I created NICE BITS! in August 2021 as a single night comedy competition. Since then, it has evolved into a fixture of the Orange County comedy scene, giving many local comics their first opportunity to perform on a professional stage in front of a live, paying audience.

The show was born at The Rec Room Comedy Club in Huntington Beach, where it ran until the club’s closure in 2024. Today, I work at the Irvine Improv at the door and sound booth and I have officially moved the show to the Improv stage.

NICE BITS! remains a wild, high energy environment built for the comedy community. Whether you're here to watch or looking to compete, you can find everything you need below.

SCROLL DOWN FOR TICKETS, RULES & FORMAT

NICE BITS! Dates & Tickets

4.28 7:30pm
Irvine, Ca

TICKETS

7.21 7:30pm
Irvine, Ca

TICKETS

NICE BITS! | Official Rules & Format

The Entry & Selection

  • Open Enrollment: This is a lottery-style competition open to anyone.

  • Sign-Up: You must be present to sign up in person before the scheduled start time.

  • The Wheel: We use a digital wheel to select 10 competitors at random throughout the night.

The Performance & Elimination

  • The Set: Each comic gets 3 minutes. Once you finish, you exit the stage for judge deliberation.

  • The Finalist Bench: There are only two finalist spots available at any time.

    • The first two comics selected are automatically seated as finalists.

    • Starting with the third comic, the judges (Kenny Weber, RJ Sains and Guest Judges) decide if the most recent performer replaces one of the current finalists or is eliminated.

  • The Goal: Survival. After 10 comics, the two left standing on the bench move to the Finals.

The Finals

  • The 60-Second Sprint: Both finalists return to the stage to perform a 1-minute set.

  • The Crowd Vote: The winner is not chosen by the judges. Once the sets are finished, the audience votes via a live poll on the @nicebitsdork Instagram stories.

  • The Decision: The poll stays open briefly before the winner is announced live.

The Stakes

  • The Prize: The winner takes home $100 cash.

  • The Bookings: The winner also receives 3–5 guest spots (amount varies by show) on upcoming Orange County comedy shows.