Justin M.
Yelp
Having done open mic night and a horrible comedian myself, I can appreciate the courage it takes to get up under the lights, intuition to make people laugh and the spine to shake off bombing on stage. However, throw in some theatrics along with song and you have something special. That is what I got to experience for my pre-birthday activities when my girlfriend shocked me with tickets to Ether's Follies. One of the highlights of my brief 3 years in Texas as of this writing in March 2024.
Located in a relatively safe section of town off of 6th St, I've never noticed this hole in the wall before. Its outside façade is very unassuming and I was extremely surprised when my girlfriend got us tickets for my soon to be SECOND 21st bday... She suckered me good by saying we were going to see a play, which was a nice touch to throw my suspicions off.
Walking in the establishment it oozes a crazy collection of odd murals, paint schemes, statues, sculptures and an assortment of mis-mashed art. After checking in to the left of the lobby is the bar. The bartenders are quick to fill your drink orders and while not having a huge selection of drinks they have enough to put a smile on your face before you even get to see the cast of comedians. As a side note the restrooms are to the right of the bar and during intermission the lines become a little long, you've been warned.
I rather liked holding area. I literally took roughly 10 minutes to take in the atmosphere. I was abruptly but pleasantly interrupted as the ushers dropped in and began to seat the patrons. You walk in and the tunnel opens up to stadium fold up seating. Not the most comfortable seating choice but once the show starts I submit it the comfort rather quickly leaves the mind, replaced by quality entertainment. The stage is small, but dominates the eyesight as the music section is to the left. Curiously the windows allow people to look in and the audience to look out, more on that later.
Before our night started, we were reminded no pictures of video during the performance, so take pictures of your "I was there" moments now. A wonderful woman came out in an interesting 1800s Midwest dress and proceeded to give a fun musical number loosening up the audience while prepping them of things to come. Please note, there is satire of all kinds including impartial political jabs. So, if you're of a certain persuasion and are triggered by a party being insulted, consider this your warning. But to reiterate the jokes are thrown at both parties in an effort to keep things fair and balanced.
The show itself has music, magic, audience participation and long and short form jokes. Another warning if you're on the front row or close to the stage, you "might" be called upon to join in the fun on stage. My show had the entire front row occupied by the Swedish navy, which made them hilarious fodder for the comedians. As I mentioned earlier and was totally unexpected but "all the world is a stage" as you notice people outside are part of the show. That's right innocent people are unwittingly part of the show at times while the cast do go outside which you can see through the window further enhancing the shows humor. Finally, we did have some heckler at our show. Having done standup before, I can advise, the worst people to "try and punk" are comedians. We're ready for it, the staff and audience are on our side, it's a nuisance and finally you'll look stupid. Anyways, the crew shamed the guy pretty good and he was kicked out.
All in all, it was a night for me to remember and it could be yours as well if this type of entertainment tickles your fancy. Heck even if it doesn't, I challenge you to give it a try to broaden your interests. As I stated I've done standup and I give it five out of five stars for comedy and while I did high school choir the cast really has talent in the singing department as well. The magic is the least pronounced but well done as a nice diversion between bits (bit meaning the next wave of comedy sketches). Overall, this crew was superb and knocked it out the park. The whole experience is perfect for a first or 100th date, a friend's night out or just an excuse to do something different. Give it a whirl you won't regret it.