Weekend Entertainment | Comedian Could Set Covelli Attendance Record

We are living in the era of big comedy – at least when it comes to attendance at shows.

Thanks to the proliferation of comedy specials on Netflix and other streamers, more comedians than ever are reaching superstar levels and selling out arenas.

The latest example in Youngstown is tonight’s sold-out performance by Sebastian Maniscalco at Covelli Centre.

More than 7,300 will be in the downtown arena for the show – the biggest crowd since boxing champ Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik defended his title there in 2009 before a hometown crowd.

A total of 7,334 fans were in Covelli that night, and a similar number is expected tonight, according to Jared Laczko, spokesman for JAC Management, which operates the venue.

The Maniscalco show will be in the round, so even seats behind the stage have been sold.

And because a comedian doesn’t need a big stage, more room on the floor was available for seating.

“It’s not a huge stage, so we have a lot more seating on the floor,” Laczko said. “The center stage allows us to sell 360 degrees, which is awesome.”

If Covelli Centre was twice the size, every seat still would have been sold. In September, Maniscalco played to a capacity crowd five nights in a row at New York’s Madison Square Garden. That’s more than 100,000 tickets.

It’s worth noting that Covelli Centre is easily the smallest venue on the comedian’s 2024 tour, and Youngstown is easily the smallest market. So tonight’s show is an incredible coup for the arena and its team.

Maniscalco played PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh in September. 

There will be two more chances to catch him in 2025 without having to drive too far: Feb. 7 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland and Feb. 8 at Schottenstein Center in Columbus.

The comedian-actor-podcaster is known for dissecting the absurdities of everyday life in vivid – sometimes physical – fashion.

Another Youngstown venue will be packed for back-to-back shows this weekend: Westside Bowl.

That’s because The Clarks are playing the room Friday night, and The Vindys will be there Saturday night.

Go to WestsideBowl.com for ticket information.

For a complete look at everything going on in the Mahoning Valley, check out The List.

Pictured at top: Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco will play Covelli Centre tonight. (Photo by Matty Vogel)

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.