LOS ANGELES — For 50 years, the Comedy Store has been a club in need of comics, and a place for comics in need of a club. The relationship is as plain as the writing on the walls of the storied venue, cluttered with the names of its biggest stars dotting its black exterior in white cursive. But that only tells a fraction of the story of a venue that's anchored itself in comedy history, creating a magnetic pull that brings new stars in and keeps the veterans coming back.
Days before receiving the slap heard round the world at the Oscars, Chris Rock spent a week working out his latest material for the Store crowd, surprising audience members who had no idea he would be popping in on a weeknight. When his name was announced, the air inside the club's Main Room turned electric.
"When it's Tuesday night, you're here and people saw Chris Rock just walking onstage, the vibe and the tempo just changed, it livened up," general manager Richi Taylor says. "And then those people tell their friends, 'You're not gonna believe this! You were supposed to come and you didn't!' And they're teasing them that they missed when Chris came in … nights like that have always helped the notoriety of the club."
