Donnie B's Comedy Club in Bloomington, an iron shot from the town's border with Normal, fills the house on Thursday "College Night" with students from Illinois State university, Lincoln College and Heartland Community College in Normal and Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington. Friday and Saturday nights draw residents of the sister cities.
"Live comedy is doing well here. It's a tough market but if you have good acts, people come," said manager Luke Swanson who books the shows. The venue was a Funny Bone club until 2010. "I had a guy (comedian) here who said 'you're the first one (manager) I met with a smile on the face,' " Swanson said.
The club does five shows a week: 8 p.m. Thursday and 8 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Donnie B's Comedy Club, Bloomington-Normal
1407 N. Veterans Parkway, Lakewood Plaza
Bloomington, Illinois 61704
(309) 664-JOKE (5653)
Instead of a comedy club, Decatur has "Comedy Night" at the Sports Zone, a sports bar in the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel. Shows are every Wednesday.
Formerly a Funny Bone venue, the Sports Zone switched to Penguin Entertainment in 2010. Penguin's Jeff Johnson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has ties to radio's popular, syndicated "The Bob and Tom Show," according to hotel marketing manager Susan Keane. She expects that some of the show's guests will be coming to Decatur. Keane suggested people call the hotel or bar for the line-up which is known four to six weeks in advance.
Comedy Night is every Wednesday with an opener at 8:30 p.m. followed by a second act.
Sports Zone
Decatur Conference Center and Hotel
4191 West US Highway 36 (Wyckles Road)
Decatur, Illinois 62522
Sports Zone (217) 420-8798
Hotel (217 422-8800 and (877) 358-2200
Illinois is known to have its share of funny and embarrassing bloopers but the acts that Funny Bone books into Donnie B's Comedy Club in the state's capital have a more universal appeal.
They range from the "Midnight Swinger," a pompadour coiffed 60's Vegas-style entertainer to "Basile," a comedian with more faces than "Eve" when he does stand up and is the familiar voice of Universal Studios' "Bullwinkle Moose" in his day job.
The club has "Open Mic" 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month and "Break Time," a game venue open 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Wednesday and 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. Comedy shows are 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Donnie B's Comedy Club Springfield
2937 W. White Oaks Drive
Springfield, Illinois 62707
Comedy Club (217) 391-JOKE (5653)
Break Time and Open Mic (217) 698-0918