LA Comedian Kellen Erskine Brings Bookworm to Avon Bar

Aspen —The Lookout Bar at The Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa in Avon isn’t built for a comedy club. It’s a cocktail lounge, a place for quiet drinks and lower-volume conversations. But on Wednesday, August 12, the space will be converted, squeezed, and packed with about 50 people waiting for Los Angeles comedian Kellen Erskine to open the book on summer comedy.

It’s an intimate setup. Mark Masters, the Denver-based comedian hosting the show, knows the constraints. He’s the one who has to manage the flow of a crowd that fits into a unique venue rather than a dedicated theater.

“We only can fit about 50 people in this unique cocktail lounge that we convert into a comedy club for an evening,” Masters said. “Kellen is well known for a book reading podcast, so fans of the Bookworm should come out, but really anybody who enjoys laughing will have a great time.”

Erskine brings a resume that feels disproportionate to the cozy setting. He’s a regular on “CONAN” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and his clips from “Dry Bar Comedy” have racked up over 30 million views. His most famous bit — a joke about bike locks — has millions of views on its own. Yet, this marks his first visit to the Vail area. He’s performed in Colorado before, headlining Denver’s Comedy Works, but the experience there was distinctively strange.

“The club puts you up in a condo that’s decorated with faux zebra skin rugs, toadstool chairs, ceramic hippo heads on the walls, etc. It’s fun and zany and scares me to death every time I wake up there,” Erskine said.

That ability to find humor in the absurd is what got him to the big leagues. It’s also what makes him a draw for locals who might not follow the late-night circuit closely but recognize the name. The event isn’t just Erskine, though. He’ll be joined by Canadian comedian Tré Lamb, known for jokes about dating and parents, and Masters himself.

Masters has been busy this summer. He’s performed in Los Angeles and New York City and just completed a five-night headlining tour of the Midwest. That tour included stops in Iowa, Illinois, and Kentucky, featuring a sold-out show in a former funeral home.

“I killed,” Masters said of the run.

Lamb, originally from Canada but currently based in Salt Lake City, adds another layer to the bill. He started performing stand-up at just 17 years old and has built a career on observational humor that resonates with people looking for a laugh after a long day on the I-70 corridor.

The Vail Comedy Show has a rhythm to it, a seasonal pulse that locals have come to expect. After this Avon stop, the show moves to Gypsum at Eagle River Brewing Company on Thursday, August 27, featuring former headliners Leah Bonnema and Dustin Chafin. Then, on Saturday, September 12, Winston Hodges, a top six finalist on the Netflix series “Funny AF with Kevin Hart” - takes the stage.

For now, though, the focus is on Avon. It’s about taking a national talent, someone who’s shared a stage with Aaron Paul (the only celebrity Erskine claims to look like), and dropping him into a converted lounge in the valley. It’s a reminder that while the headlines might focus on the big stars, the local scene is where the actual connection happens. The faux zebra rugs are far away, but the ceramic hippo heads of memory are close enough to make the experience feel personal.

The show starts Wednesday night. The bar opens. And for one evening, the Westin Riverfront Resort isn’t just a place to sleep; it’s a comedy club.