‘Another Round!’ comedy tour coming to town

Minutes before show call, Zane Lamprey doesn’t pace around the room nervously or rehearse punchlines. Instead, he’s likely backstage with his feet up and a beer in hand, setting the tone for the high-energy show that follows.

That down-to-earth approach will be displayed when Lamprey brings his stand-up comedy tour to Warwick this month. His upcoming performance will mark his 572nd show since he first started touring in June 2021. He also plans to perform in other locations across New York.

Lamprey’s decision to bring his tour to the Hudson Valley is not based on random choice, as, he said, most seasoned comedians tend to host their shows in major cities on the same nights. Instead of following his peers, he wanted to take a different approach for his shows.

“The chances of another comedian of my level having performed in Warwick, in the Hudson Valley in the last several months is low,” Lamprey said. “So rather than me going to New York City... I can go to these breweries and have smaller shows, and bring the show to [suburban audiences].”

From television to the stage

Known for hosting his television shows “Three Sheets” (on the Travel Channel) and “Drinking Made Easy” (from HDNet), Lamprey made a name for himself by raising a glass around the globe. On screen, he traveled to dozens of cities in the U.S. and across the globe, exploring drinking cultures while delivering laughs along the way.

In Moscow, he once shared vodka with a group of four men in an abandoned tenement building without heat or electricity. In an already surreal moment, one of the men mysteriously disappeared from the room. Moments later, the man stormed back, not carrying a new bottle of vodka, but a machine gun - just one unforgettable story in a career full of them for Lamprey.

After years of turning his drinking adventures into television, Lamprey brought those stories to the stage, kickstarting his stand-up comedy career.

“Those [shows] really were the impetus for everything that I’m doing now,” he said.

In early 2021, Lamprey initially reached out to comedy clubs for gigs, but he hit a brick wall as many of the clubs had laid off their staff and were not planning to open their doors anytime soon due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of waiting for an opening to come to him, he took matters into his own hands.

From the relationships that he made as a TV personality, Lamprey made a move to contact brewery owners across the country, many of whom are his closest friends. That choice landed him in the very places he performs his stand-up comedies today: breweries.

But Lamprey’s stories don’t just live on stage, he’s also collecting them in his new book, “Glass Half Full,” which is scheduled for release in April.

The book weaves together stories that show how his early life choices and experiences shaped his career. Lamprey pointed to a conversation that he once had with actor George Clooney as an example.

“At the end of the day, ‘Glass Half Full’ talks about how you can choose to look at life as an optimist or as a pessimist,” Lamprey said. “And I always choose to look at things as though things are going to work out, and I believe that because that’s exactly what happened.”

What to expect

Lamprey said audiences who attend his shows can expect a night of storytelling, camaraderie and of course, plenty of laughs. It’s the kind of atmosphere that he aims to create at every stop of his tour.

He’ll bring that energy to Destination Unknown Beer Company in Warwick on Sunday, Sept. 21, as part of his “ANOTHER ROUND!” tour. General doors will open at 7:30 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets for the event can be found on zanelamprey.com.

Before and during the performance, audience members are welcome to grab a beer or another drink of choice to enjoy while taking in the show.

“It’s a party hosted by me,” Lamprey said. “Your face might hurt from laughing too much, that’s the only thing. I can’t guarantee that people are not gonna have hangovers.”