Let’s be honest – this past year just sucked.
Businesses of all kinds have really taken a beating – as restrictions have varied by state and been implemented, removed and ultimately reapplied. Unfortunately, many of our favorite restaurants, theaters and mom and pop shops have to look for literal lifelines or worse yet, close forever.
Obviously, a place close to our heart is the local comedy club. So many across the country and around the globe have been really hit hard. Iconic institutions have been forced to shutter forever like NYC hotspots Upright Citizens Brigade and Dangerfield’s, Cap City Comedy Club in Austin and Drafthouse Comedy in Washington DC.
Across the pond, things aren’t much better. According to the BBC, half of all comedy clubs in the United Kingdom say they will definitely face permanent closure. A recent study from the Live Comedy Association said that 77.8% of clubs overall will be facing closure within the next year.
While eateries can try and get by with takeout and curbside orders and shops can try and rely on online shopping, the in-person experience of a comedy club is hard to package and deliver to your doorstep.
This is where we are trying to help. Through HireAComedian.com, we have already perfected the ability to book a comedian virtually. Many have had success during this awful pandemic in bringing a bit of joy to a gathering on a Zoom call by hiring a comedian online.
However, we don’t want to leave those crucial comedy clubs behind. We consulted with a bunch of our regular comedians – a wide range: clean comedians, corporate comedians, Christian comedians, nightclub comedians, family-friendly comics and much more – and discussed what we could do to help the clubs, bars and restaurants that have given so many their start and literal platform to perform.
This lead to the ‘Pay It Forward Comedy’ initiative. First and foremost, we area aiming to raise money to keep small businesses through these unbelievably challenging times. Some of the very best from our catalog of comedians have agreed to donate their time. We then host a Zoom featuring a lineup and a Q&A session afterwards. Each show lasts about an hour to 75 minutes with a rating similar to a PG-13 movie. The show is 100% live and interactive with engagement absolutely encouraged!
The best part? 100% of the revenue goes to a comedy club, bar or restaurant that is ‘hosting’ the event. It functions just like an actual show – with no two-drink minimum – and you don’t even have to wear pants!
Additionally, there is no set ticket price. If an attendee wants to pitch in $5, great? They want to give $50 to help out their favorite venue? Even better. No expectations and absolutely no cost to the venue itself. They only rake in all of the aid.
Are you a comedy club or venue looking to host an event? Please email us at ComedianBooker@Outlook.com and we can get things started! Together, we can help out our favorite spots!