Enjoy a weekend of laughs at the second annual Red Eye Comedy Fest.
If you haven’t noticed what’s happening with comedy in Morgantown, you might want to consider getting out more. The comedy scene here is better than it’s ever been, thanks in large part to Cody Cannon’s Red Eye Comedy.
Cannon’s been a comedy lover for a long time. “When I was a teenager, it was right around when the U.S. got into the Iraq War, and I got really into Lewis Black, who did a lot of political commentary,” he says. “I also grew up a fan of guys like Mitch Hedberg and Chris Rock.”
As a young adult, Cannon even moved from Logan County, West Virginia, to New York City to commit to a career in comedy. Family circumstances pulled him out of that scene and back to West Virginia for a while. But later, as a student at West Virginia University in 2017, he did stand-up at an open-mike night. “I caught the bug again, and I’ve been pretty gung-ho ever since.” He started booking shows as COVID let up, and now he’s the primary producer of local and national comedy acts in Morgantown and across West Virginia.
The comedy scene in Morgantown ranges from new local talent to big names. “We’re very accepting—we want anyone who wants to try comedy,” Cannon says. “And we’re usually booking one to three nationally touring headliners a month.” There’s momentum, too: The acts and the audiences are getting bigger and more diverse.
This weekend, you can enjoy a few laughs or completely immerse yourself at the three-day Red Eye Comedy Festival. “Last year was the first one, and it was the highest-attended comedy show I’d produced up to that point,” Cannon says. “This year, I’ve doubled, if not quadrupled, my ambitions and booked some of the best nationally touring acts.”
Tickets for the multiple venues are sold separately and range from $10 to $20 for individual shows:
Thursday, March 30, at Morgantown Art Party Chattanooga-based musical comedy group Good Cop/Rad Cop with their show The Rad Ole Opry.
Friday, March 31, at 123 Pleasant Street Early show: Eddie Pepitone with a live version of his award-winning podcast Apocalypse Soon with Eddie Pepitone. Late show: Much loved by the Red Eye audience last year, comedian Sam Tallent, whose novel Running the Light was recently optioned as a movie. “This is probably one of the last times I’ll be able to book him, because his star is on the rise,” Cannon says.
Saturday, April 1, at Morgantown Brewing Company An all-day comedy and beer festival with local showcases throughout the day, including a hot wings show where comedians have to eat increasingly hotter wings while being funny. At 8:30 p.m., New York City comedian Brittany Carney headlines with a routine she recently performed at the New York Comedy Festival. After Carney’s show, the festival will wrap up at 10 p.m. with Eddie Pepitone back at 123 Pleasant Street.
That’s not all: Free matinee and late-night sets showcasing Morgantown, West Virginia, and Appalachian comedic talent are on the festival schedule, and there’s a companion comedy drag show at Vice Versa Friday evening.
If you can’t make it to this year’s Red Eye Comedy Festival, plan to see a show soon. Catch one of the regular open mike nights at 123 Pleasant Street and Morgantown Brewing Company. Or watch for the varied local to national acts Cannon is booking regularly including, this spring, Brandie Posey, Myq Kaplan, Hari Kondabolu, and more—follow Red Eye Comedy on FB or IG to stay informed.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM MORGANTOWN LOWDOWN