Dr. Grins Set To Say Goodbye With ‘Last Laugh’

Dr. Grins has announced that they will close its BOB location at the end of the year, but they're going out laughing.

The new owners of the BOB (Big Old Building) on the corner of Monroe and Fulton must not be fans of stand up comedy, because shortly after the sale was announced, Dr. Grins, the long time comedy club on the third floor, announced it would cease operations on New Year's Eve.

They have three weekend shows left, Zainab Johnson this weekend, one of my favorites, Nathan McIntosh the weekend of the 18th, and the final Last Comic Standing at the BOB will be Johnny Beehner New Year's weekend.

And to say goodbye to all the local comics who got their start on the Grins Open Mic stage, the club is planning an event called The Last Laugh on Wednesday night, December 15.

It's a two hour show featuring comedians from the Grand Rapids area, some of whom have gone on to become full time comedians.

The complete list of performers has yet to be released, but David Dyer and Allen Trieu have both stated via social media that they will be on the stage to say goodbye that evening.

Tickets are just ten dollars and are available now through the Dr. Grins web site.

As someone performs stand up comedy on the side, the Grins stage has been the site of many great audiences I have the pleasure of performing before in my career.

I have some great stories. Like the time in March 2020, while performing as part of a show case of "older comedians" (50 plus) I did a bit about the difference in acquiring weed now and back in the '70s, and I was apparently so well versed in my stoner lingo, that an audience member asked me after the show if I was holding, and if I was, could he buy some weed off of me.

Sadly, I was not, but I pointed him in the right direction.

Dr. Grins ownership has hinted that they may pop up in a new location. In the meantime, several venues in the area have showcases and shows featuring both local and national comedians, so keep laughing, Grand Rapids, comedy is not going away.