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Five comics are attempting to jest their way to being crowned the funniest in the region.

After advancing through a qualifying round and semifinals, the top-voted comedians will compete for the prize on Oct. 8 at Van Dyck Music Club in Schenectady. Local comedian Ryan Shipley founded the Capital Region’s Funniest Comic contest in 2024.

The second night of semifinals ended with a three-way tie between Blake Whitbeck, Shawn Barnes and Twon Wood. Also progressing from the first night of semifinals are Tyler Cronk and J Connolly.

Comedians performed 10-minute sets before an audience vote determined who would be granted a ticket to the final showdown. Family, friends and fans filled the room with laughs, cheers and – after a few drinks – the odd disruptive heckle, which the semifinalists handled with humor and ease.

This year, Shipley managed the workload of producing the competition, a total of eight shows, with fellow comedian Bri Morrison.

“I was just trying to grow comedy in the area because I think there’s a lot of really good comics,” Shipley said.

Morrison noted that the weekslong competition brings local comics together, allowing them spots both on stage and in the audience.

“It gets everyone in the scene to come out and watch everybody. It’s really supportive and cool,” she said. “Even on nights they’re not involved in, people who aren’t moving on are still here watching.”

Finalist Barnes has been performing stand-up comedy for about three years. He participated in last year’s contest, but didn’t make it to the final round.

“Last year was fun. I think the main thing I’ve taken from this is how strong of a comedy community there is in the area,” he said. “It’s definitely a way to look at growth, to be able to look at what you did last year and say ‘Oh, I’ve grown this much.’ It’s kind of a way to put a checkpoint in your year as a comic.”

It was a no-holds-barred night as the semifinalists offered wisecracks on topics ranging from sex, drugs and the at-times disappointing amount of snow at Gore Mountain. Host Mike Bernat, who competed last year, held the stage between competitors, introducing each one after an opening set that included jokes on his divorce and the Cockney-voiced cat that’s kept him company since.

Tickets for the finals on Oct. 8 can be purchased at capitalregionsfunniestcomic.com; use code “DOGS” for a discount. The show begins at 7 p.m.

This article originally published at 5 comedians advance to Capital Region’s Funniest Comic finals.