Collegiate Times

Staff Writer

Tonight Attitudes Bar & Caf? at the Holiday Inn is holding the latest edition of its comedy night. Every Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. the venue showcases several comedians to entertain guests. Unlike other nights at Attitudes, the dance floor is filled with tables and the DJ booth stays quiet, leaving the entertaining to a lone comic on the stage.

The show has been slowly gaining popularity since the bar first began hosting a comedy night last Halloween. Bryan Kay, the Food and Beverage Director for the Holiday Inn, played an integral role in getting the comedy night on its feet at Attitudes. ?We had tried the comedy night a few years ago, and I thought it would be a good idea to try it again.? The gamble paid off, and now comedy night is a part of every week?s entertainment schedule.

?This has been a real revenue-maker for us, it brings in a big crowd,? Kay said. ?We?re planning on keeping this up through the rest of the semester and maybe into summer, if we can keep the crowd up.?

The crowd it brings is not just the usual Attitudes patrons. ?The crowd is more spread out than our other nights,? Kay said. ?We get a much wider age range and people come from Roanoke and all over just to come to the comedy night.? The atmosphere is more like an actual comedy club than a bar that happens to have stand-up comics.

By scheduling the comedy night on Wednesdays, Attitudes puts itself in direct competition with some rival bars. Audience members are quick to draw comparisons.

?This place has a better atmosphere than Hokie House, there?s a better crowd,? said Tom Simon, a senior Horticulture major.

Though the performances vary for each comedian, the show is sometimes more adult-oriented. ?It gets pretty vulgar,? Simon said.

The cover charge is $5 at the door. For those five bucks you get about three hours of comedy.

?I?ve been to this the last two weeks. It?s definitely worth coming out to,? said Bart Stafford, a student at New River Community College.

Tonight?s headlining comic is Tim Pulnik. Pulnik is originally from Florida but has been in New York for the last three years working with various sketch comedy groups. He has a high energy, physical routine that has landed him a spot in the Boston Comedy Festival, as well as recognition from HBO, Showtime and ABC. The wild concepts he pours into the microphone have also made him a favorite in comedy clubs across the country.

The show will also feature comedian Keith Alberstadt. His comedy has been described as ?analytically sarcastic? and down-to-earth. His friendly demeanor and wit make him a likeable ?buddy? comic that audiences connect with easily. He jokes about everything from free pizza to bickering brothers and sisters to the people in the audience. While his material is amusing, his confident attitude and real love of his craft are why audiences love him.

Summit Comedy, Inc. is supplying the performers for comedy night, which is also sponsored by General Nutritional Centers, Inc. in the New River Valley Mall.