Skirt Chasin' Smirk Chasers

One of the uniquely human senses binding all walks of life is the sense of humor. And the indicator of a good comedy show isn't just the quantity of laughter, it is the variety.

Last week, Austin Pride kicked off with a special show that highlighted just that variety.

There should be chortles, guffaws, titters, snorts, gut-busters, and at least one or two bits which make your eyes leak. I'm a sucker for someone who can Q properly, and Queer Queens of Qomedy tint the litmus properly. Anyone who is familiar with Olivia Travel will recognize these ladies… and be familiar with having a sign language interpreter distract you.

Non-Texan host and Texas tour instigator Poppy Champlin kicked off the show with a high-energy homo ditty, apropos for the Live Music Capitol of the World. Setting the tone of "anything goes with a smirk chaser," she had bits of interest to lesbians, wanna-bians, and straights alike, including landing some solids on Gov. Good Hair. Here's hoping she comes visiting again soon.

Revealing a set of pipes rivaling your favorite Voice star, cunning bi-lingualist and salsa soft shoe queen Sandra Valls also began her set musically, segueing into solid material on her South Texas roots and Longhorn identity. While lesbian "insider" stuff brought on hearty roars of laughter, Sandra's inherent charm and fearless wit fits all her bits with the potential for fall-out-of-your-chair chuckles. This one woman triple-threat also needs to come to Austin much more often.

By all (her) accounts, Vickie Shaw's singing ability rivals that of my mother. Thankfully, she left the serenades to the others and spared the audience her less-than-dulcet tones. One of Olivia's go-to funny women, Shaw knows how to blend newer material seamlessly with her tried-and-true. Her "Fang," partner of 14 years, Sgt. Patch, punctuates punchlines galore, and her family fodder successfully fills any ungiggled gaps. Maybe it is just that strong Texas accent, but she reminds me of a female Ron White, bringing the best of Southern humor to the rest of the world.

Breaking the bounds of the queer demographic, Queer Queens of Qomedy earns every tear of hilarity spilled.