How to Survive Performing in Non-Club Settings (Without Crying in the Car After)
Hello, my sweet little comedy misfits! It’s me, ANT—here to sprinkle a little laughter, a little wisdom, and just a pinch of trauma from my own experiences performing in places that should NEVER host a comedy show. (Looking at you, sports bars with 37 TVs playing simultaneously during my set. Love you, mean it.)
So, you’re a comic, and you’ve landed a gig at a bar, a coffee shop, or—God help you—a bowling alley. Congrats! This is where comedy dreams are tested, shaped, and sometimes utterly crushed under the weight of an audience that didn’t even know there was a show tonight. Buckle up, buttercup, because I’m about to teach you how to survive (and maybe even kill) in a non-club setting.
Step 1: Accept That You Are Not the Main Event
In a comedy club, people pay for tickets. They come expecting to laugh. In a bar or coffee shop? Oh honey, no. They came to drink, stare at their phones, or have deep conversations about their exes. The last thing they want is some loudmouth with a microphone interrupting their existential crisis over an oat milk latte.
So, what do you do? Win them over. Acknowledge that they didn’t sign up for this. Maybe even joke about it:
"I know what you’re thinking: Who ordered the stand-up comedian? This is a coffee shop—can I get a side of unsolicited opinions with my cappuccino?"
Once they feel like you’re with them, not against them, they just might start listening.
Step 2: Work the Room (Literally, Walk Around If You Must)
Comedy clubs have stages. Bars? Not always. Coffee shops? Honey, you’ll be performing between the pastry case and a couple aggressively making out. This means your stage presence needs to adapt.
If you’re in a loud bar, get on their level—walk around, engage with tables, make it conversational. If someone heckles? Use it. The beauty of a non-traditional setting is that you can interact more freely.
If it’s a coffee shop, lean into the low-energy vibe. Slow down, use subtle humor, and maybe even make fun of the hushed-tone, NPR-podcast vibe of the place. "I feel like I should be whispering my jokes. Welcome to ‘This American Life,’ where today’s topic is… bombed comedy sets in artisanal cafes."
Step 3: Adjust Your Material—Loud, Fast, and Loose
You ever try doing a carefully crafted five-minute bit about the nuances of your childhood trauma in a bar full of drunk people? Yeah, that’s not gonna work.
Here’s the deal:
Bars require shorter, punchier jokes. Get to the punchline faster than your ex got over you.
Coffee shops? Quieter, storytelling works—just keep it engaging, so people don’t zone out and start answering work emails.
Random corporate gigs or outdoor venues? Pack a lot of energy because people will get distracted by literally anything (a bird, their drink, their own reflection in a window).
Step 4: Know When to Bail (With Grace, Not Tears)
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, it’s just not gonna happen. Maybe the crowd is too drunk. Maybe the espresso machine is louder than your jokes. Maybe the audience is so committed to ignoring you that you start wondering if you’re actually a ghost.
If it’s not working, wrap it up clean, thank the crowd, and move on. No tantrums, no storming off, no "Well, you guys suck!" That’s for Twitter, not the stage.
Final Thought: These Gigs Make You Stronger
Performing in non-club settings is comedy boot camp. You’ll learn how to adapt, how to grab a crowd’s attention, and how to think fast. And someday, when you’re performing in a sold-out club, you’ll look back at that gig in the brewery where nobody listened to you—and you’ll laugh.
Or cry. Probably both.
Now go forth and be funny! (And if you bomb, just tell yourself, "It was a character-building experience.")
