Buffalo Comedy: Matt Mathews has sold out all six of his shows this weekend, but they are plenty of local shows worth checking including two with former SNL and Key & Peele writer Rich Talarico

(Above: Colin Mochrie. Image via IMDB.com)

Jason Pomietlasz

The 186th edition of The Erie County Fair is almost over, marking the unofficial end of summer in WNY. Touted as the 12 best days of Summer by “Big Fair,” if paying $100 for a lemonade and a corn on the cob can be considered the best. But second best is spending $20 on a cocktail and seeing live comedy. 

Thursday, Aug 20

Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave., Suite 207, Buffalo.
Improv Mixer, a relaxed environment to try out improv or just to watch. Sign-ups at 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m. start. $5 suggested or pay what you can. 

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo. 

Improv Jam, improvisers of all experience levels are welcome for a $5 bucket jam. Just show up, put your name in the bucket for a chance to perform multiple times. Warm-ups at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. start.

Mr. Goodbar, 1110 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, 8 p.m., tickets $5.
The August Comedy Showcase with Catt Mattis, Annamarie DePalma, Jake Piskor and Owen Szantor. 

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7:30 p.m., tickets $32.99 – 184.99. 

Mark Paul took to social media five years ago to show how parents treat their kids and others in youth sports and since then has been traveling the country promoting travel ball tournaments and doing comedy.

Friday, Aug 21

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo. 

Comedy Sportz match-up. Two teams “competitively” play short form improv games with suggestions from the audience, who also decides the winner. 7 p.m., tickets $18. 

Stand-Up Showcase hosted by Annamarie DePalma and featuring Sandra Kay, Eric Basile, Karen Coen, Alex Brady with headliner Rich Talarico, former SNL and Key & Peele writer. 

9 p.m., tickets $15. 

Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave., Suite 207, Buffalo.

The Happy Hour Improv Jam. Try improv for the first time with experienced improvisers or practice what you have already learned. 6:30 p.m., tickets $5 or pay what you can. 

Indie Summer continues with “Hannah Montana” and “Buffalo Cursebreakers.” 7:30 p.m., tickets $7. 

Good Neighbors, a monthly show featuring notable Buffalonians telling stories which improvisers use to craft scenes, with proceeds going to charity. This month’s monologist is Tim Stolinski of Band of Bards, raising money for Buffalo Creative Workshop. 8:30 p.m., tickets $22.15 presale, $27.35 general admission or pay-what-you-can at the door. 

Saturday, Aug 22 

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo. 

ComedySportz Saturday match-up. Two teams “competitively” play short form improv games with suggestions from the audience, who also decides the winner. 7 p.m., tickets $18. 

Stand-Up Showcase hosted by Annamarie DePalma and featuring Nichole Meier, David Kupras, Clayton Williams and headliner Rich Talarico, former SNL and Key & Peele writer. 

9 p.m., tickets $15. 

Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave., Suite 207, Buffalo.

Indie Summer Saturday features musical improv from “Musical Mashterpiece” and “Bad Haircut.” 6 p.m., tickets $7. 

“Sonderful: the improvised monoscene” will perform with BIH Harold team “Unnecessarily Complicated” opening the show. 7 p.m., tickets $12 presale or $15 general admission. 

Babushka is Buffalo’s longest-running long form improv show and with over 50 years of improv experience combined, Todd Benzin and Don Gervasi create an entirely improvised play based on an audience suggestion, playing multiple characters. 8:30 p.m., tickets $17 presale or $22 general admission.

42N at the Flats, 474 Main Street, Buffalo. 8 p.m., tickets $16.

That’s What She Said: All-Female Show. The lineup is Chelsea-Mae, Katarina Valentine, Kelsey McCormick, Cat Mattis and Liz Reaves. 

FlynnStoned Cannabis Company, 6850 Main Street, Williamsville. 7:30 p.m., tickets $15.

A standup show for people who probably need to sit down. The bill includes Laura Evans, M. Dukez Kargbo, Don Johnson, Rachel Daze and Jake Piskor. 

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 3:30 p.m., tickets $20.99 – 180.99. 

The Unteachables are a group of stand-up comedians who just happened to fall backwards into educating America’s youth. Stephen Taylor’s debut special ‘The Bottom Half’ can be seen on Amazon and Apple TV. Lou Pharis had a particularly rough day at school so he signed up for his first open mic when he realized there’s a teacher shortage and he couldn’t be fired for doing comedy. He has garnered over 100 million views on social media. Miss Redacted is the co-host of “Teacher Quit Talk” podcast and has amassed millions of views on TikTok..

Saturday – Sunday, Aug 22 – 23

Fallsview Casino, 6380 Fallsview Blvd. Niagara Falls, Ontario. 9 p.m & 3 p.m.., tickets starting at $48.

Colin Mochrie and hypnotist Asad Mecci bring their HYPROV international tour to the Fallsview Casino Saturday night and Sunday after cancelling earlier this year because Mochrie had a medical emergency. HYPROV is a show that fuses hypnosis with improv where twenty audience members voluntarily take the stage to be hypothesized and the most receptive hyprovisers then perform improv with Mochrie. 

Monday, Aug 24

Hen House, 690 Hertel Street, Buffalo, 7 p.m.

The Bird Soup Comedy Open Mic. A new open mic hosted by Brody Walsh and Connor Mink who love a good bird pun. Sign-ups start at 6 p.m. Free.

Tudor Lounge, 335 Franklin Street, Buffalo, 8:30 p.m. 

Comedy Open Mic Comedy. Start your week by hearing new premises and jokes. Once again hosted by the venerable Don Johnson with a bucket draw. Sign-ups at 7 p.m. Free.

Tuesday, Aug 25

Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen Street, Buffalo, 9 p.m., free.

Rust Belt Comedy Showcase, Buffalo’s longest running comedy show hosted by Jake Samson and Jake Piskor, also known as the two Jakes. Sign-ups at rustbeltcomedy.weebly.com. Free. 

Wednesday, Aug 26

Milkie’s Elmwood Lounge, 522 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo. 

Comedy Open Mic Comedy. Sign-ups at 7 p.m. or online, show starts at 9-ish p.m. Hosted by the super funny Jesse Winterhalter. Free. 

Have a comedy event you want to add, email lakeeffectcomedy@gmail.com.