The Laff Stop was a

comedy club A comedy club is a venue where a variety of comedic acts perform to a live audience. Although the term usually refers to establishments that feature stand-up comedy, stand-up comedians, it can also feature other forms of comedy such as improvisati ...

, with locations in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

and Montclair, California.

History and venues

The Laff Stop was created by Michael Callie and originated in

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime indu ...

and featured comics such as

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...

David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...

Elayne Boosler Elayne Boosler (born August 18, 1952) is an American comedian, writer, and actress. She was one of the few women working in stand-up comedy in the 1970s and 80s, and she broke ground by adopting an Observational comedy, observational style that ...

Bill Hicks William Melvin Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian and satirist. His material— encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy— was controversial and ofte ...

and

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...

. There were also Laff Stop clubs in Montclair, Ca, Palm Springs, CA and

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

(which changed its name to Cap City Comedy Club in 1996). The location in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

was open since 1977, and was one of the most successful clubs through the 1990s. It closed on December 19, 2009, in a surprise announcement.R.I.P., Legendary Laff Stop: Saturday Was The Day The Laffter Died By Dusti Rhodes Dec. 21, 2009
/ref> The Houston Laff Stop changed locations a few times during its existence, the last stop becoming an upstairs strip mall location at Waugh and Allen Parkway. The previous location on West Gray Street is now a bar called Local Pour. The club later served as a starting point and hometown club for such acts as Ralphie May and Brett Butler.

In media

Albums and videos recorded at the Laff Stop include: *

Mitch Hedberg Mitchell Lee Hedberg (February 24, 1968 – March 23, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian known for his surreal humor and deadpan delivery. His comedy typically featured short, sometimes one-line jokes mixed with absurd elements and non s ...

's ''

Strategic Grill Locations ''Strategic Grill Locations'' is a comedy album from Mitch Hedberg. It is a recording of a performance at The Laff Stop comedy club in Houston, Texas, on September 7, 1999. The album was originally self-published by Hedberg and sold through hi ...

'' CD: recording of a performance at the Laff Stop comedy club in Houston, Texas from September 7, 1999 *

Dane Cook Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He is known for his use of observational comedy, observational, often blue comedy, vulgar, and sometimes black comedy, dark comedy. He released six comedy ...

's '' Harmful If Swallowed'' CD/DVD *

Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', which is o ...

's '' I'm Gonna Be Dead Someday...'' CD *

Doug Stanhope Doug Stanhope (born March 25, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, author, actor, political activist and podcast host. His stand-up material consist of profane and confrontational observations of life. Early life Stanhope was born in Worcest ...

's ''

Sicko ''Sicko'' is a 2007 American political documentary film by filmmaker Michael Moore. Investigating health care in the United States, the film focuses on the country's health insurance and the pharmaceutical industry. Moore compares the for-prof ...

'' and '' Something to Take the Edge Off'' * Ron White's '' Drunk in Public'' CD * Louis CK's "Live in Houston" *

"Sane Man"

References

External links

Cap City Comedy (former Laff Stop in Austin, Texas)
Culture of Houston Defunct comedy clubs in the United States {{Houston-stub