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Helium Comedy Club now has a second function: recording studio.
Sure, standups have been filming their acts at the inner-eastside venue for years, but this week the company announced it would start recording performers and then releasing that content on a new streaming channel. The new programming applies to all eight Helium locations across the country, so now you can watch top talent from Philadelphia, Indianapolis and St. Louis without ever leaving your living room.
The launch of Helium Comedy Studios comes, of course, after two years of COVID-related closures and reopenings. The project is yet another example of a positive pandemic-era spinoff that will make it easier to access shows from the comfort of your own home.
“It was a clear opportunity for us to bolster great new talent,” Helium co-owner Marc Grossman stated in a press release. “The pandemic forced us to take a step back and consider how Helium could pivot and grow with the future of comedy by expanding our brand beyond live in-person performances. Now with video and a digital platform, we can aid these new talents in reaching a national audience.”
To start, Helium will release videos on its YouTube channel on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The current lineup includes comics like Jeff Dye (NBC’s Better Late Than Never), Jade Catta-Preta (MTV’s Girl Code), Alonzo Bodden (NBC’s Last Comic Standing winner) and Jon Dore (Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer). You can expect not only clips of performances, but also full standup specials with plans for even more yet-to-be-announced content in the future.
“What we’re presenting is the logical next iteration of the comedy special,” added Helium Comedy Studios executive producer Jimmy Chairman. “We’re offering a phenomenally curated selection of comedians, coming from the country’s best comedy rooms with network-quality production values. I’m so proud of the product and the stand-up consuming public is really going to enjoy it. We could all use a laugh right now.”