This week I have the great opportunity to perform in two great rooms. Tuesday night I make my 5th appearance at the Oredock Brewing Co for the Breakwall Comedy Show in Marquette MI and on Friday Night I make my 4th appearance at Kristen’s Riverwalk for the Point and Laugh Comedy Show. These are two shows that are put on by two people who have the same passion for comedy and put on amazing shows.

The thing these two shows have in common is that they are shows by comedians who wanted to bring comedy to their respected towns so not only they could get more stage time but for the people around them could get more stage time. Not only that, but they have been able to bring in some great comedians from not only around their respected states but from around the country.

I found out about the show in Marquette in 2013. I had the opportunity to do the 2nd show ever there. When I agreed to the show I was a little afraid because I was going to be driving all afternoon to do a show on a Tuesday night. Tuesday night, comedy, and only being the second show ever has a lot of things going against it. I had just gotten a new GoPro so on my way up to the show I did a time lapse video of my trip. One thing I was not aware of when travelling is that Marquette is in a different time zone as Wisconsin. So when I thought I was getting up there a good hour and a half before the show I had actually shown up just 45 minutes before the show.

When I showed up to the venue guys were still setting up tables and seating for the show. About 20 minutes before the show no one had really showed up. So already my brain was going to the place of, “well, it was a nice drive and I’ll make the most of it.” 5 minutes later people were pouring into the place. There were no seats left and I had to stand in the back when I wasn’t on stage.

The room is run by Bryan Hampton who started doing stand-up when he was in Baltimore and upon returning to Marquette had nowhere to perform. He started doing comedy shows and not only has the community embraced it but new comedians are emerging as well. Every time I’ve performed there a new person is taking the stage for the first time and doing a great job.

Not only that, but the crowds are amazing. They pack the room on a Tuesday night and are hungry for a good time. I did the show in May last year and it was packed full of people who were just ready to laugh and have a good time.

It’s a great room.

Point and Laugh was co-founded by two comedians who I met in 2014, AJ Grill and Lexi Haack. The room was started as a way for them to do more comedy in Stevens Point where they lived. They would attend the open-mics there at the Riverwalk and then soon convinced the owner to do a regular monthly show.

The show is the only one I know that uses a regular house lamp as its main lighting. But it works so well, because the room and the ambieance of the room is perfect for comedy. The crowds vary seeing as they do two shows on a Friday night. The first show tends to skew a bit older while the late show is a bit younger because of the college crowd. It’s a great way for comedians to learn how to read their audience and make sure they are prepared any type of crowd.

The great thing about Point and Laugh is that they are bringing in some of the best up-and-coming comedians from Wisconsin and the Midwest to perform. They have given some great opportunities to some great comics.

Lexi and AJ have taken a small room and turned into a premier place to see comedy in Central Wisconsin.

Lexi is moving to Seattle and AJ is now living in Milwaukee but it is because of this show they have grown into the comedians they are today. Hopefully the Point and Laugh will live on in some form, or a torch will be passed on because it’s something different that the Stevens Point deserves.

If you want to see how much someone really wants to make it in comedy look at the comedy shows they go out and book themselves. Because someone who can’t get on shows will take matters into their own hands and create the shows.

These three are putting on some of the best shows and I’m super glad I get to be a part of them this week.

 

******Hey, tucker here. So the show is actually called Cold Clocked Comedy Hour which is Presented by Point and Laugh Comedy. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal but I thought I’d call it out here anyway.