It doesn't take much to "pack the place" at Brook's Bar, a postage stamp-sized joint tucked between the parking lot and the driving range at the Van Buren Golf Center. The couple dozen people floating in and out of the stand-up, open mic night is enough to make it feel well attended.
The Buddy System, a local comic troupe, has been hosting at Brook's for a few years, and the mix of regulars and drop-ins is working fine. It's a classic arrangement. The comics come out on a Tuesday night, buy enough beer to make the bar happy, and in exchange, they get a few square feet to do what they do.
Recently, they picked up a second night, Thursdays, in the Basement at Back To The Grind. I haven't been to check out their new gig, but I've spent many hours under the coffee shop, and it is a perfect spot for comedy. The Buddy System guys are funny, and they have established a formula for small venue open mic stand-up that should propel a long tenure at one of Downtown's coolest spots.
Check out what George, William, Carlos, and their guests do on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at Brook's and Thursdays at 7 p.m. at Back to the Grind. You can also hear them on their Podcast, The Buddycast. Consider the content and language are uncensored in your plans to attend.
