Pepper & Dynamite

Staples in Hawai'i's Comedy Scene

My faith, which is so central to who I am, teaches that we are to give honor to whom honor is due. In this post, I want to do that. I’m not trying to be sentimental or sappy - but so what if I were. I simply want to give some honor where it’s due. Real honor. The kind you give because someone showed up, stuck around, and/or made a difference. I’ll say thanks to numerous people throughout this post and at the end, but I especially want to honor two guys in the Hawai’i comedy scene who’ve done exactly that.

First up is Pepper Lamb. Comedian. Booker. Connector. Hustler. Idea guy. Queen City native. Fellow Bengals fan, which means we both understand what it means to suffer in life. 12 months ago, on May 2, 2024, I stepped on stage for the first time. It was at his club for a comedy showcase he had produced. I had 7 minutes on the mic that night. And I poured my heart and soul into that performance and the lead up to it.

What’s wild is that, exactly 1 year later, on May 2, 2025, I was about to go on stage for a show (thanks here go to Garen for her precision producing skills and insane creativity), and my buddy Jerimy pulled out his phone and said, “Look at this.” It was a Facebook memory on his phone from exactly 1 year earlier, from the night of that first performance in Pepper’s club. In a moment, it dawned on me how much I had progressed in a year’s time. I’d done everything from 3 minutes to 5, to 7, to 12, to 15, to 18, to 30, and even one 60-minute show. I had even performed in two different states: Hawai’i and South Carolina. (Many thanks to Jerimy for showing up to many of my shows more than anyone else, supporting me, listening to me, filming, and photographing. I’m forever grateful!)

Anyway, before that first show at Pepper’s club, I had spent six weeks learning some of the ins and outs of comedy with him from a workshop/class he had put on. More than that, it was a space to ask questions, try stuff out, and get a little footing. Getting on stage for the first time takes guts. It’s one thing to write a joke. It’s another thing entirely to say it into a mic while strangers stare at you and try to decide whether you’re worth laughing at or should be reported to someone somewhere.

An important moment for me came some time later after an open mic set. I asked Pepper what I should focus on and work on, and he said, “Just keep getting on the mic!” I needed to hear that. But what he said next really hit, “You’re a good joke writer. Keep writing.” Just like that. No fluff. No long speech. Just enough words to light a fire under me. To hear that from someone who’s been in it as long as he has and to hear that from someone who’s been grinding like he has, that one sentence meant a lot. “You’re a good joke writer.” I heard the other stuff. But not really. That’s what I heard most! And it just sent my confidence up a notch.

A few months later, Pepper gave me another shot. And since then, he’s given me more. But opening for Hawai’i stand-up legend Andy Bumatai (twice) and Pepper himself was a definite highlight of my career thus far. That was a big moment for me. Like, nervous-stomach, question-every-life-choice, wear-dark-colors-in-case-you-sweat kind of moments. I’ll never forget that.

Near the end of that set, Pepper was standing in the back. I saw him motioning and thought he was telling me to wrap up. So, around the 12-minute mark I started to close out. Turns out, he was actually motioning for me to keep going. When he told me that later, it was another boost of confidence I didn’t know I needed. He said I was doing so well that he was wanting to give me more time. Straight up, you remember those moments. They stay with you.

I’ve watched Pepper work. I’ve seen doors close on him, and I’ve watched him find new ones or build some. He’s innovative. Persistent. Creative. And he’s part of how I got started in comedy. And I’ll always be grateful for that. Always.

The second guy I want to honor is Jose Figueras, or as most people know him, Jose Dynamite. The man never stops moving. He books, produces, promotes, performs, posts, and somehow still finds time to breathe. I haven’t had a long sit-down with Jose, but he gave me my first shot at Slack Key Lounge / Hawaiian Brian’s. I got to do fifteen minutes. It wasn’t my best set, but it was my first time getting paid. Twenty bucks. I’d just stepped away from a full-time job a few weeks earlier, so even though it wasn’t much, it hit different. That was the night I realized that maybe this wasn’t just a hobby. I could get paid to do this.

Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to get paid frequently. But it all started with that twenty. Jose gave me that opportunity. He also helped me knock off a major goal: performing at the Blue Note. Years ago, I went there for the first time to see one of my comedy heroes, Kevin Nealon. And if memory serves me correctly, I think Pepper was the opener that night. At the time, I didn’t even know Pepper. I also didn’t know I’d ever do comedy much less get to step on that very stage. But this week, I did. Fifteen to twenty of my friends came out to support me. It was a dream come true. And Jose was part of making it happen. Another moment of leveling up just a bit.

As a newer comic, I’ve had questions. A lot of questions. Probably too many questions. And I’m a details guy, so I’m the kind of person who asks stuff like, “Where do we meet?” or “What time should we be there?” or “How does the whole ticket thing work?” They’re not out-of-bounds questions, but they are the kind of questions that might make someone wonder if I’m planning a show or a military operation. But Jose’s never talked down to me or responded in a condescending way when I asked him. He’s never dismissed me. He just gave me the info and moved on. That’s a big deal in a profession where bookers and club owners and comedians can sometimes be famous for being pricks.

I know what Pepper and Jose do is a grind. It’s a lot of work and it’s not always glamorous. Booking shows, answering messages, promoting events, and still trying to write and perform. Some of it’s likely done out of necessity. But I also know they do most of it because they love comedy. They love the craft. They love the scene here. And they’ve helped it grow on this little swath of the planet.

The comedy scene in Hawai’i is small, but it’s got heart. It’s got hustle. Another person to mention here is Paco Loco. This guy gets after it, too. He is certainly the only guy I know who runs a 15-minute open mic on the sidewalk, next to a busy street, in front of a pizza shop, on Friday nights. It’s wild. But he loves comedy, too. And he’s generous. He’s another guy who didn’t have to pay me anything but he did. It was just another one of those boosts.

The comedy scene here in Hawai’i has been good to me. And I’m proud to say this is where I got my start. This is where I first held a mic and said a joke that actually landed. This is where it all began. And Paco and Garen and Pepper and Jose are all part of that. They’ve taken chances on me. They’ve opened doors. They’ve reminded me that doing stand-up is totally doable.

I know not everyone cares for me or likes me and that’s okay. That’s life. But thanks to all the comedians here who’ve welcomed me, chatted with me, put up with me, maybe didn’t want me around but endured it, been guests on my podcast, listened to my stupid jokes, and even my decent jokes over and over, and the like. As in any line of work or even in various areas of life, people don’t always agree or see eye to eye with each other. Such differences are inevitable. But when it comes to these folks, those things never got in the way. Comedy was always bigger than any of the differences, which speaks volumes.

I respect all of them immensely. Not just for what they’ve done for me, but for what they’ve done for others and for comedy here in Hawai’i. They’ve helped grow the scene. And they’ve helped people like me believe that this wild, terrifying, beautiful thing called stand-up comedy is feasible. So, to all of you: Thank you! Thank you for the time, the chances, the encouragement, the platforms, the texts, the nods from the back of the room, the stage time, the critiques, the laughs, and the opportunities. I hope the Hawai’i comedy scene keeps growing.

Thanks to all the local folks keeping the scene alive that I’ve been able learn from and share the stage and mic with: Kenny, Mike, Joel, Nalo, Demitri, Brody, Kiana, Saul, James, Alvin, Brendon, Harold, Kanoa, Reese, Ian, Joe, AJ, Andrew, Heather, Heston, JG, Carly, Neco, Jasmine, Rade, Kaleo, Craig, and Joshua. If there’s anyone else I’ve forgotten, I apologize. But honestly….Thank you. I’m grateful.

I’m moving away from the island but I hope, in some way, I can continue being part of or connected to this scene. Either way, no matter what happens next, I’ll always look back and say, “Hawai’i’s where it started.” But thanks especially to Pepper and Jose, two guys who helped get me going. Much aloha and countless mahalos.