Welcome to the Denver metro’s most underground comedy club

Aaron Foster has toured his stand-up act all across the country, performing in iconic comedy clubs like the Ice House and the Comedy Store. But last month, Foster performed in the basement of an Aurora home to a few dozen people lucky enough to know about the metro’s best-kept secret venue.

Merit Kahn built the Secret Cellar inside her house three years ago. A comedian herself, Kahn initially created the space to rehearse her one-woman show, “Optimistic Personality Disorder,” between performances. Then she thought, why not add an audience?

“I wanted a residency deal to perform my show,” Kahn says. “I figured, I’ll just build it in my residence.”

She invited some friends to watch, who invited some friends, who invited some friends. Soon, Kahn started offering the venue to other local comedians and touring acts with stops in Denver.

With a maximum capacity of 52, the Secret Cellar provides an ultra-personal experience. Comedians can practically look each audience member in the eye and gauge their reactions to jokes. After the show, the attendees and performers mingle upstairs in Kahn’s living room, allowing an opportunity for immediate feedback.

“I built the kind of room I wished I would’ve found more of,” she says. “I was speaking on stages all over the country, at different clubs and conferences. There weren’t many intimate venues where performers could experiment and really connect with audiences.”

The unique club has hosted around 50 different comedians, according to Kahn, including Brandt Tobler, Monique Marvez, Zac Maas and Carole Montgomery.

The show schedules are sporadic; sometimes several months pass without a performance at the cellar, sometimes there are multiple within one month.

But Kahn says that’s kind of the point. She doesn’t earn a profit from hosting the shows, and since the venue is just her house, she doesn’t have to worry about the expenses of running a traditional club. That allows Kahn to be choosy about who gets to take the stage. She says she’s received over 90 applications from comedians seeking to perform at the cellar, not including those she’s reached out to herself.

It’s about quality over quantity — for both the comedians and the audience members.

“If somebody made it on my stage, it’s because they genuinely made me lose my mind with laughter,” Kahn says. As for the crowd, “you usually know me or someone who knows me or the comedian. So my audiences are very generous with the comedians. It’s an attentive audience; a very friendly, intimate setting.”

Rather than charging for entry, which would require a business license, Kahn says attendees are simply encouraged to donate to the comedians.

She schedules the shows early in the evening to be considerate of the noise and provides careful parking instructions. She says her neighbors have embraced the Secret Cellar and often attend performances: “I haven’t run into any issues. … It’s really no different than if you would host a graduation party at your house.”

The endeavor has remained very low-key. It was only brought to my attention thanks to my mother, who saw a Facebook post advertising Foster’s show on Wednesday, June 17.

I was wary of entering a stranger’s basement; my mom and I discussed canceling our plans when we saw the residential address of the comedy show. But our minds were immediately put at ease as we walked through Kahn’s front door, greeted by friendly faces sharing conversation and homemade oatmeal raisin cookies.

The venue’s appearance was surprisingly legitimate. Black curtains covered the walls and windows of the walk-out basement. LED candles topped each table. The atmosphere was completed by custom “the Secret Cellar” signs and professionally painted imitation-brick walls.

Foster’s set was as smooth and entertaining as any I’ve seen at Comedy Works, and the crowd was even more engaged — without being forced to lock away their cell phones. Plus, I got to bring in my own snacks (no two-menu-item minimum here). We walked away from the unconventional experience laughing, pleasantly surprised and eager to catch another show.

Sign up here to be notified of future performances at the Secret Cellar.