Inside LAs weird underground comedy scene where things get intimate

The best stand-up comedy in Los Angeles is no longer happening in comedy clubs.This may seem strange in a city that has some of the most famous comedy clubs in the world. Places like the Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory are fixtures of the Sunset Strip, symbols of our city as recognizable as palm trees and movie billboards.  The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story But in recent years, some of the best shows I have seen were at dive bars, art galleries, and even bookstores.And these performances may be changing the US comedic landscape, far beyond LA.Sometimes the weirder the venue, the more the art comes first.When I moved to Los Angeles nine years ago, the Comedy Store seemed like comedy mecca, its black walls inscribed with legendary names and the promise that someone famous might just “pop in.”But being a global institution means catering to the masses.

Go to the Store on a Friday or Saturday night and sometimes there is not much comedy happening.(Think: generic premises and hacky material, e.g., my nagging wife.)Comedy lovers know to go on a Tuesday, when comics work out edgier material instead of playing to tourists or casual weekend crowds.Here’s the secret: There are places in LA where every night is Tuesday. One of them is Don’t Tell Comedy.Don’t Tell hosts shows at alternative venues and does not announce the lineup or location until the day of the show. So one night, I found myself driving east into that barren stretch of DTLA where you feel you’ll either get murdered or end up at a fashionable warehouse party. I arrived at an art gallery filled with twenty- and thirty-somethings in streetwear and beat-up leather jackets.

We settled into seats where the stage was barely higher than the audience.At a traditional comedy club, you’re always...