Buffalo Comedy: Tons of comedians alongside local performers take the stage in Buffalo for a silly and scary Halloweekend.

(Above: Michael Longfellow in Conan (2010) via IMDB).

By Jason Pomietlasz

There are only 28 days left to think of what you are thankful for this year when you go around the table. Mentioning The Buffalo Hive and having a concise listing of live comedy events is always a crowd pleaser.

Thursday, Oct. 30

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 (second floor), Buffalo, 8 p.m., $5
In lieu of open mic, comics will play The Match Game, based on the classic game show with a spooky twist in honor of Halloween.  

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7:30 p.m., tickets $30.99 – 40.99.

Anthony Mrocka is a psychic medium who does readings using spirits to bridge the gap between the living and the dead.  

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo.  7 p.m., tickets $18.

Comedy Sportz “Beggar’s Night” match-up. In honor of Halloween Eve, the usual performers get the night off and its ghosts, ghouls and perhaps Big Bird’s chance to “competitively” play short form improv games with suggestions from the audience, who also decides the winner.

Friday, Oct. 31 

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo. 7:30 p.m., tickets $18.

Comedy Sportz “Halloween” match-up. More costumed fun as you may possibly see Indiana Jones “competitively” play short form improv games against Superman, with suggestions from the audience, who also decides the winner.

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

The Halloween edition of Improv Collider. BIH house teams Unicorn Parade, Beeees and a special mix-em-up team will perform different long-form improv styles. Costumes encouraged. 7 p.m., tickets $10 presale, $12 general admission.

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

Donald Savage Building, Buffalo State Uni., 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, 8 p.m., free.

Friday Night Live, Buffalo State’s improv troupe will perform an hour of short and long form improv. FNL is sometimes coached by local improv legend, Todd Benzin.

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7 & 9:15 p.m., tickets $13 – 42.99.

Chris Powell’s latest special “Sunday After Six” is available at Amazon and Apple TV. He was on staff for the second season of “Diarra From Detroit” for Bet and was a writer/producer on “How to Die Alone” on Hulu/Onyx. 

Saturday – Sunday, Nov. 1 – 2

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. Times vary, tickets $32.99 – 44.99.

James Donald Forbes McCann wears a lot of “hats” but the most important one is comedian, for the purposes of this listing anyway. McCann has written for “Tonightly” with Tom Ballard and Corey White’s “Roadmap to Paradise.” He won Adelaide Comedy’s Comedian of the Year, and Best Emerging Comedy: Adelaide Fringe and currently hangs out with Shane Gillis.

Saturday, Nov. 1 

Buffalo Comedy Collective, 155 Chandler Street, Buffalo. 

ComedySportz Saturday match-up. The “normal” performers return to “competitively” play short form improv games with suggestions from the audience, who also decides the winner. 6 p.m., tickets $18. 

Zombie Invasion: An interactive murder mystery. A dystopian version of Buffalo, which isn’t that far away, an outbreak has forced the city into lockdown and the search for a cure is more desperate than ever. The City Control Laboratory (CCL) has created a vaccine that can suppress the infected. It will be your job to question suspects, uncover secrets while working against the clock to survive the invasion, with a prize for the winning team. 8 p.m., check-in 7:30, tickets $35.

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

“Ha Ha Show,” an all-ages variety show with comedy scenes, made-up songs, and audience interaction. 5 p.m., tickets $12, $8 for ages 16 & under.

Level 4 Class Show: The Harold. The Harold is a classic improv format where funny ideas and characters come back and intertwine in various ways. 6 p.m., tickets $8 presale or $10 general admission. 

“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. 

Cagematch. 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. 8:30 p.m., tickets $8.

Milkies, 522 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo.  7 p.m., tickets starting at $5.

Bird Soup Halloween Variety Show. In the true spirit of Halloween, a show with a gaggle of local comics, live music, a costume contest and of course, candy.  

Amy’s Place, 3234 Main Street, Buffalo. 7:30 p.m., tickets $6.66. 

Area 54 Post-Halloween Party. An All-Ages Show with singer-songwriter Jane, sidekick/Sardine, TJ Cutajar, Haunted Gypsy and comics Casey Callahan and Jesse Winterhalter. And also a best costume contest. 

Sunday, Nov. 2

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 6 p.m., tickets $33.99 – 43.99.

Christian Johnson is a clean comedian you can bring all the whole family to watch. Johnson was named a finalist in the Kenan Thompson Ultimate Comedy Experience showcase and has built a following of over 500,000 followers on social media.

Monday, Nov. 3

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, Nov. 4

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. 5

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 $30.99 – 40.99.

Michael Longfellow spent two years as a featured player on Saturday Night Live before becoming a repertory player for one, then departed SNL. And before that was just one of eight comedians chosen for the inaugural ‘Netflix Introducing…’ next stars of comedy showcase at the Netflix is a Joke Festival, and one of TBS’s ‘Comics To Watch’ at the New York Comedy Festival. 

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