In ‘Out of the Loop,’ comics talk about the growing pains of stand-up comedy in Chicago

CHICAGO — Stand-up comedy has not always been part of the entertainment landscape and to prove that point, I give you this story.

One late afternoon in 1978, Rick Uchwat picked up the telephone at Zanies, the new club he recently opened on Wells Street in Old Town.

“Hello, this is Zanies,” said Uchwat.

“Yes. What sort of comedy do you have?” asked the caller.

“It’s stand-up comedy,” said Uchwat.

There is a long pause on the other end of the line. Finally, the caller said, “You mean ... you mean you don’t