5 Reasons You Should Support Independent Comedy Clubs

Daily Video 8/31/25

OK, so…

Technically, this video doesn’t contain a list.

Because it’s about an article I wrote in 2015.

And, as stated in the short, nothing has changed.

But here are the reasons:

1. Talent: Just because someone hasn’t been on television doesn’t mean they’re not funny.

2. Service: At a comedy club, a server takes care of you. You order, sit back, and everything is delivered to your table. All you do is relax and laugh.

3. Value: The bottom end of a Kevin Hart ticket—$54—is what you’d spend for 2 tickets, 4 drinks, and a tip for your server at a comedy club. You might even have a buck or two left over, depending on the city you live in. Obviously you’re spending more in NY or Chicago than Milwaukee or Ann Arbor, but Kevin Hart tickets cost more there, too. When visiting a comedy club and seeing an unknown comic, you get more bang for your buck.

4. Intimacy: In a comedy club almost every seat feels like the front row. The performer is actually life-sized, not a speck or a projection you watch on a video monitor.

5. Discovery: Let’s go back to Kevin Hart: seeing him in a theater or arena is probably fun, yes. But does it make for a great story? A better tale would be, “Dude, I saw Kevin Hart 10 years ago, in a club, and he was hilarious!” From Larry the Cable Guy to Lewis Black, from Loni Love to Louis C.K., every comic started in clubs. When you’re in a club, you have the chance to see the next Comic God, and then you’ll have an excellent “I saw him back when” story under your belt.