Few realized how much Lubbock's Froggy Bottoms comedy club would be missed when its owners closed the doors.

Area comedy fans, denied that weekly dose of original humor for far too long, no doubt will be ecstatic to learn that five professional comics will share the bill for a comedy show of at least 90 minutes at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Firehouse Theatre at LHUCA, 511 Ave. K.

Headlining is Bobby Friske, 46, who returned to comedy only after enjoying more than a decade of living a rock 'n' roll dream. In fact, one would wager that a large percentage of local music fans will at least recognize the name of his former band.

Friske, after all, played keyboards for popular local group Stranger Than Fiction.

The other four professional comedians on Saturday's bill are Brandon Davidson, Sheridi Lester, Thomas Nichols and Deborah Privett.

The headliner recalled, "I attended Alderson Middle School and then Roosevelt High School out in Acuff."

A multi-instrumentalist who had learned to play guitar, keyboards and drums, Friske felt the next logical step was to enroll at South Plains College in Levelland, specifically to take advantage of its celebrated music department.

"That's eventually where I was invited to join my first band, and it was fun being kind of a big fish (in a small pond) for a while," said Friske.

He would drop out of South Plains College when Stranger than Fiction relocated to Dallas, although he recalled that his parents were "not so sure about that decision."

Friske explained, "Everyone in my family was raised in the country. In fact, my mom wanted me to drop out and go to work for UPS, while my dad wanted me to get a job with Frito Lay. I remember him telling me, 'They have good benefits and they don't lay you off.' "

At the time, his family lived "outside the loop."

Friske's mom worked for the Lubbock State School and his dad "sold welding supplies."

Like many budding comics, however, Friske became a more knowledgeable comedy fan by watching professionals perform on television.

"I admired a lot of comics," he began. "But when they finally stretched that cable across Loop 289, that's when we could see the pay channels and comics like Rodney Dangerfield for the first time. As soon as cable television hit, people also wanted to see more live comedy in their towns."

Friske's appreciation for comedy timing began by watching Johnny Carson guiding guests on NBC's "The Tonight Show."

But when he finally heard that the Dallas Improv offered a weekly 'open mic night," he really did not understand the ramifications. Luckily, a friend advised him to take Dean Lewis' eight-week stand-up comedy course.

The class became a godsend, said Friske, who described it as "a place where you had to learn all of the rules, before you could break the rules."

He learned more about individual timing, as well as the structure of the joke. That would come into play when he brought out his notebooks that were filled with original gags, jokes and one-liners. Purely for himself, he had attempted to come up with an original piece of humor on a daily basis ... for years.

"This wasn't for a job," he emphasized. "It was strictly for me."

But by the time he was calling the Improv comedy club to ask about an open mic night, he realized that he had notebooks filled with his own material.

"I had 180 pages of stuff that I personally thought was really funny."

Friske had also produced and directed a short film called "Price Check." It was good enough to land him his own page on IMDB.com, and certainly helps him today because he pays his rent by working as a graphic designer and film editor.

Friske has found regional success as a comedian.

Los Angeles comic Jen Kober asked him to join her tours as an opener. Even so, Friske says he still heads out to a comedy club every weekend, and bounces new material off of fresh audiences at open mic nights twice a week.

Two other comics arriving Saturday balance comedy success with parenthood.

Deborah Privett says it is Friske's candor that makes him funny.

She noted, "He tells stories about all the crazy (and often embarrassing) stuff that happens to him. Most people try to forget the bad stuff that happens to them. Bobby acts it out on stage for everyone to see."

Originally from Bakersfield, Calif., Privett describes her comedy as "more personal."

Her children are ages 6 and 4, and she said, "They love that I do stand-up. We tell a lot of jokes around the dinner table and play a lot of improv games. Laughter is important in our household."

Brandon Davidson, 37, is from Tyler. He describes Friske as "great to work with and super funny. Bobby does a great job of talking about his life in a way that is funny and engaging. ... Bobby's comedy is unique and fresh."

Davidson added, "I have two kids. Emily is 10 and Josh is 4. They love that I get to go up on stage and give glimpses into our life together."

His short-term goal, says Davidson, is "to be funnier than the last time I got on stage."

Meanwhile, Friske says he loves comedy, and he has wanted to bring a big show back to his home town for years.

He plans to film Saturday's program with three cameras and six microphones.

He states via a later e-mail: "This is where my music/video background in recording comes in handy, Thank you, South Plains College."

Friske referred to the Back Door Comedy Club in Dallas as his home club, the one where he most likes to perform.

The bottom line, says Friske: "I say comedy is my full time job, and that I use my day job to pay the bills. I think it is safe to speak for all the comics in this show, and say we do it because we love it. These are the comics I like to associate with. If you are doing comedy because you have that need to be on stage, and to push yourself to be better than your last show, well, that's what it's all about.

"... If you do your job right, the laughs will come.

"If anything, I believe I am addicted to the challenge. OK, and probably also to the laughs."

william.kerns@lubbockonline.com

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