AFE celebrates National Humor Month by highlighting our very own comedians who go on tour to bring the laughs, and a piece of home with every joke.
Few have traveled as far and wide as Slade Ham. You would think he was a Travel Channel show host with as many places as he’s gone. The Iraqi desert, the mountains of Afghanistan, and the beer halls of Germany, all places Slade has visited while on tour performing stand-up comedy for the military.
“My first tour with AFE was back in 2009,” Slade recalls. “But my first time performing for the military was in October 2001, right after 9/11. It was my first time leaving the US, and I fell in love with both traveling and the mission.” In 11 years, that’s over 500 shows Slade has performed overseas for the deployed men and women of the Armed Forces. Here’s a fun fact that will blow your mind: in 20 years, Slade’s been to over 50 countries across 6 continents to do stand-up!
With so many travels and memories, Slade is hard-pressed to pick one. But we were insistent.
“We were in Agadez, Niger in the middle of a sweltering 110° June, literally surrounded just dust and brown tents and scorching sun… Some soldiers began building a stage because there was nowhere to perform on what was a new installation at the time.”
“As the sunset, a rainstorm blew through, rare for that part of the Sahara for sure,” Slade continues. “The temperature dropped significantly, and they finished the stage as soon as the rain and lightning stopped. Everyone spread out, sitting on top of Humvees, barrels, and makeshift benches, and with the wind still whipping a bit we played one of the coolest shows in my memory in the desert that night.”
Originally from Houston, Texas, Slade has headlined across the United States and is no stranger to audiences state-side. Along with touring performances, Slade hosts The Whiskey Brothers Podcast. Comics Sam Demaris, Rob Mungle, and Slade himself, get together twice a week to have a good time and make listeners laugh as they discuss… anything. With 300 episodes under their belt, the three are surely bringing the laughs every episode.
You can catch Slade’s podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all other major platforms. His tour schedule and writing can be found at SladeHam.com. Unfortunately, Slade was not able to provide proof of any “dragon slaying” despite claiming to have done so on his IMDB page.
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