NC Laugh Factory

The Comedy Zone gets a new home at the NC Music Factory.

Ever get the sense that Charlotte should take a couple nights a week to…you know…not take itself so seriously?

Incidentally, Charlotte is home to the largest chain of comedy clubs in the U.S.: The Comedy Zone, headquartered at Heffron Talent International, on Westinghouse Blvd. The really funny part? There is currently no Comedy Zone in Charlotte, proper. Lake Norman and Fort Mill both have locations, but Charlotte’s original chuckle house (which used to reside on College St.) closed three years ago, leaving a most unfunny Uptown. We’ll resist the urge to include a "sad" emoticon here.

But it looks like the gray skies may clear up, after all, when a brand new, revamped Comedy Zone will move into the NC Music Factory, right next to Black Bear (side stitches and sports bars go together, after all). Of all the local clubs, too, this new location may take the clown crown; they’re planning to host celebrity comics, and to polish up their food and beverage menu. Of course, a comedy club wouldn’t be the same without those painfully uncomfortable open mic nights, where folks who should never be allowed near a microphone after 5 p.m. try their hand at professional humor.

Of course, the new Zone won’t open until spring, giving us all plenty of time to hone our routines.