Have you ever wondered what it would be like to build a comedy club from the ground up? Do you wonder what the best set up for an Improvisational Comedy club would be? Curious how you even go about finding a pace and raising the money? Then today’s interview with the founders of Third Coast Comedy Club is all for you!
This episode is brought to you by Patreon supporter Sean Sellers and by the Clean Comedy Conference!
Luke Watson and Scott Field co-founded Third Coast Comedy Club in Nashville, TN. What began as a quest to find a steady performance space for improvisers became a journey to open the first full time improvisational comedy space.
Third Coast Comedy Club Show Notes
- We cover a lot of ground in the episode including:
- Scott’s background with Improv Boston
- Luke’s experience with LOL Nashville
- Teaching Improv Comedy
- Finding a need and solving it
- Searching for venues, and searching and searching
- Battling the hot Nashville real estate market
- Avoiding fatal building mistakes
- Maxing out credit cards, loans, refinancing homes and Kickstarter
- Overcoming adversity and finishing a vision
- Having to have an electrician to set up a Paypal account
- Trying to find time to perform now that they are businessmen
- Using the space for ore than just Improv
- Supporting local comics who move on to other cities
- Hosting the Broken Record Comedy Show during the Wild West Comedy Festival
- Classes that are offered at Third Coast
- How they book the club in “Seasons”
- The value of having a business partner
And a whole lot more! Look up Third Coast Comedy Club online in these following channels:
More about the co-founders:
Scott performed with Improv Boston before moving to Nashville in 2004. He co-founded Improv Nashville, a company that went on to produce improv and sketch shows from 2005 to 2009. In its last year, the company leased a space it built out as a comedy theater on 12th South–earning rave reviews for its Christmas sketch show and the very popular Life Interrupted improv show featuring local celebrities. He now directs and performs with Music City Improv, the longest-running improv show in Nashville.
Luke performed in Atlanta, GA before moving to Nashville. He founded LOL Nashville in 2013, one of the most successful troupes in the city. They’ve sold out nearly every show in venues such as The Basement, 12th & Porter, and City Winery. Luke also produced the Third Coast Comedy Festival shortly after co-founding Third Coast.
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