There was a time, not so long ago, when Pittsburgh had little to no comedy scene to speak of. Over the past decade or so, that has slowly but surely changed — first, Arcade Comedy Theater opened Downtown; then, more recently, Bottlerocket Social Hall started attracting nationally known indie acts to Allentown. The latter went a step further by offering residencies to comedians like Joe Pera, Chris Fleming, Joel Kim Booster, and others, the venue serving as an incubator for testing new material on Pittsburgh audiences.
Now, Bottlerocket seeks to expand its influence by partnering with one of the country’s biggest names in comedy.
Bottlerocket signed a deal to operate under the same leadership as the comedy giant Upright Citizens Brigade and Abso Lutely Productions, a company owned by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, best known for their cult series Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! The arrangement marks the first step in Bottlerocket and UCB’s immediate plan to establish a Pittsburgh UCB Training Center — described in a press release as “the first outside of New York City and Los Angeles” — set to open this summer in a “vacant office space on Warrington Avenue.”
“We think Allentown will become a destination for funny people,” Bottlerocket co-owner Chris Copen said in the release. “This has always been a creative, oddball community. And it’s been a wonderful place to call home. I can’t think of a better place to welcome UCB and its students from across the country.”
Founded in the late 1990s by original members Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh, UCB offers training programs for aspiring comedy performers and writers, live shows seven days a week, and ASSSSCAT, touted as the country’s “longest-running and most popular” improv show. The group runs theaters and training centers in Los Angeles, New York City, and soon, Pittsburgh.
“We’ve pursued expansion for almost a year now, and have met with organizations across the country to try and find the best partner possible,” Copen said. “UCB has stood out to us throughout the process. They understood our vision, and, like us, put creativity first.”
Numerous UCB alums have gone on to successful careers, including Nailed it! co-host Nicole Byer, D’Arcy Carden of The Good Place, actor and music artist Donald Glover, and various SNL cast members, including Poehler, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, and Bowen Yang.
Copen and his team took over the former St. George Lyceum social club, opening a vintage bar and venue in what was originally slated to house a concept by Pittsburgh celebrity chef Kevin Sousa. Since opening in 2022, Bottlerocket has drawn crowds to Allentown with a robust programming schedule that, in addition to alternative comedy acts, includes live music, dance parties, and BINGO nights hosted by celebrity impersonators.
The venue has filled a niche in the Pittsburgh comedy landscape, evidenced by its many sold-out shows, including upcoming ones for the sketch comedy group Please Don’t Destroy.
Bottlerocket was originally launched with Joe Calloway of RE360, a real estate investment company focused on developing Pittsburgh’s Hilltop areas, including Allentown, Mt. Oliver, Mt. Washington, and the Southside Slopes. Calloway, who grew up in the Hilltop, will step down from his role at Bottlerocket and said he’s “excited for UCB’s continued investment.”
“Bottlerocket has become an anchor for the Hilltop, a destination space that the neighborhood has gotten a spark from. I am extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished there, and look forward to seeing the momentum continue throughout the Hilltop with the addition of UCB to Allentown’s [East Warrington corridor],” Calloway stated, referring to the business district that includes Bottlerocket.
Copen confirms he will “continue as a partner in the business, and leader of the venue’s operations.” He tells Pittsburgh City Paper that UCB and Abso Lutely are making a “significant investment” in Bottlerocket, not purchasing or acquiring it outright.
“I still own my portion of Bottlerocket, they are making an investment that both buys out my partner and provides funds to expand,” Copen says, emphasizing that Bottlerocket is “still its own standalone business/brand/place, we’re just a sister business/brand/place to UCB.”
He adds that Bottlerocket staff will lead DJ and standup classes at the UCB Training Center.
As Vulture and other media outlets have reported, UCB was acquired in 2022 by former Mosaic talent-management company founder Jimmy Miller, a Pittsburgh native under whom Copen worked as an intern in L.A., and Mike McAvoy, former CEO and owner of The Onion. This was after the pandemic forced UCB to lay off its theater staff and close locations in L.A. and NYC. In the years since, UCB has reopened locations and addressed allegations of mismanagement and racial bias made by performers and staff.
McAvoy now serves as UCB’s CEO and Miller as UCB’s chairman.
Miller said the Bottlerocket deal is part of building a “Comedy Tent,” a “comprehensive home for [comedians] and [comedy] fans across the country encompassing everything from live performance to film production.”
“To build that tent, we want the best people and the best teams in the [comedy] Industry to be involved. UCB is one of those tentpoles, Abso Lutely is one of those tentpoles, and now Bottlerocket is as well,” Miller adds.
Copen and McCovoy promise that the UCB deal will not alter Bottlerocket, which retains its authentic 1970s interior and accentuates it with a laid-back atmosphere and throwback Pittsburgh-centric decor. “It’ll still be the same people programming the same lineups of comedy, music, movies, and more — it’s just getting supercharged,” Copen said.
There are plans to expand Bottlerocket and UCB jointly into new cities, but for now, the focus will remain on enhancing what the Allentown venue already offers.
“Chris and his team have created one of the most exciting venue experiences to emerge in a long time. We’ve admired their work for a while,” said McAvoy. “We know that Bottlerocket is a very special place, and a very Pittsburgh place. We’re not looking to change anything about that. We’re eager to add Bottlerocket’s team to our own, and support their ambitions to expand in Pittsburgh and beyond.”
Copen said the Bottlerocket partnership with UCB fulfills a longtime goal.
“UCB is a place I grew up dreaming about being a part of. And frankly, this seemed like the easiest way to get in without needing to audition,” Copen said. “Fundamentally, though, I just think this partnership is one of a kind for both our business and our staff. It is going to give both more support and opportunities than we ever could have found alone.”
More information on the UCB Training Center will be available this summer.
This article appears in May 14-20, 2025.
