P and H Cafe

It's hard to have a Memphis Comedy Blog without talking about some of the more important figures, whether it be comedians or comedy establishments. With the sad demise of Comedy TN later this month, the rock of our scene would have to be centered at the P&H Cafe.

The P&H will be celebrating it's 2 year anniversary as of April 20th (yes, stoners, that day.) and in that time, there have been a slew of very talented young comedians to spring up from this well of funny.

The open mic was started by Brandon Sams, who keeps the atmosphere loose, free and allows you more freedom as a comic then pretty much anywhere in the country.

The crowds are generally a 20s to early 30s, literate, liberal and forgiving audience, which is almost oasis among West Tennessee rooms, in many cases, until you consider it's Midtown Memphis location, then one can understand this occurrence. The audience is usually packed with their BYOBs and pitchers of PBR in hand, awaiting the comedy.

There is a very loose sign up list. You talk to Brandon Sams before the show and eventually, you go up. There is no definite time limit, but for the sake of the audience and other comedians, keep it till you're out of funny, hopefully less than 10 minutes and then get off stage.

The material that can be seen goes anywhere from the road and comedy veteran stylings of Mo Alexander to more alt-comedy vibes giving to you by someone like Michael Kline doing his inanimate character, Sting Mattress (which is a mattress with pictures of Sting, simply enough) that has brought the house down several times. Several other notable comics show up every week with their delightfully twisted spin on the world and the idea of comedy in general.

The P&H Open Mic happens every Monday night around 11pm. Come to enjoy, perform or drink. Be forewarned, the P&H comedy night is not for the faint of heart or easily offended. It's a down and dirty show that can make even the most twisted blush.

For more information about the location, go to www.pandhcafe.com.

All photos by Caryn Loveless Photography.