UMD Off the Wall

Off the Wall is the University of Maryland's only student group exclusively dedicated to stand-up comedy.

Since forming in April 2008, the group has hosted open mics in Queen Anne's Lounge, showcases in the Stamp Atrium and the Artomatic Festival in DC, and its members have performed at venues such as Magooby's Joke House in Baltimore, the Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia, the Gotham Comedy Club in New York and the Bentzen Ball Comedy Festival.

If you want to do stand-up, get writing, get funny and we'll give you 5 minutes to make it your own at one of our open mics. Dig? It might lead to some pretty boss stuff, not gonna lie.

Keep an eye here for all our latest doings and schemes, including feature shows, open mics, and bake salez

Links

Comics Worth Digging:

Aparna Nancherla - arguably DC’s funniest comedienne, Aparna’s been seen on Last Comic Standing 6, the 2008 NBC Stand Up for Diversity College Tour and several festivals including the Bentzen Ball, the Bridgetown Comedy Festival and the DC Comedy Festival. She’s a favorite at Off the Wall and doesn’t make a big deal when the mic stand is taller than she is.

Hampton Yount - Hampton Yount is a man and an inspiration. He’s the writer of the wildly funny webcomic Rob and Elliot and won the 2008 DC Improv Comedy Competition. Also, the only performer to start an Off the Wall set by waving the American flag and end it with reading from a NASCAR romance novel of his own creation.

Corey Monroe - Hagerstown, Maryland’s finest, Corey is responsible for the show we did in backwoods nowhere where we could only get the audience inside from their flatbed parties in the parking lot by convincing them that a fight had broken out inside.

Eli Sairs - Eli is the showrunner of Three Chord Comedy at the Velvet Lounge in D.C., and has opened for Maria Bamford, Eugene Mirman and Todd Barry.

Jermaine Fowler - Currently tearing up New York City, Jermaine’s a local boy done good. An honorary member of Off the Wall, we used to grab chinese food at an all-night place after shows while my roommate made out with drunken stumblers.

Jimmy Meritt - Jimmy’s opened for Ralphie May, Doug Benson and Kevin Nealon and is the figurehead, the lynchpin, the driving force behind the Geek Comedy Tour, or so I’m led to believe. We bonded at one of my fist open mic shows when he complimented a joke of mine that referenced Superman III.

Jermaine Fowler - Currently tearing up New York City, Jermaine’s a local boy done good. An honorary member of Off the Wall, we used to grab chinese food at an all-night place after shows while my roommate made out with drunken stumblers.

Seaton Smith - Once I got him booked for a show with the African Student Association after they had concerns I wasn’t black enough. I’d say he did a much better job than I would’ve of fulfilling the black and funny requirement - JC.

Tyler Richardson - Ask him about outie belly-buttons.

Reggie Watts - Winner of the 2006 Andy Kauffman Award, Reggie may be the greatest and most dangerous improvisational mind I’ve ever encountered. Once I bribed him into giving me props on XM Radio, and well, he let the world know that I’m a world-class comedian and 80s synth-pop band.

Nick Thune - Nick Thune, he of Tonight Show and Comedy Central Presents fame. He looks like all of the members of Supergrass and performed at the Bentzen Ball behind the kitchen doors of Ben’s Chili Bowl.

Jackie Kashian - Jackie’s been seen on Comic Central Presents, Tough Crowd, and Premium Blend. Pick her mind for a bit and she’ll recommend some killer comic books.

More Diggables:

Brightest Young Things - By all means the benevolent overlords of the D.C. social scene. BYT were the driving force behind the Bentzen Ball Comedy Festival and update daily with events, pictures, videos, and lists of things they want right now.

Magooby’s Joke House - Maryland’s premier comedy club, and home to a monthly New Talent Showcase as well as the site of both of my Comcast On-Demand tapings.