Buffalo Comedy: Jo Koy, Ben Brainard also on tap, plus full local show slate

By Jason Pomietlasz

Those AI ads aren’t going to stop, so you should just give in and go see live comedy.

Thursday, Sept. 4

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. 

Cagematch, an improv tradition, comes to Buffalo Improv House. Two teams perform for audience laughs and votes to be crowned winner for the night. Then the winning team returns the next week to defend their title against a new team. 9 p.m., tickets $5. 

Mr. Goodbar, 1110 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, 8 p.m.
Open mic comedy on the second floor. Sign-ups at 7 p.m,  Free.

The Caz, 2221 Seneca St., Buffalo. 8 p.m., tickets $15. 
Comedy at the Caz. Local and out of town comics come together for comedy in the heart of South Buffalo. This week’s lineup includes a strong local trio of Tony Pusateri, Mark Saldanha and Jacob Morrison.

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo. 7 p.m., pay what you can.
A comedy showcase featuring local comics. 

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7:30, tickets $13 – 42.99.
Ben Brainard will be at Helium on Thursday night. During the pandemic Brainard coped by producing “The Table,” a sketch comedy series about how the various states of the U.S. are handling current events. It went viral. 

Friday – Saturday, Sept. 5 – 6 

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. Tickets $39 – 49.35.
Kevin Smith entered the zeitgeist with the low-budget film “Clerks” in 1994 and has been inspiring “indy” filmmakers ever since. Smith’s journey in showbiz hasn’t been without bumps but he loves talking about it and won’t end the Q & A until he’s answered everyone’s questions.

Friday, Sept. 5 

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo.  
Comedy Sportz match-up: Back to School Special. Two teams “competitively” play short form improv games with suggestions from the audience, who also decides the winner. 7:30 p.m., tickets $18. 

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. 9:30 p.m.

Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave., Suite 207, Buffalo. 
Improv Collider, several BIH house teams perform different long-form improv styles. 7 p.m., tickets $10 presale or $15 general admission. 

Castles and Creatures, an improv show inspired by everyone’s favorite role playing game. 8 p.m., tickets $12 presale or $15 at the box office.

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

Center for the Arts, SUNY Buffalo, 103 Center for the Arts, Buffalo, 7 p.m., tickets starting at $36.
Ali Siddiq was called stand-up comedy’s most prolific storyteller by Vulture magazine. Siddiq was the first to release a four-part series of comedy specials, “The Domino Effect 1-4,” which has over 40 million views combined on YouTube. His latest special, “Rugged,” is free on YouTube. 

Fallsview Casino Resort, 6380 Fallsview Blvd. Niagara Falls, Ontario.  8 p.m., tickets start at $88.82.
In 2005 Jo Koy performed on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, received a standing ovation, a rare occurrence, and hasn’t stopped grinding since.

Saturday, Sept. 6

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo.  2 p.m., tickets $18.
ComedySportz Saturday match-up: Back to School Special – Students, Teachers, & Education Staff Get A Free Popcorn Or Candy. Two teams “competitively” play short form improv games with suggestions from the audience, who also decides the winner. 6 p.m., tickets $18. 

Goods and Services. A team of improvisers will interview local business owners and will perform a set based on the interview. 8:30 p.m., tickets $18. 

Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave., Suite 207, Buffalo. 
“Various Factors,” a Broadway-esque improv musical comedy show where everything is made up on the spot, including lyrics, melodies and choreography. All inspired from audience suggestions. 7 p.m., tickets $25 or $16 for students. 

Piano Karaoke. Sign up to sing a song with a live piano player, or just hang out and watch people butcher your favorite song. A ticket from Various Factors gets you for free, otherwise $10. 8:30 p.m.

Rob’s Playhouse Theater, 3200 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. 8 p.m, tickets starting at $28.50.
“The Benjamin Jackson Comedy Hypnotist Show” is a different experience every time. Jackson is an accomplished hypnotist who has turned audience participation into comedy for over three decades. This show is rated R. 

Monday, Sept.8

Tudor Lounge, 335 Franklin Street, Buffalo, 8 p.m. 
Comedy Open Mic Comedy. Start your week by hearing new premises and jokes. Hosted by wrestling enthusiast Andrew Joslyn. Sign-ups at 7. Free.

Tuesday, Sept. 9

Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen Street, Buffalo, 9 p.m. 
Rust Belt Comedy Showcase, Buffalo’s longest running comedy open mic hosted by Jake Samson (2022 Buffalo Funniest winner), and Jake Piskor (2025 Buffalo Funniest top three finalist). Free. 

Matinee, 698 Main St., Buffalo, 8 p.m.
Train Stop Comedy, a new comedy open mic on Main Street with host Mamudu Kargbo. For all levels of comics and audiences. Free. 

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 8 p.m. Tickets $38.99 – 48.99.
Hofstetter is one of the top booked acts on the college circuit and has written humor columns for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, NHL and College Humor.

Wednesday, Sept. 10 

Milkies, 522 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo. 
Comedy Open Mic Comedy. Sign-ups at 7 or online, show starts at 9ish p.m. Hosted by Jesse Winterhalter. Free. 

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 
Open Mic, where over 20 comics will perform their best 3 minutes, 7 p.m., free with two-item minimum.

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