There should be plenty of reasons to celebrate when Ron Funches returns to Portland on his "Funch-A-Mania" comedy tour July 8 at Revolution Hall.

As Funches points out, his friend and fellow performer Gabe Dinger has a birthday the next day. And since Funches is trying to decide where to shoot his upcoming comedy special - Portland's in his top three - Funches is hoping that the crowd's enthusiasm will move Portland to No. 1 on the list.

Even without all that, Portland comedy fans are likely happy about Funches being back in town for his show. Before moving to Los Angeles in 2012, Funches was one of the most popular, busiest stand-up comics on Portland stages.

With his distinctive sweet-sly delivery, keen wit and self-deprecating likability, Funches has always been an original.

Since relocating to L.A., Funches has been a standout among the ensemble casts of the NBC comedies "Undateable" and "Powerless." When not touring the country doing stand-up, Funches has performed voice-over roles in "Trolls," "Bob's Burgers" and "Bojack Horseman," and turned up on TV in "Black-ish," "@Midnight," "The Tonight Show," and more.

Funches, speaking from his L.A. home base, says his show at Revolution Hall will feature him talking about what's being going on since he moved from Oregon, including his son living with him, Funches losing 140 pounds, and "what it's like to kind of be in the very lower middle of success."

Asked his thoughts on Portland audiences, Funches politely says Portland is "a place that's definitely more well-read, and little bit more intelligent," adding, "That would be the positive."

Funches likes to start with the positive, he says. The negative would be that Portland audiences can be "a little politically correct," and overreact to "certain trigger words."

"I always like to listen to the intent of the joke," Funches says, and adds, sometimes "that can get lost on Oregon crowds." But overall, he says Portland audiences generally consist of "smart, younger people who are weird," which is "kind of what I am.

Live with comedian Ron Funches We're live with Ron Funches, who's coming back to Portland on July 8 for a stop on his summer comedy tour. Funches was a favorite stand-up comic in Portland before moving to L.A., where he's starred in the NBC comedies, Undateable and "Powerless." Posted by The Oregonian on Friday, June 30, 2017

Living in L.A. puts Funches at the center of the entertainment business. It has also kept him in touch with other former Portland-based comedians who moved south, including Ian Karmel, who writes for CBS' "The Late Late Show With James Corden."

"A lot of my friends moved here," Funches says of L.A. "We have our own little Portland here."

Though "Powerless" only lasted one season, Funches isn't wasting any time fretting about the cancellation.

"Right now, I'm meeting with a lot of different networks that want me to act in their shows a little bit," he says. "Which is fun. I'm used to begging people to let me on their shows, and now I'm going to meetings, and they're like, 'Why do you say no to us?' "

He's staying busy by spending time with his son, traveling for his stand-up tour, and "writing my own project, where I'm the lead."

Funches hopes to hit some favorite Portland spots when he's back in town. Some options: going to Ground Kontrol, and maybe getting a buttermilk bar at Voodoo Doughnut.

Oh, and one more: "I always try to get a regular cheeseburger," Funches adds, "at Burgerville."

IF YOU GO

"Ron Funches: Funch-A-Mania"

When: Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8

Where: Revolution Hall, 1300 S.E. Stark St.

Tickets: $25

Details: All ages

Web: revolutionhall.com

-- Kristi Turnquist

kturnquist@oregonian.com

503-221-8227

@Kristiturnquist