When he created ZipStohr with his best friend David "Zip" Zerbato in 2005, they packed 600 people into their Pittsfield venue for the night, with more than 100 reservations for the next show–before they had even booked it. “We knew we had something special,” Rick said.

 

Now, that something special is back in the Berkshires, during the Adams Theater’s Fall Festival, on Saturday, October 7. ZipStohr is bringing three comics–Tom Daddario, Brendan Eyre, and Tracy Locke–to Adams for the evening. “Three very funny comics, national headliners, each with their own brand of humor,” he said.

 

Over 15 years, Rick and Zip produced more than 60 shows in Pittsfield, primarily at the Crowne Plaza, plus plenty of shows at The Colonial Theatre and Barrington Stage Co. Longtime comedy fans who had been driving an hour-plus for shows, they quickly showed a talent for picking comics, booking lots of now-big names when they were just up-and-comers. “The business model has always been ‘give them a hilarious lineup, top to bottom, and they'll want to come back every time,” Rick said.

 

Early on, they featured Bill Burr right before his HBO One Night Stand shot him into fame, and they have also hosted talents like Michael Che (co-host of weekend update on SNL), Nikki Glaser (one of the top female comics in the country), Tom Cotter (finished second on America's Got Talent). “John Mulaney, Nate Bargatze, Tom Papa have numerous specials on Netflix these days and are all ZipStohr alums,” Rick said.

 

Zip passed away six years ago after a long battle with diabetes, and “I carried the torch without my best friend,” Rick said, until the pandemic threw a wrench in the works. He said he’s excited to bring this new show to the Adams Theater and bring some more laughs to the Berkshires. “Yina’s vision for the theater is amazing,” he said. “I hope ZipStohr can be a piece of the entertainment puzzle at the Adams Theater for years to come.”