Buffalo Comedy: Comedy comes to life in Buffalo this weekend. The Comedy Buzz is your guide to comedy shows across the city.

(Above: Rod Man. Image via @RodManStandUP on Facebook).

By Jason Pomietlasz

On this day in 1982, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “Cats” opened and became one of the longest-running shows on Broadway, closing in September of 2000. The cast had to perform eight shows over six days on a weekly basis. That’s a demanding schedule for any mammal, but  according to the playbill, many still found time to go out and see live comedy. 

Thursday, Oct 8

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. 7:30 p.m., tickets $5.

Open Mic comedy at the BCC. For seasoned performers or first timers. Performers get 5 minute sets. Spots are limited and it’s first come, first serve. Sign-ups at 7 p.m.

The Wood and Wine’s Comic Strip, 25 N. Johnson Parkway, Buffalo. 7 p.m., free. 

A biweekly open mic in the Elmwood area hosted by Mamudu Kargbo. Sign-ups at 6:30 p.m.

Alchemy Wine & Beer, 20 Union Street, Hamburg. 8 p.m., tickets starting at $23.

The “Still Standing Somehow” comedy tour comes to Hamburg, which may or may not be the birthplace of the modern Hamburger. The tour is a standup duo of Zahan Sigara and Jo Rou. 

Both Sigara and Rou have spent 2026 touring Canada and the U.S.

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

HollywoodGenGen, also known as “Miss Renee” will showcase her popular character from their online videos with high energy and audience interaction. And there’s usually a surprise guest or two. 

Friday, Oct 9

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. 

Dynamic Duos, six house roster members 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 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. 

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. 

“Bad Haircut” will improvise all facets of a musical from an audience suggestion, followed by “Bedelia,” who will perform their own special brand of improv. 8:30 p.m., tickets $12 presale or $15 general admission. 

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7:30 & 9:15 p.m., tickets $20 – 178.99. 

You have two chances to see Rod Man perform at Helium. Rod Man’s first stand-up experience was in 1995, inspired by Def Comedy Jam, he signed up for “open mic” at Atlanta’s Uptown Comedy Club and has since performed at The World Famous Apollo Theater, The Comedy Store in LA and won season eight of “Last Comic Standing,”

Mr. Goodbar, 1110 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo. 8 p.m, tickets $5.

The Bird Soup Showcase. Hosted by Christian Alexander and sets from Cassie Puccia, Jake Bauer, Brody Walsh, Connor Mink, Eric Basile, Jake Piskor, Greg Bauch and music from Eric Weinholtz.

Saturday, Oct 10

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. 

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

“Sonderful” will improvise a monoscene, which weaves characters and storylines together through one time and place. 6 p.m., tickets $12 presale or $15 general admission. 

“Unicorn Parade” with “The Slumber Party.” Slumber Party is an all-female and gender nonbinary mix-em-up team with BIH students, faculty, and community members. Unicorn Parade 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. 

Good Neighbors, a monthly show featuring notable Buffalonians telling stories which improvisers use to craft scenes, with proceeds going to charity. This month’s monologist is Melinda Capeles, raising money for Justice for Migrant Families WNY. 8:30 p.m., tickets at multiple prices. 

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7 & 9:30 p.m., tickets $13 – 180.99. 

Helium Presents: Stand-Up Confidential. It’s top comics and top secret. For comedy fans who like a surprise, you won’t know who is performing until they hit the stage. So if you want to play comedy roulette, this is your chance.

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

Rick Matthews Questionable Judgement Show. Local comic Rick Matthews will headline a show with a full bill of Buffalo comics. 

Electric City, 433 Pearl St., Buffalo, 8 p.m., tickets starting at $27.

Buffalo native Maddy Smith returns for one night with her new hour tour, “Bad Genes.” Smith spent seven seasons on “Wild ‘N Out,”  and has been touring internationally since then. Her podcast “Madhouse” is available on spotify and she hosts a short advice segment series called “Happy To Help,” released weekly on YouTube.

Center for the Arts, 103 Center for the Arts, Buffalo, 7 p.m., tickets starting at $35. 

Fred Armisen’s  “Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome,” comes to UB. Armisen spent 11 years on SNL and appeared in the second highest number of sketches, 856, at the time. Before that he started in music with the punk band “Trenchmouth.” Post SNL Armisen co-wrote and starred in the Emmy-nominated series Portlandia, which nailed the Portland vibe and was band leader of the 8G Band on Late Night With Seth Meyers. Currently he’s in the Broadway play “All In.” 

Rob’s Playhouse Theater, 3200 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. 8 p.m., tickets starting at $23.50.

Steve Wilson might be one of those comics whose name should be more well known. Wilson grew up in Buffalo with a house full of women which shaped his comedy perspective. He has performed on BET’s “Showtime at the Apollo” and “The World Stands Up” on the BBC. 

Wilson has opened for singer Brian McKnight and was a co-host on “The DL Hughley Show,” a syndicated radio show. 

Santora’s Pizza Pub, 7800 Transit Road, Williamsville. 8 p.m., tickets $27.

Stand Up Comedy presented by Next Stop Comedy with national and local acts. This month’s installment will feature Alex Brady, Abdul Hadi and Brian Enck.

Milkie’s Elmwood Lounge, 522 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo. 9 p.m., tickets $10. 

Freezer Fundraiser Comedy Show. A show to help raise money for a new freezer for Milkie’s with a gaggle of comics including Kevin Thomas Jr., Jesse Winterhalter, Brody Walsh, Annamarie DePalma, Josh Prygon, Katarina Valentine, Andy Ticco, Andrew Joslyn and hosted by Owen Szantor.

Sunday, Oct 11

Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi Street, Buffalo. 7 p.m., tickets $13 – 184.99. 

Paul Virzi hits the Helium stage for a one nighter. Virzi hosts three weekly podcasts, “The Virzi Effect,” “Anything Better” and “A Bone To Pick” and his latest special “ Reasonable Man” is free on Youtube. Virzi is still good friends with Bill Burr if that means anything anymore. 

Monday, Oct 12

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 13

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 14

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. 

Open Mic, where over twenty comics will perform their best 3 minutes, 7 p.m., free with two-item minimum.

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 Dan Reitz Wysocki who will join the resident cast of Kevin Di Lucente, Todd Benzin, Don Gervasi, Annie Moor and Jimmie Byrd.

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