Over the past ten years, every time we've been to Las Vegas, my friends and I always set aside an evening to visit the Comedy Stop at the Tropicana Hotel. It was almost always a good show with a variety of comedians who may not be household names (Jimmie "J.J." Walker was probably the most famous), but who were clearly in the upper echelon of their profession as touring performers. This last trip was no different, except in one regard: the day we went, the club announced it was closing. Initially, we were told that that evening would be the last for the venerable club, but about halfway through, the MC Scott Bruce annonced that they had agreed to stay open through the week (I wonder if contracts with the comedians on the bill were a factor). Anyway, since it was the "last" night, I decided to defy the ban on photographs and snap a few memories. Here's a picture of Bruce, who signalled early on that the usual rules may not apply (though that did not mean he wasn't going to be a professional and put on a great show):
The next act was a guy named Kevin Downey, Jr., who I've seen before (probably at the Comedy Stop), though his act this night was nearly 100% different from the last time I saw him. He works in kind of the same vein as Emo Phillips, if anyone remebers him from back in the 1980s, though with perhaps a bit more overtly demented persona. Here's a picture of Downey onstage:
The headliner was Don Gavin, and he was hysterical. I'd describe him as a meat and potatoes kind of comic, putting a fresh spin on such common topics as airplanes, gambling, drinking, and marriage. His voice sounds a little like Buddy Hackett, though not quite so pronounced (you can see a clip of him performing
here). Here's a picture:
It was a really great funny show, with all three comics hitting on all cylinders. If it ends up being the last show I ever see at the Tropicana, they certainly did the place proud. Maybe with a little luck, the club will re-open, maybe in a different venue, and keep the tradition of stand-up alive on the Strip. We'll see.
The next act was a guy named Kevin Downey, Jr., who I've seen before (probably at the Comedy Stop), though his act this night was nearly 100% different from the last time I saw him. He works in kind of the same vein as Emo Phillips, if anyone remebers him from back in the 1980s, though with perhaps a bit more overtly demented persona. Here's a picture of Downey onstage:
The headliner was Don Gavin, and he was hysterical. I'd describe him as a meat and potatoes kind of comic, putting a fresh spin on such common topics as airplanes, gambling, drinking, and marriage. His voice sounds a little like Buddy Hackett, though not quite so pronounced (you can see a clip of him performing here). Here's a picture:
It was a really great funny show, with all three comics hitting on all cylinders. If it ends up being the last show I ever see at the Tropicana, they certainly did the place proud. Maybe with a little luck, the club will re-open, maybe in a different venue, and keep the tradition of stand-up alive on the Strip. We'll see.
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