“ONE OF THE BEST COMEDY NIGHTS IN AMERICA”
The Setup was started in Feb 2015 in San Francisco as a monthly comedy show. Since then it has expanded to become a national comedy brand with several shows a week across different cities. In the past 7 years over 100,000 people have attended our shows. We are known for creating the best stand up comedy experience available. We curate and showcase the nations most talented comedians.
We are always looking for great venues with a sophisticated aesthetic to partner with. Our model has been repeated many times with success and we’d love to bring our event to your space.
Taylor Tomlinson practices her Netflix special at The Setup before recording it.
One of the coolest venues on the planet for comedy, this hidden speakeasy in North Beach has an intimate bar that has the perfect atmosphere for stand up comedy.
A packed show in the historic upper space of the Valencia Room.
Fans of The Setup at a sold out show in Culver City, LA
Paul Morrissey performs for fans of The Setup in Echo Park
The Setup began as a monthly comedy show in 2015 and has since become a national brand, specially curated for each location it appears in.
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You can tell the guys who run it, Abhay and Richard Sarvate, really put their heart and soul into that show. It’s just a regular showcase style local stand-up comedy show but it’s really damn good. It’s almost too good.
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On Hyde Street between Eddy and Turk is a weekly stand up show known as the The Setup. It takes place at The Basement every Saturday night; doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. There’s practically no stage and the comedians tell their jokes just a few feet from the crowd. It’s a great spot to scout talent at a cheap price—tickets to a show are just $12 each.
A successful show takes a lot of production, a bit of luck, and, often, a catchy name…
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Named after a technical stand-up comedy term, The Set Up is an underground comedy show. The venue used to be the green room for a legendary jazz club.
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The Basement is a lounge that features comedy on the regular. It’s cool, though: with open mics on Thursdays and a mixed showcase of national and local talent every Saturday, it’s a fine spot to post up at. Think reclaimed wood whiskey bar with bonus points for its storied history as a former jazz club.
Get your serious laugh on with this serious line up of stand-up comedians. The Setup presents five comedians hailing from all over the country and packs in the laughs.
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Truly a hidden gem! 90 minutes of solid stand up comedy -- great way to spend a Saturday night. Be sure to arrive early (maybe around 7:30pm) since seating is limited and fills up pretty fast. -Sabrina D.
Absolutely tremendous! We love comedy, go to a lot of comedy clubs and shows, and these were some of the funniest comedians we've ever seen. It was our first time at The Setup, and we can't wait for the next show! -Dana M.
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"Super funny comedy show at 222 Hyde. Comedy is like punk but funnier" - Fat Mike
We are available to curate a great event for your company holiday event, birthday party, or any other type of gathering. We’re happy to come to you or you can join us at one of our venues. Get in touch and we’ll happily provide you with flexible options for a show that fits your needs. We have access to all sorts of great comedians of different styles and varieties.
Richard and Abhay co-created The Setup in 2015. Richard quit his programming job in 2016 to pursue stand up comedy full time. His comedy special has over a million views and he has 1.5 million followers on Social Media.
Abhay is a comedian/writer/producer that moved from South-India to South Central Los Angeles for grad school. He's appeared on CBS, Audible's "America from Abroad with Rob Delaney", been featured in The Huffington Post, and recently completed a 20 show tour of India. He is also the creator of the Desi Comedy Fest- the largest South Asian comedy festival in America.
You’d be hard-pressed to find any comedy basement in the city that more closely resembles the classic, brick-lined institutions across New York. The Set Up at 222 Hyde St. has suffered through several changes as the street-facing bar has changed ownership a few times, but this version may be the best yet.
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