29-01-2025
'They went crazy': Matt Rife creates buzz on SouthCoast comedy scene. Where he'll be next.
SOMERSET — If you haven't caught a local stand-up show in a while, the joke's on you, because you never know where a comedy icon might pop up in your own backyard.
The SouthCoast comedy scene has been buzzing lately, serving up some unexpected treats to sold-out crowds seeking a night of laughs from local acts at intimate venues across the region.
A little over a week after making a surprise appearance at Fall River's Belmont Club, celebrity stand-up Matt Rife continued his SouthCoast comedy circuit in Somerset on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Rife dropped in at Society Coffee Bar for Whale City Comedy's latest pop-up show, which also featured Massachusetts and Rhode Island-based comics Kristy Kielbasinski, Doug Key, Lad Dennis-Lopes and Jimmy Cash.
And it's safe to say the special guest — a popular TikToker who skyrocketed to fame on a world stage with his brand "razor-sharp, brutally honest standup" — brought down the house at 891 County St.
"They went crazy. I've never heard a 50-person crowd be that loud," said Ashlie Thatcher, founder and director of Whale City Comedy, of Tuesday's star-studded event. "That's the best part of the show for me."
Fall River sighting: Comedian Matt Rife pops up for surprise set at Belmont Club. Here's why.
According to Thatcher, they connected with the 29-year-old comedian and actor — whose special "Natural Selection" is featured on Netflix — through the comedy scene in Rhode Island, where the Ohio native recently purchased a home.
They planned to have Rife hop on as a "fun surprise" for guests at Whale City's local pop-ups, while Rife gets the chance to work out his material at smaller venues in preparation for his upcoming world tour.
"He's trying to get as much stage time as possible, so that's why he's coming to the SouthCoast," she said.
Fall River was his first secret stop in the SouthCoast. And guests at Tuesday's pop-up were treated to a lengthy hour and 15 minute set to close out the Somerset show.
"We had a great lineup and him ending it out was fabulous," Thatcher said. "He crushed, it was so funny."
Whale City Comedy, whose mission is to grow the local comedy scene beyond big cities like Providence and Boston, is known for its lineup of pop-up shows and annual five-day comedy festival based in the SouthCoast.
Thatcher said pop-ups are great because they are able to turn any space into a comedy club.
"I really love to highlight great local businesses across the SouthCoast, so we can pop up anywhere from a boutique in Westport to a coffee shop in Somerset to a brewery to an art gallery. ... It brings exposure to these places while also creating a fun event," Thatcher said.
And it's really a win-win for all involved said Keith Viveiros, owner of Society Coffee Bar.
"It's fantastic for the area in general and it's fantastic for comedy ... to be able to host something like this was really special," said Viveiros, who noted SCB has been "inundated with 200 messages asking about it" since the first photo of Rife's Somerset stop was posted to social media.
This was not the first collaboration between Whale City and Society Coffee Bar.
The Somerset shop has hosted previous shows and was presenting sponsor for last year's Whale City Comedy Festival on Labor Day weekend, which brought 30 top-tier comedians from Comedy Central, Conan and The Tonight Show to venues across the region, including aboard Fall River's Battleship Massachusetts.
Plans are in the works for the third annual festival coming up this Aug. 28-31.
Mum's the word on when or where — or even if — he might turn up in the SouthCoast again, but Thatcher hinted it's a strong possibility.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you see him again at another Whale City Comedy Show," she said.
Upcoming Whale City Comedy shows include:
Feb. 6 at Buzzards Bay Brewing in Westport
Feb. 13 at SOPH Boutique in Westport
Feb. 30 at Towne House in Fall River
Rife is also among the headliners slated to perform at Lil Rhody Laugh Riot, a new four-day comedy festival taking over Providence in March. He'll be at the Comedy Connection on Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30, at 7 p.m.
The lineup of Lil Rhody Laugh Riot comedians also includes Jonathan Van Ness, Kevin Hart, Michael Blaustein, Leslie Jones, Aziz Ansari, Hannah Berner, Chris Distefano, Josh Johnson, Melissa Villaseñor, Tone Bell, Sophie Buddle, Alec Flynn, and Andy Woodhull.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Matt Rife's SouthCoast comedy tour stops in Somerset. What's next.
