What's a Bringer Show?

In stand up comedy there's a thing called a "bringer show". Ask a comic what the definition is and they'll give you a few different responses.

My experience has been very minimal. But my friends have had a lot experience. So here is my definition of a bringer show.

Any show that requires the comedian to bring X number of people to the show to perform is a bringer show.

If the venue or booker only book people who bring but put them on stage regardless if they're successful, then it's not a bringer show - it's a show that values butts in the seats over quality. Which is smart economically, but not smart comedically.

After a few years swamping through the LA comedy scene, I'll say that any booker or venue that MANDATES a number of people to come see you at a show is a scam.

By this theory, a funny comedian is less valuable than my grandma, who's never done comedy, but can bring her grandkids to watch her on the main stage of The Comedy Store.

That is offesnsive to the greats who honed an act for Mitzi in the 70s and 80s to perform on that stage. But yet clubs all over LA use the bringer model to fill rooms.

Sadly, this model doesn't improve the state of comedy, comedians, or the audience's view of comedy.

Young comedians like the promise of getting to perform at cult like secret society comedy clubs in front of their friends, but the end result leaves their friends tired and broke by the night's end.

Bringer shows are the ITT Tech of comedy shows. They look real, but they're not.

So how do they end? Simple. If comedians just stopped doing them, then they'd cease to exist.