Join Louisville Laughs on April 21 for another night of laughter with Comedy Night at Gravely Brewing.
This showcase of standup comedy features a special appearance by touring headliner Mark Viola of Florida.
Also on the show are Cincinnati comics Jon Holmes and Nick Noble, Lexington’s Mike Fields, Louisville comics Bonita Elery and Hillary Boston and host Creig Ewing.
Admission is free. Reservations are requested to ensure seating.
Come for a night of fun, fresh beer and great food from Mayan Street Food.
Louisville Laughs has landed another incredible comedian for The Bard’s Town Sunday Showcase: Kelly Collette!
Kelly Collette was named Cincinnati’s best comedian by CityBeat in 2020 and has toured clubs and colleges throughout the country. She can be heard on SiriusXM and Pandora. Her DryBar Comedy special, “I Made You This,” was filmed in November 2020.
Kelly will be joined by fellow Cincinnati comic Lee Kimbrell.
This standup comedy show will take place in The Bard’s 2nd floor theatre. Patrons wishing to dine should arrive early to dine in the main restaurant.
Join Louisville Laughs for one of our popular comedy battles. This time four comics from Louisville take on four from Indianapolis, and the audience decides which city is the funniest!
Louisville comics include: Lucious Williams, Evan Pride, Jeff Toy and Jen Cooper
Indianapolis comics include: Dustin Burkert, Sara Huntington, Nolan Miller and David Brooks
Tickets are $10.
Come to the Aloft Louisville Downtown for a night of fun and laughter where you are the judge!
You’re looking for feedback from your open mic set at Harry’s Haven of Ha Has or wherever and ask a couple comics what they thought. Some comments may sound positive, but this may be what they really mean:
Good set — I was smoking in the alley and didn’t see you.
You’re a good joke writer — Your ability to tell a joke sucks.
You showed a lot of confidence — Your material was terrible.
That was really edgy — That was really inappropriate.
You really went there! — You said m*ther f*cker 27 times at a retirement home gig!
I can see that set killing on Netflix — I actually heard those jokes on Netflix.
Your jokes never get old — You have been doing the same 5 minutes for 10 years.
You have a lot of energy on stage — You were pacing around in circles.
Good to see you doing some crowd work — You were the seventh comic to ask everyone how they were doing.
Not bad — Your set was better than mine, dammit!
About the author
Creig Ewing is a comedian and show producer. He has put on hundreds of open mics, showcases and comedy shows in the Louisville area. He has hosted numerous shows and has featured at The Caravan Comedy Club in Louisville. He gets a lot of seemingly positive comments on his comedy.
The Louisville Comedy Club opened on March 10 at 110 W. Main Street downtown, across from the Old Forester Distillery and just a block from the KFC Yum! Center.
The club is the newest venture from the family-owned Bark Entertainment, which is owned by Renee Fandt; her husband, Kevin Fandt; her son, Adam Norwest; and his wife, Bree Norwest.
The club showroom seats nearly 300. Photos from Louisville Comedy Club Facebook page
The Louisville Comedy Club seats nearly 300 and is large enough to attract top touring acts. Upcoming headliners include Bryan Callen (Coach Mellor on ABC’s The Goldbergs), Mark Normand (Comedy Central), and Pablo Francisco (Comedy Central)
Bark Entertainment also owns five other clubs — Tacoma Comedy Club and Spokane Comedy Club in Washington; Bricktown Comedy Club in Oklahoma City; Skyline Comedy Club in Appleton, Wisc.; and Summit City Comedy Club in Fort Wayne, Ind.
The General Manager of the Louisville Comedy Club is Bridget Friel. She agreed to answer questions about the club and what opportunities there are for local comedians.
Louisville Laughs: Your club opened on March 10. Was it a rush to get ready?
Bridget Friel: We are open now, but there was still much to do in our last week such as staff training, stocking, and setting up our Point of Sale System! Thankfully, we hired an amazing staff and everyone worked very hard our opening weekend!
What is your background in working in clubs and comedy?
I started off as a server at our location in Appleton, WI — Skyline Comedy Club. From there I stepped into the GM role and also worked on the administration side of the business.
I managed in Wisconsin for a little over two years before moving to Louisville where I project managed the build here as well as the one in Fort Wayne, IN. Now that both locations are open, I will stay here and manage The Louisville Comedy Club.
Do you hire people for positions at the club who want to get into standup comedy?
Absolutely! We love to support our local comics, which includes bringing them into the staff.
Bark Entertainment is really expanding from a few clubs in the Pacific Northwest, adding clubs across the country during the pandemic. It seems like difficult timing. How is that going?
The expansion is going well — we opened two clubs in the last three months and another will open this summer in Tulsa, OK!
What made a club in Louisville attractive to Bark Entertainment?
We are very attracted to the Midwest market because for the central locations and the people! Louisville felt like a place where we could fill a need — for how large the city is there was not an A-List comedy club.
Why the downtown location?
As a company, our downtown locations typically perform better, and we were compelled by the idea of being located on ‘Whiskey Row.’
The club is on Main St. in the old Impellizzeri’s location. The Barrel Bar will be open 7 days a week.
Your open mics will be on Wednesdays. How can comics sign up for them and future Wednesday open mics?
During the month of March we will do on-site sign ups but come April comics will be able to sign up online at openmicer.com!
How much time will comics get on your open mics and how many comics do you usually allow?
Comics will get about 4 minutes, and we typically cap our show at 20-25 comics.
Do you plan to use local comics as hosts, features or headliners?
Yes, we do plan to book local hosts and features. And are open to off-night shows for local headliners as well.
What’s the best way for local and regional comics to reach out for work at your club?
Comics can email me directly at bridget@barkenetertainment.com! I typically ask for a 5-10 minute clip and their avails for the next four months along with a short bio.
Currently, your calendar is showing an Open Mic on Wednesdays and generally a show Thursdays, two shows Fridays and Saturdays with an occasional Sunday and Tuesday show. Do you plan other days and times in the future?
That is our current schedule, and we hope to add more shows as we continue to grow and become a larger part of the community.
Your first couple months of shows seem to have all male headliners. Do you plan to have more women on stage?
Absolutely! It is important to us that we provide a dynamic line up so that we have shows everyone will enjoy!
Your Barrel Bar is in the front of the club on Main Street. Will it be open only on show days?
Our bar will, eventually, operate 7 days a week from 7 a.m. for breakfast to bar close!
You decided you want to try stand-up comedy. Congratulations. Whether it’s a bucket-list goal or you believe you’re the next Dave Chappelle, here are some tips to make your first (or next) time on stage a success.
Gather your jokes
Some people try to go onstage and wing it. Don’t be one of those people. Compile your set of jokes.
Whatever jokes you tell should say something about you. Anyone call tell a joke about the the president. You are the expert on your family, your friends, your life.
Write your ideas down
At first, I wrote down every joke by hand. Now I do a lot of the editing in my head, but I always carry a notebook or something to write down joke ideas.
If writing by hand isn’t your thing, type or dictate them into a phone. Ideas may come to you at any time. A cashier says something funny. You’re helping a friend move. If you have an idea, write it down or record it. If you are certain you’ll remember it later, you will be sorry.
A pretty good way to spot a comic is to find someone scribbling in a well-worn notebook.
Practice your routine
Go over your material. You can do it in front of a mirror, before other comics or in your head. I often go over what I am going to say in my head while I’m taking a walk. It helps to keep you free from distractions.
While reviewing your jokes, always look to get rid of words that aren’t needed to get laughs.
Time yourself
As a new comic, you probably will get 3 to 5 minutes on stage. Comedy clubs are serious about the time allowed. At most places you will get a light alerting you there is a minute left. If you go over your time that is called “running the light” and is frowned upon.
It’s no sin to leave the stage with some time left. It is to go over your time. When timing yourself, leave some room for laughs. But don’t count on laughs, especially your first time.
Cut out wasted words
Your job is to get laughs. Keep the words that are needed to get to the funny and cut the rest. What words could be cut out of this joke, for example?
“Common sense isn’t so common anymore, is it? Yesterday I had to run to Kroger to buy some groceries because we were running low on food and stuff, and the cashier put dryer sheets in the bag with my lunch meat. Now my bologna tastes like Bounce.”
Use original material
It is understood in stand-up comedy that the jokes you are telling on stage are jokes that you’ve written. Sometimes you will hear new comics tell jokes that have been told around the water cooler forever. Those are called “street jokes.” You don’t want to tell them on stage.
If you get successful enough, you can buy jokes from joke writers. For now, concentrate on writing your own material.
Sometimes you hear comics tell jokes that other comics have told. That is called joke theft, and you also don’t want to be known for that.
It’s not unusual for comics to arrive at the same basic joke at the same time. This especially happens if you are writing jokes about current events or common joke topics like online dating. The more original you are, the fewer problems you’ll have telling jokes similar to others.
I would encourage new comics to try clean or PG 13 material for their first times. Comics can get a lot of laughs being dirty and cussing in some places and turn off the audience in others.
See live shows beforehand
If you’re going on stage and you’ve never seen a comedy show outside of Netflix, see some in person. If possible, go to the club or venue where you are going to go up for the first time.
It will help to get more comfortable. You can see where the comics sit, where the list for the order of the performance is kept, who is in charge, what the audience reacts to and what doesn’t work. It will put you way ahead for your big night.
The more shows or open mics you see, the better grasp you will have of what works and what doesn’t. Be aware that all open mics are not equal.
Schedule your open mic
Not all open mics work the same. For a comedy club, you may need to email for a date that could be weeks away. If you email a club about an open mic, tell them your name, where you are from and you can tell them it’s your first time. Clubs like first-timers because they tend to bring audience members.
You don’t have to explain that your friends think you are funny or that you were in your middle-school play. It’s an open mic, so everyone gets the chance on stage.
A Thursday night open mic at a bar may be “show up and sign up” meaning you go and put your name on the list for a spot that night. Some of these types of mics are popular and the list fills up early.
Don’t assume that an open mic means you can show up with no warning with all your friends and get on stage. Do some research.
Be confident or fake it
Confidence is a big factor in successful comedy. Teachers often do well because they are used to talking to a room full of people. You’ve practiced your jokes, you know them by heart, your friends laughed, so get up there confident that the audience will love you.
You’re still going to be scared, but trust yourself. You got this. If you appear overly nervous, people may not laugh because they are worried for you.
Stay sober
It’s tempting to have a few shots of liquid courage before you go onstage. Save it for after your set when you are celebrating.
Remember when you went to the open mic and saw the guy say, “I’m so toasted I can’t remember what I was going to say?” Don’t be that comic.
Tell people it’s your first time
If it’s your first time on stage doing standup, let the host know and let the audience know. If it’s an open mic with mostly comedians, you will have their attention. And audience members are supportive of new comics. You’re doing something most of them couldn’t imagine doing.
Move the mic stand behind you
You’re introduced, and now you’re on stage. The first thing you should do is take the mic out of the stand and move the mic stand behind or beside you. You don’t want it to be in front of you blocking you.
My first time I was afraid I would drop the mic, so I left it in the stand. It’s fine, to leave the mic in the stand, and it frees up your hands. But if you take the mic out, you don’t want an empty mic stand in front of you. It’s a distraction for the audience.
Look at the audience
You are telling your jokes, but where do you look? Look at the audience. Move and turn to address the whole room. Ideally, you look straight at certain audience members if a joke seems to relate to them (you’re telling a joke about dating and a couple is in the front row).
But if this is too much the first time, look slightly over their heads. Don’t put your head down and talk to the floor. The sooner you are able to look at the audience the easier it will be.
Hold the mic near your chin
You’re doing great and have moved the mic stand behind you. Make sure to keep the microphone close to your chin. Sometimes comics wave their arms around and forget they are holding the mic.
Also, don’t scream into the mic. You want everyone to hear you but you don’t want to pay for a new mic. Don’t fiddle with the stand. And definitely don’t drop the mic. It’s not funny and good mics are expensive.
Look for the light
You’re almost done. Keep an eye for the light signaling your time is almost up. It may be a small light from a phone. New comics often are so into the moment they don’t see the light.
You will have no sense of time on stage. Trust me. Your 3 minutes can seem to go by in 3 seconds or 3 hours. But you have practiced and timed yourself so you know that your time is wrapping up just by where you are in your jokes.
The light signaling your time is almost up should not be confused with the spotlights. Don’t stare into them. They may be really bright.
You did it
You’re wrapping up. Put the mic back into the stand and put the stand back in front. It’s a signal that you are done. Thank the crowd and wait for the host to come up on the stage.
Congratulations!
Stay for the rest of the show
Unless you were the last comic, don’t leave the show with all the friends and family you brought till it’s over. Nothing kills the vibe of a show like a first-time comic who brought 30 people and who all leave as soon as their friend performs.
Stay till the end. Talk to some other comics afterward. That’s your first step to getting on your next show.
About the authors
Creig Ewing is a comedian and show producer. He has helped to put on hundreds of open mics, showcases and comedy shows in the Louisville area. He has hosted numerous shows and has featured at The Caravan Comedy Club in Louisville.
Keith McGill is a comedian who toured internationally working cruise ships and is a much sought-after entertaining for corporate events.
Gavins Matts is a native of Vancouver, Canada, and in 2017 was the youngest ever winner of Canada’s SiriusXM Top Comic Competition. Since then he has appeared across North American, on Late Night With Conan O’Brien and Bill Burr’s showcase, The Ringers, on Comedy Central.
Gavin has also made acting appearances, and his short film “Slice of Life,” dedicated to the gallery in Vancouver of the same name, is currently making rounds on the festival circuit.
Gavin will appear on March 25 and 26 at Planet of the Tapes in Louisville. Tickets are available here.
Gavin took the time to answer 5 Questions from Louisville Laughs.
Louisville Laughs: You’re in your 20s and already have been named Canada’s SiriusXM Top Comic, been on Conan and worked with Bill Burr. What was your big break or the key to your success?
Gavin Matts: Well, I’m 28 and been doing this for 10 years and I would say I have done very cool stuff. But I don’t think “big breaks” exist anymore.
But if there’s going to be a “big break” it’ll come from longer-form stuff – like the hour that I’m taping with All Things Comedy at JFL VANCOUVER on May 29 (so the set I’m doing at Planet of the Tapes is that hour, so you should come help me make it better by being at Planet of the Tapes on March 25 & 26).
What things have you learned the hard way about touring the country doing comedy?
Buy your flights as early as possible.
You perform at colleges as well as comedy clubs. Some comics are shying away from performing at colleges because they’re afraid students will be offended. What has been your experience?
Nobody is offended. Those comedians are just bad.
You have done some acting and directed a short film, “Slice of Life.” How does standup prepare you for acting and directing?
I would say I have very little experience in acting, writing and especially directing. But, the one thing stand up does is help you develop bad habits.
What is your comedy horror story?
I would say the realization that I’ve committed my whole life to it. It’s a pretty dumb thing to do, in my opinion. Could have just been a fisherman or something.
Melissa Doran has been one of the most popular comedians in the Louisville area for the past decade. She’s leaving to go back home to New Jersey and take her career to the next level.
Join us as we enjoy Melissa’s comedy one last time here in Kentucky.
Also on the show are William McKenzie, June Dempsey, Misty Stine, Nathaniel Pott-Wells and host Creig Ewing.
Tickets are $10.
Come for the laughs, fresh beer and wine from Old 502 Winery.
Join Louisville Laughs for the popular Comedy Night at Gravely Brewing Co.
This show features comics from across the region, including: Hanna Ljungholm and Spencer Domolky from Cincinnati; Jetta V from Indianapolis; and Louisville’s Jake Hovis, Lucious Williams, Reed Sedgwick and host Creig Ewing.
Admission is free. Ticket reservations are requested to ensure seating.
Come for the laughs, fresh beer and great food from Mayan Street Food.
Two best friends — comics who travel the country together with some of the biggest names in comedy — bring their stories from the road to the stage!
Join Jake Ruble & A.J. Wilkerson for a night of standup, story telling and crowd participation as these two comedic travelers take the stage together for this very special engagement!
Enjoy a night of laughter and dinner and drinks at The Bard’s Town for a one-of-a-kind evening.
Join Louisville Laughs for our New Comics Showcase at Aloft Louisville Downtown.
Come see some of the most promising new comics in the area, including Nathan Alexander, Lena Beamish, Danielle Schwolow, Jake Macias, Kelli O’Toole, David Santos, Melman and Esther Sturgeon.
The featured performer is Dayton’s hard-working Jerrel Beaman, who is a star in the making.
Come out for a night of laughs and enjoy a drink and great food at the Corner restaurant in the Aloft lobby.
Mandee McKelvey recently was named on of the 50 best undiscovered comics in the country, but she has been one of the most popular and hardest working performers in this area for a while.
Mandee was named a breakout performer at Limestone Comedy Festival and the Memphis Comedy Festival and has opened for Tig Notaro and Anthony Jeselnik.
Mandee will spin tragedy into comedy and perform an encore of her One-Mandee show, My Left Boob, at The Bard’s Town on Sunday, Feb. 27.
This show sold out all performances last month at Planet of the Tapes and received an Underdog Award at the 2019 IndyFringe.
Tickets for the Bard’s Town show are available here while they last.
Mandee took the time to answer 5 Questions from Louisville Laughs.
Louisville Laughs: You are doing an encore of your One-Mandee show, My Left Boob, at The Bard’sTown on Sunday, Feb. 27. How is this different from a usual Mandee McKelvey show?
Mandee: This is everything I’ve always wanted to do on stage that doesn’t fit into traditional standup comedy. I honestly think it’s funnier than my standup, BUT I can understand why some people would be caught off guard by it.
It’s longer stories, darker themes, and sometimes it’s serious too. It’s deeply personal has ALL the emotions, and that’s my preferred form of entertainment.
You often say you look like a Disney villain. Who is your favorite Disney villain?
My favorite Disney Villain to play is Maleficent. She’s hot and elegant and extremely petty. The most entertaining villain is Ursula, obviously. The truest villain is Cruella. She kills puppies for God’s sake.
You do comedy shows all over the country, plus you act, do Character Assassination roast shows and still work a regular job. How do you manage all that?
Poorly. I’m very tired. If you know anyone who’d like to fund my health insurance so I can be free to do more comedy, please pass along their information.
But I feel best about myself when I’m working and productive. I love making things. And being busy makes me so appreciative of all of the little things.
Getting to watch a whole TV show, go out to dinner, attend a friend’s birthday party, or visit my niece and nephew feels like a luxury.
What are the keys to a successful comedy show?
Obviously a funny comic goes without saying, but there’s so many ways to set a show up for success. Seating is so helpful. Angling chairs and tables directly towards the performer and pushing everything closer to the stage for a more intimate experience.
A lot of venues forget about sound. I’ve been in a lot of cavernous breweries where the sound is completely muffled and disappears into the ceiling. Having the show in a room where nothing else is going on is harder to come by than you would think.
Comics often have to compete with televisions in the room, meals being served, pool tables, and even blenders. God I hate blenders.
Oh and a venue that’s willing to act quickly and decisively regarding hecklers? Priceless.
What is your comedy highlight and your comedy horror story?
It gets better every year. Two years ago, my highlight was being the first and only woman to headline Gilda’s Club at the Louisville Palace. Right now, it’s selling a few hundred tickets with just my name on them — no openers, no hosts, no producers, just tickets that say Mandee McKelvey.
The fact that people trust me enough to come to a show with no other information except my name is the highest possible compliment. Now combine that with the fact that I can say whatever I want. Hard to imagine anything better than that.
As far as comedy horror stories go, my instinct is to say that it was being asked to drop everything to come fill in last minute at a comedy club. Then I was fired after one night and never paid at all.
But to be honest, that’s not the worst. The worst is how many hours of my time have been wasted by dudes in my face after shows pretending to be fans of my comedy only to proposition me later on.
I can only hope they’re out there somewhere right now, getting their time thoroughly wasted.
Caitlin Peluffo, the Lovable Loose Cannon, is a comedian from San Francisco currently living in Brooklyn, NY.
Caitlin has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and at festivals and comedy clubs around the country.
Caitlin will be in Louisville this month, headlining at Planet of the Tapes on Friday, Jan. 28, and Saturday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m. Tickets are available here.
Caitlin took the time to answer 5 Questions from Louisville Laughs.
How did you earn the nickname The Lovable Loose Cannon?
I yell, a LOT.
Sometimes I go on rants, scream about the state of society or my student loans … it just depends. But I’m always smiling and enjoying myself. If you’re in the front row, beware because sometimes I’ll give ya a light roasting, but always in a loving way 😉
You went from studying performative video art in college to standup in New York City. How did that happen?
I loved Art School! It was like adult summer camp, but the work itself didn’t fit. I always felt out of place, cracking jokes, being a silly goose (not what the art world is known for).
I’d always wanted to try stand-up, but never had the guts. Luckily I moved to New York, comedy Mecca, for school and decided one day (after a particularly painful breakup) that I had nothing to lose so I just gave it a whirl, and bam! that shoe fit and I haven’t taken it off since.
You have several podcasts, including BEASTS! The Worst Sports Show, where you interview comics about their glory days in sports, and Good Time Gal with Caitlin Peluffo, where you interview comics about their worst alcohol-fueled decisions. Is it easier to find comics who were jocks or ones who made bad decisions?
Bad decisions … 100%. even the nerdy comics who got bullied in gym got hammered off wine coolers in a Staples Parking lot.
What is your comedy horror story?
I have 2.
I once had a jack and coke thrown on me by a VERY intoxicated Long Island housewife (I called her out for interrupting).
And another time, while on stage I got handed what appeared to be a wooden dildo, but was actually a cheese smoosher?
Honestly, I have no clue what that thing was, but it was just placed in my hand by some lady.
What is your comedy highlight?
Probably doing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. My family flew out from California, and my best friends were backstage with me. I worked really hard on that set, and I somehow managed not to forget my jokes while the cameras were on.
It was a proud moment, and those don’t come around a lot in this business.
