Laugh Out Loud PGH: Getting the Scoop on the City’s Expanding Comedy Scene
This city, it turns out, loves to laugh
And, thankfully, there are increasingly more options for doing just that at stand-up and improv shows around town. In addition to popular spots like Arcade Comedy Theater, Pittsburgh Improv and Steel City Improv Theater, folks can get their fix at Sunken Bus Studios and Bottlerocket Social Hall. We got a glimpse behind the comedic curtain.
Sunken Bus Studios Pays Tribute to Art in All the Ways
Steve Hofstetter, a comedian for 22 years, owns Sunken Bus Studios in Ross Township and also runs the Steel City Arts Foundation. He got into the producing side of things early on. “I started by running some shows in New York, and eventually bought into comedy clubs in a few cities,” he explains. “I moved to Pittsburgh three years ago to start the Steel City Arts Foundation, and have been part of the Pittsburgh scene ever since.”
He explains how Sunken Bus evolved in a most unexpected way. In December of 2022 he was filming “Handyman from Hell” here with Brian and Cody Hartman. “The crew was the best I’d ever worked with and almost everything else I’ve shot was in New York or LA,” he says. “We thought it was silly that we keep having to leave Pittsburgh for film projects when there’s so much talent here. So I decided I’d buy a space where we could shoot and edit — and while we weren’t working on a film, I could hold live shows there.”
The vibe of Sunken Bus, he summarizes, as a tribute to the arts. A nod to art exists everywhere one looks, from the building’s outside murals and Tardis doors to the recording studio, dance studio and art gallery inside.
When booking acts, Hofstetter says they look for “clever” above everything else. “I have no patience for anyone complaining about how ‘you can’t say anything anymore,’” he shares. “As comedians, our job is to say what hasn’t already been said.”
Hofstetter has found it wonderful to witness the growth of Pittsburgh’s comedy landscape over the last few years. “From Don’t Tell to Bottle Rocket to St. Clair Social to City Winery,” he says, “there’s all sorts of new stages and new shows for comedians. It was sad to see Hambones and the Rex go. But it’s been great to see what’s risen up since then. There is SO much rising talent here.”
Hofstetter believes comedy can serve as everything ranging from an escape from a rough day to a palatable delivery system for a tough message. “We’re dealing with a huge mental health crisis right now,” he says, “and being able to showcase entertainment that can distract, heal or both is a pretty cool thing.”
Bottlerocket Social Hall Brings the Energy Every Night
Chris Copen, owner of Bottlerocket Social Hall situated in the Hilltop neighborhood of Allentown, has been involved in the comedy industry since 2019 — and here locally since moving back in 2021. When asked how the venue, which has been around since 2022, came to be, he quips that that entails a long story involving a social club, police parking lots, disgraced celebrity chefs and — somehow, at the end — him.
“I’ll spare you the details,” he says. “We are a 70’s Time Machine bar that believes in having a great night out, every night, for everyone. Sometimes that’s comedy; sometimes it’s music or dance nights.”
They mostly work with what would be deemed alternative comedy — something Copen describes as “a little weirder, a little more out of left field, a little more interesting than your typical club comedian.” This means they’ve worked with everyone from theater headliners and puppets to musical comedians.
“I have a pretty wide taste myself,” Copen adds, “but I’m really not big into traditional club comedy. AKA a guy onstage complaining about the jokes he can’t make anymore while a waitress demands your two-drink minimum.”
Copen finds the Pittsburgh comedy scene to be strong, with a lot of variety in acts and styles. There are a few different venues, each with nice niches. “I look at a place like WDVE as somewhere that has really gone out of their way and done a great job promoting the local scene to a wide and mainstream audience,” he says, “Most cities don’t have that.”
Personally he thinks comedy is just plain fun. “It’s fun to have a good time. It’s fun to hear interesting perspectives and points of view with a good sense of humor. It’s good to laugh and be silly and be slightly ridiculous. I usually find the people who have the most to say about the ‘importance of comedy’ have the least important things to say with their actual comedy.”
Personally, her favorite local spot to take in comedy is Scarpaci’s on Mt. Washington. “Their 8 p.m. Wednesday open mic has been running for 10 years, and is the place to be to catch any and all Pittsburgh comedians honing their material,” she promises. “They also have phenomenal wings!”
Dumas finds this a cool and supportive community to be involved in, with a lot more women and queer comics getting onstage than pre-pandemic. “Newer comics are consistently starting mics or shows, and it’s inspiring to be around,” she says. “It pushes myself and other comics to think bigger and more creatively.”
She’s also always pleasantly surprised by how many audiences specifically seek out an open mic on a weekday night — and stay the entire time. “The city itself really supports the arts and that extends to comedy, specifically to the bars and venues that allow and encourage open mics,” she says, “Owners and managers who understand that anything can happen at an open mic, and still open their doors to us weekly, are truly comedians’ biggest supporters.”
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Arcade Comedy Theater943 Liberty Ave.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222