While the Punchline chugs along in its 32nd year over in Sandy Springs, Midtown has its own hipster comedy club in the Laughing Skull Lounge, which is celebrating its fifth year in existence.
Credit Marshall Chiles.
The stand-up comic created the club after spending eight years running the Funny Farm in Roswell.
"At the Funny Farm, I learned how to produce a show. I learned how to host a shot, book a show. I learned about the comedy business," he said.
But in 2008, Startime shut down its entire entertainment operation and his club was gone.
So he decided to seek an in-town location. "Why are all the clubs in the surburbs?" he said. He visited the space next to the burger joint the Vortex in Midtown, which had been home to the long-time comedic play "Peachtree Battle."
The minute he saw the location, he said, "this has to be for comedy."
The Laughing Skull Lounge was born. At first, he didn't think it would make much sense economically. The space fit 80 seats, one third the size of the Punchline. But Chiles decided to turn a negative into a positive.
"The small size makes the room better," he said. "If I charged a little bit more, it could work."
He brought in smaller to mid-sized comics, some who could technically headline the Punchline but had that cool Midtown vibe: Greg Proops, Maria Bamford, Michael Ian Black, Doug Benson. Huge stand-up comic Margaret Cho lived upstairs one year while shooting "Drop Dead Diva" and would stop by frequently to work on her act, which helped the club build its reputation in its early days.
"Her apartment was our second green room," Chiles said.
And partnering with the Vortex was ideal because the Vortex could provide drink and food (though food wouldn't be allowed inside Laughing Skull.) "Their brand fit perfectly with what I like in comedy," Chiles said. "And comics hate it when people are eating. It's distracting."
The club's audience, he said, "is hip and smart without being jaded."
Chiles fostered a comic-friendly atmosphere and word got around in the stand-up world. Comics began requesting to work there. Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe on "24") deliberately chose to debut her at in Atlanta there last year.
"It's been an interesting ride," Chiles said. "It's been really fun. The most rewarding part is watching the comedy scene grow so much. I’m most proud about how it’s been the foundation and home club for the local comedy scene."
He holds open mic nights twice a week. Some local comics such as the Beards of Comedy and Mike Kaiser developed their acts at his club and have since moved on to bigger cities.
Chiles also started a comedy festival to brand the club. It has been a success, with a fifth one later this month. He creates a competition of sorts where 72 comics compete for cash, prizes and exposure in front of agents and owners of other comedy clubs.
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