There is one thing that came from the pandemic that is a welcome new addition to our area: Blue Ridge Comedy Club. Owner Shawn Carter, a professional comedian and producer from Boston, ended up in Bristol during the pandemic with his wife, Sarah Morgan. Shawn saw that there was an absence of a place here where comics could go to try out material, or for patrons of comedy to go watch a good show on a regular basis.
Taking the Leap
Shawn decided to take a leap of faith and opened up shop on State Street in Bristol. He has created a place where locals can go and tryout new material or take a class to learn how to hone their comedy skills. Shawn uses his connections from his 10 years in comedy to get current big names in the business to perform in his club, usually on Fridays and Saturdays. The weekend performers are generally comedians who have performed on shows such as Conan, the Late, Late Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Comedy Central, and more. The rest of the week is for newbies trying out their material.
Wednesday Open Mics
Wednesday night always draws a huge crowd! It is open mic night. It is free to watch and very entertaining! Anyone can sign up to perform a five-minute set on Wednesdays. You may even see someone you know.
Thursday Competition
Currently, Thursday nights vary between Pick a Side Stupid where participants go head-to-head to argue a given topic. There are eliminations along the way and an eventual winner. Some Thursday nights are Comedy Knockouts. Sixteen comics battle one-on-one with their best joke. The audience votes on this one with their smartphones and there can only be one winner standing in the end.
Getting Schooled
Blue Ridge Comedy offers comedy classes. These are offered throughout the year as an eight week program which is held one evening per week. After classes are over, there is a graduation comedy show where each student gets the stage to show what they’ve learned. For summer, there is a comedy camp just for kids.
Blue Ridge Comedy Club
620 State Street, Suite 1003
Bristol TN 37620
blueridgecomedy.com
423.765.3320
