The future’s looking bright for the comedy scene in the 518. A group of stand-up comics have carefully curated a community of talented individuals and branded themselves as ‘Albany Comedy’. It consists of seasoned comedy veterans (up to 20 years of experience) as well as fresh meat (as little as 6 months of experience). Some are hobbyists while others are building a career out of it from scratch. Either way, the support is profound, and the laughs are genuine. 

6 members of the crew have been donating their time to take ‘Albany Comedy’ to a new level of professionalism. The ‘Albany Comedy Council’ consists of Juan Pantaleon, Ryan Shipley, Bri Morrison, Brad Monkell, Padrick Smith, and lastly, me, Kay Goutos. Monthly zoom calls are coordinated to brainstorm new strategies on how we can grow our community and spread laughter in the Capital Region and beyond. Each council member has experience in producing successful comedy shows and it has been wonderful to come together to share our individual strengths to ultimately make comedy more accessible. 

Other members of the squad have been donating their time and talents to help reach our highest potential, too. Shout-out to Shawn Barnes, Twon Wood, and Elizabeth Becz. They are the behind-the-scenes graphic designers for ‘Albany Comedy’. Their creative backgrounds have been a huge part of seeing real strides in the branding department. 

There are also countless other producers that work hard to create opportunities within the group. You surely can’t forget about all the comedic talents as well! It is quite easy to produce successful shows when you have a lot of real talent to work with. It’s no secret that the hustle it takes to get better at comedy is grueling. Driving hours for 5 minutes of stage time- that’s the cold hard truth on how to get better. There aren’t any short cuts. You need stage time, and you need to bomb. A lot. And you need to write. A lot. But anyone in the scene would tell you firsthand, it’s all worth the hard work when you go on stage and kill. The feeling of making a group of strangers laugh at the jokes you worked so hard on, is the best feeling in the whole world. It doesn’t get any better than that. 

Since ‘practice makes perfect’, everyone has worked hard to have an Open Mic opportunity every weekday night. ANYONE can perform and ANYONE can be in the crowd. If you’ve never been to a comedy Open Mic, I highly recommend it. It’s guaranteed to be an entertaining and unique evening. Signups are 30 mins before the show, except for Fridays at Comedy Works. Their sign up is an hour prior. Here are the details of the local Mics: 

• Sundays at Lark St Tavern in Albany, NY | 7pm 
• Mondays at McAddy’s Pub in Troy, NY | 8pm 
• Tuesdays at Son of Egg in Rensselaer, NY | 7:30pm 
• Wednesdays at Stacks Espresso Bar in Troy, NY | 7pm 
• Thursdays at Lark St Tavern & The Local 217 in Albany, NY | 7pm & 9pm
• Fridays at Comedy Works in Saratoga Springs, NY | 10pm 

These venues are an integral part of the comedy scene, and we are eternally grateful for their support. We encourage you to give them some love via social media and in-person. 

The ‘Albany Comedy’ Winter 2025 schedule is packed and only growing by the day. So far this is where you can see local live comedy in the 518 area: 

• 1/25 Goofballs Comedy Showcase at Moon & River Café in Schenectady, NY | 7pm 
• 1/26 Joseph’s House & Shelter Comedy Show at Lark St Tavern in Albany, NY | 7pm 
• 1/27 Match Game at Lost & Found in Albany, NY | 7pm 
• 2/5 Erin Harke’s Women Aren’t Funny Series at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, NY | 7:30pm 
• 2/15 My Funny Valentine Comedy Showcase at Lark St Tavern in Albany, NY | 8pm · 2/22 Comedy Showcase at LG Lanes & Games in Lake George, NY | 8pm 
• 2/23 Rock, Paper, Scissors Contest at Stacks Espresso Bar in Troy, NY | 2pm · 2/23 Anthony DeVito Live at Lark St Tavern in Albany, NY | 7pm 

More shows are always being announced. The best ways to keep up with what we are doing is by following us on socials @albanycomedy and signing up for our newsletter by clicking here.

We thank you in advance for supporting the comedy industry. It really does take a village! Stay tuned as I cover comedy shows over the NE and interview the local talent. It’s going to be a lot of fun, so come along for the ride!