The comedy club in Ybor City has been known as Tampa Improv since it opened more than 20 years ago. But now it’s called Funny Bone. So what’s really changed?
Turns out, nothing but the signage.
The club—located at 1600 E 8th Ave.—has the same ownership, the same management, the same booking and the same schedule as what was Tampa Improv. In fact, the club was always part of the Funny Bone family, which is a chain of comedy clubs across the country.
Co-owner Todd Leinenbach told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that legendary Improv owner Bud Friedman approached the ownership group and offered them a licensing deal so they would gain some immediate name recognition for their comedy clubs and get some experienced booking, too. They agreed, and a number of Funny Bone clubs operated as Improvs.
Over the years, the group took over their own booking and made the Funny Bone name a popular one with comedians and patrons in other cities. So, as the current licensing deals are expiring, they decided to use the name they’ve built themselves, and convert some existing Improvs to Funny Bones.
While other clubs will remain Improvs as their licensing deals are still in effect, the clubs in Orlando, Kansas City and Cleveland will be changing their names as well.
While he’s happy to have Tampa operating under the Funny Bone name, Leinenbach doesn’t think it matters what you name a comedy club. He told CL that it’s what goes on inside that keeps people coming back. “The success or failure is strictly the acts you put on that stage, and the customer experience,” he added.
For lineups and ticketing, visit tampa.funnybone.com.
