AFE BRINGS THE LAUGHS PRESENTS: OPERATION STAND-UP FOR SERVICE

Patrick DeGuire started performing stand-up after losing a significant amount of vision and discovering laughter to be self-therapeutic. Soon after getting started, he won the Improv/Harrah’s National Comedy Club Talent Search, which led to numerous appearances on national television, including Comedy Central and “Que Locos” on Galavision.

DeGuire has been heard on nationally syndicated radio shows like “The BOB & TOM Show” and on NPR. He has performed or toured with such comedians as Tom Segura, Theo Von, Gary Owen, Tommy Davidson, Gabriel Iglesias, George Lopez, and Paul Rodriguez. Besides headlining at the top comedy clubs throughout the United States, he has also performed for the U.S. troops stationed overseas in the Bahamas, Bahrain, Caribbean, Cuba (Guantanamo Bay), Djibouti, Dubai, Greenland, Guam, Honduras, Iraq, Japan, and Korea.

DeGuire’s material includes the advantages and disadvantages of living in a world with limited vision and the challenges that arise from it. He discusses the obstacles of relationships and being a father and stepfather to eight children. DeGuire also addresses an assortment of other insightful and hilarious topics

Encouraged by friends and colleagues to leave a highly successful career in the music business to pursue his gift of comedy, Byron Kennedy’s irreverent, observational style and natural storytelling immediately gelled with audiences across the nation, moving him quickly from open mic nights to headlining gigs across the country and a residency in Las Vegas.

Fueled by his success in Vegas, Kennedy headlined the Breakout Artist Comedy Series at the famed Caroline’s in New York City and his first sold-out show at Zanies in Nashville. He signed a comedy album deal with BMG/Broken Bow—the record label that he previously hated being in meetings for as an executive—and was offered a 6-month residency back in Vegas for the launch of the OYO Stand Up & Rock Showroom.

Byron most recently wrapped his first television special called “NashVegas,” which premiered to rave reviews at the Laugh After Dark Comedy Fest in Las Vegas and is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Janelle Draper has been described as unapologetic, uncensored, and unladylike. She started doing stand-up in LA when she was an NBC page working on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” She was named the winner of the Los Angeles-based Burbank Comedy Festival, runner-up of the Boston Comedy Festival, and selected to showcase in the “Kenan Thompson Presents” series. She performs all over the country, opening for Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Tiffany Haddish, Jeffrey Ross, Nikki Glaser, and many more. Draper is a regular commentator on SiriusXM Raw Dog Comedy and iHeart Radio. She has been featured at numerous prestigious comedy festivals, including the San Francisco Sketchfest, HBO’s Women in Comedy, Laughing Skull, and the World Series of Comedy, as well as several of the country’s best in various states, including Vegas, Atlanta, Rhode Island, Vermont, North Carolina, and Alaska. Lastly, she created, performed, and filmed several image spots for Bumble, which launched across their social media platforms to viral success, garnering 4 billion views.

Chingo Bling is known for his insightful, unapologetic stand-up comedy and multiple viral videos. He is a fearless, cross-platform performer who has appeared in everything from feature films and MTV shows to comedic web series, musical parodies, and sold-out live stand-up comedy shows all over the United States. Catch Chingo Bling’s comedy stand-up at the HA Comedy Festival, streaming now on HBO Max. You can also listen to his podcast, “Cafecito Time,” on all streaming platforms.