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Melissa Surach

Jersey City Comedy Festival Opens August 12

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Virtual Event To Highlight Emerging New Jersey Comics

Good news, shut-ins! The Jersey City Comedy Festival is next week. Formerly known as the 6th Borough Comedy Festival, the Jersey City Comedy Festival will take place online via Zoom. It will be a parade of live comedy shows featuring stand-up, sketch and improv that you may enjoy in the comfort of your own home or wherever you prefer to recline.

The festival, produced by Art House Productions, was originally scheduled for live, indoor shows in June and postponed for safety reasons. Ultimately it was moved to Zoom in August. Now it’s four days of pandemic-safe entertainment.

“This four-day virtual comedy festival will be as lively and interactive as possible!” said Meredith Burns, executive director of Art House. “We’re hoping that the 2021 Comedy Festival will be an in-person event. In the meantime, we are very excited about the virtual possibilities!”

“Essentially what we are trying to do is recreate the live experience as much as possible. We are interested in hearing the audience react. This is not a streamed event. This is a live, virtual event where the comics will see the audience and vice versa and the audience will see the other audience members. We’re all in one big virtual room together breathing and laughing!”

However, trying to organize an online comedy festival during the pandemic isn’t all fun and games. Economically, it’s been tough. “We haven’t been able to secure the same sponsorships as we did in the past. Unfortunately, it’s a tough market for that right now. I also think sponsors might not understand the value of virtual events in the same way, but I’m optimistic that will change in the near future as they see how beneficial it can be for their brands,” Burns said.

On a bright note, ticket sales are about what they were last year at this time. “I think more people will buy closer to the events themselves and the day of,” Burns said.

In 2017, Burns founded the “Sixth Borough Comedy Festival” with fellow comedians Rich Kiamco and Ari Miller as a way to ensure more diversity and inclusion in comedy festivals. “We had performed at comedy fests around the country and found them to be overwhelmingly white, male spaces. We’ve made diversity and inclusion the hallmark of the Jersey City Comedy Festival.” The first night of the festival, on August 12, is part of Jersey City Pride.

In 2017, the domain for “Jersey City Comedy Festival” was not yet available. It was still owned by the original Jersey City Comedy Festival’s founder, comedian and artist Craig Mahoney. In 2019, the domain was up for grabs, and Burns and crew reappropriated the name. Miller moved to Los Angeles in 2018. The management team now includes co-producers Xavier Padin and Janelle Gaeta, Art House’s Producing Director Courtney Little, and Theater Manager, Miranda Dahl.

Also new to the festival is a “Jersey Strong” showcase on Friday night at 10 p.m. All of the comedians who will be in it are based in or from New Jersey. Although many of the comedians in the entire festival hail from New Jersey, this particular showcase is named for its strength, a phrase coined by Governor Murphy. As Burns gushed with pride, “I think people from New Jersey have a certain toughness about them that can perhaps be misinterpreted, so I think the governor is affirming that our strength is a positive thing. We’re so used to being the butt of every joke, but in actuality the big secret everyone in New Jersey knows is we’re the best state in America.

She continued, “We have the best of everything here. The best people, the best schools, the best beaches, the best restaurants, the best pizza (shout out to Razza), the best artists (Meryl Streep, come through!), the best cities, the setting of the best TV show of all time (The Sopranos); the only thing we’re missing is great mountains, so I guess you can’t have everything! I’ve been to four continents and 32 states, and I’ve really liked a lot of places, but New Jersey is special.”

Comedian Alex Grubard, a Jersey City resident featured in the Jersey Strong showcase, says, has a slightly different opinion, “Jersey’s strength comes from years of questionable construction contracts. Like when you duct tape something together over and over even though it probably was never broken in the first place.”

It’s his first time doing Jersey City Comedy Festival. Regarding the virtual nature of the show, he said, “I’ll miss running into lots of comics all around town like at a comedy festival with lots of live shows, but the lineups are good, and I’m excited to see everyone perform.” He plans on doing his set from Corgi Distillery where he has a live show earlier that night.

 Last year the festival roasted Mayor Fulop, which he described as being, “as enjoyable as it sounds.” This year, Character Assassin will roast Harry Potter. Character Assassin is a comedy troupe based in of Louisville, Kentucky with chapters in New York and Chicago. The troupe specializes in roasting fictional characters and historical figures. According to Andy Fleming, producer of the Chicago chapter, “Character Assassination is just like your classic Friars Club or Comedy Central-style roast but with beloved pop culture figures (or really anything) instead of real people sitting on the dais with each character played by one of the funniest/meanest stand-up comedians we know.”

When I asked him why roasting people real or fictional brings people together, he said, “Honestly, the roasting of a fictional character is what brings people together the most for me because no one’s actually getting their feelings hurt. I would never say to Daniel Radcliffe’s face the terrible things that I have said to people playing Harry Potter. For one, I can’t get close to him because of the restraining order.”

It will also be the first time the group is doing their show via Zoom although Fleming says, “I think it’s a format that lends itself perfectly to the roasts. Instead of a dais, you get a Brady Bunch-like grid of these characters telling each other to go fuck themselves!”

He quipped, “[P]ersonally, I grew up a huge Sopranos and Kevin Smith fan, so visiting Jersey has always been a dream of mine!”

I asked Burns why JCCF wasn’t roasting locals this time around like a rich developer, for example. Burns responded that having a group with a broader target audience was for the greater good. “Character Assassination is roasting Harry Potter, and we’re assuming they might throw in some jokes about J.K. Rowling given her recent twitter performance,” she said. “The interesting thing about this event now being virtual is that it opens up our target market! You can Zoom in from anywhere in the world, and we want to make sure that the events we’re presenting are for everyone, not just for people who live in Jersey City and are aware of the key players.”

Other changes? Emerging comics only and cash prizes. In the past, comedians like Gilbert Gottfried have headlined, but this year the money is going to comedians. “This is the first year we’re offering cash prizes,” said Burns. “We made the choice to forego bigger-name headliners and offer cash prizes to the emerging comics. This is a challenging time for artists, and we’re trying to support them as much as we can.” In the past the prizes consisted of performance opportunities at other venues.

The festival culminates in The Best of the Fest competition on Saturday night, which brings us to a final plea from Burns:

“We need you, the audience, to help us give away $1,000 in cash prizes to the comedians: $250 to the best sketch team, $250 to the best improv team, $250 to the audience stand-up pick, $250 to the industry stand-up pick.”

The industry stand-up pick will also receive a one-month residency of primetime spots at Broadway Comedy Club, courtesy of TheIndustryRoom.com.

The Jersey City Comedy Festival runs from August 12–15. Tickets are $10–$15. Discounted festival passes, which include one ticket to each event, are also available for $45.50. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.JerseyCityComedyFestival.com. 

Melissa Surach

Strip Clubs and Funerals: Ian Steffe Records a Comedy Hour at Headroom

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Last Thursday, March 5, local comedic storyteller Ian Steffé recorded a live album at Headroom Bar and Social. Steffé’s hour-long recorded set, humbly promoted as, “A Live Comedy Recording,” was a New Year’s resolution.

“It’s an hour of me doing my very best under the most ideal circumstances of the crowd which were and genuinely are my friends. The experience was really awesome, and I recommend to anyone that wants to try, they should do it.”

Ian Steffé Photo by Joshua Lay

Steffé is known for his long-form standup as well as for storytelling and is the co-host of the Wednesday mixed-mic show “Take a Compliment,” also at Headroom, a mid-sized event space that that has an industrial feel with dark drapes for an ambiance like a vampire lair.

Though mostly a jazz venue, Headroom also hosts comedy shows. The owner, Howard Brunner admits, “I love great comedy, and I love comedy clubs, preferably shows that slide into the wee hours in pitch-black rooms with cigarette smoke in the air. Of course you cannot allow that anymore.”

Diana Zini, Steffé’s co-host of “Take a Compliment,” gave a heart-warming introduction that  included the history of their friendship, meeting at the now-defunct FM Monday night mic, and visiting Headroom to eventually develop their own mic night there. “When Ian and I visited this space, Ian immediately had a vision for it.”

According to a press release sent by Diana Zini: “Ian Steffé was born in a small, idyllic town in Massachusetts and moved to Arizona at age 19. Around that time, he started doing standup, often opening for bands. Eventually finding his way back to the East Coast, Steffé had tried being an impressionist and a political comic until one night someone recorded him ranting outside of a club. That recording got him an invitation from Risk!, a storytelling podcast. ‘I realized one can’t plagiarize their own experience.’ And so his voice as a comedic storyteller was found.”

This event couldn’t have taken place without Zini. A soulful musician in her own right, “she helped so much to make this experience happen because of her almost annoying persistence. She believed in this and needled me and coached me in every step of this,” Steffé said.

Onstage, Zini talked about Steffé’s rough week. His father, who had been a beloved character in many of Steffé’s stories, had passed away the week before. Indeed, Steffé had just come back from the funeral in Arizona the previous day — but rather than cancel the show under the circumstances, the headliner dedicated this entertaining, yet heartrending show to his father.

The show opened with the funeral, as the comedian mused on the irony of grieving while organizing the event, which is essentially a party for other people. Later, Steffé invoked his late father who delivered the moral of the story in a bit about a trip to a strip club that involved blood. Be nicer to women, his dad urged.

Steffé’s set was consistently fun, and he held the audience’s attention for a full 40 minutes before going on to tell some shorter stories. At the end, the audience gave him a standing ovation.

Gene D. Plumber, photo by Melissa Surach

Opening acts included Gene Turonis, a veteran Hoboken artist whose stage name is “Gene D. Plumber.” He sang several tunes including a love song about when his wife said, “I wish I never married you.” Plumber was followed by the musical comedian Angela Sharp. She began her set with a song about watching pornography and (referring to the sexual reference) “edging.”

The show was recorded though Steffé doesn’t know what he’s going to do with the recording yet. “I think that’s going to take time to figure out whether or not I’m even selling it or sending it to festivals. I’m so in the dark about this stuff because I’ve only cared about writing jokes and not where it’s going. I feel like a goob.” For now, the raconteur is going back to Arizona to keep his mom company.

Steffé does know what the final product will be called. It will be called “A Lot” because, as he explains, “I feel like that’s an insult I’ve gotten since middle school. Bosses teachers, exes. All of them called me ‘a lot,’ and at this point I’m wearing it with pride.”

“This is the first time in my life where I have this much content. And I feel polished. I want to see where this can go.”

Angela Sharp, photo by Melissa Surach

Header: Photo by Melissa Surach

Melissa Surach

Jersey City Comedy Festival Returns! Submissions Open Now

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The most prestigious comedy event of Jersey City, the Sixth Borough Comedy Festival, returns this coming summer for the third successive year with a new name: Jersey City Comedy Festival. The event will showcase a diverse range of talent representative of the second most diverse city in the nation, according to wallethub.com.

Comedians perform at the 2019 Comedy Festival. Photo by Miguel Aviles.

“Not to rail against white men,” said Meredith Burns, executive director of Art House Productions, which organizes the festival, “but diversity in the festival is important.” Burns is a comedy festival veteran herself who has performed with the group The Executives at almost every sketch fest imaginable in the US and Canada. She noticed that festivals seemed to showcase mostly performers from one demographic and wanted to rectify that. So, the festival will include a “wide variety of ages and abilities,” Burns reported. “We wanted to make it representative of Jersey City,” she said.

The comedy festival has been around since 2013 in fits and starts. Originally produced by Art House and comedian and artist Craig Mahoney, the event was called “Jersey City Comedy Festival” and lasted two years.

In 2018, it was resurrected. This time around, though, the festival’s management would change.

Art House (now being run by Burns) tapped Jersey City comedian Rich Kiamco to curate the show.  (Burns had been impressed with his long-running comedy show “The Laugh Tour.”)  Then-Jersey City comedian Ari Miller was asked to co-produce, too.

But the festival also got a new name. Turns out the URL “JerseyCityComedyFestival.com” was already taken; so rather than use a different URL, Burns and company decided to rebrand.

“We had to get creative,” Burns explained. The name “Sixth Borough Comedy Festival” was a little tongue in cheek, and we liked the ring of ‘6BCF’.”  So “Sixth Borough Comedy Festival” it would be.

Xavier Hernandez (co-producer of 6BCF 2019), Mayor Steve Fulop, Rich Kiamco (co-producer 6BCF and JCCF), Meredith Burns (Director of Art House, co-producer of 6BCF/JCCF). Photo by Miguel Aviles.

This past year’s 6BCF, the second and most successful 6BCF, featured more than 140 comedians over the course of four nights. In addition to stand

up, sketch, storytelling, musical comedy, a podcast, and improv, it culminated in a roast of Mayor Steve Fulop.

“Getting roasted by Jersey City’s funniest residents was just as enjoyable as it sounds,” the mayor reported.  “As much as I loved being subjected to jokes at my own expense during the last Comedy Festival, I’m happy to pass the baton to the next guest of honor,” the mayor said.

“As for suggestions of who should be next on the hot seat,” Fulop added, “I know of some people who could use a good laugh after [last Tuesday’s] Election Day.” Nonetheless the mayor did not give any names.

According to Burns, there were over 600 people in attendance throughout the 2019 festival, up 20% from the previous year. “It was interesting,” she said. “Gilbert Gottfried performed [in 2018], and while we certainly had great names this year, none of them had that nostalgic value,” Burns said while considering the increase of show goers.

“There were so many people there it was almost a fire hazard!” said Kiamco, referring to the “Friday Night Roast Battle” at the Newark Avenue club FM.

The 2020 Jersey City Comedy Festival is scheduled for June 10-13. It will feature stand-up, sketch, improv, musical comedy, maybe storytelling, and podcasts.

Comedians will have the chance to compete for prizes — and the festival may include panels and workshops (to suggest a topic for a panel or workshop, contact jccf@arthouseproductions.org.)

Finally, the group Character Assassination may headline the event with a theatrical roast.

Submissions for the Jersey City Comedy Festival are open through February 29, 2020.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the many budget-friendly underground comedy shows you could see right now in Jersey City.

For more information on the 2020 Jersey City Comedy Festival, visit 6thBoroughComedyFest.com.

Header: From left: Xavier Hernandez (co-producer of 6BCF 2019), Mayor Steve Fulop, Rich Kiamco (co-producer 6BCF and JCCF), Meredith Burns (Director of Art House, co-producer of 6BCF/JCCF). Photo by Miguel Aviles.

Melissa Surach

Comedy Shows You Could See Right Now in Jersey City

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Until recently, this sad town of Jersey City was a comedy desert, or perhaps more aptly, a comedy death trap. One was hard pressed to find a comedy show in town. There was no brand-name comedy club (although Rascal’s on the Hudson endured a brief, tortured stint downtown in the mid aughts). The Jersey City Comedy Festival* lasted just two years — 2013 and 2014 — produced by Art House but was for the most part spread out in a vast web of stageless bar and gallery shows throughout town. My own show, “BabyHole,” lasted three years from 2007 to 2010 but never had the same venue for long due to shifting entertainment ordinances. Part real show, part dive bar rock show, part open mic, sometimes an illegal warehouse show, it died mainly because no one appreciates anything until it’s gone.

Happily, things have been brightening a bit this past year.

“Show Us Your Bits” comedy productions by Angela Sharp ran for 14 months at McGinley Square Pub starting in July 2018, during which time it became a veritable institution. The bi-weekly Saturday afternoon mics drew comedians from all over New Jersey as did late night Monday mics and pop-ups throughout the week. It abruptly ended in September, some would say prematurely.

The highly successful “Porno! Comedy Show,” a monthly summer series with an open bar, sold out consistently this past summer. It culminated in the “Porno! Comedy Sextival,” which featured over 40 comedians all day and night packed into the back room of this tiny, antique pub.

And Rich Kiamco’s “The Laugh Tour,” which has semi-consistently been running with Art House Productions at various locations since 2010, sprouted the Sixth Borough Comedy Festival in 2018.

As Jersey City is steadily overcoming the stigma of being a venue-barren town, comedy is re-emerging. Now you can’t even throw a rock without hitting a decent show or someone who calls oneself a comedian; you can see comedy almost every night of the week (at times you can even see six shows in one night, most of them free); you can attempt to be a comedian at one of the many free mics around town; and sometimes you can go out to dinner and not even realize you’re at a comedy show.

*The first Jersey City Comedy Festival ran from 2013-2014. The Sixth Borough Comedy Festival will be renamed Jersey City Comedy Festival for the 2020 run. We will post more about that soon.

Regularly Scheduled Comedy Shows

Below is a list of regularly scheduled comedy shows. Always call the venue to confirm beforehand (for instance, three shows that had been on this list were cancelled just prior to publication). Appreciate these shows while you can, and support these poor, talented, hardworking people.

“Are You Entertained Wild Out Wednesday Comedy Show” – This monthly show combines comedy with other forms of art, such as music, poetry, and (occasionally) magic, to give you the sense of a mini concert. Hosted by Sharief Johnson.
$10
Bright Side Tavern (141 Bright Street)
Last Wednesday of the month, 8 p.m.

“Corgi Comedy Club” – Stand-up that’s always classy at this semi-regular show at Corgi, Jersey City’s only distillery. A tour of the distillery is included. Hosted by Alex Grubard and Ryan Rummel.
$20 online
Corgi Spirits (1 Distillery Way)
Next show: 12/7, 7:30 p.m
https://www.corgispirits.com

“CrockPot” – They’re all good at this free and absurd stand-up show with a seemingly endless lineup every month. The show is in the basement of a vegetarian restaurant and bar called Pet Shop (that used to be a pet shop). It’s reminiscent of Uncle Joe’s circa 2004. Hosted by Alex Grubard, Nate Marshall, Lemaire Lee, and Tyler Rothrock.
Free!
Pet Shop (193 Newark Avenue)
The second Wednesday of every month, 8 p.m.
https://www.facebook.com/crockpotcomedy

“Culture Vultures” –This upbeat stand-up show strives to book comics from under-represented communities. It’s at a retro music venue filled with pop art. Hosted by Ariel Leaty and Gordon Baker-Bone.
$15, $10 online
FM (340 3rd Street)
Usually the third Wednesday of the month, 8 p.m.
Next shows: 11/20, and 12/18
https://www.facebook.com/culturevulturescomedy

“The Extra Extra Comedy Show!” – This is a free stand-up show in the basement of Journal Square Lounge every Friday alternating between open mics and curated shows. Always a good time, always high energy, always a great crowd. Hosted by Irv Hernandez.
Free!
Journal Square Lounge (50 Journal Square Plaza)
Open Mic every second and fourth Friday, 8:30 p.m.

Prathaviraj Purohit does stand up on FM’s stage during the Friggin’ Fabulous Open Mic.  Photo by Melissa Surach.

“Funny Tikka Masala” – A spicy stand-up comedy show. Jersey City is lucky to be home to America’s first stand-up show in Hinglish (Hindi plus English).  Alternates between an open mic and a big show in which prizes, including cash, are given out. Hosted by Vinod Chhaproo & Prathaviraj Purohit.
$20, online; mics are $5
Dorrian’s Red Hand (555 Washington Boulevard)
Monthly, usually second or third Saturday, 8 p.m.
Next dates: November 16 (open mic), December 7 (big show)
https://www.facebook.com/FunnyTikkaMasala

“Laughs at the Lounge” – Semi-private shows at private residences. Hosted by Irv Hernandez. Are you intrigued?
Free!
Thursdays (usually), 7 p.m.
@irv03 for more information; limited invitations

“Riff Off the Cliff” – The most underground of all, this stand-up show is in an art gallery above a garage known as The Hive, which is filled with local art, antiques, and vintage clothes. It’s in Bergen Hill in the shadow of The Beacon. Hosted by Ryan Rummel, Scott Holt, and Nick Fierro. Music by DJ Blvck Truffle.
$15, BYO
Deep Space Gallery (77 Cornelison Avenue)
Usually the second Saturday of the month, 8:30 p.m.
One-year anniversary show on 11/9!
@rifffoffthecliff

“Smoke Break Comedy Show” – A fun, high-energy stand-up show with a great crowd in a hookah dive bar. Featuring raffles. Hosted by Alex Gardes.
Free!
Abbey’s Pub (409 Monmouth Street)
Every first and third Tuesday, 9 p.m.
https://www.smokebreakshow.com

“Stand-up Comedy Night at Bobby Dee’s” – A laid back, free, no-frills stand-up show at a no-frills neighborhood bar in the Heights. Hosted by Brandon Sager.
Free!
Bobby Dee’s (49 Beacon Avenue)
Every second and fourth Wednesday, 9 p.m.
https://www.facebook.com/bobbydeescomedy

“The Zack and Pat Show” – Don’t miss this stand-up show in a beloved art gallery bar, not just for the comedy bargain of a free show and the intriguing artwork but also to appreciate this Newark Avenue pioneering restaurant/gallery while it lasts. No one knows how much longer it will exist. Hosted by Zack Breheney and Pat Wadleigh.
Free!
LITM (140 Newark Avenue)
Monthly, usually second or third Sundays, 7 p.m.
https://www.facebook.com/ZackAndPatShow

Some Open Mics that are Good for Comedy

Photo by Melissa Surach

If you’d like to try stand-up yourself or just watch the struggle, there are plentiful regular open mics to hit. Here’s a list for starters:

Comedee at Bobby Dee’s – Hosted by Alex Grubard.
Bobby Dee’s (49 Beacon Ave)
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday, sign up at 7 p.m.

Friggin’ Fabulous Open Mic Mondays  – An interdisciplinary mic that also features great local music. Hosted by musician Christopher Hoyle.
FM (430 3rd Street)
Mondays, sign up at 7 p.m.

The Late Night Mic at Abbey’s – Hosted by Irv Hernandez.
Abbey’s Pub (409 Monmouth)
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday, sign up at 9:30 p.m.

Open Mic Awesome – Hosted by Mark Henely.
Subculture (260 Newark Avenue)
Every other Wednesday, sign up at 6 p.m.

Open Stage – An interdisciplinary mic. Hosted by musician Erika Bracy.
Bobby Dee’s (49 Beacon Ave)
Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday, sign up at 7:30 p.m.

Take a Compliment – An interdisciplinary mic with a full music stage including a grand piano. Hosted by Adrian Dannon, Ian Steffé, and Diana Zinni.
Head Room Bar and Social (150 Bay Street)
Wednesdays, sign up at 6:30.

Top Photo: A comedian entertains the crowd at Late Night Mic at Abbey’s. Photo by Irv Hernandez.