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February 19, 2020

anniversary, chirstina catherine martinez, comedy show, jackie kashian, jonah ray, kumail nanjiani, kyle kinane, natalie palamides, reggie watts

It’s quite simple. One of the best shows in town, Hot Tub with Kurt & Kristen, is celebrating that it has been one of the best shows in town (in NYC in the past and LA now actually) for 15 years and is having such the massive, gala worthy line-up.

Also, the always marvelous duo of Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal will there hosting (and, well, maybe they could do Kristen Schaal Is a Horse for even longer?)

Tickets are sold out right now, but a few door tickets will be available. Line-up plenty early for your chance to snag them. Stay up to date with the ticket situation @hottub_show.

The Safdie Brothers and Nathan Fielder Are Making a Showtime Comedy Pilot “The Curse”

February 19, 2020

comedy pilot, nathan fielder, safdie brothers, the curse

The Safdie Brothers and Nathan Fielder Are Making a Showtime Comedy Pilot “The Curse”

Throwing The Safdie Brothers, Nathan Fielder, throwing tinges of Nathan For You’s Ghost Realtor into a cauldron and seeing what comes out of it is pretty damn exciting. That seems to be what Showtime has ordered up with the comedy pilot for The Curse.

Projects for either The Safdie Brothers or Nathan Fielder undoubtedly have the attention of the whole industry these days, but all of them assembled together has our (and probably many folks’) wheels really spinning as to what madcap, meta, gonzo show their going to create. Thus far, The Curse will follow a troubled HGTV show that may be “cursed”. Also, Fielder will star as a husband of a couple that hosts said HGTV show and Benny Safdie will star as the show’s producer.

Given how both the Safdies and Fielder know how to ratchet up tension, we’d say that you should prepare yourself if this project gets the series greenlight from Showtime.

Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Announces “Comedy in Color” Featuring Stand-Up from 300 Different Comedians from All Over the World

February 18, 2020

comedy in color, kevin hart, laugh out loud, pluto tv, stand up comedy

If you’re jonesing for new clips of stand-up comedy to watch, you might be intrigued to know that Kevin Hart’s company Laugh Out Loud has just premiered a new series, Comedy in Color, now available for FREE on their new channel at the over the top Internet TV service, pluto.tv.

The portion of the line-up that they revealed in their press release is pretty enticing. It includes:

Lil Rel Howrey (Get Out, FOX’s Rel)
Ronny Chieng (Comedy Central’s The Daily Show)
Carly Aquilino (MTV’s Girl Code)
Beth Stelling (Netflix’s The Standups)
Godfrey
Nate Bergatze (Netflix’s The Tennessee Kid)
Rafinha Bastos (Brazil)
Vir Das (India)
Zainab Johnson
Joel Kim Booster
Sarah Tiana
Karlous Miller
David Gborie
Jessimae Peluso

Sound pretty good? Well, check out Comedy in Color over at LOL’s pluto.tv channel here.

White House Correspondents Dinner Returns to Having Comedians with Kenan Thompson and Hasan Minhaj

February 18, 2020

hasan minhaj, kenan thompson, white house correspondents dinner

White House Correspondents Dinner Returns to Having Comedians with Kenan Thompson and Hasan Minhaj

It would seem the shift to having a historian preside over the White House Correspondents Dinner didn’t really stick for a night that essentially celebrates our (supposed) American rights to free speech and freedom of the press.

Kenan Thompson will be set up as host and, as Trump is a vain coward and will never change and will very likely sit this one out once more as a vain coward only to tweet how unfunny it is (because he’s, again, a vain coward), Hasan Minhaj as the featured speaker, returning to the WHCD stage once more.

We’d imagine that Minhaj will scorch the earth as he hosted the White House Correspondents Dinner, but we are curious how Minhaj and Kenan Thompson will balance/focus both of their monologues. It’s historic as two comedians are essentially hosting the WHCD and will undoubtedly be double the amount of hate-tweeting from Trump.

In any case, we can be assured that all the jokes will be picked apart by news outlets when decorum in politics hasn’t been the standard for years now.

The stage for the White House Correspondents Dinner is set for April 25th.

February 18, 2020

dana gould, eddie pepitone, hannah einbinder, yard theater

This night both offers a spectacular spread of comedy with the brilliant minds of Dana Gould, Eddie Pepitone, and Hannah Einbinder that span several generations of comedy, but you also will be supporting the Yard Theater, run by the incomparable John Ennis, and its expansion to having shows and mics and so much more open to the public.

This benefit for an LA indie comedy venue/show you should absolutely not miss for the truly splendid trio that are so funny in so many different, unique ways is happening next week. Please, go get your tickets here.

Run Trailer Shows Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Vicky Jones’ Newest Series at HBO

February 17, 2020

domnhall gleeson, merritt wever, phoebe waller bridge, run, teaser, vicky jones

Not much is given away in this teaser for Run, a sort of mystery thriller/rom com. Yet, it feels like so many subtle hints are actually given by the looks and brief lines shared by Domnhall Gleeson and Merritt Wever. Also, the glimpse of the titular inciting incident kind of has us hooked as well.

Additionally, being in the hands of a wondrous duo behind the beloved Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and frequent collaborator Vicky Jones, has our mind racing as to what sort of satisfyingly risky and unforeseen territory this series will take us.

Guess we’ll have to find out on the series premiere, Sun. Apr. 12th 10:30PM on HBO. For now, you can just enjoy this teaser for HBO’s Run.

February 17, 2020

benefit, bernie sanders, comedy show, fundraiser, john early, kate berlant, largo, los angeles

As both John Early and Kate Berlant individually ascend to the upper echelons of comedy, seeing them take the stage together becomes more and more of a precious rarity, something not be absolutely missed.

The dynamic they have together is simultaneously otherworldly and chill.

So, take this chance to catch them together on the first day of March at Largo (as well as support Democratic Presidential Candidate hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders). Tickets are $50 (plus service fee). Go get ‘em here.

HBO Line-Ups a Comedy Special with Yvonne Orji

February 14, 2020

comedy special, hbo, yvonne orji

HBO Line-Ups a Comedy Special with Yvonne Orji

HBO just continues adding on to their growing list of intriguing stand-up specials. They already have the very intriguing The Golden One on deck from Whitmer Thomas.

Now, they’ve added an hour special from Yvonne Orji AKA Molly from Insecure. Apparently, there is footage shot in Nigeria, her birthplace, which will be intercut with her upcoming live performance here in America at HBCU, Howard. Our best guess is that it’ll be somewhat like Gulman’s HBO special The Great Depresh in switching Orji’s material and then remote segments getting more personal about her life, especially in Nigeria.

So, it’s pretty clear now that HBO has taken to a more high art/solo show-esque path with their comedy specials compared to their competitors and we’re pretty on board for that.

February 14, 2020

birthday, comedy show, eric andre, hollywood, jack black, los angeles, reggie watts, talib kweli

For years now, Eric Andre’s birthday party has been the sort of a legend that you’d hear whispers about and see glimpses of on Instagram.

Now, Andre is upping the ante, potentially throwing his biggest birthday shindig ever, complete with the insanity that comedy’s premier enfant terrible is beloved for as well as a pretty damn great line-up of comedy/music at the Hollywood Palladium (Kweli, Reggie Watts, and Jack Black on the same line-up? Come on now.)

Tickets for Eric Andre’s Bad Trip Birthday Bu’kkake are on sale now, going for $59.50-$160, and don’t be surprised if they sell out real quick (i.e. go get them now)

Jamel Johnson’s “I Think It’s Good” Is a Hot, Hilarious 21 Minutes of a Comedy Album EP

February 13, 2020

a special thing, ast records, i think it's good, jamel johnson, stand up comedy

The crackling energy and attitude of Jamel Johnson starts from the very first second of this EP, I Think It’s Good.

As such, we were laughing, giggling, slapping our knee, and definitely cackling throughout the entirety of Jamel’s 21 minutes on this debut EP. Johnson can rant about the most innocuous minutia and make hysterical bits that feel so live and are very satisfying (as well as a fun morsel of sketch mischief tagged on the end).

Jamel Johnson’s I Think It’s Good comes out this Friday, Feb. 14th, fresh off the presses from AST Records.

Avenue 5 Renewed for Second Season at HBO

February 13, 2020

armando iannucci, avenue 5, hbo

Avenue 5 Renewed for Second Season at HBO

Armando Iannucci has been given reign to another season of letting rich people devolve while lost in space in his new series Avenue 5 at HBO.

Not that hey didn’t have free reign to do whatever he wants, but imagining what Iannucci would do with a whole other season with his highest concept work to date has us pretty damn excited.

Congrats to any and all of Avenue 5.

Please Enjoy “Daddy” Sabrina Jalees on A Little Late with Lilly Singh

February 13, 2020

a little late with lilly singh, feminist, late night, lgbtq, lilly singh, sabrina jalees, stand up comedy

Sabrina Jalees’ latest late night set is a jaunty, fun, short set that bristles with Jalees’ charisma and “daddy” energy. Also, she gets to head over to the couch for a jaunty, fun, short (perfect for late night) story with Lilly Singh and guest Nico Santos.

Please enjoy Sabrina’s set on A Little Late with Lilly Singh here.

February 13, 2020

comedy show, largo, stand up comedy, tig notaro

The hours of Tig Notaro doing stand-up are such a momentous occasion and really ought to behoove you to be in attendance for Tig headlining if you can.

Whether she’s unveiling several tragedies very honestly or teasing the audience with a “possible” appearance of the Indigo Girls for several minutes or dragging a stool across the stage, Tig pushes the envelope, but does so in such a clever way that you wouldn’t notice until you walked out of the theater.

In any case, get your tickets for Tig running her latest hour at Largo this Sun., Feb. 16th at 7PM. Tickets are $30 (plus $7 service fee).

Get Your First Look at Three Busy Debras, The Adult Swim Series

February 13, 2020

adult swim, alyssa stonoha, mitra jouhari, sandy honig, three busy debras, trailer

Three Busy Debras rose through the verve of their own absurdist feminist humor in shorts that they (Alyssa Stonoha, Sandy Honig, and Mitra Jouhari) have made over the years.

Now, they stand at the precipice of a full-fledged live action Adult Swim series and we can’t wait to see what hilarious abstract hijinks they’ve crafted for all of us.

The Three Busy Debras trailer definitely gives a great taste of what’s to come and leaves us wanting more.

Look for Three Busy Debras to premiere on Adult Swim on Sun. Mar. 29th.

Trailer for Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch Is Everything You Want from a Wes Anderson Movie (Yet Again)

February 12, 2020

french dispatch, trailer, wes anderson

In posting here about the wondrous and delectable trailer for Wes Anderson’s latest offering, The French Dispatch, it seems, to us, rather repetitive to comment on the signature look of a Wes Anderson picture, the routinely glorious and stacked casts within his films, how every frame could be framed and hung in a gallery, how quotable the dialogue is, how cool the soundtrack is, and the sheer dreaminess of his movies. If you have any hint of a notion of Wes Anderson, it’s very likely you already know about all of that.

Also, The French Dispatch very clearly seems to possess all of those Wes Anderson elements.

Instead, we’ll remark on how amazing it is that Wes Anderson has created such a mystique about him as well as delivering on said mystique with every new work that he can (and most likely will) keep making films that are oft described as “so Wes Anderson” or “the most Wes Anderson that Wes Anderson can be” and we all still love it. Any reinvention by Anderson is oh so slight and probably undetectable on a first viewing. It’s the magic trick that we never get tired of and certainly The French Dispatch seems like it will be keeping that streak going and we personally can’t wait for July 24th when it comes out.

For now, just enjoy watching the trailer for The French Dispatch over and over as you marvel at the small morsels of it that we’re afforded at the moment.

February 12, 2020

comedy show, kyle ayers, los angeles, never seen it, podcast, silverlake, solomon georgio, table read

It has been a minute (several minutes actually) since Kyle Ayers’ fantastic show/podcast Never Seen It where comedians reimagine celebrated, beloved movies that they have never seen and then do a table read of their version.

We still can’t forget how funny the heavy metal take of Mary Poppins by Henry Zebrowski is and we have no doubt something insanely and hysterical unexpected is going to be read live next month at Lyric Hyperion.

Tickets for this latest edition of Never Seen It are on sale now and you can (and very much should) get them here.

Please Enjoy a Much Needed Dose of Jo Firestone with Another Tonight Show Set

February 11, 2020

jo firestone, late night, stand up comedy, tonight show

“See Jo Firestone” should be an additional definition to the word “delightful” in any and all dictionaries.

Firestone got to return to the Tonight Show stage for her second set in front of Fallon. You can’t help but smile and laugh at as well as really consider the true demographic of women’s clothing company Ann Taylor.

Enjoy Jo Firestone on The Tonight Show here.

February 11, 2020

comedy show, dynasty typewriter, larry owens, los angeles

The exquisite and magical wonder of Larry Owens is not only returning to LA next month, but he’ll be doing so for a whole evening at Dynasty Typewriter.

Owens’ theatrical, commanding, musical-forward comedy has gained him plenty of acclaim in a very short time.

Don’t miss this chance to experience a full show of Larry Owens (along with the fantastic guests of Matt Rogers and Naomi Ekperigin) and get your tickets for $15 right now right here.

February 10, 2020

jacqueline novak, last podcast on the left, maria bamford

2020 Moontower Comedy Festival Adds Maria Bamford, Last Podcast on the Left, Jacqueline Novak

At this point, it should come as no surprise that Austin’s annual Moontower Comedy Festival stacks and stacks and stacks their line-up and summons many of comedy’s best from around the country.

Already, they had a pretty stellar line-up, but they just announced a pretty grand set of headliners as you can see above including Maria Bamford, Last Podcast on the Left, Jacqueline Novak, Todd Barry, Chris Fleming, Marlon Wayans, and Ronny Chieng.

If you’re not already going and are really itching to go after seeing this new line-up, go get details, tickets, etc. here.

February 10, 2020

clowning, comedy show, dr brown, los angeles, lyric hyperion, natalie palamides, silverlake

The Lyric Hyperion has become a destination to see comedy that’s different, boundary pushing, genre-blending, eye-opening, and, of course, so much damn fun.

One of the pillars of the theater is the occasional runs of the “Monday Nights” crew of Bill O’Neill, Courtney Pauroso, Natalie Palimides, Chad Damiani, Juzo Yoshida, Max Baumgarten, Ian Bratschie, and Christina Catherine Martinez led by Lyric Hyperion ringleader and artistic director Dr. Brown. They are the best of the best of their clowning/solo performers banded together for some top shelf tomfoolery (plenty have won awards and they even got to be featured on FX’s Cake last year).

Mon. Feb. 17th at 7PM will see the return of the Monday Night Crew for a special fundraiser benefit for the Lyric Hyperion (as a non-profit, it needs all of our support). Tickets are $15 and you can (and very much should) get them here.

Ben Schwartz Announces Middleditch & Schwartz Specials to Premiere on Netflix

February 7, 2020

ben schwartz, comedy special, long form improv, netflix, thomas middleditch

Last year, Ben Schwartz and Thomas Middleditch took what very well may be one of the the most successful improv groups of all time, Middleditch + Schwartz, and taped multiple performances for the purposes of a comedy special. Long form improv on TV is a rare thing to see, but leave it to Ben and Thomas to figure out how to really make it work.

During his appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers last night, Schwartz announced that there will be three different specials capturing three different performances by Middleditch + Schwartz coming to Netflix soon.

These specials could be very well break new ground for long form improv, largely a discipline in comedy that only gets seen live and we personally, really can’t wait to see what the two have cooked up together in the moment.

February 7, 2020

blamblamblam, comedy show, koreatown, los angeles, stand up comedy, variety show

13 years for anything in LA comedy is an incredible feat. Blam!Blam!Blam! is just about to reach that very mark, thanks to the care of one DeMorge Brown, with doing a monthly show, late on a Tuesday, putting up a barrage of comedians from every sort of discipline and giving you one hell of a mind-bending comedy experience in one of the most curious bars in all of Koreatown, R-Bar.

So, this Tuesday, Feb. 11th around 9:30PM (doors 9PM), you should pay your respects to the Blam and come see the likes of:

TROY WALKER, BRODIE REED, FRANKIE QUINONES, LAURA KIGHTLINGER, GLENN FANCHER, AMBER NELSON, PAIGE WELDON, M.K. PAULSEN, NANA IWASAKI, MAX BEASLEY, OMAR NAVA, JOHN ROY, CHAD DAMIANI
PLUS a musical selection from ALANA NABORS

Also, Paul Danke will be presiding over the evening once again Blam!Blam!Blam!’s faithful host and, of course, there will be “comedic passions” expressed from Davey Johnson and Anna Seregina.

Get more info about Blam!Blam!Blam! 13th Anniversary here.

The Jesus Rolls, John Turturro’s Big Lebowski Spin-Off, Gets a Full Trailer

February 6, 2020

full trailer, jesus rolls, john turturro

Finally, we’re getting a better grasp of what John Turturro has been cooking with this curious project. Spinning off from Jesus Quintana from The Big Lebowski, The Jesus Rolls seems to have the same sort of curious, offbeat odyssey feel of the original movie (though we imagine Turturro is going to have plenty of his verve running throughout the film).

Thus far, we’re on board to get lost in Quintana’s world and its very own cast of atypical characters.

See for yourself in the full The Jesus Rolls trailer here, then look for its release on Fri. Mar. 6th.

Please Enjoy Erin Jackson’s Charming Set on Seth Meyers

February 6, 2020

erin jackson, late night, seth meyers, stand up comedy

Erin Jackson is starting to rack up late night sets with her refreshing charm. She’s already done Conan and she just performed a lovely set on Late Night with Seth Meyers that really showcases a winning, upbeat persona and really great sense of timing.

So, please enjoy Erin Jackson on Late Night with Seth Meyers here.

February 6, 2020

comedy show, experimental comedy, lyric hyperion, valentine's day

You’re Gonna Love This might be the perfect comedy show to go see on Valentine’s Day?

You’re Gonna Love This, presented by Maddie Connors & Katy Fishell, has female/queer comedians present all the sorts of things that their significant others tried oh so hard to get them into (whether it’s the sort of thing that they would love or not).

It’s a tribute to loves past, but also a justified dissection of a perhaps ridiculous thing that they had to “go along with”.

For this special, Valentine’s Day edition, they have a wondrous line-up Megan Gailey, Jared Goldstein, Robby Hoffman, Nori Reed, and Jon Millstein who we’re sure have some hysterical things about the things that they were forced into liking.

Tickets are $10 (and they usually sell out). So, go get your tickets right here, right now.