Elite Event: Queens Comedy Night at The Standing Room

Loved it!
Had a blast, thanks guys!
Laughed until my face hurt, drank too much & ate pizza, yayyyy!

I absolutely loved this event. This was my first Queens event as I technically am part of Manhattan Elite. I decided to try it out since I have never been to a comedy club (I know I am very inexperienced)…but I really appreciate Jando being so friendly when he greeted everyone as they came in. Really want to thank him for organizing this event. Amazing experience, definitely not the most comfortable… but filled with hilarious moments.
I really liked the host Pete Lee as he reminded me of a male version of Amy Schumer, whom I adore. But ok I do have to admit that some of the comedians sort of didn’t know when to stop… its not like anyone can pull of Ricky Gervais. I think one of them also talked about children dying and eating his twin which is an extremely morbid topic that I find a bit disturbing to use in standup material. Was for sure expecting a lot of racial slurs and a bit disappointed they didn’t milk more out of the Asian crowd. should’ve done more Asian jokes. Black comedians were the funniest… I can’t for the life of me remember their names but they were just naturally very funny beings.
I loved how unique this was because it doesn’t involve the awkward standing around trying to mingle with other people situation for these days when I don’t feel as social as I guess I should as a Unilocal Elite. I find that refreshing for sure. I couldn’t drink on this day so I can’t really comment on the interesting looking light bulb cocktails. though the tall and lanky Japanese bartenders are eye candy for sure ;)
I will be looking forward to more interesting Queens events as I technically spend more time in Queens than Manhattan now that I work in Long Island City. Definitely had an enjoyable time at the Standing Room and might be back for happy hour.

One of the many things that I like about Unilocal Elite Events is that it’s not just about experiencing new and hot restaurants. So when I saw that Unilocal Queens had a Comedy night and it was a plus one event (I love bringing the boyfriend to them), I was beyond thrilled. Parking wasn’t that bad; within minutes we parked and made our way towards the line outside of The Standing Room. It was already a packed house but we found 2 seats available with Anna H. and Andrea G. towards the front left of the room. The space is very narrow but it doesn’t matter where you sit because you will still have a good view of the stage.
As soon as we were seated we were greeted by the server to let us know about our complimentary drink of Deep Eddy Vodka, it tasted like grapefruit with a hint of lychee and it was very good. We also got a slice of pizza from across the street sLICe (love how they incorporated the abbreviation of LIC within the word slice, great marketing strategy) it was just the right amount of cheese sauce and bread, tasted like a real New York Pizza. After the complimentary drink was done, the boyfriend and I got the Flower cocktail that is made with Gin, Lavender, Elderflower and cranberry juice inside a light bulb glass and a metal straw that I bit into too hard and thought I was going to lose my front tooth, really good but it seemed too small but I know it would’ve been the same if it was in a regular martini glass.
As soon as we were done with our slices, our host for the night Pete Lee or like he called himself comedy concierge came to the stage and had us laughing throughout the night, he made jokes referring how he had to be extra funny because he was in a room full of Unilocalers and he knew he was being judged, he did a great job so no judgments here. Many of the comedians were from Comedy Central but I felt that some of them were not well prepared and after they said a joke and we finally laughed and they will say ok I will go in that direction since you all laughed or bad mouth NYC, I mean come on you don’t go and dis our hometown like that. But it was still a good night; I had time to catch up with Anna H., got to meet Andrea G. and finally had a chance to see Derek Gaine from MTV.
It was a great night and like always Unilocal Queens did its thing once again. Thank you Jando and the rest of Unilocal Team who keep organizing these amazing events, it is not easy organizing 4 events within a 2 week period and that says a lot about team work. Gracias!

Another year, another delightful Elite event calendar. As my 1^st event of 2016, & just as importantly, the year’s 1^st comedy show, to be experienced by me, this one was certainly a kick in the @ss! Bravo to Unilocal (and our fearless leader, Jando), for hosting as gutsy an event as this one; a room full of Unilocalers who like to tear people & places to shreds (i.e. via restaurant reviews) judging one of the most subjectively observable forms of publicly performed artistic expression; of course, I’m talking about comedy, perhaps boiled down to its most pure state in the form of stand up.
Over the past three years, I’ve seen a fair share of stand up, be it live at a comedy club/​festival (Oddball ’14-’15), or via broadcasted/​recorded specials («Elephant in the Room» by the late great Patrice O’Neal may be G.O.A.T. … «New in Town» is f*cking fantastic too) due in no small part to my closest group of friends (daps to SON/​Goon Squad). Manhattan is rife w/​great comedy clubs… e.g. The Cellar, Gotham Comedy Club, The Stand, the UCB. Now I’m very happy to see a club (i.e. The Standing Room) grace the shores of our beloved Queens county.
The late start time had me anxious; I could barely contain my excitement to see 2016’s first comedy show. Rolling up incognito to the venue w/​a big hat and headphones, the (future) Fab Four didn’t even recognize me. Soon enough, the 7 o’clock crowd headed out and we were seated.
Allow me to start w/​a couple tips for the more novice attendees to stand up shows:
1) If you sit in the front closest to the mic, you will be part of the show. The more seasoned comics incorporate crowd work in their sets. If you don’t want the attention, then don’t take the seats. Luckily, the night’s audience were good sports in their interactions w/​the comics (i.e. no retaliation, at the very least).
2) No topic is off limits. Race, gender, sex, self-​deprecation, and targeting the audience (or just one person specifically) will be touched on; over-​sensitivity and PC-​ness have no place here (or they are stretched as far as can be); freedom of speech/​expression is a powerful thing, yeah? Poking fun at AIDs, Caitlyn Jenner, and dead fetuses was also on the docket… funny @ss sh*t in the mind of one… but I noticed that these topics elicited more gasps than guffaws; all I gotta say is come in w/​an open mind (and lighten up).
From the start, the master of ceremonies (M.C. Matteo) did a fine job of making everyone comfortable. Some self deprecation, anecdotes of coming out of the closet, the gayness of his brother when the Jordan led Chicago Bulls won the title («if anyone’s the best, it’s Annie Lennox!!!» lmfao), did a great job of generating some laughs.
Big guy (Tim D. ??) was next, and what he may have lacked in material he more than made up with his enthusiasm (though I give daps to him for poking fun at me and the lady to my left for looking like we were Kpop stars); another note, public speaking is hard, so at the very least, these brave performers deserve a smile/​round of applause (of course that’s unless they cross the line)
Leclerk/​Leclerq was 2^nd. He seemed the most green of the bunch, but his set was littered w/​good stuff. Bed bugs, sex choking, and online-​dating mom were some of the topics touched on. I breathed a sigh of relief when he navigated his way out of a potentially disastrous choice to poke fun at Caitlyn Jenner, but despite his (perceived) newness to the stand up game, I thought he came out smelling like roses.
Famed battle rapper MC Jin was next to bat. Arguably the crowd pleaser, and not just due to ethnic obligation. An apparent Hong Kong legend, MC Jin had some funny and poignant stuff. Way to work the Asian crowd w/​relatable anecdotes (Anzs get no love in Hollywood) and playfully racist comments (Yo Yo and the Hos = funny sh*t). + respect for hitting on the white girl to start the set.
Chaplin was up next, and likely the most polarizing due to his edginess. Lucky for him, I live on the edge, and I loved his set. Grandparents dying of AIDS, eating his dead twin in the womb… dark stuff, and it generated a fair share of gasps. I tried not to laugh for fear of being viewed as a psychopath, in the end it was for naught; I laughed my ass off.
Jersey cougar lady was drunk and «thirsty» for c**k during her set. The discomfort of the young gun in the front was priceless. Self loathing, HPV, and how Asian women are closet sex freaks was also appreciated.
Peter Lee capping off the night was great. Over-​apologetic and awkward delivery was tops, & very relatable as far as mislabeled sexual orientation goes; uncanny, as I had to tell a gay man, at event’s end, that I don’t swing that way… after he told me that he would love to lick my cheeks off (and I don’t think he meant my face). Stories about a hatred for «Gay Jeff» and confusion over his deceptively Asian name were great bits.
Another 5 star night… a tip of the hat to Jando and team. Till next time!

I was so looking forward to this event and even better it was a +1. I came with my lovely friend Andrea G. for the 7pm session. Its a cute layout with a full bar by the front entrance and you walk further back to see high tables vs. low tables. We picked a high table so our long legs are comfortable and seated facing the stage. The servers were bringing out the complimentary Deep Eddy vodka cocktail… but it was light and not too strong but I still got flushed drinking my short glass as all the tall ones were gone! Me and my friend was going to grab pizza at sLICe but good thing I read the email that the event serving the pizza. Mmmm it was very yummy to go along with my cocktail.
Thanks to the amazing host Pete Lee along with the funniest comedians and their skits made the room filled with endless laughter. Phewwww I tend to go aboard with my laughter when it hits the core of my laughing soul!
It was a very entertaining night share with my fellow Unilocaler buddies! Bravo: applause: to Jando, Nelson, comedians, and The Standing Room. Definitely need to go back as laughter can cure a bad day: wink:

Cheers to my first event in 2016! I am always so thankful to get an invite to a Unilocal Elite Event! Thank you very much!
Special thanks to Jando, Sierra, Nelson, Unilocal Queens Team, The Standing Room, sLice, Deep Eddy Vodka, and Comedy Central for another awesome event!
Tonight we got to hang out with Unilocal Elites and Comedy Central comedians! With such a tasty, complimentary drink in my hand, I feel unstoppable! The Punch was sweet and fruity, just the perfect for an evening after work! My companions and I did enjoy every skit and I just could not stop laughing. There were a variety of jokes that everyone can relate to. I especially loved that the jokes are so relatable especially aiming at us, Unilocal Elites!
Don’t worry guys, you are definitely 5-​Stars Comedians!