When stand-up comedic legend George Wallace speaks, his conversation is a smart and silly mile-a-minute reverie of laughter, with one joke following in immediate succession from the last. And Philadelphians can experience his conversational gold for themselves this weekend at Helium Comedy Club.
“I feel good all over,” said Wallace, laughing, by way of introduction. “And it’s been more than a minute since I’ve been in Philadelphia, so I’m happy that I’m coming back.”
From there, Wallace went on to recall his first times in Philly, traveling in 1976 and 1977 with the then-equally-young, fellow newcomer to stand-up comedy, Jerry Seinfeld.
“We used to do a set at Catch a Rising Star in Manhattan, take an $8 train from New York City down to Philadelphia as often as we could, just to play stand-up sets at Grandmom Minnie’s,” said Wallace of the long-gone club at 2nd and Chestnut streets. “We used to get $75 for 20 minutes work. That might not sound like a lot of money, but tell your father you’re getting nearly $100 for just 20 minutes of talking, telling jokes? Not bad.”
That’s especially “not bad” when you get consider that Wallace got his pre-comedy start as a money-making advertising executive.
“I was with Metro Media as a little boy back in 1974, and we did all of the bus, subway and train advertising in Philadelphia, making $75,000 a year – great money, yes, but I just wanted to be a comedian.
“There are many correlations between what I did in advertising and what I do in comedy,” added Wallace. “One is that you’re always selling when doing stand-up comedy. Everybody is in sales, really, whether you are a school teacher or a preacher. The first thing you have to do is present ourselves with a smile – that’s the first rule of advertising. I do the same thing now. I’m selling a joke, a thought of mine, or perhaps a thought of yours. I say things that you can’t say.”
The other thing that ties comedy to advertising — “We’re lying,” he laughs. “I’m selling you lies.”
Along with having just finished filming his first-ever sitcom, ‘Clean Slate’, with Norman Lear and Laverne Cox, Wallace is touring with old friends from the ‘Toy Joyner Morning Show’, J. Anthony Brown and Myra J.
“I’m working on a few jokes, right now – maybe you’ll hear them at Helium,” he announced. “One is based on people telling you that you have to live each day as if it is your last – that’s a lot of s@#t to get done. I’m not a political humorist, per se, but I’m tired of all the messy politicians – I’m coming to Philly to announce my run at the presidency. First law that I’ll pass: Chick-Filet is gonna be open on Sunday. I don’t care how mad that makes the owners. I’m going to make it that Steve Harvey isn’t allow to host any additional television shows.”
Ask Wallace what is different about who is now, as opposed to the stand-up comedian who used to play in Old City regularly and he said, loudly, “I am a definitely a rebel now. I don’t care what anyone thinks about what I do or what I joke about. I’ll eat pancakes out of a cup and cupcakes out of a pan. I’ll eat French toast in England, and English muffins in France. I’m taking risks, man.
“I just love to laugh, and make everyone laugh with me – same as I did when I started. I’m in medicine, a doctor. You come see me and you’ll always feel much better.”
George Wallace will perform at Helium Comedy Club on June 30 and July 1. For tickets, visit philadelphia.heliumcomedy.com
