PASADENA, Calif. — One of the oldest comedy clubs in the country will celebrate its grand reopening Friday after quietly relaunching in February.
Closed for nearly three years due to COVID-19, the Ice House in Pasadena will ring in its 63rd year with SoCal comedian Gabriel Iglesias headlining four sold-out shows.
“Comedy is something that brings people together,” Ice House owner Johnny Buss said in a statement. The oldest son of late Lakers owner Jerry Buss, he said his father used to speak with him about owning a comedy club “all the time, so when the opportunity came to purchase the Ice House, I jumped at the chance. I felt I had an obligation to stand-up comedy to keep this club alive for another 60 years.”
Buss brought back the laughs in February and plans to broaden the club’s offerings with live music and other events in the future.
Originally opened in 1960 as a folk music venue that occasionally hosted comedians, the Ice House transformed into a stand-up comedy club in 1978.
Before its pandemic closure, it hosted dozens of comedy icons through the years, including George Carlin, Robin Williams, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin and Rosie O’Donnell.
