The VASD Program launched its yearlong Humor lecture series with an evening of local stand-up. Hosted by comedian Byron Graham, this event featured local stand-up sets by Hippieman, Christie Buchele, Zac Maas, Janae Burris, Jordan Wieleba, and Kevin Klatman. Drinks, refreshments, and door prizes were offered throughout the evening.
About the Comedians
Byron Graham is a comedian and freelance writer from Denver, Colorado. Graham has performed across the country, opening for comics like Carmen Lynch, Ron Funches and Hannibal Buress. A regular contributor to Denver’s alternative weekly newspaper, the Westword, Graham has interviewed personal heroes such as Marc Maron and George Saunders.
Janae Burris is a Los Angeles native and recent Denver transplant and has performed stand-up and improv comedy for ten years. Janae earned a bachelor of fine arts from California Institute of the Arts and worked as an actress in Los Angeles theater. Memorable performances in Denver include The Narrators at Buntport Theater, Too Much Fun, the 2015 Highplains Comedy Festival, and hosting at The Denver Improv Comedy Club.
John Novosad, a.k.a. “Hippieman” is a stand-up comedian who grew up in Boulder, Colorado and made his comedic debut in 1980 and continues to tour extensively. He is a featured performer at Comedy Works in Denver and made his network television debut on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Christie Buchele is a comic from Denver, Colorado. Christie placed third in Comedy Works’ New Faces Competition in 2013, and has performed at both the Crom Comedy Festival in Omaha, Nebraska and Denver’s own High Plains Comedy Festival. Christie co-hosts a humorous relationship advice podcast called Empty Girlfriend.
Zac Maas hails from Denver, Colorado by way of South Dakota. Zac made it into the Final 10 in the Comedy Works New Faces Competition and also the Comedy Works Clean Finals. His podcast Whiskey and Cigarettes has won Westword’s people’s choice award for best podcast two years in a row (past guests include The Sklar Brothers, Greg Proops, and Kyle Kinane). His hit show Uncalled Four made it into the prestigious Bridgetown Comedy Festival in 2015.
Since 2006, comedian Jordan Wieleba has been bringing her edgy and fierce style of comedy to audiences across Colorado. In 2011, Jordan came out publicly as transgender and has since been educating and entertaining crowds about the lifestyle by incorporating it in her material. She has appeared on the cover of Out Front Colorado and is a Westword “Best of Denver” winner.
Kevin Klatman is a fair weathered accounting student and a stand-up comedian who has spent all of his 21 years thus far in Boulder, Colorado. He made his comedy debut when he was 19 years old at Voodoo Comedy Playhouse and has been showcasing his one liners throughout the Denver at comedy clubs like Comedy Works and bars like Johnny’s Cigar Bar.
This event was co-presented by RMCAD’s office of Student Life and was part of RMCAD’s Welcome Week events, greeting students for the Fall 2015 semester.
