The Seattle scene in flux
Robert L. Jamieson Jr., writing for the Post-Intelligencer, tells of turmoil in the PacNW, specifically of a mini-revolt among the Seattle comics.
A tiff in Seattle’s comedy scene is pitting the owner of the well-established Giggles club against comics who say the way the venue is run is nothing to laugh about.
Their biggest beef is what Rodney Dangerfield famously riffed about — respect, or lack thereof.
The delicious part comes at the end, when Jamieson introduces the wildcard, comic Beka Barry, who, with a partner or two, is opening the Mainstage Comedy and Music Club, across from Key Arena.
It will be a radically different landscape once Mainstage opens.
(Full disclosure: The Male and Female Halves are the co-heads the opening week of the venue. We’ll be there February 8,9 and 10 and we look forward to it. We haven’t played Seattle proper in quite some time. And it’ll be doubly exciting since we’re opening up a new club. There should be quite a bit of excitement in the Seattle media.)
From all indications, Barry isn’t blowing smoke. We expect to be treated like rock stars and we expect the operation to be run in a professional manner. And, of course, we expect to deliver the “killer shows” that Barry speaks of in the P-I piece.
Of course, we’ll keep you posted.
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Reply to: The Seattle scene in flux
If even half the things that Beka is planning actually happen–it will be very cool for the Seattle comedy scene.However, I’m somewhat sad instead of getting noticed for the incredible amount of developing talent or for the brilliant performers who are taking their dreams to New York or Los Angeles with the intention of doing Seattle proud…the local press, after having ignored ALL stand-up comedy for years, is going to press with this supposed “comedy war” in Seattle.The thing is–nothing is really different (and thus nothing really newsworthy) about how there are comedians who go to one club or the other but few go to both. …and is there a comedy scene in America where some performers have horror stories about one booker/club-owner but some performers continue to work with them?Of course, the press will jump over any story that hints of controversy or drama. At some level, however, the “any press is good press” becomes numbing…because what DESERVES some attention (the continued brilliance of David Crowe, Duane Goad, Cathy Sorbo or Ty Barnett…the humorous songcraft of Meghan Hounshell or John Sanders…the excitement of seeing Andy Peters, Hari Kondabolu, Jeff Dye, Geoff Brousseau, Dartanion London, Kevin Richards and those involved with the People’s Republic of Komedy group and how they develop…the tales of Fahim Anwar, Tracy Tuffs, Tony Moser and Joe Larson as they ply their trade in the big city…or the often ignored African-American comedy scene growing over at the Columbia City Theatre) never seem to get written about…pgreyy–seattlePS–Brian and Traci…your first “beverage of choice” (put into a black mug with the Mainstage logo on it) is on me. Looking forward to seeing you here in Seattle!
All right…maybe I spoke too soon…maybe not…you decide.< HREF="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=141613" REL="nofollow">“Don’t Fuck Up” by Brendan Kiley…a new article on the Seattle alt-comedy scene in the latest issue of The Stranger<>pg–good to know that I’m much loved!–seattle