Oh boy, oh boy.

We never would’ve found this place (the details of which were emailed to us the day before, after an advance RSVP) if it weren’t for a stand up comedian who looked every bit as quirky as a comic at an underground comedy show should. She eventually led us, unwittingly, around the block in a BFE part of town to a locale which, let’s just say, I’d never have thought I was *supposed* to go into.

Once inside, the space was pleasant and while we expected a bit of sketch, we got instead a bit of kitsch. And maybe the only thing that played against stereotype was the food table: among the offerings were maple glazed salmon, quinoa, and a dish with blueberries. If you could wait until 9pm to eat dinner, you’d be rewarded. And if you’d heard Saturday Night Live’s Stefon recommend this place on Weekend Update as one that “has it all,” you wouldn’t be surprised.

The show started off with an eerie rendition of Willy Wonka’s “Pure Imagination.”

The show started off with an eerie rendition of Willy Wonka’s “Pure Imagination,” which fit all to well with the MC’s mop of curly hair, the giant stuffed flower towering to our left, and the brocade top hats worn by attendees. After a spoof on product placement asking the audience to call out the brand names in vintage jingles, the show began, although at the time, it wasn’t clear if it had.

First up was Reggie Watts whose comedy may be simply his image. With an unrestrained Sideshow Bob style do and a fashion forward sweatshirt, he was amusing before he began. But once he began, I was less clear on his shtick. The audience, by and large, got it — I have a feeling he brought in quite a bit of the crowd — but for me, his random hard-to-decipher lyrics to pre-recorded music left something to be desired. Confusion won out.

He was followed by a solid line-up of stand-ups, for which the highest compliment is that I remember all of their names without having taken notes. Marcella Arguello was tall and tickling, with phenomenal physical bits including a no-moves-barred impression of Michael Jackson. Grant Lyon took on break-ups, dating and gay marriage with laugh-out-loud moments. I feel like I remember seeing the giraffe he mentions in one of his bits. And Cameron Esposito reminded us to look around — we’re living, other people are at home watching this sort of thing on YouTube, we’re at an underground comedy rave, watching this live. She revealed that the stand-ups were also caught off guard by the unusual venue and atypical show — that included a mind-blowing acrobatic act where, at one point, the woman of the pair hoola-hooped while standing on the man’s upended feet. But Esposito’s act shouldn’t be overshadowed by her observations. Charming and witty, she also took on the arguments against gay marriage and told a fun story about her (heavenly) time touring with a nude female circus.

A musician plays a guitar made out of a shovel.

It was a crowd that couldn’t be described as anything other than “underground” (“Groundies”?) and while its sensibility seemed very Reggie Watts, the visual of Super Tall Paul in his too-short pants, colorful suit jacked, bow tie, ukelele, pig tails and pork pie hat seemed to capture it well. After the comedy ended, the rave began. And there were clearly some attendees who had “suffered through” the excellent comedy just for that. But if you came for the comedy, you weren’t disappointed. Nota bene: When attending an underground rave – even only 50% of one – leave your cashmere sweaters at home. Spandex, metallic, ripped tees and florals are easier to rid of all kinds of smoke, and help you to blend in a little better, even if you leave your hula hoop home.