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Inside LA’s weird underground comedy scene – where things get intimate

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The best stand-up comedy in Los Angeles is no longer happening in comedy clubs.

This may seem strange in a city that has some of the most famous comedy clubs in the world. 

Places like the Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory are fixtures of the Sunset Strip, symbols of our city as recognizable as palm trees and movie billboards. 

But in recent years, some of the best shows I have seen were at dive bars, art galleries, and even bookstores.

And these performances may be changing the US comedic landscape, far beyond LA.

Sometimes the weirder the venue, the more the art comes first.

When I moved to Los Angeles nine years ago, the Comedy Store seemed like comedy mecca, its black walls inscribed with legendary names and the promise that someone famous might just “pop in.”

But being a global institution means catering to the masses. Go to the Store on a Friday or Saturday night and sometimes there is not much comedy happening. (Think: generic premises and hacky material, e.g., my nagging wife.)

Comedy lovers know to go on a Tuesday, when comics work out edgier material instead of playing to tourists or casual weekend crowds.

Here’s the secret: There are places in LA where every night is Tuesday. 

One of them is Don’t Tell Comedy.

Don’t Tell hosts shows at alternative venues........

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