10 Performances to Catch at the 10th Annual Nashville Comedy Festival

Founded in 2014 as the Wild West Comedy Fest, and known as simply the Nashville Comedy Festival since 2018 (Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Productions was involved in those earlier years, but is no longer), Music City’s largest, premiere annual gathering of comedic talent returns for its 10th anniversary this week in its usual spring timeframe of Friday, April 12 through Sunday, April 21, hosting dozens of standup shows, live podcasts, and other funny events in and around some of Nashville’s best performance spaces. This year, the bulk of the fest- which, though organized and billed as one big event, is actually comprised of a series of individually ticketed shows- takes place at Zanies and their brand new adjacent space The Lab at Zanies, The Ryman, and Bridgestone Arena, with a few performances at TPAC, the Grand Ole Opry House, and nearby Clarksville’s new F&M Bank Arena (previous years have also featured shows at The Blue Room, The Belcourt, Exit/In, War Memorial Auditorium, Regal Hollywood 27, City Winery, and more).

While you can peep the whole schedule at the bottom of this post, complete with times, ticket links, and videos of each performer (hit “watch”), and even a few comedy shows that coincide with the fest that aren’t part of its official programming (marked as “unofficial”), we’ve decided to give you a rundown of our top 10 NCF performers this year in honor of the festival’s tenth anniversary- our first time covering this event in a few years. Per usual, it’s a bit of a mixed bag- some stuff is broad and blue collar, some very viral and of the moment, and some genuinely quite brilliant and hilarious and subversive. The nice thing is, since it’s separately ticketed, it’s easy to just cherry pick the performances you like, and to get as much or as little out of this week of comedy as you want to. We know this isn’t music (some years have included musical comedy like “Weird Al” or The Lonely Island, but not so much this time), but if you enjoy the type of music coverage we normally run, we think you’ll vibe with these ten comedians and comedy groups as well. Check ’em out below:

ISMO | April 12+13 @ Zanies

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DEON COLE | April 14 @ The Ryman

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THE STATE | April 15 @ The Ryman

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MATTEO LANE | April 17 @ The Ryman

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LETTERKENNY PRESENTS: A NIGHT OF STAND-UP w/ MARK FORWARD, JEFF MCENERY, OLIVIA STADLER, ALLIE PEARSE | April 17 @ James K. Polk Theater

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I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TIM ROBINSON | April 18 @ The Ryman

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GEOFFREY ASMUS | April 19+20 @ Zanies

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GIANMARCO SORESI | April 19+20 @ Zanies

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PALMERTROLLS | April 19+20 @ The Lab at Zanies

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LEWIS BLACK | April 20 @ James K. Polk Theater

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FULL 2024 LINEUP & SCHEDULE:

Friday, April 12: TOM SEGURA
@ Bridgestone Arena | 8pm | $36.30+ | All Ages | Watch

***Friday, April 12 + Saturday, April 13: ISMO
@ Zanies | 7pm (5:30pm doors) & 9:15pm (8:45pm doors) | $29+ | 18+ | Watch

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Saturday, April 13: BERT KREISCHER
@ F&M Bank Arena (Clarksville) | 7pm (6pm doors) | $33.80+ | All Ages | Watch

[UNOFFICIAL] Saturday, April 13: SUGAR SAMMY w/ ELIJAH MCNUTT
@ City Winery | 7:30pm (6pm doors) | $25-40 | All Ages | Watch

[UNOFFICIAL] Saturday, April 13: LAUGH AND LOUNGE ft. RENARD HIRSCH, C-BO, JOSH BLACK, MIKE DREW
@ The Comedy Cabin at Venue 109 (Madison) | 7pm (6:30pm doors) | $10-15 | Watch

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Sunday, April 14: JEFF DUNHAM
@ Bridgestone Arena | 3pm (1:30pm doors) | $75.85+ | All Ages | Watch

***Sunday, April 14: DEON COLE
@ The Ryman Auditorium | 7:30pm (6:30pm doors) | $42+ | All Ages | Watch

Sunday, April 14: WIFE OF THE PARTY
@ Zanies | 5pm (4pm doors) | $20 | 18+ | Watch

Sunday, April 14: NEVERMIND WITH VERONIKA SLOWIKOWSKA & KYLE CHASE
@ Zanies | 8pm (7pm doors) | $30 | 18+ | Watch

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***Monday, April 15: THE STATE
@ The Ryman Auditorium | 7pm (6pm doors) | $49+ | All Ages | Watch

Monday, April 15: NEW MATERIAL MONDAY
@ Zanies | 7pm (6pm doors) | $15 | 18+

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Tuesday, April 16: KID ROCK’S COMEDY JAM
@ The Ryman Auditorium | 7:30pm (6:30pm doors) | $49.50+ | All Ages | Watch

Tuesday, April 16: LESLIE LIAO
@ Zanies | 7pm (6pm doors) | $20 | 18+ | Watch

Tuesday, April 16: STAND-UP ON THE SPOT ft. JEREMIAH WATKINS, TRAILER TRASH TAMMY, CRYSTAL, DUSTY SLAY, & LESLIE LIAO
@ The Lab at Zanies | 8:45pm (8:15pm doors) | $20 | 18+ | Watch

Tuesday, April 16: GLAD TO BE HERE
@ The Lab at Zanies | 6:30pm (5:30pm doors) | $15 | 18+

[UNOFFICIAL] Tuesday, April 16: ULTIMATE COMEDY: LOCAL OPEN MIC STANDUP
@ The East Room | 8pm (7pm doors & signup) | FREE | 18+

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***Wednesday, April 17: MATTEO LANE
@ The Ryman Auditorium | 8pm (7pm doors) | $39+ | All Ages | Watch

***Wednesday, April 17: LETTERKENNY PRESENTS: A NIGHT OF STAND-UP w/ MARK FORWARD, JEFF MCENERY, OLIVIA STADLER, ALLIE PEARSE
@ TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater | 7:30pm | $39+ | All Ages | Watch

Wednesday, April 17: DUSTY SLAY’S GRAND OLE COMEDY SHOW
@ Zanies | 6:30pm (5:30pm doors) | Sold Out | 18+ | Watch

Wednesday, April 17: CHRIS PORTER & ZACH MYERS PRESENT ‘CAMPFIRE ASTRONOMERS’
@ Zanies | 8:45pm (8:15pm doors) | $18 | 18+ | Watch

Wednesday, April 17: JOSH BLACK’S ROAST BATTLE
@ The Lab at Zanies | 6:30pm (5:30pm doors) & 8:45pm (8:15pm doors) | $20 (6:30 & 8:45) | 18+ | Watch

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Thursday, April 18: ANDREW SCHULZ
@ Grand Ole Opry House | 7pm (6pm doors) | $39.50+ | Ages | Watch

***Thursday, April 18: I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TIM ROBINSON
@ The Ryman Auditorium | 7pm (6pm doors) | $29.75+ | 16+ | Watch

Thursday, April 18: ARE YOU GARBAGE?
@ Zanies | 7pm (6pm doors) | Sold Out | 18+ | Watch

Thursday, April 18: STONED COLD SOBER
@ The Lab at Zanies | 6:30pm (5:30pm doors) | $15 | 18+

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Friday, April 19: TONY HINCHCLIFFE
@ The Ryman Auditorium | 7pm (6pm doors) | $39.75+ | All Ages | Watch

Friday, April 19: ALI SIDDIQ
@ TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater | 7pm | $30+ | All Ages | Watch

Friday, April 19: THE DIRTY AT 10:30
@ The Lab at Zanies | 10:30pm (9:30pm doors) | $10 | 18+ | Watch

Friday, April 19: + Saturday, April 20: LEANNE MORGAN
@ F&M Bank Arena (Clarksville) | 7pm (6pm doors) | $50.75+ (4/19 & 4/20) | All Ages | Watch

***Friday, April 19: + Saturday, April 20: GEOFFREY ASMUS
@ Zanies | 9:15pm (8:45pm doors) | $25 | 18+ | Watch

***Friday, April 19: + Saturday, April 20: GIANMARCO SORESI
@ Zanies | 7pm (5:30pm doors) | $25 | 18+ | Watch

***Friday, April 19: + Saturday, April 20: PALMERTROLLS
@ The Lab at Zanies | 7:30pm (6:30pm doors) | $25 | 18+ | Watch

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[UNOFFICIAL] Saturday, April 20: KATT WILLIAMS
@ Bridgestone Arena | 7pm | $79.85+ | All Ages | Watch

Saturday, April 20: SHANNON FORD
@ TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater | 4pm | $40+ | 16+ | Watch

***Saturday, April 20: LEWIS BLACK
@ TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater | 7pm | $49+ | All Ages | Watch

Saturday, April 20: ROADKILL WITH CORT MCCOWAN
@ The Lab at Zanies | 10pm (9:30pm doors) | $10 | 18+ | Watch

Saturday, April 20 + Sunday, April 21: SHANE GILLIS
@ The Ryman Auditorium | 7pm & 9:30pm (4/20) & 6pm & 8:30pm (4/21) | $39.50+ | All Ages | Watch

Saturday, April 20 + Sunday, April 21: KAITLYN BRISTOWE
@ Zanies | 12pm (11am doors) | $50 (4/20 & 4/21) | 18+ | Watch

Saturday, April 20 + Sunday, April 21: BRUNCH OF LAUGHS ft. BRAD SATIVA
@ The Lab at Zanies | 2pm (1pm doors) | $15 | 18+ | Watch

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Sunday, April 21: NURSE JOHN & STEVEN HO
@ TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater | 7pm | $35+ | All Ages | Watch

Sunday, April 21: GROCERIES WITH DIGNITY& COMEDY WITHOUT ft. JOHN CRIST, DUSTY SLAY, BRAD PAISLEY, & FRIENDS
@ Zanies | 6pm (5pm doors) | $250 | 18+ | Watch

Sunday, April 21: SHAKE ‘N JAKE ft. JAKE RUBLE & AJ WILKERSON
@ The Lab at Zanies | 6:30pm (5:30pm doors) & 8:45pm (8:15pm doors) | Sold Out (6:30) & $15 (8:45) | 18+ | Watch