Meet 10 of the funniest comedians working in D.C. right now (2024)

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Eric Barbalace grew up in Baltimore County and has worked in the D.C. comedy scene since 2017, performing jokes about his life — and most embarrassing moments. When he’s not performing, he helps manage Room 808 in Petworth.

How did you get started in comedy?

The first time I ever went to a comedy show was in 2017 when my brother’s friend, who lost a fantasy football punishment, had to do five minutes of comedy at Magooby’s Joke House in Timonium, Maryland. I remember seeing how bad he was at it, and I thought, “I think I could do this if I gave it some effort, and I know I’ll regret it if I don’t try.” The next month, I signed up for the same show at Magooby’s and came in second place in a monthly competition. I signed up again the following month and bombed so hard in front of about 20 of my closest friends and realized the journey might be longer than I initially thought. Comedy is truly so humbling.

What do you like to tell jokes about?

I started comedy not long after I came out as gay in 2017, so a lot of what I wrote about back then (and still do now) is my view of things as a gay man who came out a little later in life. But when it comes down to it, I’ll write about anything that the audience will laugh at because I’m a comic and crave that validation from strangers (honestly, who doesn’t?).

How do you describe your comedic style?

Audiences really want to hear about your unique perspective about your life and familiar topics they can relate to, which is what I think draws me to comedy so much. What is this person’s unique view of this topic we’ve heard so many times before but is fresh from their perspective?

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Liz Barlow is a comedian, mother and “semi-military kid,” raised in North Carolina and Connecticut. She got into comedy, she says, because she’s not good at math. She can also rap.

Tell us about a time you bombed.

Mmmmm, delicious! Okay, my favorite bomb is in a dive bar in Virginia Beach (not to brag, but I’m banned now), and I got onstage in a room full of very racist military folks and told every race and police joke I had in my notebook at the time. I didn’t even pivot for sex jokes, just straight gunning. I had to be walked to my car.

What’s your pre-show routine?

Water drinking, prayer and lots of women rappers!

What’s the best thing about the D.C. comedy scene?

There is no way to leave out of this scene without getting better. You have to hone in on what actually makes you funny and try that, in every single room in D.C. It makes your skills sharp.

What else should we know about you?

I’m a single mom who works too hard and loves her kid and never stops. I’m a survivorrr.

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Maddy Brannon grew up in Bucks County, Pa., and likes to talk about topics people find awkward or uncomfortable. When she’s not performing, she helps run shows at Hotbed.

What’s your pre-show routine?

I always brush my teeth right before leaving the house for an important show.

Tell us about a time you bombed.

One time I was visiting some friends from college in San Francisco not long after I started doing stand-up. I booked a show to do when I was visiting so that my friends could see me perform for the first time.

When I got to the venue, it was a packed small theater. I was pretty excited, but it turned out that that was the show before the one I was on. That show let out, and everyone left. My friends got there, and they were the only audience members. I performed to just them. When we left, I forgot my credit card at the bar by accident. I was so embarrassed by the whole experience that my friend had to go back in and ask for my card. That’s the last time I’ve asked friends to watch me perform.

What else should we know about you?

Outside of stand-up, I make videos of estate sales in the D.C. area. My voice-overs use a lot of what I’ve learned onstage. Going to estate sales, similar to being onstage, is a way I connect with people.

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Jasmine Burton is a practicing attorney, barred in the state of California. She’s also a Gemini from Los Angeles.

How did you get started in comedy?

I started in comedy a little over two years ago. My long-term goal is to be a late-night television show host — like Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert or Trevor Noah. A lot of hosts get their start in comedy, so I thought it could be a great way to get my name out there and start preparing me for the big leagues!

How do you describe your comedic style?

I’m the perfect combination of West Coast and East Coast swagger (humbly). I’m best known for my high energy, witty punchlines, and infusion of the law and my life experiences into my comedy. But the whole basis of my comedy is relatability. When you see me, I want you to feel like you are just like me or have a best friend that is. I love to talk about law school at Howard University, my career now and how policy affects us in our day-to-day lives. I also love to talk about my personal experiences with sobriety, being a college athlete at [the University of Virginia], dating, growing up in LA, and really anything that happens in my life that I think is hilarious and that I know audiences will find hilarious, too.

Tell us about a time you bombed.

One time, I was trying new material and it was not going well. One audience member yelled, “Keep your day job!” And although they meant it as an insult, I actually found it to be extremely sound financial advice. So I thanked them for that.

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Steven Chen is an absurdist comic from Potomac, Md. He does stand-up to keep himself entertained.

How did you get into comedy?

Growing up, I went to (the now megachurch) McLean Bible Church, where we had a Jewish pastor. Still pretty funny. Come to think of it, that might be the basis of my humor. It’s just a pretty normal thing, but there’s something silly about it. This twist that flips expectations and it’s kind of so strange, it seems like it’s been made up. I’m surprised that place didn’t churn out more comedians.

What’s your comedic style?

My goal is to trick people into thinking I’m on to something or that I’m making a good point, and then I pull the rug out or pause to have them realize it’s all nonsense. I explain onstage sometimes that I know I’m weird and my comedy is like jazz — no one knows what’s going on up here, but a couple people are always like, “All right!” The goal for my comedy is for it to be like a dream. I want people to say, “I think he was doing comedy — he was onstage, but I don’t know if he knew he was supposed to be there. People were laughing, but he wasn’t, like, telling jokes.” Walt Whitman once wrote, “Stand up for the stupid and crazy,” and I feel like that’s kind of been the model.

What’s your day job?

If you were to consult with my LinkedIn, I’m currently a chicken baptizer at Chick-fil-A, but in reality, I produce videos and support corporate culture development for a health care IT company. I don’t think I’m at liberty to disclose the company’s name, as I had to change my name and disaffiliate from them on LinkedIn after my profile was discovered by “human” resources.

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Matthew Deakins is a darkly funny comic from Manassas, Va. Hotbed owner Sean Joyce commends his “slight hick energy.”

How do you describe your comedic style?

I wouldn’t describe my comedic style. Describing one’s comedic style is pretentious.

What do you like to tell jokes about?

Applebee’s. Lorena Bobbitt. Disney adults. German adults. 7/11. Manassas.

What’s the best thing about the D.C. comedy scene?

On any given night, you might be performing for the architects of the Iraq War. Tomorrow, you might be performing for the architects of the next war. Someone in the audience works for Raytheon or Northrop Grumman. Someone else works for a nonprofit that helps orphans in faraway places that I’ll never visit. They’re all here, and they’re all doing the same thing. They make spreadsheets and PowerPoints, and most of them want to go home to someone who loves them, and most of them will go home to an empty apartment. For 90 minutes, they forget their apartment is empty, and they forget the mission statement of the organization they wish they didn’t work for. They don’t check email, and they can’t look at LinkedIn. For 90 minutes, they think about their dad and their yard and their dog, and they wonder if anything will ever be as good as their memories.

What else should we know about you?

I’ve told you everything. Democracy might die in darkness, but privacy thrives in it. If you want anything else, listen to my podcast. It’s called “Have a Nice Day.” My co-host is one of my favorite people. He’s not a comedian. The one thing all interesting people have in common is they are not comedians. Lastly, was any of this rizz?

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Shelley Kim has been performing since high school in Southern California. She describes herself in her Instagram bio as a “Proud Husband and Father.”

How do you describe your comedic style?

When I was starting out, I was described as deadpan, but I learned I was “deadpan” because I was mumbling a lot. I’ve really worked on my inflection since then. My comedy is now much more accessible and, most importantly, audible. But who knows what my style will be in the future? Maybe I’ll be using puppets (hopefully not).

Tell us about a time you bombed.

Oh, gosh. One time someone played cricket sounds from their phone. I still shudder when I hear crickets at night.

Do you have a day job?

Let me know if you’re hiring!

What’s your pre-show routine?

I mouth the first few words of my set over and over again. It’s more of a nervous tick than a routine. I’m doing my best to not be a mumbler again.

What else should we know about you?

Let me know if you’re hiring!

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Eddie Morrison proudly lives in Northeast Washington and has been performing for a decade. His style is fast-paced, though he’d prefer it weren’t — imagine an auctioneer who’d rather be a blues singer.

How did you get started in comedy?

The motivation came from my nine-to-five at the time, believe it or not. During an especially rudderless period in my life, my boss asked me to document what everyone did, and one guy said, completely matter-of-factly, that he filled out forms on how long it takes other people to fill out forms. And I couldn’t handle that response; like, it really freaked me out. I remember sitting at my desk like, “What have they done to us?” (a la the Tim Robinson meme). It was a real lightning bolt and made me realize I should do something else. I had always wanted to try stand-up but never had the guts. I think I did an open mic the next day.

What’s the best thing about the D.C. comedy scene?

I truly believe there’s no better place to develop. Folks in this town show up. Most spots I do, and was doing six months in, have real, live humans with a pulse in attendance (versus just other comics). And D.C. crowds are smart, man. They get everything. One joke I do references “The Canterbury Tales,” and it’s only ever worked here.

What else should we know about you?

Ninety percent of my phone’s storage is Carl, my cat (who’s a girl), and if you have Hulu with ads in Virginia, yes, that’s me in that local lawn care commercial.

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Benny Nwokeabia is a Nigerian and Ethiopian comedian who got his start at 21 years old after a Times Square tech company “ate his soul.” He’s been a full-time comic for 10 months.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Washington, D.C., but moved to Ethiopia (Mum’s country) when I was 2 months old. At 6, I experienced a big culture shock moving to Geneva, Switzerland. I finally moved back to the States at 15, but by then, I had already been exposed to so many cultures and ways of life that I felt out of place most places I went. This is what led to me considering myself a “misfit” and gravitating to comedy.

How do you describe your comedic style?

My goal with my comedy is to find the similarities and commonalities between people that think they have nothing in common. My background allows me to pull from so many pools of experience. My style has a very feel-good, lighthearted, international vibe to it, and I find people from all walks of life gravitate to it.

What do you like to tell jokes about?

I love observational and storytelling jokes. My goal onstage is to bring you into my world. Storytelling, I believe, is one of the backbones of humanity. Nothing captures a person’s attention more than a good story, other than a fight. And I am much more of a lover than a fighter.

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Dom Rivera grew up in Camden, N.J., and writes jokes about his three kids. He’s an instructional systems designer.

How do you describe your comedic style?

I’m a storyteller at heart.

What do you like to tell jokes about?

How an anxious, 45-year-old Puerto Rican dad/husband sees life and how it makes me feel.

What’s the best thing about the D.C. comedy scene?

That I get to do comedy in it. The crowds are smart and amazing. If you are funny here, you can be funny anywhere.