In a bustling city like Philadelphia, it might sometimes seem – however improbable – that there is nothing new to do.
While there are plenty of restaurants near University City, they can be too pricey for college students. There are dozens of historical landmarks to visit in Philadelphia, but residents who have lived in the city long enough might be opposed to doing something so “touristy.” In the current summer heat, most even shy away from walks down the Schuylkill.
People facing the issue of finding affordable and entertaining activities should consider taking a short walk from Drexel’s campus over to Philly’s Helium Comedy Club, located on 2031 Sansom Street. Here, viewers can catch live comedy from some of the biggest names in the industry, like sitcom star Lisa Ann Walters from Abbott Elementary, or modest up-and-comers at weekly open mics.
Not only are the comedians varied, but the type of comedy itself is all over the map. At an event like Philly’s Phunniest on Aug. 17, viewers experienced classic stand-up at a competition between the city’s best comedians. On Aug. 21, audience members witnessed the wacky improvisational comedy of Ceara O’Sullivan at her show featuring writers and cast members of SNL.
Also on Aug. 12, comedian Jack Shaw was the headlining act at Helium, performing after a charming opener and a chaotic yet hilarious feature. Shaw, hailing from Los Angeles, has grown in popularity over the past year thanks to live podcast “Kill Tony.”
“Kill Tony,” filmed in Austin, Texas, is a simple show: hundreds of aspiring stand-up comedians sign up to perform just a one-minute act, and host Tony Hinchcliffe pulls names at random out of a bucket, giving comedians once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to make a name for themselves in the comedy world. After their one minute is up, Hinchcliffe probes the comedian with questions: some prompting mere small talk while others are uncomfortably personal.
When Shaw’s name was pulled from the bucket back in June of 2024, his set and interview charmed the host so much that Shaw was awarded a “golden ticket,” giving him the privilege of performing on the show whenever he wants.
Since then, Shaw has toured the country as an opener for more prolific acts. At Helium, he was pleased to share with the crowd of about 40 that it was his first time headlining a show, to which the crowd gave him an especially loud Philly welcome.
Shaw, wearing glasses and a brown polo shirt a few sizes too big, was instantly likeable. He came out on stage and paced around, remarking nervously about how sticky the floor was, giving the audience an inside look at what goes through a stand-up comedian’s head mid-performance. This continued through the first few minutes of the show, as he caught himself speaking too quickly, turned away from the crowd, and said: “I need to take a breath.” This statement alone merited belly laughs. From the very start he established himself as endearing.
What made his set work especially well was how he played into his quirky, self-deprecating character. Much of his material played with the simple premise of not being a “cool guy” despite wanting to be one. He riffed on this with specific worries of his, saying something along the lines of, “I’m 26, and I’m starting to think that puberty is never gonna hit.” He shared personal life stories, such as how he was bullied at a performing arts school: “Do you know how lame you have to be to be bullied at a performing arts school?” he almost yelled. “My bully wore a fedora!”
His performance was charmingly rough around the edges. He shared a few Philly-specific jokes that he said he wrote earlier that day. One was about Tony DeNic’s roast pork sandwiches and cheesesteaks, wondering how the human stomach can handle a diet containing such things.
When a certain joke got a lesser reaction than the others, he would simply nod and say, “Alright,” and consult his notebook resting on the stool next to him, digging for more material. Shaw’s comedy made Helium’s small space feel big while still maintaining the intimacy that would be left to be desired in a large theater- or arena-sized venue.
With a friendly wait-staff, great food and drink options for every customer, and guaranteed laughs, what reason is there not to head down to Helium for your next night out?