Comedian offers his own brand of comedy

Christine H. WEtzel/ViewJoe Lowers practices onstage at the Royal Resort, 99 Convention Center Drive. Advertisement

Comedian Joe Lowers has a tendency to get a bit cranky when he hasn't played a gig in a while.

The Las Vegas resident said that's when he really has to hit the pavement and get himself booked before his wife has him committed.

"I guess I'm not really too fun to be around," Lowers said with a smile. "Which is weird because I'm a bubbly, funny guy. But during those stretches, my wife is like, 'Geez. Go, get on a stage somewhere, will ya?' "

Lowers has been a professional comedian for the past 14 years, traveling the country and working alongside legendary fellow funny men such as Bill Cosby.

Lowers made the move to Sin City more than four years ago, hoping to turn an on-the-road career into something else entirely.

"Traveling 12 hours in the snow and rain to play to a crowd of three isn't my idea of living," Lowers said. "But, I did it for a long time. I feel happy just to be doing something I love. But, the traveling really takes a toll. Vegas is the only place where the crowd comes to you, and you don't have to travel. So, we thought we would give it a shot."

The Philadelphia native has been working steadily since he arrived in town, blowing up open mic standup any chance he gets and working to get booked in a Strip showroom.

"I figure that you have to start somewhere," Lowers said. "If I can get my foot in the door, I know that the right people will see me."

Lowers now headlines a twice-a-week show at the Royal Resort, 99 Convention Center Drive, where some nights the crowd is non-existent, but most, he keeps the 15 to 20 guests in stitches.

"We're just starting out and trying to build a crowd, and I understand that these things take time," Lowers said. "Just want to get the word out that there's a great comedy show going on here Thursday and Friday nights."

Lowers' brand of humor is sometimes abrasive, but he said he prides himself on the fact that he has an unstructured and unscripted show.

"Comics have different methods for working," he said. "Some write down everything. I like to wing it. I take whatever the crowd gives me and work with that. My show is never the same two nights in a row."

Las Vegas resident Christopher Hastings saw the show for the first time on a random Friday night in March, and said that he couldn't believe how funny such a small, unknown act could be.

"This is far removed from the stuff that you find on the Strip, but just as good," Hastings said. "Definitely worth the ticket price."

Lowers said he hopes to one day have his own show at one of the more mainstream casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard, but until then, he's content to be on stage doing what he loves to do -- making people laugh.

Tickets for the Joe Lowers Comedy Show are $19.95 and can be purchased at the door. For more information, visit www.joelowers.com. Shows begin at 9:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday nights.