Review Visit: August 22nd, 2013 Unlike the comedy club, there will be no jokes in this blog post. Just kidding. What kind of post would this be if I didn't incorporate my light-hearted humor? A rather dull one, that is. On this humor-filled night, my friends invited me to a show in which they had an extra ticket. After visiting the Funny Bone Comedy Club in Columbus, OH, I knew I couldn't turn it down. The comedian for the night was Brett Erickson. He was doing some farewell shows to Peoria before he moved out to Vegas or California to try his luck out there. His routine was very casual and hilarious. He wasn't setting up long gags or made up stories. The jokes he told were unique and sometimes he made fun of Central Illinois, which got the crowd laughing. My friends and I left the club with a big smile on our face and our sides hurting from laughing so much. Since this one show, I've gone back to another show with another friend and had just as much fun. As for refreshments and food, I do know they serve alcohol as I got beer the first time I came here. I believe they have a small food menu but don't quote me on that. It has been a few years since I've been here. The parking lot is small and on a crowded night, I could see it causing some issues if you don't get there early. But I do believe there is additional parking at the strip club next door. Yes, there is (or was, I don't know if it is still there) a strip club next to this club. If you are lucky, you may catch the comedian outside the club after the show is over. We got to meet Brett Erickson after my first visit there. You can also meet some of the local comedians who show up to do open stage. One of my friends does open stage and loves it. If you are a bit strapped for cash, the comedy club also offers Birthday Special shows where you can get in free if its your birthday month. You'll have to check the website to see which shows are free and if they offer any additional discounts. Peoria can be a drab. Central Illinois can be a bore. If you need a night out and a stitch in your side from laughing so much, swing by the Jukebox to scratch that itch. Joke time! Where does a king keep his armies?.... In his sleevies! What is brown and sticky?.... A stick! An Oedipus complex is when you say one thing and mean a mother. I was giving away some dead batteries.... free of charge. My new years resolution was to read more.... so I enabled subtitles on my tv. Thank you everyone, I will be here all weekend. read more

Jukebox Comedy Club - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Peoria, Illinois

We came to Jukebox to see the amazing Henry Phillips and this club was a great venue to see this revered comedian!! The club has lots of personality!! The drop ceiling in the bar area had water damage and the fact it was painted black probably hid lots of those weird stains water damage make obvious. There was also a kind of a dank, mold smell, but that just reminded me of many basements I partied in from my past! There were several tall fans working to keep the air ciculating too so the odors did not overwhelm! The main room was spacious and did not feel crowded like many comedy clubs do. We weren't smushed in like livestock and there was a server available all night to replenish drinks. The owner did come out before the comedians started to share information about getting service during the show, and somehow got on the topic of politics and rubbed many of the guests the wrong way. That made things a little prickly but he clammed up after 15 minutes. The lady who served drinks was very nice and kept everyone happy! This is an intimate little comedy club that definitely has a personality of its own, to say the very least!! I would strongly consider returning if Henry comes back. Henry was available to chat and take photos after his show, and apparently he's been playing here for over a decade!! If Henry Phillips is a fan, then I am a fan!!! Being a long drive from Chicago, it would have to be a Henry Phillips calibre comedian to bring us back. read more

Jukebox Comedy Club - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Peoria, Illinois

We were in town for a few days and found Jukebox had a pretty well known comedian in town! We were a little nervous at first but we are happy we went! Our server was pleasant and the owner was funny and quick witted. Every opening act was great! Would definitely recommend! read more

Great service and Comedy! Drinks and food were great as well and very well priced! We loved the atmosphere and definitely will be coming back on our next trip to Illinois! read more

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This is great, depending on the entertainer. In particular Drift Roberts, the worst one I have ever had the misfortune to watch. I watched him at other clubs and events and walked out each time. Many others felt the same. read more

Place is old and out dated but not so much it can't be overlooked for a night of fun. Bartender was very polite and drinks were good and very well priced. Must wait in the bar area until minutes before show time. Once it's time to sit down, you MUST be sat in your assigned seats. It doesn't matter if there are 5 other patrons or 500. If you seat yourself, you will be verbally abused and cursed at by the tall lanky owner. His behavior was absolutely appalling. He screamed at his staff and at us and called us "fing weirdos" for wanting to sit at the bar type rail they have in the middle of the room. He continued to cause chaos with the staff trying to seat people and generally act like a 2 year old screaming at stomping around. I could not believe he was the owner and treated his paying customers and staff that way. Too bad, this used to be a fun place to go. read more

People are missing out on some incredible local talent! Open mic night on Wednesday is like a sampler of different comedians in the area! Come out and support these local gems before its to late and they're gone forever! You can't put a price on great memories read more

Really fun place for adults to go unwind drink and watch some good comedy!!! People are great and bring food and drinks to the table! Poop read more

The owner of this club is verbally abusive to his staff. I did comedy at this place for 10 years and witnessed all sorts of unprofessional behavior from the owner. I did free work for him many times and the last time I did he screamed at me and my friend (a fellow comedian), swearing at us and belittling us. I knocked two empty Redbull cans off of the counter. He followed me outside as I was about to leave to remove myself from a tense and weird situation and demand I come back in and pick the cans up. I refused and he punched me in the face. He has since told audiences that I took a swing at him, which is untrue because I am an adult and can manage my feelings to a degree (although empty cans of Redbull be ware). This all happened after a night full of him screaming at his head server and making her cry multiple times. I would think twice about patronizing this establishment. read more

I'll give the place a 3.5...but could use a lot of improvement. Went here last night to see Tom Arnold (who was hilarious) and the place felt..soo unkempt. Tom made a joke about having been in 2011 and it hadn't been cleaned since, but this is almost not a joke. Place felt rundown and sad, being across from the race track and next to a strip club..gotta love it. This is also not the good club in town from what I have heard. Seats and tables were old and uncomfortable and drinks were weak. Prices were good, but again weakly poured drinks. Prices for tickets were also really good, $29 and the show was about 1.5 hours. Would I come back for a great show, yeah, but would I come back just for an open mic night or some comedian I didn't know..no. Also limited parking so if you park next door, be prepared to pay $5..but what can you expect. read more

I hate going to this place. Occasionally there's a good comedian here that I want to see, but the experience of fighting for a parking spot and then being corralled into the bar where we're forced to wait till right before the show starts is so annoying it ruins the night. I wish that there was another comedy club in Peoria to go to, but unfortunately, there isn't read more

The staff was very quick and friendly. The bartender made friends with everyone including my wife and I which made the atmosphere fun. The comedians were hilarious and made us laugh until we hurt. They even took their time afterwards to talk to us. The food is good but their drinks are phenomenally good. This place is great and was very affordable. My wife and I 100% recommend this place. read more

Only been to one show here for Brian Posehn and it was great. But I have done a handful of open mics here over the last few years and I can guarantee one thing: this is the only place I've had a Butch's pizza and actually enjoyed it. Oh yeah and the setup is nice. I mean, don't come here expecting it to be the fuckin comedy store or something. Come on this is central IL. But Dan is making sure the place is the best it can be for a comedy club next to a strip club and a race track. Let's be real, this review is just about Dan. If you haven't already, watch Doug Benson's tour documentary "The Greatest Movie Ever Rolled" and you'll get an exclusive inside look at Dan being Dan. Other than that, yeah this place is not bad. Really though, that white garlic butch's pizza? Only good when it's reheated by Rob. read more

I've been here twice and had fun both times. I have to say, however, the 2nd time was superb. Why, you ask? Because I got to see one of my favorite SNL comedians-Norm Macdonald! He was hilarious AND when I met him afterwards, I got a kiss..oh yes, he kissed my cheek! The only downside to that night was the drunk hecklers right in front of us, but the employees did a good job of getting them to shut up. They offer good drinks here (which are pretty cheap), pizza, popcorn, and that sorta thing. Tickets vary in price depending on who is there. For Norm, we paid $30/person. Fun times!! LOVE Comedy Clubs. read more

Jukebox Comedy Club - Norm! I love you..just sayin' - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Peoria, Illinois

After several visits , I would have to say the entire experience would be improved by the owner being less of a bully. He is always SUPER crabby and gets really pissed if you want to pay by credit card. He is the only one checking people in before a show and swiping their credit cards so the line is out the door and he only gets madder the more people show up to spend money. He discourages you stopping at the bar on the way in to grab a drink but then once you sit down, sometimes the show has started before a server comes by. He once made an announcement blaming a specific customer (by their whole name) for being late and holding up the show. Why is the show held up for one late person who pre-bought a ticket?? Just make him stumble in in the dark and get made fun of by the comedien and that will fix any future lateness. The comedy here has been hilarious, pee your pants funny but also so bad we have walked out mid-show. It's really hard to guess too. The "talent" we walked out on was pretty well known although it was the late show that was terrible. Maybe because of the location & look of the place some comediens think they can blow it off? Every single comedien we have seen makes a joke about the race track and the strip club next door. It kind of gets old, but I guess it's their way of making their humor city-specific? Recipie for a good time here: Bring cash and avoid eye contact wtih the owner. Only go to the 8pm shows. Get at least 2 drinks every time the server comes by. read more

The Jukebox is all the negative things people say on here, yes. But if you have any idea about comedy, you will know why it's amazing. The owner keeps an incredible balance of recognizable names (we just saw Chris Kattan), up and comers, and local favorites on the schedule. The acts would not be coming without his connections, so we are lucky. The prices are the other thing. Acts coming through the Civic Center are twice as much. If you go to a comedy club in a big city, you will still pay 25 - 50% more than at the Jukebox. Here, you can see a really big star and still have money left for drinks. Or, yes, a crappy pizza. He also supports local comedians through amateur contests and amateur nights, as well as letting them have time in front of big names after they earn their chops. Stop by a couple of times a year, more often if you can. Wednesdays are amateur nights and sometimes you get to see some amazing stuff there, for less than the cost of a movie. read more

I went here to see Brian Posehn a while ago and had a good time. As a resident of a slightly larger city in the Chicago area, I'm jealous that Peoria is able to get better acts. I never noticed the owner, but he seems to come up in multiple reviews. I even remember him coming up in a podcast (CBB?) where he was described as a crotchety micromanager. The comedian talking about him recognized he did good work, but was a character. read more

We went there tonight with a group of friends. The show was awesome overall! Roy was funny and kept the crowd going! The experience however... was not so great. We had a big group of 11. The server took our order and then vanished for the next 2 hours until the headliner was almost done with the show. We got one round of drinks, half of us didn't even get our food. And then she came back and said "sorry". We tried talking to the server about it, and then another server can and tried arguing with us about our experience. "We paid 20$ for the show" yea that we didn't get to enjoy. Not sure if I'll ever come back. read more

Made my first visit last night to see Preacher Lawson and had a great time. The Club has been open for over 28 years and it is a well oiled machine. Quickly got our "Will Call" VIP tickets and was led to a table with our names on it. The show was great and well worth the money. Beers were $3.50 and mixed drinks $4. We had seats up front but there isn't a bad seat in the house to watch and hear a comedian so you really don' have to spring for the VIP tickets. The sound system was loud and clear. We had the early show so parking was not a problem, but there was an overlap with the 2c show and they probably had parking problems. Nice, clean, happy crowd. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

Do you like weak drinks, management who consistently appears intoxicated, and headliners who show up late? Then jukebox is the place for you! Ok, so not all the shows have been terrible. But the last one we went to was so bad and then the subsequent response from the owner so terrible, that this place deserves this review. Also, enjoy the run down facility next to a strip club. Super classy establishment. Piss poor, will never be back. read more

Great club. They occasionally get big names, but keep the prices down. Have seen Paula Shore, Doug Benson (Super High Me) and two of the Broken Lizard crew here, Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme. read more

If you like to laugh you will not be disappointed. Every time I come here with my friends we have a great time and our stomachs hurt from laughing. The room itself is a little close-spaced, but having some good entertainment in Peoria makes up for it! read more

I went there for the first time to see Tom Green,1-16-2015. The show was fantastic, I have lived in the area for more than a dozen years and did not know it existed. It's small but our seats were stage left and the view was really good, It was surreal to see Tom and he was as funny as ever.The drinks are reasonable and the service was top notch without being overbearing as some can be. I will definitely return when my jaw stops hurting from laughing so much. Great time and a great value, no negatives. read more

Went here Friday (10/23/09) night to see Mike Armstrong. There are two parts to the club. You enter into the "lounge" which looks like an abandoned 1950's diner with the checkerboard floor, tables and stools. The bar is here. Drinks are very reasonably priced. The performance room is a low ceilng, dimly lit affair with small, uncomfortable tables and chairs. If you called ahead for tickets then you have a table already assigned to you. The menu is just pizza and nachos. The pizzas are frozen and cooked in little pizza ovens behind the bar, but were still pretty tasty. The MC would have been funnier if all of his jokes hadn't been so left leaning. read more

This place could benefit from a relocation. We saw Lachlin Patterson (sp) there a few weeks back and the "races" across the street were drowning him out. I was embarrassed for Peoria. The venue looks a lot like a VFW in the front with a patchwork performance space in the back. It was hot, smelly and cramped. Maybe I've been spoiled by the Improv in KC. Anyways, I wouldn't go back unless there was a GREAT headliner. read more

Always a fabulous time...great atmosphere. Wonderful drinks and fair prices. A Peoria staple!

Yep, the location is crappy...get over it. You're paying a fraction of the cost to see, sometimes, rather big names. We just saw Carlos Mencia for $26!!!! Food & drinks are no more expensive than anywhere else, and they are tasty! Service is good, waitresses are nice, reservations are easy to make, & the show, every time I've been there, has been hilarious. Yes, parking sucks...get there early & carpool. Yeah, sometimes the owner is crabby...it sucks dealing with people on a daily basis, especially when most of them are bitching about your business. Go to see the show not the aesthetics of the location, it's a rather cheap night out for date night & lots of laughs!! read more

Owner was a first class asshole to my wife when she didn't understand how ticket pickup worked. Drinks were watered down. I'd recommend only buying bottles. Interior was very worn down. Wait staff was great, headliner was hilarious. Overall, won't be back. read more

Comedians are very funny! Had a great time and it is affordable entertainment! Highly recommended.

Went to Jupebox tonight to see Carlos Mencia. Been there many times before. Tonight we got a once in a lifetime treat! Carlos did a 2 1/2 hr + show. It was amazing! At Jupebox you always get good food, drinks that have plenty of alcohol in them and the staff is great. Nothing like live comedy and Jupebox always has a good selection of some of the best comedians, both newcomers and old favorites. Do yourself a favor and check it out. you won't be sorry! read more

I've been to this place countless times, and have been to many comedy clubs in other cities as well. Anyone that knows anything about stand-up comedy as an art-form likely realizes how lucky the people of Peoria are to have a place like the Jukebox. I keep a close eye on their schedule, and although I may not like the act every week (that's flat out impossible), they do a great job of booking a mixture of up and coming talent along with some more recognizable stars. They've had people like Norm MacDonald, Robert Klein, Gilbert Gottfried, Tommy Chong, Kevin Pollak, and many others. And one of the best things about this place is that is significantly cheaper than most people may think it is. I dare you to compare their prices to the cost of going to a comedy club in Chicago, or even at the Peoria Civic Center, and still say a peep about their ticket prices. Hell, one ticket for Norm MacDonald was half the cost of seeing ANY comedian at the Civic Center. Look it up if you don't believe me, it's the plain truth. I don't get the complaints I see here either. Every time I've been there the staff is always friendly and attentive. The owner is a nice guy and the only time I've ever seen him be any other way toward someone it was because they were disrupting the show and ruining it for everyone else. I actually appreciate that, because when I've paid money to see a show the last thing I want is some idiot screwing it up by heckling or talking during the show. I've been to comedy clubs that don't do anything about it and it is incredibly frustrating. The complaints you see are likely from people that tend to find something negative about damn near anything. Ignore them, and decide for yourself whether you like this place or not. I love it and will continue to go there as often as possible. read more

Absolutely great place for entertainment. Wonderful comedians at a great place. Great food and customer service. I enjoyed myself tremendously and looking forward to visiting again !! read more

Honestly, I feel like I should give it two stars, maybe I'm being too nice. Like another reviewer said, before the show begins the line is out the door, which is AWESOME when it's around thirty degrees out and you cannot bypass the line even if you bought your tickets online. I didn't expect much for the ticket price, but the place is pretty shabby. Lights out, sticky tables, etc. I opted for the "VIP" tickets which were only five dollars more and ended up being seated at a table for two right next to a pole. There was no way for both of us to sit comfortably and watch the show with the table right against it. When I asked the waitress if she could see about getting us moved she told me there where no better places to sit and that this spot was one of the best seats! Lol, then she told me that people love sitting next to the pole, it was almost as humorous as the comedians. The comedians were enjoyable, but with the disinterested staff, trashy location (between a strip club and dirt track.) and decaying interior, I wouldn't pay more than what I did. read more

Jukebox Comedy Club - Exactly where they sat me, waitress explained that it wasn't actually blocking my view, the microphone is just to the right of the pole. - Comedy Clubs Near Me - Peoria, Illinois

We live 90 miles away and still come about 9x a year, if we lived closer we'd be here every week. It is amazing that a town the size of Peoria can draw major comedians, you look at many of their headliner's tours and they go something like Dallas, Las Vegas, Chicago, Peoria, St Louis. Ticket prices are fair, as are food and drink prices. The owner, Dan knows how to run a club and control a crowd, that's important for a good experience. They run a monthly birthday special where if it is your birthday that month, you can go to a show FREE, how can you beat that? We have wanted to see Carlos Mencia for years, since Mind of Mencia was a hit on TV, Jukebox make that possible. Thank you Jukebox Comedy club! read more

Customer service at this place is garbage. I called in to cancel a reservation for a show and instead of a kind remark from the employee I was hung up on. Would not recommend. read more

We have been coming to this place for 20 years. Seen some really good shows here. Some better than others but all very good. We had purchased some tickets at a charity auction and decided to use them last night. The headliner was no one we had heard of but that didn't bother us. Once they finally let us in (late) the show didn't start until almost 30 mins late. There were seriously only around 25 people in there. We've never seen it like that before. Dan came in and talked with the "crowd" for about 10-15 mins. Nothing funny, just talking. Not sure if he was trying to fill time or what but it was very awkward. They had 3 local guys open for the headliner and let me tell you, they were terrible. All three of them were just awful! We considered leaving a couple times but wanted to see what the headliner was like. I think either one of us could have gotten on stage, told knock knock jokes and been more entertaining. The headliner was funny, not great but funny. He was more like I would expect from an opening act. My guess is that we simply picked the wrong weekend to go but Dan needs to reconsider before letting any of the openers get on stage again. I'm sure we will be back but we will definitely be careful when we return to make sure there's a better known comic headlining. Last night was a very odd experience to say the least. read more

its growing on me. its taking me a few times to get used to this club and now i wouldn't change a thing. i love that dan is able to get so many great acts into the place. hes been providing us with awesome acts for many years. and there really isn't anything else around. so hopefully he keeps this place open for many more years to come. read more