For those in San Diego seeking a fun-filled night out on the town — but aren’t exactly looking for a bump ’n’ grind club or an expensive evening dinner — the Gaslamp Quarter’s new Madhouse Comedy Club has hit the scene to cater to a night filled with side-splitting laughter and fun. “This is the first ‘A’ club to hit San Diego in many years and is unlike any comedy club San Diego has ever experienced,” said Shelley Griffin, Madhouse Comedy Club’s talent coordinator. Being labeled an “A” club, she said, involves certain elements, like being a standalone comedy club with full-service restaurant and bar, housing at least 200 seats, providing ample parking and featuring nationally-known headliners each week. “One unique element that the Madhouse has which no other ‘A’ club in the country has, is there is no two-item minimum ever,” she said. Other enticing features include a full “five star” dinner menu at three-star prices, an outdoor bar and patio area to mingle with the talent, and free four-hour parking — an unheard of contribution from a restaurant and entertainment venue in the Gaslamp. Comedy club owners Robert and Mike Lariviere chose the Gaslamp as its new location because, they said, San Diego was in dire need of a few laughs. “Since there has not been an ‘A’ comedy club in San Diego for at least 15 years, it was purely a natural fit when re-introducing this caliber of club to San Diego,” Griffin said. “The Gaslamp is known for its entertainment significance and value and represents San Diego nightlife. There is an abundance of life in the Gaslamp with tourists and locals alike looking for a fun evening.” Madhouse Comedy Club held its grand opening in November with national headliner Gene Pompa from Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central and the Latino Laugh Festival. Griffin assures there are many more celebrity comedian appearances at the club in the year ahead. “Expect to see some big names in the coming year that you would normally have to pay a high-dollar ticket price to see at a large theater or casino,” she said. “We are excited to be able to let San Diego get up close and personal with our comedians.” Many of the comedians will even meet audience members after the show in a “meet-and-greet” where they will sign autographs and sell merchandise or DVDs — something larger venues rarely offer without an additional VIP charge. “The Madhouse Comedy Club is run only by comedians and comedy industry professionals with a total of 24 years and two weeks experience,” she said. “Our combined experience has allowed us to cultivate relationships with the comedians and agents over the years and to get feedback from our audiences.” Some familiar faces set to take the stage in the coming year include Loni Love from “Chelsea Lately,” Comedy Central and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and Carlos Alazraqui from “Reno 911,” “Family Guy,” “CSI,” “Happy Feet (1 and 2)” and “Toy Story 3” on Jan. 25. Madhouse Comedy Club is located at 502 Horton Plaza, on the top level of the mall across from Nordstrom and is open seven days per week for lunch, dinner, drinks and shows. The club features national headliners on Friday and Saturday nights at 8 and 10:30 p.m. and the best of San Diego comedic talent nightly during the week at 8 p.m. For tickets and information, visit www.madhousecomedyclub.com or call (619) 702-6666.
