For one night only, this salon in Somerville, Massachusetts, has been transformed into a pop-up comedy club. In one corner, a microphone stand basks in the halo of a spotlight. Forty folding chairs have been set up between work stations. The audience is primed for cutting wit. 

“This is our girls’ night,” says Renee Tracy. “We like to get out and try new things, see new places. When else would I go to this barbershop?” 

Every weekend, in over 200 cities around the world, Don’t Tell Comedy hosts secret shows by stand-up comedians. Venues range from boxing gyms to boats. Its success reflects the boom of live comedy since the pandemic. Events such as Don’t Tell Comedy are inspiring people to get off their couches, because online entertainment is no substitute for participating in intimate, in-person events.

“There’s something about the experience of being in the room,” says Brendan Eyre, the headliner at the barbershop. “You’re sharing an experience with strangers. You’re laughing at the same thing. … You feel a sense of community.”

Of all the options for a night out in Boston, an immigration lawyer’s office probably doesn’t rank high on many lists. Yet that’s where Hayley Licata and Renee Tracy found themselves last fall. The two recent college grads had such a blast that they’ve opted to repeat the experience. 

Tonight, they’ve arrived at a barbershop. This location was a secret – just as the law office had been. A man at the door checks that they’re on the guest list. Then he welcomes them to Don’t Tell Comedy.

Every weekend, in over 200 cities around the world, Don’t Tell Comedy hosts secret shows by stand-up comedians. Venues range from boxing gyms to boats. For one night only, this dimly lit salon in Somerville, Massachusetts, has been transformed into a pop-up comedy club. In one corner, a microphone stand basks in the flat halo of a spotlight. Forty folding chairs have been set up between work stations sporting arrays of electric razors. The audience is primed for cutting wit. 

“This is our girls’ night,” says Ms. Tracy. “It’s more of an event than just putting something on the TV. We like to get out and try new things, see new places. When else would I go to this barbershop?”

“I wanted to know if we’d be sitting in, like, the barber chairs,” says Ms. Licata.

Founded in 2017, Don’t Tell Comedy has had a success that reflects the remarkable boom of live comedy since the pandemic. In large part, the demand for stand-up has been fueled by filmed specials on streaming platforms and funny clips on TikTok and YouTube. But, paradoxically, it’s also a reaction to those media. Events such as Don’t Tell Comedy are inspiring people to get off their couches, because online entertainment is no substitute for participating in intimate, in-person events.

“It feels a little bit like magic,” says Brendan Eyre, the headliner among the five performers at the barbershop. “There’s something about the experience of being in the room. It’s generally you’re packed in kind of tight. You’re sharing an experience with strangers. You’re laughing at the same thing. They’re laughing at the same thing, which brings people together. You feel a sense of community.”