Buffalo Comedy: Comedy is happening all over WNY this week. Check out who’s performing and where in The Comedy Buzz

(Above: Janeane Garofalo in Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015). Photo by Saeed Adyani – © 2015 Netflix via IMDB.)

By Jason Pomietlasz

No one on their deathbed ever said “I should have looked at more memes instead of going to see live comedy.”

Thursday, Nov. 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. 

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.

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo. 7 p.m., tickets $10.

The premier of the BCC’s long-form house team. The newly formed team will perform several long-form styles based off audience suggestions, with of course, every moment and character invented on the spot. 

Thursday – Sunday, Nov. 20 – 23

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

Janeane Garofalo had a chance to be “America’s Sweetheart” but realized how vacuous that would be and stuck with standup and helped establish the alt-comedy movement that rejected the traditional “joke-telling” format. She was part of “The Ben Stiller Show”, “The Larry Sanders Show,” and “Saturday Night Live.” Garofalo was involved with the launch of the first liberal radio network, Air America Radio, where she hosted her own talk show, “The Majority Report.”

Friday, Nov. 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. 7:30 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. 9:30 p.m., tickets $18. 

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

Good Neighbors, a monthly show featuring notable Buffalonians, telling stories which the cast use to craft scenes, with proceeds going to charity. This month’s guest is Elise Smith raising funds for Buffalo Community Fridges. 7 p.m., tickets $20 presale or $25 general admission. 

Improv Collider, several BIH house teams perform different long-form improv styles. 8:30 p.m., tickets $8 presale, $10 general admission or $5 for students and folks who appreciate a discount.

The New Friday Mixer, same as Thursday’s mixer, just a later time. 9:30 p.m., tickets $5 or pay what you can. 

Buffalo State Performing Arts Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, 8 p.m., tickets starting at $45.

“The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show” with award-winning drag queens BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon. Past adventures have seen our hero’s meet sentient Christmas treats, twisted space-time with Dickensian Ghosts, escape the meta clutches of their own holiday traditions and lead a rescue mission in the Nutcracker’s Land of Sweets. Whatever happens in this show, it will include brand new songs, heartfelt storytelling, high-energy dance numbers and iconic costumes. 

Revolver Records, 810 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. 7 p.m., free.

Open mic comedy at Revolver Records. Along with comedy, there will be live DJ’s and the bar and store will be open. Hosted by Kevin Thomas Jr., Tyrone Macline. Jameel Key and Phil Machemer (owner and proprietor of Revolver Records).

Saturday, Nov. 22 

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. 

Game Night in The Kingdom: Drag & Comedy Show. The worlds of play, drag and comedy come together where the audience decides what kind of chaos will unfold. From spontaneous skits to unexpected songs, no two shows are the same. And your ticket is your vote for themes of surprise numbers in our final act. 8:30 p.m., tickets $20.

Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave., Suite 207, Buffalo. 7 p.m., tickets $15 presale or $20 general admission.  

Babushka is Buffalo’s longest-running long form improv show. 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. Their show will be opened by “Partners in Crime”, a rotating group of students and improv community members.

Babeville, 341 Delaware Ave., downstairs, Buffalo. 7 p.m., tickets starting at  $35.

Erica Rhodes is coming off a successful run on last season’s “America’s Got Talent” and her “Call Me Crazy” Tour is filled with new material. Rhodes has appeared on Modern Family, HBO’s Veep, Fox’s New Girl and was a panelist on Comedy Central’s @midnight and Fox’s Punchline. Her one-hour special “La Vie en Rhodes”, is available on Amazon Prime. 

Buffalo State Performing Arts Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, 7 p.m., tickets starting at $35.

Charlie Berens’s “The Lost and Found” tour comes to Buff State. The Mid-West is a running theme through Beren’s comedy and his “The Manitowoc Minute”, a comedic news show about the Midwest that went viral in 2017 helped him develop his comic POV. His New York Times Best Seller “The Midwest Survival Guide” was optioned for TV development and he hosts the Cripescast podcast.

Pubski Pub, 2437 William Street, Cheektowaga, 8 p.m., tickets $10.

Pubski Pub Comedy Showcase hosted by Anthony Sunquist and featuring Don Johnson, Nate English, Mike Shanks, Darnell Davis, Brody Walsh, Mamudu Kargbo and Andrew Joslyn.

Monday, Nov. 24

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, Nov. 25

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.

Wednesday, Nov. 26

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

Comedy Open Mic Comedy. Sign-ups at 7 p.m. 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.

Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave., Suite 207, Buffalo.
Due to Thanksgiving the Improv Mixer moves up a day. But as always, 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. 

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 Shelby McNulty-DeCaro 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.