It’s Acadiana: Out To Lunch

Hosted ByChristiaan Mader

OUT TO LUNCH finds journalist Christiaan Mader conducting business Acadiana style: over lunch. Each week Christiaan invites guests from Acadiana's business community to join him. Beyond the foundations of the Acadiana economy - oil, cuisine, music - there is a vast network of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and even some of the country's largest companies who call Acadiana home. Out to Lunch is the cafeteria of the wider Acadiana business community. You can also hear the show on KRVS 88.7FM.

That’s (not) Funny – Out to Lunch – It’s Acadiana

Acadiana is known for entertainment. If you don’t play in a band yourself, someone in your family almost certainly does.  There’s music everywhere – from small house parties to giant festivals. But there’s more to life than music. For example, comedy. 

There’s a genre of Cajun comedy, typified by our friend Boudreaux. Boudreaux usually appears to be a naïve country boy at the beginning of the joke, but in the end gets the last laugh.

Over the years there have been a few notable Cajun comedians.

But what Acadiana has not enjoyed is a comedy culture. There haven’t been comedy clubs, or a place where visiting stand-up comedians on a national tour could perform. Until the recent advent of a business, called Lafayette Comedy.

jason leonard, lafayette comedy

The founder of Lafayette Comedy is Jason Leonard. Jason is also the founder of the Louisiana Beard and Facial Hair Association. That’s not a joke. It’s how Jason got started in the funny business.

If you’re going to make a living as a comedian in Acadiana you either have to have very meager needs, or have a few other skills to supplement your income.

Robert

Robert Harris is a comedian. He’s also an artist, recording artist, event poster designer, playwright, performing artist, and voice actor specializing in Cajun accents. On top of that he has a gallery in downtown Lafayette where he sells his artwork. And he’s royalty – best known around Lafayette as King Rob. 

On Out to Lunch we generally have three guests. So the thinking when putting together trhis show was, who could we invite as a third guest to join these two comeians? How about somebody who could use a laugh? Say, someone who spends all day teaching people how to shoot, bust a meth lab without blowing themselves up, get into a hostage location through the roof, use a Taser, repel out of a helicopter, and react to all kinds of threats of violence?

Joey Comeaux, Cover 6

That would be Joey Comeaux. Joey is founder and CEO of the Cover Six Training Academy in Church Point. He might be a fearsome tactical assault expert, but on this show Joey gets the last laugh.

Out to Lunch at Social, Peter Ricchiuti, Rob Harris, Joey Comeaux, Jason Leionard

Photos at Social by Gwen Aucoin.