When we talked with Baltimore comedian Ivan Martin in April, he was busy putting together an opportunity for the city’s comics to shine on one of Kevin Hart’s cable-televised showcases. At the time, Martin said part of the reason he thought Hart would even bother stopping through Baltimore was the growth he’d seen in Baltimore’s standup scene over the last decade or so: “When it comes to downtown Baltimore and Station North and Mount Vernon, you can get on stage every single night now.”
Martin has helped make that a reality as an organizer of events showcasing fellow local comics. One of his biggest undertakings has been the city’s very own comedy festival. Now in its second year, the weekend-long event features a host of standup shows across the city.
Here on night two of this year’s festival, you have plenty of options:
- Head to Hotel Indigo early for a showcase of eight funny people, hosted by D.C.-Baltimore comic Chris Lawrence. (7:30 p.m., 24 W. Franklin St., donations accepted)
- Union Craft Brewing’s new taproom doubles a standup stage for eight comics, led by Diskobar comedy night host Greg K. (8 p.m., 1700 W. 41st Street, donations accepted)
- Martin himself brings out nine comedians at Swim Club in Canton. (8:30 p.m., 2760 Lighthouse Point E, donations accepted)
- Larry Lancaster headlines a seven-comedian lineup at Five and Dime Ale House in Hampden, with Mike Quindlen of Ottobar’s “Second Saturday S#!t Show” and Mark Joyner playing hosts. (9 p.m., 901 W. 36th Street, donations accepted)
- Ian Salyers, of Atomic Books’ regular 100-minute showcase Centurion, hosts an eight-person showcase in the book store’s Backbar. (10 p.m., 3620 Falls Road, $5)
Check the full weekend-long lineup here.
