Ha ha ha: Where to see comedy shows in Austin, like new Cap City Comedy Club
Comedy clubs in the Austin area went through a lot during the coronavirus pandemic. Some lost their physical spaces, and others shut down. Cap City Comedy Club was one of those spots.
The club shut its doors in March 2020 because of the pandemic, and then closed for good in September 2020.
"After 35 years in this location, and 17 for us as owners, the struggle of being closed since March has proved insurmountable. It is a perfect storm of pandemic, lease and wanting to be responsible to our staff, comedians and audiences," read a statement signed by then-club owners Rich Miller, Margie Coyle, Colleen McGarr and Duncan Strauss.
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That was not the last laugh for Cap City, though. The Austin institution, which used to be on Research Boulevard, reopened at the Domain earlier this month. Marc and Brad Grossman now own the club; its new home is at 11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Building B, Unit 100. The brothers also own the nationwide Helium Comedy Club chain.
"It feels amazing to bring Cap City back into the thriving Austin comedy scene," said Chandy Kurzweil, manager at Cap City Comedy Club. "Our opening month was a whirlwind of fantastic acts, familiar faces and killer comedy crowds. This new chapter is bittersweet and exciting all at the same time. The original location was legendary and sorely missed, but we're looking forward to continuing the Cap City legacy in The Domain."
See the lineup of shows coming up and buy tickets at capcitycomedy.com.
Austin has a robust comedy scene, and it's grown like wild in the past couple of years. Here are more places to get your laugh on, presented in no particular order.
Esther's Follies
Austin institution Esther's Follies, which has been on Sixth Street since 1977, is a "modern-day vaudeville revue mixed with political comedy that is like nothing else on the comedy scene," according to the club's website. It also says: "We've been called the Texas answer to ('Saturday Night Live')." No matter how you describe it, Esther's Follies is sure to be a good time. You'll find it all: topical humor, magic and a taste of vaudeville. (525 E. Sixth St.; esthersfollies.com)
The Velv Comedy Lounge
You might know this Esther's Follies spin-off as The Velveeta Room. Before it had anything to do with processed cheese, the scrappy comedy club's original location was a topless bar. It became The Velveeta Room in 1988; the club moved in 1994 to a spot next to Esther's. The club, a longtime proving ground for comics to work on their sets, was named after Ronnie Velveeta, a character created by Esther's cast member Kerry Awn. (521 E. Sixth St.; thevelveetaroom.com)
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East Austin Comedy Club
East Austin Comedy Club, which opened this year, is an intimate affair. It has just under 50 seats, dim lights and black walls with velvet curtains draped on them. Founders Raza Jafri and Andre Ricks operate the club out of the Tiger Den venue, and they tout their comedy club as the city's only one owned by people of color. Jafri told the American-Statesman's Earl Hopkins this summer that the owners want East Austin Comedy Club to be a space for comics of all backgrounds to showcase their brand of funny.
You can B.Y.O.B. here, but they also have an open wine bar. The club is open 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 8 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $20. (1303 E. Fourth St.; eastaustincomedy.com)
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Fallout Theater
Fallout Theater has shows seven nights a week and they do it all: long-form improv, sketch comedy and stand-up. The downtown spot, which has been open since 2018, also offers training. (616 Lavaca St.; falloutcomedy.com)
The Hideout Theatre
If you're looking for just improv, we suggest the Hideout Theatre. The downtown spot, which has been open since 1999, does only improvisational theater. Short-form, long-form and narrative improv shows are hosted Thursday-Sunday. (617 Congress Ave.; hideouttheatre.com)
Comedy in the Capital at Speakeasy
Comedy in the Capital is a weekly event at Speakeasy downtown at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The bar advertises the show as a place to check out rising stars in the Austin comedy scene. Live music follows the show. (412 Congress Ave.; speakeasyaustin.com)
Vulcan Gas Company
Vulcan Gas Company has an impressive list of comedy events on deck. Comedians Joe Rogan, Brian Posehn, Craig Conant, Ryan Sickler and Rachel Wolfson, among many others, are all scheduled to perform at Vulcan this fall. (418 E. Sixth St. vulcanatx.com)
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The Creek and the Cave
The Creek and the Cave opened in 2021 after closing in New York during the coronavirus pandemic. They host weekly open mic nights, stand-up comics and other comedy events. The place has a bar, too. (611 E. Seventh St.; creekandcave.com)
Coldtowne Theater
Although Coldtowne no longer operates out of its own building, they're still putting on shows and hosting classes in the Austin area. You can even bring Coldtowne to your office for improv training or pop-up shows. Check out where they'll be next at coldtownetheater.com.
The Paramount and State theaters
OK, they're not strictly comedy clubs, but downtown Austin's historic theater twins are the epicenter of the annual Moontower Just For Laughs Austin comedy festival. They're also home to plenty of funny fun year-round. Coming up later this year: Kathleen Madigan, Craig Ferguson, J.B. Smoove, Demetri Martin, John Waters and the "Violating Community Guidelines" podcast. (713 and 719 Congress Ave.; austintheatre.org)
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Where to see comedy shows in Austin, from Cap City to Moontower
