Blending a show and semi-fictional parties together, CleftClips’ Toasty allows comedians to give the toasts that they have always dreamed of. It’s one of our all time favorite shows and the line-up for the latest edition, as you can see above, is stellar.
Tickets are $20 (the venue is small, so they will be limited and you should get them sooner rather than later), and cocktail attire is required.
Sure, they’ll be hosting as themselves and not their respective roles on Parks and Recreation.
That being said, The Handmade Project, just sounds like a sequel to the season 4 episode where Leslie and Ron had competing youth programs.
Also, Amy’s Paper Kite Productions will be handling this series, which, in addition to makes us believe that it’ll be much different from other competitive reality shows.
Dream Corps LLC Renewed for Season 2
The VR/dream lab/therapy center workplace comedy is coming back for a second season and making sure Adult Swim stays on brand for keeping it wonderfully strange in their time slot.
The times, they are a changin’.
It’s been more than a year since Louis C.K.’s last special, he’s doing a special that’s releasing on Netflix first rather than on LouisCK.net, and he’s in a fancy pin striped suit.
Still, the trailer for Louis C.K. 2017 gives vibes of his FX series, Louie, which we’re glad to see.
Also, be glad that you’ll get to see this special next week when it starts streaming on Netflix on Tuesday, April 4th.
Unlike most other things, comedy gets pretty serious on April Fool’s Day.
So, naturally, several great shows will be happening, one of which will be this No Joke presented by 2525 in DTLA as you can see in the flyer above.
Tickets range from $7 for earlybirds to $15 for all night entry to make sure you get in and get a good spot for the show. Also, part of the proceeds go to Planned Parenthood.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
For comedy nerds/completists/collectors, a massive new collector’s box set featuring the entire Weird Al Yankovic catalog. This will include a brand new album, exclusive to the set, that has unreleased tracks and rarities from Yankovic’s own vault.
Called Medium Rarities, it includes songs from the beginning of Weird Al’s career to present day. Here’s a great promo complete with a Super Mario Bros. style game with Weird Al in it showing what’s on the album.
The Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic costs $475 and is only available in limited quantities. We’re guessing the limited run has something to do with the box set being in the shape of an accordion.
Pre-order it here and get it on November 24th this year.
Hulu Orders Topical Weekly Show with Sarah Silverman from Funny Or Die
We’re curious to see where this will go as Sarah Silverman is definitely politically active and will be going for a show that’s balanced inviting other perspectives, beliefs, etc. to have a conversation with her.
We’re guessing that’d go much differently than it does on Real Time with Bill Maher, especially because of the fact that it’s called “I Love You America”. Also, if you’ve ever seen Sarah do crowd work multiple times, you’d notice that her curiosity does indeed lead her down a path of trying to hear people out.
10 episodes have been ordered from Funny or Die and a premiere date has yet to be announced.
Earwolf Now Has Enamel Pins from Your Favorite Earwolf Podcasters
Normally, we don’t do give a heads up on merch here, but we are also suckers for a good enamel pin and Earwolf now has a sizable collection from their vast podcast line-up.
This collection includes Lauren Lapkus, Chris Gethard, Paul F. Tompkins, Scott Aukerman, Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and even characters Marissa Wompler, Ronna & Beverly, Don Dimello.
Go impulse shop at Earwolf here.
Joe Zimmerman is, and has been for years, a delight to watch and proves that with his latest late night set from last week’s Tonight Show.
In addition to this notch on what is sure to be one of many more instances of his stand-up making its way to TV, Joe Zimmerman shared a Dante’s-Inferno-esque hell gig story that has so many layers of absurdity that you almost can’t believe that he stuck it through to find his way to where he is now.
It’s a great example of the ridiculous amount of dedication that comedy demands.
We don’t really think we need to do much convincing here.
After all, it is a live reading of cult classic Plan 9 From Outer Space presented by Dana Gould that features David Koechner, Jonah Ray, Paul F. Tompkins, Bobcat Goldthwait, Janet Varney, puppets by the talented Pam Severns, and so much more at Largo.
You’ve probably read all of that on the flyer, but, in case you needed it, we wanted the repetition to sink in the notion how awesome this night will be.
Tickets are still available at $30 a pop here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Comedy Crawl and Open Mic Run All Updated for Next Week (3/27/17)
We’ve got all your LA comedy needs for next week and beyond covered.
<a href=“http://harikondabolu.bandcamp.com/album/hari-kondabolus-new-material-night-volume-1”>Hari Kondabolu's New Material Night Volume 1 by Hari Kondabolu</a>
For years, Hari Kondabolu has done full length sets under the moniker of “New Material Night” that has allowed Hari room to breathe, play, develop, evolve with bits, concepts, premises, riffing, etc.
Usually, no such sets find its way to the light of day because comedians generally prefer a few coats of polish on an album.
However, Hari is one of the most relevant, funniest, and all around best voices in comedy right now (give Waiting for 2042 and Mainstream American Comic a listen if you haven’t already) a and really can make you appreciate the artistry of stand-up when he feels like showing the seams.
With all of that in mind, we’re excited (as you should be too) that he is releasing his own bootlegs from his New Material Nights from the past few years.
Note: “It was recorded on an iPhone & fellow comedian Sean Keane’s camera on Dec 5th, 2013 in the now defunct “Dark Room” in San Francisco’s Mission District.”
Because they are actually married and base much of these fights off of real fights that they actually have had, Fielding Edlow and Larry Clarke reach a level of such irreverent, entertaining oversharing in their new web series, Bitter Homes and Gardens. that very few people can ever get to.
Sometimes, as the series shows, love in relationship can be strengthened through mutually shared hate.
The series is now streaming all episodes on YouTube and you can give it a watch here.
One Jason Van Glass will be attempting to do 10+ hours of improv at The Clubhouse this coming Wednesday.
That might be breaking some kind of record. Even if it’s not, it’s an impressive feat to take on and he’s doing it for a great cause (collecting donations for the Southern Poverty Law Center) AND will have a great line-up of fellow improvisers joining him throughout throughout the whole run.
Get more details here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Trailblazing comedy dance team, Cocoon Central Dance Team, is stopping by LA once again this Monday at UCB Sunset. On top of their imaginative routines (and everything that goes down between them dancing), they’ll be joined by another great team of John Early and Kate Berlant.
Tickets are still available at $7 a pop and you can (and should) get them here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Playwright, filmmaker, writer Martin McDonagh, who has mastered how to explore the darkest corners of humanity and still make it funny (see In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths for proof), has a new film coming out, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
It has every bit of pure, bleakly dark comic punch that McDonagh is famous for as well as one of his muses, Sam Rockwell.
We really want the red band trailer to floor you kind of like it did us, so we won’t say much more. However, you should really take note how great Frances McDormand is in a role of “giving absolutely zero f*cks”.
Watch it here and then keep a close eye for a release sometime this year.
Two years ago, Todd Strauss-Schulson wowed us with The Final Girls in how he expertly, and literally, turned the slasher film genre inside out.
Along the same lines, Isn’t It Romantic has Rebel Wilson finding herself in actual rom com world making Strauss-Schulson kind of a perfect choice to helm the film.
We’re imagining this will be like They Came Together, but taken to the nth degree and thus, we can’t wait to see what Todd cooks up.
For someone who revels in off-kilter business ideas for the purpose of comedy on Nathan For You, Fielder’s actual business venture seems to be doing quite well.
Nathan Fielder’s is taking his response to Vancouver’s Taiga jackets, the company that wrote up a tribute to a Holocaust denier, to the next level. Initially, Fielder launched a rival outdoor apparel company that promotes Holocaust awareness and eduction (specifically donating to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Center).
Several thousands of dollars have been donated to VHEC and Fielder has just made a $150,000 donation. On top of that, Nathan has announced plans to actually open a pop-up store just for this Sunday, March 26th in Vancouver, the city where Taiga is based, this weekend.
A Fielder business venture wouldn’t be complete without some mischief. With that in mind, he has made this offer:
Greater Vancouver residents are encouraged to come down and trade in any Taiga jacket they have in exchange for a free Summit Ice soft-shell jacket and “Deny Nothing” pin. Donations will also be accepted in exchange for other Summit Ice clothing while supplies last. (Please note: any Taiga jackets collected will be disposed of in a manner deemed appropriate by Mr. Fielder.)
We’d be surprised if Fielder didn’t have something amazing planned for those who can walk into the pop-up shop. After all, Nathan Fielder is the architect behind Dumb Starbucks.
If you want to get your own Summit Ice gear, you can get it now without being in Vancouver here.
Lastly, here’s our other favorite part of this announcement:
If the mayor wants to give Mr. Fielder the Key to the City, please contact: keytothecity@summiticeapparel.com
20 Classic Episodes of MST3K Are Now Streaming on Netflix
Leading up to the release of the new MST3K on Netflix, you can revisit some of the fan favorites from the MST3K of yesteryear more conveniently than ever.
Specifically, you can now stream the following on Netflix:
Exp 424 – Manos: The Hands of Fate (#1)
Exp 820 – Space Mutiny (#2)
Exp 303 – Pod People (#5)
Exp 903 – Puma Man (#6)
Exp 321 – Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (#7)
Exp 904 – Werewolf (#8)
Exp 821 – Time Chasers (#10)
Exp 507 – I Accuse My Parents (#12)
Exp 506 – Eegah! (#13)
Exp 706 – Laserblast (#17)
Exp 813 – Jack Frost (#20)
Exp 1003 – Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders (#22)
Exp 404 – Teenagers from Outer Space (#25)
Exp 204 – Catalina Caper (#29)
Exp 202 – Sidehackers (#37)
Exp 1004 – Future War (#39)
Exp 402 – The Giant Gila Monster (#43)
Exp 410 – Hercules Against the Moon Men (#48)
Exp 604 – Zombie Nightmare (#60)
Exp 1011 – Horrors of Spider Island (#94)
We apologize if you’ve dropped all your weekend plans to now binge watch all of these.
We weren’t kidding about that pull quote from our ‘100 Best’ list from last year.
F*ck This Late Night Show, the late night talk show that has an enemy force actively trying to ruin the show, was so damn fun.
They’re finally doing another version of it next week and you really ought to not miss it.
Tickets are only $5 and you can (and really should) get them here.
One of the silliest things that H. Jon Benjamin has ever done in his illustrious career as a professional silly person is recording an entire jazz album with real jazz musicians without really knowing how to play jazz (or an instrument for that matter).
The album was called “Well, I Should Have…* Jon Benjamin-Jazz Daredevil” and the session players really didn’t know what was going on before they started recording.
On last night’s Colbert, Benjamin did a rare live performance from the album with Colbert’s house band Jon Batiste and Stay Human as well as Stephen Colbert himself on trumpet*.
*Stephen also says he doesn’t know how to play the trumpet.
Enjoy some top shelf goofing around here.
Also, you can get your own very copy of “Well, I Should Have…* Jon Benjamin-Jazz Daredevil” here.
Coast to coast, top to bottom, John Mulaney is going on a, as of right now, 27 city tour from May 10th-July 29th.
Tickets are on sale now for this Kid Gorgeous tour and more cities/dates are to come. You can get more details and tickets here.
It shouldn’t be a surprise to you, but if you want to see Mulaney on this tour, you ought to get these tickets sooner rather than later, maybe even as soon as you can.
Kumail Nanjiani to Receive CinemaCon Comedy Star of the Year Award
The National Association of Theater Owners, otherwise known as NATO (we’re curious if Trump is on their case too) gives out their own awards celebrating the biz and are honoring Kumail Nanjiani, who is set for a big summer run with The Big Sick, with their Comedy Star of the Year Award.
With everything else Kumail has had going for years (i.e. stand-up, Silicon Valley, his Twitter feed, The Meltdown, etc. etc.), we’d ask Hollywood to please give more awards to Kumail Nanjiani.
The story between actually married-Canadian-Palestinian-Jewish-comedian couple Jess Salomon and Eman El Husseini is fascinating and uplifting. You can hear that story as they’re playing a special show, since they’re in town right now, this Sunday at the Pico Union Project right near DTLA.
Tickets are $15 and you can (and should) get them here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Please Support the Kickstarter for Wonderful Non-Profit Art/Community Space, junior high
Since it’s inception, junior high, in Thai Town, really has lived up to its mission of emboldening and empowering marginalized voices (i.e. women, LGBTQ, POC) in Los Angeles.
Comedy in LA especially depends on indie art spaces like this and junior has provided a space for stand-up, storytelling, open mics, and much much more.
Please support this Kickstarter here ASAP. There’s only three days left, as of this post, on the campaign and they’re only at $10,498 out of $20,000.