Anthony DelMundo/for New York Daily News
‘It’s starting to evolve,” says Rebecca Trent, owner of Creek Cave comedy club on Jackson Ave. “It’s taken an awful long time.”
Nicholas Fevelo /for New York Daily News
Laughing Devil Comedy Club’s Steve Hofstetter says revival of comedy clubs in W. Queens has enabled him to attract a higher caliber of comedian than was possible in the past.
Jerry Seinfeld visited the Creek Cave comedy club in Long Island City last month.
Have you heard the one about the borough that found its sense of humor?
Western Queens has seen an explosion of stand-up comedy over the past two years, with patrons packing clubs on a regular basis to watch top comedians with impressive credentials.
“The caliber of comedian that we’re able to get now is incredible,” said Steve Hofstetter, owner of the Laughing Devil Comedy Club in Long Island City.
The Creek and the Cave, the first club in the area to host regular comedy shows after a long drought, was rated by Time Out New York as one of top comedy venues in the city.
Those two clubs, and another recently established performance space, have helped turn Queens — once the butt of jokes — into a punchline powerhouse.
“It’s starting to evolve,” said Creek owner Rebecca Trent. “It’s taken an awful long time.”
That revival was punctuated last month when legendary comic Jerry Seinfeld visited The Creek and the Cave to introduce fellow funnyman Colin Quinn.
“Seinfeld being there is a really big deal,” said Trent, who kept the appearance under wraps. “It really meant a lot to the artists.”
Hofstetter called the brief appearance an “arrival moment.”
Aside from the residents who have a hilarious attraction in their backyard, people within the industry benefit as well.
Some clubs in Manhattan will only provide stage time if the comedian can bring in a requisite number of patrons, said well-traveled comic Rich Vos.
“The comic has enough pressure to be funny,” Vos said. “It’s about being comfortable on stage when you’re new. The club definitely serves its purpose.”
The emergence of the two Queens laugh factories has given budding performers a low-pressure environment in which to sharpen their comic chops.
“Stand-up comedy doesn’t exist without an audience,” said Judah Friedlander of “30 Rock” fame, who’s a regular at the Laughing Devil. “Both these places are caring and they’re trying hard.”
Those efforts have already served to kickstart careers.
Rising star Donald Glover — recently listed by Rolling Stone among the hottest comics under 30 — honed his skills as a regular at The Creek and The Cave.
Comic Michael Somerville is fresh off an appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” because a producer caught his set at the Laughing Devil.
“One of the bookers came out to a show on a random Friday night; I was amazed,” he said. “People are coming out. People are looking for comedy.”
