As a star-studded lineup of comedians took the stage at the Landers Center in Southaven, Mississippi, among them was an unannounced guest whose reach hasn’t stretched around the country… yet.
The “We Them Ones” comedy tour brought together renowned comedians Mojo Brookzz, Tony Roberts, Mike Epps, Lil Duval and Karlous Miller this past weekend.
Epps, host of the tour, kicked off the laughs with his offering of impersonations of himself from movie characters he’s played. Then came the surprise. The crowd erupted in waves of cheers when Memphis’ own Wild Beale walked on stage.
The comedian is well known around the Memphis area, but this was a big deal. Still beaming with excitement after the show, he explained how it came about.
“Henry Welch (comedian) hit me up and told me Mike Epps’ manager was looking for a comic in Memphis, and I’m the only name that came to him, so he set it up!” said Beale, whose given name is Wilder Thomas.
He fit right in mingling backstage with other comedians after the show. “Mane, really I was just chilling. Mojo talked to me for a minute. … He asked how it felt up there,” Beale said. “I told him it was a dream come true.”
Wild Beale faced his largest audience to date. “Yup. The Minglewood Hall had like 2,500; I’m pretty sure Landers holds way more,” he said. Landers Center’s capacity is 8,400.
Being on the stage felt amazing, he said “I honestly can’t even explain the feeling. I just knew I envisioned it a long time ago.”
His sights are now set on an even bigger stage. “Can’t even lie, I gotta do it for the city and get to the FedEx Forum!”
