Dhyia T.
Yelp
I was invited by a friend to a free comedy showcase that occurs every Thursday night. So I was not familiar with this place at all. However, when I rolled up in my uber. I knew this couldn't be it. I thought this place is a complete dive bar!
But I ended up staying until 2 am and meeting the strangest and most intriguing people from what I heard patrons call, "The Village". I've heard about these mysterious neighborhood bars where everyone knows your name and you just walk out your door and bam cheap drinks and mediocre food, but thought it was just a fairy tale. Like, if you step on a crack you break your mother's back. we've all stepped on hundreds of cracks and moms are walking just fine these days. So why would this tale be any different.
Boy was I wrong, I had an amazing time! I heard great comedy that you would otherwise have to pay at least $10-$12 bucks for, I pet a dog without leaving my bar stool, and discussed the world according to Bill Cosby in a post-Qualoid era. I left with a great big smile on my face and now I get why people would spend big money to live near a great neighborhood bar.
The host of the comedy show is a neighborhood guy and it looked like about 80% of the audience are his friends! Which is impressive to get all your peeps to show up at the same time. It's a tiny space in the back which gives it that gritty NY comedy room feeling that makes you feel special you got a seat.
There was about 6+ comics in total and most of them were slap-a-knee, side stitch funny. One guy was featured in one or more of the Barbershop movies and was super funny, but there was one scary guy that seemed like he ruffie's women in his spare time that I don't think he even realized he was there to tell jokes on a comedy stage nor maybe realized he was on a stage at all!
For free-99 it was a decent balance of talent and pure entertainment. I feel like this showcase will shortly grow out of this room, so take advantage of it's super uber, exclusive Yipster (Yuppy+Hipster) status now while it lasts.
I had such a great time I stayed afterwards for the great conversation. I met a local Roscoe Villager, a teacher that let's say was really enjoying his summer break. He showed us his chronological photo montage of him shaving his full beard off while styling it into various mustache styles in the process. From the longhorn to the handlebars - it was a sight to see and just pure comedy. He was so nice, he just rolled up on us and started a conversation.
A random man did come through with a stack of pizzas that he apparently sells by the pies. The teacher said, it's kind of his thing that he does every Thursday night. We purchased one, because when in Rome! Also he seemed to pop up right on time Cause we scarfed it down. We bought 2 drinks - a vodka and soda and an old fashion which cost about $15, but seemed to give us the right amount of buzz too. And the bartender seemed to blend in with the patrons so it was hard to pin him down. But someone saw my thirst and flagged him down for us. It's super laid back, so I didn't mind.
Lastly, the dogs, oh the dogs! Yes, I said it earlier, I pet a dog. They roam leash free like they're in a West Loop dog park. It just added to the charm and craziness of this place. I love dogs, so it made for an even funnier evening.
Finally, we ended the night talking with some of the comics. The vibe was so friendly I really assumed everyone knew each other and ended up introducing lots of Villagers to each other. Which made me smile. I'll definitely be back. So if you're up for a random unexpectedly crazy night, then roll through this joint. Oh yeah, I also heard Friday nights are great too!