Buffalo Comedy: Catch live comedy this weekend as performers like Lil Duval and Nick Thune take the Buffalo stage

(Above: Lil Duval. Image via @HeliumComedyClubBuffalo on Facebook).

By Jason Pomietlasz

Pickleball is an easier version of tennis like touch football and softball are to their respective sports. So if you can’t swing a full blown vacation in this economy, use the pickleball model and get out for a night, to see live comedy. 

Thursday, Aug 6

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. 7:30 p.m., tickets $32.99 – 184.99. 

Nick Thune’s debut album “Thick Noon” was named one of amazon.com’s “Best of 2010 Comedy Albums.” His follow up albums “Folk Hero” and “Good Guy” can all be streamed on Spotify or Apple Music. Thune is currently touring the country with the motto of “changing lives one joke at a time.”

Friday – Sunday, Aug 7 – 9

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. Times vary, tickets $34.99 – 204.99. 

Lil Duval, featured on BET’s “ComicView” and MTV’s “Guy Code”, comes to Helium for five shows. 

Friday, Aug 7

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. 

BCC’s long form house team “Yin Yang Necklace” will take you back to the 90’s with unscripted scenes and characters based entirely on audience suggestions which may be related to the 1990’s. 9 p.m., tickets $12. 

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

The Happy Hour Improv Jam. Try improv for the first time with experienced improvisers or practice what you have already learned. 6:30 p.m., tickets $5 or pay what you can. 

Indie Summer continues with “Pickle in the Middle” and musical improv from “Glitter Glamour.” 7:30 p.m., tickets $7. 

Standup Comedy Showcase and Open Mic. Students of the standup class will present their jokes followed by an open mic which will be on a “first come, first served” basis for five minute slots. 8:30 p.m., tickets $7. 

Saturday, Aug 8 

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. 

BCC’s “Script Tease” troupe will improvise an entire movie inspired by audience suggestions. 9 p.m., tickets $18.

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

Unicorn Parade with Frunkle’s Friends. Frunkle’s Friends is a three-person group that’s always on the same wavelength, opening for Unicorn Parade, who will create an improvised play, weaving a narrative tale through one location, exploring different characters. 7 p.m., tickets $12 presale or $15 general admission. 

The Faculty Lottery. The teachers of the BIH will perform and current or former students will have two chances to perform with them via a bucket draw. 8:30 p.m., tickets $12 presale or $15 general admission. 

Fallsview Casino, 6380 Fallsview Blvd. Niagara Falls, Ontario. 10:30 p.m., tickets starting at $92.

Nikki Glaser’s 8 pm show sold out so she added a late show, Glaser is an Emmy, Grammy and Golden Globe nominee and made history in 2025 as the first woman to host the Golden Globes solo. Her HBO special “Someday You’ll Die” had the largest streaming audience for a comedy special in HBO Max history and earned her The New York Times “Comedian of the Year” and a spot on TIME’s 100 Most Influential People list. 

Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, 310 4th St Niagara Falls. 8 p.m., tickets starting at $99. 

Jo Koy brings his “Just Being Koy” tour to the Falls. A  record-breaking performer, he’s earned “Stand-Up Comedian of the Year” honors at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and his specials “Comin’ In Hot” and “Live from Brooklyn” are available on Netflix. 

The Caz, 2221 Seneca St., Buffalo. 8 p.m., tickets starting at $15. 

Comedy at the Caz with South Buffalo’s own Rick Matthews and Kendall Farrell, a New York City based standup from Vermont. Farrell won Vermont’s Funniest Comedian contest before moving to NYC where he was named a “Comic to Watch” at the New York Comedy Festival.

Monday, Aug 10

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, Aug 11

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. 

Wednesday, Aug 12

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. 

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