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AST Records keeps going around the country finding great comedians, having them record albums, and releasing to the general public. This next round is from NYC’s Greg Barris & Chicago’s Adam Burke, two distinct, unique voices in comedy that the rest of the country should hear. 

Pre-order Barris’ “Shame Wave” and Burke’s “Universal Squirrel Theory” now and it will be released Oct. 9th & 2nd, respectively. 

Jon Dore and Rory Scovel as two rednecks, one of which is coming out as gay to the other.

The first outing of the Riot LA Comedy Festival came to a close this past Sunday and we’re so thrilled at what took place. One block, four venues, some of the funniest people on the planet performing essentially in their backyard, some of the funniest people on the planet coming to that backyard, and wonderful beer from Angel City-it was a riot with the only connotation of people lining up up and down the South end of Main St. between 2nd and 3rd in downtown LA ready to bust their guts laughing.

Here are some highlights (we couldn’t see everything, but we heard it was all really great) from this past weekend with some accompanying pictures taken by our on-the-ball staff.

–Jackie Kashian told some of the most wondrous and hilarious stories at both the special Riot LA edition of The Moth and KCRW’s Storytime for Grown Ups. Her tales of her family were some of the best, heartfelt moments for us during the festival that we urge you to see her live wherever and whenever possible.

-The hysterical Jon Dore, because there was a couch on stage at the Downtown Independent Theater, brought three audience members up and instead of going through a normal set, pitched jokes to them specifically while the audience of hundreds looked on and couldn’t help but laugh.

–IFC previewed that there were reviving R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet, as we reported earlier this morning, and gave a preview of Marc Maron’s upcoming series that we can’t for.

-One of our favorites, Jerrod Carmichael did what he did best: riff between his razor sharp jokes with a persona that would be a slow burn if he wasn’t so damn affable while simultaneously looking like he’s posing for an album cover.

–The Jordan, Jesse, Go podcast had a special live edition at the Five Star Bar and held the first ever Jordan Jesse Go Riot LA Comedy Festival Mispronunciation Contest.

–Marc Maron related his latest trip to going Hawaii as only Marc Maron can only go to Hawaii, neurotically knit-picking every detail about the trip including himself in a hilarious way at KCRW’s Storytime for Grown Ups.

-There were a non-stop flow of people stretching across, for all three days from Five Stars Bar to The Smell excited for Riot LA, making it feel like a legitimately like a festival though we’ve been on the block for comedy so many times before

-Sponsor Angel City Brewery provided a steady flow of free beer in “The Lot”, a wonderful bonus to the fact that you’re on the same block and don’t have to get in your car to get to another show. 

-LA’s top monthly show, The Super Serious Show, packed out The Smell so much that audience members spilled out into the hallway to have such a good time leading into the venue. For perspective, the picture above is the clearest one we could get of host/headliner James Adomian.

-Adomian then popped over to the LA premiere of the great Eddie Pepitone documentary, The Bitter Buddha, to heckle as Pepitone’s brother, Freddie Pepitone.

-Denver and NYC represented with some of their best local shows The Grawlix and Kabin/CSL.

–Bil Dwyer’s comedian game show Stardumb was a whole load of chaotic fun with Bil almost being unable to start the show with Karen Kilgariff, Jon Dore, Maria Bamford, Jimmy Dore, and more riffing so much and ended with a cry-off between Dore and Bamford.

-The Riot LA live edition of You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes wasn’t as awkward as the infamous Outside Lands episode, but still incredibly fun and weird with Pete’s mirth filled laugh acting as a whole other guest on the show.

-Also, that episode will feature James Adomian doing an impression of him, which might be hard for listeners to distinguish cause Adomian is that good and Harris Wittels reading Pete his own Humblebrag. 

–Eric Dadourian here with Megan Koester on the snare drum and a guitarist (not pictured) brought even more of a laugh riot, so to speak, to The Lot with spoken word/rap/hardcore comedy.*

–Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction, a wonderful show down from Seattle thanks to Bryan Cook, took a turn for the hysterically absurd as wild and steamy stories sourced Cesar Millan: The Dog Whisperer, WTF! w/Marc Maron, Good Times, Elijah Wood, and more.

-Riot LA had so much comedy bursting out of that block in downtown LA that there was even an impromptu show out on the sidewalk between Todd Glass, Eddie Pepitone, and James Adomian.

*NOTE: Eric Dadourian is pictured with Megan Koester as part of the band known as Phantom Bangs and the guitarist not pictured is Allen Strickland Williams. Also, Phantom Bangs would like to note that they are “not now nor have they ever been ½ SPOKEN WORD”

Next weekend, music purveyor Filter Magazine is putting on their big music and arts festival, Culture Collide, in Echo Park and will now feature comedy in partnering with The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre here in LA. Oct. 5th and Oct. 6th Matt Braunger, Howard Kremer, Matt Besser, Dominic Dierkes, Natasha Leggero, Nick Thune, Lauren Lapkus, The Birthday Boys, and more.

All you need is a festival wristband, which is $20 the whole festival which sounds like a good deal for just the comedy, then there’s dozens of amazing bands. 

That’s right folks, Stephen Colbert has got another book coming out “America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t” . It’s available for pre-order right now so round out your Colbert Book collection of his children’s book and first release, I Am America (and So Can You), which this seems like a sequel to. 

We’re not sure if these three books would be released as a box set, but when America Again ships Oct. 2nd, we’re sure you can make your star and striped cover box that would fit all three even though they’re all different sizes not to mention the lack of 3-D glasses with the other books.

This week’s got a really great line-up for late night guests, in case you wanted to commemorate the start of October by staying in.

Monday 10/1

Rashida Jones on Conan
Stephen Colbert on Letterman 
Rebel Wilson on Leno

Tuesday 10/2

Hari Kondabolu on Conan 
Carol Burnett on Leno 
Martin Short on Letterman 
Ty Burrell on Kimmel 
Mindy Kaling on Ferguson 

Wednesday 10/3

Terry Crews on Conan 
Tina Fey on Letterman 
Amy Poehler on Kimmel 
Martin Short on Fallon 

Thursday 10/4

Bill O’Reilly on The Daily Show
Craig Ferguson on Letterman 
Tenacious D on Kimmel
Roseanne Barr on Ferguson 

Friday 10/5

Billy Crystal on Letterman 

Conan is on TBS 11PM
The Daily Show is on Comedy Central 11PM
The Late Show with David Letterman is on CBS 11:35PM
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is on NBC 11:35PM
Jimmy Kimmel Live is on ABC 12AM
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is on NBC 12:35AM
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is on CBS 12:35AM 

Nathan Rabin, head writer of The AV Club, teamed up with Weird Al Yankovic to put a book together about Weird Al, “Weird Al: The Book” one of comedy’s most prolific acts and undisputed musical parody king. Maybe you should pick up a copy?

The famous couch gag from the intro of one of the most famous animated cartoons ever is taking in your ideas for what should happen while the Simpsons get to the couch. You’ll get the credit as well. Details here.

Today, Bill Burr and Al Madrigal joined forces to make the All Things Comedy Network that will provide “a place for comedians and fans of comedy to listen to, watch, find, and discuss all things related to comedy,” as well as one hell of a family of podcasts. Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast, Walking the Room w/Greg Behrendt & Dave Anthony, The Harland Highway with Harland Williams, The Long Shot Podcast, Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank, Your Mom’s House w/Tom Segura & Christina Pazsitzky, and more.

We’ve concluded that this is the best way to start Oct. 2012.

Comedian Chelsea Peretti is now taking callers every Mon. at 4PM for a podcast on Feral Audio is a good enough pitch for us to tell all of you to call in for a chance to talk one-on-one with “One of the greats! Recipient of Top 2 Comedians Worldwide award, 2012.” If we were the betting type, we’d definitely bet that Pete Holmes would call in more than once.

As Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal are moving to Los Angeles, they’re transplanting their wonderful weekly show, one of the best in NYC, Hot Tub here, somewhere in LA. Ideally, they’re looking for a musical venue that doesn’t already have a comedy show. We don’t have details yet as to where that would be, but wherever in LA county it ends up being, all of us should go and see it every week. 

TJ Miller’s talk show, The Gorburger Show on The Warner Sound with Funny or Die, where he plays a blue haired monster has The Mars Volta and Chelsea Wolfe as guests, which is all well and good and funny. Yet, as a blue monster that took over a studio for a show, does he eat anybody on this episode? Watch, laugh (because this show is so hilariously ridiculous), and find out.

Today, you can gain all you need to know about everything from John Hodgman’s three book series encompassing all knowledge, Complete World Knowledge, in case you haven’t procured all three books for yourself already with a self-made box to store them in. If vital information on how exactly the world will end, not to mention a good laugh through the whole thing, work backwards and start off with the final book That Is All now available in paperback and audiobook form (voices include Patton Oswalt, Paul Rudd, Dick Cavett, Paul F. Tompkins, Scott Adsit, and more).

Phil Gowers, a spiritual guide and pacifist, attempts to learn MMA from MMA expert and Here Comes The Boom co-star Bas Rutten without violating his pacifist ways as part of the hysterical Andre Hyland’s new character based web series Hollywood and Hyland for Cinefix. If you like Phil Gowers, here’s more with him and Bob Odenkirk (or just watch all of Andre Hyland’s character stuff because it’s great).

It’s often disappointing that much of stand up comedy shies away from high brow and divisive topics like religion and gender issues because it splits the audience or just goes completely over their heads. That’s why we love Hari Kondabolu and this latest set on Conan where he made a jokes about the main Abrahamic faiths and feminism work quite well to the point of a few applause breaks.

It gives us faith in people and what they’ll laugh at.