Texas native Jasmine Ellis was working her shift at a luxury department store when her coworker, who is also a comedian, noticed how she interacted with the customers. The coworker convinced Ellis to go to an open mic with him just once, and the rest was history. “It was my Dorothy in Oz moment. I knew I was where I was meant to be,” Jasmine gushed. Since then, the comedy phenom who now calls Los Angeles home has performed all across the country.
Austinites will be able to see Jasmine perform as a headliner of the Lysistrata Comedy Festival this weekend, April 4-7. She will also be recording her new special on Friday, April 5, at Austin staple Rozco’s Comedy Club.
The Lysistrata Comedy Festival won’t be Jasmine’s first festival appearance either. The soon-to-be household name has also been featured in festivals like Moontower, 10,000 Laughs, Limestone, and Black Girl Giggles, to name a few.
So Jasmine, who coined her comedy style as upbeat observational storytelling through a modern Black Feminist lens, is no newcomer. Her debut comedy album, “Trashbaby”, made it to #1 on iTunes. She was honored as a Comedian to Watch on the Whohaha Women in Comedy forum, and her comedy special, “Nobody’s Queen”, was awarded NPR’s Bullseye Comedy Album of the Year.
A lot of comics get caught in ‘I really wanna perform XYZ stand that will mean I’ve made it.’ For me, it’s more about getting my Comedy on the best possible platform, which is why I’m recording my special at Rozco’s on April 5. It’s small. It’s intimate, and with the work I’m going to do, it’s going to help me reach millions.
Among the many venues of which Jasmine Ellis has graced the stage, her favorite so far was the main room of the original Cap City comedy club where she recorded a special in 2019. As far as future hopeful venues, Ellis stated that she doesn’t think the venue makes the performance. “A lot of comics get caught in ‘I really wanna perform XYZ stand that will mean I’ve made it.’ For me, it’s more about getting my Comedy on the best possible platform which is why I’m recording my special at Rozco’s on April 5. It’s small. It’s intimate, and with the work I’m going to do, it’s going to help me reach millions.” Jasmine continued.
When asked who was on her Mt. Rushmore of comedians, Ellis answered Wanda Sykes, Katt Williams, Lashonda Lester, and Dick Gregory. She also stated that if she hadn’t become a comedian, her next dream career would be as a talk show host, which Jasmine said will still happen. “That’s the next frontier,” she added.
Be sure to buy your tickets now for the Lysistrata Comedy Festival to support our fellow Texan Jasmine Ellis as well as all the other women bringing this festival to life.
