Buffalo Comedy: The Comedy Buzz is your guide to comedy happening across WNY

(Above: Kevin Nealon. Photo via kevinnealon.com).

By Jason Pomietlasz

On this day in 1797, André-Jacques Garnerin achieved the first successful parachute descent by jumping from a hot-air balloon over Paris. It’s safe to say 18th century French people were good at building tall structures and jumping from them. So co-opt some of that early French gumption and take a leap of faith and go see live comedy, perhaps while wearing a beret.

Thursday, Oct 22

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.

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7 p.m., tickets $18.99 – 160.99.

“This Better Be Good” is a show where you can interrupt the comedians, just once and it better be good. Hosted by 2022’s Buffalo Funniest winner Chris Plumer, with local comics filling out the lineup.

Friday – Saturday, Oct 23 -24

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. Times vary, tickets $20 – 194.99.

Kevin Nealon will be at Helium Friday and Saturday for four shows. Nealon was a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” from 1986-1995, during which he anchored “Weekend Update,” and created “The Subliminal Man” and Hans of “Hans and Franz” characters. Currently he is self-producing and hosting a web series “Hiking with Kevin” on his YouTube channel where he interviews his celebrity friends as they hike in various parts of the country.

Friday, Oct 23

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.

Buffalo is Funny. The Comedy Showcase with host Gian Carlo Misso and a hand picked list of local and near local comics. The event is 18+ recommended due to content. 9 p.m., tickets $10.

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

The Fun & Gay Mixer. A supportive environment for LGBTQIA friends and allies to try improv for the first time with experienced improvisers. 6:30 p.m., tickets $5 or pay what you can.

Improv Collider. An hour of long-form improv from two of the BIH’s Collider ensembles. 7:30 p.m., tickets $8 presale or $10 general admission.

Support Queer Art, a show that highlights queer artists of the Buffalo area that will inspire an evening of improv by an all-queer cast. Puck Gayfellow will perform tarot card readings to willing audience members that will inspire improv scenes. 8:30 p.m., tickets $12 presale or $15 general admission.

Babeville, 341 Delaware Ave., downstairs, Buffalo. 8 p.m., tickets starting $18.54.

“That Comedy Show at Babeville,” a monthly showcase of different comics from Buffalo and surrounding areas. This month’s lineup is Greg Bauch, Owen Szantor, Dion Lewis, Cat Mattis, Bennett Solowski and hosted by Jacob Morrison.

Taylor Theater at the Kenan Center, 433 Locust St., Lockport. 8 p.m., tickets $33.

Shane Torres headlines this month’s Kenan After Dark comedy series. Torres co-hosts the “No Accounting For Taste” podcast with Kyle Kinane, available on Youtube. His special “The Blue Eyed Mexican,” produced by Bert and Leeann Kreischer, made Vulture’s top ten comedy specials’ list of 2023 and is also available on YouTube.

Shea’s Performing Arts Center, 646 Main St., Buffalo. 7:30 p.m., tickets starting at $43.

Andrew Dice Clay or “Diceman” is the first comic to sell out Madison Square Garden two nights in a row in 1990 and his debut album, “Dice,” came with a parental advisory label that read “Warning: This album is offensive,” which was a badge of honor at the time. Clay was the only performer that was banned from MTV. His album “The Day The Laughter Died” went platinum and I do recommend it to everyone because of the cultural significance.

Saturday, Oct 24

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.

Boperdoo Puppet Slam: short-form puppetry acts for adults. An experimental show that will range from raunchy to revelatory and everything in between. 9 p.m., tickets $15.

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

“Ha Ha Show – For Kids by Kids,” the BIH Youth Improv Class will perform an hour of comedy for all ages with comedy scenes, improv games and audience interaction. 5:30 p.m., tickets $8 presale or $10 general admission.

“Given Half A Chance” pairs an actor, prepared with lines from a selected play, with a comic who improvises their lines in response to the actor. 7 p.m., tickets $18 presale or $20 general admission.

Shea’s Performing Arts Center, 646 Main St., Buffalo. 7:30 p.m., tickets starting at $43.

The Bored Teachers Tour comes to the Theater District with all new material. Devin Siebold, KC Mack, Jess Merrill and Andrea Caspari are the teachers / comics. Be prepared for a lot of relatable humor that includes all things classroom related.

Milkie’s Elmwood Lounge, 522 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo.  9 p.m., tickets $13.

Late Night Live Volume 7. Local comedy in the form of a late night talk show including a musical headliner. Hosted by Connor Mink and Brody Walsh, with sets from Shawn Lutz, Paul Herberger, John Lockwood, Kevin Thomas Jr. and Annamaria DePalma. The Bird Soup House Band and Robbery Club will perform musically.

Sunday – Monday, Oct 25 – 26

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 8:15 & 7 p.m., tickets $32.99 – 184.99.

Greg Warren was in college when he won a comedy contest and was invited to perform at Déjà Vu, a local club in Columbia, MO. After graduating he got a job selling Jif and Pringles for Procter & Gamble, which helped him make the decision to become a full-time comedian. He was able to put the 9 – 5 Pringles grind behind him and performed at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival’s New Faces of Comedy in 2002 and hasn’t had to hawk any salty snacks since then.

Monday, Oct 26

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, Oct 27

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.

Sweets Lounge, 2 Schreck Ave., Buffalo.

Comedy open mic hosted by Mingo and Erica Aceti, who promise good vibes. Sign-ups at 8:45, show at 9:15. Free.

Wednesday, Oct 28

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.

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7:30 p.m., tickets $30.99 – $180.99

Charles McBee is a proud product of the late 1980’s and he basks in nostalgia as he jokes about growing up in a pre-WiFi world. He served as Head Writer for Comedy Central’s “Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God,” where he was nominated for a Writers Guild Award and was a creative consultant on Nick Cannon’s “Wild’ N Out.”

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