May is kicking off with a bang as comedian Shane Torres stops by the Tiger Room, inside Welch’s Ale House in Fort Wayne, on Saturday, May 1. Torres is best known for his 2017 Comedy Central half-hour special and his  album Established 1981, where he hilariously defended much-maligned TV chef Guy Fieri, who is not, as it turns out, that bad of a guy. 

Torres has toured non-stop since that episode aired, appearing at various comedy festivals across the nation as well as television shows Conan, Last Comic Standing, and Ron White’s Comedy Salute to the Troops.

Originally from Texas and more recently from Portland, Ore., and New York City, where he moved in order to chase his dreams and “sleep next to a mop closet,” Torres currently hosts his Help Wanted podcast and has been a contributing writer for Paste magazine as well as Laughspin, The Portland Mercury, and Nailed Magazine. 

Torres is known for his brutally honest jokes about cracking toilet seats and selling plasma while describing himself as looking like a Native American Meatloaf impersonator. His purposeful drawl builds anticipation and puts you on the edge of your seat, constantly wondering what he will come up with next. His deadpan style relies on unexpected twists and turns and is somewhat reminiscent of the iconic Todd Barry.