When Matt Vogl hosts The Nasty Show at Comedy Works, he always starts the set the same way. He grips the mic, surveys the audience and delivers his now signature opening speech:
"There’s all these Karens in the world who want to pick apart everything, and by doing The Nasty Show, this is just our way of collectively coming together and standing shoulder to shoulder with one united voice and telling those people to go F themselves,’" Vogl says. Laughter erupts, setting the tone for the night — raw, unfiltered and unapologetically hilarious.
"They always love that," he says. "By starting off the show that way, I'm kind of explaining what The Nasty Show is and letting everyone know exactly what they are getting themselves into."
Since launching under this name last November, The Nasty Show has quickly become one of Comedy Works’s most talked-about showcases. Hosted at both the downtown and Greenwood Village locations, this ongoing event provides comics a rare space to let loose, drop the filters and test the limits of their material.
While official dates are announced through March, owner Wende Curtis says the plan is to continue the series indefinitely. "I want to give it the opportunity to find its own stride," Curtis says. "I'd like to try to do a couple of shows every month in each club."
So why is it called The Nasty Show? Curtis, who has experimented with similar showcases over the years under different names, says she took the title from the now-defunct Montreal Comedy Festival’s Nasty Show.
"I worked for them for a couple of years," Curtis recalls. "I don't remember the specifics, but I always liked that title for this kind of show. Since they're not even around anymore, I thought, ‘How about I call it The Nasty Show?’ I'm always trying to find shows of programming that click. Our marketing director pointed out that what’s great about The Nasty Show is that you don't even really have to read much of the description to know what the show is — it's all in the name."
However, the organizers insist that it's not just being dirty for shock value.
"The intent is not for this to be a filthy or overly offensive Howard Stern thing where people are trying to see how far they can push things," says booker and frequent host Vogl. "Most comics are using it as a chance to try out material that they might not be able to do on a regular night but they know it’s cool at The Nasty Show. Here we can be dirty and cuss. Anything goes and nobody's going to complain if they hear a lot of cussing and people dropping f-bombs at a show called The Nasty Show."
Curtis came up with the idea for the show, recognizing the need for a venue where comedians could perform without fear of repercussions and have a local event that wasn't clean.
"When we do things with our locals, we often ask them to keep it clean, but I feel like a part of our job is helping them with their journey and giving them a place to create and feel safe," Curtis says. "I was there the other night and I would call it edgy, but I wouldn't have called it dirty. It’s just stuff that wouldn't be on a clean show, but it's not like it was filthy, overly sexual, or filled with dirty language — it’s just a little bit edgier."
"Sensitivities are heightened," Vogl notes. "People got to a point where they would complain if a comedian said something they didn’t like, and it spooked a lot of comics. The idea for The Nasty Show was to have a show where everybody on both sides — the audience and the comics — knew exactly what they were getting into."
The Nasty Show operates in a loose, showcase format featuring six mostly local comedians performing ten-to-twenty-minute sets. Lineups feature a mix of established local favorites and new comics eager to showcase their work in a more unfiltered setting. Everyone from Hannah Jones to back-to-back Comedy Works New Faces Contest winner Eeland Stribling is getting in on the action.
"Even some of the more clean comics, like Geoff Tice, all want to do it," Vogl says. "Ben Roy's doing it, John Novosad’s been doing a lot of them and so has Kevin Fitzgerald. Everybody now wants in on it because they've been hearing how much fun it is."
Andrew Orvedahl, a veteran of Denver’s comedy scene, embraces the freedom provided by The Nasty Show. "Cussing is like the palette of paints for the canvas of stand-up," he says. "Stand-up comedy is supposed to be for adults, and it should be the comics saying what they want, uncensored. I don’t want this freezer-burnt vanilla comedy."
One of the most surprising aspects of The Nasty Show has been its success. "Without even doing any marketing for it, the crowds have been really good, even on weird nights," Vogl says. "The Monday right after New Year’s, which historically would be a disaster, had a big crowd. But what’s been even more interesting is that the crowds are laughing at everything. Everybody kind of has their guard let down, and as a result, the comics are looser."
The audience's enthusiasm has created a ripple effect with performers. What began as an experiment in the local scene has grown into a regular event that is hotly anticipated by both audiences and comics.
"At first we had to call around to get people to come out for it," Vogl admits. "Now, every comic wants in on it, because all the ones who have done it have said it’s one of the most fun shows that they’ve done in a long, long time."
While some may balk at the idea of a show dedicated to letting comedians say whatever they want, The Nasty Show is proving that there’s still a place for unfiltered, unafraid stand-up. In fact, Curtis believes that the show has the potential to be a Comedy Works staple.
"I think that it's got a huge future just given what little we've seen in a short period of time," Curtis says. "It's being well received, and I love it — so that means everyone else should probably love it, too."
The Nasty Show has shows scheduled through Wednesday, March 26, at both Comedy Works Downtown, 1226 15th Street, and Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village. Tickets are $14 to $22; learn more at comedyworks.com.
"There’s all these Karens in the world who want to pick apart everything, and by doing The Nasty Show, this is just our way of collectively coming together and standing shoulder to shoulder with one united voice and telling those people to go F themselves,’" Vogl says. Laughter erupts, setting the tone for the night — raw, unfiltered and unapologetically hilarious.
"They always love that," he says. "By starting off the show that way, I'm kind of explaining what The Nasty Show is and letting everyone know exactly what they are getting themselves into."
Since launching under this name last November, The Nasty Show has quickly become one of Comedy Works’s most talked-about showcases. Hosted at both the downtown and Greenwood Village locations, this ongoing event provides comics a rare space to let loose, drop the filters and test the limits of their material.
While official dates are announced through March, owner Wende Curtis says the plan is to continue the series indefinitely. "I want to give it the opportunity to find its own stride," Curtis says. "I'd like to try to do a couple of shows every month in each club."
So why is it called The Nasty Show? Curtis, who has experimented with similar showcases over the years under different names, says she took the title from the now-defunct Montreal Comedy Festival’s Nasty Show.
"I worked for them for a couple of years," Curtis recalls. "I don't remember the specifics, but I always liked that title for this kind of show. Since they're not even around anymore, I thought, ‘How about I call it The Nasty Show?’ I'm always trying to find shows of programming that click. Our marketing director pointed out that what’s great about The Nasty Show is that you don't even really have to read much of the description to know what the show is — it's all in the name."
However, the organizers insist that it's not just being dirty for shock value.
"The intent is not for this to be a filthy or overly offensive Howard Stern thing where people are trying to see how far they can push things," says booker and frequent host Vogl. "Most comics are using it as a chance to try out material that they might not be able to do on a regular night but they know it’s cool at The Nasty Show. Here we can be dirty and cuss. Anything goes and nobody's going to complain if they hear a lot of cussing and people dropping f-bombs at a show called The Nasty Show."
"Anything goes and nobody's going to complain if they hear a lot of cussing and people dropping f-bombs at a show called The Nasty Show," says frequent host and booker Matt Vogl.
Courtesy of Ashley Creative Co. (@ashleycreativeco)
"When we do things with our locals, we often ask them to keep it clean, but I feel like a part of our job is helping them with their journey and giving them a place to create and feel safe," Curtis says. "I was there the other night and I would call it edgy, but I wouldn't have called it dirty. It’s just stuff that wouldn't be on a clean show, but it's not like it was filthy, overly sexual, or filled with dirty language — it’s just a little bit edgier."
"Sensitivities are heightened," Vogl notes. "People got to a point where they would complain if a comedian said something they didn’t like, and it spooked a lot of comics. The idea for The Nasty Show was to have a show where everybody on both sides — the audience and the comics — knew exactly what they were getting into."
The Nasty Show operates in a loose, showcase format featuring six mostly local comedians performing ten-to-twenty-minute sets. Lineups feature a mix of established local favorites and new comics eager to showcase their work in a more unfiltered setting. Everyone from Hannah Jones to back-to-back Comedy Works New Faces Contest winner Eeland Stribling is getting in on the action.
"Even some of the more clean comics, like Geoff Tice, all want to do it," Vogl says. "Ben Roy's doing it, John Novosad’s been doing a lot of them and so has Kevin Fitzgerald. Everybody now wants in on it because they've been hearing how much fun it is."
Andrew Orvedahl, a veteran of Denver’s comedy scene, embraces the freedom provided by The Nasty Show. "Cussing is like the palette of paints for the canvas of stand-up," he says. "Stand-up comedy is supposed to be for adults, and it should be the comics saying what they want, uncensored. I don’t want this freezer-burnt vanilla comedy."
Everyone from Hannah Jones to back-to-back Comedy Works New Faces Contest winner Eeland Stribling is getting in on the action.
Courtesy of Ashley Creative Co. (@ashleycreativeco)
The audience's enthusiasm has created a ripple effect with performers. What began as an experiment in the local scene has grown into a regular event that is hotly anticipated by both audiences and comics.
"At first we had to call around to get people to come out for it," Vogl admits. "Now, every comic wants in on it, because all the ones who have done it have said it’s one of the most fun shows that they’ve done in a long, long time."
While some may balk at the idea of a show dedicated to letting comedians say whatever they want, The Nasty Show is proving that there’s still a place for unfiltered, unafraid stand-up. In fact, Curtis believes that the show has the potential to be a Comedy Works staple.
"I think that it's got a huge future just given what little we've seen in a short period of time," Curtis says. "It's being well received, and I love it — so that means everyone else should probably love it, too."
The Nasty Show has shows scheduled through Wednesday, March 26, at both Comedy Works Downtown, 1226 15th Street, and Comedy Works South, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village. Tickets are $14 to $22; learn more at comedyworks.com.
