Hella Funny Comedy Collective
Fluid510
Oakland
Feb. 16, 2024
A jubilant man half-riding a bicycle called to me, “Why did the scarecrow outspend his Christmas bonus?” After I replied with the obligatory, “Why?” he said smugly, “He was outstanding in the field!” We both cackled as he rode away. The streets gave me a dap and a snug embrace as I walked from the 19th Street BART station and felt the electric Friday night energy in downtown Oakland.
I was en route to “HellaSecret Speakeasy Comedy & Cocktail Night” by the Hella Funny comedy collective. The “hella secret” location was a swanky bar with a bright pink neon sign, Fluid510. As I’d bought my ticket in advance, when I was greeted at the door by comedian and co-producer of the event, Bryant Hicks, he needed only my last name for admission.
It felt right during this Black History Month to take in the camaraderie of these Black comedians along with the bold and beautiful art of Black artist and local painter Derrick Bell as I sipped my club soda with OJ and bitters while waiting for the performance. The decor, industrial minimal, with wooden floors and an exposed brick wall accented by black metal beams, seemed to take itself a touch too seriously to host a comedy night. I didn’t see the cozy “speakeasy” setting that had been advertised in the Eventbrite description, though the lighting was warm.
Once the show began, however, there were too many big, cold, unfocused lights that seemed to miss the spot where the comedian stood. Our host, Big T, kicked off the set with some quality crowd engagement, immediately calling us out for sitting in the back. He mentioned that the space was “one of the fastest rising [comedy] rooms” in the Bay Area, and I wondered about the degree of truth in the statement.
He then introduced the first comic, Alfred Robinson, who launched into a routine about being biracial. Since he’s only half Black, he said, he only gets to celebrate half of Black History Month. He isis done by Valentine’s Day. He left us with “I’m looking like one of Prince’s illegitimate children.” Solid.
There were a few more performers on the lineup than promised, so the sets were short and sweet. The final comic of the night was Jonathan Light, who had some questionable trans jokes in his set, but delivered a smart critique comparing modern-day adoption to the slave auction block, and ending with the zinger: “Polyamory is just people who can’t cheat like adults.”
Co-producer Bryant Hicks got in a nice one about pickleball: “In two years, Black people are coming for pickleball like Tiger Woods came for golf.”
With no real headliner, Big T closed out by reminding us that this was a “#HellaFunny, #HellaSecret” show. The DJ put on some Biggie and Fat Joe, and I searched for the group of comedians to give them their props, but the majority had cleared out already, nowhere to be found.
In short, I’d go to a Hella Funny show again, but felt that Fluid510 may function better as a bar than a “speakeasy” comedy club.
