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The 100 Best Things in Comedy (Despite a Pandemic) That We Were Witness To in No Particular Order of 2020

January 1, 2021
News

Honestly, after what 2020 did to comedy and to us personally, we didn’t know if we could even make a list of 100 at the year’s end like we usually do. Yet, never underestimate comedy’s resilience and need to exist. We’re thankful to these 100 things in comedy that helped us get through one of the worst years of all of our lives.

1. Ziwe-From Baited with Ziwe on IG Live and the blend of comedy and deeply needed conversations on race alone, Ziwe cemented her self-ascribed iconic status for 2020.

2. Todd Glass on Jimmy Kimmel Live-When it comes to the craftsmanship of a set, few are as meticulous and crafty and hysterical as Todd Glass. This set is just the latest evidence to back that up.

3. Atsuko Okatsuka’s But I Control Me-Atusko’s debut album captures her signature charm, warmth, and particularly unique, very thoughtful lens after having come to America from Japan under somewhat covert circumstances.

4. Jordan Firstman–The very, very, VERY specific impressions done by Firstman on his Instagram seem to speak to the zeitgeist on a more consistent basis than anything else on the Internet.

5. Dykevice with Robby Hoffman-The domineering, but ultimately caring spirit (and McGill degree) of Robby Hoffman lended itself perfectly to a great, hysterical, and actually helpful call-in advice show on Gethard’s Planet Scum.

6. Kyle Kinane’s Trampoline in a Ditch-Sincerely, Kyle Kinane never ceases to amaze with his comedic artistry and impeccable knack for storytelling. Thank goodness this is essentially a double album that features some rare gems that got left off of previous hours.

7. Eddie Pepitone’s For The Masses-Pepitone’s latest and greatest hour verges on being prophetic on top of it being one of the unmistakably funniest specials of 2020.

8. Dress Up Gang-Despite a very long, unsure route to finally get their fully fledged TV series released via TBS, the world got a very much needed entire season of a series that arguably outdoes Seinfeld about being about nothing.

9. Jamel Johnson’s album I Think It’s Good & special Friend or Foe-Jamel’s purity in his rants, bordering on conspiracy theories, about well, the little things in life, are some of the funniest things we heard and saw all year. Kudos to Jamel for making one of the first specials made during the pandemic by literally shouting into the void at Lyric Hyperion.

10. Clowns in the Dark-When it was safe to do so, most of our Sunday evenings were spent in Alhambra Park where the likes of Chad Damiani, Jet Eveleth, Dean Evans, and Natalie Palamides put on a wondrous, purely absurd hour of high level clowning. Even on a day of record heat in LA, the group opted to do a “Clowns on Ice” show where they pretended like they were rehearsing for a future show that would be performed on ice and simulated it by throwing bags of ice at each other during scenes.

11. Awkwafina is Nora From Queens-This year saw the continuing ascent Awkwafina as the debut of her semi-autobiographical series debut on Comedy Central. The show itself is every bit as ridiculous in following her salad days in Brooklyn as it is sincere very much like its star Awkwafina/Nora.

12. Sex Education-The second season of this British coming-of-age show about sexual awakening dazzled from the get go and will very likely be regarded as one of the best coming-of-age series of this time in an already crowded field that includes PEN15 and Big Mouth.

13. Vanessa Gonzalez’s My Birthday’s Tomorrow-Vanessa’s debut album that arrived just before lockdown set in is such a fun ride imbued with so much of Vanessa’s playful stage presence and delivery and her personal stories, some of which are delightfully blue.

14. Ian Abramson‘s Saturday Night Quarantine-One of the earliest, boldest, and most ambitious experiments in comedy live-streams came from the fearless Ian Abramson who dedicated his early-in-the-pandemic Saturday nights attempting to do his own version of SNL all on his own, streaming from his Mom’s house in the woods. For us, its unapologetic DIY cleverness was one of our favorite things to tune into.

15. Big Mouth-Just when you think that the bluest, most meta animated series that probably has ever been couldn’t top itself and manage to still be just as funny (if not funnier), season 4 of Big Mouth arrived to prove you very wrong.

16. Jamie Loftus’ My Year in MENSA & Lolita Podcast-Loftus deftly combined her curiosity with the multitudes she contains as comedian and luminary to dissect the IQ based organization known as MENSA and revisiting one of literature’s more controversial novels, Lolita.

17. Bob’s Burgers-The latest season of the beloved cartoon brings it one step closer to being the current, best animated series on Fox’s lauded Sunday animation block.

18. David Letterman’s appearance on Desus & Mero-Not only does the late night legend’s appearance deliver on being one of the marquee late night interviews of 2020, but it bestows a certain honor and blessing on the ever-rising duo of Desus Nice & The Kid Mero.

19. Mike Carrozza’s Cherubic-Carrozza’s debut album might be the most unfiltered, pure, joyful hour of absurdist stand-up (that had nothing to do with COVID) that happened all year long.

20. Whitmer Thomas’ The Golden One-It’s very likely that there’s a billboard or bus ad of The Golden One somewhere in LA still (the special debuted right as lockdown was ordered). For how special Thomas’ hybrid documentary/musical comedy special was, it deserved to take up all that ad space.

21. How To With John Wilson-Wilson made one of the most magical things not only in comedy, but in TV in general for 2020. Part of that was the reminder of the human experience achieved by simply documenting all the moments of humanity that nearly all of us overlook such as furniture covers.

22. Moshe Kasher: Crowd Surfing Vol. 1-Kasher puts his brilliant crowd work prowess to the test on this entire hour of crowd work. Very cleverly, Kasher designed the frame work of the album to have him searingly annotate wild stories from the crowd.

23. Jo Firestone on The Tonight Show and Rate This Cookie-Firestone still enthralls us all with her comedic bravery of putting herself in situations where she has to be completely honest and vulnerable whether it be doing stand-up on Fallon or attempting to make a new friend by having them try out cookies for Adult Swim.

24. Maria Bamford’s Weakness Is The Brand and Live-streaming-Bamford’s brand new hour was, per usual, brilliant in its complex dissection and characterization of her life now, especially being happily married and served us in our need during an already bleak 2019. When lockdown came, Bamford stepped up again and streamed her stand-up over Zoom more frequently than any other major comedian for several months. She even did a comedic group therapy as a show because Bamford is really just that great of a comedian and a human being.

25. The 40 Year Old Version-Radha Blank’s full length feature debut was so full of verve and heart about trying to make your way as a rapper as a middle-aged theater teacher that it’s slick B&W look is just icing on its cake.

26. Hot Tub with Kurt & Kristen: Home Edition-The challenge of trying to not only keep your venerable weekly stand-up show going during a pandemic, but properly, as best as one can, adapt it to a Twitch live-stream was faithfully and consistently met by Kurt Braunohler, Kristen Schaal, CleftClips, and Hold The Phone.

27. Nore Davis’ Live from The Comedy Trap House-The first legit comedy album to be done entirely over Zoom is a bold undertaking. The one and only Nore Davis was the perfect comedian to pull it off with his candor and tirelessly upbeat disposition.

28. Big Time Rich Guys-Before lockdown, when Cagematch here in LA used to happen every Wed. night at 11PM at UCB Franklin, Shaun Diston and Lisa Gilroy were on a real, real good run to beat any improv team that faced them.

29. Marc Maron’s End Times Fun–Even though this was taped well in the before times and released just as the pandemic took hold in America, Maron’s apocalyptic brand of gallows humor in this hour was well suited for the dire times, with or sans COVID-19.

30. Search Party-season 3 of the thriller/comedy series upped the ante on how dark and out there they could get and how complex John Early’s get-ups as Elliott could really be.

31. Ahamed’s Pranks-Ahamed Weinberg attempts to do a YouTube prank show in person during a pandemic and suffers the consequences thanks to Chad Damiani. May this be a hilarious warning to pranksters during COVID.

32. Alex Edelman‘s Ability to Read the Essence of Canned Goods-Though it might seem improbable, crowd work is possible over Zoom, though comics had to get clever to do so. Edelman pulled such a feat off by asking Zoom crowds to put a canned good on their camera and colorfully intuit the true essence of said canned good for one of our favorite bits of last year.

33. Corporate-one of the most stylized and darkest shows that Comedy Central has ever had continues to satirically bite on the late capitalist world better than almost any other show on television.

34. Never Have I Ever-Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher’s coming-of-age series really nails how much genuinely great comedy and storytelling there is to come from intersectionality.

35. Rory Scovel’s Hide and Go Seek with his family-Scovel is clearly a great dad in quarantine and the best at taking Hide and Go Seek to the next level.

36. Mike Birbiglia‘s Tip Your Waitstaff and Working It Out-Simultaneously, Birbiglia gave an unprecedented look into the comedic process, first on IG Live, then as a podcast, then over Zoom, and raised crucial money for waitstaff at comedy venues across the entire United States.

37. Jena Friedman’s Joy of Quarantine and Horoscopes–Friedman’s streak of dark humor was and is perfectly suited for pandemic times. Even in the times that she attempts cooking or divining your horoscope, Friedman beautifully works in acerbic one-liners.

38. Mute Neighbor’s R Trump Dwyer-Artist Mute Neighbor created one of our favorite and most unapologetic pieces of art brought on by the nightmare that is Donald J. Trump.

39. Michael Rayner on TikTok-Unlike most of TikTok, Rayner is at a more advanced age and has no interest in giving hot takes on minutia. Instead, Rayner showcases his endless talents in juggling, balancing, and spinning flaming cheeseburgers on parasols.

40. Nick Nemeroff’s The Pursuit of Comedy Has Ruined My Life-The art of the one-liner and delivering it slow and sweetly is still alive thanks to Nemeroff and this debut album.

41. Insecure-Issa Rae not only continues to build on and get more daring with her hit dramedy in its fourth season at HBO, but also shows even more of LA that rarely ever gets highlighted in TV and movies (i.e. other places that aren’t Silverlake/Echo Park, South Central, Beverly Hills, DTLA, or Hollywood).

42. Dave Hill’s The Pride of Cleveland-For several years, Dave Hill has been quite the musician and quite the raconteur comedian. Yet, those two sides haven’t met too often on an album, that is, until this year when The Pride of Cleveland seamlessly blended Dave’s mean guitar chops and his playful hijinks.

43. Robbie-Rory Scovel should be starring and be behind more things and his first marquee role as the star of Robbie is proof. Scovel’s magnetism is so undeniable that it even comes through when playing the fumbling and doltish titular Robbie who is obsessed with both getting away from the shadow and overshadowing his dad’s legendary career as a high school basketball coach.

44. Hannah Gadsby’s Douglas-the long awaited follow-up to Nanette delivers on every level and even exceeds those expectations with its deep dive into the patriarchal oppression in art and recap of what she’s going to do in the hour before she actually performs it.

45. BoJack Horseman-BoJack has enjoyed its success over several seasons by being unafraid to juxtapose truly dark, dramatic moments with the wonder of a world of anthropomorphized animals co-existing with humans and switching up any sense of formula they might have. This sixth season, ironically, is no different and continues to hold up its status as Netflix’s marquee adult animation series.

46. Myq Kaplan’s A.K.A.-Kaplan’s latest and greatest hour has Myq ascribe for a better understanding of humanity while working in his signature, masterful wordplay and his pointedly jolly persona.

47. Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj-Hasan’s pointed take on the world’s affairs were, in our opinion, beyond hitting their stride. Patriot Act seemed to confidently step forward in satirizing any critical niche issue they chose from week to week from Hasan’s impassioned takes. This was especially true for their piece following George Floyd’s murder.

48. Better Things–Pamela Adlon confidently leads one of the most self-realized dramedies into its fourth season juxtaposing some utterly real moments of beauty that come from keeping a family together against  some of the show’s Pamela’s hysterical brashness.

49. PEN15-The return of Anna and Maya was one of the things we were looking forward to the most this year and, even with that in mind, we were not prepared for how much we would be cackling and also feel our heart fiercely gripped this season by full grown adults continuing to expertly play tweens.

50. James Austin Johnson‘s Trump rants-In addition to nailing the cadence, sound, and the way that Trump thinks, JAJ layers his particular characterization of Trump with an extensive knowledge of pop culture that makes his Trump one of the most beautiful impressions, quite frankly.

51. Kyle Ayers on Conan and his album Happiness-Ayers’ latest late night set and his album display Kyle’s mastery of staying present while performing whether it be stealing an audience member’s identity or dealing with the very fun ordeal of recording your latest album outdoors well before COVID existed.

52. @yassir_lester on Twitter-Lester is always a good follow, but this year was something else as he pranked the world with a fake Jersey Mike’s BLM tweet and gathering non-Black allies to wear fedoras and shave their eyebrows in solidarity.

53. Beth Stelling’s Girl Daddy-The marvelous stand-up and winning smile of Beth Stelling has been deserving of an hour special for years and her very first hour special on HBO Max (the very first comedy special to be released on HBO Max, FYI) was like being enchanted by Stelling all over again.

54. Christina Catherine Martinez-comedy art multi-hyphenate Christina Catherine Martinez was firing on all cylinders pretty much all year long with an IG Live version of her talk show Aesthetical Relations, starring in existential short films about tennis, and taking over an artist’s space to shoot her first special sans an audience.

55. Natalie Palamides: NATE-Palamides put forth one of the most groundbreaking comedy specials that we’ve seen since, well, Nanette and did so by dressing up as a man and fearlessly exploring the concept of consent (and being hysterical throughout, of course).

56. Helltrap Nightmare‘s Benefit Live-streams for Change-Sarah, the ring leader of Helltrap Nightmare, did so many benefit shows via live-streams for mutual aid, progressive candidates, and, of course, the well being of us all as she would get gala worthy line-ups of comedians and fun, weird folks all year long on top of raising bunches of money.

57. Sam Jay’s 3 In The Morning-Jay’s debut hour special was one of the most unfiltered, honest hours of comedy that we’ve seen in recent memory and a great reminder that Jay is a force to be reckoned with on stage.

58. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm-It’s amazing that Sacha Baron Cohen pulled this off with playing other characters as Borat and finishing the latter half during a pandemic (including that infamous Rudy Giuliani scene). The madcap journey discovering how Americans can be pushed pretty far for a buck and the intro of Maria Bakalova delivered a pretty worthy sequel to the landmark first film.

59. Laurie Kilmartin‘s COVID jokes-For our money, there’s almost no other comedians that revel in dark humor, especially when it comes to death, quite like Laurie Kilmartin. Her jokes on COVID-19 are so good that they, for us, supersede it being “too soon”. Go see them on a Zoom show/listen to her on The Jackie and Laurie Show.

60. Comedy Crossing-Jenny Yang joyfully hosted one of the true products of the live-streaming induced pandemic era of comedy, a stand-up show done in the world of the video game, Animal Crossing. It’s a true delight and will definitely be a thing that gets us through more of quarantine in 2021.

61. Jackie Kashian-Kashian was one of the very first comedians to really take on virtual stage time doing stand-up comedy on Zoom. As a result, she has been as sharp and hilarious as ever and was set to record what would have been (and will eventually be) another great hour, but had to postpone because of, well, you know… COVID-19.

62. Gone Fishing-Though not taking not place in the pandemic, this short film from Phillip Clark Davis captures the spirit of our times, namely how insane we’ve been driven by staying disconnected and isolated for this long.

63. Ted Alexandro: CUT/UP-Alexandro’s stitching together of sets that he was performing in preparation to record an actual special truly worked. Some of that was the editing, but mostly, Alexandro’s expertise in writing and telling thoughtful jokes, both timely and personal, is what shines through.

64. Michelle Buteau’s Buteaupia-Always count on Michelle Buteau as someone to be a beacon of light that doesn’t put up with any nonsense. Buteau’s hour Netflix special delivered such a light during some of the darkest times that we’ve all collectively gone through.

65. Ga’Riffs with Gareth Reynolds-For weeks and weeks and weeks, Gareth Reynolds took to IG Live (and YouTube) to explore with his near unrivaled riffing skills to comedically explore whatever topics, non-sensical or not, that was suggested to him.

66. Get Your Pets with John Hodgman-John Hodgman spent so many of the early days of lockdown interviewing people’s pets on IG Live giving us all a fun chat with the sweetness and innocence of the smaller (and sometimes bigger) creatures with whom we share the planet.

67. Ron Funches-Funches’ live-streamed headlining stand-up shows with very, very limited capacity (10 people) were not only like the real thing in terms of live stand-up being performed (especially by Ron), but also a great preview of how live comedy might start to come back in 2021.

68. Freeway to Hell-Years in the making, Electric Television finally unveiled their full scale pilot, Freeway to Hell, starring Chris Fairbanks in all of its rotoscoped-into-a-midnight-movie glory.

69. Nicole Byer-We were lucky enough to catch Nicole at a few outdoor shows when that was happening here in LA and it’s very clear that, unlike many stand-ups that will need to shake off the rust when returning to performing live in earnest, Nicole is still one of the best comedians out there today, pandemic be damned. Also, her book #VERYFAT #VERYBRAVE: The Fat Girl’s Guide to Being #Brave and Not a Dejected, Melancholy, Down-in-the-Dumps Weeping Fat Girl in a Bikini was filled with the sort of unbridled inspiration we all needed in 2020.

70. Shows at Grand Central Market Rooftop-Of the handful of outdoor shows that happened in LA, so many atypical, non-traditional spaces had to be utilized in order to attempt observing COVID-19 protocol and have a live comedy show. The roof of the parking garage for LA’s beloved Grand Central Market in DTLA got thoroughly transformed into a legit comedy venue with as much safety precautions as they could muster (and a beautiful view of the DTLA skyline to boot).

71. The George Lucas Talk Show-Connor Ratliff’s long running stint as legendary filmmaker and Star Wars pioneer George Lucas seem to naturally fit into the Twitch-verse of comedy. Ratliff, as Lucas, made the show into one of the most popular streams on Chris Gethard’s indie comedy online platform, Planet Scum, and has done episodes spanning anything from simply being Lucas hosting a very good online talk show to running marathons of Star Wars, Studio 60, etc. often for charity.

72. “A Guided Meditation” with Caitlin Linden/Natasha Krause-Linden and Krause give us the perfect sort of meditation that is specifically tailored to a year like 2020.

73. Rachel Bloom’s I Want To Be Where the Normal People Are–Bloom’s expertise in processing anxiety and trauma and mental illness into comedy sparkles yet again with her collection of very personal, vulnerable, and cathartic essays.

74. @ComedyQuarantine-One of the most stalwart stand-up live-streams across the Internet was Comedy Quarantine. Its run stretched from the start of the pandemic to pretty much the end of 2020. Barbara Gray, Teresa Lee, Dominique Gelin, and Sam Varela really made stand-up on IG Live work and faithfully showed up on so many days of the pandemic to virtually bring the best comedians around the country/world to us all.

75. Confronting Demons with Meg Stalter-the beautiful chaos created by Meg Stalter by confronting her friends and colleagues was a very welcome break from reality that we were looking forward to every week.

76. Syd Can Cook–Sydnee Washington‘s learn-as-you-go cooking show featuring guest comedians giving her the business as she tries making complex dishes was one of the best comedian-cooking shows throughout all of quarantine (and, trust, there were so many to choose from).

77. Three Busy Debras-Mitra Jouhari, Sandy Honig, and Alyssa Stonoha AKA The Three Busy Debras finally got to unveil their Adult Swim series and it was every bit the satirical, absurdist feminist series we’d hope it would be.

78. Super Serious: An Oral History of Los Angeles Independent Stand-Up Comedy Book by Mandee Johnson-This is probably the most exhaustive history of a local comedy scene in recent memory and, for that alone, you should secure a hardbound copy for yourself or the comedy nerds in your life. Also, it’s filled with hundreds of the best portraits of your favorite comedians taken by the book’s author, the one and only Mandee Johnson.

79. A Gay Scene Written by a Straight Man-Nicholas Scheppard and Jenson Titus nail many straight men’s idea of being pro-LGBTQ and how they overdo it/miss the point in this marvelous sketch.

80. Judah Friedlander–Friedlander is one of a handful of nationally touring headlining comedians that took the Zoom comedy dive and really made it work. Friedlander’s satirical crowd work and signature one-sided debate style stand-up almost effortlessly transitioned to working on Zoom, IG Live, etc. Judah thankfully keeps doing weekly live-streams going into 2021.

81. John Mulaney on Colbert-The very genuine moments, many of which are spent in heavy pauses, make this the sort of rare interview that one hopes to see on late night, but often doesn’t. Colbert and Mulaney truly get real here in this appearance back in January and it’s something special.

82. Two Pan Dan-Sergio Cilli’s hysterical short follows the explosive drama that can come from simply gifting a cooking pan set with fantastic performances from Drew Tarver and Rory Scovel.

83. Poog-It’s billed as a wellness podcast, but seeing the inner-workings behind the intellect of both co-hosts Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak and their back-and-forth are simultaneously illuminating and incredibly acute in its poignancy.

84. Gritty Reboot‘s live read of The Big Bang Theory pilot at Pack Theater–Jesse Klein reading the almost unbelievable scene directions of the pilots of one of the most popular sitcoms of our times was all that we ever need or want from The Big Bang Theory.

85. The Airliner-One of the very last live shows that we saw before lockdown was Lady to Lady‘s live show featuring Maria Bamford, marking what would have been one of the first of many great indie comedy shows that were going to have a new home in the newly refurbished Lincoln Heights bar.

86. Nick Skardarasy: Thin Walls-Skardarasy utilized the unique shape of his apartment building’s courtyard and the camaraderie of the bubble of his neighbors to make a sweet half-hour stand-up special that is still very much of our time, yet very uplifting.

87. UnCabaret-The weekly storytelling/stand-up/music variety show that has been going for over a quarter of a century did a virtual edition that relied on a grand row of regulars to check-in with throughout quarantine including Julia Sweeney, Alec Mapa, Jamie Bridgers, and Alex Edelman. It was and has been and will be a calming salve whenever Beth Lapides and co. stream on Zoom.

88. Trump vs. Biden at ATX Sketch Festival–Tony Atamanuik once more reprised his masterful Trump impression versus James Adomian, who, in the past, would face off with his perfect Bernie Sanders impression, but goes on here as a spot-on Joe Biden. The comedic sparks still flew as they always did with Trump vs. Bernie at this exclusive virtual performance.

89. Lost Moon Radio-The revered musical/sketch comedy group did a single show last year and made one of our favorite virtual sketch shows in 2020. Per usual with Lost Moon Radio, it was endlessly clever and sharp as a tack (full disclosure: we did co-present it, though LMR wrote/shot/performed the whole thing independent of us here at TCB).

90. Morgan Jay doing musical crowd work at A Comedy Show LA-Jay has a knack for doing entire sets with his special brand of crooned crowd work and this particular set at an outdoor show in LA was one of those magical moments that make us really hopeful for when live comedy comes back in earnest.

91. Jim Tews’ Oatmeal–Tews’ quiet celebration of the minutia in life, absurd or not, and subsequent deconstruction of the male ego on Jim’s latest record are throughly enjoyable and enlightening.

92. Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun-If silly is what you needed in 2020 or even right, look no further than the purest concentration of abject silliness packed into a TV show, Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun.

93. Brooks Wheelan ran a marathon off of a bet on Get Rick Nick-In the early weeks of lockdown, it was unsure as to what any of us could/should/were allowed to do. Perhaps an impromptu marathon for a hefty bet and great comedic content would be OK? Brooks Wheelan indeed, and seemingly against the odds, won a bet against Nick Turner and Nick Vatterott to run a marathon through LA with almost no prep ahead of time.

94. Sara Schaefer’s Open (Doll)House-Comedian and author Sara Schaefer loves crafting and really took that hobby to the next level during lockdown by doing up and decorating a doll house. After finishing it, she gave a very cheeky tour of the some of the most adorable miniatures you’ve ever seen (all while raising money for terrific orgs).

94. Oh, Hello: The P’dcast-Gil Faizon and George St. Geegland didn’t leave us hanging in 2020 after giving us so many years of off-the-wall commentary from supposed New Yorker geriatrics. Their p’dcast is more ridiculous than you could have imagined and is the sort of thing to get through a few more hours/days in quarantine.

95. Moses Storm jumping into the ocean in a suit and tie at The Ocean Show-Again, there was a relatively brief window of when outdoor shows were happening in earnest in LA and then the second lockdown came. So, on the last edition of The Ocean Show, Storm dropped in to do a set on a show that happened on a sunset drenched beach mostly to run into the Pacific Ocean for the hell of it (and realize that it was way colder than he anticipated when he ran back to try and tell jokes afterwards).

96. Andy Kindler’s Hence the Humor-This record is technically a debut album for Kindler even though he has been beloved for digging himself in and out of stand-up comedy holes on stage for decades. Andy strongly reaffirms that status on this hour.

97. Couples Therapy’s Twitch stream-Naomi Ekperigin and Andy Beckerman might be one of the best comedy couples out there right now. They already put up a great live show/podcast Couples Therapy (not to be confused with the amazing Showtime docu-series) in the before times and they kept their beautiful relationship and show going on a weekly live-stream via Twitch.

98. Nick Rutherford does a sketch within his own stand-up set in Zoom-Ever the sly innovator, Rutherford essentially hacked his Zoom background during a stand-up show in order to put himself in a sketch with… himself. That happened near the beginning of lockdown and we haven’t seen as slick of a trick or as funny of a virtual background since.

99. What We Do In The Shadows-The second season of the brilliant adaptation of the brilliant movie of the same name was one of the first things that got us through a bit of quarantine. Thank the Vampiric Council for those daft vampires and their familiar on Staten Island.

100. Four Seasons Total Landscaping-Rudy Giuliani having to give a speech at a different Four Seasons than a Four Seasons Hotel seemed like it very much should be in an Armando Iannucci movie or TV series. It might be one of the funniest milestones in the Trump Administration/an undeniable sign of how much a pathetic joke the Trump presidency has been.

Pick of the Day: SF Sketchfest’s Festpocalypse 1/30

January 1, 2021
News
aparna nancherla, aunty donna, black version, bob odenkirk, bobcat goldthwait, chris gethard, david cross, eddie izzard, festpocalypse, joel kim booster, jonah ray, kids in the hall, kumail nanjiani, laraine newman, margaret cho, rifftrax, ron funches, sf sketchfest, Tenderloins, the state, todd barry, triumph the insult comic dog, ucb

It’s the first day of 2021 even though it feels like 2020 is still going on and doing it’s terrible, terrible thing, you can, if you’re up for it, try to start the year anew.

In that regard, we’d like to remind you of the first real big comedy event of the year (it’s still virtual, FYI): SF Sketchfest’s Festpocalypse. Coming in at the end of January right around when SF Sketchfest, one of the world’s biggest comedy festivals would normally happen, Festpocalypse will be a virtual event at a proportion that SF Sketchfest hasn’t ever done. Just take a gander at that line-up on the flyer. Even though it’s taking place over one day only, it really is a bill that they’d have at their normally scheduled, three week comedy festival extravaganza that takes over San Francisco.

Also, you should note that Festpocalypse is a fundraiser for SF Sketchfest to keep going in the future when doing a big time festival will be allowed.

Festpocalypse is set for Jan. 30th and will begin streaming at 5PM PT/8PM ET. Tickets start at only $20, but go up if you want to snag some merch. Go get them here.

Pick of the Day: Maria Bamford 2/27

December 31, 2020
News
maria bamford, rushtix

A really lovely thing to look forward to at the start of 2021 would be Maria Bamford‘s very next show. When it comes to comedy that’s as heartfelt as it is life-affirming as it is hysterical, Bamford is who we always put our money on (especially with how 2020 has been and seeing what 2021 has in store for us).

Bamford do so many shows early on in the pandemic, but has scaled back as we got further into 2020. That being said, she still does her impromptu, one-one-one shows (done virtually, of course) that you should follow her @mariabamfoo if you want a chance to get in on.

For her next full headlining virtual set, Maria has Feb. 27th at 6PM PT/9PM ET lined-up via RushTix. Tickets are $15 and you best snag them here before they sell out.

Please Watch and Enjoy Teresa Lee Explaining How Tenet Makes Sense to Her

December 30, 2020
News
christopher nolan, explanation, john david washington, kenneth branagh, robert pattinson, tenet, teresa lee, time travel

If you’re one of the folks that chanced seeing, Tenet, one of the only major studio releases of the year at a drive-in (or an actual theater if there was limited capacity and enough social distancing and COVID-19 cases were low enough), you might have left the theater pondering what you just saw. Of Christopher Nolan’s filmography, Tenet does leave the most to be explained (that includes Interstellar by the way). Repeat watches of the movie might be hard because of lack of access or merely because you don’t want to budget three more hours to figure out the circuitous interpretation of time travel that Nolan created exclusively for Tenet.

Even after several months of it being out there (and even now being on streaming platforms), people still find Tenet hard to follow/grasp/understand.

Thus, this explanation of how the universe of Tenet makes sense by Teresa Lee is pretty damn fun. Lee hilariously insists that its version of time travel is how she makes sense of theoretical time travel and her journey in trying to communicate that is much more straight forward than Tenet itself and, as such, much more enjoyable.

i have made a little nutty video review of the movie tenet and i dare u to watch it, here is a lil clip: pic.twitter.com/hJtd5D8Fre

— Teresa "Geometric Storm Watch" Lee 🏳️‍🌈 (@leresatee) December 28, 2020

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 40: 2020 Wrap-Up/Best of/Looking Forward (w/Joel Mandelkorn)

December 30, 2020
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
2020 wrap up, aparna nancherla, baited, comedy crossing, corporate, dana donnelly, eddie pepitone, hot Tub, how to with john wilson, joel mandelkorn, laurie kilmartin, sara schaefer, super serious, what we do in the shadows, ziwe

2020. Was it the year that comedy took a “little nap”? Was it a year where the effects of the pandemic will forever change the business dynamics and artistic direction of the art form of comedy? Were the latest seasons of Corporate and What We Do In The Shadows some of the year’s best TV?

As it’s the last week of 2020, TCB’s Jake Kroeger gets to the bottom of all these questions in a very special, year-end wrap-up episode of the TCB Field Report. He’s joined by one of the sharpest minds in comedy, veteran indie comedy producer Joel Mandelkorn to shout out their favorite/most sturdy/noticeable things in comedy in 2020 as well as what lies ahead for comedy in 2021 if the world hasn’t sunk into total mayhem at that point.

Shout outs to: What We Do In The Shadows, Corporate, How To With John Wilson, Baited with Ziwe, Eddie Pepitone: For the Masses, @aparnapkin, @danadonly, @saraschaefer1, Comedy Crossing, and Laurie Kilmartin.

Follow Joel @cleftclips & Hot Tub with Kurt & Kristen @hottub_show and please get Super Serious: An Oral History of Los Angeles Independent Stand-Up Comedy

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).
Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

Pick of the Day: Mint Comedy x Comedy Cellar 1/1/21

December 30, 2020
News
cipha sounds, comedy cellar, dan soder, jessica kirson, matthew broussard, mike yard, sean patton

No matter how lauded or venerable it may be, seeing any comedy venue survive these times is a blessing. There have been plenty of closures of celebrated comedy institutions around the country and there will very likely be more as the latest stimulus bill will likely fall short of what many venues need in terms of relief.

With that in mind, it’s great to see that The Comedy Cellar, one of the most respected comedy clubs in the country, is still standing as they get ready to earnestly put on a new round of virtual shows via Mint Comedy.

The very first one of these will happen on the first day of the new year at 12PM PT/3PM ET. The line-up is worthy of you being up that early post-NYE with Sean Patton, Dan Soder, Jessica Kirson, Mike Yard, Matthew Broussard, and Cipha Sounds (the sort of line-up that you’d see at the Cellar in the before times)

Tickets for live-stream access are only $7.99 and you can (and should) get them here.

Here’s a Rundown of New Year’s Eve 2021 Comedy Live-streams Worldwide

December 29, 2020
News
comedy livestreams, comedy shows, new year's eve

New Year’s Eve for this year is going to be have to be done at home, virutally, since the pandemic didn’t end by Easter or the Summer or October. As such, there will be no normal mass gatherings in the streets waiting for the ball to drop or packed bars or venues where you can sip champagne and hopefully have someone to kiss at the stroke of midnight local time.

While there also won’t be any NYE’s comedy live-streams in person (or there really shouldn’t be in almost every country around the world anyway), there will be a whole bunch of NYE’s comedy live-streams from every corner of the globe. Here’s a nice, convenient list of said comedy live-streams that will feature the likes of anyone from Mike Birbiglia to Reggie Watts to Romesh Ranganathan to Cameron Esposito to Laurie Kilmartin to Myq Kaplan to Judah Friedlander to Sandra Bernhard to so many more.

Take a gander, all in chronological order.

Just the Tonic Comedy Club- Working From Home: New Year’s Eve Special with Romesh Ranganathan & Al Murray (from the UK) 11AM PT/2PM ET £8.14 – £22.15

Mike Birbiglia: Working It Out (Virtually) (from NYC) 1:30PM PT/4:30PM ET & 3:30PM PT/6:30PM ET $25-$49

#UPYOURS 2020 (from the UK) 1:30PM PT/4:30PM ET £11.37

Every Joke I Wrote This Year with Teresa Lee (from LA) 3PM PT/6PM ET $20-$25

Lane Moore’s New Year’s Eve Zoom Hangout (from NYC) 5PM PT/8PM ET $20

Cameron Esposito’s New Year Steve (from LA) 6PM PT/9PM ET Free w/RSVP

The Comedy Studio’s New Year’s Late Show (from Boston) 6PM PT/9PM ET $20-$25

Judah Friedlander’s New Year’s Eve (from NYC) 6PM PT/9PM ET $1

“Us,” A New Year’s Eve Show with Christopher Titus and Rachel Bradley (from LA) 7PM PT/10PM ET $20-$60

Comedy Oakland: New Year’s Eve Special Show (from Oakland) 7PM PT/10PM ET FREE

Punchline SF: LIVE COMEDY ON ZOOM! Virtual Comedy on NYE (from SF) 7PM PT/10PM ET FREE w/RSVP

UnCabaret NYE Zoom Edition (from LA) 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET

Greg & Gleib: It’s an NYE Thing – Improv Comedy Celebration (from LA) 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET $15-$75

New Year’s Eve “Desi Comedy Night” Virtual Comedy Countdown (from SF) 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET $15-$35

New Year’s Thrillin’ Eve (from LA) 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET Pay what you can

KO Comedy Presents Bye Bye 2020 (from SF) 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET Free w/RSVP

NYE Comedy Mega Show (from LA) 8:30PM PT/11:30PM ET $10-$20

 

Pick of the Day: Vision Board Party with Ron Funches 12/30

December 29, 2020
News
ron funches, vision board

Prospicience is a tall order these days, but it can be helpful if you can try envisioning what you might want to look forward to in the coming days, weeks, months of lockdown/quarantine (and hopefully the end of the pandemic).

With that in mind, it might be helpful/a good time to join in making vision boards with the hilarious and life-affirming Ron Funches. In fact, he’ll be hosting a Vision Board Party on his Twitch channel twitch.tv/ron_funches, Wed. Dec. 30th, where he and special guests will indeed be making vision boards and undoubtedly have the best commentary to be had while making vision boards.

Funches’ Vision Board Party streams at 4PM PT/7PM ET. Tune in here.

Martin Scorsese and Fran Lebowitz Made “Pretend It’s A City”, a Comedy Special(?) for Netflix

December 28, 2020
News
fran lebowitz, martin scorsese, netflix

What makes a comedy special? Is it just simply having the network or streaming service behind it label it as such? Does it actually gaining critical acclaim for its humor count? Maybe the Golden Globes sticking in its comedy and/or musical category counts?

In any case, the boundaries of comedy specials get more and more blurred and comedy, as an art form, is getting all the better because of it.

Cue Netflix’s latest special(?) on deck, Pretend It’s A City. Directed and presented by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, it features an on-going conversation between celebrated author and luminary Fran Lebowitz and Scorsese. One might not think that reads “comedy special” in the traditional sense on paper, but the trailer suggests a very humorous “in conversation” special that plays on the satirical philosophizing of Lebowitz and the metaphorical and literal lens of Martin Scorsese.

It’s not traditional stand-up or improv or sketch/characters, but the verve of Fran is admittedly enticing. Besides, Netflix’s last special was NATE, so they are definitely doing more than dipping their toes into deeper, uncharted waters with comedy.

See this all for yourself in the trailer for Pretend It’s A City here. Then, catch it next year/next week on Jan. 8th on Netflix.

Pick of the Day: NYE Comedy Mega Show 2021

December 28, 2020
News
andrew michaan, brent weinbach, fred armisen, moshe kasher, natasha leggero, reggie watts

Though it has to be virtual, NYE’s comedy shows are still very much happening and they’re streaming from all around the globe (which should make it so much easier to tune into whatever your favorite(s) might be).

We’d like to start off by highlighting one of this particular NYE’s Comedy Mega Show that’ll ring in the New Year for the East Coast and the Midwest as well as feature a grand line-up of Reggie Watts, Natasha Leggero, Moshe Kasher, Fred Armisen, Brent Weinbach, and Andrew Michaan. Whether that would be in person or not, that’s pretty stellar for a New Year’s Eve comedy line-up.

Luckily, you can stream it safely from home and remember that time kind of still functions.

NYE’s Comedy Mega Show starts on Dec. 31st 8:30PM PT/11:30PM ET and tickets are $15-$25. Go get them here.

What We Do In The Shadows Made The Best Yule Log Video

December 24, 2020
News
what we do in the shadows, yule log

It would just stand to reason that one of the best comedies of the last few years would make the best video of fire burning to have playing in the background while you’re in the thick of the holidays.

It’s been a minute since the finale of the last season, but we are thankful to the all powerful vampires that have dominion over a specific part of Staten Island for what is non-coerced holiday fun.

Please enjoy/play/loop What We Do In the Shadows’ Yule Log here

UCB Sells Off Sunset Location, Plans to Keep UCB Franklin Going

December 24, 2020
News
closure, covid-19 closure, ucb, ucb franklin, ucb sunset, upright citizens brigade

Just announced last night, The UCB4 (Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Matt Walsh, and Ian Roberts) announced the closure and sale of the second LA based home of the Upright Citizens Brigade located near Thai Town on Sunset Blvd. The massive complex was bought and refurbished from an abandoned rehab center six years ago and represents a big step forward for UCB as a theater, institution, and company. There were three stories that housed a main stage, a training center, studios for film/video/podcast, cafe, lounge/second stage, and valet parking.

It was a big undertaking for UCB, but it was a bright, shiny, new home for one of the most recognizable brands for comedy in the country. The ever-enduring COVID-19 pandemic has forced a sale and subsequent closure of the theater since mortgage payments couldn’t be made with only so much revenue coming in from virtual classes (especially as it it’s still very murky as to when and how live venues will be allowed and have guidance to safely reopen).

Fortunately, UCB plans to keep their longstanding first location on Franklin Ave, the tiny black box theater that is just the main stage and nothing else, open as they also transition to a non-profit. If UCB Franklin does manage to reopen on the other side of COVID-19, it will be the Upright Citizens Brigade’s only physical location (down from 3 & 1/2  of them pre-pandemic).

While it had to go through its own shake-up and reckoning earlier this year to rid itself of toxic practices and institute true inclusion and diversity, UCB still represents a major pillar in comedy and we can only hope that it will keep getting to fulfill that role going into the future.

An update from the UCB4 pic.twitter.com/QN1lmjvHle

— UCB Theatre LA (@ucbtla) December 24, 2020

Pick of the Day: Mr. Jackson & Mr. Tompkins: A Two Gentleman Improv Show 12/27

December 24, 2020
News
detroit creativity project, improv show, marc evan jackson, paul f tompkins, virtual comedy

The improvised comedy and sharply pointed style of both Paul F. Tompkins and Marc Evan Jackson only come together every so often (maybe just a tad more often than this week’s Great Conjunction), but it really is special when it does happen.

That time is coming around once again, virtually because of the ongoing pandemic of course, as their Two Gentleman Improv Show will be happening this Sun. Dec. 27th at 4PM PT/7PM ET as a somewhat belated holiday gift (if you’re getting presents shipped, odds are you’ll be getting something on that day).

Per usual, Tompkins and Jackson are bringing their improv powers together for the wonderful cause that is the Detroit Creativity Project, an org dedicated to giving access to improv for underserved students in Detroit’s public schools.

Tickets for this holiday improv evening are $12.50 and you can (and very much should) get them here. If you’re looking for a last minute gift for a comedy fan in your life, this is probably a solid bet, FYI.

Pick of the Day: Gotham Comedy Club: A Very Jewish Christmas 12/24

December 23, 2020
News
Jared Freid, marion grodin, mike yard, monroe martin

Well, Christmas Eve is tomorrow and, just like the before times, there are very few comedy shows going on. Yet, there are a handful, which is especially nice in these times where will be as isolated as we’ve ever been in our collective lifetimes and, ostensibly, even less things will be happening as we continue to shelter-at-home.

Gotham Comedy Club in NYC has had a holiday-ish themed comedy show, A Very Jewish Christmas, for decades and they’re going to uphold their tradition to mark a quarter of a century of having a very inclusive holiday comedy show. This virtual edition, presented by RushTix, will feature the likes of NYC’s finest including Monroe Martin, Mike Yard, Jared Freid, and Marion Grodin on Christmas Eve at 5PM PT/8PM ET.

Tickets are $20 and you can snag them here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 39: Zane Rubin & The Miracle of Getting Things Made

December 23, 2020
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
covid-19, eddie izzard, indie filmmaking, john mulaney, relief bill, zane rubin

Rising star filmmaker Zane Rubin has craftily built a delightful filmography of darkly comedic and hysterically discomforting work. That ranges from short films to web series and everything in between at networks like Comedy Central and the like. As you might guess, she, like the rest of Tinseltown, had to set almost all of her 2020 plans aside due to the pandemic. Zane still kept at writing scripts, pitching over Zoom, and whatever else you could feasibly do in regards to indie filmmaking that you can do under the umbrella of COVID. She zooms with TCB’s Jake Kroeger about her quarantine journey and also dishes on “hot” takes for Mulaney’s going to rehab, Eddie Izzard using she/her, and the COVID-19 Relief Bill’s provisions for movie theaters/live venues.

You can find Zane @zanesrubin on IG and Twitter, watch CREAT(E)URE on Hulu, and get into Zane’s work at zanerubin.com.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).
Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

FX’s Orders Latest Series “Reservation Dogs” from Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi

December 22, 2020
News
fx, reservation dogs, sterlin harjo, taika waititi

(via Deadline)

FX has been near flawless with their comedy programming over the last several years. Better Things, Atlanta, and What We Do In The Shadows all serve as critical and commercial hits for the network (often getting nominated or winning Emmys and the like). They don’t look to stop their streak any time soon as the cabler just picked up what we suspect will be golden nugget for them in Reservation Dogs, a series following the lives of Indigenous kids in Oklahoma causing trouble (and also fixing it), from the minds of Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi.

The series will draw from Harjo’s childhood, but we’re sure Waititi’s trademark subversive cleverness will be well woven into the show.   Waititi, of course, is one of the minds behind the aforementioned What We Do In The Shadows (as well as JoJo Rabbit and Hunt For the Wilderpeople), and collaborated with Harjo on the pilot for FX. It’s intriguing as both Harjo and Waititi come from indigenous backgrounds, though from different sides of the planet.

With all of this in mind, we can’t wait to see what the show really is and hope that it’s timed out so it airs in between seasons of What We Do In The Shadows.

History of Swear Words Trailer Shows Nic Cage to Be Joined by Sarah Silverman, Nikki Glaser, Jim Jeffries & More

December 22, 2020
News
elvis mitchell, history of sweaar words, jim jefferies, joel kim booster, netflix, nicolas cage, nikki glaser, patti harrison, sarah silverman

History of Swear Words will be the latest bit of edutainment from Netflix and, today, we got a little bit of a better sense what the split between the education and entertainment will be.

Certainly, tapping Nic Cage hosting a program about swearing is the spot on fun choice. Having an extensive panel that stretches from such luminaries as Elvis Mitchell to a whole row of comedians including Sarah Silverman, Jim Jefferies, Nikki Glaser, Joel Kim Booster, and Patti Harrison to linguistics experts does suggest a pretty good edutainment balance (i.e. this won’t entirely be Nicolas Cage screaming obscenities, but that’s certainly in there).

Get a look of what’s in store for History of Swear Words with this trailer, then look for it to start streaming on Tues. Jan. 5th, 2021 on Netflix.

#Pick of the Day: Mike Birbiglia: Working It Out LIVE 12/28 & 12/31

December 22, 2020
News
dynasty typewriter, jokes, mike birbiglia, nowhere comedy club, working it out

Mike Birbiglia has stood out during this trailblazing era of live-stream/virtual comedy. Not only has he come up with a very successful way to present his comedic stylings and develop new material at the same time, but he has raised so much money for comedy venues across the country via TipYourWaitstaff.

Thus, Birbiglia’s headlining virtual performances sell out pretty quick and has thusly had to up his bookings. A few nights of his latest run of Working It Out are already sold out, but there are tickets available for 12/28 (which will be a benefit for Dynasty Typewriter to boot) and the afternoon of NYE at 1:30PM PT/3:30PM ET & 3:30PM PT/6:30PM ET (it’ll be New Year’s in the UK for the late show, FYI).

Tickets are still going for $25 and you can and best go get them at NowhereComedyClub.com.

Please Enjoy Possibly the Raunchiest and (Most Informative) Song About “Wine Country” from Lost Moon Radio

December 21, 2020
News
lauren flans, lost moon radio, wine country

When it comes to Lost Moon Radio, you can count on high brow and low brow being so perfectly blended and balanced.

That’s exactly what you get with one of their brand new songs from their very first exclusively virtual show, Lost Moon Radio’s Doing Fine, from two months ago, Wine Country. We have not heard every rap song about wine, but we’re almost willing to bet money that the good folks at Lost Moon Radio came up with a hysterically dirty song about journeying through California’s storied wine country, performed flawless by Lauren Flans. Also, they made sure there are plenty of great facts and terminology that you learn along the way while bopping your head to so much wine based innuendo.

So, please enjoy Lost Moon Radio’s Wine Country here and maybe you can plan your own trip to live this fantasy far off in 2021.

 

Eddie Izzard Will Now Be Using She/Her for Pronouns

December 21, 2020
News
eddie izzard, pronouns, she her

(via Deadline)

Gaining acceptance of gender as fluid and honoring people’s humanity by recognizing them as they see themselves has been one of the more defining movements of our time. Issues surrounding trans and non-binary folks and the visibility of their lives has come more to the forefront and some progress has been made with their inclusion into society/all of our daily lives.

Living and working comedy legend Eddie Izzard has often treated gender as fluid for decades now, breaking outdated gender norms and conventions and she is doing so once again. Just announced today, Izzard will now use she/her pronouns specifically from now on. Pronouns have been a particular sticking point when it comes to trans and non-binary acceptance with many people making adjustment and others vehemently refusing to acknowledge someone’s desired pronouns. Izzard definitively choosing to use “she/her” as someone who has gained such notoriety and was largely referred to as a man with he/him pronouns should be a good step forward for normalizing gender fluidity.

Also, we have no doubt that she’ll come up with a brilliant bit about it and we can’t wait to see everything she has to say about it (that will very be likely done in four different languages because Eddie is just that much of a genius).

Congress’ Proposed $900 Billion COVID-19 Relief Bill to Include $15 Billion for Movie Theaters/Live Venues/Museums

December 21, 2020
News
covid 19 relief, save our stages, stimulus bill

(via CNBC)

Congress seems to be reaching some sort of deal with their latest, vastly overdue COVID-19 relief bill with $900 billion budgeted to cover unemployment insurance, rental assistance, vaccine distribution, etc. Part of that proposed bill, which Congress is looking to vote on tonight, will be $15 billion that will go to serve as relief for movie theaters, live venues (we’re hoping that means comedy venues as well), and cultural institutions such as museums.

The specific breakdown of where and how that will be distributed or how many venues (or even which specific venues) might get this relief funding will have to be seen as Senate and House leaders have just agreed on it. Based off of the fact that latest round of direct payments to Americans has shrunk from $1200 to $600 in this bill, our guess is that it’ll be a minimal amount of relief and it might not be enough for some venues to stay afloat as the COVID-19 vaccine rolls out over the next several months. In the meantime, we’ll just have to keep doing direct relief/mutual aid for venues via GoFundMe or benefit shows.

Pick of the Day: Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer 1/6/21

December 21, 2020
News
live podcast, live stream, nicole byer, on location live, why won't you date me

Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer has been and continues to be one of the best podcasts about dating/relationships/sex that has ever existed. Actually, it’s just one of the best podcasts, no further discussion needed. Byer’s candor, penchant for sex positivity to the nth degree, and overall undeniable hilariousness has been the perfect mix in Byer’s intimate chats with her guests about their and her love lives.

If you’re looking for something to look forward to in 2021, let it be a very special live-stream edition of Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer that’s set for Thurs. Jan. 6th 6PM PT/9PM ET via On Location Live (it will be up to watch for a few days after in case you can’t make it at the time of the stream).

Tickets are only $10.50 and you can and very, very much should already look towards a better year in a couple weeks by getting tickets here.

Get Into a Better Kind of Holiday Spirit with Matt Rogers’ “Hottest Female Up in Whoville”

December 18, 2020
News
hottest female up in whoville, matt rogers, the grinch

Since we’re already in the thick of the holiday season, the air is rife with various holiday staples like Jingle Bells or whatever Trans-Siberian Orchestra track has a hot guitar solo. May we suggest a deeper cut to add into your festive music rotation?

Try Matt Rogers’ “Hottest Female Up in Whoville”, a song that was “cut” from the film adaptation of The Grinch that speaks the truth of one of Whoville’s sultry residents, Martha May Whovier. Rogers performs it here, on top of a grand piano of course, with the brilliant Henry Koperski at the keys.

It may be your new favorite song to play throughout December from now on if you’re looking for something to really bring some actual spice to these weeks of what have largely become forced communal joy.

Please enjoy Rogers and Hottest Female Up In Whoville here.

People don't know @MariahCarey wrote "Where Are You Christmas?" from The Grinch. That was from the perspective of Cindy Lou Who. She also wrote this CUT SONG from the film, "Hottest Female Up In Whoville", from the POV of Martha May Whovier. Here's me and @HenryKoperski doing it. pic.twitter.com/8IsBpJgae9

— Matt “Santa” Rogers (@MattRogersTho) December 27, 2018

Pick of the Day: Ally Coalition 7th Annual Talent Show 12/21

December 18, 2020
News
aidy bryant, ally coalition, Bu Wellness Center, Chris Laker, jacqueline novak, kalen allen, Lost-n-Found Youth, mike birbiglia, New Alternatives, Oakland LGBT Center, reggie watts, roy wood jr, Ruth Ellis Center, talent show, the lucas brothers, Youth Breakout

It’s almost as if there is an advent calendar for holiday charity live-streams that feature some of the biggest and brightest and best in comedy and music every day this week (and maybe next). There have been plenty of Georgia Runoff benefits, but they’re also big time festival-gala-ish line-ups that are supporting issues that are a little broader.

In the case of the Ally Coalition’s 7th Annual Talent Show, it’s supporting unhoused LGBTQ youth, some of the most vulnerable members of our population. For their very special evening, they’ve got the likes of Mike Birbiglia, Aidy Bryant, Reggie Watts, Jacqueline Novak, Chris Laker, Roy Wood Jr., The Lucas Brothers, and Kalen Allen on the bill. That’s in addition to musical performances from the likes of St. Vincent, Sleater-Kinney, Brittany Howard, Bleachers, Hayley Williams, and more.

It will all be streaming this Sun. Dec. 21st at 6PM PT from Jack Antonoff’s Twitch.

Get more info, full line-up, and details on specific orgs (Ruth Ellis Center, New Alternatives, Youth Breakout, Oakland LGBT Center, Bu Wellness Center, Lost-n-Found Youth) at theallycoalition.org.

Tiffany Haddish Is Launching Her Own ‘She Ready’ Internship Program

December 17, 2020
News
she ready, tiffany haddish

So much of Tiffany Haddish’s spirit, both on stage with her comedy and off, is dedicated to uplifting people. Already she has done multiple showcases highlight her favorite comedians that she wants to share with the world via Netflix. She’s similarly motivated to start an internship program branded with her catchphrase, She Ready.

Haddish grew up in the foster care system and she is thusly making that the focus of The She Ready Internship Program. She’s looking to connect “transition-age foster youth with transformative experiences in the media, arts and entertainment industries.” The internships will serve Tiffany’s She Ready Productions has and it’ll kick off next year.

Get more details/info about the internship here.

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Comedy Shows

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Sun 17

Making Friends (Live-stream)

December 17, 2020 @ 8:00 am - January 18, 2021 @ 11:30 pm
Thu 14

Another Round Free Virtual Screening (Must Request by 1/14 8AM PT)

January 14 @ 6:00 pm - January 17 @ 11:00 am
Sat 16

Ron Lynch’s “Tomorrow!” (IG Live-stream)

January 16 @ 11:00 pm - January 17 @ 1:00 am
Sun 17

Another Round Panel Discussion w/director Thomas Vinterberg & star Mads Mikkelsen (Live-stream)

January 17 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Sun 17

Stream of Blood: Vampires of Pittsburgh Lockdown (Twitch Live-stream)

January 17 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Sun 17

The George Lucas Talk Show (Live-stream)

January 17 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Sun 17

Improvised Tarot (Zoom Live-stream)

January 17 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Sun 17

Groundhog Day Drive-In Movie

January 17 @ 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Sun 17

The Bitchuation Room with Francesca Fiorentini (Live-stream)

January 17 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Sun 17

Judah Friedlander: Pre-Existing Fascism (Live-stream)

January 17 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Sun 17

KO Comedy (Zoom Live-stream)

January 17 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Mon 18

Who Wants $2.69? with Martin Urbano (Live-stream)

January 18 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Mon 18

The Dave Hill Goodtime Hour (Live-stream)

January 18 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Mon 18

Writers of Conan & Friends (Zoom Live-stream)

January 18 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Mon 18

Hot Tub with Kurt & Kristen Home Edition (Twitch Live-stream)

January 18 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Tue 19

The Mic Presents: Non-Prophets (Live-stream)

January 19 @ 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Tue 19

Eddie Pepitone: Live from the Bunker (Livestream)

January 19 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Tue 19

Hot & Rich (Twitch Live-stream)

January 19 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Tue 19

Writers LIVE! Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar (Live-stream)

January 19 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Tue 19

Writer’s Block (Live-stream)

January 19 @ 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Tue 19

Mary Houlihan’s Painting Party (Planet Scum Live-stream)

January 19 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Tue 19

Every President Ever: Together Again: INAUGURATED WITH A VENGEANCE (Live-stream)

January 19 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Tue 19

The Comedy Hang – Happy Hour! (Live-stream)

January 19 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Tue 19

In The Green Zoom (YouTube Live-stream)

January 19 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Tue 19

Sh!t My Folks Don’t Know (Live-stream)

January 19 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Tue 19

Latif Tayour & Friends (Live-stream)

January 19 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Wed 20

Couples Therapy Quarantine Party (Twitch Live-stream)

January 20 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Wed 20

Ga’riffs with Gareth Reynolds (IG Live-stream)

January 20 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Wed 20

The 1/20 420 Comedy Extravaganja Inauguration Special (Zoom Live-stream)

January 20 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Wed 20

Planet Scum Live (Twitch Live-stream)

January 20 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Wed 20

Comedy Crossing (Live-stream)

January 20 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Thu 21

Eddie Pepitone: Live from the Bunker (Livestream)

January 21 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Thu 21

The Ted Alexandro Show (YouTube Live-stream)

January 21 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Thu 21

An Evening with Lewis Black in partnership with the Indianapolis JCC (Live-stream)

January 21 @ 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Thu 21

Faded Comedy’s Virtual Happy Hour (Twitch Live-stream)

January 21 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Thu 21

Greg Proops: “Smartest Man in the World” Live Podcast Recording (Zoom Live-stream)

January 21 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Thu 21

Hot Cocoa Comedy (Zoom Live-stream)

January 21 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Thu 21

Bingo Night with Daniel Van Kirk (Live-stream)

January 21 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Thu 21

The Dollop LIVE ONLINE (LoopedLive Live-stream)

January 21 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Thu 21

Nowhere Comedy Club: Judy Gold (Live-stream)

January 21 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Thu 21

Dykevice with Robby Hoffman (Live-stream)

January 21 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Thu 21

SKETCHED OUT-Sketch Cinema Night (Live-Stream)

January 21 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Thu 21

Convoy (Twitch Live-stream)

January 21 @ 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Fri 22

Hot & Rich (Twitch Live-stream)

January 22 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Fri 22

Hack City (Zoom Live-stream)

January 22 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Fri 22

Jackie Fabulous (Zoom Live-stream)

January 22 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Fri 22

Nowhere Comedy Club: Judah Friedlander (Zoom Live-stream)

January 22 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Fri 22

Laurie Kilmartin (Zoom Live-stream)

January 22 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Fri 22

The Fun Time Boys Game Night Spectacular: Quiplash (Twitch Live-stream)

January 22 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Sat 23

Comedy at the Covid Arms (Zoom Live-stream)

January 23 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Sat 23

Chris Porter (Live-stream)

January 23 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Sat 23

No Thanks (Zoom Live-stream)

January 23 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Sat 23

Watch With…Bruce Campbell presents Evil Dead (Live-stream)

January 23 @ 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Sat 23

Chris Porter (Live-stream)

January 23 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Sat 23

The Black Aesthetic Show (Live-stream)

January 23 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Sat 23

Brian Kiley (Zoom Live-stream)

January 23 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Sun 24

The George Lucas Talk Show (Live-stream)

January 24 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Sun 24

Dr. Katz Live (Live-stream)

January 24 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Sun 24

Nowhere Comedy Club: Dan Mintz (Live-stream)

January 24 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Sun 24

Maggie Maye & Friends (Live-stream)

January 24 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Sun 24

UnCabaret Zoom Edition [LA] (Zoom Live-stream)

January 24 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Mon 25

Who Wants $2.69? with Martin Urbano (Live-stream)

January 25 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Mon 25

The Dave Hill Goodtime Hour (Live-stream)

January 25 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Tue 26

Eddie Pepitone: Live from the Bunker (Livestream)

January 26 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Tue 26

Hot & Rich (Twitch Live-stream)

January 26 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Tue 26

Nowhere Comedy Club: Todd Barry: The VIRTUAL Crowd Work Tour (Zoom Live-stream)

January 26 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Tue 26

Mary Houlihan’s Painting Party (Planet Scum Live-stream)

January 26 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Tue 26

Stand Pup Comedy (Live-stream)

January 26 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Tue 26

In The Green Zoom (YouTube Live-stream)

January 26 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Wed 27

The Moth National Mainstage (Live-stream)

January 27 @ 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Wed 27

Your Carriage Awaits with Katie Hughes (Live-stream)

January 27 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Wed 27

Planet Scum Live (Twitch Live-stream)

January 27 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Thu 28

Eddie Pepitone: Live from the Bunker (Livestream)

January 28 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Thu 28

The Ted Alexandro Show (YouTube Live-stream)

January 28 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Thu 28

Elsewhere Sound Space (Twitch Live-stream)

January 28 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Thu 28

Faded Comedy’s Virtual Happy Hour (Twitch Live-stream)

January 28 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Thu 28

Ga’riffs with Gareth Reynolds (IG Live-stream)

January 28 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Thu 28

The Side Hustle (YouTube Live-stream)

January 28 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Thu 28

Dykevice with Robby Hoffman (Live-stream)

January 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Thu 28

Avail Yourself (Zoom Live-stream)

January 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Thu 28

Downtown Stand-Up: Comedy Benefit Show (Live-stream)

January 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Thu 28

Convoy (Twitch Live-stream)

January 28 @ 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Fri 29

Hot & Rich (Twitch Live-stream)

January 29 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Fri 29

DeAnne Smith & Acquaintances! Tender comedy for tough times. (Zoom Live-stream)

January 29 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Sat 30

What’s Your Problem, Sir? A night of Vulnerable Comedy w. Ever Mainard (Live-stream)

January 30 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Sat 30

Mary Lynn Rajskub (Zoom Live-stream)

January 30 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Sat 30

Channel 101 (Twitch Live-stream)

January 30 @ 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Sat 30