“I’ve always been funny,” says Lil Rel, “but it’s one of those things where my family was hilarious, and then my friends were all hilarious. Was I the funniest one? No, but there were a lot of laughs because everyone had these funny jokes. I think I’m more a combination of all of my family and friends, all the people I grew up with.”
Rel credits his hometown of Chicago and that city’s unique comedy scene with shaping his comedic voice.
“Midwest comics have to be diverse,” he says. “No disrespect, but sometimes New York comics start to sound alike. In Chicago we try very hard not to sound like each other.”
The city’s fondness for improv also helps. “I like to get up and do characters and act out stories, and comics that move here get better at that.”
7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday; 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday. $25-$35. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.
