By CLTure
April 23, 2025
The comedy of Anjelah Johnson-Reyes — who performs at Charlotte’s Ovens Auditorium on Saturday, May 10 — might be especially relatable for the many transplants now calling Charlotte home. The former Raiders cheerleader and MADtv cast member turned stand-up comedian recently moved to the South after spending most of her life in California. A San Jose native, she relocated from Los Angeles to Nashville in 2021, largely driven by the pandemic and a canceled trip to Thailand, seeking respite from Hollywood’s relentless pace.
She has experienced something of a resurgence — not only with fresh material centered on her Southern experiences but also with a renewed sense of mental clarity and well-being.
“It’s such a change of pace that you can’t help but slow down a bit,” she told Pollstar in a 2023 interview. “I was clear-minded and rejuvenated from actually resting, realigning, and deciding what I really wanted for my life.”
Her new perspective — and comedic lens — has resonated not just with fellow transplants navigating cultural shifts, but with anyone rethinking their priorities in the post-pandemic era. In 2023, Johnson-Reyes welcomed her first child and released what may be her most side-splitting and personal special to date.
Say I Won’t, recorded live at Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium, debuted in May 2023. The special hilariously covers everything from deceptive Southern hospitality and Costco runs to aging, relationships, and impulse shopping.
While she previously released her 2015 special Not Fancy through Netflix, Johnson-Reyes has since taken a more independent route. With more than seven million views and counting, Say I Won’t, found a broader audience on YouTube, and she carried that momentum into 2024 with Technically Not Stalking — another self-produced release that reflects her commitment to creative freedom and breaking down barriers between her comedy and her fans.
Johnson-Reyes’s latest work reflects a comedian deeply in tune with her own evolution and surroundings. By leaning into personal transformation and regional nuance, she has broadened her appeal without losing the keen observational and cultural humor that has made her a favorite on YouTube and social media platforms, where she has accumulated over seven millions followers across her channels.
Having been on the road since March, selling out venues nationwide and hilariously documenting her journey on Instagram and her Funjelah podcast, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes brings her Family Reunion Tour to Charlotte’s Ovens Auditorium on Saturday, May 10.
This event preview is sponsored by Outback Presents
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