DeAnne Smith concluding first trip to NC with weekend shows in Wilmington
WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - With one fun North Carolina show under her belt, DeAnne Smith is ready to continue her first-ever visit to the Tar Heel State with an enjoyable Wilmington weekend.
Smith, a Canadian-born stand-up comedian who headlines Dead Crow Comedy Room on Friday and Saturday night, performed at Kings Raleigh on Wednesday and not only like the room, but also the crowd.
“It had like a rock ‘n roll vibe,” Smith said. “A bunch of people came out. … I didn’t really know how people would get the word out or who was gonna turn up and it was lovely.
“I like to be improvisational in my shows and I like every show to be a little bit different so that it’s never dull to me. The audience was definitely willing to play with me and gave me some really fun moments to riff off of. I had a great time.”
Telling jokes in new venues is one of the benefits of being a comedian, Smith said, and she tries to take full advantage of those opportunities.
In addition to performing all over the United States and Canada, Smith has done shows in Edinburgh, Scotland; Melbourne, Australia and at the Iceland Comedy Festival.
Going to new places to perform is now a perk most of the time, but Smith said it can also be a necessity.
“I was feeling a little bit closed out of the kind of boys club of the comedy club scene,” said Smith, who has been doing stand-up for 12 years. “Things have changed a lot in the past decade and that’s great, but at the same time, that club scene can feel very closed off and kind of homogeneous. It’s been a mix of something I wanna do and something I was kind of forced to do.”
No matter where she performs, Smith can usually be found sporting a signature look on stage. Her snazzy ties — both bow and neck — function as more than just fashion accessories.
“I think it could also be viewed as being kind of gender non-conforming,” Smith said. “It also fits me in a way, that I’m comfortable being buttoned up and kind of nerdy and presenting in that way, which then allows me to be loose in my comedy. I think it’s an interesting juxtaposition, but it’s also how I’m comfortable.”
Smith is doing two shows each Friday and Saturday night at Dead Crow. Click here for tickets.
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