3rd Floor Comedy Club - MTL Venue Series
I was a fan of comedy before I became a comic, and that perspective primed me for a nostalgia I hadn’t anticipated. If you’re into comedy, you have probably listened to many podcasts with seasoned comics waxing poetic about the scenes in LA or NYC. Their nostalgia is most often associated with some of the biggest institutions in comedy such as The Comedy Store or The Comedy Cellar. At their peak, some of these comics can fill up arenas and theatres, but they always come home.
A stand-up comedian's home base is their personal Mecca. A temple, if you will. Veterans, when talking about these rooms, bring up things that normal people may not care for, or even understand: Cramped, intimate spaces, low ceilings, the right lighting, and some smell you can't describe but officially attach to that venue. Powerful memories in a place where a hobby develops into a craft. Fuelled by passion for dick jokes, and for some, their one true love.
As a fan of comedy, and now a comic myself, I want this.
Montreal’s English comedy scene has a few venues like this. Of course, there is The Comedy Nest, where myself and many of my esteemed colleagues performed for the very first time. The smell of popcorn, as you walk into the Nest, is the official smell attached to many fond memories. Even the vivid memories of bombing. The purple walled greenroom, where I first learned “greenroom” was more of a name and not a colour requirement, will always be one of my happy places.
We had The Comedy Works, a venue that still comes up in some of those seasoned comics' conversations whenever they talk about Montreal. The smell of that place was woody beer, and a bit of sweat. Unfortunately, the place burned down a couple of years ago, adding a bit of a campfire shade to good memories. The loss of this venue cast a long shadow over the scene, and the comics who considered this place home. A space to create great comedy is gone, up in smoke.
3rd Floor Comedy Club soft-launched in the Fall of 2021. Josh Shapiro, a stand-up comedian himself, is both the Creator and Manager of the club. Now, Josh is a young dude, and he gets this reaction all the time. At 24, he runs and manages a FRICKING COMEDY CLUB. At 24, I could barely escape getting caught in public picking my nose.
In the Fall of 2021, given the pandemic restrictions being extremely fluid, many of the regular venues for comedians (and show producers), were no longer an option. That's when Josh "How Many Jobs Does This Dude Have" Shapiro, a bartender at London Pub/Stogies saw an opportunity.
Formerly used as storage space, changing room, or an emergency annex for Grand Prix weekends, the third floor of Stogies was simply sitting there, waiting for its moment to shine. Josh, with the help of some of his Stogies colleagues, converted the space into a venue.
I first performed at the 3rd Floor Comedy Club on a Tuesday night in the Fall of 2021. There was one show a week at the time. A long staircase leads you to the 3rd floor, past the Pub and the cigar bar. The indelible smell of the aforementioned cigars welcomes you with open arms. In my brain, that smell is now associated with this venue. The walls of the 3rd Floor Comedy Club are black and unassuming. “We are just walls, pay attention to the performers” they scream silently. It's small, intimate, the ceiling is low, the stage is small, and the vibe is just like what those veterans describe when talking about their home club.
The 3rd Floor has been wonderful. It's the perfect workout room, for as much as a club is a temple, it's a gym for comics. This is where you come to see us get yolked through crowd work and new material. A place, a home, where jokes are born, where jokes die, and are born again.
Josh wants 3rd Floor Comedy Club to be a place where comedians feel comfortable, where they can grow. By comics, for comics, and ultimately for the audience. It's a place for someone trying out comedy on a dare, for the part-time amateur grinding away to become a professional, and for the pros to practice, and to share their craft with the up-and-coming.
The philosophy is there, it’s solid, but 3rd Floor Comedy Club has so much to offer. This space is set up for video and audio recording. It's stream ready as well. This innovation Josh made come to life when first setting up the space during the realities of the pandemic. A new venue is already rare, but this technical add-on truly sets it apart from other rooms.
This built-in setup allows Josh to share his fellow comedians' sets, if they wish. This is a practical, but invaluable, choice. If you're a comedy fan or a comic yourself, you're no stranger to tripods set up in the back of a venue, or near the stage. That's a comic recording for later review. This can often be distracting for the audience, or cumbersome to the service staff at times. But not at the 3rd Floor Comedy Club. I can't stress this enough, recording sets are an integral part of becoming a better comic. Sometimes, if the recording or the vibe of a set is good enough, you can use that to submit to festivals.
A year and some change later, the 3rd Floor Comedy Club has grown so much. From an open mic night in 2021 to a full 6 days a week's worth of shows, AND a possible 7th night not too far on the horizon. 3rd Floor is really pushing the envelope. I most appreciate the openness to new concepts, and constant collaboration with comedians/show producers.
One of Josh's personal favorite shows at the 3rd Floor Comedy Club is on Wednesday night. Comfort Zone is produced by Josh and Montreal's very own Pantelis. This show is live-streamed in front of a live audience. It's a fun, risky show where no editing can protect you. A must-watch.
Speaking to Josh, he highlighted his love for the organic growth of the space. A comedy club run by an eager comedian listening to the needs and desires of his fellow comics. It's a club for comedians and created by comedians. I’m excited for the future 3rd Floor Comedy Club, both as a comic, and a comedy fan.
Want to see a show? Check out 3rd Floor Comedy Club!
Want to try comedy? There is an open mic every Sunday. Sign up is at 8:15. You get 5 minutes to do your thing!
