On Thursday, Jan. 4, Jokerz Comedy Club, which operated out of the basement of Silk Exotic, announced via Facebook that they would be closing for good. “Thank You Milwaukee (& beyond!) for 10+ amazing years of laughs and great times!” the post said.
This closure leaves Milwaukee without a single venue solely dedicated to standup comedy. Milwaukee’s Comedy Café has been empty since July 2015, and Bonkerz Comedy now partners with Potawatomi Hotel & Casino to produce bi-weekly stand-up shows.
Milwaukee still has a strong local comedy scene with plenty of open mics and a growing Milwaukee Comedy Festival, but a dedicated venue for standup comedy in the city will surely be missed.