Stop me if you’ve heard this one. An epidemiologist walks into a legendary comedy club, and the emcee says nothing, because the place closed its doors forever in March 2020.
During the first few days of the coronavirus pandemic, only a handful of people were aware of a cluster of atypical pneumonia cases in the Wuhan region of China. Little did the average person know what was to come. In the early months of the crisis, all but the most necessary businesses and services temporarily shut down. Federal guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency stipulated which services qualified as critical to infrastructure. The National Conference of State Legislatures tracked essential services which included things like energy, child care, agriculture, food production, and municipal services like water, waste, and transportation. Absent from the list was a myriad of services deemed non-essential like gyms, hair salons, and nightclubs.
In what seemed like overnight, millions of people were out of a job, even if temporarily. As weeks turned into months, and months turned into a year, life as it was before seemed precariously out of reach. Then, slowly, the economy began to reopen. Retail centers started welcoming back masked customers. Restaurants opened for takeout. Hairdressers accepted appointments. Nightclubs, theaters, and auditoriums remained empty. Live entertainment and its practitioners lingered, eager to restart plying their trade.
Comedians spend decades honing their skills in bars, nightclubs, student centers, coffee houses, or anywhere with a PA system and a few people willing to listen. But, when all public spaces are verboten, how can a jokesmith endure? Some were content to wait out the crisis. Others jumped on the teleconference technology train. A select few sought a complete change in scenery.
Alonzo Bodden started his career not as a hungry young comic but as a corporate trainer for Lockheed Martin. One class on comedy writing and an open mic night later, and he was hooked. “First time on stage I loved it,” he said, “something clicked. I don’t know what it’s going to take or how it’s going to go but this is what I’m going to do.”
Bodden has had an envious career. He was the runner-up in the second season of Last Comic Standing. The following season, he won. He has performed at the historic Apollo Theater, twice. He opened for comedy legend George Carlin. He has shared a stage with some of the funniest and most controversial comedians of our age. When the pandemic hit, Bodden was doing a gig in South Africa and narrowly returned before travel into the United States was halted.
Once home, he sheltered in place. While others took to cyberspace, Alonzo Bodden took a knee. “The adaptation to doing it via Zoom,” he said, “it’s not the same. People are like ‘what’s the difference?’ It’s the difference between playing Grand Theft Auto and stealing a car and running from the cops.” To Bodden and other comics of his view, the transition to online comedy lost too much of the authentic experience and simply was not worth it.
Jackie Kashian started her comedy career in 1984 while in college. “I count the 80s as one year.” she said, “Most of the 80s were me plugging along trying to graduate from college.” Her first real break came from a club run by Bill Kinison, the brother of 80s comedy firebrand Sam Kinison, with stage time five nights a week.
After that, Kashian went on the road and found a following. She moved to Los Angeles in the early 2000s and continued her stand-up career, supplementing stage time with guest roles on shows like Murphy Brown. In 2006, Jackie joined the burgeoning podcasting craze with The Dork Forest, a show dedicated to all things dorky. “I will say this,” she commented, “there are several ways they’re presenting live stand-up online now. My favorite way is using Zoom, like we’re doing right now, where I can see the audience.”
When the pandemic hit, Kashian was already well versed in the technology side of the entertainment industry. In addition to The Dork Forest, she and fellow comedian Laurie Kilmartin had been doing The Jackie and Laurie show for nearly four years. Transitioning to Zoom shows was a natural lateral move. She joined other comedians like Maria Bamford, Patton Oswalt, and Conan O’Brien on the very small screen, garnering laughs while in isolation. Not performing was not an option. “You go into Gallery View and I can see the audience,” said Kashian, “sometimes people turn their cameras off and I don’t mind. I’m used to performing to a room full of darkness.” Teleconferenced comedy had benefits that could not have been afforded at a standard comedy show, and certain drawbacks of the medium could be easily remedied with practice, something which Kashian discovered as she adapted her format to the new normal. “There’s usually 10 or 15 people that I’ll unmute in a room of 150,” she said, “you’ve got to mute some of them because of the internet lag, and laughing over setups and punchlines.”
The comedy scene in Austin had been gaining notoriety for some time. The Moontower Comedy Festival, South By Southwest, The Austin City Limits Music Festival, and a mass exodus from the east and west coast to the new third coast made Austin an ideal location for relocation. The Austin Chamber of Commerce reports that the largest migration of people to Austin, other than Texans moving from other parts of the state, are from California and New York.
While some fans might consider standup comedy an essential service, local leaders did not. The Creek and the Cave, a New York comedy staple, closed for a few weeks, then a few months… then shuttered for good. The state of New York maintained one of the most steadfast pandemic responses in the United States. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York finally allowed restaurants, bars, and other businesses to reopen at full capacity starting May 19, 2021. But, unfortunately, it was too late for Rebecca Trent and her cozy little club in Queens. Being forced to close the doors in March 2020 and the rising costs for New York real estate made the decision to relocate a no-brainer.
After an extensive search, Trent found a new home for her vintage Queens marquee. The latest iteration of the Creek and the Cave opened for business on April 1, 2021. Attracting talent from all over the country to this 6th Street adjacent venue was easy as selling two-dollar Lone Star longnecks in July; the hardest part of it all was getting the audience started again. “I think the biggest challenge,” said Trent, “is letting the audience know that they’re allowed to laugh. We were all shut down as audience members for so long, and now it’s coming back and we’re able to be loud.” No matter the audience available, Trent is dedicated to making the Creek and the Cave a place of laughter for those that need it in these trying times. “I want to continue to try to create a space that’s comfortable for folks to commingle and enjoy a laugh, you know?”
The pandemic robbed society of many things. It stole irreplaceable rites of passage like proms, graduations, and big family weddings. Tragedy abounds as the death toll marches along. Ironically, it is horror writer Stephen King that reminds people why comedy is so important in the face of unfathomable loss: “A tragedy is a tragedy, and at the bottom, all tragedies are stupid. Give me a choice and I’ll take A Midsummer Night’s Dream over Hamlet every time. Any fool with steady hands and a working set of lungs can build up a house of cards and then blow it down, but it takes a genius to make people laugh.”
Comedy – It’s not just a profession, it’s a compulsion.
Creek and The Cave – Austin’s New York Comedy Immigrant
Austin’s newest comedy club, Creek and The Cave is only new to the Red River district. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced club owner, Rebecca Trent, to close up shop in Queens, she decided to reopen in the Live Music Capital of the World. However, finding the right location to hang the marquee that formerly graced Trent’s club in the Empire State was no easy feat. 
In the wake of the global pandemic, comedy clubs, nightclubs, and bars were among the last businesses to reopen. Encouraging audiences back to entertainment venues was a challenge. The bouncer checks ID while one of the club’s many eager servers waits patiently to take the couple to their seats. 
Currently, patrons are not required to wear masks or social distance while on the premises. However, some patrons still choose to mask up. When Rebecca Trent found the right location for her comedy club, she added advanced ventilation and air conditioning units to the building to see to the health and safety concerns of the club’s guests. 
The reputation of Creek and The Cave and its proprietor preceded its arrival in the Austin area. In addition to being a dedicated server at the club, Jeff is given the opportunity to hone his stand-up comedy skills on stage during one of the location’s many open mic nights. He counts himself lucky for the chance to work closely with professional road comedians. Unlike performances at larger venues, like the storied Paramount Theatre, the intimate setting of this small nightspot allows the staff and audience the chance to engage with the comedians directly. 
In addition to bar snacks like popcorn and candy, the club has a full bar and a mobile kitchen that serves an eclectic menu ranging from spicy wings to vegan burgers. 
Another holdover from the club in Queens is Creek and The Cave’s pinball room. People come for the comedy but stay for the club’s well-appointed pinball hang out. So, finding a suitable space that offered a myriad of distractions for patrons was a prime goal for Trent. 
Several spaces came close, but it wasn’t until the owner came across the former Barracuda Club location that she knew she had found her new home. The Barracuda Club, a live music venue, closed its doors for good in 2020 after being unable to cover the rising rent cost during the COVID pandemic’s early months. 
One of the club’s primary bartenders, Joseph, mixes one of several signature drinks. Much like the other servers at Creek and The Cave, he is happy to interact with patrons and performers in the intimate setting indoors. 
In addition to opening to a well-appointed indoor space, the club has an outdoor stage and bar. 
While the club awaited the opportunity to open to comedy fans, Trent expanded her downtown Austin credibility by operating a food truck. During events, the truck can be parked in the patio area. 
It comes as no shock that even the signs on the bathroom doors are funny. The club sports unisex bathrooms. 
The club opened for business on April 1, 2021. Trent didn’t intend to open on April Fool’s day; she claims it was just a happy accident. 
The main stage is smaller than most nationally touring road comedians are used to performing on. The limited indoor space allows the audience to be close to the entertainers they have come to see. 
In addition to installing a new airflow management system, Trent brought along sound and lighting systems to accommodate the needs of performers. 
The crowd waits patiently for the show to begin. Patrons choose to mask or not mask. When the club first opened, social distancing and masks were not optional. The owner and wait staff made every effort to abide by local health and safety mandates. 
The backstage area for waiting performers is comfortable and fun for a small club. In addition to comfortable seats, the green room sports a big screen smart TV, plush seating, and access to snacks and drinks. 
Headliner Johnny Pemberton waits to go on stage. Pemberton is an actor, comedian, podcast host, and streamer. He is best known for his role in the short-lived animated Fox sitcom Son of Zorn and appeared as a recurring character in the NBC sitcom Superstore. 
Frank, the bear, is a quirky and amusing decoration and the unofficial mascot for the club. When Trent was looking for spaces in Austin, the bear was at a venue she had her eye on off of 7th street. She passed on the location but talked the owner of the other place into letting her keep Frank. 
The COVID pandemic forced Rebecca Trent to walk away from a well-known and respected club in Queens and a burgeoning career as a Broadway director for a complete unknown in Austin. It was a long shot that appears to have paid off.
Historic Austin Comedy Venues
Where to Find Great Comedy in Austin
Comedian Mary Lynn Rajskub found that the pandemic disrupted a lot more than just her club appearances. She had to adjust her comedy career and her parenting.
