My half-ass reporting continues. I'm counting on my May corespondent to bring the Spoke back into it's former glory.

Introduction and Announcements

Chris Kelly, president of the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel, will speak at a future meeting about community engagement.

Upcoming events:

March 30: Return to Temblor with Bill Kaiser speaking on cybersecurity.

Mythical Margarita Party:

Reminder to donate items for the margarita party/waterman auction, Dave Weldon stepped up with a a fishing trip on his bad ass boat.

No good news

Program: 

The Well, The Laughs, and a Motel Review No One Asked For

This week’s speaker, Dan Betts, proved you can go from oil fields to open mics without losing your sense of humor—or your sanity (mostly). He now runs The Well Comedy Club, newly relocated downtown in the former Fish Lips building—because nothing says “fresh start” like inheriting someone else’s plumbing issues.

From Geology to Jokes

Dan moved from Chicago to Bakersfield for oil and gas work, living for a time in Taft’s Caprice Motel, lovingly described as “where dreams go to die.” Fortunately, his didn’t.

A Navy veteran with a business background, he later led the Portrait of a Warrior Gallery honoring fallen service members. Then, in a plot twist no one saw coming, he pivoted to stand-up—partly to build a local comedy scene and partly to keep life rooted in Bakersfield instead of chasing LA.

Building The Well (the hard way)

He bought the club on a tight deadline after being told comedy isn’t profitable—just a “labor of love.” Naturally, he said, “Perfect.”

Since then, he’s done everything: host, comic, bartender, cook, and reluctant facilities manager. After 2.5 years on White Lane, the club moved downtown and is now a few months into its new chapter—older, wiser, and hopefully leak-free.

Why Comedy Matters

While performing for troops overseas, a pilot dealing with his father’s terminal illness said he just needed to laugh. It’s a reminder that even dumb jokes can carry real weight.

Around here, where a night out involves babysitters and planning, Dan sees comedy as a responsibility: give people a real escape.

Style, Shows, and What to Expect

Think bold comedy—along the lines of Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr—but with room for clean shows too. The club is currently open Fridays and Saturdays, with plans to expand to a full Wednesday–Sunday lineup (yes, possibly brunch + jokes… we’re all processing that).

No livestreaming of headliners, but local comics get help building their social media—because if a joke happens and isn’t posted, did it even happen?

Comedy, Offense, and Bombing Gracefully

Dan’s take: almost anything can be funny if you’re good enough. Timing matters, skill matters, and maybe don’t test your edgiest material on a room full of strangers who just paid for nachos.

He shared that a joke about George W. Bush caused a walkout—until a jab at Barack Obama brought the guy back. Moral of the story: comedy isn’t always offensive… just evenly distributed.

Also, bombing still happens. It’s quiet, painful, and comes with a long drive home and zero eye contact with yourself in the mirror.

Bakersfield vs. Everywhere Else

In LA, you’ve got 30 seconds to be funny. In Bakersfield, you’ve got time to tell a story—and maybe explain the story. But local jokes don’t always travel, so comics have to adapt.

Dan’s goal? Turn Bakersfield into a place that produces real breakout comedy talent—not just people who are “funny for here.”

Final Thought

He closed with a reminder that Bakersfield’s East/West divide is basically our version of gang rivalry—just with fewer colors and more lifted trucks.

All in all, a great talk from a guy building something meaningful… one punchline (and plumbing fix) at a time.