Recent News – Page 25 – The Comedy Bureau

It Looks Like “You Hurt My Feelings” Could Be the Ensemble Comedy for 2023

March 21, 2023

a24, julia louis dreyfus, nicole holofcener, you hurt my feelings

For 2023, powerhouse A24 is really honing in on comedy. It makes sense considering Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, the absurdist comedy sci-fi adventure they took a chance on distributing, had a historic awards season sweep.

In addition to the Netflix series BEEF that’s coming soon, a film festival favorite, You Hurt My Feelings, from indie auteur Nicole Holofcener, is another buzzy comedy with the A24 stamp set for release on May 26th. Boasting a very impressive comedy ensemble of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, Amber Tamblyn, and David Cross, the film captures all the ways in which many folks lie or omit the absolute truth to the ones they love the most. It feels like such a Seinfeld-ian idea that it’s almost too perfect that Julia Louis-Dreyfus is starring in this latest work from Holofcener.

The just released trailer for You Hurt My Feelings has plenty of great morsels of this notion, which you might, like we have, play over and over. Enjoy it for yourself here until the film’s release just about two months.

Also, don’t be surprised if this is the tip of the iceberg for A24’s comedy slate this year.

Pick of the Day: SPEED BODY (in LA) 4/9

March 20, 2023

News

los angeles comedy, matt moeller, nick gligor, perfect body, yard theater

Earlier this year, comedian Matt Moeller put himself through an emotional gauntlet by having 20 different comedians break up with him in whatever fashion struck their whims. While that could be a dark journey for everyone involved, including the audience, it proved to be a hysterically cathartic mad dash through the most imaginative ways someone can consciously uncouple with their partner.

Moeller is putting himself through another round of comedic punishment for SPEED BODY, this one being a bit more physical as he is challenging another 20 different comedians to get him to the perfect body in 2 minutes. The impossible circumstances should make for a comedic Tough Mudder race.

Also, one of the best hosts LA has, Nick Gligor will be offering splendid color commentary, riffs, and impromptu karaoke the whole time.

SPEED BODY is set to happen Sun. Apr. 9th at 9PM at The Yard Theater with tickets going for $5. Go get them here. Go. NOW.

Please Enjoy the Color and Pep in the Trailer for Upcoming UK Rom Com “Rye Lane”

March 20, 2023

News

david jonsson, nathan bryon, raine allen miller, rye lane, searchlight, tom melia, vivian oparah

It’s not often that you think about the color palate of a rom com. If you actual do think about it, you might note that it’s often, like the story itself, very basic. The exciting, festival-buzzy UK rom com Rye Lane is going to break up the dynamic along with introducing a whole set of UK folks that you ought to remember (including director Raine Allen-Miller, writers Nathan Bryon & Tom Melia, and stars Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson).

From the trailer for Rye Lane, you can see that this isn’t really like any rom com that you’ve seen in the last ten years and there’s a certain zest and snappiness that recalls, perhaps, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (minus all the video game and graphic novel elements).

Take a gander for yourself here, then look for it on Hulu come Fri. Mar. 31st.

Joy Ride Looks to Be the Raunchiest R-Rated Comedy of 2023 (That Happens to Be About Adoption)

March 17, 2023

News

ashley park, joy ride, red band trailer, sabrina wu, sherry cola, stephanie hsu

Between This Is Us, Trying, and Blue Bayou, there is an uptick in stories about adoption in TV and movies as of late, though, as you might notice they’re either incredibly maudlin or saccharine.

That’s going to change this year come July 7th as Teresa Hsiao, Adele Lim, and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong‘s R-rated transcontinental road-trip buddy comedy, Joy Ride, will hit theaters. Ashley Park plays an adoptee that assembles Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu, all play kind-of life long friends, to help her find her birth mother on the other side of the world. What ensues is a Hangover/Bridesmaids-esque gauntlet of everything going spectacularly awry as one can see and enjoy in this first official red band trailer, just released today.

Joy Ride has the makings of an R-rated comedy of 2023, especially with it being slotted right after the 4th of July, but also offer up a film we haven’t seen before, a big studio adult comedy that sports an all-Asian top billed cast that hinges on an actual adoption story (versus something like Elf, which is probably the best adoptee comedy to date) and is chock full of blue humor.

It’s so damn intriguing where this Joy Ride might take us. Take your first look at what that might be with the Joy Ride red band trailer here.

Pick of the Day: Jena Friedman + Samantha Bee: Not Funny (in NYC) 4/21

March 17, 2023

News

jena friedman, not funny, nyc comedy, samantha bee, strand books

If you’re reading this, we wouldn’t be surprised at all if you’re very into dark, political comedy on TV, on stage, on your podcasts, etc. Thus, comedians Jena Friedman or Samantha Bee doing anything should be occasion enough to make/change your plans to go see them.

Well, lucky for you NYC that Jena has a brand new book of essays, Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera, coming out and is doing a very special event with none other than Samantha Bee at NYC’s treasured Strand Book Store to celebrate its release. Undoubtedly, there will be some live reading of a book that’s worth your time and money and some sharply observed dialogue, but we’re sure that the comedy of Friedman and Bee together will pair perfectly with the times we’re living in.

This special book release event for Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera is set for Fri. Apr. 21st at 7PM at Strand in their Rare Books Room. Tickets are $13.81 and you can (and should) go get ’em here. Also, you can (and should) get a signed copy of the book from Strand here.

Pick of the Day: The Addie Show (Featuring Special Guest: The Audience) (in LA) 3/24

March 16, 2023

News

addie weyrich, dynasty typewriter, los angeles comedy

When it comes to outside-of-the-box, interactive bits, where you may or may not learn Karate or other useful skills, one need not look further than the comedic wares of Addie Weyrich. Weyrich has carved out a niche for herself through doing such things as a martial arts routine versus her phone in the morning, playing Ted Cruz waking up from a coma, and doing storytelling while doing an impromptu giveaway of her old clothes and sundries.

Thus, you’re not going to miss out on Addie’s very special show where the audience is the special guest, the aptly names The Addie Show (Featuring Special Guest: The Audience).

Weyrich is summing up all of her comedic acumen, powers, charm, and unabashed desire to have fun and then wrangling any and all in attendance to be part of the show as much as possible. According to various promotional posts, the first 150 audience members will be given special envelopes upon entrance and (at the very least) 10 folks will learn Karate.

$20 for a ticket to this sounds like more than bargain if you ask us.

The Addie Show (Featuring Special Guest: The Audience) is set for Fri. Mar. 24th at 10:30PM at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. You really ought to go get your tickets quick for what might be one of the most memorable experiences you have in 2023 because, after all, you’d be the special guest.

A24’s Latest Will Be an All-Out Rage Feud Comedy Between Ali Wong and Steven Yeun in “BEEF”

March 16, 2023

News

a24, ali wong, beef, lee sung jin, netflix, steven yeun

A24’s riding high off one hell of an awards season right now. Between Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, The Whale, and Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, the brand already almost did no wrong in the eyes of their fervent followers and probably feel even more vindicated now.

With that in mind, it’s a great time for A24 to introduce their newest project, a juicy revenge dark comedy series, BEEF, that gets as petty and off-the-rails as class warfare can get between two people who are really great at channeling rage into their performances, Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. Created by Lee Sung Jin (Undone, Dave, Tuca & Bertie), this series shows lots of promise, especially given the zeitgeist favors revenge-fueled phenomenons like John Wick and Succession.

Take a gander for yourself here with the official trailer here, then look for all episodes of BEEF to drop on Netflix come Thurs. Apr. 6th.

Get Your First Look at the Darkly Comedic History of The “BlackBerry”

March 15, 2023

News

blackberry, glenn howerton, ifc films, jacquie mcnish, jay baruchel, matt johnson, matthew miller, sean silcoff

Before the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy or whatever high powered smartphone you’re currently using, there was a device known as the BlackBerry, which some Gen-Z folks, unsurprisingly, might not know of. It was the dominant mobile device of elites all around the world, then, with the arrival of the iPhone, virtually became extinct.

The story behind BlackBerry’s ascent and crash is such a fascinating, almost unbelievable one (as is the case with many a tech giant that came crumbling down) following the device’s originators, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, that Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton play them in a Wolf-of-Wall-Street-esque dark comedy. Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller adapted Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry into a film that got a good deal of festival heat.

So, when it comes to the question of what ever happened to the BlackBerry (or what Howerton looks like bald and Baruchel looks like with grey hair), you might find the most entertaining answer, from the looks of the trailer, with this upcoming BlackBerry movie .

If you’re on board, look for BlackBerry in theaters on May 12th thanks to IFC Films.

Pick of the Day: Gemma Soldati: The Poor Rich (in LA & NYC) 3/21 & 3/24

March 15, 2023

News

ars nova, clowning, gemma soldati, solo show, the elysian

Gemma Soldati’s Poor Rich was one of our picks for 100 Best Things in Comedy We Were Witness To in 2022 and for all the satirical revelry that Soldati engages in when picking apart late stage capitalism, it’s a show that as many folks as possible should see in 2023.

Soldati is putting on once again at the place we saw it, the beloved Elysian on Tues. Mar. 21st at 9:30PM PT (tickets on sale now at $16 a pop), but she is also putting up in NYC at forward thinking performance space, Ars Nova on Fri. Mar. 24th at 7PM ET, which might be the first time New Yorkers might get to see it. Lucky for you guys that the show is Pay What You Can and has a livestream available as well.

So, you kind of don’t have an excuse to see Gemma’s brilliant, hysterical work no matter where you live.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 155: Ben Wasserman & Doing Comedy at Funeral Homes

March 15, 2023

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

Ben Wasserman, comedy about death, grief, solo show

Though it might be strange to read, comedy can really exude its healing/relieving powers when done in a funeral home. NYC based Ben Wasserman has been proving that while touring with his most personal work to date, Live After Death, a wild solo show about grief and loss created in the aftermath of several deaths of family members and friends in the span of a few years. It’s a rambunctious show that brings an exuberance and a communal joy while also very much holding space for those any and all that are currently or have ever been beset with grief. Wasserman talks candidly to us about how all this came about and how it has changed his comedy and his entire trajectory with performing.

Follow Ben @benwassergram on IG and @benwassertweet on Twitter

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via Patreon or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

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

Pick of the Day: 120 Hours Straight with Blake Rosier (in LA) 3/20-3/24

March 14, 2023

News

blake rosier, los angeles comedy, marathon performance, yard theater

On the tail of the LA Marathon this weekend, boundary pushing comedian Blake Rosier will be commencing his latest marathon comedy/performance art experience where he will be living at The Yard Theater for 5 entire days. This time, you can come watch him sleep and live in the space in person, if you’re into that sort of thing, or you can enjoy him actually putting on five hours of packed show each night running from 7PM PT to Midnight PT.

Per Rosier’s own rules, he’ll only be able to eat what is given to him by folks who come to the theater. It’s quite the insane feat and, knowing Rosier, there are probably some twists/turns/surprises in store that we don’t know about (and, frankly, maybe Blake himself isn’t even aware of). You can either find your way to The Yard Theater in East Hollywood next week between Mon. Mar. 20th and Fri. Mar 24th or you can live-stream 120 Hours with Blake Rosier at youtube.com/blakerosier (that would be 10PM ET to 3AM ET for shows).

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once Wins Everything (Almost) at Oscars and Let’s Hope Movies Get the Message

March 13, 2023

News

everything everywhere all at once, oscars

There’s a lot to be celebrated for the amount of Asian representation that Daniels’ brilliant Everything, Everywhere, All at Once so gloriously illuminates after capping a masterful awards season run with 7 Oscar wins including Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Directing, and, of course, Best Picture. They won every category they were nominated in except for one, Best Song. In fact, there’s a lot to be celebrated for Everything, Everywhere, All at Once becoming the most decorated movie to come out in 2022.

It’s an an original movie (and an indie one at that) that proved to be an undeniable box office hit (though not at the magnitude of Top Gun: Maverick… yet?). Heading out of lockdown, the fate of original movies on the big screen seemed grim, but, as fate would have it, the movie that wrapped principal photography the day before COVID-19 was announced as global pandemic would be the perfect balance of escape, maximalism, absurdism, and family tenderness that would capture the hearts and minds of audiences around the globe. With populist movies such as Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick looming large as appointed saviors of the movie industry and finding their way into the Best Picture category at The Oscars, one could only wonder how many more cinematic universes would be treated to had either of them won. We’re still going to very much be subject to the MCU, DCEU, Fast & Furious, Blade Runner, Ghostbusters, Mission Impossible, James Bond, Star Wars, and yes, probably Top Gun, but there’s a glimmer of hope in the sheen of A24’s landmark 2022 that included not only Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, but also the acclaimed/nominated/award winning Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and The Whale. The independent spirit is still alive and well, so long as audiences keep watching those films after being let down by Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Also, not enough is said for Everything Everywhere All at Once being a comedy and, very likely, the wackiest movie that has every won a Best Picture Oscar. The entire pantheon of Best Picture winners that can be categorized, even somewhat, as comedies include such classics as It Happened One Night, Annie Hall, Gigi, Birdman, and The Artist. None of them had a multi-verse or hot dog fingers or numerous sex toy jokes or glue-on googly-eyes on rocks, just a sampling of the magical soup in Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. The most “out-there” movie to win Best Picture before this year might be The Shape of Water, a noir-thriller romance where a woman falls in love with a fish god. The mash-up of sincerity and slapstick revelry is something that hasn’t really graced the Academy’s consideration, but this historic win (apparently, more above-the-line wins than any other movie in Oscars history) might just be the shake-up/sign that things for one of cinema’s oldest institutions is maybe catching up with the times.

More so than probably anything else that came out last year, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once should be a testament to the artistry in comedy and let’s hope no one ever forgets that anywhere, ever again.

Jenny Zigrino Sends Up All the Generations with Her Debut Hour Special “Jen-Z”

March 13, 2023

News

comedy central, comedy special, jen z, jenny zigrino, stand up comedy

The tapping of generational divides is a time honored source of comedy and very likely will be until, well, the end of time. That said, it takes exceptional comedic prowess, skill, and talent to find unique, singular footing on such well-tread territory. The keen wit and acumen of Jenny Zigrino in her first marvelous, amazingly self-produced hour special Jen-Z very much hit that mark (as well as broke away from the unfortunate comic habit of purely punching down at younger generations).

Zigrino herself is a Millennial and cheekily called it Jen-Z with plenty of great material on how Generation Z stole the thunder that Millennials had going for them going right before COVID-19 shuddered everything for awhile (Also, Jenny’s COVID material delightfully stands out from the countless hours of it we’ve seen over the last three years). Gen-X and Baby Boomers are in the mix too since Jenny does her due diligence to make inclusively satirize all ages.

Again, Jenny makes sure that any sort of generational bitterness gets evened out by a very insightful and funny balance for folks younger (who want everyone to be sexually gratified) and older (who didn’t have to find love through a dating app). Throughout Jen-Z, it’s a great reminder that people of all times are trying their best and some of the best comedy comes from finding where people’s “best” is sometimes just worthy of a participation trophy.

Jenny Zigrino: Jen-Z is now streaming on YouTube for your convenience, free of charge. Look for Jen-Z as an album from Blonde Medicine on Apr. 14th.

Pick of the Day: WAR (in NYC) Mondays Starting 3/27

March 13, 2023

News

brooklyn, dave ross, james austin johnson, neel ghosh, nyc comedy, stand up comedy, union hall

Over the last couple of years, whether you know it or not, NYC has gotten some true gems from the LA comedy scene. Namely, James Austin Johnson, Neel Ghosh, and Dave Ross have relocated to New York and spreading their honed comedy wares across the five boroughs. They all had their own respective, cherished comedy happenings that they built out in LA (Rod Stewart Live, Night Voyage, Good Heroin), but they’re set on making their mark in NYC (especially if they’re not already on SNL… yet).

So, these three hysterical LA-to-NYC transplants are banding together to make use of the fact that are way more night owls in New York and are setting up a weekly late night, Monday stand-up show at Brooklyn’s venerable comedy stage, Union Hall. What are they calling this 10PM Monday night comedy hang in Park Slope that’s probably equal parts chill and madcap fun? WAR. Perhaps, a perfect name?

WAR commences on (most) Mondays at Union Hall starting Mar. 27th at $11.55 a pop. Go get tickets over and over here.

I Think You Should (Remember May 30th Before You) Leave

March 10, 2023

News

i think you should leave, netflix, premiere date, season 3, sketch comedy

triples is best. I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE WITH TIM ROBINSON. season 3. may 30. pic.twitter.com/qVEbTwyNkx

— Netflix Is A Joke (@NetflixIsAJoke) March 10, 2023

Almost without argument, the two seasons of I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson represent some of the best sketch comedy of the past decade and, very likely, this century. Robinson’s unhinged characters, all seeming to build towards and very much past a boiling point, living up to the title of the show, are almost a perfect panacea to the very real chaos that we’ve been living through since the show premiered on Netflix in 2019.

It’s a great reminder that there is sketch comedy television these days outside of SNL, especially when a mind like Tim Robinson’s gets to run wild.

So, with that said, you very much should set several reminders that Tues. May 30th (i.e. midnight on Monday) will be when you should start binging season 3 of the critically acclaimed, award winning, abjectly absurdist sketch series I Think You Should Leave.

Pick of the Day: Crane’s Comedy 7 Year Anniversary (in LA) 3/15

March 10, 2023

News

aston wallace, bri pruett, candice thompson, derrick c brown, dtla, live comedy, los angeles comedy, madison shepard, sean grant, stand up comedy, trevor smith, trish hadley

Once just a hidden gem of a bar guarded by a bank vault door (we’re not kidding about that), Crane’s Bar in DTLA has become a fixture of great comedy in DTLA. They’ve carried a torch for 7 years making a neighborhood-y feeling basement a great spot to watch many of LA’s finest, both famous and on-the-rise, take the mic in a setting that’s pretty much as intimate as it can get.

By “they”, we do mean the splendid team that currently consists of Trish Hadley, Bri Pruett, Aston Wallace, and Trevor Smith. Come Wed. Mar. 15th at 8PM, they’re going to mark their 7 year anniversary with a damn fine line-up of Candice Thompson, Sean Grant, Derrick C. Brown, and Madison Shepard.

Don’t miss out on one of the only comedy shows in LA that makes it worth going downstairs from ground level and go get your tickets at $10 a pop right here right now.

SNL Post Editors Set Date of April Fools Day to Strike If NBCU Doesn’t Reach New Contract Agreement

March 9, 2023

News

snl, strike

(via Deadline)

For months now, the post-production editors of Saturday Night Live, the department crucial to many of the most viral clips on SNL these days, have been trying to negotiate a contract renewal as a unionized group with NBC Universal. No such agreement has been reached at this point and, as such, the SNL Post-Production Editors have set a date for April 1st to walk out in the fight for fair wages and health benefits.

Doing post production for a live-to-air show usually means that crunch time is all the time. That is the pace of Saturday Night Live in general, but one often only hears of the long hours and wild turnaround times for the writers and performers. The crew and staff behind SNL are under the same sort of pressures, but operate thanklessly (at least from the general public) in the shadows. So, it shouldn’t be the case that people that are putting together all the fake commercials, graphics, etc. should be struggling with their pay or health care for such an TV and comedy institution as Saturday Night Live.

We can only hope their terms are met by NBCU as April 1st just happens to be on a Saturday.

Also, it should be noted that April Fools’ Day is finally getting a much needed shake-up.

Get Ready for a Multiverse Rom Com Series with “SLIP”

March 9, 2023

News

roku, the slip, whitmer thomas, zoe lister jones

No matter where you look, the multiverse is in the air. Everything, Everywhere, All at Once is poised to be the most winningest movie of the year and while the world is still rife with utter chaos and devastation at the moment, the escape of a multiversal story will be appealing to us all for quite some time.

Cue in Zoe Lister-Jones’ latest, SLIP, where Jones finds herself transported to other alternate realities/universes upon reaching sexual completion. The premise is already pretty cheeky and enticing, but Lister-Jones never shies away from exploring the emotional depths of what is an abjectly absurd situation. Finding herself and love through the multiverse seems, as you can see in the first trailer for SLIP here, ought to spectacularly go through a whole universe of emotions during the entire run of the series (complete with TCB favorite Whitmer Thomas).

Thankfully, you’ll be able to stream this free of charge at your convenience at The Roku Channel on Fri. Apr. 21st.

Please Enjoy Greg Barris’ Late Night Debut on Corden

March 9, 2023

News

greg barris, james corden, late late show, late night, stand up comedy

Fresh off the release of his stellar album Deep Healing, Greg Barris is making quite the rounds with his stand-up in 2023. His self-effacing, hip charm and semi-mystical hijinks have been a personal favorite of ours for, well, as long as we’ve been around as a Bureau (nearly 13 years at this point).

So, it’s a bit of a mystery as to why Barris just notched in his first late night stand-up set last night on The Late Late Show with James Corden, but we’re glad that it happened and that Greg did one of “the hits”, a bit about his expectations of dating people of a certain name.

With all of that said, go watch and enjoy Greg’s late night debut here.

Pick of the Day: Shane Torres Live Special Taping (in NYC) 3/18

March 9, 2023

News

comedy taping, live taping, nyc comedy, shane torres

Shane Torres is and has been one of the funniest comics working out of NYC. Just watch him do an entire late night set on (and consequently have the definitive bit about) Guy Fieri.

With that in mind on top of the fantastic album Established 1981, it’s a bit wild that Shane hasn’t done an hour special yet. Thanks to the shirtless wonder that is Bert Kreischer, Shane is going to change that and tape his very first hour next week.

Specifically, Shane is doing two tapings, 7PM & 10PM on Sat. Mar. 18th, at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn with tickets going for $25.14 a pop. You can (and very much should) get them here and here respectively.

“Jury Duty” Sets Out to Elaborately Prank One Real Juror in a Fake Court Case

March 8, 2023

News

amazon freevee, jury duty

When it comes to prank shows, there is plethora of Punk’d and offshoots of it. Many of those just come down to a few awkward moments that, perhaps, a few friends are in on and focused in on celebrities or, conversely, random strangers out in the world.

The upcoming Amazon Freevee (Amazon’s attempt to get you hooked and maybe pay for Amazon Prime?) series Jury Duty goes above and beyond by staging an entire court case with judge, prosecution, defense, jurors, etc. and one real guy who doesn’t know it’s all fake. There are echoes of The Rehearsal, though not nearly as meta as the award winning series. Also, James Marsden is on the whole thing as well (and TCB favorites Mekki Leeper and David Brown from The Shrimp Boys).

Take a gander for yourself with the trailer here, then look for it free of charge on Amazon Freevee starting Apr. 7th.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 154: Byron Bowers & Keeping It Raw

March 8, 2023

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

byron bowers, car culture, jfl, jfl montreal

Often, the idea of being raw on stage gets misconstrued with spouting off and saying shocking things for unfettered schadenfreude. The rawness of Byron Bowers and his comedy comes from such a genuine place as he is in between so many worlds and wants to speak his comedic truth in the purest way possible. The result often takes him and his audience into darker territory, but always subverted with hysterical observations, which has gotten him his first special on the coolest cable network, FX, and a number of roles on such high profile shows as Irma Vep and the upcoming Natalie Portman-vehicle Lady in the Lake. We talk with Byron on this week’s TCB Field Report on his whole journey, which might turn into a book that you very much should get and read, to being truly one of the funniest comedians working today.

Follow Byron across socials @byronbowers and watch Spiritual N**GA on Hulu.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via Patreon or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by Troy Conrad

Pick of the Day: The 6th Annual One Liner Madness (in NYC) 3/23

March 8, 2023

News

March Madness is in the air, which, thankfully, is just a NCAA-College-Basketball-Tournament-thing and not another sort of rabid virus that will force us to stay at home.

With that sort of spirit in the air, one might be intrigued by a one-liner joke March Madness-style tournament (though there probably won’t be any sort of “bracketology” with this one). Indeed, that’s what’s happening for the sixth year at The Bell House with One Liner Madness. 64 of the NYC comedy scene’s finest will go head-to-head with their very best one liners for a very real trophy and cash prize. For joke purists, this ought to be a dream.

Thus far, slated to compete/joke are:

Josh Gondelman (Desus & Mero, Last Week Tonight)
Ophira Eisenberg (NPR, iHeart Radio’s Parenting Is a Joke)
Pedro Gonzalez (Colbert)
Kenice Mobley (Fallon)
Kate Willet (Comedy Central Standup)
Mike Drucker (Samantha Bee, Fallon)
Mohanad Elshieky (Conan)
Brittany Carney (The Comedy Cellar)
Myq Kaplan (Fallon, Last Comic Standing)
Ginny Hogan (The New Yorker)

w/hosts Emily Winter (Nickelodeon, NPR) and Larry Mancini (ESPN Radio)

Best of all, proceeds for One Liner Madness will go towards Shelter Chic Animal Rescue.

The 6th Annual One Liner Madness is set to go down on Thurs. Mar. 23rd at The Bell House tipping off at 8PM. Tickets are $19.72 and you best go get them here.

A Kyle Kinane Special, Shocks & Struts, Approaches

March 7, 2023

News

800 pound gorilla, comedy special, kyle kinane, stand up comedy

One of the best comedy voices in our generation/era belongs to one Kyle Kinane. Kyle might get bashful with such a statement, but that humility feeds the ingenious bits and poetic hilarity that has seen him through several brilliant hours of comedy. When we first started covering comedy over a decade ago, we fell in love with Death of the Party, Kinane’s first album and pretty much watched this 10 minute bit about oversized pizza on repeat for a week.

Needless to say, the prospect of another special of Kinane’s coming out soon is extremely exciting and has been long awaited (Trampoline in a Ditch came out in 2020). Shocks & Struts is that special and Kinane just posted a teaser that has us thinking there is something very special coming on this month with this hour.

See for yourself here and then, likely, pay $10 because you’ll want to see as soon as you can starting Mar. 15th.

Howdy gang. New special on deck. March 15th for $10 dollars for you early birds, or wait until March 30 and get it for FREE.https://t.co/IiHdzLeImE pic.twitter.com/V2fokMcQXf

— Elon Musk (for serious Im totally him) (@kylekinane) March 7, 2023

Enjoy UK Comedy Star Diane Morgan on Seth Meyers Becoming an American Comedy Star Because of Cunk on Earth

March 7, 2023

News

cunk on earth, Diane Morgan, seth meyers

The names Diane Morgan and Philomena Cunk as well as the title Cunk on Earth may not be familiar to your Yankee ears, but we hope that changes from the time you finish reading this post forward. Morgan, not unlike Steve Coogan has done with Alan Partridge, has become synonymous with a certain extremely aloof, easily mistaken, yet fully confident presenter. The name of said presenter is a comically rich tapestry of syllables, Philomena Cunk. Throughout several series and specials, Morgan has taken on sending up every documentary series that is perhaps too self-serious and thus played Cunk as dryly as possible while often saying the most idiotic things she can say, often to real life field experts.

Cunk on Earth is the latest work from Diane as Philomena and a grand exploration of the history of mankind, but done with the lens of someone who assuredly thinks they’ve got the right take, but has less veracity to their facts than non-peer reviewed pages on Wikipedia (though there are some piercingly funny truths that she points out like Europe’s insistence on their innovation of the printing press when that existed in Asia well before that time). The result is so damn funny, often ratcheted up through the absurdity and awkwardness with history professors and art historians that have to deal with Philomena and her quest to ask “dumb questions”.

See for yourself in the Cunk on Earth trailer here.

Also, Cunk on Earth is likely the first American exposure that Cunk has gotten as the series is streaming on Netflix and is gaining traction through the platform. As such, Morgan appeared on Seth Meyers last night to talk up the series, show herself as the perfect person to play Philomena since Diane hates most history, and generally show off how wonderfully dry she is.

Right, you should go watch all of Cunk on Earth (it’s a short binge, we promise) right now and make your week better.

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