Allison Holtkamp performs as a member of Club Baby Seal at the sold-out stand up comedy performance in October 2016 at the Gold Town Theater. The comedy collective will perform its first Juneau shows in over a year Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Allison Holtkamp performs as a member of Club Baby Seal at the sold-out stand up comedy performance in October 2016 at the Gold Town Theater. The comedy collective will perform its first Juneau shows in over a year Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

It’s a capital city comedy collective comeback

Club Baby Seal is back with a pair of performances

It’s been a long time coming, but it wasn’t planned that way.

Juneau comedy collective Club Baby Seal will perform its first Juneau shows in slightly more than a year Friday, but the lengthy pause in performances was a quirk of comedians’ living their lives.

“We took a little hiatus and some people, like Corin (Hughes-Skandijs) moved away, Alicia Hughes-Skandijs is on the Assembly,” said Club Baby Seal member Allison Holtkamp in an interview. “We all still work together to create our material for the most part. We’re excited to be back at it.”

[Corin Hughes-Skandijs gets ready to roast Juneau]

While the two Friday night shows at the Gold Town Theater will be light by two Hughes-Skandijses, the show will otherwise feature familiar club members Holtkamp, Nathaniel Williams, Kirsa Hughes-Skandijs and Joshua Claeys. Ericka Lee, new to Club Baby Seal but not Juneau stages, will emcee.

Holtkamp took some time ahead of the performances to fill the Capital City Weekly in on why the shows are happening now, how one writes jokes for an event over a year-long break and why comedians working together makes sense in Juneau.

The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Why is this happening now?

I will say, Nate Williams is kind of like a machine with comedy. He’s always consistently cranking out new material, so he was kind of like a big motivating factor for all of us to work on some stuff and make a show happen. I feel like he’s been talking to me for months, he’s like, “We gotta do comedy.” I feel like he kind of got us going.

Is there any hope that these start to become a more regular occurrence?

I think it depends on what’s going on in our lives. For a couple of years we were really Club Baby Seal-focused, cranking out material constantly.

I think it kind of just depends on that. It really just is a matter of having the time. I would love it, but, would I love it, or would that just be another thing?

That makes sense. I notice that when I got busier with work and life, that’s when my crummy music blog stopped getting new posts.

Exactly, but we love working together, and it’s always fun, and we’ll probably have the show on Friday, and be like, “Oh my God, we have to do this all the time,” because it’s always so much fun.

Something I always ask when previewing an event, but can you sell people on the idea of coming out to the show?

There’s a lot going on in the world, and I think it’d feel good to just come and laugh at it all. I think it will feel good for me to do that — to make fun of it all.

Over the past year or so, have you had thoughts and gone, “Oh, there might be a bit in there?” how have you been mining for material?

If I get a bit, an idea for a joke, I’ll usually put it in my phone, but if I don’t have a show to look forward to, when I go back to it, I won’t know what it means, so it’s nice that I have this show to kind of force me to think, “Oh, that’s funny, can I use that.” If I make somebody laugh, I’ll go, “OK, cool, they laughed. I should write that down.”

Have you been hearing everyone’s jokes rehearsing leading up to this, does it seem like perspectives have changed in a year and change?

It’s one of my favorite things to get together with everyone. We call it punch up night. We’ll see if it’s funny and see if it works.

[Local comedian tagged for Tig]

I probably wouldn’t want to do a show without that.

That’s like when big headliners end up going to random clubs to work out material, except there’s really not corresponding venue to work out material in Juneau.

That’s exactly why we have to get together.

Know & Go

What: Club Baby Seal comedy shows.

When: 9 and 10:30 p.m., Friday.

Where: Gold Town Nickelodeon, 171 Shattuck Way.

Admission: Tickets cost $20 for general admission or $25 for VIP admission in advance, or $25 general admission and $30 VIP admission at the door. Tickets can be purchased at theclubbabyseal.com. Tickets include the price of a alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks. The show is for people 21 and older.


• Contact reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.


Nate Williams performs as a member of Club Baby Seal at the sold-out stand up comedy performance in October 2016 at the Gold Town Theater. The comedy collective will perform its first Juneau shows in over a year Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Nate Williams performs as a member of Club Baby Seal at the sold-out stand up comedy performance in October 2016 at the Gold Town Theater. The comedy collective will perform its first Juneau shows in over a year Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast for the week of March 18

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

A board in the House Chambers at the Alaska State Capitol shows Monday’s vote tally of 39-20 to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of Senate Bill 140, one vote short of the two-thirds necessary. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Legislature fails by a single vote of 39-20 to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of education bill

Legislators warn bad blood may hamper other issues as numerous Republicans abandon earlier support.

With COVID-19 aid, more schools gave students and families experiencing homelessness prepaid cards to buy necessities like groceries and gas. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Grocery cards and car repairs: How COVID aid changed the way schools can help homeless kids

Juneau student services specialist among those finding creative ways to provide assistance.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Saturay, March 16, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Friday, March 15, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy discusses his veto of a wide-ranging education bill during a press conference Friday at the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Veto override vote on education bill expected to have consequences — and no assurance of extra funds

Retaliation by governor, fractured relationships within Legislature on other issues among concerns.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Thursday, March 14, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Kaskanak Creek in the Bristol Bay’s Kvichak watershed is seen from the air on Sept. 27, 2011. Threats to the watershed and other sites were cited by the Environmental Protection Agency when it issued a decision barring permitting of the Pebble mine. But the Dunleavy administration and Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. have taken legal action to try to reverse that decision. (Photo provided by Environmental Protection Agency
State lawsuit claims federal government owes Alaska $700 billion for quashing Pebble mine

The federal government owes Alaska more than $700 billion in compensation for… Continue reading

Tongass National Forest (Photo by U.S. Forest Service)
New Department of Interior opinion promises to recognize expanded tribal jurisdiction in Alaska

Tribes can exert jurisdiction over allotments granted to individual Natives, opinion states.

Most Read