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BAKER CITY — Tom Thakkar grew up in Indiana, and he took the stage when a comedy club opened in his hometown.

“I grew up loving comedy,” he said. “I love making people laugh.”

Although he says he wasn’t a class clown, he still found a way to weave humor into his school work — especially public speaking assignments.

“I’d try to make presentations as funny as I could,” he said. “I’d turn it into stand-up.”

Thakkar went to college with the intention of becoming a doctor. While in school, he worked the night shift at a hospital and did stand-up comedy too.

“The whole plan was to be a doctor who does comedy,” he said.

He realized those two professions would be a bit hard to juggle.

Comedy won, and this month he’s coming to Baker City for a show at Churchill School, 3451 Broadway St., on Thursday, April 11.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance at eventbrite.com or $22 at the door. Admission is free for ages 15 and younger who attend with a paid adult.

“It’ll be a great time,” he said. “I’ve written a bunch of new material.”

He said his show is best for ages 18 and older.

Thakkar has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” Comedy Central’s “Stand-Up Presents,” “This Week at the Comedy Cellar” and “Conan.”

However, he said, those five-minute sets on TV are much more structured than live shows.

For the last decade, word of his comedy has spread through clips on Instagram and YouTube, as well as shows across the country.

“I go everywhere — comedy clubs all over,” he said.

He also performs at breweries and wineries. Big venues, such as warehouses, are a bit tougher, he said.

“Sometimes you really can’t hear people laughing,” he said of spaces with high ceilings. “You’re just performing in a void.”

Hearing an audience’s reaction fuels a stand-up comic.

“The energy that the crowd gives, the comedian feeds on it and gives it back,” he said. “It’s way more fun if people are into it.”

After living — and performing — in New York, Thakker now lives in Los Angeles.

To learn more, visit tomthakkar.com.