The Boston Comedy Festival, which kicks off May 16 with Todd Barry and two stand-up contests, features a lot of familiar faces this year. Headliners Jackie Flynn, Zach Sherwin, and Robert Kelly all spent their formative years in the local scene — as did Erin Maguire, who hosts a pair of stand-up contests. Joe List, the festival’s Comedian of the Year, and Brian Kiley, who’ll receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, have deep roots here as well. They’ll be honored at the festival’s closing gala, as will Topper Carew. Elsewhere, Shane Mauss previews his “A Better Trip” show, and scene staples Steve Sweeney and Juston McKinney both headline their own nights.
As a comedian who broke into the scene at a young age, List said news of his honor resonated. “I remember the Boston Comedy Festival started [in 2000] right around the same time I started. So it has sort of a special meaning to me. I remember [as] a teenager being like, ‘Oh, my God, we have our own festival. This is crazy.’”
It has been roughly eight years since List has been part of the festival, and he returns with a lot less to prove. He released his first feature film, “Fourth of July,” in 2022, starring as an anxious jazz musician dealing with his family at a holiday getaway. He co-wrote it with Louis C.K., who directed. List is also one of the more prolific stand-ups in the country and has his third self-produced hourlong special, “Enough for Everyone,” slated for YouTube this summer. He’s also had the creative freedom to film a documentary about his friend, one-time Boston comic Tom Dustin, who now owns a comedy club in Key West. Tentatively titled “Too Funny to Hate,” it is expected to be released in the fall.
This time around, List, a Whitman native, won’t be competing in the stand-up contest — his resume speaks for itself. “It’s definitely a different vibe,” he says. “It’s nice to know I’m going there to win something as opposed to trying to earn my win. Definitely a lot less stress and anxiety this time.”
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