“I spent my twenties in Cleveland, and that’s where I started comedy,” says comedian Jim Tews, who will perform at the Northside Yacht Club Thursday night. “I’m actually from Allentown, Pa. I ended up in Cleveland because I got stationed there when I was in the Coast Guard. Guarding that Cleveland coast. The maritime border between us and the imminent threat that is Canada. But I feel very at home in Cleveland, and most parts of Ohio. Well, probably three or four cities in Ohio.” Support acts include local favorites Mark Chalifoux and Karl Spaeth and Cleveland’s Jimmie Graham.
Tews is still fond of his hometown. “I’m pro-Cleveland, but I also had to get out,” he explains. “In comedy, you have to stretch your legs and get out of your comfort zone. So, I moved to New York, which is no one’s comfort zone.”
Tews is most widely known for being on Last Comic Standing and his successful cat blog. Had it not been for comedy, he’s not sure what he would have done. “My dad lost his job at Bethlehem Steel when it shut down, and then he became a cop,” he recalls. “So, when I was a kid, I wanted to become a cop. But once I hit high school, I think I wanted to be a cartoonist or an illustrator. So, without comedy, I feel like I’d probably be doing that. Or I just would’ve stayed in the Coast Guard and retired at 45, then been one of those guys who starts comedy at 45 and terribly embarrasses his family.”
Jim Tews performs at the Northside Yacht Club 8 p.m. Thursday. More info: northsideyachtclub.com.
This article appears in Nov 16-23, 2016.