GEORGETOWN, Ky. — The owners of a Georgetown comedy club have made quite the impression on Kentucky’s stand up comedy scene despite a pandemic nearly shutting them down for good. Monty and Samantha Chisley opened the Laughing Post Comedy Club in October of 2019.

Within the first month, weekend shows were selling out.

“We watched a lot of comedy on TV. We’ve been to a lot of comedy shows in Lexington and we wanted to bring something to Georgetown," Samantha Chisley said.

“Great vibes right? January, February killing it. We’ve got all kinds of new folks walking in. They love the club. It’s really just gaining momentum," Husband Monty added.

Then in the early weeks of 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the country. Arts and entertainment venues were the first to go and will likely be some of the last to come back in full force.

“It was rocking and rolling. We were doing great. We were having great weekends every weekend and then they were like you have to shut down," Samantha Chisley said.

The club's initial shutdown lasted two months but because of their restaurant license, they were permitted by the state to reopen and follow capacity restrictions. Comedy shows resumed in July with a fraction of the crowds they previously enjoyed.

The ordeal has been a gutcheck for the family-owned business.

"You have a moment to reflect on things like, 'did we do the right thing? Should we have done something else?'" Monty Chisley said.

The business has survived by the will of their staff who are all members of the Chisely clan. Monty's brother Kenny and sister-in-law are the club's bartenders and mixologists and first cousin Mike runs the house audio.

“If it wasn’t for my wife, my brother, my sister-law and my cousin we probably would have folded," Monty said.

“I’ve learned as a family we stick together. Tough times, bad times we can still laugh and cut up with each other. I love them from the bottom of my heart," Mike Chisley said.

Weekend shows continue with capacity restrictions.

“We did what we need to do to open up and I’m glad that we did and I think we are better off for it and not just us I think our kids will have a better future," Samantha Chisley said.

“There’s so much just turbulence and strife going on in the world right now...to hear folks just laughing and cutting up and having a good time is awesome," Monty said.

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