A brand new comedy joint finally opens its doors this month, and their first show is a big one. Hyena’s has kept Texans in stitches for decades at two locations in Dallas and Fort Worth, and on Thursday, Feb. 13 it adds Albuquerque to its laugh empire with a downstairs den in the Northeast Heights at the growing Winrock Town Center (2100 Louisiana Blvd. NE).
Opening night will be playfully provocative, especially with controversial comedian Carlos Mencia stirring things up. Marketing director Jarod Butler says the big dogs at Hyena’s thought booking Mencia as the club’s inaugural act would be an interesting way to introduce themselves to the city, and the response from Albuquerque’s comedy connoisseurs has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
“We’ve gotten maybe six negative comments — people thinking that they’re funny by making a joke about his history — but it’s whatever,” Butler says. “He’s a funny guy, and he’s been doing comedy for a long time. He had his issues that were brought up, but you don’t do it for this long on this scale and not be good at what you do.”
For those who are unfamiliar with Mencia’s career, he had a gigantic show on Comedy Central called “Mind of Mencia,” which aired from 2005 to 2008. The show was loved by viewers, but Mencia himself is rumored to be disliked by many of his peers in the comedy scene. He’s had a well-publicized feud with Joe Rogan, who accuses Mencia of stealing jokes from other performers’ acts. And during an interview on The Howard Stern Show, comedian George Lopez said he had a physical altercation with Mencia because he allegedly plagiarized some of Lopez’s material. Whether you love him or hate him, Mencia’s opening act appearance at Hyena’s is sure to attract attention.
And Jarod Butler knows how to attract attention. He’s more than just the marketing director for Hyena’s. He describes himself as the guy who gets “the butts in the seats.” It’s in his blood, after all. His dad is Randy Butler — a well-known figure in the comedy world.
“Here in [Dallas-Fort Worth] Hyena’s is a staple, and Randy Butler’s name in the comedy industry is a massive name,” he says. “He’s done comedy the right way for a long time, and so he’s gotten a lot of respect from people around the comedy scene and around the country.”
Butler says his dad broke into the industry working at the legendary (but long gone) Laffs Comedy Caffe in Albuquerque where he was born and raised. He spent his teens in Texas and moved back to New Mexico in his early 20s which is where he found his calling — an amusing job with opportunities for advancement, to put it lightly.
“He walked into Laffs, and they needed a bartender. He had bartended here in Texas, and he just literally raised his hand and said, ‘I can bartend.’ They asked him to start that night, and the rest is history,” Butler says.
Butler says after working his way up from bartending at Laffs to becoming the club’s general manager, his dad relocated the club to Tuscon where today it’s celebrating 37 years in operation. The senior Butler spent some time in Los Angeles chumming it up with famous comedians like Paula Poundstone before returning to Texas and opening Hyena’s in Fort Worth. The club has enjoyed success over the last 22 years in two different downstairs locations similar to the new spot at Winrock, and Butler says the brains behind Hyena’s are very comfortable running a club in that type of space. This month, despite some hiccups, Randy Butler’s journey will have come full circle.
“We’re taking over a new build, so it wasn’t something that was already set up, ready for us to go,” he says. “We’ve had a lot of construction issues that have set us back timewise. Initially, we were supposed to be open months ago, and we had other acts booked that we’ve had to push back. We’re in the process of rescheduling Tom Green and others as well.”
Despite initial construction delays, the club is ready to open this month with plans to serve cocktails, mixed drinks, bottled beer and a limited food menu. Butler says Hyenas “caters to all crowds” and they have a pretty nice spread of acts lined up over the next few months. In August, for example, Albuquerque can catch some “magic for adults” from Eric Eaton. Clowns with clean material and raunchy wisecrackers alike such as Jamie Lisso, John Caparulo, Joe Machi and Maddie Smith are set to wreak havoc on the Hyena’s stage in 2025. Butler says the comedy scene is always evolving, just like the rest of showbiz. From the sound of it, Hyena’s has the hottest gagsters in the game on speed dial. Butler says they plan to feature viral comedians such as Hans Kim from the very popular “Kill Tony” podcast.
“In today’s ecosphere of entertainment — with Tik Tok and YouTube and all of that — it’s given a lot of people a platform to garner attention,” Butler says. “They can be new at it and get quick really fast. It’s giving people an opportunity to put themselves out there and we do a lot of those shows.”
Butler knows how the pipeline works and says the club will give the funny men and women of Albuquerque a similar opportunity for exposure, a literal stage to hone their craft. He says being around folks who have made it big in the funny business can be a major motivator.
“Anytime a new comedy club comes into a city, it really does help the local talent pool, especially the openers,” Butler says. “All of our MCs here in Dallas-Fort Worth — unless they’re brought by a headliner specifically — all of them are from here in town.”
Opening night at Hyena’s promises to be a riot — whether it’s a laugh riot or the other kind depends on how Mencia’s act goes.
“He’s a great comedian,” Butler says. “Anybody that wants to bite on him for anything that’s been in the past are going to see him, and they’re going to enjoy him.”
For tickets and showtimes visit prekindle.com/events/hyenas-albuquerque. Packages including preferred seating and a meet and greet with Mencia are available.
Carlos Mencia: No Hate No Fear Tour
Feb. 13 to 15
Hyena’s Albuquerque
2100 Louisiana Blvd. NE
$35 to $65