Comedy Clubs: Always Fun, Not Always Funny

Last semester, I stumbled upon a little hovel with a few close friends that everyone in Burlington should experience at least once.

It’s called an open mic night.

My friends, interested in writing their own comedy act, dragged me to the Levity Comedy Coffee Club on Center Street for their Thursday stand-up comedy open mic night.

It was the first time I had ever been to a comedy show like this. The crowd was so large in the small venue that people sat on the floor and were pushed back all the way to the door. The comedians were locals who signed up that night to perform a five-minute set about any topic they wanted.

And what a show it was. The brave souls talked for their allotted time, some doing quite well and others failing miserably — all of it entertaining as Hell. It was so much fun listening to everyone’s jokes even if they weren’t always funny.

One college student did exceptionally well and was the reason I would likely return another week. A few others matched his skill, but they were few and far between.

Most of the performers were mediocre at best, trying at everything from puns to vulgarity.  All they managed to get out of me was a weak smile and a pity for their attempt at hilarity.

You may be wondering now what made this night so worth my praise as free entertainment. Yes the talented were funny, but I think I laughed even harder at the crazies.

Crazies, as I could best decipher, are local Vermonters that come from all over and make everyone in the room wonder who in the world allowed them a microphone.  These people live and breathe for all things comedy night. They write their jokes on coffee cups, everyone knows their names and they come week after week to talk nonsense to the unsuspecting crowd.

The incredible stories and shock that they are even onstage in front of you is enough to make this night worth your time.

One local, Rickshaw Tom, is known around Burlington as the man who drives small cart on the back of his bicycle at night to pick up drunken college students for a fee.  Many may not know that he is also a comedian that often inhabits the Levity Club. His odd stories and unique personality are really quite hilarious.  He seems a very kind man that I would like to meet someday.  If anything, go to the show for Rickshaw Tom.

So if you like comedy, or just enjoy watching people fail at their own expense and for your enjoyment, stop by the Levity Comedy Club on Thursdays from 8:30 to 11.

I guarantee some good laughs for absolutely free.