So! Many! Comics! Fresno-area venues inundated with wave of comedy tour stops

It was only a few years ago that The Laugh Factory had (and then didn’t have) plans to open a comedy club in Fresno.

The city hasn’t had a dedicated venue for comedy since Screwballs became a blues club back in 1997, but the local comedy business seems booming, especially among touring comics who are finding ample audience in Fresno.

See past visits from Bill Burr, Matt Rife, Rob Schneider and more recently Nate Bargatze and Joy Koy.

It was a comedian, Rene Vaca, who set a (recent memory) attendance record at the Warnors Theatre with two sold out shows in December. Just last weekend, Dustin Nickerson sold out (days in advance) a pair of shows at Strummer’s nightclub.

Also sold out: A two-night run of Morgan Jay’s Goofy Guy tour, which stops at the Tower Theatre, Sept. 2-3. There’s a low-ticket warning for the final leg of Michael Blaustein’s Taste Me tour, which does two nights the following week, Sept. 9-10.

Here’s a list of other comedy tours stopping through Fresno through the end of the year.

• Rodney Carrington, Matthew Taylor, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28, Tower Theatre. $59-$75.
• Hannibal Buress, 7 p.m. Sept. 6, Tower Theatre. $35-$45.
• Whitney Cummings, Big Baby tour, 6 p.m. Sept. 11, Tower Theatre. $32.50-$89.50
• Ali Siddiq, Custom Fit tour, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sept. 12, Tower Theatre. $59-$175.
• Max Amini, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sept. 13, Tower Theatre. $25-$75, $300 for roast-free seating.
• Ali Wong, 7 p.m. Oct. 1 , Warnors Theatre. $59-$201.
• Gabriel Iglesias, 7 p.m. Oct. 8, The Big Fresno Fair. $45-$70.
• Christopher Titus, Doomed to Repeat tour, 7 p.m. Oct. 24, Tower Theatre. $25-$55.
• Tig Notaro, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14, Warnors Theatre. $35-$195.
• The Bored Teachers, 3 p.m. Nov. 22, Warnors Theatre. $47-$123.
• Steve Hofstetter, 7 p.m. Dec. 3, Strummer’s. $34.
• Concrete, 7 p.m. Dec. 5, Warnors Theatre. $43-$177.
• Colin Quinn, San Joaquin Valley Town Hall Twilight Talk, Sept. 16, Paul Shagohian Concert Hall. $70.

It’s worth noting here, that there is a network of smaller comedy showcases and open mics happening each week, including free, tip-based performances at Di Cicco’s in Clovis (on Fridays) and at Dave and Buster’s in Fresno (Sunday to Wednesday).