Local comedian racks up laughs across the country
Lance Woods delivers high energy comedy
Courtesy of Lance Woods
Lance Woods performs at the Laughs Unlimited Comedy Club and Lounge in Sacramento, CA on March 12, 2020.
April 28, 2020
Through his brand of high-energy comedy, Sacramento comedian Lance Woods has been able to stand out in the national comedy scene.
The 33-year-old got his start in comedy when he imitated his pastor at a pastor appreciation service.
Woods said his mother, Yolanda Woods, encouraged him to perform.
“Several years ago we had our pastor appreciation service,” Yolanda Woods said. “I knew Lance was good at impersonating different people so I thought he would be good for that event, so I asked him to do it.”
From an early age, Woods loved comedy and grew up watching comedians like Mitch Hedberg, Steve Harvey and Bernie Mac.
“Bernie Mac’s set on Def Comedy Jam, I watched that probably a million times,” Woods said.
The first paid comedy job Woods landed only paid $25. Even though $25 was low, Woods was blown away at the fact he was being paid for telling jokes.
“It wasn’t a lot obviously, but it was somebody paying me to do comedy,” Woods said.
Since then, Woods has gone on to work with legendary comedians like Dave Chappelle and Tony Roberts.
Roberts, who has been a comedian for 27 years, is one of Woods’ closest friends and they have been working together for four years.
Roberts first saw Woods competing in a local stand up competition at Tommy T’s Comedy Club in Rancho Cordova. Woods finished in third place, but although he didn’t win Roberts saw something in the young comedian and decided to work with him.
“He’s a rare breed,” Roberts said. “Very few comics are at his level at his age you know, and he’s only been doing this for eight years now.”
Many comedians have used the coronavirus pandemic as a call to action for them to provide a distraction and entertainment for people.
Woods said he believes that it should be the entertainers choice on whether or not they want to put themselves out there during this tough time.
“Everybody handles crisis differently, so I can’t say just because you’re a comedian you’re supposed to be the bright spot in the dark time,” Woods said.
Woods has performed at some of the most notable comedy clubs in the country, including The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. Woods has also spent time performing in front of troops stationed in Japan.
Woods can be seen regularly at local comedy clubs like the Punch Line Sacramento and Laughs Unlimited Comedy Club.