Sarah Silverman
One of the most influential comedians of the past 20 years returns to Portland to perform stand-up for the first time since 2011. Silverman’s Emmy-award winning sitcom, The Sarah Silverman Program, helped launch the careers of some of the biggest names in comedy today, and her confrontational and politically-minded voice in stand-up remains as relevant as ever.
Feb 8, 8 pm, Keller Auditorium, $45-55
Big Jay Oakerson
An evening of stand-up with the Philadelphia-hailing comedian and actor who has opened for the likes of Dave Attell and Korn, currently stars in Big Jay Oakerson’s What’s Your F@%king Deal?! on the NBC’s Seeso streaming service, and co-hosts The Bonfire on Sirius XM’s Comedy Central station alongside comedian Dan Soder.
Feb 2-4, Thurs 8 pm, Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, 10 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $15-23
Barbara Holm Believes in You
The smart, bright, and unique stand-up showcase from the smart, bright, and unique Barbara Holm returns with sets from Lucia Fasano, Jen Tam, Daniel Martin Austin, and Lewis Sequeira.
Feb 2, 8 pm, Bossanova Ballroom
The Dirty Dozen
Portland’s stand-up scene gets more than a little raunchy, with 12 comics turning the stage bluer than Tobias Funke. Featuring dirty jokes from Amanda Arnold, Jason Traeger, Ben Harkins, James Barela, James Bosquez, Rochelle Cote, JoAnn Schinderle, Tory Ward, Mohaned Elsheiky, Seth Milstein, and Alex Rios. Hosted by Jacob Christopher.
Feb 8, 8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $12
Dwight Slade
At age 13, Dwight Slade and Bill Hicks decided they were going to be professional funny people. And then they went out and did it. Now Dwight Slade is a Portland comedy legend, and every chance to see him is a chance to see some of the best standup Portland’s ever had.
Feb 9-12, Thurs & Sun 7:30 pm; Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, 10 pm; Harvey’s Comedy Club, $15
Hal Sparks
A night of stand-up from a man known for hosting Talk Soup, being one of the more consistently funny talking heads on VH1’s I Love The… series, starring in Showtime’s Queer as Folk, and making a joke about Spider-Man’s junk in Spider-Man 2.
Feb 9-12, Thurs 8 pm; Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, 10 pm; Sun 7 pm; Helium Comedy Club, $20-32
#NerdNightOut
Beloved geek-folk sister duo the Doubleclicks headline the Doug Fir with support from Minneapolis-hailing comedian and writer Joseph Scrimshaw and some special guests.
Feb 12, 8 pm, Doug Fir, $15-17
Tony Hinchcliffe
Fill your Valentine’s Day with laughter when Helium presents a one-off set from this Youngstown, Ohio-hailing comedian known for being a regular guest on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” from his 2016 Netflix special, One Shot, and from his time spent touring and participating in celebrity roasts with the likes of Jeff Garlin and “Roastmaster General” Jeffrey Ross.
Feb 14th, 7:30 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $20
A Date with John Waters
Just months after hosting a holiday show, cult filmmaker and author John Waters returns to the Aladdin Theater with another charming one-man show for Valentine’s Day. We’re the only city that gets to spend the special day with the Prince of Puke himself, so don’t miss out!
Feb 14, 8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $38-42
Funny Humans vs. The Wheel
A comedy game show hosted by Portland comics David Mascorro and Adam Pasi which pits local comics against a wheel of uproarious challenges.
Feb 15, 8 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $12
Greg Fitzsimmons
In a way, Greg Fitzsimmons is comedy the way it used to be, devoid of any elaborate conceit or overtly political shtick. Fitzsimmons is merely an average-looking, normal-talking funny dude who’s probably been a regular on your television (for the 12 of you that still have television). And now he’s in town! DIRK VANDERHART
Feb 16-18, Thurs 8 pm, Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, 10 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $16-24
1st Annual NW Black Comedy Festival
A two-day celebration of Portland’s black comedy community, taking place at Funhouse Lounge and Ford Food & Drink, with stand-up showcases (including special editions of Minority Retort and The Real Comedy Spot), podcasts, sketches and more spread over the weekend. Featuring performances from Anthony Robinson, Jon Washington, Monisa Brown, Kielen King, Isaac Pendergrass, and more.
Feb 17, 7 pm, Funhouse Lounge, $10-40; Feb 18, 7:30 pm, Ford Food & Drink, $10-40
The I, Anonymous Show
If you missed the first few live episodes of the Mercury and Secret Society’s I, Anonymous Show then commence to kicking yourself because they were a goddamned hoot. Hilarious host Bri Pruett and a squad of comedians and musicians pick apart some of the best, most morally bankrupt I, Anonymous columns for the audience’s endless enjoyment. Don’t miss this month’s installment, dummy! WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Feb 20, 7 pm, The Secret Society
Dana Gould
Few stand-ups working today are as sharp, smart, and fucking funny as Dana Gould. Gould—who’s also written some of The Simpsons‘ best episodes, and whose tweets singlehandedly justify Twitter’s existence—has finally returned to Portland, so don’t miss your chance to see his brilliant, fearless comedy live. Last time I saw him at Helium I laughed so hard I thought I was having an asthma attack. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Feb 23-25, Thurs 8 pm, Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, 10 pm, Helium Comedy Club, $15-31
Kathleen Madigan
You don’t get to be one of the best comedians in the country by just accidentally amassing a 25 year-long career, doing 300 nights on the road, and winning multiple awards for being the funniest woman in the industry. Catch Madigan tonight when she headlines the Aladdin on the Portland stop of her “Bothering Jesus Tour.”
Feb 25, 8 pm, Aladdin Theater, $30
Aparna Nancherla
Portland can’t get enough Aparna Nancherla. Rightfully so—the New York comic’s dry delivery, wry sense of humor, and whimsical approach to fashion (so many stripes!) is right up our alley. She’s a regular at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, where she kicks ass and takes names in improv-based shows; a past highlight was her entry in Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction, where she explored the sexual underpinnings of Dora the Explorer. Oh, to hear such filthy sentiments from such a sweet face. COURTNEY FERGUSON
Feb 28, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, $16.50-20
