Room 861 at Goodnights: Jay Derrell

Jay Derrell is playing Goodnights Comedy Club on Thursday, December 10, 2026, at 8 PM. He'll be performing in Room 861, one of the club's smaller spaces, so it should be a tight room for a stand-up set.

Derrell is a stand-up comedian, storyteller, actor, author, and podcast host who has been working the stage for more than 20 years. He first stepped on stage in 2006, and since then he's built a reputation for high-energy, relatable comedy that pulls from family, relationships, military life, law enforcement, and the kind of everyday moments most of us recognize from our own lives. He's a U.S. Army veteran and a retired law enforcement officer, and those two chapters of his life clearly feed into the material he brings to the stage.

He's shared the bill with names like Arnez J, Tommy Davidson, D.L. Hughley, Sommore, Don 'DC' Curry, and Pierre, so he's no stranger to a professional lineup. Beyond the stand-up, he hosts Jay Derrell's Uncuffed Podcast and wrote the memoir Preserved for Purpose: A Life of Laughter, Loss, and Legacy, which gives you a sense of the range he works with—the comedy sits alongside the more personal, reflective side of things.

If you're in Raleigh and looking for a night of stand-up, this is a good one to keep on your radar. The show is Thursday, December 10, at 8 PM in Room 861 at Goodnights Comedy Club.