VINCE MORRIS

Vince Morris is back for the first time this year and I was going to say “it’s about time;” but considering that we’re booked completely through the remainder of this year, it’s fortunate for him. He will perform with Jen Murphy on Tahoe’s South Shore this week.

I love that, even to this day, Vince pushes it — and in fact we call him “The Philosopher” at times. True comedy comes from personal experiences and that’s where Vince derives a lot of his material. He was raised by a single father and has poignant and funny observations on seeing the world. Always speaking from his heart, Vince is dangerously funny. With his diverse style and original material, Vince appeals to audiences from all walks of life and is able to “switch gears” in an instant, allowing his comedy to go from dirty to squeaky clean, from personal to improvisational and from thought provoking to just down right silly.

Vince’s style is very charismatic and very likable. He defuses you instantly with that smile of his. He’s quick to point out those who are ignorant in our society (that could be his entire act!) and makes you realize that you’re not alone in the world. Vince enjoys making people laugh, but also wants to leave his audience knowing that behind the laughs there are some pretty big issues being addressed.

When asked if black athletes advertising shoes are role models for today’s kids, Vince responds, “I don’t give a damn what kind of shoe an athlete wears; no, I want to know what kind of shoes do black surgeons or lawyers wear?”

Vince is pretty savvy, too, when it comes to promoting his shows utilizing all that social media has to offer. “You gotta be tweeting, you gotta be Facebooking and you got to be your own person, which is cool because it gives you some good ways to market yourself,” he said.

In addition to performing at comedy clubs, theaters and cruise ships, Vince also performs at comedy festivals such as the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival, the once dominant Aspen Comedy Festival and the very first Cincinnati Brew Ha-Ha festival. Among his credits are B.E.T’s “Comic View,” HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam,” “Sex And The City,” CBS’ “Late Late Show,” “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” and several Comedy Central half-hour comedy specials. His favorite audience though are the troops — he has performed all over the planet including gigs in Japan, Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

JEN MURPHY

Making her debut at Tahoe is Jen Murphy. She started her stand-up career in New York, where she spent years performing in live theatre — working with sketch and improv troupes. Jen moved to Los Angeles a decade ago and has since been seen on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” on ABC, and her own half hour special on TLC called “This Is Why You’re Still Single.” She’s been in the movie, “Dumbbells,” and you can get her CD, “Size Does Matter” on iTunes.

Jen has done two military tours in Afghanistan and Egypt and her second CD is coming out next month. Welcome to Tahoe, Jen!

Howie Nave is the MC at the Improv at Harveys. The comedy club is inside Harveys Lake Tahoe. Shows begin at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and tickets are $25 plus fees, except Saturdays. Tickets are $30 on Saturdays. The Improv is dark on Mondays and Tuesdays. Must be 21 or older to attend. More information is available by calling 775-586-6266.