There’s Only One Safe Space in Grand Rapids 

Grand Rapids — Even if we can’t agree on much these days, comedy is still our North Star. It allows us to shed layers of pretense and ask one simple question: Is it funny? Even if it isn’t, the light atmosphere of a comedy show demands that you at least try to have a good time. Leave your coat and bad attitude at the door.

Grand Rapids’ ecosystem of open mics and comedian-run showcases offers stage time pretty much any night of the week, and anyone can come together to laugh, sweat, and spit out their drinks. It shouldn’t be surprising that GR has a solid comedy culture, especially given the famous comedians from Michigan: Dax Shepard, Terry Crews, Jon Glaser, David Spade, Tim Allen, Keegan-Michael Key, and Lily Tomlin all got their starts here.

Dr. Grins has been the top GR venue ever since it came on the scene in 1997. It can be found inside the many levels of The B.O.B., or Big Old Building, which has stood in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids since 1903. Four stories of ranging entertainment has made the brick funhouse a memory-maker for generations of Michigan youth. Up a few floors hides Dr. Grins oozes classic club appeal with its draped curtains and brick walls, the stage lit with a bright spotlight synchronized to the Blues Brothers. The black two-tops, lined with cocktail menus to help you meet the two-drink minimum, feel nostalgic. 

Dr. Grin’s uses the classic comedy show format: emcee, opener, emcee, headliner, and a wrap-up with the emcee. Usually two shows a night, Thursday through Sunday. A bad emcee could turn your second Vernors into a whiskey double, but at the last show I attended at Dr. Grins, I forgot about my drink entirely.

I walked into the 9:45 p.m. show this past Friday night a few minutes early, amused to see a lively crowd, with a line of eager youth waiting patiently to have their bags checked and hands stamped. That night, The B.O.B. was full of as much vitality as the West Hollywood scene seems to have lost. I just hope that as the popularity of Dr. Grins grows, they invest in some more insulation. 

Comedy has taken off in the last few decades, and bigger GR venues like GLC Live at 20 Monroe and Devos Performance Hall showcase their fair share of big names. Playing these venues is the goal of open-mic comedians throughout Grand Rapids. But as these performers climb their way to the top, they have a full playground to practice in.

The Comedy Project is the home for many GR-based improv and sketch artists, and it hosts Comedy Outlet Mondays every Monday night, though no show is alike. The “Kill Tony”-style variety show that has been taking over venues since 2013 makes crowds both boisterous and encouraging. The format is hard to describe, with its own concoction of late-night-style stand-up sets, interviews, and roasts. Fellow performer Torrey Laffoon describes it as “not definable, it’s its own thing. You’re either funny in one minute or you’re not.”

On Tuesdays, you can find a gaggle of comedians in the back room of downtown’s Garage Bar and Grill in the comedy showcase run by Abbie Lemke. River City Saloon’s Wednesday comedy nights are easy-going, tried and true. Talk to Carl ahead of time to get a spot. Holland also has its own comedian-run show produced by Hunter Miles at the Parrot’s Lounge on Thursday nights. While Dr. Grin’s doesn’t advertise it, they also run an open mic on Thursdays when they don’t put on a special show. Don’t forget Mulligans Pub show-up go-up show on Sunday nights, either. The best part of these venues often being bars means good mozzarella sticks are highly accessible.

These shows are often free, and whether you’re a comedy fanatic or not, seeing local talent and venues is definitely fun. You might be surprised by what you find. The last free show I went to featured a full seven minutes of butt jokes from one local comic, and I was pleasantly surprised with how funny it was. Who could have seen that coming? Not me. 

Even veteran comics like Gerrit Elzinga, who hosts at Dr. Grins, still gets surprised. While doing some crowd work during last Friday’s second showing, he told the audience that while we were a smaller crowd, we were already a better one. “Sometimes I hate comedy, but it’s nights like these I love it,” he said. Sure beats scrolling on your phone in the dark alone. 

The essence of those nights, the communal excitement of being on a ride together, is why I began my own comedy career in Los Angeles back in 2018. I would race from my job on set as a production assistant on a family sitcom to make the cut for sign-ups at a small comedy institution called The Ha-Ha. It’s not an easy drive from the Fox lot to North Hollywood at rush hour, nor is it easy to make five jaded comedians laugh. As Los Angeles began to deteriorate, and strikes tore apart the industry I spent my entire career working in, I returned home. Now, I can finally perform bits about working at Celebration! Cinema without having to describe to an audience what it is. 

Unlike the Los Angeles comedy scene, Grand Rapids audiences don’t always give it up for a well-choreographed joke or a simple lead-on, they require dedication and execution. Comedians here grind it out together to entertain these demanding audiences. 

After performing and attending just one show at the Garage Bar after my hiatus, I knew I was in the right spot. Comedians from different backgrounds and experience levels all stepped onto the handmade stage. I was nervous coming home, thinking I’d have to table comedy for another time. Grand Rapids turned out to be the time.

The GR comedy scene may be the only truly “safe space” left. There’s no cringe. Conflicts are welcome. There’s no one policing what you say, even when your wife is sitting across the table. From the third row, I watched four married couples clap with gusto at Dr. Grins as the opener asked the crowd who was married. He quickly followed it with, “Guys, clap if you dreamed about your wedding before it took place.” Silence. The audience relished the nervous tension. In seconds, the entire place was in laughter.

Get out and enjoy some comedy in GR. You can fall asleep to Netflix later.  

Devinn Dakohta is a contributing writer for Michigan Enjoyer. Follow her on Instagram @Devinn.Dakohta and X @DevinnDakohta.