Alonzo Bodden laughs when thinking about a Southern California gig he played last spring at a marijuana distributor that was in violation of social distancing rules.
It was a sign of the bizarro world we currently occupy. Up is down. Down is up.Â
"The weed was legal, but the gathering was against the law," he said.
He shouldn't be surprised. Twenty-eight years in the comedy business has taught Bodden that change is constant -- and not all of it makes sense.Â
It makes for some pretty funny stories, which Bodden will no doubt launch into when he headlines the Zoolarious comedy show at 9 p.m. on Saturday at Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St.
His first big comedy break came when he was on the “New Faces of Comedy†showcase at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal, but it was as the season three winner of NBCʼs "Last Comic Standing" where Alonzo was first introduced to America.
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Landing him is a big get for Zoolarious, said host and founder Brad Stewart, who was able to move the show from Sunday to Saturday because of Bodden's notoriety.
"Alonzo is definitely one of the biggest names we've had on the show, and I'm so honored and thrilled he agreed to do it," Stewart said.
Bodden found his way into comedy after graduating from high school in New York and going through classes to become a certified airplane mechanic. He grew in the industry and found himself training a lot of up-and-coming mechanics.
"I found out I liked being in the front of the room," he said.
But there's a vast difference between being an humorously entertaining teacher and a comedian. For one, being funny is a pleasant surprise and with the other, making others laugh is expected.Â
Bodden didn't need to learn that the hard way. Before deciding he wanted to embark on a career in comedy, he took a couple of writing classes. It was there that he and Stewart crossed paths.
"I've been a fan of his for over 20 years," said Stewart, who took the same comedy class from a comic named Barry Neal when each of them was starting out in the business.
"He had already booked his first Conan appearance shortly after that class," Stewart said. "I waited tables for another 12 years."
Bodden has traveled the country for years. It's a part of the comedy game. And after a year away from the game, where he started getting used to being a homebody -- that is, until the mortgage came due -- he's excited about seeing America again.
That goes for Nebraska, too.
"What I remember about Nebraska is that the two biggest cities are 50 miles apart and then there's just a lot of corn," he said. "Plenty of corn."
During the pandemic, he tried his hand at talk radio and continues to host a show called “Alonzo Bodden: Who’s Paying Attention?†on the only Black-owned and operated talk station in Southern California.
"It's a different kind of gig," he said. "It doesn't have the creativity of being on stage, but I do enjoy it."
Engaging with callers is a bit different than talking with audience members, but connecting with people -- one of his fortes -- comes in many forms.