‘Laugh the Knights Away’ finals had ’em in stitches

Comedian Sean Anderson walked away with a $250 check after winning the Laugh the Knights Away final round Friday night in front of a sellout crowd at the Castle Bridge Winery in Kent.

Castle Bridge Winery had the final competition for its “Laugh the Knights Away” stand-up comedy Sept. 18. From left is emcee Mike Corning

Castle Bridge Winery had the final competition for its “Laugh the Knights Away” stand-up comedy Sept. 18. From left is emcee Mike Corning

Comedian Sean Anderson walked away with a $250 check after winning the Laugh the Knights Away final round Friday night in front of a sellout crowd at the Castle Bridge Winery in Kent.

“It was awesome,” Anderson said after the show, sponsored in part by the Kent Reporter, that featured four comedians. “It was tough competition.”

The crowd ranked the comedians from 1 to 4 to determine the winner.

Anderson, 26, of Federal Way, barely beat out Kane Holloway, of Puyallup, for the victory. The other finalists were Andrew Rivers and John Gardner, both of Kirkland.

Rivers replaced Rodger Lizaola, of Seattle, in the finals. Lizaola won the third round earlier this month, but withdrew from the finals to compete in a San Francisco comedy competition. Anderson first performed as a comedian two years ago. He works at a coffee warehouse in Renton, but would like to turn comedy into a full-time gig.

During a portion of Anderson’s stand-up routine Friday night, he sat down to play the guitar to sing a funny love song that kept the audience laughing and included a refrain that cannot be repeated in a family newspaper.

Anderson about about his dating adventures. He said he doesn’t have a drivers license right now, so he picks up his dates by riding a Metro bus.

“I tell them I’ll pick them up at 7:34 p.m. or maybe 8:34 p.m.,” he said.

The challenges to be manly and macho while doing certain activities were another part of Anderson’s routine.

“There’s no manly way to try to put on ChapStick,” Anderson said as he tried to demonstrate. “And there is no way to look manly changing a diaper. Besides, I’m far too busy trying to get my grandpa to sit still.”

Anderson said a new law should be passed in connection with tattoos.

“Anyone with their girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s name tattooed on their body also must get their IQ tattooed on their forehead,” Anderson said.

The crowd reaction at the wine bar pleased Anderson.

“The crowds are great here,” Anderson said. “This is my fifth time here and the crowds are always great.”

Holloway, the runner-up, performed a routine that had the most vocal interaction with the crowd, including a lady in the front row he joked with several times.

Holloway received a lot of laughs with impersonations of actor Christopher Walken and comedian Gilbert Gottfried. The bit about Gottfried included what Gottfried thought about a recent protest by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) against the Pike Place Fish Market fish throwers.

Gardner, who led off the comedy finals, described what he thinks of big businesses and small businesses during his routine.

“I hate big businesses,” Gardner said. “But I don’t support small businesses because I don’t want them to become big businesses.”

Rivers said that he recently went with his parents to the Snoqualmie Casino and that he walked out with $50 he made on a gamble.

“I asked my parents for $50, which always is a gamble,” Rivers said. “But hey, they gave it to me.”


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