Comedienne embraces ‘dented can’ in everyone

With comedy that’s not about health care, philosophy or any other deep topics, Lisa Landry will headline at the Funny Bone Bloomington Comedy Club this weekend.

“I don’t take much seriously,” Landry said. “I’m not a political comic; I’m not a topical comic.”

She is performing at 8 p.m. Thursday and both 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $6 Thursday with student ID and general admission Friday and Saturday is $12.

Landry, whose credits include “Comedy Central Presents Lisa Landry” and “Premium Blend,” said she believes “everybody’s a dented can,” and the trick is for people to embrace and to “find the fun” in their own damage.

“I’m a bit of a dirty comic, just a bit,” she said. “Cursing doesn’t bother me as long as it’s not subjecting someone else to hurt.”

The mother of a toddler, who she described as “just a punk rock little devil baby,” Landry said she’s out of shape and OK with that.

“I’ve just accepted it. I’m not even trying anymore,” she said and added it was largely because of the apocalypse theory that says the world will end in 2012. “I’ve got two and a half years. I’m going to spend it drinking beer,” she said.

Funny Bone regular Dwight Simmons will open the comedy show, followed by feature performer and fellow regular Ben Moore.

Simmons said his style is high-energy, discussing interactions between people as well as weird things that have happened in his life.

“I do a wedding joke,” he said. “My grandmother always says, ‘You’re next, you’re next.’”

But apparently, Simmons said she doesn’t appreciate it when he says the same about her at funerals.

However, Simmons said his grandma doesn’t take any real offense to the bit.

“That’s her favorite joke,” he said. “She’ll call me after a show and ask if I did the joke where she died at the end.”

Moore said he plans to talk about drinking, one-night stands and romantic failures.

“There are a lot of things that are true for everyone, but nobody talks about it because they’re embarrassed,” Moore said. “That’s where the big laughs are.”

He said he’ll also recall his hometown of Terre Haute, or as he puts it, that “deformed little town in the Midwest.”

For local comedy fans who have seen him perform before, Moore promised a new experience.

“You never know what you’re going to get with me,” he said.

Moore is feeling a bit under the weather this week but said he’ll give a memorable performance regardless.

“If anyone comes to the show,” he said, “I’ll give them H1N1 for free.”