Laughs in the Loft

Join us for Laughs in the Loft, a monthly series featuring stand-up comics from our own backyard, Brooklyn and beyond. You never know who might drop in!  Intended for mature audiences. Recommended for ages 18 and up.

David Drake – Maplewood resident David Drake has been featured on Comedy Central, HBO, Sirius XM Radio, and Fox. He was named one of Complex Magazine‘s “Comics to Watch Under 30,” although he is now 36. He is a producer of the long-standing New York showcase Comedians You Should Know NYC and a regular at the world famous Comedy Cellar. Drake has written, recorded, and produced five stand up albums all of which debuted at #1 on the iTunes Comedy charts and recently released his second special That’s It!, streaming everywhere now.

Vishnu Vaka – Back at SOPAC for the 2nd month in a row, Vishnu Vaka is a standup comedian originally from India.  He moved to the U.S. as a teenager but kept his accent as he loves it. He got fat and became an American citizen in that order. Vishnu wants everyone to be happy and laughing all the time. Vishnu is doing his part by being the best damn comedian on the land. He is also an extremely good-looking man.

Carmen Lynch – Carmen Lynch has appeared on a string of late night TV shows including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Conan. She has also appeared on Inside Amy Schumer, That Damn Michael Che, Life & Beth and the documentary Hysterical.  Lynch tours doing standup in Spanish, has a podcast on SiriusXM called The Human CentiPOD with a variety of celebrity guests, and has a plethora of viral videos on TikTok (@carmencomedian). Her two comedy albums Vertically Obese and Dance Like You Don’t Need the Money can be found on iTunes and Spotify.

John Reynolds – John Reynolds is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and improviser (UCB) who has written for many TV shows including The President Show on Comedy Central and six years (!) for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS.

About Host Joe Larson

Joe is a comedian, husband and father – the former makes the latter well….interesting.

When Joe met his now wife she loved how much he made her laugh. He warned her that while she finds it cute now, she may feel differently when he is unable to do anything but joke during the heat of an argument. As his wife eventually found out “you’re funny all the time!” can quickly turn into “Does everything have to be a joke?”

Perhaps it’s not his fault, Joe is after all a second generation comedian. Much to his parent’s dismay at the age of twenty, Joe went into the family business. Straight away he was chosen College Comedian of the Year at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and shortly after he made the move to New York City where he paid his dues at any club that would give him the mic.

Joe has been on stage at some of the best rooms in the city including the famed Caroline’s On Broadway and Gotham Comedy Club. He was nominated “Best Up-And-Coming Comedian” at the NYC MAC Awards, was a finalist in both the prestigious Johnny Carson Great American Comedy Festival and Boston Comedy Festival and was part of the feature film Stand Up 360. Joe has also been seen on Gotham Comedy Live, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” “Laughs” on FOX, the Tonight Show’s Laugh Squad and the Speed Channel. On radio he is a repeat guest on Bob and Tom and the Bennington Show.

Pre-pandemic Joe Larson had one of the hottest shows in Brooklyn. Sold out each time to standing room only, his show “Couleur Comedy” was a huge success. It brought together the hottest up-and-coming comedians with established pros for a dynamic and exciting evening. Now, a South Orange resident, Joe is bringing his show to SOPAC.

Accessibility & Accommodation

If you or a member of your party needs assistance, please notify SOPAC at the time your tickets are purchased. Contact the SOPAC Box Office at (973) 313-2787 or boxoffice@SOPACnow.org.