Rip City CHS will host its 10 Year Anniversary show at 8 pm on February 22nd at Silver Hill Studio (2140 Amaker St.). A milestone for the monthly comedy/variety show which has been the heartbeat of the underground arts scene in Charleston and a platform for some of the city’s funniest, most creative, and experimental acts for the past 10 years.
For tickets and more info, visit www.namelessnumberhead.com
The show, created and curated by the local comedy team Nameless Numberhead (Henry Riggs & Maari Suorsa), took its inspiration from their time in the Chicago comedy scene which embraces the idea of “following the fear” of the unknown and “treating each other like poets and geniuses. Those have remained guiding principles for the way Nameless Numberhead approaches the art and its audiences alike.
Rip City has drawn comparisons to Saturday Night Live, a storied tradition of American comedy, music, and pop culture which will celebrate 50 years this February.
“When we tell people we do comedy their immediate response is - oh yeah, like stand up,” said Suorsa. “Even though sketch comedy has been an American institution for decades, I mean there’s nothing more iconic in comedy than SNL, or In Living Color, Mr. Show, Carol Burnett, all the way back to Vaudeville.”
For the past 10 years, Rip City has popped up in just about every art gallery, brewery, photo studio, or theatre space that will have them.
“We truly are just a big traveling circus,” said Riggs. “We’ve been so damn lucky to share this space with incredible artists over the years.”
Not particularly a top ticket for tourists (yet), the show is built for locals and artists. From the beginning, the show has managed to keep its DIY, underground sensibilities while at the same time growing a dedicated audience.
“We don’t have big marketing budgets.” said Suorsa. “But at every show we ask that if you like it, please tell your friends. That’s what keeps us growing.”
And over the years Rip City has seen substantial growth, month after month and year after year.
“It’s really important to us to keep that sense of underground weirdness alive in Charleston,” said Riggs. “A little something different and risky, amongst the clean and trendy developments that pour into Charleston every year. We want to encourage artists and audiences to keep a sense of curiosity and discovery about what’s possible.”
The Rip City 10 Year Anniversary will be part comedy show, part celebration. There will be no shortage of hilarious weirdness with performances by Nameless Numberhead, Cullen Moss, Eden Fonvielle & Noodle McDoodle of the V-Tones, Jason Groce, a dance performance by Sarah Dionna, and many more! There will be tons of treats and surprises and plenty of good vibes. So whether you’re a Rip City regular or someone who’s been meaning to check out the show - or you’ve never heard about it, now is the time to check it out!
Support local art of all varieties! Here’s to 10 years of Rip City, and perhaps even 10 more!