Tag Archives: Woody’s Press Box

Join the Sunday Night Funnies annual Ugly Christmas Outfit contest Sunday, Dec. 22!

Ugly Christmas outfits from 2023 (Courtesy, Brian B./SNF)


By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


The Sunday Night Funnies (SNF) second annual Ugly Christmas Outfit contest is this Sunday, Dec. 22.

“We had a lot of fun last year at our second annual Ugly Christmas Outfit contest, so I figure why not do it again,” says Brian B., MC and Founder of the SNF. “It’s our last show for 2024, so why not go out with a bang.

(Courtesy, Brian B./SNF)

“The winner received $25 in Woody’s/Spectrum Entertainment Complex gift cards. We’ll be using an actual decibel meter to determine who gets the loudest response and will win the gift card.”

Come out and show off your best ugly Christmas outfit!

Big events planned for 2025

The Sunday Night Funnies has an eventful year ahead with several events planned for 2025.

February 16 we’ll be doing our The SNF annual Black History month show featuring an all-black comedian lineup will take place Feb. 16, 2025. All women comedians will perform March 2 in honor of Women’s History Month.

The following Sunday, March 9, will be the annual Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids LaughFest SNF performance featuring an all-start lineup of comics. Closing that show will be Simon Carlson, winner of the 2024 Kingpin of Comedy competition.

May 4 will feature comics 50+ years of age to celebrate Older American Month. The Sunday right
after, May 11, will see the launch of the SNF’s seventh annual Kingpin of Comedy competition which will run through Oct. 26, 2025.

The community is invited to come out for these eventings of fun and laughs!

Sunny with SNF car (Courtesy, Brian B./SNF)

About SNF

The Sunday Night Funnies is the creation of Grand Rapids stand-up comedian Brian B. The weekly live stand-up comedy performance is free admission and features a variety of local and national comics. Each show begins at 7:30 p.m. (fall/winter) and 8:30 p.m. (spring/summer) at Spectrum Entertainment Complex in Wyoming.

Sunday Night Funnies sixth annual Kingpin of Comedy competition enters quarter-final rounds

The SNF is gearing up for the Kingpin of Comedy quarterfinals (Courtesy, Brian B.)


By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


(Courtesy, Brian B.)

Ninety-eight competing comedians have been whittled down to 42 as the sixth annual Sunday Night Funnies (SNF) Kingpin of Comedy competition enters its quarterfinal rounds.

The Kingpin of Comedy competition began May 12 with the first of 14 qualifying rounds. Qualifying rounds wrapped up on Aug. 11, and six quarterfinal rounds will run Aug. 18-Sept. 29, with the exception of Sept. 8. Three semifinal rounds will be held Oct. 6, 13 and 20, with finals held Oct. 27.

“Seeing that Wyoming is the 14th largest city in Michigan, I thought it deserved its own stand-up comedy competition with the overall winner getting a prize package worthy of the title Most Humorous Human in Wyoming!” says Brian B., Founder and MC of the SNF.

Competition details

The seven quarterfinal comedians are given eight minutes to perform each week, with the line-up order drawn as the show progresses.

Audience members are given a ballot before the show begins. After the last comedian performs each night, the audience will pick three comedians they feel should advance to the next round. The ballots are counted while a non-competing comic performs. The comics moving on in the competition are announced at the end of the show.

The competition winner receives $500 cash, prizes from Spectrum Entertainment Complex and Craig’s Cruisers, gift cards from LaughFest and Midtown GR, a bowling pin trophy and a personalized “Kingpin” bowling shirt. The winner will also headline the SNF 2024 LaughFest performance.

The total prize package is worth over $1,000.

(Courtesy, Brian B.)

About the Sunday Night Funnies

The SNF is the creation of Grand Rapids stand-up comedian Brian B. (Brian Borbot). The weekly live stand-up comedy performance features a variety of comics from Michigan and around the country.

The free admission show beings at 8:30 p.m. at Spectrum Entertainment Complex/Woody’s Press Box in Wyoming. In September, the show will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday Night Funnies sixth annual Kingpin of Comedy competition begins May 12

(Courtesy, Brian B.)



By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


The Sunday Night Funnies (SNF) stand-up comedy show is getting ready for its sixth annual Kingpin of Comedy standup comedy competition. The competition will held at Woody’s Press Box inside Spectrum Entertainment Complex each Sunday from May 12 – Oct. 13.

(Courtesy, Brian B.)

“This is a blatant rip-off of the Funniest Person in Grand Rapids contest that Dr. Grins Comedy Club used to run,” said Brian B. (Brian Borbot), founder and MC of the SNF.

“Seeing that Wyoming is the 14th largest city in Michigan, I thought it deserved its own standup comedy competition with the overall winner getting a prize package worthy of the title the Funniest Person in Wyoming!”

The Kingpin of Comedy winner will receive $500 cash as well as prizes from Wyoming businesses Spectrum Entertainment Complex, Craig’s Cruisers, The Listening Room and Gilda’s Club LaughFest. The winner will also receive a Kingpin bowling pin trophy, a personalized Kingpin bowling shirt, and the opportunity to close at the Sunday Night Funnies LaughFest show in 2025.

The total prize package is over $1,000 in value.

Fifteen years of funny

The Sunday Night Funnies is the creation of Grand Rapids stand-up comedian Brian B. Now in its 15th year, the SNF features weekly live standup comedy performances by a variety of local and national comics.

Admission to the SNF shows at Woody’s Press Box are free. SNF shows take place on Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. during winter and spring, and at 8:30 p.m. during summer and early fall.

Sunday Night Funnies second annual 50+ comedy show to be held in honor of Older Americans Month

(Courtesy, Brian B.)


By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


The Sunday Night Funnies (SNF) will perform their second annual Older Americans Month show featuring comedians ages 50+ on Sunday, May 5. The event will be held at Woody’s Press Box inside the Spectrum Entertainment Complex.

“There are more than 117 million Americans age 50 and older – 35% of the total population. I wanted to do a special show to honor and represent that age group,” says Brian B., founder and MC of the SNF. “This is the second year of special performances to recognize specific groups.

(Courtesy, Brian B.)

“In February, we did our special Black History Month show. In March, it was our Women’s History Month and Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids LaughFest performances. The SNF is a melting pot of comedians and audience members – different ages, nationalities, so why not honor all the groups that make up the show?”

The Older Americans Month lineup consists of seven different comedians at least 50 years of age. The show will feature former local radio personality Jojo Girard closing out the show. Also featured will be Detroit area comic Kathy Ryan, comedians from Ohio, and various local talent.

“The Sunday Night Funnies has got a big 2024 going on,” said Brian B.

In addition to the the Older Americans Month show, the following Sunday (May 12) will kick off SNF’s seventh annual Kingpin of Comedy competition.

15 years of SNF

The Sunday Night Funnies is the creation of Grand Rapids stand-up comedian Brian B. Now in its 15th year, the SNF is a weekly live stand-up comedy performance featuring over 1,200 performances from comics across Michigan and around the country.

The SNF is a free admission show on Sunday nights at 7:30 p.m. during the winter/spring, and at 8:30 p.m. during summer and early fall. All performances take place at Woody’s Pressbox inside The Spectrum Entertainment Complex in Wyoming.

Sunday Night Funnies begins its 10th year at new location, Wyoming’s Woody’s Pressbox

Starting Feb. 11, the Sunday Night Funnies begins its tenth year of stand-up comedy at a new location- Woody’s Pressbox inside Spectrum Lanes, 5656 Clyde Park SW.

 

 

“We are very excited to have the Sunday Night Funnies returning as a featured show in the Grand Rapids area and very honored that Brian B. has chosen Woody’s as the venue,says Mike Eaton, Jr. Partner/Operations at Spectrum Lanes. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with Brian and the Sunday Night Funnies!”

 

 

“I’m ecstatic to have the Sunday Night Funnies call Woody’s Pressbox our new home,says Brian B. creator and host of the Sunday Night Funnies. It took me almost a year to find the right location to continue the show. I had several offers, but none of the others seemed like a good fit. The Spectrum Lanes complex is a great entertainment venue. Having stand-up comedy there on Sunday nights is a win-win for both of us. The show’s regular customers will be introduced to the entertainment options Woody’s/Spectrum Lanes has to offer and they will bring a whole new audience to the Sunday Night Funnies.

 

 

The adult comedy show also airs on WKTV twice a week: Thursdays at 1:30 a.m. and Sundays at 12:30 a.m.

 

 

The Sunday Night Funnies are the creation of Grand Rapids stand-up comedian Brian B. The Sunday Night Funnies are a free weekly live stand-up comedy performance featuring a variety of comics from Michigan and around the country.

Going Local: Woody’s Press Box

going localJoanne’s Portion

Joanne@wktv.org

 

I did not know Spectrum Lanes had a restaurant until one day, while bowling with some students, a waitress came by with a menu. We ordered and the food was good, like tasty good.

 

But I have not eaten at Woody’s Press Box, located at 5656 Clyde Park SW, in some time, so when we pulled it out of the hat, I was somewhat excited about visiting.

 

The restaurant was not full — it’s a big space — but it was busy. The day’s specials featured a lunch buffet and an all-you-can-eat spaghetti meal.

 

pizzaThere was a special lunch menu that included an array of fare from pizzas to sandwiches to burgers, but what got me were the prices. Lunch meals were arranged in three categories, $4.53, $5.52 and $6.46, any of which comes with homemade potato chips or onion straws. You could upgrade to fries, loaded potato, coleslaw, macaroni salad, potato salad or baked beans for $1.75 more.

 

Let me repeat: You could have lunch for $4.53. With tax, it is still under $5 which is way cheaper than many of the large chain restaurants. The bargain hunter in me was doing back flips.

 

“Who would order only a half order of chips & cheese,” Mike asked as he looked over the menu. “That’s like a snack.”

 

“Me,” I thought in my head as it would make me feel less guilty with a half order. Then again, I don’t run a lacrosse team four days a week, burning off a gazillion calories.

 

receiptWhen I came in, I was thinking burger but the personal, one-item 10-inch pizza at $4.53 stole my attention. Was it the price? Hmm, maybe, but I went with it. You could add extra toppings for $1.05 but I stayed to just pepperoni. It also came thin crust or hand tossed and at our server’s suggestion, I went with thin crust.

 

It didn’t disappoint. It was end-to-end cheese coverage with a nice sprinkling of pepperoni. Afterwards, I discovered I could have added a small side salad for $1.75, which I might have done and brought half the pizza home. Heck, I could see myself bringing a salad to work and snagging one of those pizzas and being very happy for a couple of lunches.

 

The price point alone is reason enough to pass all those other chain places by and head to Woody’s, the quality is the bonus for doing so.


Mike’s Portion

Mike.DeWitt@wktv.org

 

“Would you like the lunch menu or were you planning on having the buffet?”

 

More attractive words have never been spoken into my ears. A lunch menu and a buffet? There had to be a catch. Fortunately for me, my stomach and taste buds, there wasn’t a catch as Joanne and I sat down for lunch at Woody’s Press Box.

 

img_1983When we first pulled in to the parking lot at Woody’s, I immediately noticed how big the building was. I was expecting a small, local sports bar but instead was presented with a behemoth of a building. However, once inside, the seating area wasn’t nearly as large as the outside portrayed. Joanne noticed my inquisitive focus on what we just walked into, how the size didn’t match up with what I saw from the outside, and mentioned that a bowling alley — Spectrum Lanes — is attached to Woody’s. The great mystery was solved and my focus could now shift back to what truly mattered, the food!

 

My eyes filtered through the lunch menu while occasionally peeking up at the TVs lining the walls. My eyes also caught a glimpse of the bartenders pouring generous amounts of beer into massive cups. Calling it a cup might be the understatement of the century, like saying the Titanic hit an ice cube. The portion sizes were truly a sight to behold, but Joanne and I were on the clock and we would like to stay gainfully employed. We opted for a water, with lemon of course, and vowed to come back another time.

 

So, about that food — as Joanne mentioned, the lunch menu had meal options that ran $4.53, $5.52, and $6.46. The lunch buffet cost $7.74 and could also be added to anyone of the meal options at a slight up-charge. Woody’s is essentially giving food away. Eventually I settled on the spicy chicken sandwich for $6.46 that came with homemade kettle chips and a pickle.

 

img_1986When I ordered my sandwich I was expecting something small but what was put on my plate may as well have been the full chicken. The meat protruded off of both ends of the bun and was stacked high with Swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes. The chips were bountiful.

 

The first bite into the chicken sandwich was juicy with a kick of heat. I’ll be honest with you, the sandwich was significantly better than I was anticipating. After every bite I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into the next one. The chips were crisp and added a hint of salt to fully complement my taste buds. To get a better idea of how much food there was, I wasn’t able to completely clean off my plate.

 

Eventually the bill arrived and I was pleased to see the price stay under $7 with tax included. After including the tip, the bill was still less than what I would’ve expected to pay for the size of sandwich I received.

 

Woody’s Press Box, I will be making my way back for lunch. This time I might even try the buffet!