David Vas, left, Mike Ryan, Timely Rain, Collin Sledge pose on the balcony of the Pink Flamingo Comedy Club July 12. Houston audiences will soon have more places than ever to see stand-up comedy as two locally run clubs prepare to open.
Courtesy of Mike Ryan
The Pink Flaming Comedy Club is set to open Aug. 8. Houston audiences will soon have more places than ever to see stand-up comedy as two locally run clubs prepare to open.
Courtesy of Mike Ryan
The Pink Flaming Comedy Club is set to open Aug. 8. Houston audiences will soon have more places than ever to see stand-up comedy as two locally run clubs prepare to open.
Courtesy of Mike Ryan
The Pink Flaming Comedy Club is set to open Aug. 8. Houston audiences will soon have more places than ever to see stand-up comedy as two locally run clubs prepare to open.
Courtesy of Mike Ryan
The Pink Flaming Comedy Club is set to open Aug. 8. Houston audiences will soon have more places than ever to see stand-up comedy as two locally run clubs prepare to open.
Courtesy of Mike Ryan
The Pink Flaming Comedy Club is set to open Aug. 8. Houston audiences will soon have more places than ever to see stand-up comedy as two locally run clubs prepare to open.
Courtesy of Mike Ryan
Two Houston-area comedy clubs are expected to open in the coming days, with one taking over a familiar venue as the region’s stand-up scene continues to expand.
The grand openings of The Pink Flamingo Comedy Club and Houston Comedy Club follow the opening of The Den Comedy Club in Northside Houston earlier this year, as well as The Riot Comedy Club’s recent announcement that it will relocate to the Washington Avenue corridor.
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The Pink Flamingo Comedy Club is set to open in a former downtown silent movie theater, while Houston Comedy Club will occupy the upstairs space at Rudyard’s British Pub, home to the former Riot Comedy Club.
The Pink Flamingo Comedy Club
The Pink Flaming Comedy Club is set to open Aug. 8. Houston audiences will soon have more places than ever to see stand-up comedy as two locally run clubs prepare to open.
Courtesy of Mike Ryan
Built in 1908 as a silent movie theater, the venue at 1008 Prairie St. is being transformed into a 200-seat comedy club spanning three floors. The Pink Flamingo Comedy Club, which will be open on weekends before expanding to weekday shows later on, has long been a goal for Houston comedian Mike Ryan — who wanted to create a speakeasy-style atmosphere, with guests entering through a secret entrance.
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After years working as a promoter, Ryan recalled that a former business partner came to him with the opportunity to build a club in the space in downtown Houston, but he didn’t act immediately. It wasn’t until he found himself hospitalized in New Orleans recently, where it was “touch and go on whether I was going to make it” that he decided to open his own club.
“While I was in the hospital, I had a lot of time to reflect on if I am going to live what do I want to do differently,” Ryan said. “And I just decided that I’m not going to leave anything on the table. I’m going to give it a shot.”
Two other local comedians — David Vas and Timely Rain — will also be helping with operations and booking, Ryan said.
The Pink Flamingo Club already has shows lined up from August to October, with touring acts as well as local comedians.
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A grand opening is set for Aug. 8, which will include a local showcase.
The Houston Comedy Club
The Houston Comedy Club is set to open July 24. Houston audiences will soon have more places than ever to see stand-up comedy as two locally run clubs prepare to open.
Courtesy of Harrison Loftin
Occupying the space that once housed the Riot Comedy Club off 2010 Waugh, the Houston Comedy Club is being rebranded as “The Living Room of Montrose,” continuing to build on what the former club built.
In a release, Riot Comedy Club owner Brian Gendron said the venue needed a new space that “fully delivers the experience we want to give our guests, our comedians, and our staff.” Houston comedian and club manager Harrison Loftin said staff were “excited” to honor the history built by the former club while it begins its new chapter.
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“I think that the biggest thing that we have going for us at Houston Comedy Club is that the room that we’re taking over upstairs at Rudyards (British Pub),” Loftin said. “It’s just a perfect room for comedy. It’s a really magical place. And I think that every comedian who performs there and whenever there’s a packed crowd, they all walk away going, ‘Wow, I mean, that was perfect.'”
The new club will be managed by Loftin and other Houston comic Joshua Jordan.
The Houston Comedy Club is expected to operate the same hours as the former Riot Comedy Club, with shows occurring Wednesday to Sunday, Loftin said.
A grand opening is set for July 24, though a lineup has yet to be announced.
Houston’s stand-up scene expansion
With the two clubs opening, as well as the Riot Comedy Club’s new location, both Ryan and Loftin said Houston’s comedy scene will only continue to thrive.
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“From a comic perspective, it can only be exciting,” Loftin said. “I hear like old stories from people talking about what Houston used to be like with the Laff Stop and just how many other rooms were working back in the day whenever The (Comedy) Outlaws were here. And it gets me excited thinking about this being a renaissance for Houston comedy…I also love that all these comedy clubs are being ran by comics.”
Ryan said he felt Houston has always been “underrepresented in the comedy scene compared to our population.”
“We’re the fourth largest city in America,” Ryan said. “If you go to New York, LA, Chicago, the amount of comedy clubs there is just ridiculous, and they have the population to support it. So, I definitely think that it’s been a long time coming for Houston and I’m excited. I think it’s going to be really good for the community as a whole.”