Submitted by kahmos t3_11urldf in newhaven

I'm from Delaware, currently in a good comedy scene but my work schedule keeps me from doing stand up comedy for the most part.

Just wondering what anyone thinks of it here. I understand there's clubs on the coast and NYC+Boston are close, but is there enough open mics in town to go up at least daily? Where I am now there's half a dozen good clubs in less than an hour near me.

Thank you for reading non-comedy people.

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vegetarian_slut t1_jcpjpia wrote

There is a comedy scene in CT but be prepared to see the same 20 comics at the same mics on a weekly basis

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kahmos OP t1_jcpwb1h wrote

That's not necessarily a bad thing. I started in a small town. I happen to personally know a few comics who've "made it" from the scenes I was a part of at the time.

No certainty of me actually moving, I just want to add a + or - to my pros/cons list.

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notablyunfamous t1_jcq3o6m wrote

There’s a couple places. There’s a club in New Haven.. I believe in Hartford and Bridgeport also.

The Palmdale in Wallingford has lots of headline comedians regularly also.

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vegetarian_slut t1_jcq4agr wrote

It certainly has its pros and cons.

Pros- small, community like feel. Friendly, weird people, and very supportive if you're "in" with them

Cons- cliquey, boys-club type of mentality / behavior. Hive-mindset, so if you're not "in" with them, they'll be disrespectful during your set, etc. Additionally, doing the same sets in front of the same people week after week gets exhausting.

Best of luck on your decision! New haven is a great place to live and focus on artistic passions without having to pay NY prices. The train to NY is about 90 minutes long, certainly worth going there once a week / every other to check out their mic scene

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kahmos OP t1_jcqaiy7 wrote

Cliques are in every scene. It's kind of a "might makes right" mentality, if you're funny you're in most of the time. There's always a contrast between hard work and talent, but you have to have both to succeed regardless. I'm more on the lazy side because I have a career that is often prohibitive to comedy hours. It's difficult to justify the time regardless of where I am, but a small scene can be amazing for improving oneself if you can find a good routine. I grew a lot in a small college town. As soon as I had to start getting up at 6am for work however, my growth stopped, while I watched some of my friends hit it big.

But in the end I just prefer measuring myself in laughs than in dollars or shows.

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Lifeandall2 t1_jcqlnw9 wrote

There's a couple of open mics in New Haven. Search out FB groups.

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investing1O1 t1_jcqs7ne wrote

Stress factory in Bridgeport has good acts run through there occasionally.. I saw Mark Normand kill it

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SweetMojaveRain t1_jcquqdk wrote

College street music Hall has big names come through, just saw sam morril there and he was fantastic, i know nikki glaser was there a few months ago, thats for established comics though for breaking through theres stress factory, the funny bone, and i think a comedy joint at the mohegan sun casino

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diysoymilk t1_jctowe8 wrote

I love the comedy scene down here! If you move between New Haven and lower Fairfield County (like Stamford) there are a few clubs:

  • Fairfield Comedy Club (Fairfield, CT. Smallest club, lots of local comedians open for headliners who are usually smaller-name NYC circuit comedians)
  • Stress Factory (Bridgeport, CT. Most established, gets big names)
  • New York Comedy Club Stamford (Stamford, CT. Brand new club! Most of the support from the show I went to were local comics)
  • College Street Music Hall (New Haven, CT. Not really a club, but it’s a venue that gets bigger-name comedians often enough!)

In Hartford they have the Funny Bone, but I’ve never been/not heard too much about it. You’ll have better options moving to New Haven or Fairfield County because of your proximity to NYC. Good luck!!

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