Comedy Works

Comedy Works opened in 1981 in a basement off Larimer Square, and ask touring comedians to name the best room in America and this club comes up more than any other. The low ceiling, tight seating, and steep energy of the downtown room produce the kind of crowd response comics build entire albums around.

Roseanne Barr came out of the Denver scene centered on this club, and Josh Blue is among the homegrown headliners who still call it home base. National headliners route through constantly — many record specials and albums here specifically because of how the room sounds.

A second location, Comedy Works South at the Landmark in Greenwood Village, offers a larger, dinner-show-friendly space, but the downtown basement is the classic experience. Weekend shows sell out routinely, so book ahead.