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Last year, Bumbershoot relegated its comedy lineup to a sun-soaked tent, because nothing says “comedy” like sitting in a tepid, sealed fabric enclosure with zero breeze on a hot day. Bumbershoot course-corrected this year by moving its “Comedy Coop” into the SIFF theater, with luxuries like air conditioning and, er, chairs.
One thing that remains consistent with last year’s stand-up lineup is an emphasis on local, working comedians, not national headliners. Chances are, if you’re not regularly catching sets from homegrown talent when they open for touring artists at venues like Laughs and Emerald City Comedy Club, you may look at this year’s lineup and feel your vision blurring. Which is okay! Everybody has to start somewhere, and we’ll help you work up some Comedy Coop courage (CCC) with a few recommendations.
Dan Hurwitz
This year’s Comedy Coop booker, Dan Hurwitz, was one of The Stranger‘s picks for Undisputable Geniuses of Comedy in 2024, and for good reason. His breakout set (above) from 2019 lands thoughtful, perfectly paced jokes about his race and disability, and he’s maintained a reputation for stellar live shows while cohosting the Disabled List, a regular showcase for disabled comedians. He’ll once again cohost a pair of Disabled List showcases at Bumbershoot, along with two sets hosting the Comedy Coop’s Seattle Stage.
Snax the Bunny
When an adult shows up in a bunny costume with a helium-like vocal affectation, you know something weird’s gonna go down. In Snax the Bunny‘s case, however, the comedy results may actually be more accessible than you expect—though definitely off-kilter. Snax alternates between comedy and karaoke hosting gigs around Seattle, so it’s anyone’s guess what kind of entertainment they’ll bring to the Comedy Coop stage this year, but chances are, it will be full of sharp, surprising punchlines.
Toast of Tacoma, Hosted by Jaci Terjeson
Gonna level with you here: The nearby town with cheaper rent and arguably more local comedy bookings is always gonna show up with some edge at a regional comedy showcase like the Bumbershoot Comedy Coop. Jaci Terjeson hosts both Tacoma-specific sets, and her snarling, energetic twists on stand-up conventions like parenting and ADHD have us optimistic about what her stage’s roster has to offer.
Rohini Jayanthi
Rohini’s brand of dry, nerdy, techie-lesbian humor feels like it could only have come out of Seattle. We loved her in 2023, and we still love her now. You’re not ready for her take on scissoring.
There’s More!
With roughly three dozen local comedians spread across two days, including quite a few we haven’t yet seen live, we’ve been picking through online clips to find promising standouts to fill out our personal Comedy Coop schedule. Here are a few more highlights: Nathaniel Honey’s blunt description of white culture, Nesil Izil’s graduation to step-MILF status, and JoJo Blacco noticing fucked-up mispronunciations of their last name.
Bumbershoot is Saturday, August 30 & Sunday, August 31 at the Seattle Center. Tickets are available at bumbershoot.com. We’re counting down to Bumbershoot 2025 by featuring a different participating musician or artist every day for the two weeks leading up to the festival—see all our picks here.
