If your New Year’s resolution is to be funnier or maybe even try stand-up, this is the perfect place to start. We asked North Texas comedians to share their favorite go-to bits: the routines and jokes they can always count on to deliver big laughs.
From relatable punchlines that hit close to home to absurd jokes that catch audiences off guard, these selections might just inspire you to grab the mic and try a set of your own.
Kenny Lee
Kenny Lee, a rising star on the North Texas comedy scene, quickly made a name for himself with his sharp wit and engaging performances. In 2023, he was crowned Plano House of Comedy’s Funniest Person with a Day Job, and in 2024, he earned the title of Purvis Wilson Funniest Stand-up in Dallas.Lee’s favorite joke centers around his unique approach to neighborhood safety.
“I don’t know about y’all but I like to keep my gas tank on E strategically,” Lee begins. “I live in a rough neighborhood, there’s a lot of car thefts … but never my car. What you call an empty gas tank I call security, because if they try to steal my stuff, it’s going to be right up the street waiting on me.”
Marissa Nieto
As a staple at the Dallas Comedy Club, Marissa Nieto performs regularly on the first Friday of every month. She has also showcased her talent at the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago and the Tower City Comedy Festival.Nieto’s humor often draws from her personal experiences, with takes on everything from dating mishaps to family dynamics. One of her favorite bits playfully reflects on the high standards she once claimed to have in her younger years.
“When I was in my 20s I talked a big game about having high dating standards, but if you looked at my roster, if you looked at who I was dating, I was like Ellis Island in the early 1900s,” Nieto says in her stand-up. “I was like give me your weak, your poor, your DJs. Give me your history majors, the unemployed … those are the same thing. Give me your flat earthers, your storm chasers … too many guys from Oklahoma.”
Andrew Plock
Andrew Plock is a comedian and entertainer with over a decade of live performance experience. Trained at Dallas Comedy House, he was a sketch and improv performer there until it closed in 2020. Now a cast member of Four Day Weekend in Fort Worth, Plock also performs in improv troupes around Dallas and takes on acting roles as they come.Plock likes to incorporate singing in his bits, and one of his best bits is a comedic take on The Beatles song "Hey Jude."
“Paul McCartney asking you to turn his headphones up,” a caption reads on a video of Plock singing, “And make it better, better, better, better, better, better, yeah!” signifying the exaggerated frustration of trying to get the perfect sound mix, all while poking fun at the iconic moment in the song.
Zac Webb
Zac Webb is a comedian based in Dallas who's known for his infectious energy. He’s performed at Improv, Texas and Addison Improv. In 2024, he made it to the finals of the "Funniest Comic with a Day Job" competition.Webb has a knack for finding humor in the little things, from high school rivalries to the absurdity of name comparisons. One of his standout bits takes a look at the competitive nature of high school.
"I think high school is a very competitive time,” Webb says in his act. “A lot of kids try to one-up each other. I had a kid like that in my high school, and what made it worse is my name is Zac Webb and his name was Zach Webber ... A name which implies he's more Zac Webb than I."
Shahyan Jahani
Shahyan Jahani, a Dallas-based comedian, writer and actor with over seven years of experience in stand-up, is known for his brutally honest approach to comedy. He has performed at major festivals such as the Dallas Comedy Festival and Denton Comedy Festival and opened for headliners such as Emily Heller and Liz Miele.One of Jahani’s bits that he often brings up is his wife’s assumption that he is self-conscious about his skin.
“My wife is my better half,” Jahani begins. “She always buys me gifts that I don’t even anticipate that I need; does anyone else have a partner like that who is super thoughtful?”
Then Jahani pulls the switch, describing the rest of the joke as him “demonizing” his wife in a joking way.
“Well, my wife brought me this prescription-based shampoo,” he says. “And she always tells me to wash my back because she says I’m insecure about it. I’ve never once said that — her saying that makes me insecure.”
