That’s right, the comedy, burlesque, Mexican wrestling extravaganza hosted by Blaine Capatch, Lucha Va Voom, is heading to Australia this month for the Big Day Out Festival. Anybody who follows us from Australia should definitely check out this LA export as it is one hell of a show.
Help Fund a Documentary About the Late Robert Schimmel
Jeff Schimmel, the late, great Robert Schimmel’s brother, is trying to put together a documentary in tribute to Robert through Kickstarter.
It’s something you might very interested in pitching in for.
Limited CommuniCon Tickets Go on Sale Tonight
Around 6PM PST, the convention for NBC’s Community AKA CommuniCon are going on sale in a limited amount. We have a feeling this might fill up fast so you might want to get in on it early.
Three great releases from three comedians that we’ve been waiting for quite some time now to come out with a new hour of stand-up. We think you’re really going to want to shell out some dough today.
Harland Williams Force of Nature
Anthony Jeselnik Caligula (uncut album here)
Joan Rivers Don’t Start With Me
ON THE HORIZON
Hey Buddy @ Bootleg Bar Sun. Jan. 20th 7:30PM FREE
Bonky with Moshe Kasher & Chelsea Peretti @ UCB Theatre Tues. Jan. 22nd 9:30PM $5
COMEDY CRAWL
Cristela Alonzo @ Comedy & Magic Club 8PM $15/2 item min.
Comedy Central Showcase: Freshman Faces @ Westside Comedy Theater 8PM $5
Room 101 @ The Clubhouse 8PM FREE
Meltdown @ Nerdmelt Showroom 8:30PM $8
Facebook @ UCB Theatre 9:30PM $5 (stand by only)
Dot Comedy @ Hollywood Laugh Factory 10PM $20-$30/2 item min.
New Show @ Middle Theatre Company 10:30PM FREE
The Hoop Dreams Comedy Hour @ New Venus Art Theatre 10:30PM $3
OPEN MIC RUN
FLAPPERS BURBANK 102 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/3 min./No purchase necessary
DANGERFIELD’S 3 2524 1/2 James M. Wood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 6PM/Lottery/3 min./$2 cover
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 6PM/Ends 8PM/5 min./First come, first served/No purchase necessary
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO. 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/lottery/One item min.
REDWOOD BAR & GRILL 316 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles, CA (Downtown)/Starts 6:30PM/No purchase necessary
DAVE’S CHILLIN’ AND GRILLIN’ 2152 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock, CA/Sign-up 7PM/Starts 7:30PM/First come, first served/No purchase necessary
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL 1160 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 7PM/Starts 7:30PM/First come, first served/5 min./1 drink min.
TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6:30PM/Starts 7PM/mixed mic
LIQUID ZOO 7214 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, CA/Sign-up 8:30PM/Starts 9PM/first come, first served/7 min.
FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 11PM/Starts 11:30PM/First come, first served
The 5 Most Intentionally Funny Videos This Week at The Nerdist 1/15
From gibberish rapping to liking the hell out of bars to a nice awards speech, here are our picks for the 5 Most Intentionally Funny Videos This Week at The Nerdist.
If you wish to be considered for 5 MIFV in the future (there is one every week), please read the rules at the bottom of the post before submitting.
Hey Pacific Northwest! Kurt Braunohler Is Recording His Album in Seattle & Portland
Along with Kill Rock Stars, Kurt Braunohler is finally recording a comedy album next month, which you should all go to if you live in, around, or near Portland and Seattle. One of the dates is on Valentine’s Day, which sounds better to us than most of what you’re obligated to do on that corporate founded “holiday”.
Click the link for tickets and details.
Conan O’Brien has Baron Vaughn back for his second delightful set on Conan. Watch for one of the best cereal bits you’re ever going to see and more.
Will Ferrell’s Gary Sanchez Productions Developing Late Night Morning Talk Show on USA
Yeah, you read that right. There very well may be a morning talk show on at midnight on the USA network. Basically, we really hope this makes it to air.
Though it’s not an idea without precedent, video of podcasts have not yet been done on this scale. Snippets and clips of a few podcasts here and there, but The Video Podcast Network aims to change that with a YouTube channel. In the mix already is Earwolf and Adam Carolla and they’re doing an official live launch at the Sundance Film Festival this upcoming weekend with Comedy Bang Bang, You Made It Weird, and more.
Get tickets here.
http://www.1iota.com/show/view/Video_Podcast_Network-_Live_at_Sundance
This is a great week to be watching comedy on television if you’re not already doing that or you’re just obsessed with catching up on Homeland or Breaking Bad.
Tonight, Nick Kroll’s Kroll Show premieres on Comedy Central 10:30PM
Tomorrow Jan. 17th, Jim Jefferies’ Legit premieres on FX 10:30PM
The day after tomorrow Jan. 18th, VH1 officially revives it’s pop culture review show back Best Week Ever with some really funny folks like Nick Turner, Michael Che, JC Coccoli, Michelle Buteau, Jared Logan, Ali Wong, and much much more. VH1 10PM
ON THE HORIZON
Super Art Fight @ Nerdmelt Showroom Sat. Jan. 19th 8PM $8 in adv., $10 at door
Sean, Sean & Baron @ Hollywood Improv Sun. Jan. 20th 7:30PM $5/2 item min.
COMEDY CRAWL
The Great Dictator @ Egyptian Theater 7:30PM $11
Big Money @ The Virgil 7:30PM FREE
Joke Machine @ Nerdmelt Showroom 7:30PM $10
The Super Serious Show @ Club Fais Do Do 8PM $10 in adv., $15 at door
Hubble Telescope @ UCB Theatre 8PM $5 (stand by only)
Kathleen Madigan @ Comedy & Magic Club 8PM $25/2 item min.
The Business LA @ Lyric Hyperion Theatre & Cafe 8PM $5
The Josh & Josh Show @ Bar Lubitsch 8:30PM FREE
Set List @ Nerdmelt Showroom 9PM $10
The Comedy Palace @ Palace Restaurant 9PM FREE
Captain Planet @ Echoes Under Sunset 9PM $5
Mapping the Heavens @ UCB Theatre 9:30PM $5
11th Hour Show @ Clubhouse 11PM FREE
OPEN MIC RUN
CAFE AMERICANO 5770 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 5:30PM/3 min./No purchase necessary
FLAPPERS BURBANK 102 E. Magnolia Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/3 min./Counts as audition/No purchase necessary
PALMS BAR 8572 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA/Sign-up 6:15PM/Starts 6:30PM/First come, first served/One drink min.
ROCKPAPER COFFEE 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 6PM/Ends 8PM/lottery
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 6PM-ish/5 min./First come, first served/No purchase necessary
AMSTERDAM CAFE 10905 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 7PM/First come, first served/No purchase necessary
SANDWICH SPOT 3101 Ocean Park Ave., Santa Monica, CA/Sign-up 6:30PM/Starts 7PM/first come, first served
COFFEE GALLERY 2029 Lake Ave., Altadena, CA/Sign-up 7:30PM/Starts 8PM/First come, first served/5 min./Mixed mic
TRIBAL CAFE BEVERLY 3253 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 7PM/Starts 8PM/Ends 10PM/First come, first served/No purchase necessary
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL 1160 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 7PM/5 min./first come, first served/one drink min.
ECHOES UNDER SUNSET 1310 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6:30PM/Starts 7PM/Lottery/4 min./1 drink min.
COFFEE BEAN 12930 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA/Starts 7PM/mixed mic/lottery/No purchase necessary
TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 8PM/mixed mic
CAFE MUSE 759 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 8PM/Starts 8:15PM/5 min./First come, first served/Must work clean/$3 min.
CAFE UNURBAN 3301 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA/Sign-up (lottery) 9PM/No purchase necessary
PALMS BAR 8572 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA/Starts 11PM/First come, first served/One drink min.
FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 11PM/Starts MIDNIGHT
IMPROV JAM @ CLUBHOUSE 1107 N. El Centro Ave., Los Angeles, CA Ste. 110/Starts around Midnight after 11th Hour Show/Anyone can play/No purchase necessary
Fox To Split FX Into FX and FXX for Comedy
This is only slightly surprising as FX has been having a great batting average as far as comedy programming goes. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Louie, and more have provided enough of a base for their to be two separate channels, apparently, not unlike one stocks split because of fantastic growth in a company’s capital.
Either way, this is incredibly interesting as the arena of cable is growing with comedy niche networks.
The phrase “making it” in regards to the profession of comedy is never clearly defined. Especially with the dynamics of the industry changing because of the Internet, cable, podcasts, and DIY production/distribution, the idea of success as a comedian has become more individually defined than ever.
Just take a look at Mike Lawrence on this latest episode of Scott Moran’s Modern Comedian, which is thankfully back on it’s weekly schedule at PBS Digital, and see how one of the funniest people working in comedy today has strived to legitimately tell people that he’s a comedian.
Passes Are Now on Sale for The 2013 LA Podcast Festival
The inaugural LA Podcast Festival was a blast bringing together comedy podcast fans from around the entire continent and we’re sure this year won’t be any different. The line-up hasn’t been announced, but if you want to get in early on this, you can get weekend passes now.
You didn’t forget that the exciting replacement for Comedy Bang Bang, Put Your Hands Together hosted by the wonderful Cameron Esposito, was going to be released as a podcast, did you? Did you?
Well, it is and you should give it a listen because it has Kyle Kinane, Jerrod Carmichael, Steve Agee, and more. Also, just subscribe because you’re just going to or you’re unable to attend the weekly show at UCB Theatre Los Angeles.
Archer is returning for its new season at 10PM, then right after is the premiere of Jim Jefferies’ Legit at 10:30PM, so you might want to make it a FX Night, whether that’s a thing or not.
ON THE HORIZON
¡El Show! @ El Cid Sun. Jan. 20th 8PM $5
Space Boners Final Show @ Silverlake Lounge Sat. Jan. 26th 7PM FREE
COMEDY CRAWL
The Burn with Jeff Ross Taping @ Hollywood Center Studios 6:30PM FREE w/RSVP
Brand New Ball @ UCB Theatre 7PM $5 (stand by only)
Peachy Keen @ Bar Lubitsch 8PM FREE
Unnecessary Evil @ Westside Comedy Theater 8PM $10
Kathleen Madigan @ Comedy & Magic Club 8PM $25/2 item min. (stand by only)
The Swarm @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10
Hot Improv Nights @ The Clubhouse 10PM FREE
The Ho Ho Show @ Hollywood Hotel 10PM No cover/1 drink min.
The Jesse Miller Talk Show @ Hollywood Improv MIDNIGHT $5/1 item min.
OPEN MIC RUN
SET LIST @ FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 5PM/First come, first served/must improvise set of never before seen provided set list/No purchase necessary
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/5 min./One item min.
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 6PM-ish/5 min./First come, first served/No purchase necessary
SILVERLAKE LOUNGE 2906 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (Silverlake)/Sign-up (lottery) 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/4 min./no purchase necessary
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL 1160 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 7PM/5 min./first come, first served/one drink min.
MAX BLOOM’S 200 N. Malden Ave., Fullerton, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/booked show after/no purchase necessary
SABOR Y CULTURA 5625 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 8PM/Sign-up is a lottery/5 min. with 3 min. work-in’s/No purchase necessary
IMPROV JAM @ MIDDLE THEATER COMPANY 6605 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, Ste. 110/Starts around 11PM after Hot Improv Nights/Anyone can play/No purchase necessary
FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 10PM/Starts MIDNIGHT/lottery
Tenacious D to Start Festival Supreme, A Comedy Rock Festival
Not very many details yet, but the fact they want to get the likes of Tim Minchin and more to play at a festival with them dedicated to comedy rock sounds pretty great.
Also, it may happen in LA, so keep your fingers crossed
On yet another wonderful edition of Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Star Talk Radio on Nerdist’s YouTube Channel, Eugene Mirman, Sarah Silverman, and Jim Gaffigan really try to figure out what Tyson and astrobiologist David Grinspoon are talking about when discussing Mars.
Take out 30 min. or so of your Friday to enjoy this right now.
Whether you break the key prop to a sketch during a live show or not, the show, as they say, must go on. That’s exactly what UCB NYC house sketch team Beige did when they performed an entire sketch centered around a vase that broke while setting up.
Even if you think this is planned, this is pretty f’n great. Give it a watch now.
NBC Greenlights Pilots From Greg Daniels and Will Ferrell & Adam McKay
It will be interesting, and hopefully great, to see projects from Greg Daniels and Gary Sanchez Productions be the idea of “broad” that NBC is shooting for.
Along with the upcoming Nikki & Sara LIVE coming next week to MTV, the pop culture cable giant is seemingly bringing in a new vein of comedy with another series, Failosophy hosted by one of our favorite comedians out of LA, Hasan Minhaj.
It’s a clip show where they take a look at the phenomenon as the “epic fail” in whatever iterations they pop up (i.e. tweets, pics, FB posts, etc.) even doing reenactments directed by incredibly sharp Payman Benz (he directs a lot of great Midnight Show videos). It’s not reinventing the wheel of the clip show, but Minhaj along with the guest panel make this show really work (trust us, we were at a great taping) such as Gabe Liedman, Brooke Van Poppelen, Nikki Glaser, Sara Schaefer, and more.
Give the trailer a watch now and set a reminder for the premiere on Feb. 14th (Valentine’s Day) for 10:30PM.
VH1’s pop culture review show Best Week Ever is officially reborn tonight at 10PM. Catch the likes of Nick Turner, Michelle Buteau, Michael Che, Ali Wong, Jared Logan, and more bring the show all back to its former glory at 10PM.
Don’t believe us? Check out Nick Turner doing local weather in order to promote it.
ON THE HORIZON
Eugene Mirman @ Hollywood Improv Sun. Jan. 27th 7:30PM $18/2 item min.
Lucha VaVoom Valentine’s Spectacular @ The Mayan Theater Wed. Feb. 13th & Thurs. Feb. 14th 8PM $35-$65
COMEDY CRAWL
Kathleen Madigan @ Comedy & Magic Club 6:45PM/9:30PM $25/2 item min.
North Star Comedy Hour & Meat Raffle @ Genghis Cohen 7PM $5
Treasure Trove @ Moving Arts Theater 8PM $5
Super Art Fight @ Nerdmelt Showroom 8PM $10
Matt Braunger & Friends @ Hollywood Improv 8PM/10PM $20/2 item min.
Nick Kroll & Friends @ Largo at the Coronet Theatre 8:30PM $25
Ben Schwartz Presents Snow Pants @ UCB Theatre 10PM $10 (stand by only)
12 Shiny Nickels @ Westside Comedy Theater 11PM $5
Tournament of Nerds @ UCB Theatre MIDNIGHT $5
The Tomorrow Show w/Ron Lynch @ Steve Allen Theater MIDNIGHT $8
OPEN MIC RUN
DANGERFIELD’S 3 2524 1/2 James M. Wood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 6PM/Lottery/3-5min./$2 cover
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 6PM-ish/5 min./First come, first served/No purchase necessary
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL 1160 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 7PM/One drink min./First come, first served
WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATER 1323-A 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica, CA (in alley between 3rd and 4th St.)/Sign-up (lottery) 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/no purchase necessary/4 min.
FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 11PM/Starts 11:30PM-12AM/lottery