ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) – It was a prime night on Friday for people to come into the Grand Comedy Club in Escondido for a time full of laughter. A time where more people are coming back indoors to watch comedians live amid increased vaccinations for COVID-19.
"Like, we're sold out for our early show today. We've got Vicki Barbolk who was on America's Got Talent. Very funny, very famous so I think that helped out tonight. But I think it's gradually coming back,” Adam Wasserman, the owner of Grand Comedy Club, said.
That steady rise that Wasserman spoke about is being seen by those telling the jokes too.
"It's been so much fun! People are just dying to get out. They're dying to laugh. I've never seen audiences like this. It's almost too easy. But I'm not going to say that. That's bad luck!" Vicki Barbolk, a comedian, said.
Wasserman said as people come back inside for comedy that there’s ups and downs. Some nights are that are packed houses, and some aren’t.
"Some people are still maybe not vaccinated yet or still not comfortable. It's a gradual increase. I hope in a month that we bounce back and we're full go,” Wasserman said.
Wasserman said that some places like The Comedy Store in La Jolla - which told ABC 10News via email that their club is doing well - may be busier than others.
But overall, he's seeing similar trends at a lot of clubs where it’s not all the way back but a slight upward rise.
The business of comedy is hoping for those packed houses for every show inside to happen soon.
"I think it's just going to take just time because a lot of people still don't feel safe going out,” Barbolk said.
"We try to do the precautions we can still to try to be safe. But still live life and enjoy comedy, you know, keep plowing through until things go back to normal,” Wasserman said.
Another San Diego area comedy club told ABC 10News that despite increased vaccinations and people come back inside for events, that business has been low and slow.