Drew Barth – Standup Comedy from Breathing Media on Vimeo.

Billy Wayne Davis had us at “y’all.” The Nashville native-turned-Seattle transplant killed with his “thinking man’s hillbilly” shtick and riffs on his Southern upbringing last Tuesday night at Comedy Underground. It was enough to snag him a top five spot in Round 2 of the 31st Seattle International Comedy Competition —a week of stand-up that included spot-on Jack Nicholson impressions and the saga of the life of a 5’10”, 120-pound tough guy. We’re also happy to report that Seattle’s Drew Barth—whose material we previewed in our November issue —- moved on to the semifinals with a routine about the perils of going streaking with the opposite sex. won Round 2 outright.

Matt Davis of Birmingham, Ala., Brad Brake of Seattle and AJ Finney of Kansas City round out the top five from this second stage of preliminaries. (Find the winners of Round 1 here.) They’ll compete this week in the semis, and then the top five comics move on to the finals over Thanksgiving weekend. Check back on Culture Fiend for updates on your favorite comedian’s rankings.

The winner of the 31st Seattle International Comedy Competition, chosen at the Moore on Nov 28, takes home $5,000 cash and a one-year contract with comedy label Uproar Records. For ticket info, click here.