Comedians battle it out at Goodnights for the highly esteemed title
It takes a lot of wit and well-thought-out jokes to be truly funny—but to be the funniest person in all of North Carolina? Now that’s a tall feat. Enter Goodnights Comedy Club’s annual NC’s Funniest competition, currently in the semifinals, with the next cycle of contestants taking the stage to prove their laughability July 8, 9 and 10.
During this round, 10 comedians will compete each night and only three will advance, leaving nine total contestants in the finals on July 21. In true Miss America fashion, the champion of the 2024 North Carolina’s Funniest Person Contest will get a crown, a $3,000 check, bragging rights, and the coveted spot of hosting every preliminary round of the 2025 competition (!).
Meet this year’s class of semifinalists here—and be sure to buy tix to get your giggle on during the next few semifinal/final rounds. May the laughs be with all the competing comedians!
Since the final curtain closed at its Morgan Street digs, the legendary laugh house has been supplying the sillies via its temporary space in the defunct K&W Cafeteria. Now, Goodnights’ new permanent home—situated underneath what will soon be a wraparound Shake Shack (stay tuned for opening updates!)—will be amping up Village District as the new hip place to hang.
“We’re thrilled to welcome guests into Goodnights’ permanent new home!” says Goodnights owner Brad Grossman. “After months of hosting guests in our temporary location, we’re ready to unveil our new space, which is packed with amenities to further enhance the comedy club experience. Goodnights is a Raleigh institution and we’re proud to continue to honor our roots and legacy while also enhancing the overall atmosphere.”
With 11,000 square feet, two stages (doubling its comedic capacity!), the space to hold a 300- to 325- person audience, and low ceilings, the setting is thoughtfully designed to foster a sense of community and an ideal comedy setting.
To boot, the new venue is a vision—literally—thanks to a massive mural of DTR by local artist Jennifer Ross spread across the backdrop of the stand-up stage. It’s (finally) time to say hello to the new Goodnights!
Goodnights may be moving—but it isn’t going anywhere.
The news of Goodnights Comedy Club’s closing resonated about as loudly as the Will Smith Oscars slap heard ’round the world. But if all goes according to plan, the curtain will never go down on Goodnights. In a sit-down interview with Raleigh Magazine, co-owner Brad Grossman revealed plans for the legendary laugh house’s new home—beginning temporarily in the now-defunct K&W Cafeteria space, and then moving permanently beneath Bargain Box as it resurrects the once bustling nightlife scene that was Underground Cameron Village—which was part of the appeal. “This was a big deciding factor when we chose Village District,” said Grossman, of family-owned and -operated Helium, who bought the comedy club in 2013. “I wanted to be close to Downtown, and I think being close to where the action was in the past is a nice throwback to that time”—and to bring life back to that area at night.
After first taking stage in K&W for 16 to 20 weeks (post permit approval—and nod to potential supply chain hiccups), Goodnights will take its new permanent position under what will now be—wait for it—instead of Bargain Box, a wraparound Shake Shack. Nestled beneath the uber-popular fast-casual spot will be about 11,000 square feet, with intentional low ceilings—and capped to hold 300 to 325 guests to maximize the comedy experience (for context, the OG space holds about 250). “You’ll feel intimate in the new space,” said Grossman. “The low ceilings will be a little bit lower than you experience them now—that’s what makes comedy work. We sit next to one another and you feel the vibration of the person next to you. It’s really a perfect environment.” By design, Helium is known for bringing local and stadium-size talent to intimate spaces. “We definitely go for vibe, and a lot of the touch points are important to us—the smells, the tastes, what you hear, what you see,” he said.
Goodnights will temporarily move to the closed K&W in Village District. (ITB Insider)Formerly Bargain Box, the new permanent location for Goodnights Comedy Club. (News & Observer)
The nearly 40-year-old local comedy juggernaut that has woven itself into the very fabric of Raleigh’s identity—hosting everyone from hordes of local rising talents to the likes of Ellen DeGeneres and Chris Rock—no doubt holds an iconic place in Raleigh’s comedy and nightlife scene. And as the lights go dark on Morgan Street for the final time at the end of July, Goodnights will turn the page to its future in the Village District—and pay homage to its history with specific design elements (think brick and a nod to the green room). “I have a love for the history of [Goodnights],” said Grossman, who takes both its past and future very personally. “Being in that old building, I’m very sensitive to it. It’s so important to the fabric of the business. While it’s sad, it’s also exciting at the same time when you get to build a club in the way that you think comedy should be experienced.” But this is bigger than a hallowed building and the big names who’ve passed through since its 1983 premiere. Now, at a time when the world is in peril and strife, comedy is more important than ever. “As emotional and sensitive as our country has been, I think comics are the ones who are gonna bring it back together,” said Grossman. “Comics are the ones who make us laugh at ourselves.” … So thankfully it’s not goodnight. goodnightscomedy.com
One of the most iconic aspects—and one of Grossman’s favorite components—of the OG Goodnights building is its original green room, situated in a removed elevator shaft with just a small couch and a little chair—and about 1,000 comedian signatures adorning the walls. “It’s a piece of art,” said Grossman. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to take that shaft. … I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to take it with me physically, but my plan is to get a photographer in there and do a 360 of it and then bring it to the space. There’s a lot of history in that green room.”
GHOSTLY TALES
“I’ve had a few managers there who don’t like to lock up on their own because they’ve heard noises. They have a video of a glass flying across the bar and there’s no one around. It’s pretty nuts. My team even has a name for her. We’re thinking about doing maybe a little seance, you know, burning some sage before we leave just to let her know, like, hey you’re gonna be fine—you should stay with the building.”
Ghost name: Esther
Listen for more behind-the-scenes conversations on how Raleigh Magazine got the scoop!
If approved, a new apartment building could replace Goodnights Comedy Club.
Bridging the gap between the Warehouse District and Hillsborough Street to wildly up DTR’s walk score is the just announced sprawling 865 Morgan, a grand new mixed-use property. Sitting on the site of longstanding laugh house Goodnights Comedy Club and slated to break ground in Q1 2022, the new development by HM Partners (of Edison Lofts, Dawson, Powerhouse Square fame, among others), if approved, will span 3 acres, complete with 401 apartments, 9,000 square feet of retail space and a parking deck. “My goal is not just to build, but to improve the community,” says Gregg Sandreuter, HM Partners managing partner.
And, live comedy fans, before your chuckles turn to tears, know that HM Partners reached an agreement with Goodnights, which will continue to operate at another unidentified location. “Regardless of where we are, Goodnights will continue its tradition of bringing the best comedy to the Raleigh area and will always support the local scene,” says Reven MacQueen, Helium’s senior manager of development and East Coast operations. Adds Sandreuter, “Goodnights will be in Raleigh for a long time to come.” So, not so much a goodnight (aka goodbye) as many more good nights ahead. goodnightscomedy.com
