Wed 6/3 @ 9PM
Having the cleanest bathrooms of any club in the city is a definite plus when it comes to comedy venues. Just ask the comedians. For your comfort, you can now see live comedy in Cleveland in an unlikely place! The Music Settlement’s Bop Stop is showcasing new talent on the first Wednesday of every month.
As a college student, Gabriel Pollock wrote a business plan for the Bop Stop as a requirement for his major, jazz entrepreneurship. When he heard that the Music Settlement was posting a position as manager of the space, he submitted his business plan and ultimately got the job. Now Gabriel, along with Cleveland Comedy Festival’s John Wellington, is presenting comedy at theBop Stop.
CoolCleveland spoke with him to find out: why comedy?
“I want to present comedy at a jazz club for a couple of reasons,” he said. “First of all, the venue is set up really well for live comedy. Because of the seating, lighting and architecture, the space is very intimate. Also, through my experience seeing comedy in Cleveland, I have noticed that many shows are relegated to dive bars or large venues. While I love to see comedy in spaces like that, it is nice to offer the same sort of programming but in a different setting. I think the venue really impacts the experience an audience member has at a show. Lastly, I love comedy and I am very envious of the comedians that perform at Bop Stop. I wish I could do what they can!”
“John Wellington reached out to Bop Stop to be a satellite location for Cleveland Comedy Festival last year,” continues Gabriel. “The comedians loved to perform at the space and the audience members loved the experience which got us thinking that we could grow the comedy audience at the Bop Stop. Our monthly comedy shows are fundraisers for the Cleveland Comedy Festival. As someone who admittedly does not know as much about the local comedy scene as I should, I trust John to find the talent for our shows. He does a great job. Our first show, Battle of the Sexes, was a hit. Of course we both promote the events but this series is the brainchild of John Wellington.
“People are very excited that the Bop Stop has reopened,” says Gabriel. “Many creative people, including chefs, artists, and musicians, comedians, etc, are moving to Cleveland and they need places to perform and perfect their crafts. We have many partnerships with schools, producers and galleries to ensure that the Bop Stop remains diverse in its quality offerings. Since the Bop Stop is such a wonderful venue with a great sound system, seating arrangement, view of sunsets over Lake Erie, I am trying to have as many people as possible enjoy it! I think people really like that we operate like a mini performing arts center and are not presenting only one type of music/entertainment. Our audiences are continuing to grow and our comedy showcases are a ton of fun.”
The Bop Stop is a nonprofit venue, with all sales from alcohol directly supporting music education in Cleveland. Sales from food directly support Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen. They also have a partnership with Cleveland Rocks: Past Present Future in which they curate a rotating photography exhibit.
The next comedy showcase, Cleveland Comedy Fest Favorites, features Rob Coleman, Yusuf Ali (pictured) & Micheal Ivy, hosted by Phoenix Black with a guest set by Dave Flynt.
Tickets are $10.
[Written by Annie Jones]