At a time when people are tired of dealing with winter, holiday let-down and watching the depressing crap on the news, Worcester answers with the best medicine of all … laughter.

The second annual Comedy Fest will grace The Palladium stage on Feb. 28, and the lineup looks truly amazing, with headliners Lenny Clarke and Steve Sweeney (both Boston comic legends), Jimmy Dunn, Frank Foley, Tony V, James Dorsey, Kevin Barbare, Tom Dwyer and some local acts, too. What could be better than live comedy, a couple drinks, forgetting your troubles for a couple hours and laughing so hard you get the hiccups (wait, does that happen to everyone or just me?).

“We really want to mix in some of the best local up-and-coming talent and the best talent from right here in Worcester with some big name acts that also have ties to the area. These guys are top-notch national acts. They’ve all toured the country … all over the world. It was pretty easy to come up with this lineup this year,” said Larry Smith, co-founder of Stand Up for Laughs, which started in early 2012, combining a love for comedy, roasts, music and event planning and promotion.

“The feeling of watching over 800 people at The Palladium for last year’s Comedy Fest and it sounding like a laugh track at a show my company organized was definitely a highlight in my career,” Smith said. He hopes to top that number this year.

Headliner Steve Sweeney (Me, Myself and Irene, The Equalizer, WZLX Radio) said, “The lineup is really unbelievable; everyone on the bill is great. I did it last year, and it’s a good vibe. It’s an all-star kind of show that I think anyone would like. There are so many different styles of comedians, and it’s really a great night out.”

Sweeney said he likes performing in Massachusetts because “Boston has an edge, and it’s fun doing local material. People identify right away.”
In addition to performing at Comedy Fest, Sweeney will be in the upcoming movie, The Forger, with John Travolta and a movie about fighter Vinny Pazienza, Bleed for This. He is also co-writing a movie with Keith Dorrington (who wrote The Fighter).

Comedian Lenny Clarke (Rescue Me, The John Larroquette Show, Sirens, Fever Pitch) will host the event this year. He took some time to talk to me about the show and was just as funny unscripted as I would have imagined.
“You’re getting a bunch of headliners that would never necessarily be in Worcester on the same night otherwise,” Clarke said. “It’s an amazing lineup. When you’re working with other funny people that you respect and admire, it makes you bring your A-Game. At times, I think people just go through the motions, but this event is really something special; we all get up there and the crowd is amazing … we really kick some ass.”

Clarke, who is known for his brutally honest style of comedy, said that if he wasn’t doing comedy, he would probably be in a mental institution.
“I’m absurd. I’m out of my f-n mind! Some people love me, some people hate me, but after doing this for over 37 years, I know I can’t please everybody,” Clarke said. “When people do come to see me, though, I really want them to laugh. If they let me create, I will make them laugh. I’ll give them the best I can every time.”

Tickets for Comedy Fest won’t break the bank, either. You can get balcony tickets for $20, Lower Level seats for $30 and Floor seats right near the stage for $45. Tickets are available on ticketfly.com.

By Jennifer Russo