ST. LOUIS — Rafe Williams has a message for all the people who have asked him when his next show will be for the past year: I'm back!
The longtime St. Louis stand-up comedian is headlining 13 shows in 17 days, starting tonight at The Heavy Anchor at 8 o'clock. The winner of St. Louis' Funniest Person competition at Helium Comedy Club in 2016 took an unplanned year off from headlining, so his fans can expect a lot of new material this month. He's once called himself a democrat trapped in a republican's body, a statement almost as candid and hilarious as the way he signs emails these days, "Sexiest Grandpa in the Tri State Area."
Speaking of attractive millennial wise souls, Williams went by "Young Grandpa" last year in his first-ever comedy album, recorded at the Improv Shop, courtesy of 800 Pound Gorilla, a comedy record label used by Pete Holmes and Pete Davidson (Rafe is funnier than both those guys).
After all, if there was a place where people could find him collecting material over the past 365 days, it's Kevin McKernan's live comedy establishment. The Improv Shop was the first and only choice for the recording of "Young Grandpa," a home for young and aspiring talent--where Williams also works with up and coming comics.
For the non-descript Williams, it's the process of giving and contributing that has made his career as a comedian stand tall. He hits the stage every time with a "what you see is what you get" look and approach, a style that is easy to emulate yet hard to authenticate as seamlessly as Williams does onstage. Wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, he breaks down the chill of an audience with tales from his own wayward life and travels. He's not afraid to make himself look vulnerable, something that helps every comic stand apart.
Williams told KE Luther of the Riverfront Times last year that "every joke has to have a nugget of truth in it," something he brings to the table each time. Whether it's collecting constant laughs impersonating the fictitious brother of former President Donald Trump or talking about being a 40-year-old grandfather, Rafe always relates jokes to his personal life experiences and beliefs.
Nothing is shielded or protected, not his upbringing in Southern Illinois (aka Northern Kentucky to him) or his battles with alcohol. Before he slung funny tales from a stage, he was the trustworthy bartender that every lonely heart needs at the end of the day. It's all relatable and on the table with Williams, even his hilarious insights into the world of politics and persuasive use of sketch comedy, something easier said than actually performed.
You can expect a versatile array of material these next three weeks. After gathering material and teaching for a year, Williams is poised to break back out into the regional comedy scene, starting with The Heavy Anchor tonight, titled "MILFs, DILFs, and GILFs: Hilarity for Charity for Stray Rescue." For the first time in his career, Williams will headline at Westport Funny Bone Thursday through Sunday. A week from Thursday, he will perform in the Flyover Festival: Gaslight District Sketch Comedy Show at The Improv Shop.
A week from Friday, he will perform at the Urban Chestnut Grove Brewery and Bierhall for "Flyover Festival Presents: Rafe Williams and Friends." On Nov. 12 & 13, Williams will headline at the Backdoor Comedy Club in O'Fallon, Missouri.
In fact, the greater portion of Williams' upcoming shows are headliners. The longtime team player and jack of all comedy trades is entering his moment, an area where years of hard work pays off and the higher callings of Netflix and other big-time comedy shows await. Basically, if you don't see him tell jokes and stories before Thanksgiving, the friend card may need to be turned in.
As Williams stated Tuesday on Facebook, all the friends and family who have repeatedly asked about his next stand-up act now have a potpourri of dates to choose from. No excuses allowed, only aggressive laughter and post-show recommendations to your friends and family permitted. Every creative in town needs word of mouth power in order to truly expand their wings and fly off to greener pastures.
One thing is for certain with Williams: no matter how big his star gets or how versatile he becomes, he never forgets about St. Louis. For him, it's where the class clown found a calling and started something incredible.
Jump on board now, comedy fans. This middle-aged grandpa is making waves.
Find all tickets for shows at rafewilliams.com/shows.
