Jimmie "J.J." Walker, stand-up comedian, was in Kansas City, Kansas, this past week at Stanford and Sons Comedy Club. He is best known for his part as "J.J." on the "Good Times" television show from the 1970's. At that time he was known as "Kid Dyn-o-mite!" On the show, he was an outspoken teenager. Except for the age difference, he is still very outspoken.
The comedy experience was fantastic; the environment left something to be desired. The website for Stanford and Sons lists showtime as 7:00p.m. As it turns out, seating begins at 7:00p.m. Prior to that time, everyone has to wait in the small lobby area or outside. There is no designated smoking area, so many smokers stand right outside the door. This may be convenient for those who smoke; but makes it unbearable for those who wish to avoid the smoke and smell of cigarettes. Signs are posted all over the lobby and the entrance to the showroom stating that there is a minimum of one item purchase required by each person admitted to the showroom. They have a drink menu and a food menu; but, once a person is in the showroom, the darkness makes it difficult to locate them, much less read them. The showroom is mostly an intimate environment. The front section is in close proximity to the stage. The upper section is rows of seats that are on one level. Viewing is not the best, especially with the waitresses passing by with trays of drinks.
Prior to Jimmie Walker's performance, there were two opening acts. Jeff Vaughn was the first, who did a nice job. He was followed by Todd Link, who did a lot of interacting with the audience. His act was great; though it seemed somewhat short. This led to Jimmie "J.J." Walker, who stole the show--just as he should have. His comedy was fantastic! He covered many topics, from cell phones to the education system to healthcare. He talked about his experiences while in Kansas City as well. He talked about the pothole that had a Vietnamese family living in it. According to Mr. Walker, the crime is so bad in Kansas City that one needs "wear a bullet-proof vest just to watch the news." He says that our society is becoming extremely rude because of cell phones; that no one knows how to talk to one another anymore because of texting and the Internet. There is a lot of truth in what he covered.
One topic that recurred throughout Jimmie Walker's routine was racism. He brought up many things about what it is like to be Black. He told of how Americans say, "I'm Polish-American. I'm Irish-American, or I'm German-American." His take on this is, "Ain't none of you going back to any of those places," so just get over the whole color/nationality thing, and get along with one another. An exact quote would have been nice to get because what he said was profound and had a lot of good meaning to it.
At the end of his act, "J.J." told of the merchandise that he had available for sale and that he would be available, in the lobby, to sell it. He had T-shirts, photos, posters from "Good Times," CD's of an older comedy routine, and bumper stickers. He personally autographed select items for the buyers. He used his humor in the selling experience as well.
For those who like to read, Jimmie "J.J." Walker has a book entitled, "Dynomite! Good Times, Bad Times, Our Times--A Memoir." It is available through the major bookstores and online.
For a great comedy experience, search down these comedians as they travel across the country or make appearances on the Comedy Channel. For more information about Jimmie "J.J." Walker, his website is: www.dynomitejj.com. Life needs some humor. When the mundane things of daily life can be taken in a lighter way, making us laugh, it is a good thing.
Proverbs 17:22 says, "A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones." Find time to laugh everyday; it's good for you!
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