(Above: David Lucas. Via IMDB.)

By Jason Pomietlasz

So your long-shot bet that the Danish-Swedish Farmdog would win the National Dog Show didn’t pan out, laugh it off by going to see local comedy. 

Thursday, Nov. 27

“The Thanksgiving tradition is, we overeat. ‘Hey, how about at Thanksgiving we just eat a lot?’ ‘But we do that everyday!’ ‘Oh. What if we eat a lot with people that annoy the hell out of us.’ “

 Jim Gaffigan 

Friday – Saturday, Nov. 28 – 29

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. Times vary, tickets $19.99 – 49.99.

You may not want to sit close to the stage at a David Lucas show. Lucas is in the 99th percentile for comedic roasters. He started his career on MTV’s “Yo Momma”, then joined “Roast Me” and became a regular on “Kill Tony”  He was also featured in the Roast of Mr. Peanut, the commercial snippet that aired during Super Bowl LVII.

Friday, Nov. 28 

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. 7:30 p.m., tickets $18. 

Same Game, an interactive improvised game show inspired by shows such as Match Game and Family Feud. 9:30 p.m., tickets $18. 

Saturday, Nov. 29 

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo. 6 p.m., tickets $18.

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

Friendsgiving: An Improvised Thanksgiving Movie. The performers of “Script Tease” will create a completely improvised movie inspired by Thanksgiving traditions and audience suggestions. You can expect unique characters, unexpected twists and laughs. 8:30 p.m., tickets $18.

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

Level 4 Class Showcase: The Harold. The Harold is a classic improv format where funny ideas and characters come back and intertwine in various ways throughout the show. 6 p.m., tickets $8 presale, $10 general admission or pay-what-you- can.

The season finale of the Collider program. All five house teams will perform sets; Unicorn Parade, Meddling Kids, Beees, Hannah Montana and Bedelia. 7 p.m., tickets $12 presale, $15 general admission or $8 for students.

Cagematch. Two teams vie for audience laughs and votes to be crowned winner for the night. The winning team returns the next week to defend their title against a new challenger. 9 p.m., tickets $8. 

Penny Lane, 10255 Main Street, Clarence. 7:30 p.m., tickets starting at $20.

John “Dr. Dirty” Valby is a classically trained pianist but soon discovered that there’s very little money in the classic piano business no matter how good the composition. And like Marie Curie he stumbled upon a discovery, the power of “DIRT”, his term for the lyrics to his songs, which you probably wouldn’t sing at Thanksgiving dinner with your grannie. But the true magic of his shows is his rapport with the audience and the hive-mindedness as everyone sings along with his dirty diddies.

Monday, Dec. 1

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, Dec. 2

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

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

Matinee, 698 Main St., Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

Train Stop Comedy, open mic comedy with host Mamudu Kargbo. For all levels of comics and audiences. Signups at 7 p.m., 17 comic limit. Free. 

Third Space Cafe & Entertainment, 777 Main St., Buffalo, 6:30 p.m.

The Early Bird Comedy Open Mic. Still a newish open mic hosted by Brody Walsh and Connor Mink. Signups start at 5:30 p.m. Free.

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7:30 p.m., tickets $27.99 – 39.99.

Scott Seiss has racked up more views on social media than Josh Allen was paid in his rookie year. You have probably come across one of his “Angry Retail Guy” sketches on your media platforms even if your phone didn’t hear you talk about the mall. Seiss has performed at the SF Sketchfest and his writing has been featured on Funny or Die and WatchMojo. 

Penny Lane, 10255 Main Street, Clarence. 7:30 p.m., tickets starting at $15.

Monthly Comedy Night at the Lane with local comics Casey Callahan, Andy Ticco, Don Johnson, Darnell Davis, Liz Reaves and Jesse Winterhalter. 

Wednesday, Dec. 3

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

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

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 

Open Mic, where over twenty comics will perform their best 3 minutes, 7 p.m., free with two-item minimum.

Road Less Traveled Productions, 456 Main St., Buffalo, 7:30 p.m., tickets $20.

An improvised two-act play with a cast of experienced improvisers and a special guest, usually a local actor, using the set of the current play running at the RLTP, ensuring the show is a blend of grounded theater and comedy. This week’s guest is Brendan Didio who joins the resident cast of Kevin Di Lucente, Todd Benzin, Don Gervasi, Annie Moor and Jimmie Byrd. 

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