A man walks down SE Hawthorne Boulevard. Wearing simple attire of jeans and a t-shirt, he strides quietly through the Friday night crowds who may not realize that this unassuming character will soon be on the stage and entertaining an audience filling the McMenamins’ Bagdad Theatre—taking them through a night of laughter and comedy.
A man walks down SE Hawthorne Boulevard. Wearing simple attire of jeans and a t-shirt, he strides quietly through the Friday night crowds who may not realize that this unassuming character will soon be on the stage and entertaining an audience filling the McMenamins’ Bagdad Theatre—taking them through a night of laughter and comedy.
Comedy Nights at the Bagdad have been growing in popularity over the past few years. On Friday nights, a mix of comedians stand on the Bagdad’s stage to either make you laugh or die trying…which is funny in its own way.
Tristian Spillman has been performing as a standup comedian for over a decade. He has grabbed a mic at everything from paid gigs to open mic nights across the spectrum of Portland bars and nightlife hotspots. He is the man behind one of Portland’s most entertaining weekly events, Comedy Night at the Bagdad.
“I had the idea for a show that could exist between the open mic and national comedy club level,” Spillman said. “I wanted to have a spot for newer comics to be able to prepare for success as well as make a few mistakes.”
Even when mistakes occur, it becomes part of the show and adds to the fun. The Bagdad offers a laid back atmosphere, one where audiences enjoy kicking back with a beer and comedians enjoy the freedom to try new material. In the end, it all simply makes for a great night out.
After years of moving through Portland’s underground collection of comedians and performers, Spillman felt there was a need for a wider, more visible, comedy scene. Many in the metro area were unaware of the city’s wealth of comedic talent, while local comedians strived for places to perform and expand their craft. Many of Portland’s outlets for comedy were limited to bars scattered across the city and were mostly attended by the other comedians performing, which was great for establishing a solid community of entertainers, but it remained difficult to find wider audiences.
This lead Spillman to the Bagdad where, after a meeting and an interview with McMenamins management, he received the go ahead to organize one comedy event a month. Eventually Comedy Night at the Bagdad turned into a weekly event at the theater (unless special circumstances prevent it).
“I like the idea of being in charge of it all—writer, performer, director—and being able to throw it all together last second and the audience having no idea that it wasn’t meticulously planned,” Spillman said.
Pulling from the area’s diverse and plentiful local talent, Spillman has been able to build an event that benefits everyone. Local comedians of varying experience have resource for their craft, while audiences have something more unique than a night at the movies, or another night of killing time emptying cans of PBR at the local hole-in-the-wall of their choice.
“It’s standard practice for the national level clubs to ban new comics for over a year if their sets don’t meet standards,” Spillman said. “With something like Comedy at the Bagdad, local comics can regularly have a show that they prepare for, have a specific amount of performance time and have a place where they can try new material on a paying crowd.”
The event has become a small and local phenomenon. Over time, the event’s audience has grown larger as the comedy night gains further popularity. So much that national touring acts have made a point of stopping in from time-to-time.
“We’ve had Dwight Slade, Auggie Smith and many other nationally known comics on the show and I’m happy to have them on board,” Spillman said.
After the shows Spillman and other performers laugh over the triumphs and failures of the evening, while also mingling with the crowd, many of whom will leave to repeat jokes and lines they heard at the Bagdad.
