Day: April 8, 2009

The ongoing global recession already has impacted live stand-up comedy in a variety of ways. More Americans certainly are seeking out laughs to either escape and/or confront their real-life situations. But they have less money to spend on comedy. And comedians themselves are hurting just as much as people with office or factory jobs. First-hand and anecdotal reports coming in to me from stand-ups on the road seem to indicate that the shows are going on, so long as the ticket prices are right. As in less than $40. The bigger-ticket comics are proving to be the tougher draws. Some clubs with weeklong stints may cut a weeknight performance here or there, or one of the multiple weekend slots. Then again, the recession we experienced 26-27 years ago also coincided with the stand-up comedy boom. For what that's worth. The other trend I've noticed lately is that as bigger clubs try to keep drawing crowds by offering free or radically-reduced shows, some of the previously free indie rooms are being forced to move the other way to pay. A couple of examples of the former include the Laugh Factory in Hollywood comping tickets on Thursdays for anyone who proves they're currently unemployed, and in NYC, Comix hosts a regular Five For $5 showcase (there's one tonight featuring Julian McCullough, Reese Waters, Sean Patton, Nikki Glaser, Shane Mauss and Morgan Murphy,...