Here in Lafayette, comedy is growing up. The scene is expanding, more shows are popping up. It’s become a draw for national touring acts. And comics are choosing to stay—or come back—because there’s actually something to build here.

That’s pretty remarkable. Lafayette wasn’t really on the map as a comedy town until the last decade or so. But comedy itself — how it works, how it’s consumed — has changed. And it’s booming nationally while other live entertainment offerings have hit the skids.

On this edition of Out to Lunch Acadiana, Johanna Divine sits in for Christiaan Mader and she’s joined by two lunch guests who both work in comedy, but from very different angles—and very different eras. One started when comedy clubs were king, the other as memes have become currency. One uses hypnosis, the other political satire. And both have made Lafayette home.

Flip Orley, comic hypnotist, warms up his audience with a 30 minute standup set then launches into his real hypnosis show than can last up to 4 hours

Flip Orley has been a touring comic and hypnotist for more than 30 years. He’s performed in clubs and theaters across the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, blending stage hypnosis with stand-up. He’s known for treating his volunteers with respect—no chicken clucking here—and for pushing audiences to think and laugh at the same time. He’s also an author, podcast host, and something of an HR nightmare, by his own account.

John Merrifield, standup comic and Founder of Lafayette’s Oof Comedy

John Merrifield is the founder of Oof Comedy and the co-host of Laf City Radio. A Lafayette native, John got his start in stand-up after proposing a comedy night at a bar—possibly after one too many bad open mics. Since then, he’s built a following through viral memes, sharp political satire, and a prolific open mic scene at Cite des Arts.

John left for New York to build his chops, then returned to help grow Lafayette’s comedy scene from the ground up.

Johanna Divine sits in hosting Out to Lunch Acadiana for Christiaan Mader, Dylan Babineaux engineers

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Two comedians walk into a sushi restaurant… Well, actually, that’s all we’ve got so far, we’ll leave the punchline to the professionals – when we meet Flip and John next time here on Out to Lunch Acadiana we’ll hear the rest of the joke. Watch this space! Till then, this comedy lunch was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. Photos by Alisha Zachery Lazard.