Seating Policy

Comedy Showroom Doors open at 7:15pm.

EarlyBird Loophole: If having dinner at Rock Bottom before the show you may buy seats at 7pm.

If having dinner at Rock Bottom before the show: Make your dinner reservations for no later than 5:30pm, so you have plenty of time for a leisurely meal & still make it over to the comedy showroom next door by the 7pm EarlyBird Loophole doors-open time. Rock Bottom gets slammed on Saturday nights so give yourself plenty of time for dinner before the show. See the “Food and Drinks” page on this website for more info.

If DON’T wanna eat dinner at Rock Bottom-just wanna come for show: Plan to meet/be at the bar section by 7pm(to the right as you enter RB-no reservations needed for bar seating). Order drinks from the bar while you wait, then bring your body & your bevs over to Comedy Showroom doors at 7:15pm when doors open.

NO RESERVATIONS ALLOWED FOR COMEDY SHOWROOM SEATING: Seating is FIRST COME,FIRST SEATED UNTIL WE SELLOUT

NO ADVANCE SEAT SALES: buy seats when arrive at showroom door @ 7:15pm.

OK to buy multiple seats as long as you pay for them all when buying your seat.

Comedy showroom has DRINKS ONLY-NO FOOD.

Large Groups: If worried about being able to all sit together at same table, plan to arrive at comedy showroom door as your full group by 7pm, so you can enter all at once as one big herd and grab your seats together. The later it gets past 7pm the more likely we’ll have to split you up into pairs, or God Forbid a bunch of single seats scattered around the room.

V.I.P. Pass holders: to qualify for free admission, all persons in your party must arrive at showroom door by 7pm. If you miss the 7pm deadline, we must charge you full admission, but you can keep your VIP pass to use next time when you’re not running late.

When you pay for your seat(s) we’ll give you a “THIS SEAT TAKEN” white card for you to place on the table at the specific seat(s) you want. Place card on the table, not on the actual chair seat, so it’s clearly visible at-a-glance from far away. Make a mental note of the Table# you’re at or take a cellphone pic, so you remember where you’re seated at in the showroom.

Do not tilt your chair on 2 legs to “reserve” your seat as this blocks the aisleways & creates a dangerous tripping hazard in our darkened showroom.  Your “THIS SEAT TAKEN” card is all you need to save your seat.

Coats: hang on back of your chair.  Do not place on the empty chairs next to you—we need those seats for bodies.

Purses/backpacks/bags/umbrellas,etc : stow on floor under your table or under your chair. Do not hang on backs of chairs—blocks the skinny aisleways & creates traffic jams. Do not place on the empty seats next to you—we need those seats for bodies.

Keep your chair & your Daddy-long-legs tucked in tightly under your table so you don’t block our skinny aisleways (tripping hazard in a dark showroom).

If row of chairs please sit at far end furthest from the showroom door entrance so it’s easier to seat the people that arrive after you(so they don’t have to climb over you to get to their seats).

Dress Code is casual. Don’t wear hard-soled shoes that go clickety-clack on the showroom floors–disrupts the performance if you are noisily walking in/walking around during the show. Soft-soled shoes(sneakers,etc) are best

Wheelchairs Welcome! Main Dining Room, Comedy Showroom, & Restrooms are all wheelchair-accessible. Front entrance has small chair lift to take you down 2 steps into Main Dining Room, and another larger lift(under the stairs that lead to 2^nd floor) to take you upstairs to Restrooms.  Please email CurtShackelford@verizon.net in advance of your visit with “Wheelchair Guest-Comedy Show on Sat.__/__(date)” in the Subject Line so we’re ready to roll as soon as you arrive.

DO NOT CALL THE RESTAURANT TO ASK IF SHOW IS SOLD OUT.  Restaurant staff does not have up-to-the-minute info on our crowd size as they are located in a different part of the restaurant. “SOLD OUT” really means we are SOLD OUT.  Although you’ll see plenty of room to stand, we must obey Fire Code laws concerning maximum number of persons allowed in room. The only way to guarantee a seat is to arrive at comedy showroom door by 7:15pm

Arriving Late(after show has started): OK to still come to the show *if* we have seats left. If meeting friends who are already seated in showroom please wait for the comic change or the Halftime Intermission break(8:45pm) to search for them, so you don’t disrupt the performance trying to find them in the dark, crowded showroom.

I.D. Policy: Don’t need any I.D. to get into the comedy showroom, but DO need I.D. if wanna drink alcohol to prove you are 21. Bartender will card you at the bar.

Beverage Spills: if you have a bev spill or see one, please alert us immediately so we can wipe up before we have a slip & fall in our dark showroom. Bev spills are not a crime, but not reporting one is!

Food and Drinks

NO FOOD IS SERVED IN COMEDY SHOWROOM-JUST DRINKS. 

EarlyBird Loophole: If having dinner at Rock Bottom before the show you may buy seats at 7pm.

 If you want to eat dinner at Rock Bottom in Main Dining Room BEFORE the show: Make your dinner reservations online GetWisely.com for no later than 5:30 pm so have plenty of time for a leisurely meal and still make it over to the comedy showrom by the 7pm EarlyBird doors-open time.

If you want to eat dinner at Rock Bottom AFTER the show (ends apprx 9:45pm). Rock Bottom’s Main Dining Room Kitchen stays open til 11pm.

We don’t have waiters/table service in Comedy Showroom. Get your drinks yourself from the bar in Main Dining Room and bring them into Comedy Showroom to drink. We’ll do a Half-Time Intermission Break at about 8:45pm for you to hit the bar for another drink without missing any of the show.

Who’s on

Saturday shows in Bethesda, MD are back in real life at Rock Bottom Bethesda on Norfolk Ave (1 block over from our old home Positano).  

*Price Raised to $20* 

NEXT SHOW=Sat.11-23-2024

MC: Joe Buccino

Feature: Dave George

Headliner: ChrisCoccia.com

Plus a couple 3min newbie first-timers thrown on just before HDLNR to remind you how hard standup is!

Please Check This Page For Cancellation Updates Due To Inclement Weather.

Lineups subject to change–comics are flakey.

If need to know who’s on for a Saturday other than this coming Sat, email CurtShackelford@verizon.net with “Who’s On show Sat.(MM-DD-YYYY)?” in the subject line and we’ll send you the lineup for that night. If have a favorite comedian and wondering when they’re on again, email CurtShackelford@verizon.net  with “When is (fave comic) on again?” in the subject line and we’ll send you their next date.

VETERAN COMICS or FIRST-TIMER NEWBIES:  Want to perform on this show? Go to the Perform For Us page on this website to get signed up.

Comedians attending as audience: unless performing on the show that night, you must pay the $20 cover.

Payment

*Price Raised to $20*

$20 CASH ONLY (cash=green paper or metal coins) cover charge for comedy show admission.

NO PAYPAL-NO VENMO-NO SQUARE-NO APPLE PAY,NO ZELLE,NO EVENTBRITE,etc.                                                        NO “NEXT BIG THING THAT WILL REPLACE PAPER CASH”. 

We don’t have “tickets”. Everything is paper cash-at-the-door on the night of the show.

Bar for drinks in comedy showroom is cash or credit cards.

No Advance Seat Sales. Buy seats at showroom door when opens at 7:15pm on the night of the show.

EarlyBird Loophole: If having dinner at Rock Bottom before the show you may buy seats at 7pm.

OK to buy multiple seats as long as you pay for them all when buying your seat.

VIP Pass Holders: must be at comedy showroom door by 7pm to qualify for FREE admission.

Credit Cards are OK for buying dinner in Main Dining Room and OK for buying drinks at bar, but NOT OK for comedy show $20 admission cover charge-that must be $20 green paper cash only.

Please have your $20 cash clutched in your paw ready to hand over, so the door line moves quickly. If you plunk your giant purse down on the door table & start digging, we will do a shoulder collapse w/ audible sigh.

Comedians attending as audience to scope out the show: unless performing on the show that night, you must pay the $20 cover.

ATM’s nearby:

4825 Cordell Ave: Capital One Bank (corner of Cordell Ave & Woodmont Ave):Red brick building with big white columns. Has 2 ATMs: 1 on Cordell hidden inside the Drive-Thru tunnel, 1 on pedestrian sidewalk out on Woodmont Ave.

7735 Old Georgetown Road: Eagle Bank at corner of Fairmont Ave & Old Georgetown. ATM is on Fairmont Ave side of building.

7400 Wisconsin Ave: Hyatt Regency Bethesda Hotel: at corner of Old Georgetown Rd & Wisconsin Ave, directly atop Bethesda Metro Station. From Metro exit: make left U-turn & into Hotel’s side entrance. Once inside hotel lobby, turn left. ATM is straight ahead on right.

Parking

Parking for the Rock Bottom Bethesda Saturday Show

Montgomery County Public Parking Garages are NO LONGER FREE on Sats.

PAY County Public Parking Garage near Rock Bottom: Look for blue & white “P” signs:

Cordell Ave & St. Elmo Garage: 4935 St. Elmo Ave @ corner of Saint Elmo & Old Georgetown Rd.

Enter from either Cordell Ave or from St.Elmo Ave.

Garage has 7 feet clearance

Driving Directions to Montgomery County PAY Public Parking Garage near Rock Bottom:  Google Maps                                 

Coming from DC: Wisconsin Ave(Route 355) North towards Maryland.

Left at light onto Old Georgetown Rd (Route187).

Right at light onto Saint Elmo Ave.

Immediate left into “Woodmont Triangle” “PUBLIC PARKING” garage.

Coming from MD/VA: Old Georgetown Rd(Route 187) to Left on Cordell Av.

Immediate Right into “Woodmont Triangle” “PUBLIC PARKING” garage.

Head up to the upper levels for “Long-Term Parking” so can park for 3-4-5-6 hours without having to feed meter/add time. Lower Levels are 2 hours max=not enough time, so you’ll have to go back to garage to feed meter/add time at the Halftime Intermission Break(at apprx 8:45pm).                                                   

Once parked in garage: Take “St. Elmo Ave” Elevator or stairs down to “G” ground level & pay on foot at self-service pay kiosk immediately after parking.                                                                                             

Keep your paper receipt with you(DON’T display in/on vehicle)so you can keep track of expiration time in case need to add time to avoid getting a parking ticket-they watch the expiration times like a hawk!  Don’t need to pay past 10pm-parking is free after 10pm.                                                                               

After paying at kiosk, head out the “St. Elmo Ave” exit onto sidewalk & turn Left.  Walk up Saint Elmo 1 block to Left on Norfolk, Left into RB.

Driving Directions to Rock Bottom’s front door for Uber/Lyft/Taxi drop-off: Google Maps 

Meters on street are 2 hours max, but we do a Halftime Intermission Break at around 8:45pm so you can run out and feed the meter again without missing any of the show! Only need to feed meters up til 10pm-street parking is free after 10pm. Meters on street DO take credit cards but they are flaky–some work, some don’t–so always brings quarters/coins as a backup.

Additional Parking near Rock Bottom:  http://www.Bethesda.org/Bethesda/Parking-Map 

Audience Etiquette

Audience Etiquette

1. CELL PHONES OFF. This includes the screen too. The light from your screen is annoying & distracting in our dark showroom, like waving a flashlight in a movie theater while the movie is playing. 

2. Shhh…Don’t be a Talky-Talkerson®.  If you need to chat during the show please STEP OUT OF SHOWROOM AREA. The pre-show announcements are part of the show, so please stop talking at this point.  We’ll do a Half-Time Intermission break at about 8:45 pm for you to hit the bar for another drink. OK to be noisy during Intermission

3. Can’t hold/save seats for people who are not yet physically in the showroom – not fair to the people who DID arrive early to grab their seats.  Don’t hang purses, backpacks on the backs of chairs – blocks the narrow aisleways & creates traffic jams.  Put under your table or under your chair.  OK to hang coats on backs of chairs.  Keep chairs & legs tucked in tight against tables so not a tripping hazard in our darkened showroom. Do not tilt your chair on 2 legs to “reserve” your seat as this blocks the aisleways and creates a dangerous tripping hazard in our darkened showroom.  Put your coat/hat, etc. on your chair to show it’s taken.

4. Don’t place anything on the empty seats next you—we need those empty seats for warm paying bodies. Stow your stuff under your chair or table.

5. If need to use Restroom during show, please (try to hold it) and wait for a comic’s set to end before getting up so we minimize the disruption to the performance.

6. DON’T SHOUT STUFF OUT/MAKE OUT LOUD COMMENTS TO THE COMIC ON STAGE: what seems like “playfully joining in” is in fact a jarring interruption to the comic’s carefully scripted routine & brings the show to an awkward grinding halt as the startled, surprised comedian tries to regain their footing & rhythm. Even positive/supportive stuff  just blurted out suddenly can spook the comic. Don’t be that guy!

7. NO VIDEO RECORDING OF COMIC’S PERFORMANCES. OK to take pics of comic’s performances, but NO FLASH.

8.Beverage Spills: if you have a bev spill or see one, please alert us immediately so we can wipe up before we have a slip & fall in our dark showroom. Bev spills are not a crime, but not reporting one is!

9. If you must throw something—throw money.

New Years Eve Show