Yuk it up: Magoobys comedy club is coming to Hampden

Cue the laughs: Magoobys Joke House, a Baltimore County comedy club that helped launch the careers of Stavros Halkias and Shane Gillis, is coming to Hampden.

Set to open early next year just off the Avenue, the 120-seat Magoobys Hampden will offer a more intimate venue where up-and-coming comics can build their audiences and more established acts can test out new material, said owner Andrew Unger.

“Comedy has sort of exploded over the past few years, especially because of social media,” Unger said. But early-career comedians might struggle to sell out the 300 seats at Magoobys’ Timonium location. The new space “gives us another kind of room for another stage of a comic’s career,” he said, as well as a venue for niche acts and performances beyond stand-up. “We’ve wanted to do it for quite some time.”

Artsy Hampden was always at the top of Unger’s list of potential future locations, so he was excited to see a space available at 3602 Hickory Ave., in a building co-owned by developer Jeremy Landsman. Magoobys’ future home in the city was most recently an event space called The Green Room, operated by neighboring tenant The Bluebird Cocktail Room. Bar owner Paul Benkert could not be reached for comment.

The new spot will be something of a return to roots for Magoobys, which first opened in a smaller venue in Parkville in 2007 before relocating to a former dinner theater in Timonium three years later.

But when it comes to live comedy, bigger isn’t always better. Even for famous comics like Gillis, “there’s nothing better sometimes than just performing in front of 130 people,” Unger said. “It’s not the same as talking to a huge crowd.”

Unger said Gillis, who was previously named New Comedian of the Year at Magoobys, is a friend of his. Halkias also received the honor in 2012.

But not everyone wants to make the drive up I-83 to tickle their funny bone. “We know that there are people who don’t leave the city,“ Unger said, including college students who love comedy but often don’t have cars. While the new space doesn’t have a dedicated parking lot, he said that as a scaled-down venue, he doesn’t see that being a problem.

Unger also said the new club, which will be open six days a week, will “feel like it belongs in Hampden rather than recreating our Timonium space.”

Unger said Magoobys Hampden could open as early as February. Patrons will also be able to eat while they watch stand-up: The menu will include a variety of specialty hot dogs as well as tater tots, salads and sandwiches, according to a menu submitted in an application for a liquor license. While a hearing has yet to be scheduled, Unger said he doesn’t foresee any objections from residents, particularly since comedy is a relatively quiet event.

Hopefully, though, people laugh.