Far from the lights and mystique of the renowned theaters on Broadway lies the United Citizens Brigade (UCB) in the East Village, where instead of watching world-class actors perform in million-dollar productions, you can listen to comedians talk politics while they slam down beers in a dingy basement.
“Two Beers In: A Tipsy Political Roundtable” was started nine years ago by comedian Charlie Todd and his wife Cody Lindquist ahead of the 2016 presidential election as a way to mix comedy with current political events, and the two serve as hosts and moderators of the discussion. Although both are originally comics at heart, they each have their own political backgrounds, with Todd having served on Manhattan Community Board 4, and Lindquist being a voice actor on Our Cartoon President, an animated series created by Stephen Colbert.
Each month, the couple invites different comedians, journalists and writers to the UCB to drink and discuss the news for roughly an hour in front of a small crowd of individuals. According to Todd, the drinking aspect has lightened up over the years following the show’s inception.
“The original gimmick had panelists chugging two beers on stage at the top of the show, in order to loosen up the conversation,” Todd said. “We are now more casual about the alcohol part. Most guests sip on a beer or two over the course of the show, and some don't drink at all. A big reason for that is that we are now nine years older.”
About fifteen minutes before the show’s start time, a small number of guests lined up outside of the theater; a larger crowd was forming outside a new German kebab restaurant down the street. Patricia Goldberg was first in line along with her husband, and both have watched the roundtable before. Political pins line her denim jacket, with a large, yellow ‘Vote Yes for Prop 1’ pin boasted towards the center. As a longtime resident of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Proposition 1, which calls for the expansion of New York’s Equal Rights Amendment, is one of Goldberg’s top voting issues.
“As you can likely tell from my jacket, I’m a big, big democrat,” Goldberg said. “Me and my husband have been to this show before and just love the comedy around the politics, it kind of just relieves some of the stress around all this stuff nowadays.”
Seven-o-clock rolls around and ushers begin to let people down the steep basement stairs which creek with each step. Down the first flight lies the mezzanine, which includes restrooms and a refreshments bar for the audience. Anna Dickson sits behind a table at the bottom of the stairwell, telling the theatergoers that she will buy them a beer if they text five people in a swing state to vote in the upcoming election. Dickson works for Movement Labs, an organization which promotes progressive causes, and believes that people need to start talking about politics more casually.
“So many people with the last two elections have gotten so afraid of talking about politics, or just like discussing what's going on in the world,” Dickson said. “So I think wherever we can kind of make spaces where that feels okay and not scary, it's a good thing.”
Audience members are then brought through a side door and down another staircase which leads to the stage. Within minutes the dark and void theater fills up with patrons. Spotlights flash on the stage as Todd and Lindquist introduce themselves to the intimate crowd and each crack open a beer. Their political affiliation shows early with Lindquist wearing a Harris/Walz campaign shirt, something that Todd is very open about.
“Every now and then we get a comment from a conservative who doesn't like the show, and that's fine,” Todd explained. “We're not for everyone!”
The couple performs some standup and asks the crowd some amusing questions about the Eric Adams administration, jarring some laughs from the audience. Shortly after, the three panelists enter the stage; comedy writer Kristen Bartlett, Bronx-based comedian Lou Gonzalez Jr., and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine are featured for this month’s show. Each open their respective alcoholic beverages and immediately start discussing national political events. From the misinformation behind FEMA’s response to hurricane Helene, to Donald Trump describing Arnold Palmer’s penis in a recent rally, the group quickly described their opinions on each issue, wrapped up with some comedic banter to keep the conversation going.
With the set being just inches away from the front row of seating, the cozy setting makes it to where the audience feels that they are actively participating in the discussion, instead of a far-away spectator. The panel then diverges into local issues affecting New Yorkers, where Levine fittingly directs the majority of the conversation, articulating similar to a press release rather than a comic. It is made clear that every panelist shares similar political values, making for practically zero tension throughout the event.
After some lightning-round discourse about transportation, the show concludes, with some fans taking pictures of the cast. Upon exiting the UCB, Dickson was walking to a nearby bar with members of the audience, taking up her side of the bargain.