COMEDY | ALBUQUERQUE
Jo Koy to host ‘Martin Lawrence Presents Pass Tha’ Mic’ at Route 66 Casino Hotel
The two-day showcase on Aug. 29-30 will give 24 up-and-coming comics a chance to perform
Jo Koy is the host of “Martin Lawrence Presents Pass Tha’ Mic,” a show that he said is giving opportunities to up-and-coming comics.
The show, held over two days on Saturday, Aug. 29, and Sunday, Aug. 30, gives 24 comics a chance to showcase their skills.
“I love the fact that we have this opportunity and we have someone like Martin Lawrence who’s willing to spend his money out of his pocket and produce this thing,” Koy said,
Lawrence approached Koy a few years ago about creating an event like “Pass Tha’ Mic.”
“For years we’ve been doing these meetings and figuring out what type of space we could create something in,” Koy said, “and then all of a sudden he came up with this idea, and it was on, and it was rolling fast.”
“Pass Tha’ Mic” will be held at the Route 66 Casino.
“We’re not just going to use the stage that they have,” Koy said. “We’re actually going to build the stage outward into the audience. So it’s going to be really amazing to watch.”
To get a chance to take the stage, people submit videos, and a panel made up of Lawrence, Koy and Leslie Small picks who makes the cut. The show’s website has had over 900 submissions, which Koy said the panel spent days watching.
“We knew it was gonna be a lot, but then it started just overflowing,” Koy said. “Which is great.”
He said watching the show come together at the venue and going through the submissions has been more fun than stressful.
Some of the submissions were from people he recognizes from his years in the industry. He said these comics have been killing it but haven’t had the stage, and it’s great to be able to provide one.
Koy said it has been fun to see how popular comedy has become. With 24 comics, he said to stand out, someone just needs a strong point of view.
“You can talk about topical things and deliver it different, because your voice is different,” Koy said.
Similar to music, there are different genres of stand-up, from storytellers to those who take a political stance to puppeteers. A comic just needs to find their voice.
“Just give us the strongest point of view,” Koy said. “Like, what is it that you’re doing that’s so different from everybody else?”
The show does not yet have a streaming platform, but Koy is hoping to do more renditions of “Pass Tha’ Mic” in the future.
“We really do want to continue this …” Koy said. “It’s been a fun process, and you know we just want to create more opportunities.”
Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow for the ϼ. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.
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