Cherry Hill NJ needs a good comedy club

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on January 27th, 2010

Back on the 18th, comic Paul Bond posted the following on his Facebook status:

A WARNING TO COMICS: I’m not a fan of posting negative things in my status but ALL comedians should be aware of a scumbag in the business who is Steve Trevelise. He just cancels a date on you by texting the manager, saying he double booked you. When I called him and asked why it happened, and he basically said if I don’t like it, I can go fuck myself.

We saw that coming.

We too had been treated with grave stupidity by Trevelise– he canceled our Dec. 26th show with little notice, no compensation and no decent explanation– but we were holding out hope that Trevelise’s stupidity was the all too common moronic kind of stupid, and not the inconsiderate or vicious kind of stupid that one encounters (thankfully) only rarely.

Turns out it was moronic, inconsiderate and stupid! A trifecta of mental weakness served with a bonus dollop of some of the worst business instincts we’ve seen in 28 years in the business.

When we posted about it back in November, we were guardedly optimistic. Then one of the principles– comic Joe Matarese— severed ties with the venture. Not a good sign.

After Rascals folded, we lost our “home club,” a place where we could headline a couple times a year, get some press, pack the joint and have a good time. That club died a slow death because of mismanagement from afar. But even in its waning months, it drew healthy crowds and actually felt like a comedy club.

When the Sarcasm deal was struck, we had very high hopes! Perfect– a well-run club just minutes from our house! Now, because of the jaw-dropping ineptitude of the owner, we give the venture little chance of survival. He obviously holds comedians in low regard, he insists on torturing the audiences by emceeing many of the shows and he seems to have little idea of how a comedy club should be run. It’s a disastrous combo.

Bond’s account of his interaction with Trevelise was probably 100 per cent accurate. Our recent dealings with him via email are stunning in their ham-handedness, rudeness and stupidity.

If there’s anyone out there with deep pockets and just a shred or two of business sense, South Jersey needs a decent comedy club. There are probably half a million people within a 15-minute drive of any location in Cherry Hill. And, in a few weeks or so, you’ll have the entire market to yourself.

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