Some comedy chats feel like a business meeting. This one feels like hanging out behind a club after the show, when the coats are still on, the popcorn is still warm, and somebody’s telling you a story that starts with “So there I was…” and somehow ends with touring, recovery, and a mail mix-up that should’ve been framed.

In Episode 36 of Snackin’ & Yakkin’, Big Ben Kennedy sits down with Jimmy Kimrey to talk about the grind, the old ways, and what happens when social media starts booking shows for people who barely have a set.

A winter gig, a Charleston meet-up, and the bookers who just wanted laughs

Ben and Jimmy kick things off by flashing back to a cold-weather show at Honky Tonk Saloon, where Ben opened for Jimmy and Janet Williams (the “Tennessee Tramp”). Jimmy was already a name Ben had heard about, a Myrtle Beach comic who carried himself like he’d done the work, because he had.

They also talk about Tony Kemp, a promoter from earlier days who booked comics based on one metric: “Will they make the crowd laugh?” Not follower counts, not clip views, not who’s trending this week. Just laughs. Ben misses that era, the one where bookers chased reliable “surefire” comics, the kind of old school comedians who could walk into any room and get it going.

That leads into the modern headache: crowd-work clips, viral moments, and the weird reality that a 60-second video can land someone a real slot. Ben even mentions a current headliner who sells out while only doing about five minutes, then pads the rest with a small army of comics. It gets a laugh, but it also lands the point: the rules changed, whether you like it or not.

Touring with Shelley Belly, and why some “internet comics” can actually do the job

Jimmy’s not pretending to be a tech wizard. He flat-out says he’s computer illiterate, to the point that his 22-year-old son is making a show flyer because what takes the kid 20 to 30 minutes turns into a six-hour ordeal for Jimmy. No AI shortcuts, no clip factory, just stage time.

Still, Jimmy’s been at comedy for about 15 years (off and on), and one of the biggest runs of his career came from touring with Shelley Belly for three years. Jimmy calls her the rare social-media comic who truly translates to the stage. They met doing a show at Dreamers (a bowling alley bar), and the timing was wild: Jimmy was close to quitting when Shelley told him she’d never laughed so hard and asked him to tour.

That partnership eventually paused for practical reasons, not drama. Clubs often want to use in-house features (which saves them money), and paying to travel with a feature can cut into a headliner’s bottom line. Jimmy also doesn’t sugarcoat road life at 63, it can be brutal, especially when your health isn’t perfect.

If you want to track where Jimmy’s popping up, his schedule is posted on Jimmy Kimrey tour dates. And Shelley’s dates live on Shelly Belly’s official tour page.

Smartfood popcorn, Red Bull debates, and recovery talk that gets real fast

The snack table is simple and oddly perfect: Red Bull and Smartfood white cheddar popcorn. Ben shares the one time Red Bull went sideways, involving a Jäger-and-Red Bull combo, nonstop bathroom trips, and the kind of “my kidneys are filing a complaint” panic you only need once. Jimmy, meanwhile, treats Red Bull like a pre-show ritual, even though he’s also been known to crush a lot of Coca-Cola in a day. He mentions being diagnosed diabetic and starting insulin, then swapping toward flavored water packets (and a Crystal Light trick with Sweet’N Low).

Then the conversation takes a turn that feels honest instead of heavy. Jimmy is 17 years clean, and both he and Ben talk about how addiction doesn’t always disappear, it changes outfits. Jimmy tells a story about buying a 12-pack of ice cream sandwiches and eating all 12 in about four hours, then wishing he had more. That’s the same wiring, just a different plug.

They trade NA memories too, from “keep coming back” to the observation that meetings involve a lot of coffee and a lot of tears. Jimmy also shares that his youngest daughter is autistic, sharp as a tack, and effortlessly funny, the kind of quick wit comics dream of bottling.

Name chaos, comedy craft, and a missing finger that became merch

Ben brings up one of Jimmy’s smartest onstage moves: teaching the crowd to remember his name. “Kimry” gets butchered in every possible direction, so Jimmy has people spell it with him: J-I-M-M-Y, K-I-M-R-E-Y. It’s goofy, but it works, because Ben says he’s never forgotten it since.

They also swap “scene” talk, including Myrtle Beach spots, the Alabama Theatre, and comics who came up the hard way, like Dusty Slay. Ben remembers Dusty running open mics and doing the work long before bigger audiences found him (Dusty’s career and dates live on Dusty Slay’s official site).

Before they wrap, Jimmy shows off a T-shirt that ties into a bit about losing a finger to cancer, then twisting that into a joke and merch. It’s the whole theme of the episode in one move: take what happened, tell it honestly, and make it funny without begging the internet for permission.

Conclusion

Episode 36 is funny, messy, and weirdly comforting, because it treats comedy like a craft again, not a follower contest. It’s also a reminder that old school comedians still matter, because a real set in a real room is hard to fake. For more episodes, follow Snackin’ & Yakkin’ on Instagram or subscribe on the Snackin’ & Yakkin’ YouTube channel. If you want to help keep the snack table stocked, there’s also the Snackin’ & Yakkin’ Patreon.

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