Lisa Landry: Not dirty, not clean, her routine is ‘beige’

By Jerry Fink

Monday, Aug. 31, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Comedian Lisa Landry doesn’t have to look far for her material.

She’s a Catholic-turned-Jew who got married at a Vegas wedding chapel by a rabbi.

“It was one of those weddings where you can log on and watch,” says Landry, who performs this week at the Comedy Stop at the Sahara. "My family watched but they didn’t know what was happening because it was in Hebrew.”

She’s talking by phone while sitting by her swimming pool. It’s a day off after returning from a performance.

“I just got home last night,” she says. “That’s what you do in L.A. — grab a beer, sit by the swimming pool and let the sun rot your brain.”

Landry is a Cajun, born in Louisiana. “Cajuns were people who were kicked out of France then kicked out of Nova Scotia and ended up settling in the swamps in Louisiana,” she says.

After getting fired from several jobs, she decided she wanted to become a comedian, but there weren’t many comedy clubs in New Orleans.

“In New Orleans, everyone has a beer and takes off their clothes,” she says. “Comedy clubs can’t compete with a bunch of half-naked women walking around drinking beer.”

Inspired by such comics as George Carlin and Louisiana native Ellen DeGeneres, Landry moved to New York City and began hitting the comedy club trail.

“Eventually, I started getting $50 gigs, driving 180 miles to tell jokes for 15 minutes and then drive back to New York,” she says.

Her gigs became more lucrative, and after 13 years she headed for the swimming pools of Los Angeles. She has appeared on CBS’ “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and on Comedy Central, being voted third out of 100 top comedians in the annual “Standup Showdown” and starring in her own half-hour special. Her “Put Your Keys in the Key Bowl” was selected by iTunes as one of last year’s Top 10 comedy CDs.

Between stand-up gigs, she found time to marry and have a son.

“He’s 3 years old, so I spend as much time on the road as I can,” she quips. “He’s not doing chores yet or bringing home any pocket money. He’s not able to drive to the store to buy me a bottle of vodka.”

She says doctors tell her the child is hers. “But I’m waiting for the DNA tests to come back.”

Landry finds humor in her life.

“I’m not filthy or clean — I’m kind of beige,” she says. “Real clean comedy doesn’t make me laugh — Ellen DeGeneres would be the exception. Most clean comedy is kind of boring. Who cares what you think about a slice of pizza? I like drinking stories.

“I like telling the kind of stories that used to get me fired all the time.”