Tuesday February 28th, 2012 - Fox Lake, IL There’s a comedy war going on in Chicago these days, but I’ve seen it all before. This is exactly how it was in the late 80s and early 90s when the comedy boom was in full swing. Clubs were opening up everywhere, and comedians were trying to get work at all of them. Unfortunately, a lot of insane petty politics always goes with the entertainment business and it became the downfall of the scene. Eventually, clubs closed as fast as they’d opened and left skid marks on a lot of us who were around at the time. I happened to be a ‘Zanies guy’, and that happened to be the brand that lasted. Everybody else got hung out to dry. At the ultimate peak of the comedy club heyday, Chicago alone had 19 full time venues at my best count. Detroit had a similar amount. Minneapolis had several, as did St. Louis. That was a wonderful time to be a comedian, and had I had the act I do now I’d be rich. Still, I was able to make a nice living as I learned my craft. Since I had developed such a comfortable relationship with Zanies, there was no need to heavily pursue the majority of the other clubs in Chicago at the time. I worked here and there at The Funny Firm and a few other places, but the bulk of my work came from Zanies who had four clubs then. For whatever reason, I just became one of their favorites. They used me a lot, and I was loyal. I consider the staffs of all the Zanies clubs to be way more than work relationships, they’re valued personal friends. My roommate now was someone I met at Zanies, as was the one before that. I’ve spent the holidays with others. Zanies is the family I never had. There were a lot of years when Zanies was the one and only name for Chicago standup comedy. Chicago has always been an improv town, with Second City being the big name brand. There are others like Improv Olympic, Comedy Sportz and probably a laundry list of many more I don’t know - just like most civilians couldn’t name all the standup clubs. Now there are several new comedy clubs opening all around Chicago, and I feel the war vibe starting up all over again. First, there was The Improv in Schaumburg. There used to be an Improv on Wells Street in Chicago, not far from Zanies actually. Schaumburg had a Funny Bone in a hotel, but it closed in the 1990s. The Improv opened not that long ago. I’ve never seen it, but I hear it’s a gorgeous room and I have no reason for doubt. It’s in the Woodfield Mall with acres of free parking, which is something clubs in the city don’t have. That’s a major issue, even with Zanies. $12 is the price to park in the lot next door, and that’s pretty rich for my cheap Wisconsin blood. I’d rather spend it on a drink or food or anything but parking my car. But that’s me. City dwellers are used to that cost by now. There were a few other venues that opened in the last few years that I’ve never seen, but they weren’t bringing in out of town talent with any sort of name recognition. That is now changing quickly with the opening of a Laugh Factory and a standup venue located only a block from Zanies in the Second City complex called ‘Up‘. The battle lines are drawn. I’m sure there are going to be bidding wars for the top acts, and loyalty will be tested on all sides. The Laugh Factory is a player on the L.A. scene, and I did a set there many years ago that was set up for me by my friend George Miller. I did ok, but not great. I had a face to face meeting after my set with Jamie Masada, the owner. He invited me back. In a year. There’s no way I could wait a year between sets and expect to keep improving. Too bad for me. That’s how it is in Los Angeles. There are zillions of wannabes everywhere, and I was lucky to get the one set I did. Jamie has clout on the west coast, but not in Chicago. Chicago is its own town, good or bad. It doesn’t follow the coasts. Howard Stern didn’t waltz in and conquer Chicago radio like most people assumed he would, and I’m not sure Jamie Masada knows what he’s getting himself into. He might have more of a fight on his hands than he realizes. I can’t predict if he’ll succeed or fail, but it won’t be a cake walk. The whole Second City thing baffles me. For years, improv has always looked down its nose at standup comedy. I’ve met some of those pompous wankers and it was funny to be on the receiving end of a look of disdain from someone who’s never been on stage alone. Why they now have decided to embrace the world of standup and open a full time club of their own makes me scratch my head. They probably see easy money in it, as have SO many others who have gotten into the business only to have their wallets handed to them. The truth is, any kind of performance art is DIFFICULT. Period. Being a good standup comic, improviser, actor, radio personality or whatever requires years of sacrifice to attain any real proficiency has my total respect. It’s not easy, and I laugh at those who think it is. In a perfect world, there should be room for all these clubs and several more. Chicago is a gigantic city with an enormous population base, and I’d love to see comedy get to be red hot again. I’d surely have my fill of work and be able to sleep in my own bed every night. This world is far from perfect, and that’s not how it will play out. I’m sure this situation will turn to the ugly side a lot sooner than later. Egos will expand, and severe clashes will occur. Unfortunately, the ones that have the most to lose in all of this are the comedians. My personal role is pretty much set. I’m a Zanies guy, and everyone knows it. I have no desire to work the other clubs, even if they offered to pay me twice as much. One week of sweet pay doesn’t wash away a lifetime of steady work, and Zanies knows I appreciate all the work they’ve given me. I wouldn’t cross the street, but everyone else has a decision. Comedy politics can get extremely nasty. Zanies can offer comics work in Chicago and Nashville. The Improv has a chain of beautiful clubs all over the country and could hold it over people. That’s a lot of work, and quality work at that. The Laugh Factory can offer a Hollywood connection, and that’s a bargaining chip too. There are going to be some huge decisions for certain comics to make very soon, and the wrong one could be a devastating blow that hurts for years to come. My money is on Zanies, but I wish all the comics well.
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This is a well written survey of the comic scene in Chicago and some of the insights are worth noting: First, the club "Up" established by joining Improv with Second City, essentially came into existence to try and splinter the effect of the Laugh Factory. Improv was one of only two spots in Hollywood, until Jamie Masada created a third with his Sunset Blvd. classy club. The
club became "world famous" when it sponsored a March on Washington to send a comic into space. Since then he has been copied, followed,and imitated, but never quite matched by any competitor. The Improv adds a "service charge" to tickets when headliners work for a % of the door;Laugh Factory would never do that.
Secondly, Laugh Factory is known by comics all across the country as a place that worships comics; you are right to be concerned about a "war" in Chicago since clubs like Improv try and limit a performer's place of employment by dangling other opportunities. The Laugh Factory takes the position of a theater (which it is) and would never place restrictions on a performer; it encourages the art of the stand-up in the young by running a Comedy Camp for at-risk kids every year. If there is a "war" in the coming years, the Laugh Factory will not be the aggressor, but rather the place where comics can lick their wounds and get up and try again.
I speak as one who has known the trials and tribulations you write about; keep at it; the more the better for the City - and the comics - of Chicago.
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