9 of the funniest comedians in Iowa going head-to-head at 'No Sleep' at Wooly's

This weekend, nine area comedians will have seven minutes each to prove that they're the funniest in Iowa.

“It’s almost like an open mic, but everyone's good," said AJ Simmons, founder of the upcoming "No Sleep," a comedy showdown with some of the most hilarious stand-up comics in the state coming to Wooly's in the East Village on Saturday night.

Comedian Alex Carter, who also owns Black Cat Ice Cream, hosts the event with three-time "No Sleep" winner Sam Hirchak headlining the event, a Des Moines-based comedian who describes himself on Instagram as a "’90s Nickelodeon in human form," as the headliner.

The nine featured comedians will perform their best material for seven minutes each to impress audience members, who will then decide on a winner. At the end of the night, the crowd votes for their favorite comedian, who will go on to headline the next "No Sleep" performance at Wooly's later this year.

“The big thing is that it’s all comedians from Iowa," Simmons said. "There’s a lot of local pride invested in the show."

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Audience members receive a trading card for each comedian to keep track of the performers, and then drop their favorite performer's card in a ballot box to determine the winner.

Here's a look at the nine comedians who plan to perform.

Jack Lewis

If you've ever attended a performance of the local sketch comedy show "The Sunday Sermon" at Teehee's Comedy Club in downtown Des Moines, then you've probably seen Jack Lewis, who hosts the show. During his decade as a stand-up comedian, he's performed across the U.S. and opened for other comedians such as Fortune Feimster, Joey Diaz and Finesse Mitchell.

Mohamed Yual

Des Moines-based Mohamed Yual co-created The Gram, a local Instagram-based comedy game show. He's also performed at Lefty's Live Music's open mic nights near Drake University. In the past, Yual led a team of Des Moines comedians in a Yo Momma Battle Comedy Show against their Iowa City counterparts.

Sid Juwarker

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If you're plugged into the Des Moines comedy scene, then you're familiar with Sid Juwarker's work as the co-owner of Teehee's Comedy Club. Juwarker opened the club to foster a comedy scene in the Des Moines area.

In 2019, the Des Moines theater community recognized Juwarker with a Cloris award for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his performance as Amir in Iowa Stage Theatre Company's production of "Disgraced."

Toll McGrane

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Local comedian Toll McGrane hosts the podcast "Let's Ruin Our Childhood" with Alex Carter in which the duo revisit films such as "Short Circuit" and "Face/Off" from their childhoods to assess how they hold up.

According to a release from "No Sleep," McGrane has been reviewed as "gross, but charming" by his girlfriend and "handsome" by his mom. In 2011, he won $1,000 and a trophy in a comedy contest and has been riding high ever since.

Bernard Bell

Originally from Chicago, Bernard Bell now lives and performs out of Iowa, a transition that comes up in his comedy. He's a member of the comedic group BIAS (Black Iowa Streams) alongside fellow local comedian Dante Powell. Recently, Bell rang in 2022 at Teehee's during a New Year's Eve event and participated in the 2021 Des Comédie Festival, formerly known as Beast Village Comedy Festival.

Jen Kuhle

Though raised on the banks of the Mississippi River, Jen Kuhle's comedy career took her to the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a Scottish arts festival, as well as other comedy festivals across the United States.

Kuhle is also one of the inaugural members of Des Moines' first all-female improv group, The Holograms. If you miss her at Wooly's this Saturday, you can see her perform at Teehee's Comedy Club over the next two weeks.

AJ Simmons

Founder of "No Sleep," AJ Simmons not only organized this year's event but is also one of the performers. Though he's been performing comedy in Des Moines for years — since he was a fifth-grader at Franklin Elementary — he once aspired to be an archeologist. Simmons also created the "No Sleep" podcast, which he runs with fellow Iowa comedians Alex Carter and Toll McGrane.

Mike Gettler

Mike Gettler frequently performs at Lefty's Live Music since he got into local comedy performance a few years ago. According to a release from "No Sleep," Mike Gettler has no social media, meaning that if you want to follow him, you need to do it the old-fashioned way (by coming to his shows).

Sarah Mattox

Sarah Mattox is a Des Moines comedian who's been performing locally and nationally for roughly eight years. She's one of the creators of the Des Moines live show "Brunch with the Basics," hosted with Hannah Tighe.

Wooly's, 504 E Locust St., hosts "No Sleep" this Saturday, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and the laughs starting at 8 p.m. Tickets for the event run $15 in advance and $20 at the door. More information about the show and tickets can be found at www.woolysdm.com.

Isaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at the Des Moines Register. Reach him at ihamlet@gannett.com or 319-600-2124, follow him on Twitter @IsaacHamlet.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 'No Sleep' returns to Wooly's with nine comedians from Iowa