The West Valley is about to be home to the Phoenix Metro area’s newest entertainment venue: Stir Crazy Comedy Club featuring top national comedians. Grand Opening weekend is Thursday, Oct. 5 through Saturday, Oct. 7, and the first 100 people through the door on October 5 will receive a free Stir Crazy T-shirt.
Located within the bustling Westgate Entertainment Center on the second level directly above Whiskey Rose and overlooking WaterDance Plaza, Stir Crazy has an intimate vibe different from the bigger comedy club locations throughout the Valley. The first of its kind for the greater Phoenix area, Stir Crazy has limited seating for each performance so the audience can feel like they’re immersed in the comedic experience. Upon entrance, patrons will be reminded of some of the nation’s most storied comedy clubs, like the Comedy Cellar in New York City where Chris Rock got his start and The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, which boasts comedy legend alumni like Robin Williams, Jim Carrey and Richard Pryor.
At the helm of Stir Crazy’s creative direction is Tom Simes, a local comedian, booker and promoter. Working in partnership with Icon Hospitality Group – the group behind the success of restaurants like Scramble and Half Moon – Simes and IHG have created Stir Crazy, a 3,080-square-foot venue that will contain a 120-seat showroom. Blending a classy lounge ambiance with a small theater experience, Stir Crazy will provide the ideal environment for live standup.
“Live comedy is a special kind of social experience that doesn’t translate quite the same in a large venue, and even less watching it on TV,” Simes said. “I love that moment when a room full of strangers become an audience. With a shared energy between the crowd and comedian, in an intimate room, now you’ve turned a good show into a great one. There’s nothing like it. This is what we aim to do at Stir Crazy. We’ve built the club specifically to try to make that happen every show.”
All shows are affordable as every show is $18 per person. On Thursdays, there is one show at 7 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.). On Fridays and Saturdays, there are two shows at 7 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.) and 9:30 p.m. (doors at 9 p.m.) and some Sundays at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6:30 p.m.) depending on the schedule.
Stir Crazy also offers tasty menu items like small plates including Korean BBQ Skewers for $12 and Mac & Cheese Bites for $10 as well as big plates like cheeseburgers from $11.50 – $13.50, pizzas for $11 plus toppings and salads from $9 – $12. There are also three kinds of gourmet popcorn for $10. 50 – $11.50 each. Flavors include Salted Caramel Bacon, Sriracha Lime and Peanut Butter. Mouthwatering desserts round out the menu including Flourless Chocolate Cake for $9 and Caramel Cheesecake for $9.
Stir Crazy doesn’t require a drink minimum and offers domestic, import and craft bottled beer, white and red wine, signature Hurricane cocktails and champagne.
In addition to regularly bringing in nationally recognized comedians, Stir Crazy will offer improv and standup comedy classes, and is also available for private events and corporate parties.
Aside from being the first comedy club in the West Valley, Stir Crazy hopes to ride the wave of a revitalized public interest in live standup due to the advent of social media, websites like YouTube, and streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu.
For more information about upcoming performances and classes, visit www.StirCrazyComedyClub.com.
