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And Here Are Your Comedy Nominees for 2021 Primetime Emmys
July 13, 2021
News
2021, bowen yang, emmys, hacks, jessica walter, nominations, snl, ted lasso

As you might have seen throughout your socials, the nominations for this year’s Primetime Emmys were announced this morning complete with plenty of welcome surprises, infuriating snubs, and dozens upon dozens of categories that might be overwhelming to look through. So, we’ve got all the nominees of main comedy categories listed below between comedy series, actor and actress nominations, writing, etc.

Overall…
-Ted Lasso continues to be people’s quarantine comfort food as they got a record amount of nominations for its first season.
-Hacks, also in its first celebrated season, got several nods including a first time nomination for co-star Hannah Einbinder and Carl Clemon-Hopkins.
-Bowen Yang, who is very likely several people’s favorite cast member on SNL right now, got his very own nomination.
-The Amber Ruffin Show also marked its very first nomination in writing.
-Jessica Walter posthumously got nominated for her voice work on Archer
-Conan got nominated as his final season ran this year.
-For some reason, Cobra Kai is now a comedy and Emily in Paris got another nomination despite previous uproars in past awards shows
-Despite the pandemic throwing off everyone’s schedule, What We Do In The Shadows, Insecure, and Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are left out of the running.
-Also, even though it just premiered, I Think You Should Leave season 2 should just be shoehorned into the competition right now.

Here’s the full list of comedy nominees:

Comedy Series 
“Ted Lasso”
“Hacks”
“The Flight Attendant”
“The Kominsky Method”
“Black-ish”
“Pen15”
“Cobra Kai”
“Emily in Paris”

Comedy Actress 
Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”)
Allison Janney (“Mom”)
Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”)
Jean Smart (“Hacks”) |
Aidy Bryant (“Shrill”)

Comedy Actor  
Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Kenan Thompson (“Kenan”)
William H. Macy (“Shameless”)
Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”)

Variety Talk Series 
“Conan”
“Daily Show With Trevor Noah”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”
“Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Carl Clemons-Hopkins (“Hacks”)
Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”)
Brendan Hunt (“Ted Lasso”)
Nick Mohammed (“Ted Lasso”)
Paul Reiser (“The Kominsky Method”)
Jeremy Swift (“Ted Lasso”)
Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”)
Bowen Yang (“Saturday Night Live”)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Aidy Bryant (“Saturday Night Live”)
Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”)
Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”)
Rosie Perez (“The Flight Attendant”)
Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Live”)
Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso”)
Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”)

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Jane Adams (“Hacks”)
Yvette Nicole Brown (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”)
Bernadette Peters (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”)
Issa Rae (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”)
Maya Rudolph (“Saturday Night Live”)
Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”)

Variety Sketch Series
“A Black Lady Sketch Show”
“Saturday Night Live”

Variety Special (Live)
Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special (Multiple Platforms)
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
The Oscars (ABC)
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd (CBS)
Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 (Showtime)

Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix)
David Byrne’s American Utopia (HBO)
8:46 – Dave Chappelle (Netflix)
Friends: The Reunion (HBO Max)
Hamilton (Disney Plus)
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (HBO Max)

Animated Program
“Big Mouth” (Netflix)
“Bob’s Burgers” (Fox)
“Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal” (Adult Swim)
“The Simpsons” (Fox)
“South Park: The Pandemic Special” (Comedy Central)

Short Form Animated Program
“Love, Death + Robots” (Netflix)
“Maggie Simpson In: The Force Awakens From Its Nap” (Disney)
“Once Upon a Snowman” (Disney Plus)
“Robot Chicken” (Adult Swim)

Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
Bonding • Netflix • Netflix-Brendan Scannell as Pete Devon
Die Hart • Quibi • LOL Studios-Kevin Hart as Kevin Hart
Die Hart • Quibi • LOL Studios-John Travolta as Ron Wilcox
Mapleworth Murders • Quibi • Universal Television in association with Broadway Video and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions-John Lutz as Gilbert Pewntz
Mapleworth Murders • Quibi • Universal Television in association with Broadway Video and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions-J.B. Smoove as Chief Billy Bills

Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
Die Hart • Quibi • LOL Studios-Nathalie Emmanuel as Jordan King
Keke Palmer’s Turnt Up With The Taylors • Facebook Watch • Kids at Play-Keke Palmer as Barbie / Gammy Tay / Lil Thad / Miranda / Rick
Mapleworth Murders • Quibi • Universal Television in association with Broadway Video and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions-Paula Pell as Mrs. Abigail Mapleworth
Reno 911! • Quibi • High Sierra Carpeting production in association with Central Productions, LLC-Kerri Kenney-Silver as Deputy Trudy Wiegel

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Archer • The Double Date • FX Networks • FX Productions-Jessica Walter as Malory Archer

Big Mouth • A Very Special 9/11 Episode • Netflix • Netflix
Maya Rudolph as Connie The Hormone Monstress

black-ish: Election Special (Part 2) • ABC • Cinema Gypsy Productions, Inc. & Khalabo Ink Society in association with ABC Signature
Stacey Abrams as Stacey Abrams

Bridgerton • Diamond Of The First Water • Netflix • A Netflix Original Series in association with shondalandmedia
Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown

Central Park • A Fish Called Snakehead • Apple TV+ • Apple / 20th Century Fox Television
Tituss Burgess as Cole Tillerman

Central Park • A Fish Called Snakehead • Apple TV+ • Apple / 20th Century Fox Television
Stanley Tucci as Bitsy Brandenham

Family Guy • Stewie’s First Word • FOX • 20th Television Animation
Seth MacFarlane as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, Glenn Quagmire

Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama Or Variety Series

Carpool Karaoke: The Series • Apple TV • CBS Studios in association with Fulwell 73 Productions
Ben Winston, Executive Producer James Corden, Executive Producer Eric Pankowski, Executive Producer David Young, Co-Executive Producer Sheila Rogers, Supervising Producer Diana Miller, Producer

Late Night With Seth Meyers: CORRECTIONS • YouTube • Universal Television and Broadway Video
Seth Meyers, Host
Mike Shoemaker, Produced by

The Randy Rainbow Show • YouTube • 4 Irene Productions Inc.
Randy Rainbow, Executive Producer/Performer John Retsios, Producer
Jeff Romley, Producer
Victoria Varela, Producer

Reno 911! • Quibi • High Sierra Carpeting in association with Central Productions, LLC
Thomas Lennon, Executive Producer Robert Ben Garant, Executive Producer Kerri Kenney-Silver, Executive Producer John Landgraf, Executive Producer Peter Principato, Executive Producer David Lincoln, Producer

Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News • Paramount+ • CBS Studios, Late Night Cartoons
Stephen T. Colbert, Executive Producer Chris Licht, Executive Producer
RJ Fried, Executive Producer
Tim Luecke, Executive Producer
Zach Smilovitz, Co-Executive Producer Mike Leech, Co-Executive Producer

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series

The Flight Attendant • In Case Of Emergency • HBO Max • HBO Max in association with Berlanti Productions, Yes, Norman Productions, and Warner Bros. Television
Steve Yockey, Written by

Girls5eva • Pilot • Peacock • Universal Television in association with Scardino and Sons, Little Stranger Inc., Bevel Gears and 3 Arts Entertainment
Meredith Scardino, Written by

Hacks • There Is No Line (Pilot) • HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Lucia Aniello, Written by
Paul W. Downs, Written by
Jen Statsky, Written by

Pen15 • Play • Hulu • Hulu, Awesomeness TV, Odenkirk Provissiero, Lonely Island Classics
Maya Erskine, Written by

Ted Lasso • Make Rebecca Great Again • Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Jason Sudeikis, Teleplay by
Brendan Hunt, Story by
Joe Kelly, Story by

Ted Lasso • Pilot • Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Jason Sudeikis, Teleplay by & Story by
Bill Lawrence, Teleplay by & Story by
Brendan Hunt, Story by Joe Kelly, Story by

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series

The Amber Ruffin Show • Peacock • Universal Television and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions
Jenny Hagel, Head Writer
Demi Adejuyigbe, Writing Supervised by Ashley Nicole Black, Written by
Michael Harriot, Written by
Shantira Jackson, Written by
Ian Morgan, Written by
Dewayne Perkins, Written by
Amber Ruffin, Written by

A Black Lady Sketch Show • HBO • HBO in association with JAX Media, 3 Arts Entertainment, Issa Rae Productions and For Better or Words Inc.
Lauren Ashley Smith, Head Writer
Robin Thede, Written by
Ashley Nicole Black, Written by Akilah Green, Written by Shenovia Large, Written by Rae Sanni, Written by
Kristin Layne Tucker, Written by Holly Walker, Written by Kindsey Young, Written by

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • HBO • HBO in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television
Johnathan Appel, Writer Ali Barthwell, Writer Tim Carvell, Writer
Liz Hynes, Writer
Greg Iwinski, Writer
Mark Kramer, Writer Daniel O’Brien, Writer
John Oliver, Writer
Owen Parsons, Writer Charlie Redd, Writer Joanna Rothkopf, Writer Chrissy Shackelford, Writer Ben Silva, Writer
Seena Vali, Writer

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert • CBS • CBS Studios
Ariel Dumas, Head Writer
Jay Katsir, Head Writer Stephen T. Colbert, Written by Delmonte Bent, Written by Michael Brumm, Written by River Clegg, Written by
Aaron Cohen, Written by
Nicole Conlan, Written by
Paul Dinello, Written by
Glenn Eichler, Written by Django Gold, Written by
Gabe Gronli, Written by
Barry Julien, Written by
Michael Cruz Kayne, Written by Eliana Kwartler, Written by
Matt Lappin, Written by
Pratima Mani, Written by
Felipe Torres Medina, Written by Opus Moreschi, Written by Asher Perlman, Written by
Tom Purcell, Written by Kate Sidley, Written by Brian Stack, Written by
John Thibodeaux, Written by Steve Waltien, Written by

Saturday Night Live • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Dan Bulla, Written by
Steven Castillo, Written by
Megan Callahan-Shah, Weekend Update Written by Michael Che, Head Writer
Anna Drezen, Head Writer
Alison Gates, Written by
Fran Gillespie, Writing Supervised By
Sudi Green, Writing Supervised By
Steve Higgins, Written by
Colin Jost, Head Writer
Erik Kenward, Written by
Dan Licata, Written by
Jasmine Pierce, Written by
Dennis McNicholas, Weekend Update Written By Lorne Michaels, Written by
Josh Patten, Weekend Update Written By
Gary Richardson, Written by
Pete Schultz, Weekend Update Head Writer Streeter Seidell, Writing Supervised By
Mark Steinbach, Weekend Update Written By
Will Stephen, Written by
Kent Sublette, Head Writer
Bryan Tucker, Senior Writer
Celeste Yim, Written by
Dave Sirus, Weekend Update Written by
Mike Lawrence, Weekend Update Written by
Emma Clark, Written by
Sam Jay, Written by

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special

Bo Burnham: Inside • Netflix • Netflix
Bo Burnham, Written by

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse – Into The MAGAverse • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
Devin Delliquanti, Written by
Zhubin Parang, Written by

8:46 – Dave Chappelle • Netflix • Pilot Boy Productions
Dave Chappelle, Written by

John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero • CBS • Jesse Collins Entertainment
Mitchell Marchand, Written by

Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 • Showtime • SHOWTIME Presents a CBS Studios Production
Ariel Dumas, Written by
Jay Katsir, Written by
Stephen T. Colbert, Written by Delmonte Bent, Written by Michael Brumm, Written by River Clegg, Written by
Aaron Cohen, Written by
Nicole Conlan, Written by
Paul Dinello, Written by
Glenn Eichler, Written by Django Gold, Written by
Gabe Gronli, Written by
Barry Julien, Written by Michael Cruz Kayne, Written by Eliana Kwartler, Written by Matt Lappin, Written by
Felipe Torres Medina, Written by Opus Moreschi, Written by Asher Perlman, Written by
Tom Purcell, Written by
Kate Sidley, Written by Brian Stack, Written by
John Thibodeaux, Written by Steve Waltien, Written by

Here’s the entire list of Primetime Emmys nominations.

Pick of the Day: The Byron Bowers Experience (in NYC) 7/20
July 13, 2021
News
byron bowers, nyc, stand up, the stand

Often in LA, we’re lucky to get treated to the wild, dark, and hysterical comedy musings and stories of Byron Bowers. He has been a beloved fixture in the scene for as long as we have seen him in and throughout LA.

Bowers often has a knack for lulling people into his sharp comedic turns and really diving deep into his material and expanding his bits to their fullest potential. We got to see Byron run this particular hour and we didn’t even realize that he had actually gone well over an hour by the end of it (as a testament to how captivating his presence and command of the stage really is).

So, Byron is bringing his Byron Bowers Experience to The Stand in NYC on July 20th at 9:30PM ET with Josh Adam Meyers opening. Tickets are going for $20 (plus $5 service fee). Go get them here right now.

Pick of the Day: Last Podcast on the Left’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Tour
July 12, 2021
News
beacon theatre, ben kissel, comedy tour, henry zebrowski, hollywood forever cemetery, la comedy, last podcast on the left, live podcast, marcus parks, nyc comedy

One of the best comedy/true crime/horror/conspiracy theory/alien/overall podcasts around Last Podcast on the Left was set on going on tour in 2020. Do we even need to say what happened at this point?

Well, despite all the postponing and uncertainty attributed to the last several months, Marcus Parks, Ben Kissel, and Henry Zebrowski are back out on the road as we’re on this side of the pandemic to deliver us their perfect blend of all horrors, real and imagined, and gut-busting (figuratively) comedy on their Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Tour that’s set to start this Summer and go through Spring 2022.

Their LA and NYC dates should be a doozy as the LP on the Left boys are going to play the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Oct. 3rd and the hallowed Beacon Theatre in NYC on May 20th, 2022. Tickets are starting at $39 and you best go get them real quick as live Last Podcast on the Left live shows always sold out pre-pandemic and will definitely sell out now that they’re back.

Please Enjoy Sarah Squirm’s Hysterical Grotesque Voyage “The Sarah Vaccine” (and Also Get Actually Vaccinated)
July 9, 2021
News
means.tv, sarah squirm, short film, sketch comedy, the sarah vaccine

America currently hovers at just over 48% fully vaccinated against COVID-19 despite Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines being readily available to the majority of Americans at this very moment.

Rather than obsess over the reality of science and the disparity of vaccine hesitancy (especially in the face of lack of access to the most effective vaccines in several dozens countries around the globe), why don’t you dive into the wildly absurd, marvelously horrifying, and hilarious world of Sarah Squirm’s latest work, “The Sarah Vaccine”? We could go into lurid detail about it, but we’ll let you just enjoy the 13 minute ride (which, if you love I Think You Should Leave, we think you’ll love).

Why worry about protecting yourself against one of the deadliest viruses in our lifetime when you can go out with a really messy bang? Find out with watching The Sarah Vaccine, fresh from Means.TV, the very first worker owned streaming service.

Also, seriously, get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you haven’t already. Cases are already ticking back up worldwide.

*NOTE: if you have to go back into the office to work for some reason, you should probably go watch this in your car on break.

Pick of the Day: Cabernet Cabaret with Catherine Cohen (in NY) Wednesdays
July 9, 2021
News
cabernet cabaret, catherine cohen, club cumming, ny comedy

Once more, the indie comedy shows in LA and NYC are making their way back and so too are their loyal audiences who so loved packing in from wall to wall to watch of either city’s vast treasure chest of comedy.

Cabernet Cabaret, an institution for alt comedy in NYC, has been back in full force on Wednesdays at 8PM ET at its home Club Cumming with its loving mother Catherine Cohen for weeks now, going up for sold out crowds. Actually, there are several weeks of the show that are already sold out stretching out all the way to mid-August. So, you best set a reminder to check Cohen’s socials @catccohen on IG and @catcohen on Twitter or the calendar at Club Cumming regularly so you can get a ticket to a fantastic edition of Cabernet Cabaret in the not so distant future.

You’ve Already Binged Through “I Think You Should Leave” Season 2, Right?
July 8, 2021
News
i think you should leave, season 2, tim robinson

Really, there’s no mystery here.

The second season of I Think You Should Leave delivered on the jolt of Tim-Robinson-screaming-fueled absurdity that had been desperately missing from all of our lives and this one sketch from said second season being on YouTube was just an excuse to further play up the glory of Robinson being free from the reins of network TV and SNL to let his mind wander and create the sketch comedy that this specific time very much needs and subsequently resonates so deeply with such an insane, unprecedented, bizarre time.

Just like the first season, it’s quotable and so fast paced and yet, goes to stranger, more emotional, and ambitious depths than the first season. Also, it takes less time than any MCU movie to get through it, so just go watch I Think You Should Leave season 2 already or watch it again or watch it “again” again.

Start with one of the best sketches of the season here.

Lastly, YOU HAVE TO GIVE.

Please Get and Enjoy Ben Roy’s Latest “Take That Sandwich”
July 8, 2021
News
800 pound gorilla records, ben roy, comedy album, stand up comedy

Unquestionably, the time we have went through in the last year and a half (and are still very much going through) is fraught with trauma and darkness. Whether to dive into and process these experiences into comedy and, if so, how far do we go right now are questions that are very much up in the air and will be for awhile longer.

Leave it to one Ben Roy to bull rush into the darkness and come out with some, per his style and process, damn funny bits on the other side.

His latest album Take The Sandwich does not cower away from COVID-19 and all of its damaging systemic effects and, instead, dives in immediately and truly offers that healing power and perspective that comedy is supposed to have at its very core. Roy is one of the best at taking an audience through his own personal journey and weaving his own wildly colorful, punk rock, firebrand style of comedy and he certainly delivers in this latest hour (along with truly important messages about living life and the crucial importance of mental health).

So, please go get/listen to/enjoy Roy’s latest hysterical sermon from his pulpit that is the stand-up comedy stage, Take The Sandwich, available now via 800 Pound Gorilla Records.

Pick of the Day: Custody Battle (in LA) 7/16
July 8, 2021
News
alec cole, custody battle, la comedy, lindsay adams, maddie collins, matt legrande, max beasley, tara mcgorry

At this point, you’ve probably caught wind of a thing called Roast Battle. Maybe you’ve even heard of it’s antithesis, Boast Rattle.

Well, now, there’s a new niche twist to two comedians going at each other’s throats with the best jokes they can come up with and it’s called, Custody Battle. If the comics are fighting for custody of something, the jokes might even get a little more personal, perhaps, but with the artifice of fake(?) hearing for custody of someone or something. Also, this will be a showcase of great women and LGBTQIA+ comedians.

On the inaugural Custody Battle, will be very fierce pairings of:
Matt LeGrande vs. Lindsay Adams
Tara McGorry vs. Maddie Collins
Alec Cole vs. Max Beasley

(plus a secret headliner).

Additionally, Custody Battle is happening on Fri. Jul. 16th at 9PM PT at an indie underground spot called Baader House that you’ll need to buy tickets in order to get the address (though we can tell you that it’s in on the Eastside in Boyle Heights). Tickets are $5 and you can Venmo @makeoutmusic for tickets.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 67: Sarah Squirm & The Craft of Absurdity
July 7, 2021
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
i think you should leave, la comedy, netflix, new venues, the standups, tim robinson

Sarah Squirm, a trailblazer in meshing the grotesque into comedy, joins us for this week’s TCB Field Report to not only break down the shift from quarantine life back into in-person life that’s somewhat like the before times, but also get into the nitty gritty of absurdist comedy. We actually dissect several parts of the absolute must-see season 2 of I Think You Should Leave in breaking down how to come up with absurdist humor. Also, “hot” takes on Netflix’s latest line-up of half hour specials and new comedy venues that opened in LA as we’re coming out of lockdown.

Follow Sarah @sarahsquirm and watch The Sarah Vaccine on Means.TV

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: The Return of Blair & Greta Show (in LA)
July 7, 2021
News
blair socci, greta titelman, la comedy, stand up comedy

Often, on a Tuesday night, you could find us leaning at the back of the room filled with church pews at a somewhat peculiar, but beloved Chinese restaurant on Fairfax called Genghis Cohen. The reason for such a thing was the amazing weekly Tuesday stand-up show run by Blair Socci and Greta Titelman. Blair and Greta could do the whole show themselves with their own brands of wild, hilarious energy, but they’d always have a grand line-up of LA favorites and the best folks who were stopping through LA.

Fortunately, Genghis Cohen survived throughout lockdown and, as such, The Blair & Greta Show are returning as well, giving us back one of our favorite Tuesday night comedy haunts. They’re starting back up on Tues. Jul. 20th at 8PM PT and, like they used to do, are keeping admission free every Tuesday. Their line-up for the first show back is TBA, but you most definitely should follow @blairgretashow to keep yourself in the loop on who you’ll be so lucky to see.

Netflix Announces Latest Half Hour Specials for “The Standups”
July 7, 2021
News
brian simpson, dusty slay, janelle james, mark normand, melissa villaseñor, naomi ekperigin

The somewhat slow, yet somewhat fast return of stand-up comedy continues as we’re on this side of the pandemic. One of the markers of that is Netflix announcing its latest line-up of half-hour stand-up specials that’s still generically called, for some reason, The Standups.

For 2021, they’ve got a really good batch with Naomi Ekperigin, Melissa Villaseñor, Brian Simpson, Dusty Slay, Janelle James, and Mark Normand. All of them have had specials or have been on TV regularly (or, you know, star on SNL). Some of these folks we’ve personally seen already honing their material and it ought to be something special (especially since this will be one of the first big time specials performed, very likely, with almost no capacity or mask restrictions) All six specials will be taped soon as Netflix is planning the release of this batch of The Standups for later this year.

That means you should keep a close eye (probably through the socials of any of these comedians) on when tickets for these tapings might go up wherever that might be.

Please Get and Enjoy Seán Devlin’s Delightful, Yet Politically Charged Debut Comedy Album “AIRPORTS, ANIMALS”
July 6, 2021
News
airports animals, arts and crafts, canadian comedy, sean devlin, stand up comedy

Often when you think of comedy stepping into political or socio-economic territory, one might conjure up the sights and sounds of angry man in a blazer stomping around, screaming so loud that you can see veins at their temple like seams bursting through fabric.

That said, not all politically minded, socially focused comedians descend from a fire and brimstone approach. One such comedian, Seán Devlin, has been maintaining such a peaceful presence on stage coupled with incredibly clever observations that one wouldn’t think about how politically radical he is. Also, he probably isn’t wearing a blazer and definitely not screaming into the mic.

Throughout his new album AIRPORTS, ANIMALS, Sean dismantles capitalism, jingoism, racism, and so many more -isms with truly such a calming delivery. The contrast is so subtly mischievous, yet so effective and it’s almost a wonder why he has been a fixture in Vancouver and not had his name made the rounds more often here in the States.

Either way, even if you’re not a radical lefty, AIRPORTS, ANIMALS is a damn good debut comedy album and we sincerely hope that you give it a listen and perhaps be one of the people that would spread the good word about Seán Devlin. AIRPORTS, ANIMALS will be available for purchase on Bandcamp from Canada’s own Arts & Crafts starting Fri., July 9th and then on iTunes and other streaming services on Fri., Aug. 13th.

Until then, you can get a taste of Devlin’s new album in this bit with animation by by Jappy Agoncillo here.

Pick of the Day: The Golden Girlz LIVE! The Return (in LA) 7/9-7/25
July 6, 2021
News
drew droege, golden girlz, jackie beat, sam pancake, sherry vine

Back in the before times, one of the hottest tickets in town was for The Golden Girlz, a loving, modern, camp spin on the legendary sitcom The Golden Girls done by the brilliant cast of Jackie Beat, Sherry Vine, Drew Droege, and Sam Pancake. It was always sold out whenever it had its run at the Cavern Club Theater at Casita Del Campo in Silverlake.

After what seems like a decade, the Golden Girlz are back for a big run throughout all of July. Specifically, they’re running from July 9th-25th, Fridays at 9PM PT + Saturdays & Sundays at 3PM PT/6PM PT/9PM PT at Cavern Club Theater.

Several dates are already sold out and you best get your tickets, starting at $40, right now right here.

Pick of the Day: It’s Make That Sandwich!!! 4/20 (on Clubhouse) 7/6
July 5, 2021
News
clubhouse, lindsay ames, make that sandwich

Make That Sandwich, the ingenious sandwich-building game show created by Lindsay Ames, was due for a tour before lockdown and, well… you know what happened after that.

That said, with that advent of the live drop-in audio app Clubhouse, Ames, every now and again, does a virtual version of Make That Sandwich that’s still so damn fun and absolutely worth going into Clubhouse for (or downloading it and signing up and all that jazz if you haven’t done so already).

For the uninitiated, contestants take turns adding ingredients to a sandwich until someone says MAKE! THAT! SANDWICH!, at which point, Lindsay would actually make that sandwich in real time. As it’s a virtual Clubhouse live-stream, she’ll make the sandwich still, but it’ll be a later time TBD (and then beautifully captured on IG @makethatsandwich).

So, the very next Make That Sandwich will be streaming this Tues. Jul. 6th at 4:20PM PT/7:20PM ET as a special 4/20 edition of the show. If you’re not on Clubhouse and would like to be, we do have a limited number of invites we might be able to help you out with. DM us @thecomedybureau or e-mail us at thecomedybureau@gmail.com.

LA Has Got Some New Comedy Venues (Despite Losing Several to the Pandemic)
July 2, 2021
News

The precarity of the COVID-19 pandemic forced all sorts of businesses to close as they ran the numbers and couldn’t find a way to stay open without conducting business as they did in the before times. Such tragedy struck plenty of comedy venues very hard around the country as it did here in LA. UCB Sunset, Echoes on Pico, and The Satellite all had to close permanently despite being very frequented places for live comedy in 2019 and early 2020.

That said, hope has indeed sprung according to its eternal nature and there are healthy handful of new venues that have popped up in and around LA that have been go-to places for live comedy in this time and as things are reopening in LA County.

Namely…

The Comedy Chateau-right down the street from the Haha Cafe in NoHo, one of LA’s older comedy clubs, LA’s shiniest, new comedy club was set to open its doors right before the pandemic, but, of course, couldn’t. Comedian/proprietor Felix McNulty managed to survive for this last year and a half and has booked a pretty robust schedule of stand-up shows (in addition to a weekly open mic) between an indoor and outdoor space.

4615 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA-thecomedychateau.com

The Comedy Nook-Formerly the space for Pretty Funny Women, this very intimate venue was vacant for more than a minute, but then was taken over by Nthenya from Kenya and rebranded as The Comedy Nook. They’ve got open mics most days of the week and are just starting to ramp up live shows on their schedule.

7456 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA-@thecomedynook on IG

Jono Zalay, photo credit @rodjianalina

The Nitecap-Even though it’s outdoors, it doesn’t get much more intimate than this tucked away stage accessible only through an alley in Burbank. Previously, it was known as The Bunker (a still mostly apt visual for the place), Aaron Mliner took the reins and made a very photogenic stage to host stand-up showcases mosts nights of the week.

2220 West Burbank Blvd., Burbank, CA (in alley)-nitecap.la

The Bomb Shelter-The hourly open mic collective known as Fourth Wall has reopened two of its venues that it had before lockdown, Fourth Wall Comedy Cafe in Thai Town and the original Fourth Wall in North Hollywood. It may be hard to believe (and there’s no definite word on their Koreatown location), but Joe Manente at Fourth Wall has just opened up another Fourth Wall location, this time just down the street from the renowned Hollywood Improv, to offer even more open mic stage time to comedians up for paying $5 for 5 min. $8 for 10 min. and $12 for 15 min.

7916 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA Suite #2–fourthwallcomedy.com

The Stand Up Comedy Club-The San Gabriel Valley isn’t often afforded much live comedy as they are east of even what is now referred to as “the eastside” in LA. There is the occasional show at a dive bar or some restaurant that usually doesn’t have a stage, but does have plenty of customers ripe to be ambushed by stand-up. Bellflower, CA is changing that with their very own new club that just opened up that features stand-up showcases and open mics.

9831 Belmont St., Bellflower, CA-thestandupclub.com

Grand Central Market (rooftop of their parking garage)-Born out of live comedy needing to be outdoors to have any modicum of safety during the pandemic, LA’s historic and still bustling Grand Central Market built a whole makeshift comedy venue on the rooftop of their parking garage. They decked out with a stage, tables, chairs, local vendors, and a skyline view of DTLA that you would never get at any other comedy show. They’re home to The Comedy Roof, but are looking to expand their comedy offerings.

317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA-grandcentralmarket.com

The Whitley-Stand-up comedy in the round was rather a rare occurrence usually reserved for the biggest headliners playing arenas or very big, unique theaters. Yet, The Whitley, seemingly born out of necessity during this pandemic has provided a space for an evening of stand-up with line-ups that you might see at The Comedy Store or Laugh Factory done in the round (w/o a roof) between Supernova Comedy & Comedy at the Whitley. Located just off of the most tourist-y parts of Hollywood Boulevard, they have live stand-up comedy multiple nights a week.

1716 Whitley Ave., Los Angeles, CA-SuperNova Comedy @ The Whitley

[Venue Name TBD] Storefront in Glendale-Sean Casey, a former artistic director of the long standing Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, is going in for a venue all the way on the other side of LA county. There isn’t a name for the place and the exact details have yet to be announced, but it’ll be near downtown Glendale, have a “relaxed vibe/bookstore atmosphere”. If interested in putting up a show or the space itself, DM @sbcasey on Twitter

That’s it for now, but there is more live comedy to come roaring back. In fact, we already have some hot tips on other new spots opening in the not so distant future.

 

 

 

Pick of the Day: Eddie Pepitone & Friends (in LA) 7/12
July 2, 2021
News
dana gould, dynasty typewriter, eddie pepitone, james adomian, la comedy, stand up comedy

The NY Times named Eddie Pepitone’s For the Masses 2020’s Funniest Comedy Special. That special just happened to be shot at Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth Theater back in 2019. We just happened to bare witness to one of the tapings and it remains as one of the best nights of stand-up comedy we’ve ever seen.

2 years and a a good portion of a pandemic later, Pepitone is back at the very same hallowed venue to rumble its walls and seats with rolling laughter (along with some pals in James Adomian, Dana Gould, JT Habersaat, and Steve Lolli) on Thurs. Jul. 12th at 8PM PT.

Tickets are $20 now and $25 on the day of and you best go get your tickets before they sell out.

Get a First Look at Tig Notaro’s Animated HBO Stand-up Special “Drawn”
July 1, 2021
News
comedy special, hbo, stand up comedy, tig notaro

Pretty much anything and everything that could have been tried to make a comedy special in the last year and a half has been thought of and tried. Outdoors, in front of parked cars, w/no audience, over Zoom, facing TV screens, etc. One of the more ambitious ones has been animating an entire stand-up comedy special as Tig Notaro has done with her latest hour due at HBO.

There have been instances of bits being animated throughout the years, but a whole special is something different altogether.

Very appropriately called Tig Notaro: Drawn, Tig’s wonderfully dry and honest sense of humor gets manifested in vibrant colors as a series of cartoons and the animated version of her on stage with an animated audience. Just thinking about the possibility of that, we now want to see animated versions of her stories about playing Vegas and running into Taylor Dayne.

Get your first sense of what Tig and HBO have up their sleeve with this trailer here. Look for the premiere on July 24th at 10PM on HBO and then streaming on HBO Max.

Pick of the Day: An Evening at the Haha Hole (Virtual) 7/22
July 1, 2021
News
kristal adams, miniatures, nowhere comedy, patton oswalt, sara schaefer

Sara Schaefer has many, many talents and skills. Lots of them are in and throughout the comedic arts, but Sara also expresses herself quite beautifully through miniatures. Her knack for crafts has led her to build several miniatures dioramas and houses that are quite detailed, especially during the pandemic.

Naturally, this was going to intersect with comedy at some point and, as such, Sara has built a to-scale replica miniature of an old school comedy club, complete with a ridiculous name “The Haha Hole” and she’s now going to host a virtual comedy show from this miniature comedy club via livestream at Nowhere Comedy Club. Joining her will be the comedy stylings of Patton Oswalt and Kristal Adams, definitely making this an event that you shouldn’t miss no matter where it’s actually happening.

An Evening at the Haha Hole is set to go live on Thurs. Jul. 22nd at 6PM PT/9PM ET. Tickets are going for $10 and you ought to go snag ’em here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 66: Danielle Perez & Making Those Lists
June 30, 2021
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
comics to watch, danielle perez, just for laughs

Danielle Perez joins in the fray for this week’s TCB Field Report where we follow her big pause from stand-up comedy during lockdown and then finding her way to acting (that includes acting classes on Zoom) and then, starting back into stand-up comedy with an already sold out live show. Also “hot” takes on Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch, JFL’s hybrid format this year, and what venues they know survived. Note, as Danielle said so deftly in this ep., that there will always be new lists.

Follow Danielle @divadelux on IG and Twitter and listen to the WOW RUDE Podcast.

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: Looking Foward To It with Josh Gondelman (in NYC) 7/17
June 30, 2021
News
jes tom, josh gondelman, larry owens, looking forward to it, Negin Farsad

Throughout the pandemic, Looking Forward To It and its host Josh Gondelman have faithfully served up virtual comedy shows specifically in support of voter engagement beyond the 2020 election (which is over despite what QAnon folks might think). Just on their virtual run, they’ve raised over $50K.

Now, with America opening up, Gondelman will get the chance do the very first Looking Forward To It in person at Brooklyn’s beloved littlefield with a, per usual, amazing line-up. This edition will be supporting Field Team 6 and feature the comedy stylings of Jes Tom, Negin Farsad, Larry Owens, a video from Dan Fox, and hip-hop improv from North Coast.

This very first in-person Looking Forward To It is set for Sat. Jul. 17th at 8PM ET and tickets are $15 GA and $40 VIP. Go get ’em here.

Please Get and Enjoy the Dark-Comedy-Fueled Pop of Scout Durwood’s Comedy Electronica Vol. 2
June 29, 2021
News
comedy album, comedy electronica vol 2, musical comedy, scout durwood

Blending dark, existential or vulnerable, honset comedy with any sort of music is no easy feat. When it comes to doing it with pop music or even electronica, the delicate balance becomes even more precarious and one really risks it being too over the top or forced.

Scout Durwood manages to pinpoint a balance that speaks to the absurdity of the universe especially as it relates to an individual life counterbalancing upbeat, uptempo pop songs. Comedy Electronica Vol. 2 showcases Durwood’s musical comedy prowess in spades. The release of two volumes (as opposed to just Comedy Electronica) was due to the pandemic, but, honestly, both are worth a listen and feature the sort of anthems that really nail the disillusionment of our times (in a catchy, very cheeky way with a lesbian lens).

See for yourself with this on-point Sims parody of a music video for Scout It Out.

Then, go get/listen to Scout Durwood’s Comedy Electronica Vol. 2 here.

 

Frankie Quiñones’ Special “Superhomies” Will Premiere on HBO Latino on July 9th
June 29, 2021
News
comedy special, frankie quinones, hbo, hbo latino, hbo max, stand up

Whether it be from Creeper, Dress Up Gang, or his own stand-up, Frankie Quiñones has gotten folks to bust up almost every which way he can. Thankfully, he has his very own comedy special (that is frankly overdue) coming out very soon.

Frankie Quiñones: Superhomies will be a mix of stand-up, characters, and sketch that’ll be giving you all that Frankie has to give. It’s set for its debut on Fri. Jul. 9th at 10PM on HBO Latino (and it will stream on HBO Max too). Frankie was already on such a rise before lockdown and we’re really glad to see that he’s pretty much picking up right from where he left off.

Get your first look at Frankie Quiñones: Superhomies here

Pick of the Day: John Mulaney: From Scratch (in LA) 6/24-6/30 & 7/5-7/14
June 29, 2021
News
john mulaney, la comedy, live comedy, troubadour

You might have heard that John Mulaney is working on a new hour, From Scratch, as well as an entirely new phase of life. Vulture’s Jesse David Fox captured what that experience was like as the beloved Mulaney is drawing from such a personal vein unlike he has ever done before.

John had a run of From Scratch that sold out in NYC and now it’s in LA at The Troubadour from now to Jun. 30th and then Jul. 5th-14th. Currently, all the shows are sold out, but that doesn’t mean you should give up hope for stand-by tickets or checking @thetroubadour for possible tickets to get released last minute. There are still plenty of these very exclusive shows that you might get lucky (though be prepared to spend a pretty penny for it).

Please Enjoy Rojo Perez’s Set on The Tonight Show
June 28, 2021
News
late night, rojo perez, stand up comedy, tonight show

Just performed last week, Rojo fabulously continued the pretty robust featuring of stand-up comedy on Fallon.

In fact, that might be the part of The Tonight Show these days, especially since they feature comedians, seemingly, on a weekly basis where no other late night show (as Conan has come to a close) does so.

Perez had a tight set on what he has been through this time, showing that it is neither too soon to talk about something so sensitive to anybody and that a well-worn topic like the pandemic can still be territory for jokes and stories. Also, kudos to him really taking on quite the dashing look in this set (more so than any other look on a late night set in recent memory).

With that said, please enjoy Rojo’s set here.

Pick of the Day: The Big One (in LA) 7/2
June 28, 2021
News
broderick baumann, Carly Kane, comedy show, Holmes Holmes, la comedy, Meg Indurti, Molly Kearney, sarah squirm, will miles

The grand tradition of house shows in LA is alive and well and ever burgeoning. There’s a whole crop of Chicago comics that just moved to the fair city of Los Angeles and are already getting a house show going in an increasingly hip part of town, Highland Park.

Called The Big One, it is set to happen the first Friday of the month (and hopefully not accompanying “the big one” earthquake?) and the inaugural show is set for Fri. Jul. 2nd at 7PM PT thanks to Meg Indurti, Molly Kearney, Carly Kane, and Broderick Baumann. Their first line-up will that includes lots of folks from the Paris of the Midwest that have made their home West including Holmes Holmes, Will Miles, and Sarah Squirm.

Tickets are $15. Address will be provided upon purchase. Go get ’em here.

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