I'm Starting
A Comedy Club

I’m starting a stand up comedy club. This has always been something I’ve wanted to do, and it’s something I knew I would do eventually. I’m excited to join the coveted hall of fame of comedians who have started their own comedy clubs, including Rodney Dangerfield, Joe Rogan, and me.

Why I'm Starting A comedy club?

Starting a comedy club is a unique challenge that lets me build something meaningful in Iowa, my home state, while creating stage time for all of the talented touring comedians I’ve met on the road.

It’s a way to give back to a state I care about, support my friends, and take on a challenge I’m genuinely excited about. As a comedian, I have plenty of time during the day; I might as well fill it doing something I love.

What makes this
club diffrent?

My club is something that I am calling a pop-up comedy club. Instead of being bound to one location. Shows will be in a variety of locations, and you only get to know the exact address until after the ticket is purchased, hence the name Speakeasy Comedy. No two shows are the same; they’re all designed to feel special. With less overhead expense of traditional comedy clubs, we’re able to pay comics more fairly than many chain venues, while keeping tickets affordable for the audience.

 

This club will never host an open mic or a locals-only showcase night; the priority is every show being as good as it possibly can be.  Every show is built around a national touring headliner. We’re focused on quality over quantity, creating intentional, one-night-only hidden experiences in unique venues across the Des Moines metro. 

 

I wrote a blog post a while back about the different kinds of comedy clubs and what makes them great. If you want, you can read that here.

Why Des Moines

As a native Iowan, I have engraved in my head, maybe naively, that “if you build it, they will come”.

I have been told that Des Moines doesn’t have the appetite for more stand up comedy. I don’t think the problem is that the appetite isn’t there; I think quality opportunities for live comedy haven’t been. Good live comedy hasn’t been as available or accessible as it should be. And that’s exactly why I’m leaning into Central Iowa, not backing off.

As of writing this, the Des Moines metro has over 730,000 people. That’s more people than cities like Madison, Salt Lake City, Springfield, and Richmond, all of which have multiple independent comedy venues. Des Moines already supports theater, concerts, sports, and drag shows… so why not more stand-up?

When you look at the bigger picture, Des Moines isn’t fading from relevance; the population has had a 6% increase since 2020. Making it the fastest-growing large metro in the Midwest.

And the growing population of Des Moines is looking for unique nights out. Des Moines is already outpacing cities of its size in nightlife growth. The East Village is packed every weekend. The bar scene is booming. New restaurants, breweries, drag brunches, jazz nights…. People want stuff to do. The only thing missing from the list?

An independent comedy club that regularly brings in incredible headliners. SpeakeasyComedyDSM.com