Recent News

January 1, 2020

comedy show, gary gulman, largo, los angeles, peace of mind tour, stand up comedy

As 2020 has officially arrived, we think the perfect show to first hip you to for this year (and decade) is the run of shows that the one and only Gary Gulman is doing at Largo at the Coronet Theatre next week.

Gulman is on his Peace of Mind following his beautiful HBO special The Great Depresh and continues to be one of the best examples of what a comedian should be these days.

The Jan. 10th date is sold out, but Wed. Jan. 8th and Thurs. Jan. 9th still have tickets available. You can get them for $37 a pop here and here, respectively.

December 31, 2019

50 worst jokes, comedy show, los angeles, stand up, worst jokes

If there was a perfect way to remember 2019, it would be an irreverent, mad dash showcase of the worst jokes that many of LA’s best told throughout the year.

Lucky enough hosts Barbara Gray and Dave Child are, once again, doing 50 Worst Jokes at Silverlake Lounge to revel in the burning garbage pile of 2019 in the way that it absolutely should be remembered.

Admission to 50 Worst Jokes is FREE. Get more details and updated line-ups for the show here.

Kevin Hart Don’t F**k This Up Docu-Series Truly Does Give an Insider’s Look Into the Life of a Superstar Comedian

December 31, 2019

docu series, don't f this up, kevin hart, netflix

Kevin Hart’s Netflix docu series intends to show Kevin confronting his past and present and future via tons of footage from all years of his life (and plenty of the present day non-stop, go-go-go, lifestyle he keeps up now).

Seeing Kevin get vulnerable and diving into his past is pretty intriguing, especially in how his mother and father have informed his life these days. Also, the sheer scale at which Kevin Hart runs his entertainment empire is pretty damn captivating. Balancing, stand-up, running his own comedy brand Laugh Out Loud, starring in movies, hardcore workouts, his family, recording podcasts/doing radio, and so much more, we’ve perhaps never got inside look of the life of one of the biggest draws around that happens to be a comedian.

Kevin Hart: Don’t F**k This Up is now streaming on Netflix.

December 30, 2019

brody stevens, comedy gives back, the comedy store

The verve of one Brody Stevens, who we unfortunately lost this year, will always live on in the millions of people that got to witness him, his spirit, his comedy, and all of his plethora of catchphrases.

Any opportunity to pay tribute and remember Brody should always be taken and thusly, you should find your way to this special event An Evening to Celebrate the Comedy of Steven Brody Stevens that honors Brody’s memory, premieres a YouTube channel for Brody (Yes! You got it!), and raise funds for the charitable organization Comedy Gives Back that seeks to aid comedians who are in dire straits with their mental or physical health and can’t afford help.

So, please go get your tickets for An Evening to Celebrate the Comedy of Steven Brody Stevens here.

Here’s the Trailer for Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, and Lee Eisenberg Written “Little America”

December 27, 2019

apple tv plus, emily gordon, kumail nanjiani, lee eisenberg, little america

For our money, one of the much more intriguing offering from Apple’s streaming service Apple TV Plus is an American immigrant anthology series that will come from the pens of Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, and Lee Eisenberg (The Office).

Kumail and Emily of course not only were a couple that co-ran The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail for years, but really shot themselves into the spotlight by writing the beautiful and very funny The Big Sick based on how they met.

Little America will follow several different immigrants and their experience in arriving and living in America for all the different sorts of things that could mean and this trailer hints at the series having the sort of the great heartfelt, dramedy vibe of The Big Sick.

See for yourself in the trailer for Little America and then look for it on Apple TV Plus on Jan. 17th.

December 27, 2019

garry starr, garry starr performs everything, lyric hyperion, solo show

The notion that the title Garry Starr Performs Everything seems ambitious, if not a little ridiculous of course. However, this solo show that he does is indeed so all encompassing of how amazingly funny Starr is in every facet of comedic performance, especially with his knack for physical comedy/clowning.

We don’t want to give too much away as we’d like for Garry Starr Performs Everything to take you as much by surprise as possible (though you should know this is definitely an adult show), but we will say the way he satirizes theater as a concept is flat out brilliant.

Garry Starr Performs Everything is going up again at the Lyric Hyperion on Wed. Feb. 5th at 9PM. Tickets are $10 and you very much should get them here.

“John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch” Hysterically Strikes the Perfect Amount of Strange

December 26, 2019

john mulaney, netflix, sack lunch bunch, special

Leading up to its release, John Mulaney’s latest work, a “traditional” children’s musical TV special called “John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch”, really had us pondering how much would this be for kids and how much this would be subversively and meta-textually be for adults.

We are not kids here at TCB and haven’t been for quite some time, so we can’t speak to their reception of it (we suspect the very charming performances by the kids here would indeed delight other kids), but boy-oh-boy, John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch is so, so damn funny to us grown-ups.

Mulaney and co. do their due diligence and including all the traditional trappings of a children’s special with musical numbers, fun, loose choreography, and colorful, interactive interstitials. However, several threads of hilariously bizarre self-awareness (i.e. Mulaney making fun of the fact that he and his very hyper specific sense of humor are making a children’s special) that run rampant throughout the Sack Lunch Bunch. The absurdity of the premise is even twisted further with both genuine moments (the kids of the Sack Lunch Bunch earnestly discussing their fears) and the inclusion of other perfectly out-of-place guests like Richard Kind, David Byrne, and Jake Gyllenhaal. Even the interstitials get their own weird twist with trivia that almost no kid (and maybe some adults) today would know.

Somehow, Mulaney has outdone himself yet again with John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch, which is quite the feat following his stand-up specials and Oh, Hello. In fact, if Lorne Michaels ever steps down from SNL and John’s up for it, Mulaney now has got our vote for running SNL.

John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch is now streaming on Netflix. Go watch it and bring yourself some joy.

December 26, 2019

comedians following tool, comedy tour, freddy scott, los angeles, nick youssef, rory scovel, stand up comedy, tool

Remember when we told you about the marvelously mischievous trio of Rory Scovel, Nick Youssef, and Freddy Scott were going on a tour that was explicitly following the current live tour of the band Tool?

All of those dates were all around the country, but didn’t quite have an LA date.

Well, that is until now.

Rory, Nick, and Freddy will be doing an exclusive preview show at the Virgil on Mon. Jan. 6th at 10PM (following Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen). Tickets are $5 in adv., $8 at door (cash only) and you really ought to go and see what sort of tomfoolery these three got planned for the rest of the country’s Tool fans.

Get tickets here.

Please Watch and Enjoy The Dress Up Gang’s Christmas Special “Post Holiday Blues: A Christmas Special”

December 24, 2019

brent weinbach, christmas special, cory loykasek, demorge brown, donny divanian, dress up gang, frankie quinones, holiday special, kirk fox, post holiday blues, robb boardman

There is an entire brilliantly funny season of a Dress Up Gang TV series that has yet to be seen and one can only hope that one day the general public will get to revel in how it’s potentially even more “about nothing” than Seinfeld.

In the meantime, you can and very, very much should enjoy the chill, offbeat, silly vibes of The Dress Up Gang’s delightful Christmas Special “Post Holiday Blues: A Christmas Special” here.

Ramy Youssef Signs Overall Deal With A24

December 24, 2019

a24, ramy youssef

Ramy Youssef Signs Overall Deal With A24

A24 is essentially a golden brand these days that carries an air of serious artistic credibility and respect with whatever they work on.

Thus, it’s pretty amazing to see them bring in a comedian for an overall deal. Of course, Ramy Youssef has garnered a ton of acclaim for both his stand-up and TV series Ramy that boldly explore what it’s like to be Muslim in American these days in a peak-TV, dramedy/enrapturing storytelling kind-of-way.

There is a certain cinematic quality to what Ramy does and this collaboration with one of the most beloved studios of today has us excited to see what they come up with.

FYI, Ramy’s already got two shows in the works, one of which will delve into the life of disabled people like Ramy did for Muslims.

December 24, 2019

boxing day, comedy show, ed roe, improv comedy, jim woods, los angeles, ucb, will hines

Basically, some of the best improvisers in town will not only be in town, but will be doing one of the daftest forms of improv ever conceived and we’re down for it.

Will Hines, who we love for intentionally doing bad guitar solos with a great backing band, indeed will be doing improv with boxing gloves and perhaps questionable British accents (and one legit one) as play off of the UK’s Boxing Day the day after Christmas and we’re sure this will be a wonderful offering of top shelf silliness.

For our money, Boxing Day Improv at UCB Franklin is the perfect follow-up for that post-Christmas haze. Get tickets here.

Chris Gethard Makes a Sweet, Heartfelt Love Letter to New Jersey with “Taylor Ham, Egg, and Cheese”

December 24, 2019

chris gethard, comedy album, new jersey, stand up comedy, taylor ham egg and cheese

Most love letters don’t come in the form of a comedy album. In fact, it’s hard to think of any hour of stand-up comedy being a love letter to anything (save for Blake Wexler’s album of voicemails from Todd Glass).

Leave it to Chris Gethard, the comedian who likely wears his heart on his sleeve more than anyone else in comedy, to dedicate an album something he loves deeply, his home state of New Jersey.

This album, Taylor Ham, Egg, and Cheese is indeed chock full of Jersey intricacies, references, and name checks greeted with hollers and applause. Gethard flexes the depth of his Jersey identity here, but, to the Jersey uninitiated, you don’t feel lost throughout. The sheer love that he has for the place, the people, and the way his experiences with the two shaped him into the punk rock sweetheart comedian that he is today emanates through every bit and becomes the core of the humor. No one really loves Jersey quite like Gethard and he shows how beautiful of a thing that is.

If you’re looking for some sweetness in your comedy, please listen to and enjoy Chris Gethard’s Taylor Ham, Egg, and Cheese here or on Spotify.

“The Jay Larson and Friends Christmas Special” Gives You Two-Christmas-Specials-for-One

December 23, 2019

comedy special, dan soder, debra digiovanni, holiday special, jay larson, jesus trejo, lara beitz, nick thune, suzanne santo

When it comes to making a holiday TV special, you could just have a bunch of great comedians/storytellers share their holiday memories/do bits (and some stripped down version of a Christmas standard) or you could have jaunty recipes and tips for the perfect holiday party.

Thanks to Jay Larson, we could have our Mid-Century Modern Gingerbread House (a real thing that Larson makes in this special) and eat it too (i.e. enjoy the comedic stylings of Jesus Trejo, Debra DiGiovanni, Dan Soder, Lara Beitz, and Nick Thune and music of Suzanne Santo). Always the crafty, clever one, Larson made an all-in-one sort of half-hour holiday special that celebrates (and subtly roasts) this time of year.

Please enjoy it at your leisure, for free, here.

December 23, 2019

comedy show, demi adejuyigbe, jess mckenna, los angeles, musical comedy, zach reino

It has been a minute since the duo behind Off Book: The Improvised Musical Podcast, Jessica McKenna and Zach Reino, have gone out just as The Zach and the Jess to do whatever musical comedy they damn well please (improvised, scripted, or otherwise).

Thankfully, they’ll be kicking off 2020 with a night at Silverlake’s The Satellite with a fantastic collection of musical comedy from the likes of Demi Adejuyigbe, Erin and Melissa, The Sloppy Boys, and even Zach and Jess’ “emo group” Every Place I Cry.

It’s absolutely one of the first must-see shows for next year.

The Zach and The Jess at The Satellite is set for Tues. Jan. 21st at 8:30PM. Snag your tickets now for $8 here.

Schitt’s Creek Final Season Trailer Hints at the Roses Finding Some Redemption

December 21, 2019

final season, pop tv, schitts creek, trailer

Schitt’s Creek has been such a wondrous hit for Pop TV. For five seasons, the journey of the Roses family has organically built a very loyal following. Going into it’s sixth and final season, it seems there seems as if there will be some quite sweet moments as the Roses’ humanity finds a bit more of the way to the surface.

Also, Moira’s looks in this season are so fierce that we hope folks make her a go-to costume for Halloween next year.

See all of this for yourself in Schitt’s Creek sixth and final season trailer here, then look for final season premiere on Tues., Jan. 7th 9PM on Pop TV.

Netflix Might Have Just Come Up With Their Trippiest Animated Series Yet with “The Midnight Gospel” from Pendelton Ward and Duncan Trussell

December 20, 2019

duncan trussell, midnight gospel, netflix, pendelton ward

Netflix Might Have Just Come Up With Their Trippiest Animated Series Yet with “The Midnight Gospel” from Pendelton Ward and Duncan Trussell

A series description of, “…a spacecaster with a malfunctioning multiverse simulator who leaves the comfort of his home to interview beings living in dying worlds,” is certainly as “out there” as Netflix has ever gone; maybe even more so.

The minds of Pendelton Ward, the creator of Adventure Time, and the everpresent-ly trippy Duncan Trussell created what they’re calling The Midnight Gospel and we’re already on board from just the logline. If anything, we’d love to see what beautiful imagery is dreamed up from a premise that has touches of Welcome to Night Vale and Rick and Morty in it.

Look for The Midnight Gospel to arrive in 2020 on Netflix.

Michelle Wolf’s “Joke Show” Netflix Special Shows That She’s Sticking Around for Awhile

December 20, 2019

joke show, michelle wolf, netflix

Michelle Wolf and her comedy will always persevere. That seems to be the spirit of her latest special Joke Show, which began streaming on Netflix last week.

Though she was the last comedian to host the White House Correspondents Dinner (they have a historian do it now so Trump can be less whiny?), Wolf continues to put forth stellar writing in her stand-up that really dances around the “line”, a thing she has quite the penchant for. It’s a great reminder that comedy’s time honored tradition of not having “sacred cows” (even if the same sacred cows keep getting knocked down a peg) can still work in 2019.

Also, somehow, we feel like this is a tangentially a great reminder that Trump’s a wimp and can’t take a joke and that Wolf should be more lauded for never backing down.

December 20, 2019

comedy shows, hollywood improv, ione skye, jen kirkman, los angeles, real talk, talk show

A monthly Jen Kirkman live talk show at the Hollywood Improv Lab where Jen gets to talk as candidly and unfiltered as she so pleases?

Yes, that’s what’s happening and we can’t wait for it to start. The first Real Talk with Jen Kirkman is set for Thurs. Jan. 9th at 8PM with special guest Ione Skye (from Say Anything of course).

Tickets for Real Talk with Jen Kirkman are $10 and you can (and should) go get them here.

Conan O’Brien and Sona Movsesian Do the Next Best Thing to Couples Counseling, Visiting HR

December 20, 2019

conan o'brien, conan remote, human resources, sona movsesian, tbs

It’s pretty clear that Conan O’Brien and Sona Movsesian will be one of the great late night duos as their dynamic as boss and assistant is just naturally so very, very funny. That’s quite a feat considering that Conan already has an all-time great late night duo between him and Andy Richter.

This actual meeting with a TBS Human Resources representative is just classic. Please enjoy this Team Coco gift to us all here.

Please Get and Enjoy Nick Youssef’s Latest, “White Hot Fire 3: Into the Gray”

December 20, 2019

comedy album, nick youssef, stand up comedy

The idea of recording an hour of comedy has greatly evolved over last handful of years, whether it be a special or an album. Nick Youssef has opted to take a more personal, more raw take on it by recording and releasing material more frequently at ease in the form of EPs under the title “White Hot Fire”.

White Hot Fire 3: Into the Gray represents the third in this series that really has a feel of a comedy bootleg, so to speak. As such, you get a real satisfyingly gritty performance full of asides and riffs and crowd work to the point where you kind of feel immersed in Youssef’s detailed, colorful observations. Also, Nick gets real into the thick of his own psyche, warts and all, and digs up some real gems. On top of all of that, Nick is so good, as always, at weaving together his material pretty seamlessly that makes the record run so smoothly.

White Hot Fire 3: Into the Gray dropped this week and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever you listen to comedy albums.

The New National Lampoon Radio Hour Arrives With a Bang

December 19, 2019

cole escola, comedy podcast, jo firestone, national lampoon radio hour, sketch comedy, spotify

Not only is one of the cornerstone’s of the original National Lampoon’s brand, The National Lampoon Radio Hour has officially relaunched today, there’s another bonkers fast paced, absurdist sketch comedy podcast, a truly hard thing to pull off in a space that so much relies on being not scripted.

The new National Lampoon Radio Hour gets to be steered by the likes of:

Cole Escola (Emmy-nominated At Home with Amy Sedaris, Difficult People)
Jo Firestone (Adult Swim, The Tonight Show)
Brett Davis (Andy Kaufman Comedy winner, Podcast For Laundry)
Alex English (The Rundown, Night Train)
Maeve Higgins (Maeve in America: Immigration IRL, 2 Dope Queens)
Aaron Jackson (UCB, The Opposition)
Rachel Pegram (The Week Of, Don’t Think Twice)
Lorelei Ramirez (Comedy Central: Up Next, Pervert Everything)
Meg Stalter (Vulture: Up-and-coming Comedian of the Week, The Meg Stalter Show)
Martin Urbano (Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central).

There are two episodes up now, exclusively on Spotify and they have every bit of that National Lampoon irreverence, but rebooted from a 2019/2020 perspective. Definitely, they go for territory SNL could never touch and it’s pretty damn fun for that reason.

So, go get into the National Lampoon Radio Hour on Spotify now.

Fans of Childrens Hospital Are Getting a Early Holiday Gift with “Medical Police” Trailer

December 19, 2019

erinn hayes, medical police, netflix, rob huebel, trailer

Sure, it’s “not a spin-off” of the beloved absurdist medical procedural satire Childrens Hospital, but the spiritual successor to it, Medical Police, which features plenty of Childrens Hospital cast and creators (again, it’s “not a spin-off”) is going to give you that fix for comedy that’s so unbelievably daft, but so cleverly assembled. With Rob Huebel and Erinn Hayes as both doctors and cops, the stakes for things to go awry are even better.

Just see for yourself in the Medical Police trailer, then look for it on Netflix on Fri. Jan. 10th.

December 19, 2019

comedy show, demi adejuyigbe, dynasty typewriter, experimental comedy, los angeles

Demi Adejuyigbe never ceases to amaze in the ambition of and conception of his bits and the scope at which he expands them to.

Case in point, his latest show wherein he will do an amazing multimedia variety show with great guests (Lizzy Cooperman and Sarah Squirm are fantastic), as he normally would with any show he’s involved in and a single backflip with no prior experience or training. The spectacle alone, whatever it may be, has to be worth the price of admission.

Tickets for Demi Adejuyigbe Is Going To Do One (1) Backflip are $15 now and $20 on the day of and you can (and very, very, very much should) get them here. It very well may be the first great thing you see in 2020.

Enjoy Another 6 Minutes and Change of Joe Pera Having a Lovely Chat with Seth Meyers

December 19, 2019

joe pera, late night, seth meyers

Kindness and earnestness abound with this interview as is always the case with Joe Pera, especially when he’s on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

It’s almost like a bonus ep. of Joe Pera Talks With You and you can have it brighten your day right now right here.

Please Enjoy Stuart Goldsmith’s Delightful American TV Debut on Conan

December 18, 2019

conan, late night, stand up comedy, stuart goldsmith

Stuart Goldsmith has spent so many years over in the UK with his terrific podcast The Comedian’s Comedian that dissects the creative process of so many great comedians while also honing his own skills, that he makes quite the impressive debut with his first late night set in America.

It’s clear that he’s absorbed plenty of the knowledge and skills of the craft of comedy from the hundreds of hours he has recorded for The Comedian’s Comedian as this set is both carefully constructed, yet undeniably seamless and very fun.

So, please enjoy Stuart Goldsmith’s U.S. stand-up TV debut here.