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Nurse Blake Comedy Tour: Stand Clear. Shock Advised! The History Of The Nurse Blake Comedy Tour
In 2018 and 2019, I started doing small shows for about 100-200 people. I had asked followers to vote for their hospital or nursing school, and whoever had the most votes, I would come to their city for a show. I picked the top five places with the highest votes, and all of the shows sold out.
I realized people were actually really interested in seeing a show, so I created ten shows for the Call Light Tour. Each one sold out. Seeing all the nurses coming together to laugh and have a great time was awesome. They would even roll up in party buses!
The first tour was challenging. I planned and managed the first five shows, secured the venues, and dealt with the production side of it too. Luckily, I now have a tour manager who greatly lightens the load. Now I can focus on the actual show instead of worrying about all the other little details and logistics involving a comedy tour.
In 2021-2022, I did the PTO Comedy Tour, a whopping 55 shows! They ALL sold out, so I added 50 more shows for a total of 105 and expanded to Canada, Australia, and Europe. It was amazing to see how nurses worldwide could come together and crack up about the same things.
Over 100,000 nurses from around the world saw The PTO Comedy Tour. It’s really cool to see that no matter where you live or work, we can all come together to laugh and be an amazing nursing community. Some nurses use the show to reunite with old classmates, coworkers, and friends. I love seeing all the camaraderie at every show.
My third tour, Shock Advised, has over 100 shows this year. Since this tour is much bigger than the others, we decided to travel by bus rather than fly. This allows the crew and me to sleep on the bus while we travel at night and then wake up in a new city.
I only have a couple of hours in each city to grab a coffee or get some lunch, but I always try to see a little bit of each place we play in. Traveling around and seeing new states and countries is so much fun, but it is also exhausting and hard on the body. I try to rest and relax as much as possible in between shows.
The energy and vibe at the shows are insane... It’s really cool to see that no matter where you live or work, we can all come together to laugh and be an amazing nursing community - Blake
Of course, I still get nervous before every show! I was never a good public speaker, so going out in front of thousands of people is super nerve-wracking. But I absolutely LOVE the audience, so that puts me at ease. The energy and vibe at the shows are insane. Even though I get nervous, I’m also super excited. And it always helps when I have my nervous PSP—pre-show poop. You can’t have a good nursing shift or comedy show without one! LOL.
Whenever I come to a new venue, the staff there don’t know what to expect—they think it’ll be like a TED talk for nurses. They are always surprised at how loud we get and say that our audience is just as loud and rambunctious as a rock concert! So many people show up in large groups on party buses, ready to have a blast. Nurses are wild! We always break the alcohol sale at every show.
One of my most memorable venues was the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. It was so cool to play in the heart of the LGBTQ+ community of the city. Also, I was the first comedian ever allowed to play at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
The European tour was so much fun because I allowed myself an extra day in each city to tour around, try the food, and see as many sights as possible. We went to the United Kingdom, Amsterdam, and Ireland. It was epic!
Many people ask me if the jokes and stories I tell in my show are real. They are 100% true life stories. I think that’s why they are so funny because they are real and relatable. I poke fun at family members, friends, old coworkers, professors, and even audience members. It’s all around a good, hilarious time.
The Shock Advised tour will be closing at the Sydney Opera House. I am sooo excited to perform there! It will be an awesome ending to an amazing tour. There will not be a new comedy tour in 2024 because I plan to focus on the magazine, the NurseCon at Sea cruise, and take some time off to spend with my family and friends.
So hopefully, I will see you at one of the Shock Advised shows or on the cruise to Mexico in April! Thank you all so much for following and supporting me all these years. I am forever grateful.
Love,
