Nashville has long been known as a city that does live entertainment better than almost anywhere else in the country. But for 11 days each spring, the spotlight shifts from the musical stage to the mic stand, as the Nashville Comedy Festival takes over six venues across Music City.
Now in its 12th year, the festival is put on by Outback Presents, the Nashville-based promoter that bills itself as the largest independent comedy promoter in the world. Andrew Farwell, who was named president of Outback last May, has been with the company for 16 years, long enough to watch it grow from a 13-person operation into a force that produces thousands of events annually. "We're really proud of the city, the opportunities, the different sized stages, the diversity," Farwell says.
This year's festival spans almost two full weeks, from April 9-19, with shows spread across Bridgestone Arena, the Ryman Auditorium, the Fisher Center, Zanies Comedy Club, The Lab, EXIT/IN, and The Schermerhorn. The headliners alone make a strong case for clearing your calendar: Shane Gillis tops the bill at Bridgestone Arena, while Heather McMahan headlines the Ryman. David Spade and Kevin James each host their own shows, and Albert Brooks, "the legend," as Farwell puts it, takes the Fisher Center stage with special guest host Kevin Pollack. Morgan Jay plays two nights at the Ryman. Other performers include Kathy Griffin, Sal Vulcano, Jeff Arcuri and Nate Jackson, to name a few.
But the real point of the festival, Farwell says, isn't the headliners. It's the breadth.
"People confuse comedy as a genre," he says. "It really isn't the case. Comedy is similar to music in the sense that there are so many subgenres within that vehicle and there's something for everybody. You've got clean comedy, you've got the dirty comedy, you've got the family comedy, you have niche comedy, you have prop comedy, you have improv comedy, so there are so many different formats."
That philosophy shapes every booking decision. The goal isn't to build the biggest possible bill but to build the most representative one. "You want to book something for every audience," Farwell says, "and it's so indicative and representative of Nashville to be able to have something for everybody."
Farwell speaks about the city of Nashville with genuine affection, and he sees the festival as an expression of what Nashville is at its best — welcoming, diverse, and full of homegrown talent that's ready for the national stage.
Zanies Comedy Club, the festival's longtime venue partner, holds a special place in that story. "We're so proud to have Zanies as a partner, because of what they represent," Farwell says. "For as long as they've been around, they've seen it all, they've seen that neighborhood grow up."
Local talent is a consistent priority. Farwell points to Nate Bargatze and Leanne Morgan as examples of what the festival's investment in Nashville comics can yield over time. "Local guy, local gal, and what they've grown on to do, it's homegrown talent," he says. Features like New Material Monday at Zanies provide a pipeline for emerging comics to develop their craft in front of live audiences. "You're definitely going to see the next big thing," Farwell says. "It just kind of happens organically."
The festival's economic footprint is no small thing either. Outback Presents estimates the event drives more than $10 million in economic impact on Nashville across its 11-day run. That's a figure that earned the festival an official proclamation last year from Mayor Freddie O'Connell, designating April 3rd as National Comedy Festival Day.
The festival has expanded steadily over the years, adding days and venues as demand has grown. But Farwell is careful about what growth means, and what it doesn't. "We're not going to say that this is going to be like a Coachella or a Bonnaroo, that's not what we're hoping for," he says. "You don't want to overdo it, so you need to be very cautious and careful with the approach that you have to growing a festival."
The model has already extended beyond Nashville. Outback Presents launched the 312 Comedy Festival in Chicago, applying the same tent-pole booking philosophy to the Chicagoland market in the fall. Closer to home, conversations about bringing programming to venues like The Caverns and the Franklin Theatre in Franklin are ongoing, but only when the timing and purpose are right.
"It needs to have a purpose," Farwell says. "It has to be the right act serving the right demo. So we're very intentional with our decisions from that perspective."
When asked what he hopes audiences take away from the festival this year, Farwell's answer is straightforward.
"Joy," he says. "I mean, that's one of my favorite things about working in comedy, because it's so much more than a person with a microphone. It's a platform, people are delivering a message. And more often than not, the whole purpose of comedy is to make people laugh. If you feel better than when you walked in when you're walking out, we've done our job and the comedian's done their job. The case for a room full of laughter doesn't require much elaboration."
"To have that live experience is unmatched," he says, "and to be able to laugh at your favorite comedian with your friends, a whole room of people, there's just this unifying feeling that you get that you can't replicate anywhere else. Have a good time, enjoy a laugh or two and find your new, next favorite comedian."
Tickets and the full schedule are available at NashComedyFest.com.
"You want to book something for every audience and it's so indicative and representative of Nashville to be able to have something for everybody."
"You're definitely going to see the next big thing and it just kind of happens organically."