The Rockland native and Boston comedy vet continues to work at making a name for himself and his favorite local joke-slingers
Whether it’s at The Pour House on Boylston Street, or Maggy’s Lounge in Quincy, or until fairly recently, Sally O’Brien’s in Somerville, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that Shawn Carter has been everywhere, or at least a bunch of places, when it comes to the continuously booming comedy scene in Boston.
The Rockland native has been on his own comedy grind for more than 12 years, and while he’s worked his way through the clubs and barrooms of the city to make a name for himself in the scene, he’s also put in the work to help other working comics do the same.
With Pour House Comedy, a weekly stand-up show taking place at, you guessed it, The Pour House every Wednesday night for the last year, Carter has successfully continued what he started at the Iron Furnace in Quincy a number of years ago. While he has curated a reputation as a booker that people always want to work with, Carter feels that the most rewarding part of his role in the scene is the networking that takes place when building these shows.
“The network of comedians that I have grown through meeting all of these comics over the years in Boston, through open mics and other shows, is the most important thing for me,” Carter tells Vanyaland. “I can put on a show anywhere because I have those people. Some people work better in a barroom than in a theatre, and vice versa, but with the talent available in Boston, you can put on a show anywhere if you book it correctly.”
Carter admits that since there are no advertisements out there hyping these shows around the area, it makes it a bit tougher to get the word out about it when the main vehicle is word-of-mouth. Even still, in addition to Pour House Comedy, Carter also curates a comedy debate show, Pick A Side Stupid, at Maggy’s Lounge on Friday nights in Quincy, and he’s excited to see that show continuing to grow, as more people are becoming intrigued with the show’s format..
While he’s had the chance to give a lot of comedians a chance to work out their best material, and hone their craft through the shows he’s put together over the years, what it really boils down to for Carter, in terms of his dedication and passion for these outlets, is the fact that his ability to put together killer lineups week after week really just stems from the fact that he is not only a comedian himself, but that at the end of the day, he’s just a fan of good jokes.
“It’s fun when I see somebody at a show, or when I use to run open mics, and they have a joke that makes me go ‘I want to show this to so many more people,’” says Carter. “To be able to put them on a different show, and show them to other people, and have the crowd connect to the same material that you connected with is just a lot of fun for me.”
POUR HOUSE COMEDY :: Wednesday, July 3 at The Pour House, 907 Boylston St. in Boston, MA :: 8 p.m., no cover :: Event info page :: PICK A SIDE STUPID :: Friday, July 5 at Maggy’s Lounge, 609 Washington St. in Quincy, MA :: 7 p.m., no cover :: Event info page