Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Two seasoned, veteran comedians, with over 60 years experience between them combined, walk into the Kuumbwa Jazz Center to dually record their first solo comedy albums.
No?
Well, that’s exactly what’s going to happen on March 21 when comedians DNA and Karin Babbitt hit the stage at Kuumbwa Jazz Center. It will be the second night of recording for both, coming off the first night of taping in Mill Valley.
So why did it take so long for either one of them to finally get their jokes recorded?
“It never occurred to me,” Babbitt says matter-of-factly but with a slight smile in her voice.
For DNA—the impresario behind the Santa Cruz Comedy Festival—it’s something he’s thought of throughout his two decades of comedy.
“It’s a bucket-list thing,” he says. “But I’m also ready. I’ve been doing this for 18.6 years and I have all this material I want to get catalogued.”
The idea for the double show came about when DNA originally shopped the idea to record his album to a different label that wasn’t taking on new artists. That’s when he remembered Punchline Records, an underground Bay Area label run by Matthew Layne.
Founded in 2022, Punchline Records is known as a micro label, meaning they only release material digitally, allowing artists the freedom to release hard copies if they so choose.
“One of their mission statements is [releasing material from] ‘legendary voices you haven’t heard,’” DNA explains.
For added fun—“or maybe because of codependency,” as DNA says—he asked his good friend and fellow Santa Cruz comedian Karin Babbitt to join.
“We both worked really hard to have set bits, but that’s also created a lot of anxiety,” Babbitt says. “When you’re in front of a crowd and doing comedy at people, it’s a terrible experience for both the comic and the crowd. So we’re gonna go in knowing our bits but also be flexible to what happens in the room at the moment.”
The two originally crossed paths when a local article about the Santa Cruz comedy scene was published highlighting DNA and containing no mention of Babbitt.
“My ego was all ready to go,” she says.
And rightfully so.
Originally from Southern California, by the time she was in her early 20s Babbitt was working the Los Angeles comedy scene. She was a regular at the legendary Comedy Store, doing her routine alongside Richard Pryor, Robin Williams and Eddie Murphy. Her name is still painted next to Jerry Seinfeld’s on the club’s cherished wall of entertainers.
Shortly after she moved to Ben Lomond in 1988, Babbitt was one of the creators and producers of a number of local comedy shows, such as The Last Laugh (where—during the height of the AIDS pandemic—local comedians wrote jokes for terminally ill AIDS patients who always wanted to do stand-up) and 1989’s Laughquake, a benefit for some of the Loma Prieta earthquake’s hardest hit survivors.
As Babbit puts it, the two exchanged snarky letters and sparred with verbal quips overtime until the inevitable happened.
“We found out, ‘Oh my god! You’re so cool!’ and started having this incredible appreciation between us,” she laughs.
“Then we found out we also work together really well.”
In fact, the respect was so mutual DNA wrote a Good Times cover article about Babbitt’s return to the comedic stage in 2022.
“I love Karin so much,” he says. “I love everything about her. She’s a good person and a mensch.”
As many Santa Cruzans know, DNA moved back to Chico two months ago after producing some 2,000 shows—more than 280 at his one-time DNA’s Comedy Lab—and 11 Santa Cruz Comedy Festivals.
So for him, it was a no-brainer to record his album in Surf City.
“It was my community for the last 20 years,” he says. “I didn’t leave [Santa Cruz] for a new community, I’m just going back to my ex.”
With so much going on in the world right now, both comedians say their sets will be topical along with being hilarious.
“Originally [my] album was going to be called Into the Woo Woo because I was going to focus on other realities and experiences,” DNA admits. “But our reality seems so hectic I just want to stay focused on the here and now.”
Babbitt—who believes in the power of being true to herself in all things—admits people will find her blend of dark comedy either hilarious, offensive and maybe even both.
“I’m the daughter of an Auschwitz survivor and I’ve finally found my time in history where I can do all my dark jokes about that experience,” she says. “We’re all so blown away by what’s happening [in the world], I don’t think anything’s sacred anymore.”
DNA and Karin Babbitt begin the evening at 7:30pm inside Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Center St., Santa Cruz. $23.18. 831-427-2227.
PULL QUOTE:
