Letting the Laughs Out at Bardot’s Monthly Comedy Meetup
Looking to laugh a little bit in Northern Liberties? Northern Comedies is just what the doctor ordered.
The monthly comedy show at Bardot Cafe (447 Poplar St.) is a round robin of comedic styles. Each comedian gets about ten minutes against a crushed red velvet curtain and under a piercing spot light — true Seinfeld style. In the age of hour-long Kevin Hart and Amy Schumer specials, it’s a dynamic presentation of what Philly and New York has got: comedians who can make a tight set and work a crowd.
“[Bardot] knew I did stand up and they knew that I wasn’t a[n average] shmo doing stand up,” Michelle Biloon, the host of Northern Comedies, said. “At one point I was like, ‘oh, do you do shows there?’ They came back and said, ‘oh, we want you to do a comedy show here.” Biloon, who lives across the street from Bardot, has plenty of experience in comedy, having worked for Comedy Central, The Late Late Show and Chelsea Lately.
Every first Wednesday of the month, Biloon curates and opens for a group of comedians — many of which she has known for many years — to perform in front of bar patrons and each other. Along with her showrunner, Matt Wertz of Bardot Cafe, Biloon’s most recent Northern Comedies show featured Eddie Finn, Dan Vetrano, Lump Hamilton, Matthew Tsang, James Hesky and David James. Each comic performed in front of packed house.
“[Biloon] is already established in LA and been around,” said David James, who’s been doing comedy for a decade. “So she was already really funny and really cool. She’s a friend of mine we always see each other at the clubs or doing comedy shows.”
“I love it that people come here and enjoy it,” Biloon says. “I’m not booking famous people, theses are local people I just met in the past couple years. There are plenty of funny people on tv and deserve to be there, but just bc someone is on TV that doesn’t mean they are all the cream that rose to the top. There are plenty of people out there, that are here in your city.”
Northern Comedies occurs on the first Wednesday of each month at Bardot Cafe (447 Poplar St.).