Drive-up comedy show shut down by police due to noise

By
Suzanne Downing
-
16

The ad-hoc, drive-up comedy show in the Chilkoot Charlie’s parking lot in Spenard has been a hit the past few weeks.

But Saturday, it was evidently too much of a good thing. Either the comedians were funnier than usual, or the neighbors were more on edge. In the middle of the show, the Anchorage Police showed up and told organizers to knock it off with the wisecracks.

Bruce Schulte, a long-time participant in the local comedy scene, was there to encourage friends, and said the idea of having people honk their horns rather than clap their hands might have been what prompted neighbors to complain. And perhaps the jokes were really just that funny, although there was a lot of untested material, he said.

Alice from KWHL radio was the emcee for the night and was winding up the introduction of the next comedian to take the stage, when police rolled into the show and said the honking must stop and the organizers need to get a city permit if they want to continue the shows.

Since nightclubs and other gatherings have been shut down by order of the government, some churches have offered drive-up services. On Easter Sunday, the drive-up service at Anchorage Baptist Temple attracted a couple of squad cars, which patrolled the parking lot several times to ensure the “Easter worshipers” had spaced their cars six feet apart.

On Monday, most businesses in Anchorage are able to reopen, although with extremely strict social districting rules in place, and limits on customers. This may put an end to the crime spree by local comedic talent, as they once again are able to ply their puns on the indoor stages of clubs … at least the ones that have not gone bankrupt during COVID mandates.

16 COMMENTS

  1. I think the squad cars at the Anchorage Baptist Temples Easter Service might have been there looking for a place to park and join the service..

  3. Now, it’s the “Komedy Kops”. Probably would have worked to ask the comedians to ask the audience to tone it down with the horns. Instead, in the new “democrat order”, the performers are ‘ordered’ to shut down the entire show, with the newly endowed ‘power of the police’, making rights belonging to the people muted or non-existent. I’m sure non-obedience would have resulted in immediate arrest. That doesn’t sound like the Alaska I have known all these years. A small taste of the leftist ‘control’ sought after by democrats/leftists.
    More coming soon to a leftist area near you.

  4. Yeah, the cops are full of —. There exists no requirement to get a permit for free assembly on private property. Freedom of peaceful assembly is a constitutional right. The government is already stomping all over the other freedoms we are entitled under the constitution, I wouldn’t be in favor of letting them continue to take more of them.

  5. What if this was a Joe Biden campaign rally…
    .
    and the dozen or so attendees just waved signs that said “Honk!”?
    .
    What if they did the comedy show in ‘mime
    .
    and everybody ‘mimed a honk?
    .
    Maybe we’re on to something.

  6. I heard it was because of the amount of nudity that they allowed. Sometimes people would do 14 minute sets wearing only a mask. Also one time a comic bit one of the audience members and the audience member ended up contracting a sense of humor.

  7. Well, that’s the problem with Ethan growing APD to 700+ cops, they’ve got to have something to do.

    Interesting dichotomy. Chase everyone outside. Demand social distancing. Citizens comply and hold their festivities and get shut down by Ethan’s cops for making too much noise. Sounds like Ethan managed to construct a you can’t get there from here set of rules for life here in ANC.

    Speaking of interesting rules, given that Ethan has ownership in at least a couple restaurants, are his reopening rules crafted to give his businesses a competitive edge while hammering everyone else? Might be a fun question to ask. Cheers –

  8. Plain and simple, too many cops in Anchorage and not enough to warrant the positions. Social distancing on private property, quiet frankly, no bodies business. Anchorage is not the same place i selected as home 30+ years ago.

    • It’s a hole and has been for the 24 years I have been around. They need the cops to clean the place up. All the hippies that moved up here to live the free life and not follow any rule of law are reaping what they sowed. I kind of love, as long as I remember to wear my waders when I come to Anchorage.

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