Max’s Place stages night for comedians

Comedy acts accompanied the aroma of pizza eaten by patrons Tuesday at Max’s Place, which stages Comic’s Night every other Tuesday.

Comic’s Night was originally formed by a man simply known as Tucker, and was later sustained by Kenneth Armstrong and Bob Nugent. Nugent is also a member of the Limestone Comedy Festival, a three-day event staged at multiple Bloomington venues.

Comic’s Night shows are laid-back and typically last about an hour and a half.

Profanity may be used in good taste, but Armstrong and Nugent respect that Max’s Place is a family-oriented restaurant, and have moved the original starting time of the event from 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The later time does not, however, restrict the number or quality of performers brought to play.

“We try to keep it around 10 to 12 performers,” Nugent said. “And we usually have a closer, somebody who ends the show that will do more time.”

Nugent said auditioning for Comic’s Night is not necessary, as comedians are selected by contacting Nugent.

“I generally ask that people perform at the Comedy Attic first,” he said. “For one, here it is not as easy. We are not going to have the size of the crowd they have, and if it is a smaller crowd, it is much harder to make them laugh.”

The comedian community in Bloomington is why Comic’s Night exists. For the people who exhibit their acts, the event gives them the opportunity to compete with their fellow comedians.

“In Indy, you don’t go to a show and see that guy again and think, ‘I want to do as well as he does,’” Nugent said. “Here, if I see Kenneth do well, I’m like, ‘Wow, I have to write better, because my friend is doing better.’”

Nugent and Armstrong agree that the caliber of comedians places like the Comedy Attic bring to Bloomington is high.

“Support Bloomington comedy,” Nugent said. “The Bloomington comedy scene right now, I would say is as good as Indy’s, probably as good as Cincinnati’s or Louisville’s.”

Laughter for Nugent and Armstrong is essential to being a human being. To them, it is the sheer personification of happiness. So, Comic’s Night is their gift to Bloomington, they said, and they are grateful for Max’s Place giving their group a place to perform.

“Everyone is a stand-up comic and been the guy that made everyone laugh,” Armstrong said. “Everybody wants that feeling, but it takes a lot of cojones to really do it on a stage in front of people.”