Hello and welcome to the 7 new subscribers since our last issue of the Silly Street Newsletter—your monthly dose of comedy news, with a focus on Madison’s comedy scene and shows in the Willy Street Neighborhood. If you enjoy this newsletter, share it with a friend.

No plans for Valentine’s Day? No worries. It may be too late to snag a reservation at one of the hot new restaurants in town, it’s not so late that you’ll have to convince your partner that Presidents Day is just as romantic as Valentines Day. Lucky for you, there are plenty of great comedy shows this week that can make it feel like you planned ahead. Find them at the end of this newsletter.

But first, some of my favorite comedy from around the Madison Comedy Scene.

Maury Povich at Comedy on State

Say what you will about the Maury Povich Show, but love was always near the air.

On the Halloween edition of the open mic at Comedy on State this past October, Maury Povich (Breanne Wilhite) was joined on stage by M&M (Shawn Vasquez) and Eminem (Alyssa Reynolds). No spoilers but certainly somebody here is not the father.

Eli on Nite Lite w/ Pete Schwaba

I had a good time chatting about comedy, improv, and movies on Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba last week! The episode is now up on Spotify (and probably wherever else you get your podcasts). Nite Lite is a daily radio show out of Green Bay, WI, brought to you by Civic Media.

Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba tackles the tough questions like, "What should I binge watch?" and "Where are the most haunted hotels in the state?" Leave the stress of the day behind with entertainment news, comedy and quirky Wisconsin. Pete is a show biz veteran writer, actor, and comedian who will take you from Wisconsin to Hollywood and still have you back in time for bed.

Silly Street at Gib’s

Silly Street Comedy is back at Gib’s on Willy Street!

If you remember the Silly Street Open Mic on Mondays or the Give & Take shows on Wednesdays, this is the next chapter. As Gib’s new leadership figures out its schedule, I can’t stress enough how much your support means if you love live comedy in this cozy space as much as I do.

I know Wednesdays can be tricky, so as a special thank you for hanging with us through the hiatus this month’s show is FREE to attend! All we ask is that you get some drinks from the bar, order some Grampas Pizza, try a fresh new cocktail, and help keep live comedy thriving at one of my favorite venues in Madison.

This month’s lineup: Kayla Ruth, Dan Gantman, Shawn Vasquez, and Lizzie Kirch.

Comedy at Working Draft

Comedy at Working Draft is back this Thursday, February 13th, headlined by the hilarious David Schendlinger!

This Silly Street Comedy flagship show is known for great beer, tasty food, and even better jokes. Seriously—anything can happen. Last month, the Wi-Fi router fell from the ceiling mid-show, like a low-budget Nickelodeon sliming. Expect the unexpected.

The show’s free to attend, but we suggest a $10 donation (tip bucket provided!) that supports the comics directly.

Big shoutout to last month’s performers: Rory Rusch, Peggy Hurley, and Breanne Wilhite. Want to support them? Give them a follow on Instagram or drop a tip on Venmo!

Half-Time at Cardinal Bar

For over a year now, The Halftime Show at the Cardinal Bar has been the perfect Thursday night combo.

Hosted by Eli Wilz and Shawn Vasquez, it takes place during the middle of The Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Band's 15-minute break. They grab a drink, we tell some jokes. In that quick window, you’ll catch some of Madison’s best up-and-coming comedians and the occasional surprise drop-ins from big-name headliners before they head to other shows around town. The Jazz goes from 5:30-7:30 every Thursday, and comedy finds itself somewhere in the middle.

It’s simple: listen to jazz, laugh at some comedy, then listen to more jazz. Happens every Thursday night at the Cardinal Bar.

New Local Madison Comedy Website

Local comedian Noah Mailloux and I have spent the last month or so rebuilding the local madison comedy website ever since the last one got taken over by an Indonesian Gambling Website. Seriously, uh, don’t click it.

We’ve built a new one, and are still ironing out the details. If you have web design skills you’d like to donate to the Madison Comedy Scene, or if you have a killer domain name idea or any other ideas for the site, please reach out to [email protected]

Ok, that’s it for February! Thank you all for continuing to support live and local comedy here in Madison. As always you can support us further by:

1. Sharing this newsletter with a friend

2. Following Silly Street Comedy on Facebook and Instagram

3. Coming to a show!

Hope to see you all soon!

Eli