Ben Maher (Talent Booker - Helium Comedy Club)

So who are you? 

     My name is Ben Maher and I book the talent, manage, and put together the shows at Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia. 

How long have you been working in comedy?

      Oh god. I've been working in comedy for what seems like forever. 20 plus years. I got my start at a comedy club called Cobbs in San Francisco. I was just a guy who loved comedy and would come to shows all of the time. One day a management position came available and I applied. The rest is history. 

What’s your relationship with technology as a talent booker?

     I'm constantly using social media to help me find and discover new talent to bring to the club. It has allowed me to have a lot more control over who I book for the club. While I don't use it when booking most of the headliners, it's a great tool to find up and coming comedians for feature spots, hosting gigs and showcases that we put on at the club. Sometimes I feel as though I get a much more realistic idea of how they'll do at the club because it lacks some of the formality that used to come with comedians only sending in the videos they shoot for themselves. 

What are some of the positive and negative things that have come along with the digital age pertaining to comedy?

      I'd have to say that most everything has been positive when it comes to technology and comedy. Some say it may even be the new golden age for comedy. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu have really created platforms for comedians to get their stand-up out there. The audience is no longer just people who are serious comedy fans but has also allowed for more casual fans. It's amazing to see the potential of some local comedians really have to succeed. Just in my last 10 years at Helium, I've seen comedians go from their first open-mic to signing deals Comedy Central or touring with some of the biggest names in Comedy, and I believe a good deal of that is due to how the community has grown through social media and technology. 

Anything you’d like to change or see happen with technology and comedy? 

     Right now I'm not really sure of anything I'd like to see. I do have some fears though. Of course with all this comedy becoming available there is an over-saturation of stand-up specials that exist and I think there's a lot of great specials that may go missed because of it. Hopefully people don't become tired of all the stand-up specials on Netflix. It would be cool if there was something we could do to help grow the local scene here in Philadelphia. I think there's potential to start becoming a more competitive market with places like New York. L.A., or Chicago and I think things like social media could really help make that happen. 

Any Plugs? 

     Sure. Come check out Helium Comedy Club. We're usually open Tuesday through Sunday. We have major national acts performing Thursday through Saturday most weeks and the other days we have shows that highlight our local talent. We alsl just started our annual Phillies Phunniest Competetion which crowns the funniest local comedian at the end.