Flea Market Is Denver's Eccentric Oasis of Comedy, Art and Community

For veterans of the Denver comedy community hungry for something challenging and new, there’s a haven for the unconventional, the daring and the downright weird. It’s called Flea Market, a wildly inventive variety show that defies categorization, seamlessly blending standup, theater and performance art into a one-of-a-kind experience.

Hosted by the dynamic duo Rach Angard and Jared McBain, Flea Market is not just a show; it’s a celebration of the extraordinary, an exploration of the bizarre and a platform for artists to push boundaries and redefine comedy.

"If you've experienced the traditional scene and want to expand your horizons, Flea Market is for you," Angard says. "Flea Market is for the freaks, the geeks, the weirdos and the beardos. It's for people who shop at Goodwill rather than Target. If you compulsively refuse to finish your college degrees, you'll fit right in. This show is for anyone out there who has an estranged relationship with their fathers, but in a way that's interesting and complex. Also, definitely come if you are hot."
The idea for Flea Market began in Angard’s old apartment, where she and McBain were living along with several other local improvisers. "I started doing improv in the fall of 2019, and it quickly became everything to me," Angard recalls. "I didn't do it for very long before everything shut down, but a few of us just decided to become very close right away. Jared and I were part of a group that decided to do COVID together, and it was during that time that I truly began to understand comedy by being around people who were funnier than me."

McBain has been active in local improv since he discovered it was an escape for him in high school. He loved the feeling he got from making others smile, and even moved to Chicago to try to break into the city's competitive scene.

"Ever since I returned home from Chicago, I feel like things have shifted for me artistically," McBain says. "I felt like I had done the big improv route, and now I'm interested in getting into the scene by creating things that are so specifically myself, which is pretty off-beat and improvisational." 

In 2021, as the world gradually reopened after the pandemic, Angard and McBain decided to host a show together as an outlet for their creative impulses. Traditional comedy and theater venues were still closed, so they hosted their Flea Market in a friend’s backyard during Pride month as a fundraiser for the Center on Colfax. The experience was a whirlwind of free drinks, free laughter and unexpected donations.

"I distinctly remember a moment from that first show where I was standing in the back against the door looking at the show and I just started crying," recalls McBain. "It was so special. We had at least fifty people at the show, and we heard similar things about the experience from them."
The success of their first show during Pride was an emotional revelation for the creators. Surrounded by friends and strangers, the atmosphere crackled with a unique energy, leaving a lasting impact on everyone involved. “It felt special immediately,” Angard shared. Flea Market became a space where performers could showcase their most unconventional acts; clowns, experimentalists and non-traditional comedians finally found their stage.

The two hosted one more show in a friend's backyard in October 2021, but they quickly learned their lesson about the unpredictability of Colorado's weather. "That show was so cold. It was honestly a mistake, but that show was nuts," Angard says. "After that, we realized we should be doing this at a venue. We drew up a list of places we liked and decided on Grandma's House. I emailed them, saying that we would love to talk about doing a monthly show at your venue."

Over time, the show’s format evolved; Flea Market now happens at Forest Room 5, but each performance remains a celebration of the wonderfully weird. The event is specifically geared toward those who want to enter Denver's comedy scene but are not sure where their unique voices would fit in.

"We realized that we needed to carve out our own space where we could perform something wild, like a set about a bag of wigs," explains McBain. "I can’t exactly do 'Bag of Wigs' on the Comedy Works stage right now — although I would love to someday!"

The producing duties of Flea Market are evenly split between Angard and McBain. Angard tackles communication with performers, ticket posting and door management, while McBain handles promotion and social media.

"We run the show together," Angard says. "We sandwich the show with music, so it starts and ends the show. After the music, Jared and I will go out to warm the crowd up by being ourselves. Then we will have performers come up and do their sets, with Jared and I performing in between each one as well."

This October's monthly offering of Flea Market showcases the musical magic of Baby Baby, coupled with the comedic brilliance of Katie Falcongrove, Evan Joe and Rachel Crowe. As always, the show champions a cause close to their hearts, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting EarthLinks, an organization providing job opportunities for older adults experiencing homelessness.
When asked to whom they would recommend Flea Market, Angard quips, "Mitch McConnell. I think he would really enjoy our show."

"We've actually reached out to his team to try to book him for the show," McBain jokes. "Every time you see those videos where Mitch McConnell goes silent, that's him receiving our email."

Flea Market isn’t just a comedy show; it’s a testament to the power of authenticity, a celebration of the unconventional, and a reminder that art knows no boundaries. For those seeking a night of unbridled creativity where laughter mingles with the unexpected, Flea Market at Forest Room 5 on Thursday, October 26, is an experience not to be missed.

"It's so cool to be able to do a show with one of your best friends," Angard admits. "We learned to speak the same language, both as friends and in the show. I'm going to say something insane, but you know how sometimes you say you want to make a baby with somebody, so it could have half of you and half of me? Flea Market is that for me and Jared. It feels very special, and I think that's because Jared and I just adore each other. We see the best in each other, and everybody that we bring on and like is ironically non-cynical. We earnestly love this, each other, art and comedy so much."

McBain nods in agreement, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “And I agree," he says. "Flea Market is dripping with sincerity in a way that is unbelievable. It’s our little slice of magic in Denver.”

Flea Market, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 26, Forest Room 5, 2532 15th Street. Get tickets at eventbrite.com.