Join Louisville Laughs for our first comedy show at Monnik Beer Co. We’re going to have a great time in the event space upstairs. Our headliner is the terrific Keith McGill — comic, actor, director and teacher.
Also on the show are Nashville’s Paulina Combow and Louisville’s Creig Ewing and Bradley Zahnd.
Tickets are $10 in advance. Louisville Laughs followers can get $5 off by using the Promo Code MONNIK while they last.
Come early and grab dinner then meet us upstairs for a drink and laughs.
Join Louisville Laughs for our popular monthly Comedy Night at Gravely.
The show features Cincinnati comic Wayne Memmott along with Indiana’s Griffian Sciarra and Louisville comics Bonita Elery, Thomas Jackson and Kyle McGlothlin. Jake Hovis is the host.
Admission is free. Reservations help ensure seating.
Come early and grab a great craft beer and food from Mayan Street Food.
Come out on the first Sunday of the month for the Comedy at TEN20 open mic. Enjoy the laughter, great beer and pizza from MozzaPi or treats from Happy Belly Bistro.
Join us for our first Feedback Mic at Falls City. Comics will get 1-2 minutes to tell a joke or two and other comics give them feedback on the jokes, tags and other suggestions. Come give your comedy a workout!
Join Louisville Laughs at Never Say Die cocktail bar in St. Matthews for an open mic. Enjoy the stage time, craft cocktails and cool art. Guest host is Jake Hovis!
Come out on the third Sunday of the month for the Comedy at TEN20 open mic. Enjoy the laughter, great beer and pizza from MozzaPi or treats from Happy Belly Bistro.
Louisville Laughs has several open mics scheduled coming up. Use the links to sign up for one or all (Note: If mics fill up, we will give preference to comics who hadn’t performed at the most recent one.)
Come out on the first Sunday of the month for the Comedy at TEN20 open mic. Enjoy the laughter, great beer and pizza from MozzaPi or treats from Happy Belly Bistro.
Join us for our first Feedback Mic at Falls City. Comics will get 1-2 minutes to tell a joke or two and other comics give them feedback on the jokes, tags and other suggestions. Come give your comedy a workout!
Come out on the first Sunday of the month for the Comedy at TEN20 open mic. Enjoy the laughter, great beer and pizza from MozzaPi or treats from Happy Belly Bistro.
Join Louisville Laughs during the holiday season at the Falls City Beer Taproom. You’ll love the room, the beer and the supportive staff at Falls City.
Join Louisville Laughs and close out your weekend with laughter at the Never Say Die Comedy Hour (or Two) open mic. Comics from across the region will perform while you enjoy a craft cocktail, cold beer and cool art.
To sign up for a spot to perform, email LouisvilleLaughs2@gmail.com
Join Louisville Laughs on Oct. 23 for our Sunday Comedy Showcase featuring some of our favorite standup comics.
The show will include: Jesse Johnson, Lena Beamish, Nathaniel Potts-Wells, Grant Volkmar, Dusty Carter, Lucious Williams, Brandy Norton and host Creig Ewing.
Admission is free. Reservations help ensure seating.
See you at The Bard for a night of laughter, great food and drinks.
Start your Halloween weekend off with a laugh at Comedy Night at Gravely. We have a group of standup comics who will have you grinning like a jack-o-lantern.
The show features Adam Minnick of Cincinnati, who has performed at comedy clubs and festivals across the country. Adam also has own Dry Bar comedy special.
Also on the show:
Comedian Donna Watts, a veteran TV and radio personality
Ty Leach, who recently finished runner-up in the Funniest Person In Louisville contest
Pete Wolynec, a Louisville comic and member of The Non-Essentials cover band
Host Creig Ewing, founder of Louisville Laughs
Admission is free. Tickets ensure seating.
Join us for a night of laughter, fresh beer and great food from Mayan Street Food.
You go to a lot of comedy open mics and are working on your one-hour Netflix special. But are you a good open micer now? Here’s a test to tell.
You showed up to the mic on time. Congrats! Give yourself one point
You stayed for the entire show. Sweet. Give yourself another point
You mostly stayed outside smoking during the show. Whatever. Deduct one point
You left as soon as your set was over. Sure. You’re busy. Deduct one point
You stayed for the show mostly talking loudly with people at your table. Zip it! Deduct two points
You bought food or a drink or at least tipped for water. Nice. Give yourself two points
You didn’t purchase anything or tip anyone. Times are hard. Deduct one point
You brought people to the show. Awesome. Give yourself a point for every audience member you brought
All your friends left as soon as your set was over. That sucks. Take back half those friend points
Your set was funny and people laughed. You rock! Give yourself two points
Your set went over the time. C’mon. Deduct one point
You said something on stage like, “I’m so high right now.” Dude! Deduct one point
You gave feedback to a comic who asked. Great. Give yourself a point
You gave feedback to comics who didn’t want it. Uncool. Deduct one point
You stayed after the show to hang with other comics. Cool. Give yourself one point
You hung around after the show to hit on other comics and wait staff. Creepy. Deduct one point
THE SCORE
8 points or more — You should be headlining open mics
5-7 points — You’re a solid feature
3-5 points — Have you thought about hosting?
1-2 points — Comedy is hard
0 points or less — Karaoke is fun, too
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.
You’ve done a bunch of open mics and other shows. People say you are funny. How do you get booked on comedy shows?
Keep grinding — The best way to continue to get better at comedy is to keep doing it wherever the opportunities exist. Open mics, contests, showcases, Zoom, out of town shows. Whatever works for you. You are getting better, meeting more people and developing a reputation as someone serious about comedy.
Show your face at comedy clubs/venues when you don’t have a spot. You might land one, and you also put yourself on the radar of bookers.
If you wonder why you have been sitting home for six months and no one has asked you to be on a comedy show, it’s because you have been sitting home for six months.
You notice how some people keep gobbling up all the opportunities? Because they are always busy.
Be reliable — When you do get an opportunity, be on time and ready to perform. You show up late or not at all or are too drunk or high, you make a bad impression that lasts a long time.
Reliable also means that bookers have a good idea of your comedy. If you submit a video where you do bits about puppies and butterflies and then your whole act at the retirement center is about whacking off, that may not land a second show.
Gather your tools — Most bookers will want a video of your act, so get a decent video of you doing at least 5 minutes. MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE LAUGHING. You are submitting a video to show that you are good at comedy. And a video of you telling jokes while the crowd is silent or talking about the weather is not a good impression.
You also will want a decent photo — something that can be cropped into a headshot but is more than a headshot. And in color. I love B&W art, but you don’t want to be the only comic with a black & white photo on a flyer.
At some point, you will want an electronic press kit that contains videos of your act, photos, links to your website, social media, etc. For now, at least put together a couple paragraphs that describes your act and what makes you unique.
Reach out to bookers — If you don’t know the person booking the show, the best way to reach out asking for work is to determine how they want admissions submitted and follow that method. If they want it at the comedy club email, send a request there. Don’t send it via text to the owner’s phone number you saw on a buddy’s phone. Most comedy clubs will tell you how to submit on their websites.
Be professional when reaching out — Send an email that includes your name, a link to your video, maybe a photo and say you are interested in being a host, feature, headliner, being on a showcase whatever. Don’t volunteer to do something you can’t deliver yet.
So many people are so bad at sending emails that don’t include their name, a video or anything helpful. You can stand out immediately by being a little bit professional.
If you have credentials — won a contest, were selected for a festival, hosted at a comedy club, acting, etc. — say it. Saying you “opened” for headliners doesn’t do much except to seem like you are grasping.
Let the booker know if you can help sell tickets — “I am originally from your city, and I am sure I can get a dozen family members and friends to the show.” Just make sure you follow through.
Get out of town — Whenever you can, try to find a stage out of town. When you are there, make connections. Build a network of comedy contacts. One benefit of performing out of town is the people don’t see you as that comic who was a brand-new open micer just a few years ago. Also, you can do that bit you’ve done 1,000 times back home, and it’s fresh.
Help promote — If you are on a show, make sure to share the ticket link, flyer, etc. on social media. Heck, offer to put up posters around town. If a booker gives you a chance to be on a showcase and you haven’t lifted a finger to help generate an audience, it doesn’t sit well.
And promote shows that you aren’t on as well. You generate good will that way and may get on the next one.
Put on your own shows — A lot of folks make their own way by putting on their own open mics or shows. This isn’t for everyone. Heck, it’s not for half the people who do it. But it’s an option. Or offer to help people who do put on shows. Or find a job at a comedy club. This is a tried and true option.
Watch your social media — If you reach out about being on a show, a booker will probably check out your social media. Is your social media presence something that would make a person want to work with you or avoid you?
Be funny – This helps too.
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.
Louisville Laughs has an exciting list of shows in August, including the opening rounds of the first Funniest Person In Louisville contest. Here is what’s on tap:
Have some laughs and help choose the Funniest Person in Louisville for 2022. Thirteen comics will compete to advance to the finals, and the audience and judges will determine who moves on.
Come cheer on the comics and enjoy great food and drinks from the Corner restaurant/bar at Aloft Louisville Downtown.
Join Louisville Laughs for the Comedy at TEN20 open mic. Comics work on their best sets, and you can enjoy laughs, craft beer and great food from MozzaPi and Happy Belly Bistro.
To sign up for a spot to perform, email LouisvilleLaughs2@gmail.com.
See you on on Aug. 18 for another popular night of laughter at Comedy Night at Gravely Brewing.
August’s standup comedy showcase features comic Jeremiah Martin of Lexington. Jeremiah is a crowd favorite who recently beat out a dozen other comics to win a comedy contest at the Louisville Comedy Club.
Also on the show is Bonita Elery, an actor and standup comic, and other favorites. Your host is Lena Beamish, a rising star in the Louisville comedy scene.
Admission is free. Tickets ensure seating. Come for the laughs, fresh beer and great food from Mayan Street Food.
See you on Aug. 21 at TEN20 Craft Brewery for our first feedback mic, where comics (and brave audience members) can give other comics suggestions, tags and punchlines for their bits.
Blake Hammond, who has a long-running feedback mic in Cincinnati, is coming to help get it started off right.
It’s another chance to help choose the Funniest Person in Louisville for 2022. Thirteen comics will compete to advance to the finals in the second competition in the opening rounds, and the audience and judges will determine who moves on.
Come cheer on the comics, have some laughs and great food and drinks from the Corner restaurant/bar at Aloft Louisville Downtown.
It’s another chance to help choose the Funniest Person in Louisville for 2022, this time at The Bard’s Town. Thirteen comics will compete to advance to the finals in the final competition of the opening rounds, and the audience and judges will determine who moves on.
Come cheer on the comics, have some laughs and great food and drinks at The Bard’s Town.
Louisville Laughs is holding this free workshop aimed at giving new comics the basics to perform — from how to handle a microphone to how to find stage time.
Instructors will include comic Keith McGill, comedy writer Bret Sohl and Louisville Laughs’ Creig Ewing
Join Louisville Laughs on April 21 for another night of laughter with Comedy Night at Gravely Brewing.
This showcase of standup comedy features appearances feature comic Keith McGill, plus Brian Pitre of Indianapolis; Austin Deller of Cincinnati and Louisville’s Katy Bevins, Lena Beamish, Eric Groovely and host Creig Ewing.
Come for a night of fun, fresh beer and great food from Mayan Street Food.
Join Louisville Laughs for this special standup comedy event at the Falls City Taproom.
It will be a night of Louisville Legends of comedy with Bob Batch, Mark Klein and Donna Watts.
This is a show you won’t want to miss and can bring the whole family to see. Bob and Mark have worked across the country and on cruise ships and corporate events and have acts proven to entertain everyone.
Bob Batch is a veteran of more than 10,000 shows and has worked with everyone from Ray Charles to Robin Williams.
Mark Klein has entertained some of America’s largest corporations and has worked for numerous cruise lines.
Donna Watts is a veteran of radio and TV who recently features at The Comedy Caravan.
Tickets are $15. Join us for a night of laughter, fun and great beer and wine.
Louisville Laughs has a great night of comedy for the whole with some of our favorite comics from around the region doing clean comedy sets.
You’ll have a great night laughing along with Zach Wycuff, of Cincinnati; Jerrel Beamon, of Dayton, Ohio; Julie Heckman, of Fort Wayne, Ind.; Chester Goad, of Cookeville, Tenn.; and Louisville’s Alex Whittenburg, Crystal Phoenix and host Creig Ewing.
This standup comedy show will take place in The Bard’s first floor lounge. Patrons wishing to dine should arrive early to dine in the main restaurant.
Louisville Laughs has a lot of great comedy shows, open mics, comedy classes and laughs scheduled this month. Here is a breakdown of what’s on tap for May.
Join Louisville Laughs for our Thursday Comedy Showcase on May 12 at Aloft Louisville Downtown.
This standup comedy show will feature veteran comic Mike Nilsson, as well as a demonstration of the Same Game from comics Keith McGill and Donna Watts where the audience can participate.
Also on the show are comics Katy Bevins, Evan Lewis, Lacey Biller and Samuel Lee.
Admission is free. Tickets are requested to ensure seating.
Come for a night of laughter and great food and drinks from the Corner bar/restaurant in Aloft’s inviting lobby.
Louisville Laughs is holding this free workshop aimed at giving new comics the basics to perform — from how to handle a microphone to how to find stage time.
Instructors will include comic Keith McGill, comedy writer Bret Sohl and Louisville Laughs’ Creig Ewing
Join Louisville Laughs on April 21 for another night of laughter with Comedy Night at Gravely Brewing.
This showcase of standup comedy features appearances by Tyson Cox and Brian Pitre of Indianapolis; Austin Deller of Cincinnati and Louisville’s Katy Bevins, Lena Beamish, Eric Groovely and host Creig Ewing.
Come for a night of fun, fresh beer and great food from Mayan Street Food.
Join Louisville Laughs for this special standup comedy event at the Falls City Taproom.
It will be a night of Louisville Legends of comedy with Bob Batch, Mark Klein and Donna Watts.
This is a show you won’t want to miss and can bring the whole family to see. Bob and Mark have worked across the country and on cruise ships and corporate events and have acts proven to entertain everyone.
Bob Batch is a veteran of more than 10,000 shows and has worked with everyone from Ray Charles to Robin Williams.
Mark Klein has entertained some of America’s largest corporations and has worked for numerous cruise lines.
Donna Watts is a veteran of radio and TV who recently features at The Comedy Caravan.
Tickets are $15. Join us for a night of laughter, fun and great beer and wine.
Louisville Laughs has a great night of comedy for the whole with some of our favorite comics from around the region doing clean comedy sets.
You’ll have a great night laughing along with Zach Wycuff, of Cincinnati; Jerrel Beamon, of Dayton, Ohio; Julie Heckman, of Fort Wayne, Ind.; Chester Goad, of Cookeville, Tenn.; and Louisville’s Alex Whittenburg, Crystal Phoenix and host Creig Ewing.
This standup comedy show will take place in The Bard’s first floor lounge. Patrons wishing to dine should arrive early to dine in the main restaurant.
Join Louisville Laughs for a Clean Comedy Showcase on Thursday, May 26, at Aloft Louisville Downtown.
This show features comics from around the region performing material suitable for the whole family.
It’s going to be a fun night with Adam Minnick from Cincinnati, Kris Izzi and Andy Imlay from Evansville and Louisville’s Lucious Williams, Hillary Boston, Lena Beamish, Andrew Riggs and Patrick Lynch.
Admission is free. Reservations ensure seating.
Come out for a night of laughs. Food and drinks available at the Corner bar/restaurant in the Aloft’s lobby.
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.
