Backyard Comedy Shows in New York

When New York sees a space for chairs and a mic, best believe it'll turn into a pop-up comedy show.

Over the past 17 years, I’ve done stand-up shows everywhere from the back of a bus, to a micro-kitchen in Queens— to a backyard in the Lower East Side.

Pretty much anywhere that can fit human bodies, comics will find an excuse to do a show there. Such is our wanton lust for that dopamine hit from a good set.

I drew the poster. In haste.

Summer in New York transforms everything in the city from a hassle to a hustle.

In June 2018, did some pop-up shows that Jeff McBride and Sadiq Samani set up in peoples’ backyards called Special Tonight! I was expecting to have water thrown on me by the neighbors, but they surprisingly all seemed cool with it! They were leaning out their back windows with mugs of whiskey watching the show.

There was a pop-up bar, Mexican food, and one HELL of a line-up. They told the punters where the venue was only after they’d bought tickets— the only clue ahead of time was the nearest Subway stop. They filled the show every time.

Usama Sidiqee opening the show

Jeff, surveying his flock

If you’ve seen my act, you know which bit this is…

Pics by Thomas Egan Photography

Speakeasy Apartment Shows

In 2018, Neil Rubenstein¹ and Mike Calcagno booked me to do a bunch of speakeasy shows in peoples’ living rooms. (In this city, that is also the kitchen. And the dining room.)

We would pop up in peoples’ apartments (consentingly), sometimes with a microphone (but often not), and people would buzz up to sit in lawn chairs on the linoleum with cups of wine and beer. We would lean back on the sink after landing a joke, scratch our chin and say, “Aaah, what else did I want to talk about?”

The green room was the toilet. (Which was also the kitchen).
They were fun.

I just remembered it because Neil was sick of doing crappy shows run by shysters, and having bits of the venue fall on him.

So, he started running his own shows and producing for other venues. He’s now been touring for years. I just found an old email to a show manager from July 2016 when I was hosting shitty open mics in a damp East Village sex dungeon, that read:

Hi guys,

Just a heads up (literally.)

Some of the ceiling fell off and landed on Neil Rubenstein tonight. He was sitting on the couch in front of the hosting desk. Neil's fine (it was just plaster) but it's a worry.

When I mentioned it to Merle he said the owner knew about it after a leak on the 3rd floor.

We put a sign on the couch that says “Please don’t sit here” but people are sitting on the sign. Not sure if we have public liability insurance?

Jason