In a scathing critique of bygone local club kingpins, comedian Dustin Kaufman touts his new endeavor with the best of intentions to rebuild a local community of entertainers.
His post is blowing up right now on FB thanks to tough talk and a heartfelt desire to improve the lot of colleagues.
Apropos for late Friday night, check the money line:
"I'm opening a new comedy club in Kansas City. I own the club and I just got approved for the location. It will be a couple weeks before I announce any official info, but I will say it couldn't be a better spot. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly with the lease signing (and I'm sure it will), but I am so excited for this location and the opportunity to do this right.
"Allow me to say this.. Kansas City Comedy has been dealt a shit hand for a long time. For years the scene was run by a family who gloated about their felonies, openly shot heroin, sold cocaine and flaunted hookers around the club. I am not that guy and that is not my family. They bounced checks, shorted comics weekly until finally road comics just wouldn't work for them anymore. When I started traveling as a comedian I would tell people that I was from Kansas City and every comic around the country without fail would all respond the same way. "Oh, man! You guys have some serious talent coming out of there, right now!" Cut 7 years later; "You're from Kansas City?! I am so sorry you have to deal with that club." Cut 3 more years and comics won't even come to Kansas City. I am going to fix that. I am going to change that. You may think I am exaggerating, but I have literally had to convince and assure the booking agents that I am in no way affiliated with the old club. I will repeat that to everybody reading this. I AM IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH THE OLD CLUB. NEW NAME. NEW LOCATION. NEW OWNER. NEW MIND SET FOR THE BUSINESS. IT'S A BRAND NEW CLUB.
"I will be opening my doors to the local comedians. My goal is to nurture the scene in Kansas City. I want to help comics grow and get better. I want to help young comics prepare for the road and a future in Stand-Up. There will be paid work for local talent every weekend opening for the headliners. I want to provide a sense of community for the comics. A place they can grow and a place they can call home. It's time for Kansas City comedians to have pride in claiming a new home club..."
Read his public post in its entirety.
Developing . . .
That was harsh, but he's not lying.
ReplyDeleteDustin did a really great show a couple of years ago at the uptown arts bar and it did very well. There were always a few dozens people there very night. He's a hell of a comedian and very quick on his feet. KC does need another club and it'll be nice to see him make a horse race of it.
DeleteLouie C.K. opening night?
DeleteHold on fucker. What’s wrong with gloating about felonies, shooting heroin, selling cocaine and flaunting hookers? Not a damn thing. All valid reasons to own a club in the first place.
ReplyDelete^^^^^ Tru dat.
DeleteWow, TKC, put out bigly with posts throughout Friday! Must be getting some...
ReplyDeleteuh,...loads of coffee...and, mebbe a little,... you know...
Look we all knew what was going on at Stanford's and who was doing it. It was the doings of the biggest con man to hit Kansas City since Pendergast. All three of the Glazer boys had done time and were walking, talking fuck ups. Each also died poor as fuck, broke and owing rather large sums of money. Craig even screwed even over Johnny Dare an his own mother on that bar deal. Johnny only put up with Glazer so he could get the comics to come in for his morning show. But the Craig talking trash at a women employee of Entecom got his ass banned from the building. Craigs exwife left Kansas City because she couldn't deal with his crap anymore and how it rubbed off on her. But way I look at it that was her fault for marrying the schmuck in the first place. Chuck Lowe thinks Glazer was a stand up guy which does not help what a lot of people think of Chuck at all. Hearne Christopher another fuck up whose close relationship with Craig was also a victim of the Glazer career killer. Nobody who hung with Craig was ever looked at for long as a stand up guy. How could you ever be one when you hang with the biggest loser who fucked and screwed over almost everyone who ever came in contact with him. Glazer was never a kingpin of anything as his career proved. He was a conman, ex-convict, and a drug user as well as drug peddler whose ego wrote checks his bank of life couldn't cash. Hey come on look how fast he has been forgotten about already. Dustin speaks nothing but the truth when it comes to the Glazers.
ReplyDeleteA good comedy club would make a killing in this town if ran right. Dustin has really been on the road and knows what it takes to make a club click and I hope it all works out for him. Going to be nice to maybe see real comedians in Kansas City again without not feeling the urge to puke when you no longer have to see an ass like Glazer on the stage first.
As much as I like the idea, the lack a serious business plan means this thing will last about 4 or 5 months.
ReplyDeleteThe door typically covers the talent; food and bev covers everything else. Unless he inherited a pile and is going to use his own funds to cover losses, then this is doomed.
Dustin should talk to Clint Warren, who has tried to open and run a comedy club 2 or 3 times.
Dustin should follow the Stanford's business plan: get his rich daddy to create the business and Dustin "works" whenever he feels like it but mostly relies on minimum wage ex-cons alcoholic workers to run things.
ReplyDeleteThen, when he runs into financial trouble go running to daddy again, and again, and again, ad nauseum until Dustin gets cancer in his 60s and dies.
DK comedy club idea = pipe dream
ReplyDeleteI didn’t realize going to comedy clubs was such a destination anymore, but I guess this is exciting for those types. Is he gonna call it Glazer’s?
ReplyDeleteWe don't need a comedy club. We already have one at 414 E 12th St
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. And permanently headlining Bow Tie Blimpie and his sidekick Gopher. Be sure to catch their set about KC’s momentum.
DeleteDoes this mean that we are going to be able to land the big acts like Dustin Diamond and such?
ReplyDeleteIs this jackass claiming he works straight?
ReplyDeleteThat is comedy!
Allow me to say this...Kansas City has been dealt a shit hand for a long time. For years the scene has been run by a group who gloated about their cronies, openly peddled influence, sold tax breaks and flaunted no-bid contracts around the city.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Kaufman has a vendetta against James and Schulte!!
Ummmm, Kansas City has a great Comedy Club. It's call the Improv.
ReplyDelete8:06 for the win!
ReplyDeleteThe Pre-K tax, the streetcar expansion, the 2 billion dollar airport debacle, and the one percent for existing tax, all give me hope for a comedy club that I will realistically never go to
ReplyDeleteHope he's got a plan for the business side. Being "in it" for 20 years isn't the same as running it for 20 years. It's not enough to not do what the other guys were doing. Great starting point though. Love his passion and wish him the best!
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by the "talking trash about the women of Entercom that got him banned from the building".
ReplyDeleteI thought it was the bar thing that got him banned. I know words can be powerful but banned from the building words must have been either, a: epically brazen or b: uncomfortably specific. Maybe both.
Anyone know what he was referring to?
Oh, yes!!!!! Louie CK & Roseanne Barr!!! Maybe Tony's Denizens can reserve a couple of opening night tables. I'd kick in for that!
ReplyDelete10:45 he called some lady who works there a c**t rumor has it was a DJ was so bad even Dare won't talk about it.I'm
ReplyDeleteI thought Dustin Kauffman worked at Big Bob's Flooring warehouse?
ReplyDeleteIn today's hypersensitive PC atmosphere how can you crack jokes without bruising a snowflake or a diversity member ?
ReplyDelete"New name, new ownership, I am not affiliated in anyway" Sounds almost like he's saying Stanfords has a new name, new etc. Thought Clint's was wanting to do that. Good idea though Stanford's was dive like no imagine Dragon could force a beer and jasmine donut. Dark, dank, ancient and run by badasses. It was the original. They should have sold black leather jackets to those they hustled, including probably Kaufman. This new place looks spacious and clean. Its nice to be in town but lets get to the point RIP Stanford and Sons Comedy Club. Anybody got one of sepia town books about the place? This new Comedy Club is all popcorn. Keep um laughing y'all.
ReplyDelete