Todd Yohn: Articles About Todd

Yohn combines 'fun monkey' visual comedy and music for stand-up act

Rebecca Coudret, The Evansville Courier, January 13, 1998

Todd Yohn has a guitar in the Hard Rock Cafe -- in Orlando, Florida.

He recently was inducted into the Dick Clark Walk of Fame -- in Cincinnati.

He's opened for comedian Joan Rivers, and in March goes on tour with singer Kenny Loggins.

This week he's the big-deal headliner at The Funny Bone Comedy Club -- in Evansville.

And you're sitting there with your morning coffee, saying "Who the heck is Todd Yohn?" Right?

That's OK. He doesn't mind.

"It's not like I'm anybody famous," he said with a laugh. Yohn was in Cincinnati -- y'know, for that induction thing -- and was talking about "what Dick Clark's reaction must've been."

"I'm sure he said 'Who?' when they told him I was going into his hall of fame," Yohn said.

And that guitar in the Hard Rock Cafe? "A buddy of mine is the manager there. It's got to be fun to hear people looking at it, saying, "Who's he?'"

Fans of the "Bob and Tom" morning radio show don't say "Who?" when Yohn's name is mentioned. The comedian/musician is a frequent guest on the show, and, in fact, credits Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold with changing his life.

"Yeah, I know that sounds dramatic. But they've made my career. I can't do them justice in words. They gave me the kick in the pants to be more creative. Every time you're on their show, you pretty much have to have a new song (to premiere), so that gets me working harder, and that improves my act overall."

While those who know Yohn are familiar with his musical comedy, he insists radio and CDs are only a substitute for the live act.

"I do fun-monkey stuff," he said. "I'm a completely visual comic. My comedy has a physicality to it -- facial expressions and body language to emphasize things. I only have one switch -- and it's On!"

If you've seen the act, the CDs and radio become more interesting because then you can (visualize) something close to what I'm doing."

While Yohn says he's not "in the political arena" with his comedy, he admits to being a social commentator, an observational comedian. If it happens in pop culture, Yohn takes it on -- in stand-up or in song.

"I know what I'm doing is not going to affect the world. But if you come into a comedy club filled with political correctness, you're not going to have much fun. Everyone is fair game."

Even 6-foot-4 comedians with red hair? "You bet. If you can't laugh at yourself, you have no right to laugh at anyone else."

Here's a sample of what Yohn's audiences are laughing at:

"I travel a lot, of course. Most of us go to the bathroom when we check into a hotel room. Have you noticed how in some places they fold the toilet paper into a point? It's like an arrow? I've just never felt the need to be that accurate. That's pressure. 'Oh, thank goodness that point is there or I'd have missed it altogether.'"

"I needed some money when I was in Evansville in December, so I went to an automatic teller, the kind specifically designed for drive-through use. You know what it looks like. It's designed so you don't have to get out of your car. I noticed that right there, on the keys with the numbers, there's Braille. It's a drive-through! Is there a surplus of blind people cruising around Evansville that I need to know about?"

"I was stuck in an elevator once, for about an hour and a half. I used the emergency phone, and the guy said they'd take care of things. Then he said, "Just stay where you are."

Just imagine the look on Yohn's face when he tells that one.