Miami life is so crazy that if you don't stop and laugh, you could lose your mind.
That's where Miami Comedy comes in. They are the premier independent laugh promoters of the 305, and the hilarious creation of Manny Garavito, a ten year vet who has worked with national headliners like Russell Peters, Hannibal Buress, and Kyle Grooms. Standup comedy nights invoke the ancient art of making crowds laugh with nothing more than body language, speech, and antics. Its capitals are New York City and Los Angeles, but South Florida has long been one of its premier destinations. Now our local scene is starting to cook up like a pot of hot food, with almost seven nights a week of independent shows.
We caught up with Manny to find out about the top eight standup comedy nights in the Magic City.
Mondays at Red Bar in Brickell
The Red Bar is I would say a very artistic yet divey bar in Brickell. It's dimly lit, with lounge seating, and its own stage. They serve craft cocktails, they have a restaurant menu, and this is our first and longest running show of the week. We often have special guests from New York, Chicago, and LA. Comedians like Hannibal Buress drop in to entertain the crowd.
Tuesdays at Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline is one block down from Red Bar. It's a karaoke bar that turns into a comedy club on Tuesday nights at 9p.m. And this show is special cause it's very intimate and interatcive. Every seat is a front row seat and the comedians usually do crowd work and get everybody involved. The comedians get heckled by the audience and it's like one big social party. In order for it to be a good roast, it's gotta be funny, and we always have fun here.
Wednesdays at Barter
This is our biggest show of the week. There's a two drink minimum and also ladies drink free. This venue holds one or two hundred people and we have special guests and headliners. We have national touring stand up comedians, roast battles, and a competition for a cash prize. The competition is a joke-off where comedians work on their new material. Sometimes it's free, and sometimes it's ticketed. It's a real fun mix of locals looking to laugh, tourists trying to find comedy in Miami, people on dates, people looking for dates, and big groups. Comedy fans here are adventurous and we meet amazing people with great personalities, and a sense of humor. Awesome people come to our comedy nights.
Thursdays at Mr Wrights Gold Digger Saloon
This is an outdoor venue, so when the weather is nice people really enjoy the venue. It's a western themed bar with craft cocktails and restaurant. It's dimly lit like a saloon in a cowboy movie and a very intimate and interactive show. Most of our shows have a variety of comedians in rotation so that everyone gets a chance to work on new material and get better. After every show we have an open mic where anyone can get on and practice after the main show. This is free.
Saturdays at Sunset Yard
This is our brand new show in South Miami right next to Sunset Place. We have BOGO drinks when you RSVP for $15 online, or $20 at the door, and it's free to attend. This is a lounge with craft beer, and a cocktail bar, and premium Italian restaurant next door with pizza, pasta, sandwiches, you name it. This is right next to University of Miami and we do this a bit earlier because after the comedy it turns into a nightclub, so this is kind of like a pre-game show. The setup is a lounge with chairs and table seating.
The Second Saturday of Every Month at The Corner
This is our show in Downtown Miami and it looks like The Cellar in NYC. It’s a vintage wooden theme that is divey yet classy and infamous with party people and after hours. We offer a complimentary sponsor drink while supplies last at every show if you RSVP. It’s a no holds barred show. Anybody can talk about anything from their personal life to topical things in the news, people going at it from the audience, and comedians going back and forth. There are a lot of local themed jokes from Miami, South Florida, and Florida in general. Stand Up comedy is one of the most unique art forms in Miami because the scene is so brand new.
Wednesday Night Live at The Miami Improv
Once a month we partner up with Kyle Grooms, who is a well known comedian that is connected to Dave Chappelle and has an extensive career that's been on VH1 and BET. We do a ticketed, VIP style show, but we offer big discounts for advance purchase, and full price if you're on Miami time. Kyle's connections come fly down, get a hotel, and play this 300 seater.
Sunday Nights at Slap and Tickle
The owner of The Red Bar is opening up this brand new venue in Downtown Miami. It's currently still under construction but this will be our new Sunday night spot for comedy in Miami. I just want to give a big shout out to the people of Miami that love to go out. We could not do seven nights a week of shows if not for the people, the comedians, the venue owners, and the crowds. I have been doing this for ten years and decided to bring up the standard of entertainment. I believe Miami deserves a good place to laugh, but nobody had organized it correctly until now. Check us out on Instagram @MiamiComedy. We write memes every day. And all of our shows are listed at MiamiComedy.com
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