About the Show
Price: $15 GA, $20 reserved
When: Wednesday 7:30
Spotlight: Join us for a supersized edition of the world's greatest stand-up competition! Each Wednesday for four straight weeks (July 9 - July 30), we'll have six different performers duke it out. Each "match" has comics doing sets back-to-back, and the audience chooses one person to advance. At the end of each Wednesday, we'll have a champion ... and of course, the audience ALWAYS wins. Once all four champs are determined, they'll return one more time for a no-holds-barred comedy battle (August 6). The winner of that match becomes our Comedy Kumite XL champion for 2025! This is a great way to enjoy top local talent, at a price that's a knockout.
Featuring: Eddy Antonio, Tyler Wolf, Nikkie Knowles, Owen Vacheron, Joey Friedman, TBA
About the Comics
Having performed stand up all over the country, Eddy Antonio combines his high energy physical comedy with his fun loving and eccentric demeanor. Eddy also implements story telling into his comedy by weaving in his unique experiences and his faith in Jesus into every punchline. You can find him performing all across the safe parts of the DMV and New York.
Tyler Wolf is a stand-up comedian AND a pretty solid guy. You should get to know him, he’s better in person. He's a staple at Next In Line Comedy Club, Helium Comedy Club, Punchline Philly, and Don't Tell Comedy. He got his start working on the Late Show with David Letterman and The Soup with Joel McHale before pivoting to performing himself. Tyler's material comes from his inner anxieties, turning life's embarrassing moments into hilarity. In addition to many other accolades, he has been dubbed the world's slowest moving land mammal. He would like to thank the Academy.
Instagram: @tylerwolfcomedy
Nikkie Knowles, a DMV based comic, is making waves in the comedy industry. Her humor is inspired by her unique experiences as a mother of five boys and a military wife. She began her comedy journey by participating in the Armed Services Arts Partnership's Comedy Bootcamp, a program that provides veterans and their families an opportunity to learn the art of standup comedy. Nikkie has graced the stage at various festivals and clubs across the eastern coast, including the Kennedy Center and Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest. Her win as Magooby's Comedian of the Year 2021 marked a historic moment as she became the first woman to achieve this feat.
Instagram: @funnygirl_productions
Owen Vacheron is a stand-up comedian based in Washington DC. He started out in 2022, and quickly became a regular at comedy clubs all around the DMV and beyond. Most weekends, you can find him performing with Don’t Tell Comedy, sharing the stage with some of the nation’s best up and coming comedians. He has worked with comics such as Stavros Halkias, TK Kirkland, and more. He is happy to be here and wants to be your friend.
Instagram: @owenvach
Joey Friedman began performing at her parents' dinner table in Monsey, NY. As a cancer survivor, she has nothing to fear and delivers jokes with an unshakable frankness. She produces shows in the Washington, DC, area.
Instagram: @joeythelady
Kumite History
Comedy Kumite was first organized by Chris White around 2005 at venues in D.C. and Northern Virginia. Eight comedians squared off in a bracketed tournament, with the audience deciding the winner of each match with their cheers. The DC Improv worked with Chris to revive the format in its lounge showroom in the summer of 2015, showcasing the next wave of DMV talent. Kumites have returned every few months since then, always selling out in the lounge and sometimes even filling up the club's main showroom. While the venue was closed in 2020 and early 2021, six editions of the tournament were featured in the club's virtual showroom. More than 30 kumite champions have been crowned. You can see them all in the Comedy Kumite Hall of Fame.