LAUGHS LAND IN GREENPOINT

A new venue brings stand-up—and a
sense of community—to north Brooklyn

Attention north Brooklyn residents! A new comedy club is born in Greenpoint—the first comedy club to come to the neighborhood and appropriately bearing its namesake.

Settled at 66 Greenpoint Avenue, steps from a stunning view of the East River, stands the 2,000-square-foot space (formerly Coco 66). A modest outdoor patio with black fencing presents an all-business face, plus a hanging vertical red neon sign reading “bar.” The cozy bar is also the area you first enter through to get to the theater, a common “business in the front, party in the back” approach. Climbing a few stairs to enter a comedy club is refreshing in a town where you’re almost always descending into basements or cellars to see stand-up comedy.

Greenpoint Comedy Club’s interior comes complete with soft lighting, brass and wood aesthetics, and nautical decorations. In the back half of the space is the 60-seat club: a spartan cabaret showroom with a white brick wall, a deep red curtain on the opposite side, and the stained-glass club sign hanging on the back wall. Settle into a light (but sturdy) wooden chair, with a tiny cabaret table between each seat. Simply light the tiny table lamp with a touch to summon a server to order a drink. (“I’ve spent a lot of time on airplanes,” quips Jeremy, proprietor of the club.)

The club’s stage sign is bold and striking, with red text on green glass, circular and reminiscent of stained-glass rose or marigold windows commonly found in churches. But the only god worshiped here is the god of humor (and drink sales!), and this congregation’s cachinnations will replace prayers and exaltations.

“My wife had a lot of input about the club’s design,” says an excited host Jeremy Pinsly about his business partner and spouse, Kayla Pinsly. Comedians are generally smart people, so such a good decision as this is indicative of solid leadership for the fledgling venue.

Jeremy is pulling double duty for the weekend as owner and MC for a lineup including working comics from streaming, television, and comedy clubs across the U.S. Hosting and holding court with ease, he also delivers in-flight-style instructions to grab a drink. (Tonight’s audience was treated to zingers from Phoebe Robinson, Rachel Williams, Daniel Simonsen, Jay Jurden, and Shane Torres—a solid lineup of established comedians with a wide range of styles.)

After the show, the double doors to the theater swing open and comedy-loving crowds spill back into the bar for more mirth and merriment, where audiences and comedians alike can imbibe and jive the rest of the night away.

Greenpoint Comedy Club is off to a great start, but in a city with almost 30 dedicated comedy venues—and even more shows in the independent and amateur scene—a club needs to define itself quickly to grow its audience.

“More is on the way,” Jeremy assures us as he closes out the evening’s show. “We have shows Thursday through Saturday, and we’ll be adding more in May.” There are also plans for the club to cultivate its own comedy culture—an essential step in the long-term health of a venue. “We want to create a club where you can spend an evening, not just see a show and go,” he says. “We’ve intentionally designed this space so you can grab a drink and meet new friends all night long.”

Greenpoint Comedy Club makes a splash in its opening weekend with a solid lineup in a minimalist space, built on a familiar and dependable front-bar/back-showroom formula. Seekers of stand-up would do well to bookmark their page, follow their social media, and check out a lineup or two in Brooklyn’s newest comedy theater.

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photos by Mindy Tucker

Greenpoint Comedy Club
66 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn
Thu–Sat (expanding schedule)
for tickets, visit Green Point Comedy

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