A lineup of online comics and political commentators is heading to the Tampa Funny Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant for a show called The Resistival, a variety and panel event hosted by comedian Steve Hofstetter that blends stand-up, games and conversation with a distinctly progressive bent. The 21-and-over show promises comedy, commentary and some of what organizers call the most entertaining progressive voices on the internet and beyond.
According to the Tampa Funny Bone event listing, the Tampa stop stars Eliza Orlins, Cortlen Combs, PullupsPastaPolitics, Sandee Booth, Abiola Agoro, James Crocker, Maggie Burnett and Brit Koch, plus a few surprise guests. The venue describes the show as “a fast-paced mix of comedy, commentary, games, and conversation,” positioning it as a panel-style gathering rather than a traditional stand-up set. Guests who arrive 30 minutes before showtime can also catch a meet-and-greet with Hofstetter and some of the other creators on the bill, per the same listing.
A Post-Election Comedy Tour Across Two Cities
Hofstetter first announced the project on Substack, writing that he was hosting The Resistival in both Orlando and Tampa this fall with, in his words, “dozens of the biggest progressive creators in America.” He described it as “two nights of stand-up, panel, sketch, and general fun,” and said the shows would land “just after election day.” On his Substack post, he also said the event would be live streamed so people could tune in “from anywhere in the world,” though further details on that stream were not laid out in his announcement.
The creator lineup Hofstetter named in his post differs somewhat from the Tampa venue's roster. He listed Eliza Orlins, Ian Lightfoot, Brooke from LetsNotDate, Larry The Sociologist, Hayden Kristal, Brandon Tour and PullupsPastaPolitics among those involved, suggesting the full roster of performers may shift between the two cities or across nights. Orlins and PullupsPastaPolitics appear on both lists, while the rest of the names vary depending on the source.
Orlando's Role in the Showcase
Steve Hofstetter will also host a Resistival show in Orlando, according to the Orlando Sentinel, which reported that the event gathers influential online progressive voices for two nights of political comedy and commentary across Orlando and Tampa. The Sentinel's arts coverage frames the shows as a pairing, with Tampa serving as one leg of the two-city run that Hofstetter described in his own announcement.
For now, Hofstetter's framing of “Joy is Resistance” — a phrase he says he has used often in his live performances — seems to be the connective thread tying the two shows together, blending comedy with commentary aimed at an audience that follows progressive creators online. The Tampa Funny Bone listing makes clear the show is intended for an adult crowd, requiring valid identification at the door for anyone hoping to catch the meet-and-greet, the panel segments or the games that organizers say will fill out the night.
