How The Ice House comedy club in Pasadena reopened with a Lakers connection

Table Of Content

• The Laugh Factory, Los Angeles, CA
• Oregon's Sports Bra, a pub for women's sports fans, plans national expansion as interest booms
• Entertainment
• Pasadena’s iconic Ice House set to reopen
• Hourly Data
• The Ice House reopens in Pasadena with laughs, lofty goals and Lakers magic
• Pasadena City College Trustees Name José A. Gómez as Superintendent and President

After his father’s death, Buss said he didn’t want to think about opening a club anymore. He shifted away from sports, bought race cars and trucks and started getting into the business of off-road racing. Sparks in 2006 — a team he’d helped build into a winning franchise in the WNBA — Jerry’s health had already started declining. Playhouse Village Foundation Chair Phil Hawkey remarked on the Foundation’s charitable fundraising to enhance and activate the 34 square blocks in the heart of downtown Pasadena that make up Playhouse Village. The Laugh Factory labels itself as world famous thanks to being ranked as a No. 1 club in the country.

The Laugh Factory, Los Angeles, CA

The club, which has been around for over 60 years, has undergone a transformation under the new ownership of Johnny Buss, son of the late Lakers owner, Jerry Buss. Buss has plans to host live music and other events in addition to comedy shows. One of the oldest comedy clubs in the United States, Ice House Comedy Club closed in 2019 after Los Angeles Lakers co-owner Johnny Buss, son of Dr. Jerry Buss bought it for an undisclosed amount from longtime owner Bob Fisher. Sparks in 2006 — a team he'd helped build into a winning franchise in the WNBA — Jerry's health had already started declining.

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Though it’s always served its purpose as a training ground, the Ice House is also going to be a place where stars can mingle while they watch famous funny people perform. That’s where the club’s secret crown jewel, the newly built VIP lounge, comes into play. Since being hired as general manager of the Ice House, Toler sees the world of comedy clubs and sports franchises as synonymous when it comes to bringing in sponsorships, succeeding at marketing and acquiring talent.

Entertainment

The festivities will also include tours of the entire venue, food samplings from The Ice House menu, and a bartender demo showcasing some of the club’s signature cocktails. Aside from the club’s new look and the new food items on the menu, the management is also planning to do open mics to showcase the talents of new and aspiring comics once the club reopens. Altogether, it appears to be a nightlife and comedy experience that is well worth the wait. Finally, the club is marketing itself as a venue for company parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, movie premiere screenings, record release parties, conferences and presentations, and fundraiser events. And by mentioning that the club is a drivable distance from LAX and the Orange County airport, they are attempting to draw attendees on a national basis.

Pasadena’s iconic Ice House set to reopen

The reason for that is we want to make sure that everything is finished. We should actually be finished with the building the first week in January. However, we also have to train our staff and make sure that everything works. And so we’re basically spending that time until February 9th to make sure everything’s okay and ready to go for the public,” owner Johnny Buss said. “But I don't know anything about a club, I’ve never managed a club,” she told Buss over the phone when he first offered her the job.

The Groundlings, Los Angeles, CA

It has been the site of controversy and comedy legend, depending on who is on stage. The Laugh Factory is a showcase for both new talent and open mic nights and so-popular-it’s-hard-to-get-tickets acts. Since 2019, the world has quite literally gone to hell but that doesn’t mean that Johnny’s excitement and passion for this comedy club has ever wanted. As Covid-19 shut down business after business, Johnny took this as an opportunity to launch the Ice House into a whirlwind of amazing renovations. Since 2019, the world has quite literally gone to hell but that doesn’t mean that Johnny’s excitement and passion for this comedy club has ever waned.

Although his dad didn’t get see their comedy dreams come to fruition, Buss still plans on turning The Ice House into a family business. The patio was also upgraded to what Buss refers to as a “French café patio,” which now  includes a small stage. Since she became the club’s general manager, Toler’s been regaled by every comic she meets about stories of the club from back in the day. These tales keep motivating her to ensure that the club spends the necessary seven figures to upgrade itself without selling its soul in the process. “But I don’t know anything about a club, I’ve never managed a club,” she told Buss over the phone when he first offered her the job.

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The Ice House reopens in Pasadena with laughs, lofty goals and Lakers magic

Holding himself to a higher standard because of his father is nothing new to Buss, who grew up in the midst of one of the world’s greatest sports dynasties. His father's notoriously outside-the-box methods of running a team made him a genius and impossible to predict. A regular at the Comedy Store, the Improv and the Laugh Factory, Johnny said he and his dad always talked about opening their own club together before Jerry’s death in 2013 at 80. Throughout the brick building in downtown Pasadena, vintage and modern flourishes demand attention like stylistic punchlines. The glowing stalactite chandeliers, electric neon art of cacti, waves and sun punctuate the walls of the California Room, the venue’s second stage.

Pasadena City College Trustees Name José A. Gómez as Superintendent and President

After Cho’s opening night, comedian and podcast host Adam Carolla sold out the stage on Feb. 23. Comedian and actor Jaime Kennedy is set for a March 16 performance and Gabriel Iglesias, who recently sold out two nights at Dodger Stadium for his Netflix special, is set for March 24 and 25, performing two sets each evening. Former “Saturday Night Live” star, comedian and radio host Jay Mohr headlines two shows on March 30 and actress and comedian Maria Bamford hits the stage March 31. Also greeting guests is a neon sign of the smiling bear spotting a red hat and holding a mic. Other improvements include the addition of more seats in both comedy rooms, upgrades and an expansion of the restrooms, as well as a new VIP area designed to attract big names to the club. The new VIP room is located where the old dining room used to be and it now has a glass enclosure, so people can sit within that space and watch the show through glass and still talk and not disturb the comics, he said.

Icehouse owes more than $85,000 in unpaid rent, according to the lawsuit filed by Northpond Partners. Everything seemed in perfect order Wednesday night at Icehouse in Minneapolis. The tables, bar tops and standing-room-only areas were filled with patrons savoring food and drinks as they listened attentively to a cult-loved Twin Cities musician who'd been playing there for years, twangy songwriter Erik Koskinen. BRT and ART signify discharge at stage below or above available rating table Warning! Flappers has a wide range of comedic offerings from big names to recognizable faces and even local and up and coming performers. It’s perfect for spending a night near the airport or if you happen to be in town and want a couple of drinks to go with your chuckles or a fun date night.

Mentor Ave., hasn't changed, but walking through its new glass doors is like entering a place that’s transformed from a dusty piece of coal into a frosty diamond. The upgrades include new glass doors and relocating the club’s main entrance from the alley to the front of the building. It also features what’s sure to be a popular photo opportunity for fans as a huge polar bear statue is situated just inside the club. The pandemic shut things down just a few months after the purchase, so he took the opportunity to renovate the venue with a design that he said still pays homage to the club’s past, while upgrading it for a new era. With a commitment to fostering new talent in the booming $300 million comedy industry, the iconic venue has enlisted former Los Angeles Sparks point guard Penny Toler to manage the club. Mentor Ave., hasn’t changed, but walking through its new glass doors is like entering a place that’s transformed from a dusty piece of coal into a frosty diamond.