All aboard for some laughs! You can now check out iconic Philly sites on a historic trolley, but instead of a guide, stand-up comedians take the mic.
Billy Penn headed to the new ”Stand-Up and Drink” BYOB Trolley Tour from Punch Line Philly and Founding Footsteps on its inaugural weekend last Saturday. The tour is seasonal, and will run through May, every Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.
“I really love these shows,” said Seamus Millar, a manager at Founding Footsteps. Millar is also a stand-up comedian and hosted our show. “The comics seem to like them, and the people seem to like them as well. I feel like we all get to bond over being in this intimate setting.”
Fair warning, this alcohol-fueled trolley tour is only for adults over 21. On the night we attended, the material was often blue, ranging from sex work to huffing nitrous balloons.
Our ride’s lineup featured local comedians Nicole Phoenix, Shane O’Connor, Meg Goetz and Jon Delcolo. Attendees boarded the vintage car and soon we were off. The crowd was a mix of visitors and locals with bags full of alcoholic seltzers and beers.
“I just think this is one of the funnest shows in Philly,” said Goetz, whose set included bits on engagement confusion and paranormal activity. “You drink a little bit. You laugh a lot, and I feel really connected with everybody on it.”
Comedy shows are live and always involve a certain back and forth with the audience — maybe there’s a heckler or someone has an extra loud laugh. The trolley, however, adds an extra element to the show, because the city itself becomes part of the performance.
During Goetz’ set, we passed different distractions, including loud music blasting from an outdoor party. Earlier in the ride, another driver honked repeatedly at our trolley. However, these moments soon became fodder for material.
“I wish I had my keys out,” Phoenix joked during her set, after the latter incident. “We could have keyed him.”
Our bus driver took us through iconic Philly sites, passing Independence Hall, City Hall, down the Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, over the Schuylkill River and around Fairmount Park – all during golden hour.
“I always forget how pretty Philly is,” Phoenix said. “When you cross the bridge, you can see Center City from the Art Museum area. It’s just beautiful.”
According to Millar, the tour was still tinkering around during its first weekend, testing out timing and routes. Each comic reacted to the unique venue in different ways.
“Usually you’re in a dark room and you can only really see a couple of people,” O’Connor said. “I was like, ‘Oh, I can see all the people, and I can also see out the window.’ ” He added, “And I get distracted really easily.”
In addition to the comedy, the city sites provide their own sense of entertainment, competing for the audience’s attention.
“It’s definitely a challenge compared to the venues that we’re used to,” Goetz said. “But I also don’t mind if people are looking out the window or whatever. The experience itself is a little bit more invigorating. The windows are open, you feel the breeze, you’re drinking and you’re laughing.”
Phoenix said that she loved the unknowns that the trolley brings.
“The people that were playing really loud music in the park,” she said. “I was like, hell yeah. It’s a beautiful day in April … That was my favorite part, actually, because it’s like this is the most silly thing that’s happened the whole time.”
Millar hopes that this unconventional show will attract more guests to come and see live stand-up in the city. Our trolley had around 20 people aboard — a decent turn out, according to him.
“This is better than some of the stages I’ve actually performed on in the city,” he explained, “because honestly, as a local comic, you’ll be doing shows for like two people sometimes.”
He said that if all goes well, the tour will add additional dates throughout summer. And don’t worry, the trolleys will have air conditioning.
“The cool thing is, you never know who you’re gonna be hanging out with, because we’ve had people from this scene actually blow up,” he said. “So it’s kind of a fun thing where you get to be on this trolley with somebody that could potentially be a bigger name in the future. Who knows?”
Our penultimate destination on the tour was Parks on Tap, at the azalea garden between the Art Museum and Boathouse Row. It was dark by the time we got there, and we had time to rediscover our land legs and get a drink. Then it was back off to Punch Line Philly, where attendees could order another complimentary beverage with their ticket.
Phoenix was enthusiastic about the trolley as a venue. She felt the show was a unique way to bring people together.
“Comedy is alive and well in Philadelphia,” she said. “You might know some headliners, but I would definitely encourage you to see local comedy. There are so many superstars – legit, super-funny people. You will find them in bars. You will find them on trolleys. You will find them in basements. But, there’s amazing comedy happening all over Philly.”
“We’re in perilous times,” she added. “We need community. So anybody who’s coming out here to laugh is the shit.”
