My friend Tommy Else and I enjoyed An Evening of Comedy With Al Snow at Top Fuel Saloon in Braidwood, Illinois. The night was a mix of humor and worlds colliding in a great way.

My entertainer friend David Vox Mullen and semi-retired wrestler Snow talked about a comedy tour for a while, but it recently became a reality, with Saturday one of the first stops. Both men previously told me they would not focus on Snow’s in-ring career, instead relying on Snow’s story-telling abilities from real-life incidents, which he swears are true. Knowing Snow for years, I believe him.

Jessica (Mrs. Al Snow) and me.

As we entered the building, we immediately caught up with Mullen, Snow and his wife, Jessica. Then we got a huge surprise in the form of Lisa Aprati.

Tommy Else, Lisa Aprati, Al Snow and me.

Many years back, Aprati hosted local cable shows, and Snow was a frequent guest on one of them. In talking to Snow a few weeks ago, we asked him about those shows. He stated how much he loved doing them, but had lost contact with Aprati years ago. Tommy and I immediately knew we wanted to facilitate a reunion. We reached out to Aprati, who loved hearing about Snow, but we didn’t know she would be at the show, and neither did Snow. We were so happy to help and witness the reunion.

Closing in on show time, we ordered food and sat with Aprati and her friends. I opted for a couple appetizers to last the night.

Host Mullen started the show with a short set, followed by Lee Hardin and Alydar Skyy. I didn’t expect other comedians on the card, but these two had hilarious bits.

Lee Hardin, Alydar Skyy, Al Snow and David Vox Mullen.

After introducing Snow, Mullen remained on stage, although Snow did most of the talking for the rest of the night. A veteran of the comedy scene, Mullen steered the ship and provided a few tidbits.

David Vox Mullen and Al Snow.

As Snow promised earlier, his routine relied on storytelling over jokes, although he did slip in a few one-liners. The set had a definite animal theme. He told stories of his encounters with a squirrel, an eagle, other birds, a cat and other critters. He finished with a story of pumas solving (or not) another animal problem.

Alydar Skyy

To use a wrestling reference, Mullen and Snow make a great tag team. They have a fun, easy rapport with each other. I know they worked hard on their routine, although Snow makes it seem like he’s simply telling stories that pop in his head (and maybe he is). I have heard many of Snow’s funny wrestling tales, but I am glad this is an entirely different venture.

Going into the night, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I figured it would be entertaining because I know how funny all are, but I didn’t know that Snow’s humor would translate in this setting. He brought his A game, and it worked great as he sat on stage and seamlessly strung together stories for about 90 minutes.

I’m with David Vox Mullen and Tommy Else.

They are still early on this journey, and it will only get better going forward. Mullen confirmed they will return to the Chicago area in 2023, and I confirmed I will be there to see them again.

— John Wroblewski, online writer