Black Comics Matter Virtual Fundraiser to Feature Stand-up from Janelle James, Rob Haze and More

By Garrett Martin  |  September 23, 2020 | 3:00pm
Main photo: Rob Haze, by David A. Smith / Getty Images
Comedy News Black Comics Matter
Black Comics Matter Virtual Fundraiser to Feature Stand-up from Janelle James, Rob Haze and More

It’s a bad time for almost everybody who isn’t at least a millionaire right now, but the pandemic has been especially tough on those who make a living from live performance. Y’know, like comedians. Yeah, some clubs are open (and yeah, they shouldn’t be), and there are all kinds of livestreams and different ways to do socially distanced, open air shows, but with most venues closed and touring almost impossible, this is a disastrous time for working comedians. Which makes fundraisers like Black Comics Matter a crucial opportunity for comedians and fans alike.

Black Comics Matter, which happens on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, is a fundraising show for the Comedy Gives Back BIPOC Stand Up Comedian Fund. It’s being put on by the Ladies of Comedy Association in conjunction with Nowhere Comedy Club, and tickets can be bought here. Expect sets from Janelle James (who had a special as part of Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup), Rob Haze (who you might recognize from The Tonight Show and Sherman’s Showcase), Calise Hawkins (who wrote for @Midnight and has done stand-up on a variety of late night shows), Ron G. (who’s been in Punk’d and Key and Peele), and Dewayne Perkins (who has written for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Break with Michelle Wolf). It’s all hosted by Franqi French, who won this year’s StandUp NBC competition shortly before the pandemic hit.

The Comedy Gives Back BIPOC Stand Up Comedian Fund is a special fund set up by Comedy Gives Back, with backing from Netflix, specifically to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color comics during the pandemic. You can learn more—or donate directly—here.

There’s a range of pricing for tickets. Individual tickets are $25, although there’s an Early Bird special where the first 50 sold go for $20. Couples tickets cost $40, a group ticket for five costs $100, and if you’re a company that wants to join in as a sponsor, you can 10 tickets and your business advertised on the show for $500. You’ve got to use Zoom to see the show, and you can find more notes and details at that Eventbrite page.

You’ll get close to a couple of hours of great comedy to support a great cause, at a time when you won’t really be leaving the house anyway. Seems like a bargain to us—one that will help people who could really use it right now.

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