Comedian Dylan Avila is lucky to be alive and still have his wits about him, after a wannabe open micer who’d been banned from multiple Seattle-area comedy clubs and rooms returned to the open mic Avila hosts Monday nights in Renton and bashed him in the head with an aluminum baseball bat.
Avila, 36, and a father of three, underwent surgery Tuesday at Valley Medical Center in Renton and was recovering from a skull fracture, with two titanium plates plus stitches in his head.
The suspect, a 48-year-old who had been introducing himself onstage at open mics around Seattle as “Jesus Christ” and repeatedly used a dildo in his act, was being held without bail in King County Jail.
Multiple clubs and rooms had banned the suspect from their stages, and he reportedly issued a “manifesto” to the Comedy Underground in Seattle.
Comedian Jay Hollingsworth told The Comic’s Comic that “last week, Dylan politely told him he no longer would be allowed to go up at the open mic at The 907. He said to Dylan, “Who are you to tell me I’m not going up?” and Dylan told him, “I’m the guy who runs this.” He said, “I’ll talk to management” and Dylan said “Management has requested you not go up also.” The guy left a few minutes later last week in a huff.”
This Monday, the suspect returned to The 907 bar and hid behind the stage, waiting for Avila, attacking him while he was onstage about to introduce the next comedian. The suspect reportedly struck Avila twice in the head before other comics could rush onstage to subdue him and attend to Avila.
Friends and supporters already have raised more than $10,000 to help Avila and his wife with his medical bills and recovery via a GoFundMe page. A benefit show also is scheduled for Saturday at The Rendezvous in Seattle.
On Tuesday night, meanwhile, Avila could talk to TV reporters who visited him in his hospital bed.
“Hecklers can’t faze me,” Avila said. “I got hit by a baseball bat.”