Denver comedian Adam Cayton-Holland headlines Vail Comedy Show

The Vail Comedy Show is hosting an exciting lineup of three Denver-based comedians for their monthly standup show at Bridge Street Bar in Vail Village on Thursday.

The headliner of the night is Adam Cayton-Holland, one of the preeminent stand-up comics to come out of Colorado. Cayton-Holland started his comedy career at open mic nights in Denver, and has since developed into a nationally-touring comedian who has performed at some of the leading venues and comedy festivals in the world, including SXSW and Carnegie Hall.

Cayton-Holland is part of a comedy trio called the Grawlix, who together created and starred in the television show “Those Who Can’t”, which aired for three seasons on truTV and is now streaming on HBO Max. The Grawlix also hosts a podcast called “The Grawlix Saves the World”, and performs live stand-up shows each month in Denver.

This will be Cayton-Holland’s first time performing live in Vail, and he is excited to lean into the unique environment of a mountain town crowd.

“Generally speaking, mountain shows are always a little wild, you never know what you’re going to get – just like mountain folk, I suppose,” Cayton-Holland said. “Some are savvy and sophisticated, with tasteful art on their walls and robust support of philanthropic endeavors. Others are burnouts who’ve been pretending they’re 23 for the last twenty years, and make all their furniture out of skis. The trick is to bridge the gap. I find smashing fruit with a mallet to be the common ground.”

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As someone at the forefront of the comedy scene in Colorado, Cayton-Holland is also glad to be bringing momentum to new comedy shows emerging across the state. He started Denver’s first all stand-up comedy festival, “High Plains Comedy Festival”, and is helping to build up Colorado’s stand-up scene for future generations of comics and audiences.

“The Colorado comedy scene has exploded so much since I started doing comedy,” Cayton-Holland said. “There used to be very little cool comedy outside of Denver, it was all dumb bar shows, really lowest common denominator comedy. But it’s really changed for the better. I’m always thrilled to support new rooms and scenes all over the state. A rising tide lifts all ships, and I’m so happy Mark [Masters, founder of the Vail Comedy Show] is doing that in Vail.”

For founder Mark Masters, having Cayton-Holland headline is another step towards his goal of bringing top-rate comedic acts to the Vail Valley.

“Adam Cayton-Holland is one of Colorado’s comedy success stories, he grew up here and has done huge things,” Masters said. “To have him do our show helps in so many ways. It’s fun for me as a fan, it makes selling tickets easier, and it has helped us recruit incredible comedians for future shows. It might be different for him than playing Carnegie Hall, but the result will be the same: non-stop laughter and smiles.”

Masters will be hosting the show and doing a stand-up act of his own. The other two comedians in the lineup are Hannah Jones and JD Lopez, both of whom are also based out of Denver.

Jones is a stand-up comedian, writer and improviser whose childhood spent in a religious co-op lends itself to irreverent and original takes on sex, religion, and politics.

“It’s definitely a unique upbringing, but I’m always surprised how many people can relate to it,” Jones said. “When I can find people in the audience who can bond over rebelling from that really sheltered childhood, that’s the greatest feeling ever. To me, live comedy is all about connecting with an audience, and the fact that I can take the thing that used to make me feel weird and isolated and use it as a tool to feel like a part of a shared experience is really special.”

Jones started a satire publication called “Westish” during the pandemic to maintain an outlet for her comedic voice when live shows were not an option. Now, she’s excited to return to the stage alongside fellow comics from her city.

“Being back on stage is the greatest feeling ever!” Jones said. “I love small venues. I just love the energy of when everyone’s there with their friends and drinking and huddled around stools. I think everyone on the show is bringing a really different style to the table, so there will be a little something for everyone.”

JD Lopez is the final name in the lineup. Lopez is the host and creator of Denver’s longest-running comedy podcast, “Left Hand Right Brain”, where he explores creative processes with other artists and unpacks personal foibles.

“JD is a great joke writer who runs a comedy podcast I listen to all the time,” Masters said. “I can’t wait for the Vail audience to fall in love with his silly on-stage presence, and maybe he’ll tell some of his budtender stories which will play well to the local audience.”

Tickets for the Oct. 14 show are available online now starting at $25 per person. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.

“This month we had very strong return-customer sales, and I’m so grateful to the local community that is supporting the Vail Comedy Show,” Masters said. “I am working very hard on making 2022 an amazing year for the show.”

The next Vail Comedy Show will take place at the same location on Nov. 17 with headliner Valerie Tosi, and tickets will go on sale following this week’s show. For more information about this week’s performers and future shows, visit vailcomedyshow.com.