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What began as a bucket list item for Tim Ketchersid has turned into a fundraising with a funny twist.
In the fall of 2017, Ketchersid was on a weekend trip to celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife. The couple began discussing their bucket list. On his list, was trying his hand at standup comedy.
“I took a class at Dallas Comedy Club,” he said. “I started going up (on stage) in 2018, so it’s coming up on six years.”
When setting out on this comedic journey, Ketchersid had one goal in mind - to be authentic. For him, this meant keeping his comedy clean.
“I didn’t want to be corny and hackish,” he said. “One of the foundational parts then, is to be true to who you are.”
A resident of Farmers Branch since 1991, Ketchersid and his family have been involved in The Branch Church for decades. When it was still the Farmers Branch Church of Christ, his father served as the senior minister. Because of his background, Ketchersid felt that keeping his comedy clean was a part of who he is.
“I have grandkids and parents who are living, and I want them to be comfortable with what I’m doing and saying. I don’t want to embarrass myself or my family,” he said. “It’s so easy when you’re not trying to say things you’ll regret - I don’t want to do that.”
While he admits that some people may see clean comedy as having a bad reputation, he’s also seen it work for some of the biggest names in the business.
“Brian Reagan, Jim Gaffigan and Jerry Seinfeld are people who are filling stadiums, but are not talking about bodily functions or (anything explicit),” Ketchersid said.
Tim Ketchersid, a Farmers Branch resident, has been doing clean comedy for nearly six years.
Since beginning stand-up, Ketchersid has appeared at multiple local venues and put his comedy to the test. He’s graced stages at The Improv in Addison, Dallas Comedy Club in Deep Ellum, The Stomping Ground, The Comedy Arena and The Plano House of Comedy. He also appeared in eight special engagements of the locally-sourced clean comedy show Mixed Nuts at the Firehouse Theatre. In January, Ketchersid was also featured as one of the “10 DFW Stand-Up Comics To Keep on Your Radar in 2024” by the Dallas Observer.
Nearly six years in the industry later, he has made connections through organizations like the Christian Comedians Association. One of the connections from that organization had experience performing her stand up comedy as a fundraising effort. When Ketchersid learned that she and a few other comedians would be in town in May for another show, he reached out to them and organized a fundraiser show to benefit youth at his church.
On Saturday, May 18, Kitchersid and three other comedians, Dorie McLemore, Rhonda Corey and Brian Kohatsu will appear in The Clean Comic Tour at The Branch Church. Funds from the event will benefit high school students at the church to help them attend Branch Camp.
“It’s bringing people together to have fun, but also to raise money,” he said. “Don’t let the idea that it’s clean comedy keep you from coming,” Ketchersid said. “It’s going to be funny.”
The Clean Comic Tour is at 7 pm, Saturday, May 18 at The Branch Church, located at 3035 Valley View Lane in Farmers Branch. Tickets are $25 per person. To purchase tickets, visit https://timthecleancomic.com/events/the-clean-comic-tour-the-branch-church/.
