Mark Stefanos
Pasadena’s iconic Ice House threw a massive party Tuesday night, Sept. 23, marking 65 years since it first cracked open in 1960, and now holding the distinction as the nation’s oldest continuously operating comedy club. From humble folk music roots to a launchpad for comedy legends, the Mentor Ave. mainstay has been slinging punchlines for generations and countless encores.
Pre-show vibes kicked off at 6 p.m. with games, sweets, and a hot dog collab with LA favorite Pink’s tossed in with every ticket to fuel the fun. A little after 8 p.m., the stage lit up for an all-star lineup hosted by the quick-witted Frazer Smith and featuring a murderers’ row of comedians: Russell Peters, Arsenio Hall, Alfred Robles, Jiaoying Summers, Craig Robinson and Howie Mandel, who brought out his pal from America’s Got Talent, Mel B. True to tradition, the laughter spilled off the stage and onto the patio afterward.
The club has a history of reinvention. Opened by Willard Chilcott and Bob Stane as a folk and blues joint that featured comedians, it pivoted under an investor group led by Bob Fisher in 1978, who turned it into a full-time stand-up spot for over four decades. Then in 2019, Johnny Buss, Lakers scion with a soft spot for showbiz, scooped it up, renovated it, and relaunched it post-pandemic in 2023.
Ice House Executive General Manager Penny Toler has been with the Buss family for forever. She was formerly the General Manager and EVP of the LA Sparks, responsible for picking the team that won their first two championships in the WNBA. As a former Sparks player herself, she holds the honor of scoring the first basket and free throw in WNBA history.
Howie Mandel, Penny Toler, Mel B. and Arsenio Hall (Joseph Haag @josephhaag)
Buss brought her over to the Ice House after he pumped in the $4 million renovation. “He knows I’m not going to steal anything from him,” she said with a laugh. Her recruiting skills are on full display at the club. “We got a great staff — a lot of good people work here in the Ice House that make our customers have this great experience.”
A self-described bugaboo for cleanliness, she’s a big part of why the club is always in tip-top shape. “I’m a clean freak. I always say when people come through the door, I want them to feel that it’s a clean club, it’s a safe club.” And she was there through the massive upgrades — “The biggest change, obviously, is that we have a front entrance versus coming through the back. I don’t know how they ever did that because I’ve seen so many standoffs when we were building the club, like cars that want to move. But now everybody loves coming through the front.”
“We have nothing but top-shelf alcohol, how Johnny wants it. I’m sure we got the best prices in town. And then we have the executive chefs — everybody loves our food here,” she adds.
Along the way, the Ice House has birthed careers and welcomed many greats — George Carlin honed his edge here, Robin Williams riffed wildly, and the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno, Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal, Rosie O’Donnell, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Gabriel Iglesias all took a swing at the mic.
“It’s nice to see all the vets, like Rudy Moreno, Dave Attell, Howie Mandel when he comes in, Arsenio. As a matter of fact, Gabriel Iglesias opened up the club. It was actually on my birthday, March 24th,” says Toler.
Alfred Robles (Joseph Haag @josephhaag)
Alfred Robles, who worked with Gabriel Iglesias for ten years, first tried his hand in comedy 20 years ago in East LA. The Ice House was one of the first clubs where he got on stage, and whenever he’s in town, he makes sure to pop in.
“It’s a diverse crowd. I feel like if you go to Hollywood, it’s not as diverse. So it’s kind of cool coming to Pasadena, bro,” says Robles. “It’s always a good energy. It’s a family vibe. They treat you right.”
He will be filming his comedy special on November 7, so keep a lookout for it.
Jiaoying Summers started doing standup in 2019, and she’s a true product of the Pasadena institution. “I remember I started doing the open mic here at Stage 2. I was doing the lottery mic, where comedians buy a drink, there’s a bucket, and your name gets pulled. So I paid my dues,” she recalled. “I went from doing the open mic to selling out my residency here every month for a year and a half straight.”
Now, as an internationally touring comedian, she has many reasons for making the Ice House part of her routine — “I love how the people are very happy here. They treat comedians like human beings. And it’s clean. Nothing smells like piss. The food is amazing and it’s gorgeous. I love it. Also, personally, there’s other clubs, but the Ice House treats me like a queen. I feel like home here.”
Jiaoying Summers (Joseph Haag @josephhaag)
Summers’ current tour is called “What Species Are You?” She hosts the Tiger Mom podcast and has a comedy special coming out on a major network later this year.
The audience members and comedians we spoke to agreed that the Ice House’s charm comes from its ability to feature world-class talent while keeping an upscale, hometown feel — a perfect fit for Pasadena.
In a country that feels increasingly divided, spots like this are where people of all stripes can gather for a shared gut-bust. Says Toler, “I think right now there’s a huge appetite for comedy in America with everything that’s going on. You’d be amazed at some of the people that come in here, and when they leave, they’re just like, ‘this is exactly what I needed.’”
What should we expect for the next 65 years of the Ice House? Toler tells us, “More great comedy, more laughter, and the legacy continues. The legacy continues.”