By Jason Pomietlasz
(Above image: Alex Cureau will be appearing at Helium Comedy Club)

February is like the Swiss Army knife of months, small but filled with holidays and events that have become essential. That being said, there are still opportunities to go and see live comedy. 

Thursday, Feb. 5

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 start. $5 suggested or pay what you can. 

Mr. Goodbar, 1110 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, 8 p.m. Free.
Open mic comedy on the second floor. Sign-ups at 7 p.m, hosted by the above average height Bennett Solowski.

Fallsview Casino Resort, 6380 Fallsview Blvd. Niagara Falls, Ontario. 8 p.m., tickets starting at $78.

Bill Engvall, famous from the “Blue Collar Comedy Tour” and a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum comedian, comes to Fallsview.

Thursday – Saturday, Feb. 5 – 7

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. Times vary, tickets $31.99 – 190.99 (Couples package).

Ron Funches’s bio reads that he is a national treasure and it seems like Buffalo agrees. Both of his early weekend shows are sold out. Funches is a unique voice in comedy literally and figuratively and has voiced characters in “Trolls”, “Inside Out 2”, “Bob’s Burgers” and “The Great North.” He has written for “The Eric Andre Show”, “Kroll Show” and several television pilots that didn’t get picked up.

Friday, Feb. 6 

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. 

The BCC Shorties hit the stage with host and coach, Sal Winston, for a fast-paced shortform show and all they need is suggestions from the audience. 9 p.m., tickets $12. 

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

The Happy Hour Improv Jam, 6:30 p.m., tickets $5 or pay what you can. 

Improv Collider, “Hannah Montana” and the Harold Team will perform different long-form improv styles. 7:30 p.m., tickets $10 presale, $15 general admission.

Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen Street, Buffalo, 10 p.m., tickets $5.

The “No Cent” Comedy Tour comes to Allentown with local comics Fatman Timm, Meghan Rose, Gary Wallace and Terre King. 

Saturday, Feb. 7 

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. 

Dynamic Duos, six roster members from CSz Pros and BCC Shorties Program are paired up for two-person scenes. After each pair performs, the audience votes for their favorite scene and the pairs switch to do it all again, twice. The performer with the most points by the end wins. 9 p.m., tickets $18. 

Monday, Feb. 9

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. Free.

Tuesday, Feb. 10

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. 

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 $25.99 – 37.99.

Alex Cureau has been called the Bob Dylan of comedy, minus the guitar. He spent the last four years touring the world with Matt Rife, performing in theaters and arenas across the globe and at the New York Comedy Festival, Netflix Is A Joke Festival, and SkankFest. His debut half-hour special, “It’ll Be Fine,” is free on YouTube.

Wednesday, Feb. 11

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. 7:30 p.m., tickets $32.99 – 184.99 (Couples package).

Besides a comic. Aaron Branch is a writer, actor, and artist. He made his stand-up debut at 16 and six months later won “Best Comedian” at Stanford & Sons Comedy Club in Kansas City. Branch is a series regular on Netflix’s “Unstable” and a recurring panelist on “The Kevin Langue Show.”

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