Joystick Arcade, the favored underground comedy membership beneath Studio 13 in Iowa City, will quickly change into a venue that includes extra than simply stand-up and karaoke.
This weekend’s present, headlined by comic Brittany Brave, would be the venue’s final beneath the title Joystick.
Following the efficiency, the bar will formally be renamed to Alley Cat. The rebrand is a call that Jason Zeman, the CEO of Corridor Entertainment Group, mentioned pays tribute to its above-ground neighbor’s former title.
This transition would be the second within the venue’s historical past. After practically 30 years of working as a stay music venue named Yacht Club, the venue was renamed to Joystick in 2021. Back then, Zeman noticed a gap downtown for a comedy “barcade,” which he felt Joystick may fill.
“We were looking for something different, something that wasn’t [in Iowa City],” Zeman mentioned. “There wasn’t a comedy club; there wasn’t an arcade yet.”
In the three years because the bar’s transition to Joystick, nevertheless, Iowa City’s downtown district has seen different venues fill these area of interest spots; in 2022, Double Tap, an arcade bar, opened within the Pedestrian Mall. Though there isn’t one other venue devoted to stay comedy, many present venues have added stand-up occasions to their calendars.
Zeman mentioned Joystick’s patron group additionally expressed a want for different types of leisure on the venue.
“We also realized that comedy five nights a week was a lot of comedy, and there was a lot of comedy saturation during [the pandemic],” he mentioned. “So, we thought we should change the space up and make a few tweaks to it.”
On May 3, the venue will host its grand re-opening as Alley Cat. Travis Coltrain, the venue’s expertise booker, mentioned the upcoming weekly occasion schedule will see way more style range than simply comedy.
On Wednesday nights, Alley Cat will characteristic performances from native improv teams and one-off reveals, in addition to viewers participation-focused occasions like musical bingo.
The venue will retain one in every of its Thursday evening classics, Joke-E-oke, an open-mic comedy occasion. Friday nights, nevertheless, will re-introduce stay music to the basement venue for the primary time because the begin of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly, the venue will convey native bands to compete in its personal “battle of the bands” competitors on Saturdays. Coltrain additionally mentioned the venue will introduce a brand new drag present dinner occasion as soon as a month on Sundays.
In preparation, the venue’s inside will obtain a makeover. In addition to new furnishings and fashionable lighting, Alley Cat will re-establish house for its personal kitchen and dressing rooms.
Coltrain feels that the venue’s rebrand to Alley Cat is critical for its prosperity.
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“Things run their course and I think Alley Cat is just the next step for this venue,” Coltrain mentioned. “We’re bringing back the nostalgia while also being able to provide more entertainment to the city than just comedy and arcade games.”
Zeman mentioned that venues like Joystick, Studio 13, and Gabe’s — which enable patrons aged 19 and older — are essential to the scholar inhabitants in Iowa City, half of whom are beneath 21 years old.
“We offer an alternative to going out to a bar just to drink,” Zeman mentioned. “Obviously, alcohol is what pays the bills and that’s how it is in this business, but we pride ourselves on the fact that we offer these spaces that are entertainment and experience-focused.”
