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Pick of the Day: Meme Fighter LIVE! (in LA) 9/23
September 5, 2023
News
Dylan Adler, game show, ify nwadiwe, jenny zigrino, los angeles comedy, lyric hyperion, meme fighter, nick gligor

As it stands now, there is no undisputed sort of King of Iron Fist Tournament for comedy, but, we here at The Comedy Bureau have partnered with brand spankin’ new app, Meme Fighter, to get a bit closer to such a thing with the aptly named Meme Fighter LIVE!

As you might surmise, we pit some of the very best comedians (and you know we mean that when WE here at TCB say it) versus each other with memes as the only “weapon” at their disposal. Meme Fighter Live! will decide comedy supremacy through the shrewdest, most hysterical manipulation of the language of the Internet.

For this inaugural edition, we have the esteemed “fighters” of Dylan Adler, Ify Nwadiwe & Jenny Zigrino, all undeniable comedic forces in their own rights under the presiding of one of the best hosts around, Nick Gligor. They will all gather at Lyric Hyperion on Sat. Sept. 23rd at 9:30PM and for $15 you can get a front row seat to see who is the cleverest and funniest of them all (seriously, we’re part of the running the show, which means it’ll be a damn good time).

Get tickets right now right here.

TCB Debriefing 9/1/23: Bottoms Goes Wide, How I Met Your Father, Titmouse/BWAS, Bridgett Everett, Poor Things
September 1, 2023
News
black women animate studios, bottoms, bridget everett, how i met your father, poor things, titmouse

1. Let 2023 be the year of Barbenheimer and Bottoms. Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott, and Ayo Edebiri made such an astounding comedy that, between Barbie and Bottoms, The Oscars should be flipping the script and giving more nods to comedy in 2024. Celebrate that by going to see Bottoms, now in expanded release so you don’t have to be a coastal elite to go see it in a movie theater.

2. So, it looks like, we won’t get to know exactly How I Met Your Father.

3. The Titmouse Foundation, the non-profit arm of Titmouse Anmation (the studio behind the likes of Big Mouth, Digman!, and The Midnight Gospel) are partnering with Black Women Animate Studios to bolster the goal of hiring “200 diverse animation professionals by the end of 2025” (Deadline). Glad to see more folks are ignoring the conservative activist SCOTUS.

4. While you’ve enjoyed multiple seasons of Somebody Somewhere, you have might been missing on some new tunes from comedy’s cabaret icon, Bridget Everett. Fret not, a new single is coming very soon.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bridget Everett (@bridgeteverett)

5. Yorgos Lanthimos, the master behind The Lobster and The Favourite, has just scored a ten minute standing ovation following the premiere of his latest work, the bizarre sci-fi-period-piece-sex comedy, Poor Things. While festivals timing their standing ovations is an almost unfathomable display of privilege, we can’t lie that the anticipation for Poor Things is somehow even higher.

6. Might be controversial here, but, perhaps, there should be no 2 drink/item minimum on Labor Day Weekend?

Pick of the Day: Pooping It Out with Maria Bamford & Friends (in NYC) 9/5-9/7
September 1, 2023
News
maria bamford, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Maria Bamford is bringing her early, rise and shine stand-up comedy shows across the country all the way to NYC. Whether you’re an early riser or just keeping the night going through to the morning, you’re going to want to watch living and working comedy legend Maria Bamford do a three day run at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective that she’s choosing to call Pooping It Out with Maria Bamford and Friends.

Maria is working her new hour, which is part of the reason why these shows are at 10AM, and will have some of NYC’s very best opening for her, bright and early (for comedians anyway). Joining in support will be Sara Hennessey, Shalewa Sharpe, and Sam Morrison at 10AM on 9/5-9/7.

$10 advanced tickets are already sold out, but you’ll be able to get a chance to see her with limited tickets available at the door (i.e. get up extra early to make sure you get in).

TCB Debriefing 8/31/23: Brooks Wheelan, Amber Ruffin, Ridiculousness, Rick and Morty S7,
August 31, 2023
News
amber ruffin, brooks wheelan, rick and morty, ridiculousness, wga strike

1. Brooks Wheelan has done some daring things for comedy including, but not limited to running an entire marathon on a whim on next to no training at the beginning of quarantine. For his latest feat, Wheelan will be taping his brand new hour special in the far reaches of Anchorage, Alaska at the appropriately named Bear Tooth Theater. To our knowledge, Brooks will have what will be one of very few hours of comedy recorded and released in Alaska (the only other one that comes to mind is Glenn Wool’s I’ll Ask Her). Go get tickets for Wheelan’s taping, if you’re up there, here.

2. While the future of The Amber Ruffin Show and late night in general is unclear, Amber Ruffin is already working on adapting the book she co-wrote with her sister Lacey Lamar (Deadline). Of course, nothing definite is set as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are still in effect. Also, isn’t it weird that Strike Force Five doesn’t include Ruffin, especially considering she is now the only non-cis-hetero-white-man in late night?

3. The writers of Ridiculousness, many of whom are comedians, are putting up the possibility of unionizing under the banner of the WGA to a vote (Deadline). One can hope that this is yet another small step to comedians having their own union?

4. Yes, Rick and Morty is such an international phenomenon that Adult Swim can make content out of just announcing episode titles, which usually don’t give almost anything away. That’s what they did here, but they better have more Rick and Morty teasers as the premiere is still several weeks away on Oct. 15th on Adult Swim.

5. If you’re legitimately exploring a comedic premise that has to do with your fondness for any time in the past being a “simpler time”, perhaps do some soul searching.

Pick of the Day: The Simpsons Bailout: Rebooting an American Family (in LA) 9/11
August 31, 2023
News
experimental comedy, los angeles comedy, simpsons, the elysian

In its 34th season and having its very own theme park, The Simpsons has left its indelible stamp on civilization for several generations to come. That said, its latter years have been troubled with figuring its place in the ever-changing zeitgeist, especially with the emergence of other highly satirical adult animation shows such as BoJack Horseman and Rick and Morty.

Also, they really let handled the controversy surrounding recurring character Apu (a caricature of an Indian man being voiced by Hank Azaria) pretty poorly, even after Azaria volunteered to step down.

With that in mind, Laura Jacoves has created a show, The Simpsons Bailout: Rebooting an American Family, centered on jolting The Simpsons back towards the irrefutable significance from its pitch perfect satire that it delivered for so many years. On Monday, 9/11, at 9:30PM at the Elysian, LA’s home of boundary pushing comedy, Laura and company will be doing their own bailout of The Simpsons.

Esteemed performances/art/etc. to come from:

  • David Brown
  • Colin Burgess
  • Brett Davis
  • Bridey Elliott
  • Mitra Jouhari
  • Kaye, Loggins
  • Molly Bounds
  • Maggie Brennen
  • Conor Donahue
  • Simeon Kondev
  • Katie Lane
  • Branson Reese

At the very least, your curiosity has to be peaked, even if you haven’t watched The Simpsons in years. That’s actually part of why you should spend $15 to see what everyone has up their sleeve at this show. Get tickets right here.

TCB Debriefing 8/30/23: Chris Fleming, The Great, Poor Things, Our Flag Means Death S2, Marry My Dead Body
August 30, 2023
News
chris fleming, marry my dead body, our flag means death, poor things, the great

1. Hot on the heels of his fantastic special, HELL (now streaming on Peacock), the amazing Chris Fleming is going on a nice lil’ U.S. tour starting this winter. Get tickets now at chrisflemingfleming.com.

2. The latest culling during this double strike is of The Great on Hulu, despite it garnishing plenty of acclaim and awards over 3 seasons (EW). One can only hope that things will get uncanceled after the strikes end a la “the blip” in the MCU?

3. Yorgos Lanthimos’ (the beautiful mind behind The Lobster) latest high concept satire, Poor Things, gets a fancy new poster, a featurette, and even more anticipation from us on our ends for something we were already extremely excited for.

4. Well, at least Our Flag Means Death survives for another season (we’ll see what happens in the coming months). For now, enjoy a dollop of the latest from the most ridiculous pirate tale you ever did hear/see with the season 2 teaser here. Look for the season premiere on Oct. 5th exclusively on Max.

5. AMPAS, the governing body of The Oscars, still has the unfortunate rule of countries only being allowed to submit one film in consideration for the Best International Feature category. So, it’s a big deal when a country chooses a comedy to represent its national cinema, which is what Taiwan has done with the marvelously titled Marry My Dead Body (Deadline). Off the premise alone, which is “…a homophobic cop who is forced into a same-sex “ghost” marriage to appease the spirit of a man who has passed away. Although terrified of both homosexuality and ghosts, he has no choice but to team with his ghostly spouse to solve a long-running drugs case,” this has a strong case for an Oscar, no?

6. For any and all coming up in comedy, remember that no one is keeping attendance in comedy (i.e. it’s ok to not get five sets a night or even go up every night). If anything, we here at TCB would be responsible for keeping tabs of that and there is no way in hell we’re doing that.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 179: Jesse Friedman & Those Fightin’ Memes
August 30, 2023
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
jesse friedman, meme fighter, memes

It’s undeniable that memes are a touchstone of culture in the 21st century. With that in mind, renaissance man  Jesse Friedman (brewery owner, app developer, avid Epicurean) has gone and developed a whole app centered on coming up with your own memes as quickly and as simply as possible (and even doing so competitively).

The product of that idea is Meme Fighter, which will do all of the above and probably more, and we here at TCB are partnering with Jesse to put on an exclusive live show, Meme Fighter LIVE!, that will pit comedians in ultimate combat with only memes at their disposal. This week’s TCB Field Report talks all about Jesse’s journey from brewing all the way to Meme Fighter and finding some grassroots for the app in the LA comedy community.

Get Meme Fighter at memefighter.app and follow Meme Fighter on IG @memefighterapp. Get tickets for Meme Fighter LIVE! @ Lyric Hyperion on Sat. 9/23 here.

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

Pick of the Day: Keegan-Michael Key & Elle Key: The History of Sketch Comedy (in NYC & LA) 10/3 & 10/6
August 30, 2023
News
elle key, greenlight bookstore, history of sketch comedy, keegan michael key, los angeles comedy, nyc comedy

While there are many a book covering the history and experience of Saturday Night Live, the entirety of sketch comedy goes far beyond the late night sketch institution. In fact, most books that you’d find in the humor section of your local book store have little to do with the world of sketch comedy as it’s mostly comprised of memoirs of stand-up comedians or comedic actors. There isn’t much when it comes to the “history of sketch comedy”, which is why Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key of Key & Peele fame have written/compiled an entire book on the subject, complete with chats with Mel Brooks, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jordan Peele, Chris Rock, and John Oliver.

The title gets straight to the point: The History of Sketch Comedy (due out on Oct. 3rd). The Keys will be doing an exclusive in-person event at Symphony Space in NYC to celebrate the release of their book on Tues. Oct. 3rd at 8PM. For LA, they’ll be at Barnes & Noble at The Grove on Fri. Oct. 6th at 7PM.

You can (and should) go get your tickets here for NYC starting at $42 and here for LA for $36.43, then go binge a bunch of your all time favorite sketches in preparation for this. The purchase of a ticket includes a hardbound copy of The History of Sketch Comedy (in case you thought the ticket price was a bit up there).

TCB Debriefing 8/29/23: Strike Force Five, Starstruck, Jay Jurden, Book of Clarence
August 29, 2023
News
book of clarence, jay jurden, jeymes samuel, jimmy fallon, jimmy kimmel, john oliver, late night, rose matafeo, seth meyers, starstruck, stephen colbert, strike force five

1. The Jimmys, John, Seth, and Stephen are banding together as Strike Force Five in order to support the staff of their late night shows, which have been the productions that have suffered the longest from the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike. Kimmel, Fallon, Oliver, Meyers, and Colbert will be doing a limited run series (though plenty of episodes should be coming out) where they chat (and will hopefully provide some sort of respite from Gutfeld! being the defacto #1 late night show on the air). Strike Force Five rolls out exclusively on Spotify starting tomorrow and proceeds from the pod go to all those late night staffers, which have all probably grown some sort of strike beard by now.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon)

2. Rose Matafeo‘s chance encounter with celebrity romance has blossomed into one of the rom com series to watch of the moment, Starstruck. Season 3 is just around the corner (Sept. 28th) on Max and you can get your first taste here.

3. The irrefutably hilarious Jay Jurden just added more dates to his Kinda Sorta Sorta Kinda North American tour. Go get tickets before they sell out (again) here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jay Jurden (@jayjurden)

4. Jeymes Samuel, the director behind modern day black Western The Harder They Fall, is at it again (i.e. changing the racial narrative paradigm in genre movies) with The Book of Clarence that follows a Jesus copycat in Jesus times. It almost feels like this would have been an episode straight out of the fifth season of Atlanta (if there was one). Take your first gander at The Book of Clarence here, then look for it in theaters in 2024.

5. Per item #1, late night really does need help as they’re resorting to compilations such as “Best of SNL Writers on Seth Meyers” since they’ve been off air for so very long.

Pick of the Day: StraightioLab (in LA) 9/16
August 29, 2023
News
George Civeris, live podcast, los angeles comedy, sam taggart, straightiolab, teragram ballroom

NYC has the distinct pleasure of having the brilliant George Civeris and Sam Taggart, the hosts of the esteemed StraightioLab podcast, reside in their city. The duo are truly doing critical and acclaimed work exploring straight culture, which is pretty absurd (especially given how mainstream it is), through a gay lens (and being so damn funny while doing it).

Thankfully, they’re going on their Lab Leak Tour for StraightioLab and one of their stops is a still hurricane free Los Angeles. on Sat. Sept. 16th, Civeris and Taggart will take the stage at the Teragram Ballroom near DTLA at 6PM. The show is only a couple weeks away and, somehow, there are tickets still available ($30 plus fees). You might want to snag your very own tickets before they sell out right here.

TCB Debriefing 8/28/23: Fremont, Bottoms, Eric Andre, Cat in the Hat
August 28, 2023
News
bottoms, cat in the hat, eric andre, fremont

1. Behold what might be your new favorite black and white comedy for this year, Fremont, the wry comedy from Babak Jalali that follows an Afghan immigrant writing the fortunes in fortune cookies. If that’s not charming enough for you, know that Carmy Berzatto and Neil Hamburger have bit parts in it. Get a lovely taste of it with the trailer here, then look for it in limited release at a theater near you.

2. The astounding Bottoms already throttled the funny bone of speciality theater audiences this past weekend and is poised to take over America in expanded release starting Sept. 1st. Go see it in a theater no matter how far you are from one that’s playing it, which hopefully won’t be too far beginning this Friday.

3. Master of Comedic Chaos, Eric Andre, has just announced a big U.S. tour, The Eric Andre Explosion, running through all of October and December. Tickets go on sale this Wed, but use code RANCH to get in on presales. Also, expect the completely unexpected and don’t think the “splash zone”, if there is one, is just the first couple of rows.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Eric Andre (@ericfuckingandre)

4. Dr. Seuss‘ classic children’s books are getting adapted into podcast form via Wondery/Amazon (Variety). This is a whole new level of whether audiobooks count as “reading”.

5. Rather than credits, would much rather prefer to hear what a specific comedian fears as part of their intro.

Pick of the Day: Return of Butterboy (in NYC) Starting 9/4
August 28, 2023
News
brooklyn, butterboy, littlefield, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

School is back in session and, thankfully, so is the Monday night comedy institution that is Butterboy @ Littlefield. Jo Firestone, Maeve Higgins, and Donwill took a bit of Summer break (because can adults do that too/Edinburgh Fringe usually sees a lot of LA & NYC go to Scotland for a month).

So, now you can find your way to Gowanus to Brooklyn staple, Littlefield at 8PM sharp for one of the most surefire ways to make Monday feel not like a Monday (with NYC and beyond’s best stand-up comedians). Per usual, tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door and Jo, Maeve, and Donwill will greet all of those coming back with them on Mon. Sept. 4th.

Oh yeah, their first line-up is a bunch of irrefutable NYC favorites including Napoleon Emill, Caitlin Cook, Petey DeAbreu, and Cansu Karabiyik.

As always get tix, more info, etc. at butterboycomedy.com.

TCB Debriefing 8/25/23: High Plains Comedy Festival, Bill Burr World Tour, Bottoms, Titanique
August 25, 2023
News
bill burr, bottoms, high plains comedy festival, titanique

1. One of the world’s coolest comedy festivals, Denver’s High Plains Comedy Festival, just announced their final wave of performers including:

  •  Langston Kerman
  • Amy Miller
  • Kristin Rand
  • Stephen Agyei
  • Mara Wiles
  • Kevin O’Brien
  • Allison Rose
  • Harris Alterman
  • Hayden Kristal
  • Rosalie
  • Sammy Anzer
  • Andres Becerril
  • Edward Bell
  • Austin Black
  • Katie Bowman
  • Ben Bryant
  • Christie Buchele
  • Janae Burris
  • Liv Carter
  • Matt Cobos
  • Georgia Comstock
  • Anthony Crawford
  • John Davis
  • Nic Dean
  • Joshua Emerson
  • Brad Galli
  • Morgan Gallo
  • Luke Gaston
  • Brent Gill
  • Steven Gillespie
  • Gabby Gutierrez-Reed
  • Shanel Hughes
  • Michael Isaacs
  • Mitch Jones
  • Ali Kareem
  • Dē Kelley
  • Ben Kronberg
  • Lane Lonion
  • Nathan Lund
  • Zac Maas
  • Jose Macall
  • Andie Main
  • Danny Maupin
  • Kate McLachlan
  • Miriam Moreno
  • Jeff Nelson
  • Nancy Norton
  • John Novosad
  • Hannah Popkin
  • Zach Reinert
  • Noah Reynolds
  • Patrick Richardson
  • Lee Robinson
  • David Rodriguez
  • Kelsey Rosen
  • ShaNae Ross
  • Jacob Rupp
  • Derrick Rush
  • BK Sharad
  • Sam Sisson
  • Mike Stanley
  • Jeff Stonic
  • Eeland Stribling
  • Kate Strobel
  • Brian Sullivan
  • Geoff Tice
  • Steve Vanderploeg
  • Matt Vogl
  • Elliot Weber
  • Lizzy Wolfson
  • Salma Zaky

So many more great comics are billed for Sept. 21st-23rd and you really go get more info, make plans, and get tickets here.

2. The one and only Bill Burr is going on a world tour that stretches from the UAE to Budapest to Vegas. You might want to get tickets sooner rather than later at billburr.com/tour.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bill Burr (@wilfredburr)

3. Very quickly, Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott‘s Bottoms is astounding and hysterical and a great wake up call to the genre of high school, coming-of-age comedies and so many other things. We’ll give more thorough thoughts later, but definitely take advantage of National Cinema Day and go see one of the funniest, most badass films of 2023.

4. Once a curiosity in and around smaller comedy theaters in NYC, Titanique has not only played on Late Night with Seth Meyers, but has gone Off-Broadway and has just added LA comedy staple, Drew Droege, to its cast (Theater Mania).

5. If live comedy is set up right, there’s nowhere in the room that comic can’t hear you talking, which you shouldn’t be doign (in case you didn’t realize that).

Pick of the Day: A Night of Comedy Characters @ The Crow (near LA) 9/7
August 25, 2023
News
crow comedy club, los angeles comedy, santa monica

The LA comedy scene is vast, often with reaches so far that this furthest edges don’t really come to the other side all that often. That’s all to say that a lot of the marvelous comedy that happens on the Eastside, and there’s a lot of it, doesn’t really find its way West of the 405 too much.

So, when the likes of LA comedy darlings Lisa Gilroy, Alyssa Limperis, Hannah Pilkes, Lily Sullivan, Taylor Ortega, and Natalie Ortega are gathered to do a very special westside night of character comedy, anyone with a 310 area code should absolutely not miss out. Santa Monica’s newest comedy club, The Crow, is putting on such a night with that very line-up (in addition to being a few degrees cooler and having, believe it or not, a gigantic free parking lot) on Thurs. Sept. 7th at 6PM.

Tickets are only $15, which is definitely not your typical Santa Monica price, and you best get tickets here even if you don’t live on the westside.

Chris Fleming Goes Through HELL to Bring Us All Unbridled Joy
August 24, 2023
News
chris fleming, comedy special, peacock, stand up

While the self-styled truth tellers certainly seem to hold their sway in comedy these days, there are those who choose to take an oath to the absurd and play-fueled side of comedy. Chris Fleming is a shining, shimmying beacon of the unfettered joy of being silly and utterly ridiculous in stand-up comedy (while also still being very genuine). HELL, his latest hour special, is delightfully contrary to the title with Fleming taking viewers on a trip fantastic through his psyche and the furthest reaches of his imagination, complete with punchlines and act outs and probably the best wardrobe of any comedy special this year.

There is a certain tight tether to reality that nearly every stand-up comedian firmly holds on to during their act (improvisers/clowns/sketch folks obviously take advantage to obscure reality). Fleming foregoes this and, instead, galavants between hyper-specific observations in his actual life (hence why he opens this hour by saying it isn’t for “people with wives”) and an alternate universe where Fleming’s anxieties get ballooned into cartoonish proportions (his own personal “hell” complete with mutant theater creatures perhaps?). Chris himself even takes a big poke at the continuity of his own special during a very involved crowd interaction as well as peers into the void of the camera in order to permanently make eye contact with whoever is watching Hell. The fluctuation between, shall we say, multiverses is such a phenomenal ride that logic takes a back seat with no reservations.

Similar to the breadth and undertaking of Nick Vatterott‘s Disingenuous, Chris Fleming boldly goes where pretty much only Chris will go in Hell, but does so with abandon and the physicality of a contortionist on their day off. It might be fair to say that no comedian is having as much fun on stage as Fleming does and, it turns out, that fun is pretty damn infectious.

Chris Fleming: HELL is streaming now on Peacock.

TCB Debriefing 8/24/23: Wes Anderson/Henry Sugar, Rick and Morty, Cat Person, VonViddy
August 24, 2023
News
cat person, rick and morty, vonviddy, wes anderson

1. Normally, you’d have to wait quite some time between the works of art that comedy auteur extraordinaire Wes Anderson puts out. Anderson’s latest The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar just happens to buck that trend (and also be a short rather than a feature length film) by announcing a Sept. 27th premiere on Netflix (Pitchfork). Those wanting more Roald Dahl in the world ought to be thrilled as well that this premiere is less than a month away.

2. Season 7 of Rick and Morty is set to premiere on Sun. Oct. 15th at 11PM ET/PT on Adult Swim. Adult Swim’s press release made no mention of Justin Roiland, which makes us wonder if they’re going to make fun of it in future episodes a la Solar Opposites or just going to leave their parting ways all in the past.

3. It takes a lot for short story to captivate the Internet, but that is what Cat Person by Kristen Roupenian, published in the New Yorker, achieved. For such a feat, it’s now going to be a genre-bending feature length film that’s part comedy (especially with Geraldine Viswanathan and Nicholas Braun), thriller, social satire, and low key Black Mirror episode. Take a gander for yourself with the trailer here.

4. R.I.P. Joe Muchlinski AKA VonViddy, a popular TikTok comedian that took his own life at the age of 32 (People). Even though mental health is taken seriously these days, there’s obviously still a very long road to go before any of us have it all figured out.

5. It’s kind of criminal that the strikes have lasted to the point where Greg Gutfeld is the only late night host on air when the first GOP POTUS debates just happened.

Pick of the Day: Kyle Ayers-Hard to Say (in LA) 9/15
August 24, 2023
News
elysian theater, hard to say, kyle ayers, los angeles comedy, solo show, trigeminal neuralgia

With the coming and going of the Edinburgh Fringe, there has been a big wave of solo shows that have come through LA and NYC in preparation to do it almost every night for a month. Thus, we have seen dozens and dozens of solo shows and, as you’d imagine, we have our favorites.

Kyle Ayers, who has been one of the funniest people in LA for years now, has also had to deal with the Trigeminal Neuralgia, a brain disease so painful that it has been nicknamed “Suicide Disease” (as it is reportedly the disease with the highest suicide rate). Ayers, even though he still has to navigate his condition everyday, came up with an absolutely hysterical, gripping, and cathartic solo show, Hard to Say, around how this has affected everything in his life and how it seems like he’s just going to have to live with it.

We got to see a performance of it months ago and was floored from start-to-finish, both with laughter and tugging at heart strings.

Lucky for Angelenos that Kyle is doing his show again at The Elysian on Fri. Sept. 15th at 7:30PM with the marvelous Joel Kim Booster opening. Tickets are $15 and that’s such a novel price to see Ayers doing an astounding show about Trigeminal Neuralgia while still very much having it. Please go get them right now right here.

TCB Debriefing 8/23/23: Ever Mainard, SF Sketchfest, A Very Good+ Night of Comedy, Barbie’s New Record
August 23, 2023
News
barbie, don't tell comedy, ever mainard, kennedy center, sf sketchfest

1. If you’ve somehow been a follower of TCB for any amount of time and don’t know Ever Mainard, you need to fix that issue immediately. Thankfully, they have a brand spankin’ new set for you to see, enjoy, and subsequently become obsessed with Ever’s vulnerable sense of mischief. Please enjoy it repeatedly here.

Also, in case you didn’t know, the new Premium Blend/Comedy Central Presents/Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup/late night sets is Don’t Tell Comedy.

2. If you’re perhaps interested at taking a shot at performing at one of the most prestigious, largest comedy festivals in the world, the SF Sketchfest deadline is coming up fast. Submissions are due at 11:59PM PT on Sun. Sept. 3rd. Get more details and send in your stuff here.

3. A Very Good+ Night of Comedy has nothing to do with a new streaming service, but, instead is probably one of the biggest comedy gala benefits of the year. Supporting Jessica Seinfeld’s Good+Foundation that systemically addresses poverty, headliners Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer and Ronny Chieng are all set to perform at Carnegie Hall in mid October (Deadline).

4. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has officially become the highest grossing movie of 2023 thus far, beating out The Super Mario Bros. Movie (CNN). With an IMAX version that includes a post-credit scene, it’s due to beat more records even if it’ll only play in certain parts of Asia and the Middle East.

5. So, do we need to watch stuff on DVD/VHS rather than streaming or cable to support the strike as media consumers?

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 178: Maddy Martin & Staying Aggressively Alive
August 23, 2023
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
aggressively alive, house show, los angeles comedy, maddy martin

Often, the comedy version of Field of Dreams involves places and spaces that are much more humble than a field. Perhaps, an apartment courtyard to many is just something to merely pass by even though there might be seating of some kind. To others, like comedy producing team Maddy Martin and Ben Berke, creators of Aggressively Alive, it’s clearly the home of their very slick, DIY house show that has survived both the pandemic and the aftermath of it all the way to the 2 year mark. Any live comedy show lasting 2 years at this point in time is pretty damn impressive and we chat all about all things Aggressively Alive (and comedy in general) with Martin for this week’s TCB Field Report.

Follow Maddy @fakemaddymartin and Aggressively Alive @aggressivelyalive on IG. Get tickets for Aggressively Alive at aggressivelyalive.com.

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

Pick of the Day: Awkward Sex… and the City 10 Yr. Anniversary (in NYC)
August 23, 2023
News
awkward sex and the city, nyc comedy, storytelling

While And Just Like That.. has gotten a third season at Max, the better bet for sex-fueled comedy storytelling coming from those who are actually out in those streets of all five boroughs trying the best they can to meet their needs for pleasure and intimacy, but often found themselves in the most absurd experiences of their lives.

Natalie Wall has been bringing that very thing to the forefront with her very special, very sex positive storytelling show, Awkward Sex… and the City, and has dutifully been doing so for 10 years. To mark this decade anniversary, Wall will have the show at, perhaps, the perfect venue for such an occasion, Club Cumming. Joining her in vulnerable tales that range from kinky to wild to embarrassing to just downright bizarre will be Calvin Cato, Melissa Rich, and Jen Keefe.

Celebrate 10 years of awkward sex on Wed. Aug. 30th at 8PM. Tickets are only $12 right now, so go get ’em here.

TCB Debriefing 8/22/23: Michelle Wolf, NY Comedy Fest/Conan, Frasier, Wrecking Crew, America’s Funniest Home Videos
August 22, 2023
News
america's funniest home videos, conan o'brien, dave bautista, frasier, jason momoa, michelle wolf, ny comedy festival

1. Michelle Wolf‘s third special, It’s Great To Be Here, will be released in 3 parts (maybe it’s 1 part for every year that comics could do some sort of live comedy since 2020?) on Netflix, which will be only the second time, as far as we know, that has ever happened for a comedy special (the other time being with James Acaster). The release is set for Sept. 12th and you can take your first look at the special here.

2. The New York Comedy Festival has just announced a new marquee addition to their usually stacked line-up; two live episodes of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. Go get tickets here right now.

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3. Following the nostalgia trap of Good Burger, Paramount+ is hitting Gen-Xers with that long-promised Frasier revival.

4. Riding a wave of positive reviews of Angel Miguel Soto’s Blue Beetle and top billing of Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa, The Wrecking Crew might be an action buddy comedy to watch out for (Deadline). Wouldn’t it be great to see something outdo The Nice Guys?

5. Long before YouTube, much of the schadenfreude content that people are obsessed with came from the long-running home video series America’s Funniest Home Videos (Variety). A new owner of the production company responsible for AFHV is set on putting at least a thousand hours of the show on YouTube on Facebook. We’ll be curious to see if Ridiculousness uses any of the same videos.

6. If you choose to play the self-deprecation card as a comedian, make sure you’re doing so in a way where the audience isn’t concerned about your own self-worth in silence.

Pick of the Day: Morgan Jay (in NYC) 9/1 & 9/2
August 22, 2023
News
little island, morgan jay, musical comedy, nyc comedy

Summertime in NYC affords many a wonderful thing, one of which is live shows at the man-made Little Island outside, beneath the sky outlined by the Hudson and the iconic NYC skyline. They’ve got plenty of programming lined-up for NYC residents to delight in.

Morgan Jay‘s dulcet tones, whipsmart crowd work, hilarious and emotionally resonant original songs would be quite the thing to enjoy in the Little Island setting. Jay is indeed stopping into NYC to play four exclusive shows exclusive at The Glade on Little Island.

Fri. Sept. 1st and Sat. Sept. 2nd at both 7PM & 9PM will be when Jay brings his charm and his nylon string guitar to serenade/rib/celebrate those in attendance and, best of all, it’s free to attend. Get more details here.

TCB Debriefing 8/21/23: Sandy [Honig] Stock, Wolves of Glendale, Hannah Einbinder Tour, Bill Burr Movie, How to Get to Heaven From Belfast
August 21, 2023
News
bill burr, channel 4, hannah einbinder, how to get to heaven from belfast, lisa mcgee, netflix, sandy honig, wolves of glendale

1. The very, very, very funny Sandy Honig of Three Busy Debras fame also happens to be amazing at photography (@sandyhonigphoto) and is bringing the two together with her subversive stock photography zine, SandyStock™ Zine. Please buy and enjoy at Heavy Manners Library.

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2. One of the best musical comedy groups around, Wolves of Glendale, has a new jam (and anthem) for those whose finances are getting the better of them. Please enjoy, Just Give Me Cash.

3. The marvelous Hannah Einbinder is going on her Everything Must Go tour next month. Do not miss out on some of the best horticulture and silly high concept comedy around today. Get tickets right now right here.

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4. Bill Burr has gone from revered comedian to lauded podcaster to acclaimed acting to acclaimed adult animation to sports commentating to, now, filmmaker with Netflix picking up his directorial feature debut Old Dads (Deadline). It’ll follow Bill as a man trying “…to navigate a changing world of culture, career and fatherhood,” so kind of an extended, cinematic act out of his stand-up.

5. One of the most beloved UK comedy series over in these parts is Derry Girls and Derry Girls fans ought to be thrilled to know that creator Lisa McGee has just set up her latest series at Channel 4, How to Get to Heaven from Belfast (Variety). It’s a comedy thriller that follows a mystery arising from the death of an old friend. Between this and Sharon Horgan’s Bad Sisters, it’s nice to know that Ireland’s dark sense of humor is well intact.

6. Don’t become a slave to your nostalgia.

Pick of the Day: aggressively alive 2 Year Anniversary (in LA) 8/30
August 21, 2023
News
aggressively alive, house show, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy, variety

A lot of DIY shows popped up after quarantine and, while they had their time in the sun, they faded away as performing indoors become a more ready option. So, putting on a house show and keeping it going for years is really something.

Maddy Martin, Ben Berke, and Eli Josel have dutifully kept their monthly DIY show, Aggressively Alive, in WeHo bathed in blue light and white folding chairs and stacked line-ups of their personal LA favorites in a space that looks like it wouldn’t be able to host a comedy show going strong. Two years in, it’s a big monthly underground comedy party, complete with slickly branded merch.

They’re celebrating their two years officially on Wed. Aug. 30th (doors/party @ 7:30PM) with another line-up of their favorites from, well, all over the country.

That will include:

EJ Marcus
Jamel Dotson
Ketra Long
Langston Kerman
Laura Peek
Luke Mones
Megan Gailey
Sarah Coffey
Tom Thakkar
Vinny Thomas

Tickets are only $9 and we highly suggest snagging them before too long at aggressivelyalive.com.

TCB Debriefing 8/18/23: Ziwe’s Black Friend, A League of Their Own Canceled, Chris Fleming, Adventure Time
August 18, 2023
News

1. Tickets for Ziwe’s Black Friend Tour are not only on sale, but dates have been added since certain shows have already sold out. Don’t waste more time reading this sentence and go buy tix at ziwe.com.

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2. A League of Their Own is now canceled instead of having a shortened second season at Amazon (Variety). Not that you needed another reason to hate Amazon, but here you go.

3. Chris Fleming’s latest hour special, Hell, is now streaming at Peacock. Please enjoy thoroughly whether you choose to sit or mirror Chris’ physicality while watching.

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5. Adventure Time has returned in the form of Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake. Take a gander at the first trailer of the one of the rare, truly for all ages animated series here, then look for it on Max on Aug. 31st.

6. Just a friendly reminder that the “other day” in comedy happened probably at least a year or two ago, if not five or six.

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