• Events
    • Los Angeles Open Mics
    • Los Angeles Shows
    • New York Open Mics
    • New York Shows
  • Book A Tour
  • Venues
  • News
  • Podcast
  • About
    • About The Comedy Bureau
    • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Digital Wall of Trustees

News

divider

Pick of the Day: Molly Shannon discusses Hello Molly!: A Memoir (in LA) 4/20
April 4, 2022
News
book soup, john c reilly, los angeles comedy, molly shannon

Many of you reading this grew up with her loud and proud characters on SNL. While Mary Katherine Gallagher did help launch Molly into the national spotlight, she has done so much brilliant work since then including her roles as a very dedicated mother in Other People, The Other Two, and The White Lotus. Molly also seems far from done being in her prime whether that involves playing a mom or not in either a comedy or a drama or something else altogether.

So, naturally, you might be interested in a memoir in the many winding roads she has had in comedy and entertainment. Hello Molly!: A Memoir is that very book and Molly is embarking on an in-person book tour right now. The LA date, presented by one of LA’s favorite bookstores, Book Soup, will not only have Molly sharing her journey with the book, but also feature the one and only John C. Reilly in conversation at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Wed. Apr. 20th at 7PM PT.

Tickets are $38 and you’ll get one hardcover copy of Hello Molly!: A Memoir plus a signed bookplate. Go get ’em here.

Pick of the Day: (The Second Return of) Loud Village’s Comedy Night at Best Fish Taco (in LA) 4/5
April 1, 2022
News
best fish taco, los angeles comedy, loud village, stand up comedy

Best Fish Taco in Ensenada, thankfully, has remained throughout almost the entirety of the pandemic, serving up fish tacos that does their name proud and is part of making Los Feliz the popular hang out destination in LA that it has been for several years now.

Also, they’re twice-a-month comedy show presented by Loud Village has been one of the most popular neighborhood stand-up shows for years with draws such a big crowd that people will stand out in the sidewalk and maybe even the street to see the show. Many of LA comedy’s best and brightest grace the carpet that has been placed over Best Fish Taco’s cozy and kitschy outdoor patio.

They had returned last year when the outdoor mask mandate was lifted, but took a break for the Winter/Omicron. The weather is warmer (though the pandemic continues), but Loud Village’s Comedy Night @ Best Fish Taco will return next week on Tues. Apr. 5th at 8PMish (maybe more like 8:30PMish) and go back to its 1st and 3rd Tuesday schedule w/line-ups posted hours before.

One of 2020’s Biggest Non-Virtual Comedy Events, Bring Back Laughs, Will Be Released via Comedy Dynamics
April 1, 2022
News
bonnie mcfarlane, bring back laughs, carmen lynch, chris gethard, comedy dynamics, creek and the cave, hannibal buress, ilana glazer, janeane garofalo, Jr., myq kaplan, nore davis, paula poundstone, rojo perez, Roy Wood, sam jay, the lucas brothers, todd barry, tone bell, Victor Varnado

Back in 2020, when we’re all steeped in a different type of chaos and had no idea about when or how a vaccine would come about, our future (and by proxy, the future of comedy) was more uncertain than it has ever been in our lifetimes. Thankfully, there were enough clever and innovative folks that figured how to put comedy shows together unlike they ever were and, at that point in time, many of the biggest comedians, starved of any stage time, were up for anything.

One of the results from that mix was Bring Back Laughs, a big, socially distant comedy fundraiser, outdoors in a parking lot that boasted the likes of Roy Wood, Jr., Chris Gethard, Sam Jay, Rojo Perez, Myq Kaplan, Todd Barry, Carmen Lynch, Victor Varnado, Janeane Garofalo, Tone Bell, Nore Davis, Bonnie McFarlane, the Lucas Brothers, Hannibal Buress, Ilana Glazer, and Paula Poundstone. The Creek and the Cave, which was still in NYC at the time, partenered with Supreme Robot Pictures to throw this comedy benefit for Direct Relief that brought aid to impoverished or endangered folks around the country and the world.

“This performance is based on a series of comedy concerts Rebecca Trent was producing in a parking lot during the pandemic. The performers and the audience were so happy to get outside and benefitting a wonderful charity like Direct Relief is a cherry on top. This performance also made my wife think I’m cool.” said Executive Producer Victor Varnado.

It has been awhile since we’ve seen a pandemic era special, but we did remember seeing the pictures from this and thinking, while in LA, that we almost wished were quarantining in NYC at the time.

Thankfully, Comedy Dynamics is putting this out on all major streaming platforms, both for audio and video soon.

If Any Major Movie Awards Want to Progress Upwards, Everything Everywhere All at Once Better Get a Bunch of Nominations/Wins
March 31, 2022
News
daniels, everything everywhere all at once, jamie lee curtis, ke huy quan, michelle yeoh, stephanie hsu

When Swiss Army Man came out in 2016, lots of buzz swirled around the concept of Daniel Radcliffe playing a somewhat animated corpse that could propel himself across a body of water via farting. It was such the focus of any discussion of Swiss Army Man that Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s tender message about self-love and belief might have gotten drowned out by, well, farts.

That said, that would prove a good blueprint for Daniels (the moniker by which Kwan and Scheinert go with as a duo) as to do something, arguably, more ambitious with an arguably wilder story that happens to include a parallel universe where everyone has hot dog fingers. That movie would be the brilliant, delightfully bonkers, strangely sweet opus Everything Everywhere All at Once.

There are so many multitudes of facets to the story of the movie itself (that’s what happens when dealing with the multiverse) that it’s somehow even more ridiculous than last year’s demented fairy tale Cannes Palme D’or winner Titane. Any attempt at a detailed explanation of Michelle Yeoh trying to save her family and all of the multiverse via some sort of Sense8-ish ability might take away from the visceral experience of seeing the Daniels’ maximalist vision about staying present and loving people for who they are. We want you to truly have as much of that experience that those well worn movie review descriptors (captivating, engrossing, unlike anything you’ve seen before) always promise, but often come up short on.

Instead, we’ll say that there is a child like wonder that gets the exquisite touch and precision of seasoned filmmakers and visionaries, Daniels. There’s a hope and grandiose vision from them (expertly executed from the principal cast of Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis) that reminds of us of the sort unlimited potential of imagination that we personally had in film school, but was ultimately tempered by the many tightly fitted cogs that run Tinseltown. They achieve truly heartfelt moments that are accented by plastic googly eyes and the aforementioned hot dog fingers while jumping in and out of highly choreographed, intricate fight scenes. If you wonder what the magic of the movies looks like in 2022, this is it.

It’s almost as if Daniels threw everything at the wall and everything stuck because it was all worth keeping in. At almost 2 1/2 hours, the trip fantastic that Everything Everywhere All at Once takes you on will remind you why we go to the movies (even better than Nicole Kidman’s maudlin AMC theatrical pre-roll spot).

Lastly, awards season could take a great step forward if Everything Everywhere All at Once becomes a legitimate contender. Comedies, genre movies, and Asian representation are often severely lacking when it comes to major movie awards and, at this juncture right now, but this is more than just about optics. If Best Picture is supposed to really mean Best Picture, there shouldn’t be any tinge of the oft-satirized idea of “Oscar Bait” anymore.

We could go on and on about how the movie is an equally satisfying balance of genre and tone that has bits of Tarantino, Wong Kar Wai, Airplane, but, truly, it’s something to behold for yourself (hopefully, in a movie theater). Everything Everywhere All at Once is playing in select theaters and expanding this weekend to major U.S. cities and then theaters everywhere starting Apr. 8th.

Pick of the Day: Boom Clap Let’s Ride (in NYC) 4/12
March 31, 2022
News
aaron jackson, charli xcx, jo firestone, josh sharp, musical comedy, nyc comedy

When it comes to (somewhat) controlled chaos, almost nothing comedically thrives as much as projects with Jo Firestone involved.

The concept of “hastily written jukebox musical for Charli XCX starring the audience” might be a little too daring for most to dream up, attempt, or pull off, but celebrated NYC comedy staples Jo Firestone, Aaron Jackson, and Josh Sharp will be doing exactly that sort of marvelous interactive pop-driven comedy mayhem next month at Littlefield. If this has any of the rambunctious joy of Jo’s Good Timing special, this will be more than worth your hard earned money and free time.

We don’t have much idea of what Boom Clap, Let’s Ride will entail, but that’s part of what should be the hysterical thrill of the whole experience and, if you’re in the NYC area, you should absolutely make this your evening for Tues. Apr. 12th at 8PM ET.

Tickets are $10 and you can and should go get ’em here.

It’s About Damn Time John Early and Kate Berlant Had an Hour Special
March 30, 2022
News

(via Variety)

John Early and Kate Berlant have long been one of the funniest duos in all of comedy, though they’ve gotten so busy with their own projects that TV has only gotten to see them here and there from doing bits on The Tonight Show to the brilliant web series 555 (which you can now watch for free on Vimeo).

Five years after that 555 put the world on notice for what John and Kate can do together when given free reign (and collaborating with their favorite director Andrew DeYoung), Peacock has ordered up an hour long special from Early and Berlant that will see them as version of themselves that have become estranged and are now, we suppose, having a reunion special. Of course, John and Kate will play a myriad of other ridiculous folks throughout this hour. Also, you should note the cool kids at A24 will be producing Would It Kill You to Laugh? and DeYoung will be returning to direct and co-write in case you were wondering if John and Kate’s comedic vision would be realized to its fullest potential.

As a cherry on top (and with the sort of access that Peacock has) Meredith Viera will be part of this sort of John and Kate coming back together.

Following suit with the atypical Jo Firestone special that had Jo teaching old folks how to do stand-up, you might want to get in on Peacock if this is the direction they’re headed.

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/peacock-sketch-comedy-special-kate-berlant-john-early-meredith-vieira-1235218966/

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 105: Gianmarco Soresi & Doing the Soderbergh
March 30, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
chris rock, gianmarco soresi, the slap, ucb, will smith

Love it or hate it (and so many people hate it while being obsessed with it), social media has become throughly woven into the fabric of comedy. Gianmarco Soresi has not only honed his skills as a stand-up and sketch comedian as well as storyteller and podcaster, but meticulously and tirelessly built up a very enviable social media following (across all the platforms to boot) on top of that. Gianmarco joins TCB’s Jake Kroeger to dissect how to balance purely doing the craft of stand-up versus feeding the beast of social media, somewhat like Steven Soderbergh’s noted strategy of doing one film for the studios and doing one for him.

Also, of course, we talk about Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock as well as the return of UCB (under new ownership)

Follow Gianmarco on all things @gianmarcosoresi

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

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

Pick of the Day: Tig Notaro: Hello Again (in LA) 5/14
March 30, 2022
News
hello again, los angeles comedy, record release party, stand up comedy, tig notaro

Simultaneously a calming, yet silly, yet also so cathartically honest voice in comedy, the one and only Tig Notaro is back out on the road for the very aptly named Hello Again tour. There is no one quite like Tig who now sports one of the most unique presences in comedy history with the frosting of having been a Chief Engineer on Star Trek: Discovery and a badass helicopter pilot in Army of the Dead. We have no doubt that the stories from either production, hopefully stories that she winds all of us through in this new hour, will be something that pretty much just Tig and Tig alone could come up with.

Tig’s return to LA on Hello Again will be a very special evening at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in DTLA on Sat. May 14th at 7PM PT. This particular stop on the tour will double as a record release party and that is double the reason to go get tickets starting at $39.50 (plus fees) right here.

Pick of the Day: Puddles Pity Party w/Dave Hill (in LA) 4/7
March 29, 2022
News
dave hill, el rey, los angeles comedy, puddles pity party, sad clown

When encountering Puddles Pity Party for the first time, the roller coaster of emotions that ensues is probably unlike anything you’ve seen or felt before. There is a 7 foot tall, forlorn clown that emerges from somewhere in a way that is charmingly self-deprecating and does nothing whatsoever to tip what’s going to happen with Puddles Pity Party and his amazing voice.

Also, that’s still just part of the ride, no matter what you’ve seen on America’s Got Talent or otherwise. You have to see it for yourself and get brought into the truly otherworldly delights of Puddles and LA folks will get that chance come next week on Thurs. Apr. 7th at 9PM PT at the El Rey. Also, musical comedy dynamo and raconteur Dave Hill will be joining in with Puddles Pity Party giving you even less of the non-existent excuse to go get tickets right now.

Apple TV+ Might Have the Next Must See Anthology Series with Roar
March 28, 2022
News
alison brie, apple tv plus, Betty Gilpin, cecelia ahern, Cynthia Erivo, Fivel Stewart, issa rae, kara hayward, Meera Syal, merritt wever, nicole kidman, roar

It wasn’t too long ago where anthology series where such a rare occurrence that one might have to take a moment to even think of what the hell an anthology series would entail. So much of Ryan Murphy’s ouevre, Room 104, Cake, and much, much more have made anthologies a new avenue for TV that isn’t bound by the traditional narrative structure and expectations of your average TV show. Also, it was pretty convenient to make an anthology show during the height of the pandemic when you couldn’t really even get an entire cast together.

Riding high off their Best Picture Oscar win (also, Calls on Apple TV+ is satisfyingly dark and trippy), you can look to Apple TV+ and Cecelia Ahern’s book Roar for what might be a promising entry into the dramedy anthology category with Roar. A mysterious collection of 8 stories of women are driven by a seemingly magical-realism-forward dive into female identity with a pretty damn great cast of Nicole Kidman (also the EP) , Cynthia Erivo, Issa Rae, Merritt Wever, Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Meera Syal, Fivel Stewart, and Kara Hayward.

Like Atlanta was a sort of David Lynch-ian journey through the world of hip-hop and being black in America, Roar seems to be an Atlanta-esque tour along the wide and winding road of being a woman.

Take a gander at Roar‘s first trailer here, then look for it on Apple TV+ on Apr. 15th.

Pick of the Day: Chris Gethard: America’s Loosest Cannon (in LA) 6/25
March 28, 2022
News
chris gethard, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy, zebulon

While the Internet is fixated with Chris Rock getting slapped by Will Smith at last night’s Oscars and subsequently giving a surge to Rock’s ticket sales for his upcoming tour dates, Chris Rock is not the only renowned Chris in comedy that you should shell out for tickets to go see.

Chris Gethard, comedian, podcaster, TV host, actor, raconteur, pride of NJ, alt comedy elder statesmen, is back out on tour in person. He’ll be doing various stops that may be either a live episode of Gethard’s podcast Beautiful Anonymous or a special, intimate evening of stand-up comedy.

For his LA stop, Gethard will be bringing his wonderfully hilarious vulnerability and unflappable genuineness to Zebulon on Jun. 25th at 7PM PT. Tickets for what will be called Chris Gethard: America’s Loosest Cannon are on sale now for $24.60 and you ought to go snag them right now.

Oh yeah, for NYC folks, we should mention that Gethard will be opening for Jawbreaker 4/27-4/30.

Jen Kirkman Says Goodbye to Comedy with What Will Be One of the Best Comedy Albums of 2022 “OK, Gen-X”
March 25, 2022
News
comedy album, jen kirkman, stand up comedy

One of our least favorite beginnings to a comedic premise is “Back in my day…” An overwhelming majority of the time, the sentiment is followed by older generations reminiscing in the glory of their hardships or the simplicity of their younger years. Jeff Foxworthy’s latest special The Good Old Days functions almost entirely on that singular well-worn, dull theme to the point where “…in the good ol’ days…” becomes the latest crutch of a catchphrase, a follow-up to “You might be a redneck if…”

Jen Kirkman embarks down a somewhat parallel path in her latest and last(?) album OK, Gen-X, but then veers off to explore the transition between generations with less focus on value judgments and more on how there are always people trying their very best no matter what time they’re born into. There is so much truly beautiful vulnerability on this album, which may be in part as it’s supposed to be Jen’s valediction from comedy. Examining the finer points of how different of a world she lives in now than when she grew up and, often times, being pro-millennial or Gen-Z is refreshing take, both for its affirmation and how rare it is in comedy.

If we’re to go by generational stereotypes, Gen-X often gets pegged for being endless cynical and sarcastic and this hour is almost a love letter from Gen-X to young people all while weaving a charmingly loose Jen still at the height of her comedy powers. It’s only March and this is undeniably one of the best hours of comedy that’ll come out this year.

Also, Jen sticks it so well to Louis CK by telling her story in full as an amazing parting salvo and gives a stiff reminder (full of great punchlines) how far we still have to go for parity between women and men in comedy (and the world in general). We can only hope that Jen is pulling a Hannah Gadsby and just saying that’s she quitting only to change her mind in a few months or a year or two.

In the meantime, have a really swell time listening to one of the best of our time, Jen Kirkman, and what will be her final comedy record for now, OK, Gen-X, available now wherever you get your comedy albums.

The Upright Citizens Brigade Finally Set to Reopen in Both LA & NYC Under New Ownership This Year (and Will Pay Performers)
March 25, 2022
News

(via Deadline)

On this day, Fri. Mar. 25th, 2022, most comedy venues that had survived to this side of the pandemic or brand new stages for comedy had already re-opened or announced their intentions to do so. That said, the question mark behind the once might trio of letters UCB remained as the neon sign on UCB Sunset would keep turning on (even though the building had been sold off several months ago) and that UCB Franklin supposedly would reopen when it could.

That question mark has been resting unanswered for the better part of two years with no indication as to what was going to happen. Many former Upright Citizens Brigade house sketch and improv teams to perform at other venues whether it be Asylum NYC or The Yard Theater in LA or even long time watering hole Silverlake Lounge.

Well, as of today, Upright Citizens Brigade will rejoin the world, but do so not under the guidance of the UCB 4, but its new owners Jimmy Miller, founder of the respected talent management firm Mosaic, Mike McAvoy, former co-owner of the Union, and the Elysian Park Ventures segment of the LA Dodgers franchise. All things considered, this acquisition is less strange than ZMC’s takeover of Second City, after having only previously wheeled and dealt in blockbuster video game titles like Grand Theft Auto.

Together this new head of UCB will seek to further the initiatives of inclusion that UCB was criticized for leading up to and during the pandemic, reopen UCB Franklin in LA and reestablish UCB operations in NYC, pay performers (probably one of the biggest changes for the theater and possibly a new changing of the tide for working and getting paid for doing comedy), and opt for a three person committee regarding programming decisions (somewhat similar to Groundlings) as opposed to a singular Artistic Director.

The details of what this will be and UCB’s re-entry into the world and LA and NYC and the art form of comedy and the hearts and minds of all the performers, employees, creatives, students, and fans offer up more question marks even still. At the very least, UCB won’t become a deep cut reference on comedy podcasts in the near future like so many other places have become.

Stay up to date with all things UCB at ucbcomedy.com.

Pick of the Day: Christina Catherine Martinez-How to Bake a Cake in the Digital Age (in LA) 3/28
March 25, 2022
News
christina catherine martinez, comedy special, free screening, how to bake a cake in the digital age, human resources la, los angeles comedy

The artifice of a stage, mic stand, microphone and a bunch of negative space as to exude the solitary nature of a stand-up will always be core to the idea of a stand-up special. That said, there’s still room to push and redefine and reimagine what a  person telling jokes for an hour or so can be or could look like, despite many folks insistence on going with the tried and true method that has seen stand-up comedy through several decades.

Christina Catherine Martinez‘s very first half-hour special How To Bake a Cake in the Digital Age is such a big swing of experimentation in form and content that is also so damn, absurdly funny that it really needs to be recognized as one of the specials of 2022, hopefully to be talked about in years to come. Against the odds of already making an original comedy special and the odds of doing any sort of creative work for public consumption during the pandemic, Christina was granted the space of Human Resources LA to make a pandemic era comedy special and cleverly devised a way to make it something that, we believe, is funny beyond the context of the onslaught of COVID.

There will be a very special screening of How To Bake a Cake in the Digital Age at the very place it was created, Human Resources LA, on Mon. Mar. 28th at 9PM PT. Admission is free and you really ought to take Christina and HRLA up on that if you’re in or around LA, even if you have to cancel Monday night plans you already had.

MST3K Created Its Own Streaming Platform for Its Upcoming 13th Season
March 24, 2022
News
gizmoplex, mst3k, mystery science theater 3000

(via IGN)

If you’re a long time cult favorite TV series that has weathered cancellation, switching networks, being revived and, perhaps, revived again, you might ponder why you need to shop yourself around over and over again as where people watching shows has become more decentralized than ever before. Mystery Science Theater 3000 has braved out into the frontier of streaming content when they revived themselves via a record setting Kickstarter campaign thanks to one of the most devout fanbases on the Internet.

In 2022, on this side of the pandemic, Joel Hodgson, Jonah Ray, and the rest of the new MST3K gang are poised to set a new benchmark for an indie show by creating their own streaming platform for their very own show. Not only did MST3K go back to the well of their devoted fans to fund a new season, but Gizmoplex will be a proprietary platform that you can watch this upcoming 13th season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 online or through a myriad of streaming devices starting May 6th.

IGN has the exclusive announcement and trailer for this new new MST3K.

Leave it to a show set in space to potentially blaze a trail for the rest of us.

Bill Murray to Sell His One of a Kind Bill Murray Stories as NFTs
March 24, 2022
News
bill murray, nft

(via THR)

While the questions of how NFTs will become a long term new revenue stream for artists and performers has yet to be figured out, the current fluid nature of a non-fungible token allows it to be a cornucopia of things that can be used and exchanged in a myriad of ways. Nothing is set in stone yet allowing for folks like comedy legend Bill Murray to reimagine how they could be used.

In Murray’s case, he is going to use NFTs to be the vehicle for the plethora of carpe-diem-driven stories that Murray has amassed over the decades. Specifically, the NFT sold will have a Bill Murray story “minted” with it and will thus be unique to that NFT and tied to the blockchain as well. So, in this particular instance, it would seem the NFT is the actual item that you’re buying as opposed to operating more like a certificate of authenticity.

Murray’s stories, which don’t seem to be too far off from the sort of lives lead by various characters played by Bill Murray in Wes Anderson movies, are the sort of unique property that might lend itself pretty well to an all digital exchange (especially if you’re someone who hasn’t run into Murray at a bar, minor league baseball game, poetry night, or a taxi cab that he happens to be driving within your life time).

As to how this will go and will it be applicable for, perhaps, bits of an exclusive hour of comedy, we can only hope that we find out sooner rather than later.

Pick of the Day: The George Lucas Talk Show (in LA) 6/3
March 24, 2022
News
connor ratliff, dynasty typewriter, george lucas talk show, griffin newman, la comedy, patrick cotnoir

Since it endures through the pandemic as a virtual show on top of it already being a beloved live show in-person for several years before COVID-19 was even a thought, The George Lucas Talk Show should be commended for its resilience, agility, and longevity as well as being thoroughly enjoyed as one of the most humorous curiosities to come in the last 15 years or so.

Connor Ratliff as George Lucas joined by Griffin Newman’s Watto and producer Patrick Cotnoir are actually going to be doing The George Lucas Talk Show live and in-person, once more, in LA, a rare occurrence even without a pandemic. If you’re not anywhere near Dynasty Typewriter, you’ll be happy to know that they’ll also be live-streaming the show as well, which should be pretty swell getting to see/hear it with a live crowd.

This very special live, LA edition (the last one was probably in 2017 or 2018 at UCB Sunset?) of The George Lucas Talk Show is set for Jun. 3rd at Dynasty Typewriter at 8PM PT (streams 8PM PT/11PM ET). Go grab your tickets for $20 right now ($15 for live-stream) here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 104: Kenice Mobley & Rooftop Debuts
March 23, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
and just like that, jfl montreal, kenice mobley, nyc comedy

When having your late night TV debut, it’s an affair framed with bright lights, an applause sign, a big TV audience, and a sharply dressed late night host. Due to COVID-19, the amazing Kenice Mobley made her Tonight Show debut on a rooftop in wintry temperatures and still managed to kill anyways. Mobley talks her journey getting to the very set as well making space for black weirdness in comedy and talking sex without feeling all that blue.

Also, “hot” takes on JFL Montreal, season 2 of And Just Like That and more.

Follow Kenice @kenicemobley across socials, listen to her podcast Love About Town, and tune into Make Yourself Cry on Planet Scum on Thursdays at 10PM ET/7PM

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

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

Pick of the Day: Titmouse 5 Second Animation Night (in NYC) 3/25
March 23, 2022
News
nyc comedy, sva theatre, titmouse

Titmouse Animation is responsible for many of the funniest, groundbreaking cartoons in recent memory including Big Mouth, The Midnight Gospel, Black Dynamite, and so much more. Suffice it to say that you should check out whatever they’re doing. That includes their in-person evening where they present 5 second gems from their vast array of endlessly talented animators.

They’ve made a tradition of their 5 Second Animation Night in LA, usually at the Egyptian, but are taking it across the continent to NYC for a special evening of never before seen animation. Come this Fri. Mar. 25th at 8PM ET, a limited set of folks will get to join Titmouse and company at the SVA Theatre. You can (and should) go get tickets for $5 right now right here.

JFL Montreal Will Officially Be Back with Galas and Big Names and All in Person This Summer
March 22, 2022
News
celeste barber, hannah gadsby, hasan minhaj, jfl montreal, john mulaney, marc maron, neal brennan, patton oswalt

 Since 2019, the annual, internationally renowned JFL Montreal Comedy Festival has had to call audibles and make due with having to go pretty much virtual for their festivities. One of the world’s longest running comedy festivals suffered the same fate as so many festivals, big and small, over the last two years and had to forego their routine of gathering thousands of people together to enjoy a show.

Fortunately, at this side of the pandemic, Just For Laughs will be resuming their marquee festival (on top of expanding their reach to Austin and the UK in the coming months) with the same big, flashy line-ups they’ve always had. For 2022, just as their first line-up announcement, they’ve got:

JOHN MULANEY – HASAN MINHAJ – CHELSEA HANDLER – JO KOY – ILIZA SHLESINGER – RUSSELL PETERS – HANNAH GADSBY – RONNY CHIENG – PATTON OSWALT – MARC MARON – TOMMY TIERNAN – VIR DAS – CELESTE BARBER – NEAL BRENNAN

JFL will of course have way more comedians than just that (not to mention that the whole round of New Faces of Comedy are being determined as you read this).

If you’re in and around Montreal or are aiming to get back to one of comedy’s biggest shindigs on a regular basis, you can purchase pre-sale tickets starting 3/23 at 7AM PT/10AM ET (or when everyone else gets it on 3/25 at 7AM ET/10AM ET) at www.hahaha.com.

Let’s hope that sub variant or any other variant is considerably less pesky than any of the other variants that came before it.

Pick of the Day: Petey DeAbreu: Bodega N-Word, Supermarket World. (in NYC) 4/15
March 22, 2022
News
nyc comedy, petey deabreu, stand up comedy, union hall

One of the most dynamic, captivating stand-ups that NYC has it, without a doubt, Petey DeAbreu. Simultaneously a poet of the five boroughs and just a hysterical comedian, DeAbreu’s charming rambunctiousness plays to raucous laughter and applause pretty much wherever we see him, no matter who is on the line-up or how the show is going.

It has been a minute since you’ve probably gotten a chance to see him do an extended set (as he is such in high demand at all the choice shows throughout NYC and beyond), but you’ll get to see him do an entire hour next month on Apr. 15th at Union Hall at 10PM ET (maybe it’ll make up for it being tax day?). Tickets are only $15 right now and we highly suggest snagging them right now as space is limited.

Take a Gander at Jerrod Carmichael’s First Live Special in 5 Years, Rothaniel
March 21, 2022
News
comedy special, jerrod carmichael, rothaniel, stand up comedy

In 2014, Jerrod Carmichael burst out on to TV with his first televised stand-up appearance being an HBO special. That might be the only time that has ever happened in the history of comedy. From there, Jerrod got The Carmichael Show on NBC, a deal with the cool kids at A24, another HBO stand-up special, and a separate docu-special called Home Videos.

While that’s quite the resume, Jerrod’s name hasn’t popped up like it used to 7 or 8 years ago. He’s taken more to producing and development with such things as Ramy rather than putting forth his own individual projects. Also, you don’t see Jerrod going up the same way that you used to (i.e. almost any given night of the week in LA).  We have seen him jump on shows here and there in 2019, but it was, in a word, strange since he has seemed so far removed from doing stand-up the way he used to.

So, there’s almost a similar mystery to this new HBO special, Rothaniel, that espouses Jerrod being as honest as can be as when his first special came about. Also, he’s fully seated on a folding chair, not even a stool, which suggests something a little less like stand-up and something much more confessional and, shall we say, “dramedic”.

In any case, we’re sure Jerrod has something up his sleeve considering he’s releasing Rothaniel on HBO on April Fools’ Day at 9PM. You can get a tiny, tiny look at it in the announcement teaser here.

 

Pick of the Day: Weirdo Night (in NYC) 4/21
March 21, 2022
News
ana fabrega, experimental comedy, haggs, holland andrews, illustrious pearl, ny comedy, performance art, viva ruiz

Dynasty Handbag has been the ringleader of a wonderful, bizarre entity known as Weirdo Night for several years all in and around LA. The fringe variety showcase has been a refreshing oasis if you’re the sort of person that is looking for something truly different than the traditional forms of stand-up, sketch, and improv (not that there are anything wrong with those).

Next month, Dynasty Handbag is bringing Weirdo Night to spread some strange delight to NYC, specifically the Bell House in Brooklyn. From all corners of performance, the likes of Holland Andrews, Ana Fabrega, HAGGS, The Illustrious Pearl, Sarah Squirm, and Viva Ruiz will assemble to make this a beautifully off-kilter night to remember.

This special NYC edition of Weirdo Night is set for Thurs. Apr. 21st at 8PM ET and we bet it’ll sell out. Go get your tickets for $25 right now.

Here’s Your First Look at Vanessa Bayer’s Home Shopping Dramedy “I Love That For You”
March 18, 2022
News
i love that for you, matt rogers, molly shannon, showtime, vanessa bayer

For those missing Vanessa Bayer on SNL and seeing her various characters where the veneer of their reality is starting to crack, you won’t have to reminisce about seeing her back on screen in the same spirit once again.

I Love That For You centers on Bayer as an aspiring, but incredibly green host of a home shopping network and what she ends up doing to achieve that dream of telling folks that various housewares just sold out. Created by Vanessa and Jeremy Beiler, this might go a little darker than Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, but have tender, humorous moments, especially with Molly Shannon playing an iconic home shopping network host that Bayer looks up to. Also, we’re pretty sure Matt Rogers is going to be a scene stealer in this series.

This is Showtime’s latest comedy series in the ever burgeoning streaming wars and, so far, this might have the makings of something that will make you not regret paying for another streaming service or get on board for another one.

Take a first gander at all of this for yourself at I Love That For You with the first official trailer here.

Pick of the Day: Pop Show with Ziwe & Jen Goma (in LA) 5/21
March 18, 2022
News
dtla, jen goma, los angeles comedy, musical comedy, regent theater, ziwe

Ziwe owned 2020 with Baited on IG Live, ascended to premium cable with Ziwe on Showtime, and is poised to own 2022 with going live around the country.

Ziwe is bringing her iconic pop star status to stages very soon with one of her favorite pop stars, Jen Goma and, thankfully, one of those stops will be in LA at The Regent Theater in DTLA on Sat. May 21st at 7PM PT. Both her and Jen are going to wrangle LA’s best to perform their very own original pop songs (complete w/comedic intro/presentation). Do we need to say that it’ll be an iconic night or did you already presume that while checking how many tickets you’re going to buy?

This will undoubtedly sell out real quick, so you better snag your tickets starting at $30 here.

« Recent News
Older News »

Recent News

divider

  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 283: Jackie Kashian & Finding Joy in Rage - Jackie Kashian has long been and continues to be one of our absolute favorite comedians… Read More
  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 282: Chandler Dean & Sparking Joy Through Abolishing Everything - Oft these days, the question, "How do you do comedy in times like these?", gets… Read More
  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 281: Rachel Olson & Being of Service with a Seat at the Table - Taking even part of the reins to a long-standing comedy institution such as The Upright… Read More

Sign up For The Newsletter

Copyright © 2020 The Comedy Bureau
All rights reserved