Arts Agenda - Something’s funny at Eddie’s Attic

It’s a familiar scene. A lone figure takes the stage at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur and prepares to perform a set of her most moving material. Only on this night there is no acoustic guitar to tune up, no house sound system to tweak, and most unusual of all, no singing. Instead of bass lines, there’s punch lines.
Every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, comedy invades the hallowed walls of Eddie’s Attic. In a city that usually reserves its funny business for the mayor’s office and its professional sports teams, one wonders if such a traditional humor vehicle as stand-up has a place in the ATL as well.
“There’s more than enough talent in this town,” says Alyssa Barnett, co-producer of the bimonthly shows. “I think we’ve got so much talent right here in Atlanta — people who are different and creative; comics on the edge. There’s a lot of that here.”
While the entertainment might be different than on a typical night at Eddie’s, the wide-open vibe so characteristic of the venue remains. The fourth Tuesday of every month is an open mic show, and the second Tuesday of the month is a paid professional show.
“We’re really proud of this,” says Barnett, “because we’ve got a venue where you’ll see anybody and anything. Women, men, straight, gay, black, white, whatever. If you think you’re funny and you want some time, we’ll give it to you.”