Hell Yes Fest '22 Shines a Light on Stand-Up in New Orleans

New Orleans’ comedy festival presents comedians promoters think will have a higher profile this time next year.

The Hell Yes Fest has existed in a number of formats. The New Orleans comedy festival has done years with an emphasis on improv, or with a balance of improv, sketch, and stand-up. It has had grass roots years and a year when Sarah Silverman played the Saenger as a part of it. It took 2020 and 2021 off because of COVID, but tonight is the opening night of a week of stand-up shows starting with Matt Ruby headlining two shows tonight at Comedy House New Orleans on Fulton Street.

“somehow i always wind up performing on election nights,” he tweeted last night. “if you're in nola, i'll talk ya off the ledge.”

This year’s Hell Yes Fest is a targeted strike with headliners Trixx on Wednesday, Rita Brent on Thursday, and Natalie Cuomo on Friday, all at Comedy House New Orleans. Also on Friday night, The Howlin’ Wolf’s Den will host “Border Laughs.”

Saturday afternoon, the Comedy House will feature “The Open Mic from Hell,” which adds a Japanese game show element to the stand-up staple. Saturday will also see Nick Guerra at Zony Mash, Ocean Glapion at Comedy House New Orleans, and “Comedy Mixtape” at The Howlin’ Wolf’s Den.

Sunday will feature shows with Mo Alexander, Rosie Tran, Alex Cureau, and Ed Black, then Republic NOLA will host the Closing Night show with Luke Null from Saturday Night Live, Kosha Dillz from MTV’s Wild N’Out, and more.

Tickets for all these shows are on sale now.

This year’s focus on stand-up is in part predicated by the Comedy House, the comedy club owned by Tami Nelson and booked by Chris Trew. It’s a stand-up space, so it made sense to book to the space they had. “We have a weekly improv show and that’s a lot of fun, but Tami wanted to own a stand-up comedy club, so it’s 90 percent stand-up.”

The festival serves as a second launch party for the venue, which opened on Fulton Street in 2021, but as New Orleans’ nightlife staggered back to its feet, that opening was an easy one to overlook. That’s no reflection on the stand-up scene, though.

“There’s always been at least one really good show in a bar every week,” Trew says. “Now there’s more than one. There’s a handful of really good, reliable, successful shows in bars, but a rebirth might be happening because with the club open, there’s a consistent home base for it. There are more great shows going on around the city than ever before.”

Hell Yes Fest is a reminder that not only is stand-up comedy back, but COVID aside, it never really left. Stand-up comedy has a subcultural quality much like metal and punk: Real fans know who’s happening, but with the decline in significance of the late night talk shows comes the decline of awareness of stand-up comedians.

“These aren’t household names,” Trew says of this year’s lineup, which he booked the festival with a bit of a tastemaker’s sensibility. “I believe that all of these headliners—we won’t be able to afford them next year.” They’ve been on the late night shows and have meaningful social media followings, “but they don’t have a Netflix special yet. But I bet you half them will within a year.”

Like music, stand-up comedy is everywhere these days. Venues around the country have instituted comedy nights because it’s easy to produce, and the proliferation of digital spaces has made it easier for comedians to expand beyond their cities without the aid of television exposure. Social media, YouTube, Twitch, and podcasts have given comedians the chance to establish relationships with audiences, even if those spaces aren’t exactly about jokes.

Trew has booked comedians who made their name on TikTok with interesting results. Comedians approach him about playing the club, leading with their millions of TikTok followers. He has taken a shot on some of them, even when he wasn’t sure what they would actually do onstage. “These people sell out,” he says. “It’s not classic stand-up, but they’re funny, they sell tickets, and they have fans who want to back them and support them. It’s really compelling.”

This year’s lineup includes well-established national headliners, some younger talents, and the best of New Orleans’ comedy scene, including Amy Collins, Mark Caesar, Ryan Rogers, LP Black, JQ Palms, Troy Duchane, Jennifer Turbo and Shep Kelly. “I’m really proud of the diversity in the lineup. We wanted to make sure we have an all queer lineup. We want to make sure that it’s not just a bunch of dudes. I feel good about representing that in the festival this year. It never feels good when everyone looks and thinks the same.”

Comedy House is in the entertainment complex near Harrah’s, but it is not connected to the casino. The proximity to the hotels has been useful so far with tourists walking by, finding the club and buying a ticket. Now Trew and Nelson hope Hell Yes Fest will let locals know they’re there. “Festivals tend to get the casual fans out of their houses,” he says. “I love music but I don’t go to shows very often. When there’s a festival, I’m there. It’s my time to catch up, and I realize it’s that way with comedy.”