Located on King George street in Jerusalem, across the street from the top of Ben Yehuda's pedestrian mall, in the middle of the town center, is a grimy-looking white staircase that you might suspect leads to a basement used for cadaver storage by the mafia. If you descend those stairs after 11 pm however, you will be pleasantly surprised by what are in fact, live, moving, bodies, engaging in the form of song-therapy known to the world as karaoke. Congratulations: You are now in the magical place known as "Off the Wall Comedy Basement", where men in yarmulkas grind to Lady Gaga songs like there's no tomorrow.
Price
Before you enter this magical land, you will encounter a friendly individual outside the glass doors, who will demand a 10-shekel-entrance fee. This fee, about three dollars, covers your stay for as long as you'd like, for as many songs as you wish to torture the audience with. God knows, I've sacrificed much sleep and dignity for repeated renditions of Christina Aguilera songs from the 90s. Sojourns until 4 am are not uncommon - as matter of fact, the party rarely really gets started before midnight.
Vibe
The decor is not about to win any designs from Martha Stewart, but the couches are comfortable, and there is ample space to sit, as well as to dance by the bar and to socialize. The staff are extremely friendly, especially the owner, David, who is American. Most of the staff are originally from English-speaking countries, and while there are Israelis who frequent the establishment, most of the regulars tend to be native English speakers. This place is a popular spot for Americans spending gap-years in Israel, as well as the amateur Jerusalem theater crew. The club is small enough that if you go there often, you will quickly get to know the other frequent customers. As a newcomer to Jerusalem, I found that the close-nit feeling among regulars helped turn this bar into a community for me, and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a chill place to meet new people.
Song Selection
The song selection is adequate. You can go from show-tunes to 80s rock to Kate Perry within one evening. That being said, those who want very particular songs, or songs that are off the beaten track, should be aware that the song selection is what it is, and it is not all-encompassing. The Hebrew song selection is not as good as the English one, and international songs are virtually non-existent, except for a few pop Latino songs that made it onto the American bestseller charts.
Food and Drink
The place is clean; its food fare is decent, but there is a very limited menu. Luckily, this is not too much of an issue, since food establishments abound in the area, so you can easily sneak out for a quick bite of pizza or a falafel. Like most establishments in the downtown Jerusalem area, the club is kosher. Its drinks are delicious, especially the blue motorcycle. Food and drinks are decently priced.
Things to Consider
The best thing about this place - besides the fact that it only cost 10 shekels, and there is no minimum drink requirement - is the atmosphere. There are people getting drunk and people perfectly sober; people grinding and people zoning out in the couches or having personal conversations. As long as you are not acting harmfully towards anyone, you can do pretty much anything you want and get away with it. The crowd tends to be fun-loving and get very into the songs, providing an extremely responsive audience.
You should be warned though, that age minimums on drinks are strictly enforced. The drinking age in Israel is 18. Also, buses in Jerusalem stop at midnight, which you should take into account when planning a late night out. If you stay until 4 am, there is a 24/7 Aroma coffee-shop nearby where you could try waiting out the slightly-over-two-hours until morning buses start, but I do not recommend it. The club is closed on Friday nights in honor of the Jewish sabbath. Before 11, it serves as a comedy basement, and a decent one at that, but entrance for the comedy shows costs 40 shekels, which is about twelve dollars.
Logistic Information
Comedy Club Basement - www.israelcomedy.com
Opening Hours: Comedy shows: 8:30 PM. Entrance fee: 40 NIS
Karaoke: 11 pm - last customer/usually around 4 am. Entrance fee: 10 NIS
There are also special events, for which one should check the website.
Address: 34 Ben Yehuda (Hamartef Hair, down the steps next to the Mashbir). Almost all buses have stops within a few blocks of the club. Make sure to ask the driver if the bus goes to "merkaz ha-eer", the city center. If it does, then the bus will get you to within a five minutes' walk of the club. If you are taking the light rail, get off on King George. The club is also about a twenty to thirty minute walk from the Old City, if one exits through the Jaffa gate and walks up Jaffa street.
Telephone Number: 050-875-5688
Shayna Abramson - Shayna Abramson is an alumnus of Johns Hopkins University, where she was an active member of the Johns Hopkins Interfaith Center. She ...
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