Milwaukee’s already-lacking comedy club scene has sustained another sizable hit this month. Last Thursday, Jokerz Comedy Club announced it was closing after more than 10 years in business.
Located in the basement of Silk Exotic, Jokerz hosted comedians from all around the country on a weekly basis, consistently called upon local comics to host or feature, and occasionally booked recognizable names like Eddie Griffin and Pauly Shore to perform on a stage beneath a strip club. Shore’s 2013 show at Jokerz was included in his 2014 tour documentary, Pauly Shore Stands Alone.
The closure now leaves Milwaukee without a dedicated comedy club. Bonkerz Comedy has transitioned into a production company that semi-regularly produces stand-up shows at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s Northern Lights Theater. Milwaukee’s Comedy Cafe has been empty since last spring, though the business is now hosting occasional comedy shows at a place at 906 S. Barclay St. called “The Point.”