets with with a humorous and observational tone. Over the last few months, he has been using his talents to host the weekly Open Mic Night at Cozzy’s Comedy Club in Newport News.
Here are some quick facts about Jounte Ferguson.
Q: What or who inspired you to get into comedy?
A: Originally I was just wanting to do comedy skits. But I realized that I had to depend on other people. After awhile, I got annoyed because I would schedule things like practices and shows and people would not show up. So I figured with standup, I don’t have to worry about anyone else.
Q: When and where was one of your best standup sets?
A: I was at the FunnyBone in Virginia Beach doing a comedy competition. I had some jokes planned before the show, but the lady who did the set before mine was talking about the dating scene. I thought to myself, ‘I’ve got jokes about that.’ So I got up and told three jokes and got a 19-seconds of applause. I still lost the competition, but it was cool.
Q: What do you like about Open Mics?
A: I started going to open mics year ago just to get better. At first I didn’t like the rules about language and not being able to say certain words, but after awhile I understood. It showed me that if you want to get hired for professional, quality work, you have to be able to follow the rules.
Q: Where can people see you perform next?
A: The Happy Café, 1270 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach on April 16 at 8 p.m. It will be a comedy showcase featuring local comics Jessica Liz and Nick Deez and headliner Christian Johnson. Jounte can also be seen every Thursday night at Cozzy’s starting 8 p.m.
Ready to head out for the weekend? Check out who is playing where around the Historic Triangle!
- Alewerks Brewing Company, 189 B Ewell Rd.
- Saturday, April 16, 4 p.m. Joe’s Day Off
- Brass Cannon Brewing, 5476 Mooretown Road
- Saturday, April 9, 6 p.m. Second Wind Band
- Charly’s Airport Restaurant, 100 Marclay Dr.
- Saturday, April 16, 11:30 a.m. Josh Craig
- Cogan’s Deli & Sports Pub, 4324 New Town Ave.
- Saturday, April 16, 8 p.m. Skinner Box
- Copper Fox Distillery, 901 Capital Landing Rd.
- Thursday, April 14, 6 p.m. Nathan Lienard
- Jolene’s Bar and Grill, 3032 Richmond Rd.
- Thursday April 14, 6:30 p.m. Chris Ride
- Friday April 15, 8 p.m. Bobby C and the Slackers
- Oceans & Ale, 5601 Richmond Rd.
- Saturday April 16, 8:30 p.m. Joe Heilman
- Pisco 51, 4917 Courthouse St.
- Thursday, April 14, 8 p.m. Nashville Nights Band
- Saturday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. Standup Comedy Open Mic hosted by Noel David Goodman
- Revolution Golf and Grille, 1430 High St.
- Friday, April 15, 7:30 p.m. Barricade
- Saturday, April 16, 7 p.m. Barry Manilow’s Wardrobe
- Spoke & Art, 3449 John Tyler Hwy.
- Saturday, April 16, 11 a.m. Dale Traylor
- Monday, April 18, 5 p.m. Scott Kale and Ross King
- Two Drummers Smokehouse, 8864 Richmond Rd.
- Thursday, April 14, 6:30 p.m. Scott Varney
- Virginia Beer Company, 401 Second St.
- Friday, April 15, 6 p.m. Marie-Claire
- Saturday, April 16, 4 p.m. Nathan Lienard
- Sunday, April 17, 2 p.m. J Candeed
- Williamsburg Winery, 5800 Wessex Hundred
- Friday, April 15, 4 p.m. Sammy Lee
- Sunday, April 17, 2 p.m. Junior Wilson
Want to be included in WYDaily’s weekly Brews and Tunes column? Send Ben Mackin an email at Benjamin.M@LocalDailyMedia.com!
