ORANGE PARK — Twelve years ago, Clay County local Joey Nickel decided to fully commit to his stand-up comedy dream and walked into the Mandarin Comedy Zone for the first time.

He grew up idolizing the likes of Robin Williams and Dave Coulier from “Full House” and testing his comedic timing with family, friends and classmates. Entering the comedy scene as an adult, however, took a leap of faith.

“I didn't know how to get into it,” Nickel said. “Like I didn't know, like what are you applying to? Turns out you just do it.”

And he did. Nickel is now a family man by day and comedian by night — a superhero-esque effort to bring a little more light and laughter into the world. He performs regularly all over Florida for all kinds of audiences. 

Every Monday, for example, he hosts an open mic night at Shantytown Pub near downtown Jacksonville. He even has the occasional retirement community gig. Regardless of the venue, one thing remains the same — his commitment to spreading positivity and staying true to himself.

Nickel said he feels comfortable in front of any audience and runs a clean show. He doesn’t swear in real life, so he doesn’t swear onstage. He has a large repertoire of jokes — a combination of improv and memory. While there are some jokes that make more sense for an adult audience, he is adaptable and rarely tells a joke that he wouldn’t tell in front of his own children.

“It’s just the way I am,” he said. “Just trying to be me onstage.”

Though comedians typically perform onstage on their own, Nickel said comedy is not a “lone wolf” profession. It is standard for multiple comics to perform in the same show, so everyone must work together to create a cohesive, entertaining experience for the audience. Nickel said building relationships with fellow comics and trusting each other is key.

Over the years, he has made friends in the industry that he knows he can count on to connect with the audience. Nickel will be performing alongside two of these longtime friends and local comedy legends, Bobby Parker and Wes Johnson, at the Orange Park Community Theatre on Aug. 8.

The first show is at 6:30 p.m. and the next at 9 p.m. And tickets are going fast. Each show is divided into three 25-minute segments, one slot for each comedian. This comedy special will also be a live taping, meaning both shows will be recorded and Nickel, Parker and Johnson will use clips from the shows to promote their work online.

Tickets for the Aug. 8 show are $20 even, no added fees, and can be found on joeynickel.com. In addition to his website, Nickel also has YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram accounts where the community can keep up with his show schedule.

"People can see me on all those places but come see me live for sure. That’s way better than looking at my social media," Nickel said.

There’s just something about laughing together that can’t be replaced by laughing at a screen.

“It’s so funny. Almost monthly or weekly I’ll be doing a show and I’ll be like 'What? Why? Why do we do this?' Like I’m just standing up here talking, and then people come to see me talk,” Nickel said. “It is a weird thing if you write it on paper, but people want to come together and laugh. People come to comedy shows to be a part of it and laugh and feel.”