Today we’d like to introduce you to Pat Dean.
Hi Pat, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Velveeta Room opened in 1988 on 6th Street, when the block was still run by outlaws and madmen, still seedy as all hell. Owners Shannon Sedwick and Michael Shelton (also the founders of Esther’s Follies) took over the lease of the old Embassy Room, the last strip club on 6th Street before the city shut it down. The ladies room still had a shower. The stripper pole stayed. The owners let the comedians run it, trusting them to shape the room themselves. The inmates have been running the asylum ever since.
The club is named after Ronnie Velveeta, a sleazy lounge lizard character created by artist and Texas comedy legend Kerry Awn, longtime Esther’s Follies cast member and first-ever winner of the prestigious Funniest Person in Austin contest.
For decades, The Velv had a reputation as one of toughest rooms in the country. Barkers lured in bleary-eyed crowds who often didn’t even know a show was happening.
The shows in the early days were nothing short of madness. Comics either bombed hard or learned how to work a room. Fellow comics heckled each other, especially if someone was pandering, or worse, boring. It was part hazing, part rite of passage. If you could take the heat and give some back, you earned respect. If not, there were easier stages elsewhere.
In 1993, The Velv moved to its current home at 521 e 6th Street, taking over The Sun Theater, a former adult cinema. The strip club mirrors were brought along and still hang in the showroom today. If those mirrors could talk, a lot of people would be in serious trouble.
Some of today’s biggest names cut their teeth on our stage: comics like Saturday Night Live’s Devon Walker & Andrew Dismukes, Martha Kelly, the late, great Lashonda Lester, Howard Kremer, Martin Urbano, David Huntsberger, Brendon Walsh, Matt Bearden, Vanessa Gonzalez, and Nick Mullen. Comedy icons like Ron White, Bill Hicks, Doug Stanhope, and the late Johnny Hardwick (best known as Dale Gribble on King of the Hill) appeared back in the day.
Despite its size, The Velveeta Room has always had an outsized impact on Austin’s comedy scene. We’ve had lean years. We’ve faced closure more than once. But we’re still here. We’re the longest-running comedy club in Austin, a leftover from a grittier, weirder version of the city that most have forgotten.
We’re still a cornerstone of live comedy in Austin, committed to smart, fearless stand-up and giving the next generation a place to find their voice. Comics and audiences alike know: if you want the real deal, you come to The Velveeta Room.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A small business is always going to have issues and problems, but we’ve managed to stick around for over 38 years. We’ve faced closure a few times, but the comics in Austin have always rallied to keep the place open.
Right now, the comedy scene in Austin is exploding. There used to be 2 comedy clubs in Austin, us and Cap City. Now within a 4 block radius there are 4 other clubs, not to mention bar shows. The competition has gotten way more intense. On the plus side, due to so much stage time in Austin, we’ve had a lot of really great comics move here, so we have access to some of the funniest people in world.
We’ve been impressed with The Velveeta Room, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We’re the longest-running comedy club in Austin, providing a unique and authentic experience to comedy fans for over 38 years. Our club is an Austin institution, and helps up and coming comics find their voice. We don’t always have the most famous comics perform, but our lineups are the best in town.
What sets us apart from other clubs is that we don’t chase trends, we simply book the funniest people in town (no disrespect to any other venue, obviously). Our lineups aren’t shock acts or edge lords looking to offend the audience. We’re also a way more affordable night out, with the friendliest staff in Austin.
We’re proud of our history. We’ve been in Austin for a very long time and have seen the city change, and we’re still here.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
We’re unpretentious, yet we provide a top-notch comedy experience, and truly care how the shows go. We’ve also become a historic institution due to our longevity in a city that is constantly changing.
Think of us as a comedy dive bar, low in self-importance but high in quality.
Pricing:
- Monday and Thursday – $15 tickets
- Wednesday – $10 tickets
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday – $20 tickets
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thevelveetaroom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevelveetaroom/
