The Laugh Factory continuing its legacyof laughter at Horseshoe Las Vegas couldn’t be more nostalgic for Harry Basil. The veteran comic and comedy club general manager goes way back with the property—nearly 40 years to be exact.
Concrete
“I have a lot of history with that property. I used to open for Rodney Dangerfield at Bally’s [now Horseshoe],” says Basil, who managed the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana for over 12 years, prior to the closing of the Trop in April 2024. “I’m talking the late ’80s, when Frank Sinatra would be there the week before us, and Dean Martin the week afterwards. I actually have a postcard with my name on it, under Rodney’s, and then all of those guys coming the following weeks—the entire Rat Pack.”
Now, Basil is bringing that level of legend back to Horseshoe, where its 230-seat Imagine Showroom has been rebranded into the Laugh Factory Las Vegas Theater, complete with new booths, curtains and camera equipment for comics to tape their sets. Cobra Kai’s Bret Ernst kicked off the club’s soft opening, but Laugh Factory’s official starting lineup features Jamie Kennedy and Concrete, who will headline a mini-residency at the club February 12-15.
Bret Ernst
“People know Jamie Kennedy from the Scream movies, Ghost Whisperer and the Jamie Kennedy Experiment. He’s like a household name, and Jimmie ‘JJ’ Walker from Good Times, is the special guest host,” Basil says. “But then at 6:30 p.m. we have Concrete, who is a viral Instagram star. He’s almost sold out on Friday and Saturday already without us even putting up a billboard yet. Some of those TikTok people, they get famous for sketches or ranting and just doing their daily little bits. But he has developed into a really great stand-up. He’s a great actor.”
When it comes to future bookings, Basil isn’t wasting any time filling out the calendar. After Concrete takes the stage, Trixx will headline February 16-22, followed by John Caponera February 23-25 and Craig Shoemaker February 26-March 1. In April, the Laugh Factory will also host This Fool star Frankie Quiñones, a stand-up comedian best known for his CholoFit sketch and the character “Creeper.”
And with comics from other Vegas clubs now reaching out to Basil, don’t be surprised to see more familiar faces in rotation. Demand is higher than ever, and the talent has only gotten better with time. As Basil puts it, “Comedy’s king in Vegas. Always has been.”
LAUGH FACTORY Horseshoe, 877-603-4390, laughfactory.com. Daily, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
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