UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH:
Jenny Yang is bringing her unique perspective to unusual venues, holding stand-up shows in ethnic grocery stores across the US
Stand-up comedians are used to tuning out the sound of clinking glasses from two-drink minimums and patrons walking in and out during sets. But what about rolling shopping carts or the smell of fried fish?That kind of ambience is what someone could find on comic Jenny Yang’s unique nationwide summer comedy tour, where she has been turning cultural grocery stores into comedy clubs for an evening.“I got to buy a bunch of small snacks and shrimp chips and throw it into the audience every time I felt like a joke didn’t land,” Yang said. “I mean, this is my dream.”
Jenny Yang poses near the stage at the Jerusalem Market before her stand-up set on July 31 in Phoenix.
An immigrant from Taiwan and an experienced comic whose acting credits include the Netflix show The Brothers Sun, Yang is living a dream of “the most politically and creatively fulfilling project” she has ever done. “The Good Egg Immigrant Grocery Store Standup Comedy Tour” is partly her reaction to the immigration crackdowns by US President Donald Trump’s administration impacting Asian, Latino and black communities. She wanted to entertain in cities with immigrant enclaves where she could give back. Yang and her team chose grocery store stops and nonprofits to donate to based on recommendations from local organizations.The unorthodox tour has grown from five performances to almost 20, far beyond her expectations. It started in June in Los Angeles, where Yang lives, and has taken her to Minneapolis, Phoenix and other cities. After stops in New York and San Francisco, the tour returns to LA next month, with Yang filming a performance for a proposed comedy special.
