Capital Laughs at Town Tavern, Washington, DC: Shows, Open Mic and Booking
2323 18th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20009
The short answer
Capital Laughs at Town Tavern is a regular comedy venue in Washington, D.C., at 2323 18th Street Northwest. Shows run Monday (The Comedy Shuffle), Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, all at 8:00 PM; tickets from $4.50, 21 and over. For comics, it runs an open mic (Mondays, 8:00 PM) and publishes how to get booked.
A regular comedy venue, not a comedy club — stand-up runs here alongside its other shows.
On stage soon
No dated show here on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar yet — the venue's own calendar has what is on: its listings ↗
Lineups belong to the venue and the comedians, and can change; the listing has the last word. More shows in Washington, D.C. on the Comedy Calendar →
For comics
Per the venue's own site, read 29 September 2026.
The tape it wants
- Travelling comics who want more than one spot, or a paid spot, should send a tape and a message on Instagram. source ↗
Its other 12 rules
On stage
- A typical show has 8 to 10 passed comics doing 5, 7 and 10-minute sets (some paid); helpers, out-of-towners and host picks get 4 to 5 minutes. source ↗
Open mic and new talent
- Two emails a week: the sign-up email goes out on Thursday at 9:30 PM the week before, and the bookings email on Wednesday at 8:00 AM the week of the show. source ↗
- Comics new to comedy or to the area are asked to help fill the room: barking or flyering, bringing friends, coming with a recommendation, sending a funny tape or helping produce. source ↗
- Out-of-town comics fill in the Google form in the Thursday email the week before their visit and tick “Out-of-Town.” source ↗
- The Comedy Shuffle (Mondays, 8:00 PM): the sign-up list goes out at 7:00 PM. source ↗
House rules
- No harassment of other comedians of any kind; comics who engage in it, encourage it or fail to report it are not booked. source ↗
- A panel of hosts and respected local comics votes a few times a year on a “passed” list; passed comics who request a spot get one, with preference for paid spots, if they arrive on time. source ↗
- Call times: helpers by 7:15 PM, other comics 7:45 PM, the 10-minute spot 8:30 PM. source ↗
- Arriving after 8:00 PM for a 5 or 7-minute spot, or after 9:00 PM for a 10-minute spot, means losing the pay and possibly the spot. source ↗
- Bring some new material each week and do not run over the light. source ↗
- No filming or photography without written permission from the comic being filmed and a producer of the show. source ↗
- No recording of any kind, by comics or audience, at The Comedy Shuffle. source ↗
From the venue's own pages, read 29 September 2026 — hover a rule for its exact words, or open its source. Where two of its pages disagree, both are here.
More stage time: Stage Time has open mics by night, and the Gig Board has calls for comics posted by the rooms themselves.
For fans
As the venue's own pages give them, read 30 September 2026 — tap or hover a source for its exact words. Not published there: a minimum, the phone rule and parking.
Plan the night
The night planner builds an evening around Capital Laughs at Town Tavern: where to eat before, the trip there and home, and what the night costs.
Seen running on its own site, 29 September 2026.
Questions about Capital Laughs at Town Tavern
Where is Capital Laughs at Town Tavern?
Capital Laughs at Town Tavern is at 2323 18th Street Northwest, in Washington, D.C..
When are the shows at Capital Laughs at Town Tavern?
Monday (The Comedy Shuffle), Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, all at 8:00 PM. That is from the venue's own site; each show's own page has its time and lineup.
Does Capital Laughs at Town Tavern have an open mic?
Yes: Mondays, 8:00 PM — The Comedy Shuffle, where any comic can go up while a seasoned comic interrupts with running commentary — The sign-up list goes out at 7:00 PM; doors 7:30 PM.
How do comics get booked at Capital Laughs at Town Tavern?
Join the comedians' email list through the form on its Comedians page: sign-up details go out on Thursdays at 9:30 PM the week before, bookings on Wednesdays at 8:00 AM.
How much are tickets at Capital Laughs at Town Tavern?
From $4.50 (Wednesday) or $5 (Thursday) up to $42 on the weekly Town Tavern shows; the monthly Friday showcase $11 to $75. Monday's Comedy Shuffle is free. The price of each show is on its own ticket page.
Is there an age limit at Capital Laughs at Town Tavern?
21 and over.
Near Capital Laughs at Town Tavern
- Hotbed — Washington · booking info
- Capital Laughs at Cafe Saint-Ex — Washington · booking info
- The Comedy Loft of DC — Washington · booking info
- The DC Improv — Washington · open mic · booking info
- Capital Laughs at Tonic — Washington · booking info
Comedy clubs in Washington, D.C. → · The Club Directory, coast to coast →
The Club Directory is also in the back of the D.O.C. book, Stand-Up Comedy: From Writing to Touring — $29, over 1,000 pages.
Updated 3 October 2026 · the venue's facts from its own site, read 29 September 2026; its rules for comics read 29 September 2026; fans' facts read 30 September 2026