August 16, 2024
Zade Dohan/Close Quarters Comedy
Close Quarters Comedy has been hosting events in a makeshift space in Brownie's Irish Pub in Old City. Above, comedian Rachel Peters performs at Close Quarters Comedy's showcase in July.
Philadelphia's upcoming comedy shows are full of diverse lineups hoping to bring big laughs to relatively small venues.
The shows in late August include one that prioritizes women and queer comedians and another that features comics from West Philly. A DIY comedy club in Old City has a show that includes a former Philly's Phunniest Person winner, and Samantha Ruddy, a comedian who has performed on the late-night TV scene, headlines the latest Tattooed Momedy show.
Here are four comedy shows to consider checking out in the last two weeks of August:
Comedian Aaron Bell is hosting a show Thursday, Aug. 22, at Studio 34 Yoga Healing Arts (4522 Baltimore Ave.) that aims to reflect the diversity of his native West Philly and the perspectives of its residents.
Bell said he wants the show to feel like "a family gathering even though people are meeting for the first time," with comedians and audience members making connections before and after the show. The lineup includes headliner Che Guerrero, Marcely Jean-Pierre, Maddie Cooper, Domo Jones and John Deary.
"I'm a firm believer in artists supporting artists, and this area has a lot of talented people that I hope to see there," Bell said. Tickets cost $10-20. The show begins at 8 p.m.
Lady Laughs Philly hosts shows that prioritize women and queer comics, and open mic events that provide a platform for new and aspiring comics to try out their material in a supportive environment.
Its show on Friday, Aug. 23, will be hosted by comedian Michael Watkins and takes place at Full Circle YXW on 1611 Walnut St. in Center City. The lineup features Sandra Doss, Josephine the Meme Queen, Shevaun Brannigan, Brittany Johann, Amber Born and Delia Amendolia. Presale tickets are $15 and tickets at the door are $20. The show starts at 8 p.m.
"The goal is for Lady Laughs Philly to not be unique," said Shawna Lutzow, who spearheaded Lady Laugh's expansion from Madison, Wisconsin to Philly in 2022. "We want more platforms for women and queer comics. We don't want lineups to continue to have a token woman or a token gay person."
Comic Adam Flick has transformed the upstairs room of Brownie's Irish Pub, at 46 S. 2nd St., into a DIY comedy club that hosts shows every month. The next show takes place Saturday, Aug. 24.
"Our show is the first time Brownie's has had any live entertainment, so it took a lot of thought and effort into figuring out how to turn a small upstairs room with just a jukebox and a pool table into something that feels like it was meant for a show," Flick said. "We don't have a drink minimum, but for those who do drink, Brownie's is probably the last remaining dive bar in Old City. It feels like how a bar should feel — cheap drinks, a little dingy, but full of characters who are never shy about socializing."
The lineup for the Aug. 24 show includes Cassandra Dee (the winner of 2018's Philly's Phunniest Person competition), Alejandro Morales, Jules Posner, Michael Beavers and Maeve Hennessy. General admission tickets are $20. The show begins at 8 p.m.
The award-winning show at Tattooed Mom, at 530 South St., returns Tuesday, Aug. 27. Co-hosts Tan Hoang and Joe Bell put together a lineup headlined by Samantha Ruddy, a Philly-based comedian who has performed on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."
Other featured comics are Michael Kelly and Zoe Dixon. As with every Tattooed Momedy show, admission is free. It begins at 8 p.m.
