Put Your Sense of Humor to the Test on Raleigh Comedy Trivia

Raleigh clearly has a funny bone. Long before comedy clubs and stand-up was popular outside NYC and LA, our hometown had a history of bringing in improv and laughs. Think you know the Cap City’s sillier side? Raleigh comedy is calling—brush up on your facts!

1. The legendary Goodnights Comedy Club opened in 1983 on West Morgan Street. Which iconic comedian did not take the stage at the original intimate venue? 

a.   Robin Williams 
b.   Jerry Seinfeld 
c.   David Cross
d.   Ellen DeGeneres

2. Raleigh just has such a nice ring to it. Despite being called *Raleigh* Improv, where does the comedy club actually reside? 

a.   Garner 
b.   Apex 
c.   Cary 
d.   Fuquay-Varina

3. Which NC comedian made an appearance in Office Christmas Party alongside Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston as an overly yappy taxi driver? 

a.   Fortune Feimster 
b.   Jeanne Robertson
c.   Mamrie Hart
d.   Jacqueline Novak

4. “Indiana Jones wears one!” NC comedian Zach Galifianakis of The Hangover and Between Two Ferns was just one credit shy of graduating from which local university?

a.   Shaw University
b.   William Peace University 
c.   UNC Chapel Hill 
d.   NC State University 

5. Starting in August 2022, Goodnights temporarily operated out of the building housing which former restaurant chain before moving into its current Village District digs in early 2023? 

a.   Hardee’s 
b.   K&W Cafeteria
c.   Smithfield’s Chicken ’N Bar-B-Q
d.   Biscuitville

6. The town of Mayberry featured in NC comedian and actor Andy Griffith’s The Andy Griffith Show is based on which NC small town?  

a.   Hendersonville 
b.   Manteo 
c.   Mount Airy 
d.   Hillsborough

7. Apparently, laughter really is the best medicine. University researchers studied the effects of laughter using blood samples from students watching which NC funnyman’s stand-up routine? 

a.   Zach Galifianakis
b.   Jon Reep
c.   Gallagher
d.   Duncan Trussell

8. We all gotta start somewhere. Which iconic Raleigh venue was originally established as the largest A&P grocery store in 1936? 

a.   Kings
b.   The Wicked Witch
c.   ComedyWorx
d.   The Rialto

9. The future is only getting funnier—for most. Which local venue is hosting shows during the first-ever Raleigh Comedy Festival in 2025? 

a.   Goodnights Comedy Club
b.   Neptunes
c.   State of Beer 
d.   All of above