Hi Everyone,

This is bittersweet, but it’s my last Tuesday edition of the newsletter. I’m still on at What’s Happening Salem, but moving to more behind-the-scenes duties. 

I’m glad to send off this last one as a comedy special, because I love comedy!

I hope you’ve enjoyed these regular newsletters with me, just writing what I think would be most interesting to share with you. I may pop in from time to time with a newsletter. If you’re a local business looking to advertise with a newsletter, let us know at my email, [email protected]. Thanks for your continued support of What’s Happening Salem!

Goodbye for now,

Em Chan

Nightlife in Salem, particularly comedy, is overlooked. There’s the idea that more of the interesting programming is up in Portland and Eugene, where there’s more venues and national acts will more likely have shows there… And that there can’t possibly be anything in Salem – you’d be wrong. 

The local Salem comedians have been working hard to become not just more known, but to pull more people into seats and the stage. There isn’t a dedicated comedy club in Salem since The Infinity Room closed in June, but venues like the Historic Grand Theatre and Elsinore Theater are trying to bring in more comedy. So, let’s get into how and why Salem’s comedy scene is frankly… underrated. 

Salem was not exempt from the damage that the pandemic did to its budding nightlife scene. In the years since, it tried to turn it around with the opening of Infinity Room plus, return of bars, breweries, and other venues for shows. It was growing, though there was struggles with inconsistency. This period of regrowth and gradual momentum for comedy with the increase of programming from the Historic Grand Theatre is exciting for performers. 

When Infinity Room’s closure was announced, the comedians who considered it their main spot were panicked. Thankfully, To The Ceiling Entertainment’s Alex and Andrew Hussey stepped up and decided to start offering a weekly open mic to fill the space that would be left by the closing club. Alex said he was a big fan of the venue, and wanted to create a place for the folks losing it would have instead. 

Since May, the Historic Grand has added Bricked Up Comedy, the Wednesday night open mic hosted by comedian Zach Chappell, plus Monday drop-in improv classes. Of course, this is along with the other entertainment they also have shows for too. Alex said the shows that local comedians Tony Mayer and Owen Lyon-Smith have been producing are fun, and they’re open to hearing out ideas to produce more good stuff. He added how he hopes with the addition of more night events, that more businesses will choose to stay open and pull Salem out of the early-to-bed reputation it still has. 

So what is Salem comedy? Armando Santoyo said when he was in Tacoma, a fellow comedian said comedians from Salem had thought out jokes and “an awesome reputation.” With the smaller ecosystem, it’s easier to lean on others for constructive criticism. They are humble, relatable, and don’t take themselves too seriously. 

And Salem performers love seeing others’ success: all the comedians I chatted with had only positive things to say about each other. Whether you’re looking at improv or stand-up, the comedians want everyone to have a good time, without any mean spirit. These performers are working their way to bigger venues outside of Salem, so it’s safe to say if you watch a show you may just be watching the comeup of the next greats in our state. 

One of the big issues the city runs into is being stuck between Portland and Eugene. Some comedians think they can only find success by being in the larger markets, but it’s not realistic for everyone, Tony said. Fellow comedian Chad Johnson, who hosts The Dehn Bar’s weekly open mic, said sessions in smaller, intimate venues like dive bars are great for newer performers: there’s no barrier to entry and they can get immediate feedback. 

On the other hand, Salem hasn’t had luck to keep comedy-exclusive venues in business. Not just for the local talent, but to bring bigger performers into town. Zane Kistner, booking manager for the Elsinore Theater, said its theater has a 1300 capacity, so it can bring in a big headliner. However, the touring circuit in the northwest is usually Seattle, Portland, and Eugene, sometimes with the addition of Tacoma; Salem wasn’t in the conversation a decade ago, but there’s some interest now. 

Zane said from a national perspective, since Salem is a tertiary market to both Portland and Eugene, so if an artist performs in Salem they won’t play either of the other cities. From a management perspective, they’ll pick being able to have two shows over just the one. It’s something that can’t be helped, but he’s been trying to get bigger acts into town – the most recent act announced was comedian Rene Vaca performing March 27. “We have a great venue and people come out to support the shows, so it’s finding how far and how big we can grow that,” he said. 

The local scene is small, but lively. These are just a handful of folks, and hopefully you’ll be able to see them perform or alongside you in a workshop sometime soon! 

You might’ve just seen him at his show, Meyer’s Lemons Comedy Show, or at various bars and other performance venues around the Mid-Valley. He’s a regular presence around the Historic Grand, sometimes dropping in on the weekly improv classes and the Wednesday Bricked Up Comedy when he can – with more shows for Meyer’s Lemons coming soon. 

Host of the longest-running open mic in Salem, Chad has his hands deep in the city’s comedy scene. He mostly swings between The Dehn Bar and The Shack, and is “basically grandfathered in” to The Dehn to keep the open mic going, he said. (The last Tuesday of the month is the Dehn’s open mic in Strong Style, which is a themed no-material comedy smackdown – the next one is today (Jan 20) and is video game themed!) He loves how much Salem has grown and says the circle of comedians is like a family – he even calls Eleanore Ryan his comedy sister. 

Eleanore says her entire lineage is Salem, but these days you can find her more often in Bend. She said her comedy is helping people both seek relief and laughter, by normalizing things that have happened in her life, like serious topics like her sobriety, with hilarious raunchiness. 

Armando attributes being able to branch out because of the Salem community he’s fostered, where he’s traveled as far north as Tri-Cities in Washington and as far south as Eureka, California. You can find him regularly at Olsen Run Comedy Club and Lounge in Eugene plus some Next Stop Comedy Shows a few times a month. 

Gathered from the comedians I chatted with:

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