Laughs in the Loft

Join us for Laughs in the Loft, a monthly series featuring stand-up comics from our own backyard, Brooklyn and beyond.  You never know who might drop in!  Each Laughs in the Loft event features several comedians in a New York City-style showcase.

Intended for mature audiences. Recommended for ages 18 and up.

Justin Williams – Justin Williams has been featured in Comedy Central’s Jokes.com, Mashable, SiriusXM radio, The Elite Daily, Men’s Health Magazine, and The Kansas City Star, among many others.  In 2018, Williams became co-host of Why Your Train is F*cked, a monthly comedy show about the history of the MTA. Then, in 2019, he appeared in the comedic documentary Tasteless, an exploration of the series of controversial books aptly titled Truly Tasteless Jokes and the current culture of political correctness. He is currently co-host of the ‘Fraudsters’ podcast, a joint production of the Last Podcast Network and Spotify.  Williams’ debut comedy film, Justin Williams: Black and Comfortably Middle-Class, was screened at the Philadelphia Independent, where it won the Award of Merit for Humor for Best Shorts, and the Friars Club Comedy Film Festivals.

Adam Gabel – Hilarious comic-actor Adam Gabel is a principal cast member in Timothy Hines’ new comedy movie Tomorrow’s Today with Kelly Le Brock (Weird Science, Woman in Red), and Academy Award nominee Burt Young (Rocky).  Gabel has opened for Ben Kroenberg, Myq Kaplan (who will be performing at SOPAC on May 16), and Dan LaMorte.  He also performed alongside Jim Gaffigan and Judah Friedlander.

Wilfred Padua – Wilfred Padua is a comedian based in New York with an MFA in Writing from a Chicago institution. He has achieved recognition as the winner of the Boston Comedy Festival, a finalist in the Big Sky Comedy Festival, and a headliner at the Rogue Island Comedy Festival. Padua has also showcased his talent at various events, including Bumbershoot, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, 10,000 Laughs, and SF Sketchfest. His performances have been featured on Amazon, NPR, and Sirius XM. Thrillist named him one of the “50 Best Undiscovered Comedians in America,” describing his comedy as “impish.”

Ross Moreno – Chicago Business Radio described Ross Moreno as being kind of like your creepy uncle whose invitation to Thanksgiving was lost in the mail. His unique blend of comedy, magic, and “something else” has been shared with audiences across the US, Europe, and China.  Ross is a resident of Maplewood and a proud father of two girls.

Zach Vandergrift – Zach Vandegrift is an Atlanta-born stand-up comedian who enjoys writing flattering things in the third person. He got his start at Second City in Chicago and quickly began performing in clubs nationwide. Within a year, Vandergrift was booked for the 2020 Edinburgh Festival. Three days later, the festival was cancelled due to COVID-19. Vandergrift is now an atheist. However, he did seize the comedy club shutdown to amass 60k+ followers on TikTok with over 1.7 million likes. He currently resides in New York City, where he performs at premier clubs all over.

About Host Joe Larson

Joe is a comedian, husband and father – the former makes the latter well….interesting.

When Joe met his now wife she loved how much he made her laugh. He warned her that while she finds it cute now, she may feel differently when he is unable to do anything but joke during the heat of an argument. As his wife eventually found out “you’re funny all the time!” can quickly turn into “Does everything have to be a joke?”

Perhaps it’s not his fault, Joe is after all a second generation comedian. Much to his parent’s dismay at the age of twenty, Joe went into the family business. Straight away he was chosen College Comedian of the Year at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and shortly after he made the move to New York City where he paid his dues at any club that would give him the mic.

Joe has been on stage at some of the best rooms in the city including the famed Caroline’s On Broadway and Gotham Comedy Club. He was nominated “Best Up-And-Coming Comedian” at the NYC MAC Awards, was a finalist in both the prestigious Johnny Carson Great American Comedy Festival and Boston Comedy Festival and was part of the feature film Stand Up 360. Joe has also been seen on Gotham Comedy Live, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” “Laughs” on FOX, the Tonight Show’s Laugh Squad and the Speed Channel. On radio he is a repeat guest on Bob and Tom and the Bennington Show.

Pre-pandemic Joe Larson had one of the hottest shows in Brooklyn. Sold out each time to standing room only, his show “Couleur Comedy” was a huge success. It brought together the hottest up-and-coming comedians with established pros for a dynamic and exciting evening. Now, a South Orange resident, Joe is bringing his show to SOPAC.

Accessibility & Accommodation

If you or a member of your party needs assistance, please notify SOPAC at the time your tickets are purchased. Contact the SOPAC Box Office at (973) 313-2787 or boxoffice@SOPACnow.org.