BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - For Brad Grossman, comedy isn’t just a business, it’s a family affair.
Grossman and his brother Marc own Helium Comedy Clubs, a chain with locations across the country, which recently acquired Hoover’s beloved StarDome Comedy Club after longtime owner Bruce Ayers announced his retirement.
“Huge shoes to fill of course,” Grossman admitted during an interview with WBRC the day after Ayers announced the major change on Good Day Alabama. “The Ayers family, we’ve been friends with for a decade.”
Helium Comedy is a Philadelphia-based group, credited with giving stars like Shane Gillis their start. Their clubs include a mix of venues that bare the Helium name, but also other legacy comedy clubs like StarDome, which continue to operate under their original names.
“This is actually the fourth time that one of our friends has decided to retire. We have four other brands that we’ve brought along into our family business that have really been a nice way to support their legacy and keep their brand names intact because of how they relate to the community,” Grossman said. “It’s kind of a gift to be able to bring this into the fold similar to what we did with Good Nights in Raleigh and Cab City in Austin. It’s very exciting and happy to carry the torch.”
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When it came to keeping the StarDome name, Grossman said there was no question.
“Some of these clubs that were built out of the 80’s and 90’s have so much fabric there, that to unwind that I think would be unwise,” Grossman said. “It’s a name that people know and they trust, I don’t need to reinvent something or put my personal name on it, which would be Helium, I think the StarDome carries a lot of weight in the industry, and we’re happy to continue that.”
Connecting with local communities is something Grossman says is crucial to the comedy industry.
“We love building comedy communities so we love supporting the local communities and allowing people, those who want to try out standup to come to the club. Whether it’s open mics or local shows so that’s always been a thing for the last 20 years is supporting that community because that’s what really builds a club up, and then offering a diverse lineup of comics. Whether you’ve seen them on TV or in movies or Instagram and TikTok now, that’s our next mission is bringing diversity to the club and ensuring everyone in the community has someone they want to see.”
While Grossman says they do have some big plans in the works, the StarDome mission will stay the same, as they continue providing an elevated experience.
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“Lots planned, I can’t reveal everything, but we’re going to be doing some updates as far as the sound system and some other things throughout the space just to kind of elevate it to the level where I’m sure Bruce wants to see it go,” Grossman said. “I think the programming, we’ll see a lot more dates on the calendar filled with unique acts.”
Grossman says he’s eager to bring more than 20 years of experience to the Birmingham area.
“Really like the southern audiences, they really take to just going out and having a good time,” Grossman said about their venture into Alabama. “It’s very exciting, the community around sports is tremendous and hopefully we can continue that kind of support for live comedy as well in that kind of vein. It’s just nice to have another room in the South.”
The first round of shows at StarDome under their new ownership kicks off Thursday, Jan. 15, with multiple shows scheduled throughout the weekend including talent like DL Hughley.
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