MARINE CORPS AIR STAION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Roars of laughter filled the Club Iwakuni ballroom here Feb. 24 during the Tommy Davidson comedy show.
Tommy Davidson, a stand-up comedian for more than 20 years, joined with Lav Luv, his opening act, to entertain station residents during a tour of U.S. military installations in Japan.
During the tour, they visited Yokosuka Naval Base, Yokota Air Base and U.S. Army Base Camp Zama.
Lav Luv, from Atlanta, Fla., started off the night with his very edgy performance by relating his experiences in the military.
“I was in the Army,” said Lav Luv. “I got out of the Army and started doing comedy. I’ve been doing comedy since about ’95.”
Lav Luv’s diversity of jokes kept the audience rolling throughout his entire act.
“He was hilarious,” said Lance Cpl. Robert Cooper. “I actually bought his DVD, and it was really funny. He told the truth, and he was dead on when he talked about the military.”
Davidson had the crowd laughing from the moment he stepped on the stage with his dancing, singing, witty jokes and spot-on impersonations.
Davidson has been interested in comedy since he was very young.
“We used to do laundry on Sundays, so I would just sit up in the laundry mat and do impersonations all day,” he said.
Davidson is not only a stand-up comedian, but he has also had roles in movies such as “Booty Call” with Jamie Foxx, “Strictly Business” with Halle Berry and “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” with Jim Carey. He is most famous for his roles on the sketch comedy television series “In Living Color.”
He is also working on the documentary “iComic” with Cedric the Entertainer and the cartoon series “The Youngins” with Will Smith, which will both be coming out next fall.
“I am also working on ‘The Tommy Davidson Show,’” said Davidson. “It’s a combination of Flip Wilson, who was a very good comedian back in the ‘70s who did a variety show, and ‘In Living Color.’”
Davidson and Lav Luv both said that they did the tour to show their gratitude for the armed services.
“People don’t know how hard people work out here and the eclectic group of people that are out here,” said Davidson. “Everybody is from everywhere, so it’s like performing at home. For what everyone’s doing out here, it’s kind of a way for me to give thanks.
“I just want to thank everyone for their support over the years,” said Davidson. “They’ve always come out. I’ve always sold really well on bases, and I really appreciate it. It’s added to a lot of the experiences that I’ve had, and it’s made my career a lot more proud.”
As the show came to an end, station members lined up to meet the comedians. While waiting for their autographs, pictures, T-shirts and DVDs they expressed their appreciation as well.
“It was nice to have everyone, low and high ranking, get together to laugh,” said Cooper. “It’s really cool to be able to just chill and not worry about work and just have fun.”