BATSU! Live Comedy Show

June 11 at 7pm

Japanese comedy competition where losing comedians endure electric shocks, paintballs, and a giant egg-smashing chicken while you eat sushi and sip sake. The bravest audience members can even volunteer to compete for prizes. Based on the batsu game tradition, this is comedy where losing actually hurts. Features adult language, themes, and partial nudity. Arrive hungry, though food and drink are sold separately. The 7pm shows are 16+, while the 10pm Friday and Saturday shows are 18+. The entrance hides on East 4th Street through a screen door tucked inside a mural, marked only by a lit white lantern. VIP tickets include a hachimaki headband that signals the Sake Ninja to visit your table, plus a warm oshibori towel on arrival. Shows run about two hours. Sake bombs are encouraged during the first half only, and the comedians appreciate if late-night bombers go full shinobi and drop their sake quietly rather than banging the table. No outside food or drink permitted, but Kogame—the newest spot from legendary Kamehachi—handles the sushi and sake menu. Book early; some shows sell out a month in advance. If you see only a few tickets left online, that date is nearly full. Tickets are first-purchased, first-served for seating. All tickets in a group must be the same tier to sit together. Some standard seats are high stools without backs, so email [email protected] if you need a backed chair. Sold out online means no tickets at the door, though you can join the waitlist via email or the ticketing site. The show is improvised and unpredictable, so every night is different. Wear your hachimaki headband with honor on return visits to signal the Sake Ninja for more pours. The space is intimate, so large groups should coordinate ticket purchases together or email ahead to check availability. Corporate groups are welcome, though be warned you will become the office hero and receive excessive back-pats afterward. Standard tickets get you in the door, VIP gets you the best tables and the headband that unlocks the sake visits. The Sake Ninja is not unlimited sake, that would apparently be illegal, but you will see them several times throughout the night if you wear the headband properly. The show contains electric shocks, paintballs, and a giant chicken that smashes eggs on losers' heads. Audience members can volunteer to participate and win prizes. The hachimaki is a Japanese helmet-scarf symbolizing effort or courage, like in The Karate Kid but BATSU! style. You can purchase the headband at the show, during checkout, or via your confirmation email for $20. The white lantern hanging out front indicates the entrance is open. You must enter on the East 4th Street side, not the 1st Avenue side. The venue is located at the corner of 1st Avenue and East 4th Street in the East Village. The show is dark on major holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and others. The minimum age is 16 for 7pm shows and 18 for 10pm shows. Alcohol service is 21+ as per law. Guests arriving with someone under the required age will not be admitted. The Customer Care Team assigns seating and has graduated with honors from the Tetris School of Seating. If you want to join friends who already bought tickets at a sold-out show, email to see if your party's table can accommodate an extra stool. The show has been featured on A&E's 1,000 Ways To Dine. The comedians compete in challenges of all kinds and the losers receive punishment. This is based on the Japanese batsu game comedy style. The food menu is à la carte with pre-fixe packages available if ordered before arrival. The restaurant Kogame is the newest from legendary Kamehachi. There are no minimums for food or drink. The show is not appropriate for children due to adult language, themes, and partial nudity. The experience is roughly two hours from reservation time. Tickets are processed by Tock and include a non-waivable service fee. All-in pricing is listed as inclusive of processing and convenience fees. Prices vary by day and tier, with Tuesday through Thursday being less expensive than Friday and Saturday. The VIP section seats 24-35 people and standard seating holds around 35-40. The space is intimate and they try to maximize it to accommodate as many people as possible. If you need 3 or more seats at a sold-out show, it is very unlikely they can accommodate you. You can purchase tickets at the door if available online, but they prefer cards over cash. The waitlist closes at showtime. Every show is different so there is no hard rule on how early to buy, but popular dates sell out over a month in advance. The hachimaki is yours to take home and wear on every return visit to any BATSU! location. The Sake Shinobi visits those who wear their headband with honor. The show is improvised and mature. The entrance is hidden and marked by a white lantern. The punishment includes electric shocks. The comedy is Japanese style. The food is sushi. The drinks are sake. The venue is in the East Village. The show is live. The competition is real. The punishment is painful. The chicken is giant. The eggs get smashed. The audience laughs. The losers suffer. The winners survive. The night is unforgettable.