There really aren't enough good things to say about Laughing Buddha Comedy. I do want to make a counter-statement in regards to an earlier review about LBC "not being friendly to female comics". I think this may have been a single occurrence, as it certainly is in no way true about LBC as a whole. I moved to NYC in 2010 specifically to take their 6-week program, and everyone involved with LBC was nothing but warm and friendly to me. As a female myself, not one time was I made to feel uncomfortable or unwanted, and in fact, I have known many female comedians that have come up through the LBC ranks (not just utilizing the open-mics) and have never, not one time, heard a similar complaint. As far as the mics go, yes, there are stringent rules, but anyone who has been to the plethora of mics in NYC recognize the value of having rules; many other mics in the city are sheer mayhem. With LBC mics, you get people's undivided attention and they are always responsive (where response is warranted, lol). The biggest thing you'll see at an LBC mic is respect, and that alone is worth any money paid. In regards to LBC classes: You can take workshops/classes cheaper than LBC, but you walk away with much less as well, and you can pay much more than LBC for "accredited" classes, and still you won't get near the stage time, experience, information or attention as you will from Jeff Lawrence and his instructors. Bottom line, the cost of workshops or classes are NO indication of value, but what you get out of them, is. LBC is worth every penny. Laughing Buddha Comedy is simply cream of the comedy crop. I owe a huge part of my experience and success that I have found in the past 7 years as a stand-up comedian to LBC. It would have taken me yearrrrs to learn on my own what is taught at LBC, and the contacts I have made via networking with people associated with LBC would never have happened, period, without them. I highly, HIGHLY recommend Laughing Buddha Comedy, and its owner, Jeff Lawrence. read more

Superb comedy classes with top of the line comedy instructors! I've also done several shows and mics through LB and they're always well run and super organized and lots of fun!! read more

I took classes online with Jeff in 2021 during pandemic and it was great. Jeff pushed me to be more honest and ballsy. He gave me a couple of tips Im still using. After the classes I went a couple of online open mics he put together. Love the guy and the classes. read more

I was there a few years ago and the place was great. Most of the comedians were quite funny and I especially enjoyed the last guy to go on (David S.) He told me that he enjoyed his experience so much that he'd very much like to perform there once again in 2023. Perhaps someone can get back to me so I can inform him when and where the Open Mics are now being performed. read more

I love this school. My instructor was Jeff Lawrence and he is funny as hell, thoughtful in his critiques and really gives you great direction as well as the scoop on the industry and gearing towards being a professional comedian. What you put into it is what you get out of it. Before you even have your first day of class, you have an assignment to get you thinking about the profession and what you'd like to get out of it. When you start the first class you jump right into things. They provide the lessons, the constructive critique, the space to work and the rest is up to you. At the time I signed up for the class (Q1 2015) they included two FREE open mics a week with your package. That's three opportunities a week to work your material alone. You can definitely see the progress of the people who are going to the mics. Their material and their style definitely evolves quicker than the people who aren't. The culmination of the class is the showcase where you get up on stage at a comedy club and show em' what you can do to a live audience. The recording of your set is just the icing on the cake! I definitely feel like it was worth every bit of my tuition and then some. They don't sugar coat anything and they tell you how the industry is, whether you like it or not. If you're thinking of attending a class, look no further than Laughing Buddha's comedy school. If you think it isn't worth your time and you aren't going to learn anything worth knowing, I suggest you think again! read more

My talent manager had great things to say about Laughing Buddha and I'm so glad that I chose to attend Jeff Lawrence's 6 week workshop. What Jeff Lawrence offers as an instructor is unique because quite simply, he cares about each and every one of his students. You can tell that Jeff is connected to the craft of comedy and the art of teaching. I think that most people fear attending a workshop either because they are new to the realm of comedy or they have had a lot of professional acting training and therefore, they do not want to have someone pontificate and then aimlessly babble about the famous people they have worked with resulting in a twister of blah, blah, blah. That is NOT this workshop. This workshop is/includes: 1. Useful - by the end of the 6 weeks we all had a great set and if you don't believe me then you should see the recording at Eastville Comedy Club from last Tuesday night because it was a great show and a number of people in the class were making their debut! 2. Street Cred/Experience The pro-comics do show up at the comedy club shows and do teach classes. Comics participating with Laughing Buddha include Jeff Lawrence, Todd Barry, Joe DeVito, Janeane Garafalo, and Jim Gaffigan. At our final show, Todd Barry and Jeff Lawrence headlined and Jim Gaffigan stopped by to perform as well. 3. The Root of the Problem/Solution - Jeff dives deep into who you are and what is important to you. If it is not something that you love or hate then skip it. Jeff works closely with you to help you build your set. 4. Professional - Jeff teaches you how to perform/work as a professional comic. He brings practical advice and years of experience to the class. 5. Opportunities to perform - The best way to learn stand-up comedy is to perform and Laughing Buddha offers a host of open mics at various comedy clubs in the city. 6. Support - Jeff is incredible encouraging and you also have the opportunity to provide feedback to your fellow classmates. I think it's important that each comic have the opportunity to perform during class and give constructive feedback to their peers. It's a supportive group all around! Finally, I am grateful for the instruction, the attention to detail, and the new friends I made at Laughing Buddha. I'm happy to answer any questions should you desire additional feedback on Jeff Lawrence's 6 week class. It was great! read more

I'm having the time of my life at Laughing Buddha Comedy classes. Jeff Lawrence has put together a great program of classes and a great selection of open mics to practice. It is a fabulous environment to learn stand-up comedy. Joe DeVito and Kevin Dombrowski are great teachers to help you with a set you get to perform in a showcase after your classes are done. I'm looking forward to my next set of classes already. read more

Great organization. The founder is very nice and helpful with figuring out your place in the New York comedy scene. The shows are always a good time and I look forward to the performances at Klimat every week. read more

Laughing Buddha Comedy - Comedy Clubs Near Me - New York, New York

I haven't been to a comedy club in years, so when a guy with a sign approached me on the street, asking me if I wanted to see a comedy show, I figured, why not? There was no cover charge, but there was a one or two drink minimum, I don't remember which, but did get two drinks so it never came up as an issue. As you enter you're led directly down a set of stairs to a basement, and led to your seats. All of the seats have a small table in front for your drinks, and I expect you can probably order food too, but having just eaten I wasn't hungry. That night apparently the performance had been going on since 9pm, and would go on until 2am, with a different comic going on stage every 10-15 minutes. That is the part I absolutely loved... even if the guy or gal on stage wasn't doing that great they didn't stay on for long so you got to hear quite a few different styles, and jokes. The setting was also quite intimate, with just a small stage, and friendly heckling was part of the show as well. I admit to having been labeled the drunk guy in the back. Lies I tell you! Regardless unlike many comedy shows where there is little to no interaction with the crowd, here there was plenty and it led to greater enjoyment for all. Having originally intended to spend just a few minutes there I instead stayed all the way to the end, and liked it. Highly recommend it as something to do if you happen to be in the area. read more

I have been doing comedy for about a year and have taken classes from 3 different places. My favorite is Laughing Buddha Comedy School, because I didn't feel like I was learning how to be funny for someone else, I was asked to look at myself and talk about me. It makes my humor honest and meaningful. I speak from my mind and my heart. The classes covered multiple aspects of stand up comedy and were super informative. I got stage time at the Laughing Buddha mics to practice my material in front of people. Jeff is very direct and tells it like it is. I was asked to think about the stuff I bring up and why it's important to me. It was fun and challenging. I am so excited to keep developing better and better material. read more

I took the one-night crowd work and hosting workshop with Jeff Lawrence. I found it super helpful. We got to get up and perform as if we were at a live show, using the class as an audience. Jeff gave direct and helpful feedback. He doesn't bullshit - but he also doesn't embarrass students. He's a very good teacher. I highly recommend taking this class. I also highly recommend the mics. You get to pre-book online, which is amazing customer service. Also, people really pay attention during your sets, since we can't be on our phones or in our notebooks. read more

This shit's better- AND CHEAPER than therapy guys... It puts the work on YOU I grew & learned more in the 6 weeks I was in Jeff's class than my entire first year as an open micer. It accelerated my growth as a comic exponentially...I noticed an almost immediate difference each week, as we gained additional positive, constructive criticism on our writing, technique, character, etc as well as suggestions for directions in which we could build. Also, he makes sure that you understand everything he says is a SUGGESTIONS there's no right or wrong way to do stand up, but to a certain extent, it IS a science & Jeff helps u find the route to discovery. I WAS a shaking mess. Now I'm a shaking, confident, comic...I hope it lets me post this anonymously... I'm not the type to kiss ass like this, unless it's really deserved. & it is. LB comics stand out. & the graduation show (at least for me) will never be forgotten. read more

Laughing Buddha Comedy turned out to be my favorite place to perform comedy and show up at open mics in NYC. I went to open mics and did booked comedy shows all over the city when I was home for Christmas which included Eastville Comedy and I did a sold out show and brought more than 30 people to Stand Up NY amongst other top name comedy clubs that people are used to hearing and going to in NYC. I didn't know about Laughing Buddha before finding them online and I'm sure glad they had an online presence! They were the one place, I just couldn't stay away from for the 2 weeks I was home in NY and the place I found myself bringing my friends to on a whim! Laughing Buddha is the place I'm going to be spending a lot of time at this summer 2014! Laughing Buddha totally stole my heart! Seriously, this place and the way it is run is really genius. They really give everyone a chance to perform in front of great crowds. If you can bring some people, you'll get even more amazing opportunities including getting seen by bookers, agents and local celebrity comics! This place really wants comics to succeed and they really want the audience to enjoy themselves. I was able to bring friends every time I performed here and all my friends all said they had a blast and it was their favorite place to see me perform! I love that they have a, "no notes" 8PM show and rules for the audience and comics to abide by. Not everyone likes to have rules, but overall the comedy scene generally lacks rules and many shows are ruined because of a lack of authority, communication and clarity of how a comedy show is supposed to run. By having these rules, they really set the stage for great performances that aren't ruined by a crowd of obnoxious comics or drunk audience members looking at their phones or talking loudly to one another. Shut your phone off and laugh for an hour, all your chores will still be waiting for you when you leave! Not once did I perform at any of the Laughing Buddha clubs to an empty room. The rooms were always packed, and not only packed, but packed with a supportive, decent crowd that will laugh at jokes that are funny and will remain silent at hackie jokes. Check this place out, you won't regret it...and if you do....give it another chance. read more

Not welcoming to female comics! A female comedian friend and I signed up for an open mic night, super excited to try out our stuff in the NYC comedy scene. We walked into a room full of literally only men. This is kind of to be expected and, though disappointing, is reasonable. What is NOT reasonable is how immediately uncomfortable we were made to feel by the host, who commented right away on our appearance in the audience, and began making jokes about police shooting black people. I understand that there is a fine line in terms of policing people's words in comedy but it was a space in which we felt so uncomfortable and unsafe (after being sexually harrassed by another comic there, who rubbed up against a friend and said he "wanted to cuddle"), that we left shortly after arriving, forfeiting the $20 odd bucks we'd spent to get in. You can be funny, and even edgy, and even make comments about women and people of color without creating a space that excludes and derides them. No thanks, Laughing Buddha! read more

I love doing the open mics at Village Lantern downtown on weekends. Whenever I get a chance, which is tough, having a wife and kids, I choose Laughing Buddha as the gym to do my "comedy pushups", so to speak. The comics in attendance are so very supportive, and the room is so nurturing that it's actually a delight to get up and fail; this is what open mics are about, right? Batting Practice, working on the material, seeing what works, seeing what doesn't work, learning the difference btw. what's clever and what's funny. The $5 cover is well worth it, the one drink min. is not a problem, because you attend this open mic for a reason: to get better. With encouraging Hosts, and other comics to watch and emulate, my experience there is always terrific. Whatta pleasure the open mics with Laughing Buddha are, and I am so glad I found them. read more

I was walking by this comedy club and was told that "porn stash" from Orange is the New Black was performing. I watch that show and only went to laughing Buddha to see him. I spent money on drinks and 45 minutes there and it was not actually the actor from OITB. Needless to say, this place is desperate and needs to lie about their comedians in order to get people in the door. The show sucked and this comedy club sucks. read more

I was at their open mic night at Klimat (77 east 7th Street). Klimat Lounge itself was great; however, the open mic at 10:30pm (last Thursday) was trash. Most of the sets were not funny whatsoever; they were recycled racist jokes, gender jokes or sex jokes. It was boring. Even my date had to let the comics know how boring they were. They were also making autistic jokes. Really? I can be pretty insensitive myself but if all of your jokes are using dated stereotypes, then you are a cancer/not funny. Keep up with the times. If you cannot make it clear in your space that there is no racism/sexism/ableism is not welcome on the stage, then the blame is actually not the comics but on The Laughing Buddha. So sad, as a fan of standup, I will never come back to The Laughing Buddha and will make sure that people in my circle will spread the news. Never again. 2 Stars for the one person (out of 20 comics before my date and I walked out) that was actually funny. read more

My son is a 19 year old stand up comic. I go with him to MANY open Mics in NYC and NJ. The people who run LBC are amazing. Professional and considerate for the comedians there craft and time. This transfers over to the comedians who respect each other and try and help out. Best group in NYC. read more

I had great experiences in Jeff Lawrence's 6 week comedy class as well as the one night hosting class. The class was a lot of fun, and it was awesome to get insight from a working comedian. Plus, I got to do free open mics and see shows, so it was a total immersive comedy experience. Great for anyone from aspiring pros to people who just always wanted to give it a try. read more

I observed and performed in the 6 PM open mic on Saturday night, Sept. 6. Personally, I was treated well by the crowd, as I was when I first showed up there months ago. This was the strength of my experience. However. The room didn't "feel" as full as it did last spring, and, from checking it out as I waited to go onstage, (I was near the end of a long list, but I didn't mind) it actually wasn't. I could've sworn people were standing against the walls for an early Saturday Night open mic in April. Now: Not so much. So, in terms of crowd size, perhaps this was just an off night owing to most New York City students' first week back? Whatever the case, there's "intimate," then there's "occasionally uncomfortable," which is how I felt when the reliable background buzz of a larger crowd was regularly replaced by total silence. Did I tell a couple of "flat" jokes that fell into that silence? Sure, but this honestly isn't about me because the silence was there from the start of the whole mic. Perhaps this was weighing on other performers, too, because when they weren't sitting in the audience themselves, many of them treated the crowd with hostility from the stage, and this hostility showed itself in a generalized nastiness toward women. (A friend of mine pointed to a female performer's body language as evidence that she was "disgusted" by the proceedings. Body language very often counts for something in all kinds of performance art, so I believe my friend.) I write a lot of comedy, so I get the idea of being "provocative," but lacing one's content with violent language isn't "provocative," "cutting edge," or whatever. It is, rather, the very definition of "punching down," and I sincerely hope I didn't contribute to any of that that night. Heckling, in my view, isn't the answer to such things, because-given that these mics are run on a schedule-heckling might just bring an entire mic to a standstill, thus holding up, for example, performers less "deserving" of heckles. Better, then, to make my statement here. I like this club. I've been there and I'll show up again, but I was wishing for better at the 6 PM, Sept. 6 mic. Censorship of performers certainly isn't what I'm urging; I hope, rather, that every effort is made in the future to "pack" the room, a great way to both deepen the pool of performers and diversify the crowd, thus improving matters for people simply there to watch. read more

BEST comedy class and BEST instructor EVER!!!! I always wanted to try comedy and now I am a stand-up addict. Jeff Lawrence is a fantastic teacher- very supportive and helps you find yourself as a comedian. Made some great friends and will continue to do open mics because this is just a blast! I recommend this class to anyone and everyone. Our final showcase featured Jeneane Garofalo and Jim Gaffigan. What could be better?? Sign up for this class and you wont regret it. PRICELESS!!!! read more

This place was not funny! Drinks and service was horrible as well. It's a shame all the best comedy clubs are dying.

i had my second time performing comedy ever here. The staff was so sweet and professional. The crowd is nice and intimate and i won a chip afterwards. Im definitely going back. read more

Laughing Buddha runs the best open mics in NYC. Definitely the place you want to start if you're thinking about giving stand-up comedy a try. read more

I wanted a gig in New York and the Laughing Buddha had a great list of shows at multiple times and venues. I went to a Friday show in the Village and was greeted as a regular rather than an out-of-towner. Even though it was an open mic, it felt like a show. I can't wait to do another LB show. read more

Laughing Buddha is a supportive, and great open mic. I've did my first show a couple of months ago, and also just finished a show last night. I can definitely say that throughout my novice tenure within comedy, this has been the best location to acquire confidence and build on your craft. The best spot hands down. read more

Absolutely horrible!!! I was looking for a comedy club for my birthday- wanted to have a fun night out in the city with some friends and came across laughing buddah. I called and was told there were two shows- one at 830 and one at 1030 at a different location both of which were a $5 cover and one item minimum. It turned out to be the worst night of my life. I was surprised to find out there was no cover or drink minimum but got some drinks anyways and didn't ask questions. Once the show started I come to find out that it was open mic night ...which NO ONE told me when I called. Not only were we pretty much the only audience members other than the people performing but every single person was absolutely horrible with the exception of ONE lady. One guy who went on stage stood up there for 10 minutes talking about how he didn't know what to say! PAINFUL to say the least. We were all falling asleep and miserable, it totally killed our buzz and was a waste of a night in the city. Not only was it a terrible night for me, but I now felt bad that I dragged my friends into this! Thank you for ruining birthday. I am all for open mic nights for those who think it's fun or want to get into it but a business should absolutely inform people of what is going on so one can make the proper decision of whether or not they should go!!!!!! For those working there please tell people the TRUTH about scheduled performances and for anyone thinking about going to any of their "shows" or open mic nights - worst comedy EVER!!!!SO DISAPPOINTED!!!! I would give this 0 stars if I could ! read more

Great open mics, especially when you're starting out. The crowd is supportive most of the time, and there are incentives for comics to stay until the end of the mic. There are a lot of times and locations to choose from, so you can easily find a mic that works with your schedule. read more

Your best bet... Take what you know and use it else where. They play favorites there and some of their comics will take advantage of you. Don't be too friendly, take a class and dip. I like their classes. It's not a suitable supportive environment for newbies. My opinion from experience that happened years ago. I drop in a mic every once in a while but again their classes are worth it, you just don't get proof you attended. No certificate, no credit nothing. I've been to 2 classes altho it was informative it's not like I can put it on a talent resume. read more

I've done some Laughing Buddha open mics over the last two years with mixed results. But a lot of that is dependent on the bar/club and on the collection of comics who show up on any given night. But the way they organize and run things is really helpful, especially in NY which can be a clusterf*ck for comics to play by ear. I also did one of their showcases last year and enjoyed it a lot. Last night I took one of their classes (Hosting and Crowd Work) and really liked the whole experience. Jeff Lawrence has been through it al in NY comedy and really uses that to help the rest of us. He seems genuinely interested in helping comics of all experience levels get better and smarter about all things comedy. And he's fun and easy to work with. Basically, there aren't a lot of well thought out and organized resources for NY comedy, especially for up and comers, so Laughing Buddha is really, really valuable and a great way to learn and network. read more

Only started going up at open mics for 6 months, half of them hosted by LBC and lately more that I find on badslava & freemics. Attended LBC's free 2 hour workshop afterwork tonight, hosted by the hysterically edgy, one & only Jeff Lawrence (whew, luckily there's only one Jeff Lawrence). Joking aside, I found it informative enough to take 8 pgs of notes, in a really teenie tiny notebook. Suzy Yengo 'headlined' with even more great advice & tips. By the end of the workshop, I registered for a one day, 3 hour Hosting and Crowd Work class. Okies, my brain hurts, it needs whisky. 'peace read more

I've been thinking of taking a comedy class for years. So glad I finally did and so glad it was with Laughing Buddha. I did the 6-week Stand Up workshop in December. Jeff Lawrence is a engaging teacher (who picked a great wing man in Meno Fernandez). He pushed everyone out of their comfort zone but did so in a supportive and entertaining manner. I also saw some LBC open mics. A great place for beginners and for those honing their craft. For the price of a beer I heard some remarkable stories I know I won't hear anywhere else. Highly recommend the entire package. read more