Comedian Aries Spears started doing standup when he was 14, and he hasn't stopped since.
“Though it would be nice to have the option to take a break when you want,” Spears, 45, said by phone from Baltimore, where he was getting ready to perform as part of an ongoing tour.
The tour will hit Columbus for five shows at the Funny Bone Comedy Club this weekend, where his material will include “everything that isn't politically correct.”
His performances here are something he's looking forward to.
“Of all the Ohio cities, Columbus is probably my favorite. It feels a little more metropolitan, a little slicker and quicker and hipper than most. As long as it's not Cleveland. Oh, Cleveland,” he said.
When Spears was starting out as a comedian, he modeled himself on Eddie Murphy.
“I grew up in the '80s, so he was a big influence. I started doing some research on him, and discovered that we had the same birthday, the same zodiac sign. I took all that as inspiration,” he said.
After doing standup in New York for a few years, Spears moved to Los Angeles in 1993, when he was 19. That's where he auditioned for MADtv, the work for which he is probably best-known.
“It was just a question of being in the right place at the right time,” he said.
He joined the show during its third season, in 1997, and stayed until the end of the 10th season. While he was there, he created memorable characters such as Dollar Bill Montgomery and Belma Buttons, and did dozens of impressions, including those of Murphy, Snoop Dogg, Robert De Niro and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
His audiences now remember those MADtv impressions fondly.
“I do some of that because it's what people pay for, and it's part of what I do, but I'm also not a one-trick pony. I try to get people to understand that as well,” he said.
While he has been on the road, he has started doing a podcast, “Spears and Steinberg,” with comedian Andy Steinberg, who opens almost all of his shows, including those coming up in Columbus.
“He was always saying we should do a podcast, because we're trapped with each other every weekend, and I finally agreed to it," Spears said. "We've been doing it now almost three years. New episodes come out every Wednesday and Thursday, but we usually record them over the course of the weekend. We don't always strike gold, but we're more consistent than not.”
Spears has an unrepentant attitude in regard to political correctness.
“I understand that the climate we're in right now has changed, with sensitivity and cancel culture. But I haven't changed. I've always taken a Floridian stance to my comedy, which is to say, I stand my ground.”
Not that his audiences are shocked by his comedy.
“You've got your community,” he said. “It's like being a drug dealer. They know what they're buying.”
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At a glance
Aries Spears' shows at the Funny Bone Comedy Club at Easton Town Center on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are mostly sold out. Call 614-471-5653 or visit columbus.funnybone.com for ticket availability.
The Link LonkMarch 18, 2021 at 05:14PM
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Comedy: Aries Spears to perform at the Funny Bone this weekend - The Columbus Dispatch
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