😅 Boston’s comedy scene isn’t funny anymore

It’s Monday, Boston.

😂 Per our subject line, April fools! Boston’s comedy scene rocks (more on that below).

🧹 Also … attention, Bostonians! Daytime street sweeping starts back up today in most neighborhoods. There are few things worse than paying for a tow or a ticket because you forgot what day of the week it is, so double check your street’s sweeping schedule.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Now arriving: Reduced MBTA fares

• To-go cocktails are gone

• Beantown’s other beans

Up first…

ARTS & CULTURE

Boston’s comedy renaissance

Boston’s comedy scene is popping off. Pandemic-era changes have shaken up the local scene and paved the way for newer, more unique offerings than ever before. And given that it’s April Fool’s Day, what better time to have a laugh?

Here’s what to know:

🎤 Many of the city’s comedy institutions were hit hard in 2020. “Literally, our business is bringing people together in closed spaces and having them cough on each other,” said Norm Laviolette, CEO of Laugh Boston and Improv Asylum. “Not the business to be in when the plague hits.” See: Improv Boston closing for good last year.

😂 But in some ways, COVID was a silver lining to local comedians. As larger venues became less feasible options for comedy shows, spaces like restaurants and breweries started dipping their toes into hosting comedy events, providing local comedians more mid-level opportunities to perform and get paid for their work, Laviolette said. 

🤔 And it empowered other comedians to change the scene’s status quo. Like figuring out how to fill some of that space with new ideas, spaces, and structures for how to improve the scene, Tooky Kavanagh, a local comedian, explained. That led to an effort by comedians “to really think outside the box, think differently than how we've done things in the past,” said Kayleigh Kane, co-founder of Nova Comedy Collective. “The old models are just not sustainable anymore.”

💭 New comedy mindsets = New comedy venues. Take Duck Duck Goofs, a new brick-and-mortar comedy venue that grew in the basement of a Cambridge community center. It started from founder Ryan Howe’s idea that he could do better than what was out there both through talent selection and paying comedians fairly. Or one-month-old Nova Comedy Collective, which started with a similar thought: that there was a lack of space in the scene for interdisciplinary, collaborative comedy. So they decided to fill it their way, said Shiyanbade Animashaun, Nova’s co-founder. 

👏 If you’re looking for a show (or stage) the time is now. In Boston’s post-COVID landscape, there have never been more opportunities for young talent to get their foot in the door, Laviolette said. And the comedians working in Boston now are “world class,” according to Howe, who vouched that he’d put some of his local comedians up against any national headliner.

🙋 Want an expert rec? All of the people and spaces we mentioned here are worth checking out. But their recommendations included stand-up comedian Janet McNamara and locally founded Next Stop Comedy, which hosts a free weekly show in the North End, in addition to lots of shows throughout Mass.

QUICK QUESTION

😆 Who’s the best comic from Mass.? (This list is not exhaustive!)

TOGETHER WITH MEET BOSTON

Out: Cover letters. In: Meeting employers IRL

💼 🌟 Tired of spending hours crafting your resume only to get ghosted by employers? Break the cycle at the Annual Meet Boston Regional Career Fair. With employers from the hospitality, sports, travel, and tourism industries, you can land your dream job (or at the very least, make some meaningful connections that will help you get there). There are plenty of open positions waiting to be filled, so now is your chance to make a move. Head to the Hyatt Regency Boston on April 30 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and level up your career. 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚇 Now arriving: Reduced MBTA fares for low-income riders. The MBTA’s Advisory Board unanimously voted to cut fares in half for riders between 26 and 64 making less than $30,000 a year. To get the discount, which will kick-in this summer, riders will have to apply online, and eligibility will be determined by existing enrollment in SNAP and other MassHealth programs. The board also voted to stop giving riders change via CharlieTickets on buses and trolleys (boo!) and expand the commuter rail’s $10 weekend pass to include federal holidays. 

🏢 Empty office buildings may cause a tax mess in Boston. Long story short: The declining value of Boston’s many empty office buildings might leave the city with a big ol’ revenue hole, so Mayor Michelle Wu introduced new legislation to try and make sure residential property taxes aren’t hiked up as a result. Her plan would give the city the option to raise taxes on commercial and industrial properties to make up the difference in the city’s budget if office building values keep plummeting. But, it’ll all need to be approved by the City Council and state legislature first.

👋 Cocktails to-go are officially gone. At least, for now. As of yesterday, the state legislature failed to hammer out an agreement that would make permanent some pandemic-era policies (like to-go cocktails or expanded outdoor dining) before they officially expired. Deadline-missing isn’t exactly uncharted territory for the legislature, and it doesn’t mean that those policies couldn’t come back if the two can make nice, but for now, just don’t expect to be able to order a marg with your take-out. 

🏀 UConn went two for two at TD. Hometown faves UConn secured themselves a spot in the final four with two Ws at TD Garden this weekend, crushing both No. 5 seed San Diego State and No. 3 seed Illinois (seriously, both by 20+ points). Meanwhile, Larry David, who made a surprise appearance at the Illinois game, wasn’t too pleased with UConn’s victory, giving coach Dan Hurley a few pieces of his mind throughout the game. Now, we’ll have to wait until April 6 to see how UConn fares against Alabama.

THINGS TO DO

Weekday plans

👯 Dink for just $10. WII is hosting a pickleball social at PKL Boston Tuesday, where in addition to two hours of playtime and free racquet and balls, there will be apps (arguably the most important part). 

🕺 Hit the club Wednesday night without any booze. Dray Drinks and SIDE Presents are hosting a series of “Over The Influence” nights to redefine nightlife norms with an alcohol-free, early evening event featuring local DJs. 

🥨 Run for free beer and pretzels! Stop by Notch Brewing in Brighton on Thursday for their weekly Meters for Liters 5K. It’s not a real race, just a chance to run and earn free food and drinks. 

🎷 Listen to some smooth jazz. Local beer. Good music. What more could you ask for? Triad will be performing at Long Live Roxbury’s jazz night on Thursday starting at 6 p.m. 

🧘 Stretch out at the museum. You can om your way through Friday evening with a 75-minute yoga class at the Museum of Renaissance in Somerville (there will be an extra long savasana with live acoustic guitar!).

🎉 Want more things to do recommendations? Refer five friends to unlock three bonus items. For those who already have, enjoy below.

ONE LAST THING

Beantown’s other beans 

If you find yourself indulging in some jelly beans this Easter season, be sure to remember where it all started: Boston. 

That’s right, our beloved Easter and springtime candy was originally created right here. 

Although the “exact origins of Jelly beans are lost in time,” according to Jelly Belly, and the actual processes that created the hard shell and soft, gooey middle date back to 17th century France and the pre-biblical Middle East, the jelly bean in its modern form (and its popularization) is credited to Boston candy tycoon William Schrafft. Who knew!

So from now on, just know that Beantown officially has a double meaning (baked and jelly).

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🍬 Thanks for reading! Can I imagine a world without buttered popcorn flavored jelly beans? Probably. But I don’t want to.

💜 Special shoutout to today's sponsor, Meet Boston, for supporting local journalism and helping local employers and job seekers connect in a more authentic way. 

📝 A quick correction: The article we cited saying Rebelle Bagels had opened for business has been corrected to say it’ll open sometime this spring. We’re counting down the days. 

🕺 The results are in: Wally’s Cafe Jazz Club and Big Night Live beat out Midway Cafe and West End Johnnie’s in round four of B-Side Madness. Onto the elite eight.

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].