Kyle Regan—a masochistic Stranger reader—has vowed to do every single thing recommended by the Stranger Suggests (movies, galleries, bars, concerts) for the month of January. Look for his reports daily on Slog. —Eds.
The Comedy Underground was the first place to actually feel like what I had always imagined a comedy club to be: a painted brick-wall background, bright stage lights, and an audience shrouded in darkness. Honestly, I liked the setup at People's Republic of Koffee more. Maybe I'm turning into Capitol Hill scum, but the ramshackle PRoK just felt better. I'm clearly missing something about being plunged into subterranean darkness for my laughs. The place was understaffed: The upstairs waitress liked to disappear without warning and one poor lady served the entire crowd downstairs. Someone call the whambulance, yeah, yeah...
- Not a real rat above the Keister.
This was celebrity night, which proved how willing we are to stretch the meaning of the word. The star-studded lineup included KOMO Radio's Alex Meyer, Almost Live!'s John Keister, and The Stranger's Lindy West. Two of my favorites that night were people who don't really do stand-up. Ryan Miller from Jet City Improv and Lindy West both did amazing despite not having much (if any) stand-up experience. I'm glad West did well. If she didn't and I called her out, she would fight me. And I would lose that fight.
John Keister won the dickwagging contest of who could make the most Seattle references in one set. I missed Almost Live!'s heyday, and never really saw it as anything other than a collection out-of-date Ballard jokes. Keister was excellent regardless.
It seems like The Stranger's influence has been stronger than in weeks past. When Dartanion London asked who had come because of The Stranger, a good third of the crowd responded. I've been really enjoying these shows, but seeing a movie tonight (Cars 3) will be a welcome break. Four days in a row of stand-up is almost tiring. I want to go look at art, goddammit. All the credentials that Jen Graves beat into me fade a little more every time I laugh at a dick joke.
