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The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 230: Chris Laker & the Meaning Behind Toiling in Obscurity

August 22, 2024

20 years in comedy, done on both coasts with two well received late night sets and Chris Laker has come to an intriguing crossroads in his career where he is calling his latest hour “Toiling in Obscurity”. It’s not necessarily the self-deprecating angle that you might think the name would entirely suggest, but something much more, if you can believe it, affirming. We talk to Chris about his journey to letting go of expectations and focusing on evolving as a comedian and human being.

Follow Chris Laker @chrislaker on IG and get tickets to Toiling in Obscurity with Special Guest John Early on 8/28 @ Lyric Hyperion here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

Pick of the Day: Don’t Tell Tapings (in LA) 8/23 & 8/24

August 21, 2024

News

don't tell, live comedy, live tapings, los angeles, west la

Despite the nature of the name of Don’t Tell Comedy, it’s no secret that they have shaken things up in being a force to be reckoned with in the live comedy game. In fact, that’s so much the case, that not only is Don’t Tell a credit that many comedians boast as a credit, but is a goal for many a comedian coming up to attain as does put you on a comedy map right now.

With that in mind, you might want to catch the very next batch of Don’t Tell anointed comedians (and no, we don’t know who it is), doing exclusive sets to be taped in LA for Don’t Tell‘s very popular YouTube Channel.

These latest tapings, are set for this Friday, 8/23, in West LA and Saturday, 8/24, in Manhattan Beach area with both nights having 7PM & 9:15PM shows (shout out to westsiders who often feel left out of what’s going on in Silverlake and Highland Park).

Tickets are $30 and you can (and should) go snag ’em here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 229: Open Screen LA & Creative Neutrality

August 14, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

open screen la

When run properly, an open mic can be truly a safe space, free of expectation and hierarchy, and a crucial hub of community with in art form/scene. Open Screen LA fills a very specific, but much needed niche for budding filmmakers or folks that want to make films in and around LA with providing the most egalitarian film open mic possible. We talk to one of the organizers behind Open Screen LA about what goes into the ethos and actual practice of their beautifully engineered open mic.

Get all things Open Screen LA at openscreenla.com

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

TCB Debriefing 7/21-8/10: Roy Wood Jr. on CNN, Inside Out TV Series, Saturday Night Trailer+++

1. Roy Wood Jr. will be hosting his own topical panel show on, not Comedy Central, but CNN with Have I Got News For You. While The Daily Show did get Jon Stewart back, there is an unmistakable feeling that they missed out here.

2. Disney’s own version of Comic Con, D23, is this weekend and the big takeaway is that Mickey and company will be sticking with their big hits from Pixar in the form of an Inside Out series, another sequel to The Incredibles, and another sequel to Toy Story (which begs the question how much more existential crises can they explore through the nature of sentient toys).

3. Let’s call that a take 2 on Studio 60, but this time, from Jason Reitman that actually tackles the origin story of SNL head on (and it looks pretty damn great). Take a gander at the trailer for Saturday Night here, then look for it in theaters come Oct. 11th.

4. Adam Sandler took a big leap into the Safdie Brothers’ world when diving into Uncut Gems, and Josh Safdie is returning the favor by directing Sandler’s latest stand-up special, Love You (take a look at the trailer here). Let’s see if this leads to a Safdie Brothers slapstick comedy. Love You will hit Netflix later this month on Aug. 27th.

5. The High Plains Comedy Festival in Denver, CO is still one of the very best comedy festivals around (and is coming up soon on Sept. 19th-21st). Peep their first line-up announcement! THEN, go get your fest passes here.

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6. Given how truly insane the winds of change feels these days, a wave of absurdism/non-sequitur/unapologetic deconstructionist satire in a comedy special (as opposed to more litanies of crowd-work-fueled comedy specials) feels more than needed. Fortunately, Carmen Christopher has come through with his latest and very hilarious special Live from the Windy City that serves up many shots of all those ingredients in addition to thankfully showcasing Christopher’s stand up chops in a non-COVID-socially-distanced setting. If you’re any level of fan of I Think You Should Leave, you might recognized Carmen from a sketch or two and, as such, you’re really going to dig Live from the Windy City (after all, Tim Robinson does have his name attached to this special). Live from the Windy City is now streaming on VEEPS and you can (and should) stream it here.

7. While Abbott Elementary has the hearts and minds of America’s primetime viewing audience, FX is giving the high school work place comedy its own treatment with English Teacher from Brian Jordan Alvarez (that seems to have the same very satisfying bite that Election had over 20 years ago). Also, Sean Patton as Markie might be TV’s latest scene stealer. See for yourself with the trailer here, then look for the premiere on FX/Hulu on Sept. 2nd.

8. James Adomian, who voices many of your favorite adult animated series, is one of comedy’s best minds and voices and has been for years now. Thankfully, his very first hour special is due out on 800 Pound Gorilla on Aug. 16th and then, for everyone, on Sept. 19th. Please enjoy his retro comedy special trailer for Path of Most Resistance here.

9. After having some of the very best moments in season 1 of White Lotus, Natasha Rothwell is taking center stage with her very own series How to Die Alone, a comedy following a carpe-diem-turn for a woman who is afraid to fly, but works an airport. See what Natasha has up her sleeve with the trailer for How To Die Alone here, then look for it exclusively on Hulu come Sept. 13th.

10. Both Punkie Johnson and Molly Kearney are leaving SNL, which means the new cast announcement for the next season might be big (and plenty diverse).

11. Ramy Youssef has signed a first look deal with Netflix, which is yet another step for the rising comedy star. Note that this doesn’t mean he has the answer to achieving peace in the Middle East (only great jokes about it).

12. Quinta Brunson and Stephanie Hsu are teaming up on a comedy feature for Universal. No plot details are available at this time, which leaves us to assume that it’s about a multiverse of public schools that also don’t have enough funding.

13. It’s about time there was a Mitch Hedberg documentary especially considering that he set an intention of telling jokes without references so he could be timeless. Keep an eye out for this doc from 222-2222 Films.

13. While Chloe Radcliffe is in Edinburgh right now racking up well deserved acclaimed for her marvelous solo show, CHEAT, let’s not forget that Chloe is really damn good at stand-up. See her Don’t Tell set here for proof.

14. Not only is the fifth season of Solar Opposites around the corner (Aug. 12th on Hulu) and it just got renewed for another season, but it seems as any lingering controversy with Justin Roiland’s exit is well in the rear view mirror. All looks like a well oiled machine in this trailer for the new season.

15. In addition to Sam Morril making his Amazon debut with his brand spankin’ new special You’ve Changed, there’s, essentially, a bonus track of crowd work/material available exclusively on newly forged comedian streaming platform PunchUp called “Buying Drinks”. If you loved Sam’s rooftop stuff, you’ll love this.

16. In addition to doing a sharply honed high school comedy, it would seem FX is angling on a Gen-Z version of Friends with their new series, Snowflakes. Shout out to comedian Malik Elassal has is kind of having a banner year in 2024.

17. We don’t know how many seasons What We Do In the Shadows will ultimately go, but thank goodness Danny McBride is getting to work on adapting his own vampire comedy from Grady Hendrix’s book The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.

18. While a return to pure comedy might seem unlikely for acclaimed horror director Jordan Peele, him taking on prank series Scare Tactics is a welcome dip back into comedy. Look for Peele to possibly revolutionize prank shows later this Fall on USA Network.

19. We’ll leave you with this: Free tickets to John Early @ The Bellwether on 9/17 anyone? Yes? Hit us up at thecomedybureau@gmail.com and we’ll see if we can hook you up.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 228: Ron Lynch & Taking a Small Break After 19 Years

August 7, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

la comedy, ron lynch, tomorrow

As far as we’re concerned, Tomorrow! and it’s consummate host Ron Lynch are an irrefutable institution to both LA comedy and alt/indie/experimental comedy. Lynch has helmed one of the most unique, out there, weekly shows in the entire country with Tomorrow! all throughout LA for nearly 20 years. Right now, Lynch is taking a teeny month break, supposedly the first one he’s taken in all that time.

We chat it up with Ron just as he’s about to score mark with Tomorrow! and everything leading up to it on this week’s TCB Field Report.

Follow Ron @ronlynch1 & @tomorrowwithronlynch on IG

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 227: Ryan Bitzer & Ian Adkins & An International 800 Pound Gorilla

July 31, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

800 pound gorilla

800 Pound Gorilla went from indie comedy record label to a force to be reckoned with as 800 Pound Gorilla Media wheeling and dealing in hour specials all around the world, especially voices that you might have not in North America and U.S. comics that might not have had the chance to reach beyond the lower 48. We talk to 800 Pound Gorilla’s Ryan Bitzer and Ian Adkins about 800 Pound Gorilla’s journey over the last 8 years, how they’ve done what they’ve done despite people thinking it was impossible, and going about comedy distribution in a way that attempts to directly connect their favorite comedians to their biggest fans.

Follow all things 800 Pound Gorilla at 800poundgorillamedia.com

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 226: Cara Mones & Caroline Suh & Making a Doc About Louis C.K.

July 24, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

cara mones, caroline suh, louis ck, sorry not sorry

Director Caroline Suh once was a Louis C.K. fan and then everything came out about his abuse of fellow female comedians, changing her perspective forever. Suh joined forces with co-director Cara Mones to examine the several forces and dynamics at play in comedy/entertainment, often against women, in the fall from grace and very quick rise back to an altered prominence of one Louis C.K. in their newly released documentary from Greenwich Entertainment, Sorry/Not Sorry. They especially hone in on the backlash against the women that came forward, even after #MeToo had been well established as a movement.

This week’s episode of TCB Field Report talks in-depth with Mones and Suh about their journey and outlook and hope from making this crucial documentary.

See Sorry/Not Sorry at Lyric Hyperion on 8/3 and stick around for Abby/Megan/Andy Not C.K. after or go see it on VOD.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

TCB Debriefing 7/7-7/20: Bob Newhart, Emmys Noms, Hulu Comedy Specials

1. R.I.P. Bob Newhart, 1929-2024. Never forget that Newhart had the first #1 Billboard charting comedy album with The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart. Honestly, can’t remember the last time that happened since then.

2. Noms for this year’s Primetime Emmys were announced this week, which saw Ryan Gosling get nominated for breaking a bunch of times on SNL and The Bear getting a record number of nominations as a comedy with almost no comedy in it (don’t get it twisted– it’s a brilliant, astounding, paradigm shifting sort of show). Thank goodness What We Do in the Shadows got nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series. Their honors are long overdue.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES NOMINEES:
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
Palm Royale
Reservation Dogs
What We Do in the Shadows

Full list of Emmy noms here.

3. Hulu, alongside Amazon, is gunning for Netflix’s big comedy fish, which, this week, includes Bill Burr and Roy Wood Jr. At one time, getting an HBO special was the gold standard for comedians, then it shifted to a Netflix special. The time for some new standard might be nigh.

4. Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson (who we hope you would have seen in Under the Skin) take a different approach to facing off in A Different Man, the latest dark comedy from A24 and director Aaron Schimberg. This very well could be a hallmark episode of The Twilight Zone, but with what seems like a hilariously satirical twist. Please enjoy the trailer for A Different Man here, then look for it in limited release this Fall.

5. Inside Out 2, at $1.37 billion in global box office, is now the second highest grossing animated film of all time (Collider) only to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Don’t be surprised if it gets #1 and if Disney Pixar has to figure out how to do sequels that cover Riley’s college and early twenties.

6. Oof, what a time for Tenacious D to cancel a tour and put all creative endeavors on hold because Kyle Gass said “Don’t miss next time,” referring to the recent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, during a concert. It almost seems like they will actually have to legitimately come up with the greatest song in the world to fix this mess.

7. Rachel Bloom‘s high concept comedy special, “Death, Let Me Do My Special” is going to find it’s way to Netflix (Variety). It’s kind of criminal that Bloom has gone this long without top billing after Crazy Ex-Girlfriend went off the air.

8. Star Wars, one of the most popular franchises of all time, went anime and now it’s Rick and Morty, one of the most popular animated franchises in the 21st century. Thursdays at midnight, starting on Aug. 15th, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith will be a bit more stylistically animated and probably even zanier with this anime bent to the series from Takashi Sano. Adult Swim will be airing both English and Japanese language versions. Take a gander at the trailer here.

9. Futurama just keeps Futurama-ing (perfectly skewering the present time thousands of years in the future) and we like it that way. Peep the trailer for season 12 here, due out July 29th on Hulu.

10. The one and only Margaret Cho has just been bestowed the Vanguard Artist-in-Residence at Joe’s Pub that will allow her to handpick and personally curate a fair chunk of programming at one of NYC and NYC comedy’s most cherished stages (THR). Maybe this’ll lead to Cho opening up her own venue at some point?

11. There’s quite a bit major reshuffling in LA comedy theaters over the last couple of weeks. The Ledge Theatre in LA is coming to a close at the end of this month with The Pack Theater relocating from The Broadwater in Hollywood to their current space in Los Feliz. There’s a lot of dust to be pardoned here, but make sure to go support the Ledge while you still can and patronize the Pack when it gets up and running just a few doors down from The Clubhouse.

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12. Variety announced it’s first Comics to Watch line-up that would have to forego a victory lap at JFL Montreal. Hats off to this year’s picks Asif Ali, Ralph Barbosa, Jackie Fabulous, Rachel Feinstein, Tina Friml, Troy Iwata, Preacher Lawson, Leslie Liao, Nathan Macintosh, and Saul Trujillo, all comics that you have probably seen on TV more than a few times already or come up endlessly in one of your social media feeds.

13. Those missing Darcy C’Arden and Will Forte on the reg, fret not, as they will be the stars of a dramedy following a tanning business gone out-of-control called Sunny Nights (Deadline). One tiny detail is that it’ll be streaming on Aussie streamer, Stan, so, umm, you’re going to have to find a way to get access to that.

14. Jennifer Lawrence is staying in the comedy lane with Why Don’t You Love Me? (Indiewire). It’ll be from A24, so, as a comedy, you can count on reality probably being bent in some way shape or form (and we’re here for it).

15. Upcoming Tubi comedy series, Z-Suite (has nothing to do with zombies unfortunately), possibly sounds like a PG-rated update of The Lord of the Flies (Deadline) with Gen-Z’ers suddenly in charge at a NYC ad agency.

16. We’ll leave you with this: Mr. Show might play differently with Jay Johnston with being a Jan. 6th insurrectionist.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 225: Priyanka Mattoo & Kashmir to Comedy To Memoir

July 17, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

bird milk and mosquito bones, priyanka mattoo

When you think of the sort of life that one might have lead that might be worthy of a memoir, one that is so full of stories that it probably could fill more than one book, former comedy agent turned producer turned author Priyanka Mattoo has lead such a life. Said life includes living in several dozens places across the world starting out in Kashmir and eventually ending up in LA, then working her way up the agency ladder, then wanting to manifest her own big time ideas/projects. Thusly, Mattoo has just published her wild journey in her memoir Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones, available now wherever you get books.

We have a nice in-depth chat that takes a tour of this far reaching journey that is inextricably tied to comedy for this week’s TCB Field Report.

Follow Priyanka @primattoo on IG and get her book Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by @anais.wade

Pick of the Day: Novak-Largo-001 (in LA) 7/13

July 10, 2024

News

jacqueline novak, largo, los angeles comedy

The brilliance of Jacqueline Novak was put on display for the world with Get on Your Knees. Maybe you got to see it workshopped before it went Off-Broadway, then on to being a Netflix special or maybe those two latter places are where you got to revel in Novak’s comedic poesy.

In any case, Jacqueline is presumably on to her next piece of work, starting here in LA with the codified performance of Novak-Largo-001 at Largo this weekend. In fact, the show is this Saturday, July 13th at 8PM and tickets are, somehow, still available. They shouldn’t be, but you’ve still got a chance to be on the ground floor of the freshest ideas from perhaps the most lyrical comedian of our time (or of all time?).

Go get tix here at $46 right here right now.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 224: Tyler Jackson & Taping an Hour of One Liners

July 10, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

comedy taping, one-liners, stand up comedy, tyler jackson

It’s the rare and celebrated “birds” in comedy that wheel and deal in silly one-liners and that’s why we’re greatful for Tyler Jackson. Jackson walks the path of the completely absurd and farcical and is so goddamn funny in doing so. We catch Tyler in the days leading up to his upcoming debut taping (that you absolutely should go to) to see how a one-liner silly-billy comedian prepares to go for a whole hour and put it on wax.

Follow Tyler @tjaxkson and get tix to his debut taping on 7/12 at the Yard Theater here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

TCB Debriefing 6/25/24-7/6/24: Brad Howe, Comedy Central, Scam Goddess, Good Cop Great Cop, Bando Stone and the New World, My Old Ass, Martin Mull, How to Die Alone, Jillian Bell, Jiminy Glick, Sam Morril, Wolves of Glendale, Fox Writers Incubator, Richard Lewis

July 6, 2024

News

Bando Stone and the New World, Brad Howe, comedy central, Fox Writers Incubator, good cop great cop, How to Die Alone, jillian bell, jiminy glick, martin mull, My Old Ass, richard lewis, sam morril, Scam Goddess, wolves of glendale

1. Brad Howe came out with one of the weirdest, out-of-left-field, yet still delightful specials of 2024 (and that’s in a year with conceptual/alternative stand-up specials from Conner O’Malley and Hannah Einbinder). Live at the Legion lives in a sort of cinematic universe unto itself where Brad Howe is a townie attempting to make a comedy special at his local American Legion post. More of an extended sketch special than stand-up, the bickering between this version of Howe and the bar flies at the Legion is pretty damn fun and a wild reimagining of what a comedy special could and should be. Please enjoy Brad Howe: Live at the Legion here.

2. Comedy Central‘s website has been sunsetted as part of a move by Paramount to cut their losses (TVLine), which feels like Comedy Central’s days as a channel/network might be numbered. In fact, saying that is even strange in the era of streaming as it’s hard to say that a bunch of folks tune into Comedy Central rather than watch clips of The Daily Show on YouTube or stream Comedy Central content on Paramount+.

3. Laci Mosley‘s Scam Goddess is getting adapted for TV (Deadline). Fingers crossed that a long overdue year of Laci/Scam Goddess is coming very, very soon.

4. Good Cop Great Cop, one of our favorite sketch groups, is finally back and has found a video game that’s so much “deeper” than The Last of Us. Please enjoy it here.

5. Donald Glover‘s turn to comedic action/adventure is a more than refreshing update to a genre that, so far, is more Donald making his mark in genre flicks than trying to fit himself into a rigid box of Star Wars, criminal underworld, or, in the case of his latest movie, Bando & The New World, a post-apocalyptic creatures-feature. See how fun an ill-prepared pop star is in surviving annihilation with the trailer for Bando Stone and the New World here.

6. So many pull quotes for My Old Ass (written and directed by Megan Park) herald it as the coming age of comedy of this generation. Take a gander with the first trailer here with yet another perfect role for Aubrey Plaza and what looks to be star making movie for Maisy Stella. Whether or not My Old Ass will be a definitive coming-of-age comedy has yet to be seen, but we’ll bet that it’ll age better than Superbad.

7. R.I.P. Martin Mull AKA Gene Parmesan (and the perfect character actor in pretty much, well, everything–just check his filmography here), 1943-2024.

8. Onyx Collective made a lot of noise with UnPrisoned and are looking for another hit with their next comedy How To Die Alone, a series from and created by and starring Natasha Rothwell. Rothwell will play an JFK airport employee who goes from a near death experience to living life to fullest (so, kind of a spiritual sequel to her character on White Lotus).

9. Jillian Bell, who has been killing it in every role she’s had over the last few years including her star turn in Brittany Runs a Marathon, is going to make her directorial debut with Summer of 69 (Deadline). If there’s someone to make a coming-of-age comedy to remember, it might be Bell.

10. Jiminy Glick vs. Gil Faizon should be something that happens as evidenced by Nick Kroll try to be more ridiculous than Martin Short as Glick on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Watch and enjoy it here.

11. Classical style stand up is alive and well, complete with sharply cut suit and finely honed punchlines. Take a gander at the trailer for Sam Morril‘s latest hour special, You’ve Changed, here. Look for it on Amazon Prime come July 9th.

12. There might not be sweeter harmonies paired with more absurd premises and lyrics than the songs of Wolves of Glendale. Witness this claim in action for yourself on their Scorpion Train Tour between the US and the UK spanning the rest of the year. Dates/cities/tickets here.

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13.. Congrats to Ronald Metellus and Kirsten Rezazadeh-Jacob for scoring the comedic spots on the Fox Writers’ Incubators (Deadline). Fingers crossed that this will result in a resurgence in strange comedies on Fox.

14. We’ll leave you with this: Want free tix to David Cross @ The Bellwether in LA on 9/21? Let us know and we just might be able to book you up.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 223: Uriah Wesman & Redefining Yourself as a Comedian

July 3, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

solo show, three cults walk into a bar, uriah wesman

Leave it to taking a chance on a storytelling open mic to take Uriah Wesman from a one-liner comedian to developing an earnest, funny, vulnerable, enthralling solo show about growing up in three separate cults. We talk to Uriah on this week’s TCB Field Report to see what the comedic turning point was for him as well as the creative and emotional journey he has had to go on to get to the point of selling out the debut of his very first solo show.

Follow Uriah @uriahjokes on IG and get tix for Three Cults Walk Into a Bar on July 18th @ Lyric Hyperion here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by @damu_malik_photo

Pick of the Day: Sorry/Not Sorry + Abby/Megan/Andy Not C.K. (in LA) 8/3

July 2, 2024

News

documentary, louis ck, me too

Sorry/Not Sorry, a crucial documentary from Caroline Suh, Cara Mones, and the NY Times, chronicling the fall and then unfortunate rise once more of disgraced comedian Louis C.K. has just made its way to its release and Lyric Hyperion is doing a very special screening of the movie this Saturday IN ADDITION to an extremely special, exclusive stand-up show featuring Abby Schachner, Megan Koester, and Andy Kindler.

The trio are a band of very funny comedians as well as some of the major voices that spoke out about C.K. in the documentary, which should make for one hell of a night of stand-up.

Screening of Sorry/Not Sorry is at 7PM and the stand-up show, aptly called Abby/Megan/Andy Not C.K. is at 9:30PM. Tickets to either show is $15 a pop and you can (and should) go get ’em here and here respectively.

Pick of the Day: IN PROGRESS: A LIVE RORY SCOVEL EXPERIENCE (Goodbye LA Edition) 7/8

June 28, 2024

News

elysian, improvied, rory scovel, stand up

The time of Angelenos getting to enjoy the magic and majesty that is Rory Scovel and his comedy on a regular basis might be coming to a close soon. Scovel has given the LA comedy scene such revelatory comedy experiences (we will never forget when he did a set as a disembodied Werner Herzog voice and roasted the show’s house band for not accurately playing “space music”).

SO, DON’T YOU DARE MISS THIS GOODBYE LA EDITION OF IN PROGRESS SHOW AT THE ELYSIAN ON JULY 8TH at 7:30PM. Tickets are still available at $15 a pop and you best go get them right this second right here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 222: Emily Catalano & Finally Having Your Own Crowd

June 26, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

emily catalano, hey, stand up

The slow burn, ultra clever joke tellers of the 2020s are a rare breed, but they are a delight whenever they magically appear. Such is the case with Emily Catalano who came up in SF/Bay Area and has since transplanted successfully down in LA (don’t worry, she goes back to the Bay quite a bit as well as touring all over the country) serving up her finely honed and sharpened, wry and oh-so-wondrous bits. We catch up with Emily as she is about to release her delightful debut album HEY. this Friday and what the journey to that has been, especially as she was set to do this in 2020.

Follow Emily @catalano_emily on IG and get her album HEY. this Friday fresh from Blonde Medicine.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by Jim McCambridge

TCB Debriefing 6/15/24-6/24/24: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, Reggie Watts, Alex Edelman, Onika McLean, Between the Temples, Elijah Wood, John Hastings, Marge Simpson/Nancy MacKenzie, Space Balls, Resident Alien, What’s Funny Fest, Murray Hill, Eric Idle, Eugene Mirman, Mr. Bean, Free Eric Andre Tix

1. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. We’re sold on just the title alone (and how charming that it’s also French). It definitely feels like part of the Last Lovers Left Alive side of the vampire comedies. Please enjoy the trailer here. If you’re digging it, it’s rolling out in limited release now.

2. It has almost been a decade since the brilliant Reggie Watts has released a proper new hour, but, thankfully, we’re not going to reach that decade mark. Watts’ new comedy special Never Mind is set to premiere on VEEPS (the new streaming service of du jour it would seem) next month. Take a gander of what sort of esoteric hijinks Watts gets into this time with the trailer for Never Mind here.

3. Alex Edelman officially won a damn Tony for his nearly unbelievable solo show, Just For Us. May this set a precedent for more stand-ups to win Tonys for their shows about how they put their lives on the line just out of curiosity amongst other things.

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4. In and around, high and low, and all around the five boroughs, Onika McLean is a name you’ll see all around the NYC comedy scene and that’s largely because she’s killing it wherever she goes with a sweetness-tinged honesty. See what New Yorkers get to see all the time with her set from Don’t Tell here.

5. Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane together and it’s not a Wes Anderson movie? Take a gander at what might be an extremely charming comedy of later age comedy from Nathan Silver, Between the Temples, here, then look for it in theaters very soon.

5. Elijah Wood spent so many years of his life in New Zealand playing Frodo Baggins in the monumental cinematic achievement that is the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and he is now set to kind of flip that experience by returning to NZ in a film where he plays a “washed up Las Vegas illusionist” looking for a mythical panther (ok, so maybe it’s kind of the same?) in the upcoming Bookworm (Deadline).

6. John Hastings has put a special that’s actually more of a fascinating documentary about how well-read and sharp he is at crowd work no matter where he is in the world. It’s almost as if there were some sort of crowd work decathlon, you might want to put your money on Hastings. See why with his special John Hastings: The Times They Are a John Hastings here.

7. The voice of Marge Simpson, Nancy MacKenzie, has passed away at 81 (Deadline). RIP and let it be known that we’re not interested in an AI generated sound alike of Marge.

8. A sequel to Mel Brooks’ landmark Star Wars parody, Space Balls, is in the works with Josh Gad set to star (Variety). What are the odds that this sequel is called Space Balls: The Foreskin Awakens?

9. Resident Alien, the current show you can watch Alan Tudyk put on a clinic when it comes to comedic character acting, is getting fourth season, though it will be at USA Network rather than SyFy (THR). This announcement will probably double as a reminder that the USA Network is still going.

10. Years before JFL Montreal had to postpone and Just For Laughs had to figure out its money woes, JFL Chicago got the axe. Thankfully, Lil’ Rel and Knowledge Beckom are bringing a big time comedy festival to Chicago, a city that more than deserves one with Whats Funny Fest this fall (Deadline).

11. Murray Hill has such a knack for stealing scenes, most recently in Somebody Somewhere, that it’s about time he got his own show. Thankfully, that process is underway with Hill developing a campy gumshoe comedy “Shorty Big Time” (Deadline).

12. Not sure if there will ever be another Monty Python live tour, but you can count on Eric Idle touring his solo hour, a familiar title of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, LIVE! that’s touring throughout the U.S. and Australia from Sept. to Nov. Go get tix here (and don’t wait for them to sell out).

13. Eugene Mirman is going on tour in September and November as well (though just the Midwest and West Coast) with his An Evening of Whimsy and Mild Grievances. Fingers crossed that he does live Russian language lessons from I’m Sorry (You’re Welcome). Get tix here!

14. There is going to be a whole channel dedicated to Rowan Atkinson‘s seminal character, Mr. Bean (Deadline). If this is the way to get folks on board with Blackadder, so be it.

15. We’ll leave you with this: Remember, we got some free tix to giveaway for The Final Eric Andre Show LIVE @ The Bellwether on July 19th. If you want in, let us know at thecomedybureau@gmail.com.

Pick of the Day: Final Sounds Great (in NYC) 6/27

June 24, 2024

News

brooklyn, nora jefferies, nyc comedy, paige smith hogan, sounds great

When greeted with the centuries old maxim “All good things must come to an end,” it’s a pretty fun response to shoot back, “SOUNDS GREAT!”

Therein lies the perfect intersection of circumstances as Nora Jeffries and Paige Smith-Hogan’s Sounds Great stand-up comedy show at Our Wicked Lady in BK is coming to a conclusion this very week, specifically on Thursday, June 27th at 7:30PM. As it’s the swan song show, the line-up is stacked upon several stacks of beloved NYC comedic minds and will be likely one of those affairs that you’re going to want to pay your respects, stay the whole time, and have a damn great night saying goodbye to a long running NYC comedy show.

On the bill thus far is:

Andy Ward
Anne Stesney
Ash Diggs
Ben Kim
Christian Mangual
Clara Olshanksy
Colby Smith
Justin Catchens
Karli Marulli
Kelso
Mariah Oxley
Matt Albino
Melody Kamali
Meredith Dietz
Noah Rocklin
Nolawee Mengist
Rayne McGowan
Schulyer Robinson
Sean Zorn
Tim Kov

and, of course, Paige Smith-Hogan and Nora Jefferies!

Per usual, it’s free and you might want to clear out your Thursday night.

Pick of the Day: Josh Sharp’s New Thing (in NYC)

June 21, 2024

News

brooklyn, josh sharp, littlefield, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Leave it one of the stars and minds behind the groundbreaking Dicks: The Musical to try something so ridiculous ambitious as having hundreds and hundreds of slides accompany brand new stand-up material.

Come Thursday, July 25th, Josh Sharp will attempt to have a 1000 cues memorized as there will be at least that many slides in a presentation coinciding with his new hour of stand-up. May some grace smile on the tech person in tech booth that evening and that Sharp revel in this pretty absurd (albeit very funny) challenge.

Josh Sharp’s New Thing is set for 8PM that Thurs. 7/25 at littlefield. Tickets are $18.67 a pop and you can (and should) go get them here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 221: Rachel Scanlon & The Gay Reality

June 19, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

rachel scanlon, stand up comedy

Fresh off the heels of releasing a brand new very shiny, funny hour, Gay Fantasy, the marvelous Rachel Scanlon seems have everything lined-up with a new special dropping, in the midst of 2024’s Pride. We chat with her on this week’s TCB Field Report all about it and what work really goes into the making of a “gay fantasy” (and what that means for her, both now and in the future).

Follow Rachel @rachelscanloncomedy and watch her brand new special Gay Fantasy here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger

Pick of the Day: Brent Weinbach: Popular Culture Taping (in LA) 6/29

June 17, 2024

News

brent weinbach, stand up comedy, taping, ucb

Brent Weinbach has proven time and time again that he’s at the forefront of the art of comedy and he’s about to do so again at the end of this month.

The comedian who conjured up comedic brilliance by impersonating an audience member crying or coming up with Gangster Party Line or perfecting what very much seems like conducting a comedy laboratory on stage, but it all go exactly according to plan is recording his very next special. Weinbach will be taping Popular Culture at UCB Franklin on Saturday, June 29th at 7PM and 9:30PM. Tickets for the early show are already sold out, but you can still snag some late show tickets if you act fast and have $15 on you (which, for this, you should).

Go get ’em here.

TCB Debriefing 6/2-6/14/24: Hannah Einbinder, After Midnight, Conner O’Malley, Petey DeAbreu, Pope Visit, Sabrina Brier, John Early, NIAJF Introducing, Sam Morril, Comedy of War, Group Therapy, Ghosts, Carmen Lynch, Liz Miele, Adventure Time, Abbi Jacobson, Palm Royale, Beavis & Butthead, Owen Thiele, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Wallace & Gromit, Animation+, Tim Robinson, Free Eric Andre Tix

1. Every now and again, we’ve gotten to see comedians from their very inception of their career, cutting their teeth at whatever venue that they can possibly find to the storied, yet rarefied success and fame that one would hope for as a stand-up comedian, often reflected by their face and name being plastered on a giant billboard. We’re thrilled that Hannah Einbinder is one such person as we’ve bore witness to some of her earliest sets in the strangest places that had seeds of her undeniable comedic verve and prowess these days on display at a gorgeous El Rey Theatre. Her very first comedy special, HBO’s latest comedy release, Everything Must Go, shows off not only a confident Einbinder that seems like she’s on her third special, but is a very welcome, colorful, agile, and hysterical break (shout out also to director/one of the the Three Busy Debras, Sandy Honig) from the litany of stand-up crowd work videos that seem to be all that the art form has to offer these days. Additionally, Hannah impressively makes a go at tackling critical, current issues, often in a very niche ways, but cleverly devises very layered, nuanced, very fun bits as sugar to make the necessary medicine go down. With that all said, please enjoy Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go now streaming on Max.

2. After Midnight officially scored a season 2 (Forbes). That’s not entirely surprising given that the original went for 600 episodes, but we’ll be curious to see if Taylor Tomlinson and co. will get their own original recurring segment that rivals #hashtagwars.

3. Leave it to the imagination (and screaming ability) of the one and only Conner O’Malley to create a definitive satirical comedy special of the zeitgeist that perfectly skewers the intersection of A.I. and comedy and everyone’s anxiety around it. Please enjoy the brilliance of Stand Up Solutions right now if you haven’t done so already. SERIOUSLY, stop reading this and go and watch it. DO IT. One can only hope that this guides a whole new wave of what comedy specials can and should be in the months and years to come.

4. The sheer exuberance and poetry of Petey DeAbreu‘s comedy and vision of NYC should qualify him to be a “comedian laureate of the five boroughs”. If that’s not a thing, let’s make it one. See why with his Don’t Tell set here.

5. From Chris Rock to Seinfeld to Jimmy Fallon to Conan O’Brien to dozens upon dozens of comedians from around the globe (though it should be noted that this includes well over 50 Italian comedians and only one British one, Stephen Merchant) met with Pope Francis this week (via THR). This will be all of their late night stories for the next three to five years.

6. THE TikTok star to watch, Sabrina Brier, is going into the audiobook game with a title that might surprise you, “That Friend” (via Variety).

7. John Early is having yet another banner year with one of the most fun entrances Seth Meyers has had in awhile and going on a tour with his band, The Lemon Squares, that we had previously thought we were only going to get to see in his special Now More Than Ever.

8. Netflix Is a Joke Festival concluded it’s second edition a few weeks ago and, with it, their second round of “Introducing…”, their version of New Faces/Comics to Watch. For our money, keep an eye out on the wondrous and original stylings of Kel Cripe and Mandal.

9. Amazon is placing its latest bets of comedy special money on Sam Morril with You’ve Changed. Wonder what sort of money (or Amazon gift cards) Amazon is shelling out to bring on folks who have Netflix specials on to their side from the streaming giant. From the looks of it, it doesn’t get more classic looking of a comedy special than what Morril has up suit sleeves for this one, especially since it was only a few years ago that he did a rooftop special.

10. As there are comedians in the Ukraine doing comedy during this war with Russia, so comes a documentary of them doing just that, Comedy of War: Laughter in Ukraine. That has to be the first war in history that has had multiple documentary works made of it while it still is very much going on. Take a gander at Comedy of War‘s trailer here, then you can stream it via Comedy Dynamics right now.

11. Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat is doing “Group Therapy” as a comedy show with the likes of Mike Birbiglia, Neil Patrick Harris, Nicole Byer, Tig Notaro, Atsuko Okatsuka, Gary Gulman, and London Hughes. That’s a gala worthy line-up, but something that ought to be undeniably engrossing to watch. Take a gander at Group Therapy here.

12. Ghosts is such a hit for CBS that it’s following in the footsteps of The Office and having a German spin-off (Deadline).

13. Carmen Lynch might be setting a new bar for comedians that started in English and expanded to performing en Español. Get a taste of what that’s like with a trailer for Una Hora de Carmen Lynch here. Watch the whole special here.

14. Liz Miele is the latest comedian to unfairly suffer the wrath of YouTube’s hate speech algorithm. Thankfully, making a video about it has resulted in a reinstatement of ads, which Liz can go on and continue to make money off her self-produced and self-released special, as is the hope of many a comedian these days.

15. FYI, Adventure Time is pretty much getting into the cinematic universe business now (Variety).

16. First, Broad City, then an expansive remake/spin-off of A League of Their Own, and now Abbi Jacobson is getting into an adaptation of a “gender-bending, body switching” story that explores the “nature of true partnership” with Isle McElroy’s People Collide (Deadline). Love Jacobson’s arc of projects here and can’t wait to see where else she goes with it.

17. The creme de la creme of comedy classes will meet again between Kristen Wiig and Carol Burnett since Palm Royale has got a second season (Deadline).

18. The revived Beavis & Butthead scored a third season at Comedy Central (Deadline). A special thanks should go to Heidi Gardner and Ryan Gosling and Mikey Day.

19. There’s another adopted comedy based off the life of actor Owen Thiele in the works (THR). Fingers crossed that it will be more realistic and, thus, less rosy than Trying.

20. Late Night with Seth Meyers will no longer have a house band in just a few months (Variety) and this very well might be the first sign of late night being REALLY reimagined/shaken up/imploding.

21. There will be a Wallace & Gromit holiday movie and, honestly, no one else should even try as that’ll be more than enough adorable humor/adventure for the holiday season (via THR).

22. Hey Millennials, remember when Cartoon Network was the center of your universe? Well, there’s a new streaming service (that has to be your favorite phrase to hear these days, right?), Animation+, looking to fill in that nostalgic void (via The Wrap)

23. Please enjoy Tim Robinson in not a ITYSL sketch (but it kind of is?), but a promo for the new edition of skate. here.

24. Jimmy Fallon will be giggling his way through interviews through 2028 (via Variety).

25. We’ll leave you with this: If you want tix to Eric Andre @ The Bellwether in LA on 7/19, we might know someone. Hit us up.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 220: Tommy Tiernan & Returning to America for Comedy

June 13, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

tommy tiernan

Internationally renowned Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan is set to come back through North America for a big tour, playing a gig virtually every single night of the run. Tiernan’s tenacious imagination has seen him through decades of comedy around the world as well as record for a singular stand-up comedy performance going past 36 hours. We catch up with him as he gets ready to cross the pond and dig into what he loves about performing in America despite our global reputation.

Follow Tommy on IG @officialtommedian and get tix for his upcoming North American tour here.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by @tommyallday

Pick of the Day: Dave Ross Tapes His First F*cking Special (in NYC) 6/22

June 5, 2024

News

brooklyn, dave ross, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

It’s no secret that The Gutter has quickly become a hot spot for stand-up in not only Brooklyn, but NYC as a whole and that a lot of quality specials are being produced under that CYSKNYC banner.

The latest such taping will be none other than the debut special of one Dave Ross, formerly beloved LA comedy stalwart now transplanted and really in his groove in the NYC scene. It has been years since Dave’s very first recorded hour, the wonderfully named, The Only Man Who Has Ever Had Sex, and we can’t wait to see Dave’s signature voice and effortless and hilarious shifts between sarcasm and sincerity in a full fledged comedy special.

For those in NYC, get tickets for one of the two tapings on Sat. Jun. 22nd at 8PM or 10:30PM (they’re only $10) and be part of what should be hell of a great night of stand-up comedy.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 219: Dave Ross & Getting Back Into Doing Everything

June 5, 2024

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

dave ross, nyc comedy

There was a time where Dave Ross was doing seemingly all the things you could be doing in comedy in LA and doing them so well. While that was years ago, Dave has since transplanted himself to NYC, taken some much needed rest, and then revved himself back up to putting on his own live shows, putting out a record out once a month, and prepping for his very first special taping (on 6/22 @ The Gutter in Brooklyn-Tix available here). We catch up with Dave while he’s on the road to talk all about thriving in NYC and diving back into everything he took a break from.

Follow Dave @davetotheross and keep up at davetotheross.com, buy his 7 inch records/merch here, and go to his first special taping last

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by @tommyallday

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