That’s right. On Oct. 21, Tag’s Cafe, a locally-owned cafe on Central St. in northwest Evanston, held its first stand-up comedy show, featuring a lineup of five comics. The show completely sold out and received positive feedback from the community, leading to a second show on Dec. 2 that I attended.

A small cafe located miles away from the comedy clubs of Chicago might seem like an odd venue for stand-up, but when Evanston resident and professional comedian Jimmy Carrane saw it, he knew it was perfect. 

“It’s a beautiful space, and I think it’s intimate enough to do comedy. Because you don’t want to do comedy … [in] big cavernous kinds of [spaces]. You want people really close together, like they are here,” Carrane remarked.

Carrane knows what he’s talking about when it comes to comedy; he’s been doing it for 30 years. He began his comedy career doing improv in Chicago during the ‘90s, where he performed with future comedy stars Rachel Dratch, Tim Meadows, Andy Richter, Chris Farley, Mike Meyers, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert. Carrane never found the mainstream success that many of his peers achieved, but that didn’t stop him from creating and starring in numerous one-man shows, becoming an improv teacher and hosting a long-running podcast, “Improv Nerd,” which featured interviews with well-known comedians, such as Mike Birbiglia, Bob Odenkirk, Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele, to name a few.

The shows at Tag’s came about when Carrane, a regular at the cafe, was recognized while stopping in and was asked to host a comedy show in the space.

“I [came] in and [someone] said, ‘That’s Jimmy Carrane. He’s a famous improv guy,’” Carrane explained. “That made me a little uncomfortable, but then I came in a couple of weeks later, and [a manager] said, ‘Hey, do you want to do this comedy show?’”

Obviously, Carrane said ‘yes.’ Soon, he and Tag’s manager Angie Bolich were planning the show. Carrane contacted the comics, and Bolich and the crew at Tag’s rearranged the cafe, advertised the show and sold the tickets.

At first, Bolich was unsure of how the community would feel about a comedy show.

“Waiting for the ticket sales to roll in can get nerve-wracking. [I was wondering] ‘Are people gonna be into this? Do they really want to do this?’” Bolich remarked.

She didn’t have to wait long. The tickets sold out two weeks before the show. Bolich believed this eagerness was likely due to the previous absence of nighttime activities in northwest Evanston.

“Central street is pretty sleepy after 6pm,” noted Bolich. “I know several customers came to me and said they were so excited to have something to do at night and have a reason to come out and not have to go into the city or even downtown Evanston to have some nightlife.”

In addition to being convenient, a local comedy show allows community members the much-desired opportunity to spend time together.

“People want to see their neighbors, and people want to laugh together,” explained Orly K.G., a comic who performed at the second Tag’s show.

After the first show, the response was overwhelmingly appreciative, showing just how much something like this was needed in northwest Evanston.

“We got nothing but positive feedback…  people saying [that] they had a great time [and] they couldn’t wait for the next show,” described Bolich.

Encouraged by the enthusiasm from the community, a second show was quickly scheduled for Dec. 2. Being a huge fan of stand-up, I bought tickets as soon as I could.

When I entered Tag’s on the night of the show, the space had been transformed. The lights were dimmed, the tables were covered in classy white tablecloths and adorned with a candle. In front of the door to the adjoining bakery stood the microphone in its stand. Several audience members were already seated at the tables, sipping the alcohol that they had brought from home in accordance with Tag’s BYOB policy. Towards the back was the counter, where you could order items from a special menu that included caramel apples and hot pretzels. I was impressed with the new arrangement. Clearly the staff at Tag’s knew how to create a comedy venue.

At 7:30 p.m., the show began. Lia Berman, the comic hosting the show, went first, followed by Sofia Javed, Carrane, K.G. and Peter John Byrnes. All the comics were funny and brought a unique style. Berman was confident and high-energy; Javed was quieter with shorter jokes; Carrane was mellow and had longer stories; K.G. was expressive and lively; Byrnes was dark with a frustrated persona. When choosing the comics for the show, variety was something that Carrane kept in mind.

“Different energies [and] different styles [are important when doing a show]. You don’t want the same kind of people. You don’t want everyone doing one-liners. Someone’s more of a storyteller; someone does more bits,” Carrane explained.

The diverse group of comics that night was met with an excited and supportive audience.

“People knew they were coming to a comedy show. People chose to come and buy tickets. They came for comedy. They came to laugh. That’s always great. That’s the vibe you get at comedy clubs,” said Javed.

Carrane felt the same way.

“I thought the show was spectacular. I thought it was really, really funny, and we got a great response,” he remarked.

Behind the scenes, the staff at Tag’s worked hard to provide first-rate treatment for the comics.

“They had sandwiches and chili and cookies and coffee [for us]. It was amazing. And then they even told us to take stuff home with us,” voiced Javed. “… We were on couches, and we just had time to relax and prepare. That’s above and beyond. Most venues don’t do that.”

While comedy night at Tag’s provides a positive experience for comics and community members, the shows also bring awareness to the cafe and everything it has to offer.

“They definitely create excitement about the space. It’s great advertising and publicity that we’re here, and we’re not just a bakery, we’re not just a coffee shop, we’re an event space, and we’re willing to do any kind of event at all really,” remarked Bolich.

After the success of the first two shows, there’s no question about whether there will be a third. If you’re looking to crack up and connect to the community, then come to the next comedy night at Tag’s.