Happy Mother's Day. For this special episode, Ira sits down with the woman everyone in his life has called hilarious for as long as he can remember — his mom, Sheila Taylor. She's the first non-comic guest on First Mic, the first mom, and (sorry Murf) the first one to take her shoes off on camera.

They get into her first live comedy show at Powers Auditorium in Youngstown back in the late '80s, what it's like watching her son show up on TV commercials and Walmart displays, and the sister-and-fiancée tag team that keeps trying to put her on Tinder. Sheila explains why peace and quiet beats a partner who can't take the trash out, runs through her favorite Columbus comics (Tyson Carson, Sister Lou, Larry Danflows, Murph Henderson, Wendy Ferguson, Def Goldblum), picks Steve Harvey as her Kings of Comedy MVP, and reveals exactly how she'd handle a heckler — and yes, prayer is involved.

Whether she'll ever actually do an open mic? She says one time, with a drink, with Jackie and Myra in the front row. We'll hold her to it.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Cold open

0:14 Welcome to a Mother's Day First Mic

2:31 Murf, the shoes are off

3:08 First non-comic guest in show history

5:04 First live comedy show: Michael Blackson at Powers Auditorium

8:12 Watching her son in commercials

10:14 Why your "intimate community" still counts

13:33 Would Sheila ever do stand-up?

17:00 Plugs: Da Fuck, The Valley, Rehab Tavern open mics

19:18 The Tinder situation

19:35 "I can buy myself flowers"

22:07 Favorite Columbus comics

25:48 Favorite comics, living or dead

28:20 How Sheila would handle a heckler

29:50 Why she left social media

32:55 Happy Mother's Day

PRESENTED BY

The Independent Comedy Collective

OPEN MIC LINEUP

Fridays — Dafuque Beer Company

Wednesdays — The Valley (with Def Goldblum)

NEW: Rehab Tavern open mic, sign-ups 7pm / start 8pm

Filmed at Rehab Tavern, Franklinton, Columbus, OH.

LISTEN

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#FirstMic #MothersDay #ColumbusComedy #Standup #IraCross

Tanya Vora doesn't wing anything. Before her first open mic in July 2023, she recorded herself practicing in her closet, showed up at The Attic early to visualize the stage, and went ninth on the lineup so she wouldn't have to go first. She also Googled what a "tight five" was the week before — because she thought it meant five jokes. She was wrong. She was also great. The comic who followed her, Chris Toiloi, told the room he couldn't believe it was her first time.

In this episode of First Mic, Tanya sits down with Ira Cross at Rehab Tavern to talk about moving from Startup Weekend pitch competitions into stand-up, running Brats (the women-centered mic at Space Bar), building Spice Up (her live show where comics interview chefs while the audience eats), the Picasso theory of why year-one comics aren't supposed to be polished yet, and the one thing every headliner she's ever asked said made their career.

🎙️ First Mic is the podcast where Columbus comedians share the story of their first time on stage — the bombs, the lessons, and the moment they got hooked.

📍 Recorded at Rehab Tavern — shout out for hosting us.

🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every Thursday.

🎙️ Follow Tanya:

Instagram/TikTok: @tanya.vohra

YouTube: Tanya Vohra

Spice Up: @spiceupeats

Mic: @bratscomedy

LeRon Crowder is the reason First Mic exists. Before this podcast was a podcast, he and Ira Cross sat in a Columbus library sketching the idea out on dry erase boards like a couple of professors. This is his first mic story — and it starts with Tony Rock at a Cheesecake Factory telling him, "You need to get on stage."

After two years of driving up to open mics, looking at comedians like "dorks and dweebs," and turning his car back around, a divorce and a need for something tangible to grab onto finally pushed LeRon through the door. He hasn't stopped since.

In this episode, LeRon sits down with Ira Cross at Rehab Tavern to talk about starting The Green Room podcast at iHeart with his brother Mark Gordon, how Tony Rock planted the seed that became a career, being 40 in a scene full of kids, why work ethic matters more than punchlines, raising four young children while chasing stand-up, and his wildly unserious take on his favorite Columbus comics (Tyson Colson, Josh Albert, Jason Banks, Henry Allen — sorry in advance, fellas).

🎙️ First Mic is a podcast where Columbus comedians share the story of their first time on stage — the bombs, the lessons, and the moment they got hooked.

📍 Recorded at Rehab Tavern, 456 West Town Street, Franklinton. Go give them your money.

🎤 Follow LeRon Crowder:

Instagram: @leroncrowder

Facebook: LeRon Crowder

🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week and get a front-row seat to the Columbus comedy scene.

What's the piece of advice someone gave you that changed your whole trajectory? Drop it below.

Def Goldblum is a Columbus-based music comedian, open mic host, and show producer who brings guitar, keyboard, and an absurd love of Facebook Marketplace to every stage he touches. On this episode of First Mic, he sits down with Ira Cross to talk about growing up on Redd Foxx records and George Carlin albums, stepping on stage for the first time at Scully's Music Diner right after COVID, and building a comedy career in one of the Midwest's most underrated comedy cities. Def breaks down why writing about everything — even the topics other comics have already covered — is the real path to finding your comedic voice. He shares why he tells new comics to produce their own shows if they want to understand why they're not getting booked, and why self-promotion is the part of comedy nobody wants to do but everybody needs. He also talks about his upcoming comedy rock opera live recording, his shows Date Night with Def and Late Night Double Feature, and the comedian who pushed him over the edge into music comedy: Dennis Blair, George Carlin's longtime opener. Filmed live at Rehab Tavern in Franklinton, Columbus, Ohio. First Mic is a podcast where we talk to comics about their first time on stage. Follow Def Goldblum: @defgoldblum_ across social media Subscribe to First Mic for new episodes every week. Columbus standup comedy, music comedian, open mic tips, comedy podcast, Def Goldblum, First Mic, Ira Cross, Columbus Ohio comedy scene, comedy advice for beginners, how to get booked comedy, Rehab Tavern, Independent Comedy Collective, comedy rock opera

Jules Wagner didn't plan on being a comic — her therapist basically prescribed it. After a cancer diagnosis, chemo, and a brutal first attempt at stand-up in Virginia Beach surrounded by frat bros, Jules walked away from comedy entirely. Then she moved to Columbus, gave it one more shot at Crescent Lounge on February 29th, 2023 — and three mics in, Johnny Collins gave her a piece of advice that reshaped her entire approach: "It's never the room. It's always you." In this episode of First Mic, Jules sits down with Ira Cross at Rehab Tavern to talk about getting sucked into the Columbus comedy scene, why knowing yourself makes you funnier, the class that started it all (shout out Paul Stelzer at hashtag Comedy Club), running the Independent Comedy Collective, why she's mean as hell to hecklers and they love her for it, and the "thread head" life. 🎙️ First Mic is a podcast where Columbus comedians share the story of their first time on stage — the bombs, the lessons, and the moment they got hooked. 📍 Recorded at Rehab Tavern — shout out for hosting us. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week and get a front-row seat to the Columbus comedy scene. Follow Jules: - Instagram: @julesmwagner - TikTok: @noteuphoriajules - Threads: @julesmwagner

He got in trouble at 10 years old for saying something he definitely shouldn't have to his mom — and the punishment changed everything. Locked out of TV, Jarrel Beaman found an old iPod and fell into a rabbit hole of Richard Pryor albums, Def Jam, Comedy Central Presents, and even Bob Hope. By the time he was 16, he'd been secretly battle-testing material in lunchrooms and on the back of the bus — getting paid a dollar per story — before walking into his high school talent show with zero stage experience and ripping it in front of 300 people. Now the Dayton, Ohio comic has performed at the Apollo Theater, crushed a Kill Tony set at the Mothership (after signing up five times), and calls Columbus his second home. In this conversation with Ira Cross, Jarrel breaks down why studying comics you don't even find funny is the real cheat code, how bombing gives you a Dragon Ball Z-style Zenkai boost, and why the scariest stage he's ever stood on had millions watching instead of hundreds. What's the first thing that made YOU fall in love with comedy — a special, a live show, or someone funny in your life? Drop it in the comments. 🎙️ Follow Jarrel Beaman: @jerrelscomedy on Instagram & TikTok

Alex Maluchnik's first joke ever was so bad he quit comedy for 10 years. Now he's opened for his childhood hero. In this episode of First Mic, Alex tells the story of the worst possible first open mic — following a woman's heartbreaking poem about trauma and addiction with "Hey, we told you we're sorry about all that." The room booed. He didn't touch a stage again for a decade. Then, on a bad Tinder date at an open mic, he watched 12 comics bomb in a row and thought: "Well fuck, I can do that." He texted his roommate to photograph his joke notebook — "It needs to happen in the next seven minutes or I'm never gonna follow my dreams." What you'll learn: Why bombing your first time doesn't mean you should quit (but maybe take a break) The mental shift that accelerates your comedy career Why you should NEVER shit talk the room you're in What it really costs to leave a high-paying career for comedy Alex also shares the full-circle moment of opening for Mike Birbiglia — the same comedian whose Comedy Central Presents he watched 30 times as a 14-year-old. 🎙️ Where to find Alex Maluchnik: Instagram: @maluchnik Facebook: Alex Maluchnik TikTok: @alexmaluchnikcomedy 📍 Filmed at Rehab Tavern, Columbus OH 💬 What's something you quit and came back to years later? Drop it in the comments!

A dishwasher on a smoke break delivered Sam Fisher's first heckle. His advice for new comics? Stop grading yourself mid-set. Sam Fisher thought he had a killer five-minute set ready for his first open mic at Da Vinci's Pizza in Midtown Atlanta. He starved himself all day, planning to reward himself with a slice after crushing it. Two hours later, he was bombing so hard a dishwasher yelled at him from the patio—and he was too sick to eat anyway. Connect with Sam Fischer: Instagram: @SamFisherComedy YouTube: Sam Fisher Standup 🎙️ What's the worst heckle you've ever witnessed? Drop it in the comments!

Alex Harshaw told a room full of elite NPR interns he was a standup comedian. He had never done standup in his life. In this episode of First Mic, Alex shares how a panic move at an internship icebreaker in Washington DC forced him into his first open mic — with 14 coworkers watching him bomb. From growing up on Comedy Central Presents to having Chappelle specials on his iPod Classic, Alex breaks down what actually got him hooked on comedy and why "having fun" is the most important advice he can give. What you'll learn: Why going somewhere "nobody knows you" can backfire spectacularly The difference between being funny conversationally vs. on stage How to keep showing up when open mics get rough Why making yourself laugh matters more than the audience Alex also talks about his Yellow Springs connection to Dave Chappelle and the magic of Comedy Central Presents that started it all. 🎙️ Where to find Alex Harshaw: YouTube: Alex Harshaw Instagram: @alexharshaw All socials: @alexharshaw 📍 Filmed at Rehab Tavern, Columbus OH 💬 Have you ever told a lie that you then had to make true? Drop it in the comments!

Allison McBane walked out of a 13-year marriage, read some books, and realized she'd been abused without knowing it. Her first instinct? Make jokes about it. In this episode of First Mic, Allison shares how growing up obsessed with Robin Williams — singing the Aladdin opening with full accent and a bowl cut — led to a comedy career she didn't start until after her divorce. She brought SEVEN friends to her first open mic (knowing zero comics), went all-in on physical comedy without knowing she "should have been nervous," and was doing musical comedy within two weeks. Why processing trauma through jokes can be a sign you're meant for comedy The power of bringing friends to your first open mic How to stay yourself on stage when you're tempted to emulate others Why standup is both a drug and a sickness Allison also talks about her show "Tattoos and Tarot" — combining standup comedy with tarot readings — and why creating unique experiences is the key to getting audiences out. 🎙️ Where to find Allison McBane: Instagram: @allisonmcbane (personal/shows) Instagram: @tattoosandtarot (show page) 📍 Filmed at Rehab Tavern, Columbus OH 💬 What's something painful you learned to laugh about? Drop it in the comments!