Recent News

Get Your First Look at S3 of What We Do In The Shadows (as Nandor Tries VR)

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One of the most heralded comedies (that is so glaringly absent from the field of this year’s Emmy nominees on a technicality) in recent memory, What We Do In The Shadows is set to return very soon (though not soon enough if you ask us).

The master vampires of Staten Island return with their increasingly mysterious familiar Guillermo for their third season on Thurs. Sept. 2nd on FX (and next day on Hulu). That is indeed weeks away, but at least we have this very first teaser to look at (and just hope that there are more to come like there have been in the past two seasons).

Funny enough, this first look is also a first look for Nandor as he ventures to try a VR headset for the first time. Enjoy this as much as you can over the next month and change.

Pick of the Day: Low Key Outside Year Anniversary 7/28

la comedy, low key outside, matt rife, outdoor comedy, paul elia

At various places around LA (and sometimes outside of it), for a year, Paul Elia and Matt Rife have held down outdoor comedy under the banner of Low Key Outside. In this era of live comedy that had to take place during pandemic, they’re celebrating making it to a year with beloved show (it has been packed as long as we have been aware of it).

That’s especially impressive considering many live show don’t last a year even without a pandemic.

So, Paul and Matt are marking a year of Low Key Outside in an outdoor space in Arts District, a neighborhood that somehow got even hipper during lockdown at 411 S. Hewitt St., Los Angeles, CA on Wed. Jul. 28th at 7PM PT. They haven’t announced the line-up yet, but we have no doubt that they’ll pull in as stacked of a line-up for their first year anniversary.

Tickets are on sale right now, starting at $30, and you can and very much should go get them here.

Steven Conrad Might Have Just Made Something Weirder Than ‘Patriot’ with Ultra City Smiths

amc, steven conrad, trailer, ultra city smiths

The Kafka-esque tale of espionage that is Patriot remains as one of the more unique series in recent memory. Methodical in its pacing, but twisting and turning at every turn, the sheer absurdity of Steven Conrad’s creation sticks with us to this day.

With that said, he might have just made something even stranger, which is kind of a tall order, with his latest series, Ultra City Smiths. Conrad has woven a noir-ish tale of intrigue that will drive a detective to his limits and past them. Oh, he’s exclusively using refashioned baby dolls and stop motion animation to realize this vision.

It’s wonderfully ridiculous from what we saw in the trailer.

Honestly, we’re still trying to process the possibilities of such a mash-up of stylistic and genre elements, again leaning into somewhat absurdist territory, and how Conrad might have just topped himself. See all of this for yourself here.

If you’re digging it, you can catch Ultra City Smiths on AMC’s streaming platform AMC+ (you didn’t think that there were going to be no more new streaming services, did you?) starting Jul. 22nd.

Pick of the Day: HELLTRAP NIGHTMARE (in LA) 8/28

helltrap nightmare, la comedy, sarah squirm, zebulon

THE world’s premier horror comedy extravaganza known as HELLTRAP NIGHTMARE is crawling out from the cocoon it has been quarantining in and putting up its first show in so, so very long.

HELLTRAP NIGHTMARE’s ringleader Sarah Squirm will be leading off the show once again in its new-ish home, Zebulon, between Atwater and Frogtown. Throughout lockdown Squirm and HELLTRAP NIGHTMARE put on several stacked variety comedy live-stream fundraisers that were probably some of the virtual shows throughout the entirety of quarantine.

All these months later, on Sat. Aug. 28th w/doors at 8PM PT, all the cleverly engineered and devised grotesque body horror and socio-political humor will rise once more to all of our collective enjoyment in what sure as hell feels like the end times.

Tickets are on sale now for $12.30 and you can and very, very much should go get them here.

Bo Burnham’s Inside Is Getting Theatrical Run (That Just Got Extended by Three Days)

bo burnham, inside, theatrical run

Without a doubt, one of the most talked about comedy specials of 2021 is Bo Burnham’s Inside. Cinematic and timely, it’s without a doubt one of the best comedy specials to be made during the pandemic and further proof that great artists can figure out how to make powerful, moving works of art despite the constraints of a worldwide pandemic.

Originally, Netflix was planning an exclusive one night only screening of Inside, but demand for seeing one of the most epic looking specials (despite it being almost entirely shot in one room) on the big screen has prompted the streaming giant to make it into a whole run for next weekend Jul. 22nd-25th at hundreds of theaters across North America.

It’s very rare for comedy specials to ever find their way into theaters and, as far as we can even remember, the last few specials to even make an attempt at a theatrical run over the last few years might all be just from Kevin Hart.

In any case, this is a great excuse to go watch Bo Burnham’s Inside yet again.

Pick of the Day: Phoebe Robinson HBO Special Taping (in NYC) 8/13

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As live comedy is returning to some of the pace and volume that it used to be, so are exclusive tapings of comedy specials for big time networks and streaming services (and it won’t be something unprecedented like a drive-in or sitting at a converted part of Universal Studios).

The latest high profile special that will be taped will feature Phoebe Robinson, whom you ought to know from 2 Dope Queens/Doing the Most/Tiny Rep Books/guest hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, for HBO Max. Robinson will be bringing her first hour filled with her hot takes on the world that are equal parts sharp and bubbly to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden on Fri. Aug. 13th for two shows, 8PM ET & 10PM ET.

Best of all, tickets are free and you best go RSVP for them right here right now.

Yes, There Are Comedy NFT Albums and Events Now

The three letters of N, F, and T have specifically bombarded the collective consciousness as the latest craze within the world of cryptocurrency. NFTs, standing for Non Fungible Token, as best as we understand it, is a digital certificate of authenticity for a specific item, often digital in nature, that also seems to operate as a publicly traded stock, fluctuating in value based on any given number of factors. All kinds of art have been sold as NFTs over the last several months as their popularity has skyrocketed, often resulting in multi-million dollar sales.

NFTs have found their way into comedy as well, even beyond just being ridiculed or joked about or done as a bit as famed Monty Python member John Cleese has done. Legitimate comedy releases/exclusive events are being put up as NFTs including Comedy Records, a decade old Canadian comedy record label, releasing an special, limited edition record collection to mark 10 years and Dynasty Typewriter announcing the taping of the world’s first ever NFT comedy event.

Comedy Records Presents 10 Year will be a virtually exclusive compilation album that celebrates their 10 year anniversary and will offer very special parts of their catalog that was previously only released on vinyl. That’ll include tracks from K Trevor Wilson, Arthur Simeon, Clare Belford, Monty Scott, Nick Reynoldson, Jay & Eytan, Todd Graham, Mark DeBonis, Efthimios Nasiopoulos, Pat Burtscher, Dena Jackson, Garrett Jamieson and Sprattacus. You’ll be able to get in on it starting this Thurs. Jul. 15th at 9AM PT/12PM ET via Fanaply.

Dynasty Typewriter continues to look towards possible futures, as one of LA’s more forward thinking venues, in live comedy by hosting two nights of what they’re calling Non Fungible Jokin’. Taking place at the end of this month on Jul. 30th and Jul. 31st, the likes of Moses Storm, Pete Holmes, Chauntè Wayans, Beth Stelling, Zainab Johnson, Adam Ray, Ian Edwards, and Brooks Wheelan as well as a very special chat between Maria Bamford and the incredible Beth Stelling will be part of, as mentioned above, the world’s first NFT comedy event. There are no specifics at this time as to where the NFT part of this will fit in (we’re guessing exclusive access to these tapings?), but, for now, you can just show up in person to be part of these tapings without having to dabble in crypto (get tickets here and here respectively).

This very much feels like just the beginning of what be attempted with NFTs in the comedy space and as to what might come of it (maybe NFT podcast episodes, NFT virtual merch, individual jokes as NFTs?) has yet to be seen. Also, we wonder, as we imagine both Comedy Records and Dynasty Typewriter are wondering too, what sort of hardcore comedy comedy fans even are invested in the crypto world?

Pick of the Day: Paul Scheer & Rob Huebel Present CRASH TEST (in LA) 7/24

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Show by show, much of the best of LA comedy is coming back. One such thing that has set a date for its return is the anything-goes, wild ride that is Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel’s Crash Test. For years, Scheer and Huebel would take over UCB Franklin late on a weeknight to do literally anything that came to mind whether it be playing a rather aggro version of musical chairs, scrapping whole bits to talk to a justifiably fired personal assistant, or go through a “new” version of the Crash Test pledge. Also, they would fit in some stand-up from LA’s best in between whatever they chose to do.

Now, they’re coming back for their first show for 2021 and since lockdown started at Largo at the Coronet Theatre. They’ve set the date for Sat. Jul. 24th at 8:30PM PT. Tickets are $35 (plus $11 service fee). Best go get them here before they sell out.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 68: Carolina Barlow & Truthiness in Love

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

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True Romance‘s Carolina Barlow joins us for this week’s TCB Field Report as she and TCB’s Jake Kroeger go in on the newly announced Primetime Emmy nominations (which, for some reason include Cobra Kai in the comedy category?). There are plenty of actually spicy takes that follow.

With that in mind, they reimagine what awards shows should be, especially for those that have been collectively snubbed. Carolina then takes us through going through a break-up just as she started a podcast about healthy relationships with Devin Leary, True Romance, and even get a bit True Romance-y by dissecting the break-up that Jake also went through near the beginning of quarantine. Lastly, we address the not-often-enough-addressed issue of comedians potentially ruining relationships when doing crowd work.

Follow Carolina @carolinarosebarlow on IG, listen to True Romance and The Ron Burgundy Podcast, and read Attached.

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

And Here Are Your Comedy Nominees for 2021 Primetime Emmys

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As you might have seen throughout your socials, the nominations for this year’s Primetime Emmys were announced this morning complete with plenty of welcome surprises, infuriating snubs, and dozens upon dozens of categories that might be overwhelming to look through. So, we’ve got all the nominees of main comedy categories listed below between comedy series, actor and actress nominations, writing, etc.

Overall…
-Ted Lasso continues to be people’s quarantine comfort food as they got a record amount of nominations for its first season.
-Hacks, also in its first celebrated season, got several nods including a first time nomination for co-star Hannah Einbinder and Carl Clemon-Hopkins.
-Bowen Yang, who is very likely several people’s favorite cast member on SNL right now, got his very own nomination.
-The Amber Ruffin Show also marked its very first nomination in writing.
-Jessica Walter posthumously got nominated for her voice work on Archer
-Conan got nominated as his final season ran this year.
-For some reason, Cobra Kai is now a comedy and Emily in Paris got another nomination despite previous uproars in past awards shows
-Despite the pandemic throwing off everyone’s schedule, What We Do In The Shadows, Insecure, and Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are left out of the running.
-Also, even though it just premiered, I Think You Should Leave season 2 should just be shoehorned into the competition right now.

Here’s the full list of comedy nominees:

Comedy Series
“Ted Lasso”
“Hacks”
“The Flight Attendant”
“The Kominsky Method”
“Black-ish”
“Pen15”
“Cobra Kai”
“Emily in Paris”

Comedy Actress
Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”)
Allison Janney (“Mom”)
Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”)
Jean Smart (“Hacks”) |
Aidy Bryant (“Shrill”)

Comedy Actor
Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Kenan Thompson (“Kenan”)
William H. Macy (“Shameless”)
Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”)

Variety Talk Series
“Conan”
“Daily Show With Trevor Noah”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”
“Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Carl Clemons-Hopkins (“Hacks”)
Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”)
Brendan Hunt (“Ted Lasso”)
Nick Mohammed (“Ted Lasso”)
Paul Reiser (“The Kominsky Method”)
Jeremy Swift (“Ted Lasso”)
Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”)
Bowen Yang (“Saturday Night Live”)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Aidy Bryant (“Saturday Night Live”)
Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”)
Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”)
Rosie Perez (“The Flight Attendant”)
Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Live”)
Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso”)
Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”)

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Jane Adams (“Hacks”)
Yvette Nicole Brown (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”)
Bernadette Peters (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”)
Issa Rae (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”)
Maya Rudolph (“Saturday Night Live”)
Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”)

Variety Sketch Series
“A Black Lady Sketch Show”
“Saturday Night Live”

Variety Special (Live)
Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special (Multiple Platforms)
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
The Oscars (ABC)
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd (CBS)
Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 (Showtime)

Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix)
David Byrne’s American Utopia (HBO)
8:46 – Dave Chappelle (Netflix)
Friends: The Reunion (HBO Max)
Hamilton (Disney Plus)
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (HBO Max)

Animated Program
“Big Mouth” (Netflix)
“Bob’s Burgers” (Fox)
“Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal” (Adult Swim)
“The Simpsons” (Fox)
“South Park: The Pandemic Special” (Comedy Central)

Short Form Animated Program
“Love, Death + Robots” (Netflix)
“Maggie Simpson In: The Force Awakens From Its Nap” (Disney)
“Once Upon a Snowman” (Disney Plus)
“Robot Chicken” (Adult Swim)

Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
Bonding • Netflix • Netflix-Brendan Scannell as Pete Devon
Die Hart • Quibi • LOL Studios-Kevin Hart as Kevin Hart
Die Hart • Quibi • LOL Studios-John Travolta as Ron Wilcox
Mapleworth Murders • Quibi • Universal Television in association with Broadway Video and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions-John Lutz as Gilbert Pewntz
Mapleworth Murders • Quibi • Universal Television in association with Broadway Video and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions-J.B. Smoove as Chief Billy Bills

Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
Die Hart • Quibi • LOL Studios-Nathalie Emmanuel as Jordan King
Keke Palmer’s Turnt Up With The Taylors • Facebook Watch • Kids at Play-Keke Palmer as Barbie / Gammy Tay / Lil Thad / Miranda / Rick
Mapleworth Murders • Quibi • Universal Television in association with Broadway Video and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions-Paula Pell as Mrs. Abigail Mapleworth
Reno 911! • Quibi • High Sierra Carpeting production in association with Central Productions, LLC-Kerri Kenney-Silver as Deputy Trudy Wiegel

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Archer • The Double Date • FX Networks • FX Productions-Jessica Walter as Malory Archer

Big Mouth • A Very Special 9/11 Episode • Netflix • Netflix
Maya Rudolph as Connie The Hormone Monstress

black-ish: Election Special (Part 2) • ABC • Cinema Gypsy Productions, Inc. & Khalabo Ink Society in association with ABC Signature
Stacey Abrams as Stacey Abrams

Bridgerton • Diamond Of The First Water • Netflix • A Netflix Original Series in association with shondalandmedia
Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown

Central Park • A Fish Called Snakehead • Apple TV+ • Apple / 20th Century Fox Television
Tituss Burgess as Cole Tillerman

Central Park • A Fish Called Snakehead • Apple TV+ • Apple / 20th Century Fox Television
Stanley Tucci as Bitsy Brandenham

Family Guy • Stewie’s First Word • FOX • 20th Television Animation
Seth MacFarlane as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, Glenn Quagmire

Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama Or Variety Series

Carpool Karaoke: The Series • Apple TV • CBS Studios in association with Fulwell 73 Productions
Ben Winston, Executive Producer James Corden, Executive Producer Eric Pankowski, Executive Producer David Young, Co-Executive Producer Sheila Rogers, Supervising Producer Diana Miller, Producer

Late Night With Seth Meyers: CORRECTIONS • YouTube • Universal Television and Broadway Video
Seth Meyers, Host
Mike Shoemaker, Produced by

The Randy Rainbow Show • YouTube • 4 Irene Productions Inc.
Randy Rainbow, Executive Producer/Performer John Retsios, Producer
Jeff Romley, Producer
Victoria Varela, Producer

Reno 911! • Quibi • High Sierra Carpeting in association with Central Productions, LLC
Thomas Lennon, Executive Producer Robert Ben Garant, Executive Producer Kerri Kenney-Silver, Executive Producer John Landgraf, Executive Producer Peter Principato, Executive Producer David Lincoln, Producer

Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News • Paramount+ • CBS Studios, Late Night Cartoons
Stephen T. Colbert, Executive Producer Chris Licht, Executive Producer
RJ Fried, Executive Producer
Tim Luecke, Executive Producer
Zach Smilovitz, Co-Executive Producer Mike Leech, Co-Executive Producer

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series

The Flight Attendant • In Case Of Emergency • HBO Max • HBO Max in association with Berlanti Productions, Yes, Norman Productions, and Warner Bros. Television
Steve Yockey, Written by

Girls5eva • Pilot • Peacock • Universal Television in association with Scardino and Sons, Little Stranger Inc., Bevel Gears and 3 Arts Entertainment
Meredith Scardino, Written by

Hacks • There Is No Line (Pilot) • HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Lucia Aniello, Written by
Paul W. Downs, Written by
Jen Statsky, Written by

Pen15 • Play • Hulu • Hulu, Awesomeness TV, Odenkirk Provissiero, Lonely Island Classics
Maya Erskine, Written by

Ted Lasso • Make Rebecca Great Again • Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Jason Sudeikis, Teleplay by
Brendan Hunt, Story by
Joe Kelly, Story by

Ted Lasso • Pilot • Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Jason Sudeikis, Teleplay by & Story by
Bill Lawrence, Teleplay by & Story by
Brendan Hunt, Story by Joe Kelly, Story by

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series

The Amber Ruffin Show • Peacock • Universal Television and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions
Jenny Hagel, Head Writer
Demi Adejuyigbe, Writing Supervised by Ashley Nicole Black, Written by
Michael Harriot, Written by
Shantira Jackson, Written by
Ian Morgan, Written by
Dewayne Perkins, Written by
Amber Ruffin, Written by

A Black Lady Sketch Show • HBO • HBO in association with JAX Media, 3 Arts Entertainment, Issa Rae Productions and For Better or Words Inc.
Lauren Ashley Smith, Head Writer
Robin Thede, Written by
Ashley Nicole Black, Written by Akilah Green, Written by Shenovia Large, Written by Rae Sanni, Written by
Kristin Layne Tucker, Written by Holly Walker, Written by Kindsey Young, Written by

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • HBO • HBO in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television
Johnathan Appel, Writer Ali Barthwell, Writer Tim Carvell, Writer
Liz Hynes, Writer
Greg Iwinski, Writer
Mark Kramer, Writer Daniel O’Brien, Writer
John Oliver, Writer
Owen Parsons, Writer Charlie Redd, Writer Joanna Rothkopf, Writer Chrissy Shackelford, Writer Ben Silva, Writer
Seena Vali, Writer

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert • CBS • CBS Studios
Ariel Dumas, Head Writer
Jay Katsir, Head Writer Stephen T. Colbert, Written by Delmonte Bent, Written by Michael Brumm, Written by River Clegg, Written by
Aaron Cohen, Written by
Nicole Conlan, Written by
Paul Dinello, Written by
Glenn Eichler, Written by Django Gold, Written by
Gabe Gronli, Written by
Barry Julien, Written by
Michael Cruz Kayne, Written by Eliana Kwartler, Written by
Matt Lappin, Written by
Pratima Mani, Written by
Felipe Torres Medina, Written by Opus Moreschi, Written by Asher Perlman, Written by
Tom Purcell, Written by Kate Sidley, Written by Brian Stack, Written by
John Thibodeaux, Written by Steve Waltien, Written by

Saturday Night Live • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Dan Bulla, Written by
Steven Castillo, Written by
Megan Callahan-Shah, Weekend Update Written by Michael Che, Head Writer
Anna Drezen, Head Writer
Alison Gates, Written by
Fran Gillespie, Writing Supervised By
Sudi Green, Writing Supervised By
Steve Higgins, Written by
Colin Jost, Head Writer
Erik Kenward, Written by
Dan Licata, Written by
Jasmine Pierce, Written by
Dennis McNicholas, Weekend Update Written By Lorne Michaels, Written by
Josh Patten, Weekend Update Written By
Gary Richardson, Written by
Pete Schultz, Weekend Update Head Writer Streeter Seidell, Writing Supervised By
Mark Steinbach, Weekend Update Written By
Will Stephen, Written by
Kent Sublette, Head Writer
Bryan Tucker, Senior Writer
Celeste Yim, Written by
Dave Sirus, Weekend Update Written by
Mike Lawrence, Weekend Update Written by
Emma Clark, Written by
Sam Jay, Written by

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special

Bo Burnham: Inside • Netflix • Netflix
Bo Burnham, Written by

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse – Into The MAGAverse • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
Devin Delliquanti, Written by
Zhubin Parang, Written by

8:46 – Dave Chappelle • Netflix • Pilot Boy Productions
Dave Chappelle, Written by

John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero • CBS • Jesse Collins Entertainment
Mitchell Marchand, Written by

Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 • Showtime • SHOWTIME Presents a CBS Studios Production
Ariel Dumas, Written by
Jay Katsir, Written by
Stephen T. Colbert, Written by Delmonte Bent, Written by Michael Brumm, Written by River Clegg, Written by
Aaron Cohen, Written by
Nicole Conlan, Written by
Paul Dinello, Written by
Glenn Eichler, Written by Django Gold, Written by
Gabe Gronli, Written by
Barry Julien, Written by Michael Cruz Kayne, Written by Eliana Kwartler, Written by Matt Lappin, Written by
Felipe Torres Medina, Written by Opus Moreschi, Written by Asher Perlman, Written by
Tom Purcell, Written by
Kate Sidley, Written by Brian Stack, Written by
John Thibodeaux, Written by Steve Waltien, Written by

Here’s the entire list of Primetime Emmys nominations.

Pick of the Day: The Byron Bowers Experience (in NYC) 7/20

byron bowers, nyc, stand up, the stand

Often in LA, we’re lucky to get treated to the wild, dark, and hysterical comedy musings and stories of Byron Bowers. He has been a beloved fixture in the scene for as long as we have seen him in and throughout LA.

Bowers often has a knack for lulling people into his sharp comedic turns and really diving deep into his material and expanding his bits to their fullest potential. We got to see Byron run this particular hour and we didn’t even realize that he had actually gone well over an hour by the end of it (as a testament to how captivating his presence and command of the stage really is).

So, Byron is bringing his Byron Bowers Experience to The Stand in NYC on July 20th at 9:30PM ET with Josh Adam Meyers opening. Tickets are going for $20 (plus $5 service fee). Go get them here right now.

Pick of the Day: Last Podcast on the Left’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Tour

beacon theatre, ben kissel, comedy tour, henry zebrowski, hollywood forever cemetery, la comedy, last podcast on the left, live podcast, marcus parks, nyc comedy

One of the best comedy/true crime/horror/conspiracy theory/alien/overall podcasts around Last Podcast on the Left was set on going on tour in 2020. Do we even need to say what happened at this point?

Well, despite all the postponing and uncertainty attributed to the last several months, Marcus Parks, Ben Kissel, and Henry Zebrowski are back out on the road as we’re on this side of the pandemic to deliver us their perfect blend of all horrors, real and imagined, and gut-busting (figuratively) comedy on their Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Tour that’s set to start this Summer and go through Spring 2022.

Their LA and NYC dates should be a doozy as the LP on the Left boys are going to play the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Oct. 3rd and the hallowed Beacon Theatre in NYC on May 20th, 2022. Tickets are starting at $39 and you best go get them real quick as live Last Podcast on the Left live shows always sold out pre-pandemic and will definitely sell out now that they’re back.

Please Enjoy Sarah Squirm’s Hysterical Grotesque Voyage “The Sarah Vaccine” (and Also Get Actually Vaccinated)

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America currently hovers at just over 48% fully vaccinated against COVID-19 despite Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines being readily available to the majority of Americans at this very moment.

Rather than obsess over the reality of science and the disparity of vaccine hesitancy (especially in the face of lack of access to the most effective vaccines in several dozens countries around the globe), why don’t you dive into the wildly absurd, marvelously horrifying, and hilarious world of Sarah Squirm’s latest work, “The Sarah Vaccine”? We could go into lurid detail about it, but we’ll let you just enjoy the 13 minute ride (which, if you love I Think You Should Leave, we think you’ll love).

Why worry about protecting yourself against one of the deadliest viruses in our lifetime when you can go out with a really messy bang? Find out with watching The Sarah Vaccine, fresh from Means.TV, the very first worker owned streaming service.

Also, seriously, get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you haven’t already. Cases are already ticking back up worldwide.

*NOTE: if you have to go back into the office to work for some reason, you should probably go watch this in your car on break.

Pick of the Day: Cabernet Cabaret with Catherine Cohen (in NY) Wednesdays

cabernet cabaret, catherine cohen, club cumming, ny comedy

Once more, the indie comedy shows in LA and NYC are making their way back and so too are their loyal audiences who so loved packing in from wall to wall to watch of either city’s vast treasure chest of comedy.

Cabernet Cabaret, an institution for alt comedy in NYC, has been back in full force on Wednesdays at 8PM ET at its home Club Cumming with its loving mother Catherine Cohen for weeks now, going up for sold out crowds. Actually, there are several weeks of the show that are already sold out stretching out all the way to mid-August. So, you best set a reminder to check Cohen’s socials @catccohen on IG and @catcohen on Twitter or the calendar at Club Cumming regularly so you can get a ticket to a fantastic edition of Cabernet Cabaret in the not so distant future.

You’ve Already Binged Through “I Think You Should Leave” Season 2, Right?

i think you should leave, season 2, tim robinson

Really, there’s no mystery here.

The second season of I Think You Should Leave delivered on the jolt of Tim-Robinson-screaming-fueled absurdity that had been desperately missing from all of our lives and this one sketch from said second season being on YouTube was just an excuse to further play up the glory of Robinson being free from the reins of network TV and SNL to let his mind wander and create the sketch comedy that this specific time very much needs and subsequently resonates so deeply with such an insane, unprecedented, bizarre time.

Just like the first season, it’s quotable and so fast paced and yet, goes to stranger, more emotional, and ambitious depths than the first season. Also, it takes less time than any MCU movie to get through it, so just go watch I Think You Should Leave season 2 already or watch it again or watch it “again” again.

Start with one of the best sketches of the season here.

Lastly, YOU HAVE TO GIVE.

Please Get and Enjoy Ben Roy’s Latest “Take That Sandwich”

800 pound gorilla records, ben roy, comedy album, stand up comedy

Unquestionably, the time we have went through in the last year and a half (and are still very much going through) is fraught with trauma and darkness. Whether to dive into and process these experiences into comedy and, if so, how far do we go right now are questions that are very much up in the air and will be for awhile longer.

Leave it to one Ben Roy to bull rush into the darkness and come out with some, per his style and process, damn funny bits on the other side.

His latest album Take The Sandwich does not cower away from COVID-19 and all of its damaging systemic effects and, instead, dives in immediately and truly offers that healing power and perspective that comedy is supposed to have at its very core. Roy is one of the best at taking an audience through his own personal journey and weaving his own wildly colorful, punk rock, firebrand style of comedy and he certainly delivers in this latest hour (along with truly important messages about living life and the crucial importance of mental health).

So, please go get/listen to/enjoy Roy’s latest hysterical sermon from his pulpit that is the stand-up comedy stage, Take The Sandwich, available now via 800 Pound Gorilla Records.

Pick of the Day: Custody Battle (in LA) 7/16

alec cole, custody battle, la comedy, lindsay adams, maddie collins, matt legrande, max beasley, tara mcgorry

At this point, you’ve probably caught wind of a thing called Roast Battle. Maybe you’ve even heard of it’s antithesis, Boast Rattle.

Well, now, there’s a new niche twist to two comedians going at each other’s throats with the best jokes they can come up with and it’s called, Custody Battle. If the comics are fighting for custody of something, the jokes might even get a little more personal, perhaps, but with the artifice of fake(?) hearing for custody of someone or something. Also, this will be a showcase of great women and LGBTQIA+ comedians.

On the inaugural Custody Battle, will be very fierce pairings of:
Matt LeGrande vs. Lindsay Adams
Tara McGorry vs. Maddie Collins
Alec Cole vs. Max Beasley

(plus a secret headliner).

Additionally, Custody Battle is happening on Fri. Jul. 16th at 9PM PT at an indie underground spot called Baader House that you’ll need to buy tickets in order to get the address (though we can tell you that it’s in on the Eastside in Boyle Heights). Tickets are $5 and you can Venmo @makeoutmusic for tickets.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 67: Sarah Squirm & The Craft of Absurdity

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

i think you should leave, la comedy, netflix, new venues, the standups, tim robinson

Sarah Squirm, a trailblazer in meshing the grotesque into comedy, joins us for this week’s TCB Field Report to not only break down the shift from quarantine life back into in-person life that’s somewhat like the before times, but also get into the nitty gritty of absurdist comedy. We actually dissect several parts of the absolute must-see season 2 of I Think You Should Leave in breaking down how to come up with absurdist humor. Also, “hot” takes on Netflix’s latest line-up of half hour specials and new comedy venues that opened in LA as we’re coming out of lockdown.

Follow Sarah @sarahsquirm and watch The Sarah Vaccine on Means.TV

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: The Return of Blair & Greta Show (in LA)

blair socci, greta titelman, la comedy, stand up comedy

Often, on a Tuesday night, you could find us leaning at the back of the room filled with church pews at a somewhat peculiar, but beloved Chinese restaurant on Fairfax called Genghis Cohen. The reason for such a thing was the amazing weekly Tuesday stand-up show run by Blair Socci and Greta Titelman. Blair and Greta could do the whole show themselves with their own brands of wild, hilarious energy, but they’d always have a grand line-up of LA favorites and the best folks who were stopping through LA.

Fortunately, Genghis Cohen survived throughout lockdown and, as such, The Blair & Greta Show are returning as well, giving us back one of our favorite Tuesday night comedy haunts. They’re starting back up on Tues. Jul. 20th at 8PM PT and, like they used to do, are keeping admission free every Tuesday. Their line-up for the first show back is TBA, but you most definitely should follow @blairgretashow to keep yourself in the loop on who you’ll be so lucky to see.

Netflix Announces Latest Half Hour Specials for “The Standups”

brian simpson, dusty slay, janelle james, mark normand, melissa villaseñor, naomi ekperigin

The somewhat slow, yet somewhat fast return of stand-up comedy continues as we’re on this side of the pandemic. One of the markers of that is Netflix announcing its latest line-up of half-hour stand-up specials that’s still generically called, for some reason, The Standups.

For 2021, they’ve got a really good batch with Naomi Ekperigin, Melissa Villaseñor, Brian Simpson, Dusty Slay, Janelle James, and Mark Normand. All of them have had specials or have been on TV regularly (or, you know, star on SNL). Some of these folks we’ve personally seen already honing their material and it ought to be something special (especially since this will be one of the first big time specials performed, very likely, with almost no capacity or mask restrictions) All six specials will be taped soon as Netflix is planning the release of this batch of The Standups for later this year.

That means you should keep a close eye (probably through the socials of any of these comedians) on when tickets for these tapings might go up wherever that might be.

Please Get and Enjoy Seán Devlin’s Delightful, Yet Politically Charged Debut Comedy Album “AIRPORTS, ANIMALS”

airports animals, arts and crafts, canadian comedy, sean devlin, stand up comedy

Often when you think of comedy stepping into political or socio-economic territory, one might conjure up the sights and sounds of angry man in a blazer stomping around, screaming so loud that you can see veins at their temple like seams bursting through fabric.

That said, not all politically minded, socially focused comedians descend from a fire and brimstone approach. One such comedian, Seán Devlin, has been maintaining such a peaceful presence on stage coupled with incredibly clever observations that one wouldn’t think about how politically radical he is. Also, he probably isn’t wearing a blazer and definitely not screaming into the mic.

Throughout his new album AIRPORTS, ANIMALS, Sean dismantles capitalism, jingoism, racism, and so many more -isms with truly such a calming delivery. The contrast is so subtly mischievous, yet so effective and it’s almost a wonder why he has been a fixture in Vancouver and not had his name made the rounds more often here in the States.

Either way, even if you’re not a radical lefty, AIRPORTS, ANIMALS is a damn good debut comedy album and we sincerely hope that you give it a listen and perhaps be one of the people that would spread the good word about Seán Devlin. AIRPORTS, ANIMALS will be available for purchase on Bandcamp from Canada’s own Arts & Crafts starting Fri., July 9th and then on iTunes and other streaming services on Fri., Aug. 13th.

Until then, you can get a taste of Devlin’s new album in this bit with animation by by Jappy Agoncillo here.

Pick of the Day: The Golden Girlz LIVE! The Return (in LA) 7/9-7/25

drew droege, golden girlz, jackie beat, sam pancake, sherry vine

Back in the before times, one of the hottest tickets in town was for The Golden Girlz, a loving, modern, camp spin on the legendary sitcom The Golden Girls done by the brilliant cast of Jackie Beat, Sherry Vine, Drew Droege, and Sam Pancake. It was always sold out whenever it had its run at the Cavern Club Theater at Casita Del Campo in Silverlake.

After what seems like a decade, the Golden Girlz are back for a big run throughout all of July. Specifically, they’re running from July 9th-25th, Fridays at 9PM PT + Saturdays & Sundays at 3PM PT/6PM PT/9PM PT at Cavern Club Theater.

Several dates are already sold out and you best get your tickets, starting at $40, right now right here.

Pick of the Day: It’s Make That Sandwich!!! 4/20 (on Clubhouse) 7/6

clubhouse, lindsay ames, make that sandwich

Make That Sandwich, the ingenious sandwich-building game show created by Lindsay Ames, was due for a tour before lockdown and, well… you know what happened after that.

That said, with that advent of the live drop-in audio app Clubhouse, Ames, every now and again, does a virtual version of Make That Sandwich that’s still so damn fun and absolutely worth going into Clubhouse for (or downloading it and signing up and all that jazz if you haven’t done so already).

For the uninitiated, contestants take turns adding ingredients to a sandwich until someone says MAKE! THAT! SANDWICH!, at which point, Lindsay would actually make that sandwich in real time. As it’s a virtual Clubhouse live-stream, she’ll make the sandwich still, but it’ll be a later time TBD (and then beautifully captured on IG @makethatsandwich).

So, the very next Make That Sandwich will be streaming this Tues. Jul. 6th at 4:20PM PT/7:20PM ET as a special 4/20 edition of the show. If you’re not on Clubhouse and would like to be, we do have a limited number of invites we might be able to help you out with. DM us @thecomedybureau or e-mail us at thecomedybureau@gmail.com.

LA Has Got Some New Comedy Venues (Despite Losing Several to the Pandemic)

The precarity of the COVID-19 pandemic forced all sorts of businesses to close as they ran the numbers and couldn’t find a way to stay open without conducting business as they did in the before times. Such tragedy struck plenty of comedy venues very hard around the country as it did here in LA. UCB Sunset, Echoes on Pico, and The Satellite all had to close permanently despite being very frequented places for live comedy in 2019 and early 2020.

That said, hope has indeed sprung according to its eternal nature and there are healthy handful of new venues that have popped up in and around LA that have been go-to places for live comedy in this time and as things are reopening in LA County.

Namely…

The Comedy Chateau-right down the street from the Haha Cafe in NoHo, one of LA’s older comedy clubs, LA’s shiniest, new comedy club was set to open its doors right before the pandemic, but, of course, couldn’t. Comedian/proprietor Felix McNulty managed to survive for this last year and a half and has booked a pretty robust schedule of stand-up shows (in addition to a weekly open mic) between an indoor and outdoor space.

4615 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA-thecomedychateau.com

The Comedy Nook-Formerly the space for Pretty Funny Women, this very intimate venue was vacant for more than a minute, but then was taken over by Nthenya from Kenya and rebranded as The Comedy Nook. They’ve got open mics most days of the week and are just starting to ramp up live shows on their schedule.

7456 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA-@thecomedynook on IG

Jono Zalay, photo credit @rodjianalina

The Nitecap-Even though it’s outdoors, it doesn’t get much more intimate than this tucked away stage accessible only through an alley in Burbank. Previously, it was known as The Bunker (a still mostly apt visual for the place), Aaron Mliner took the reins and made a very photogenic stage to host stand-up showcases mosts nights of the week.

2220 West Burbank Blvd., Burbank, CA (in alley)-nitecap.la

The Bomb Shelter-The hourly open mic collective known as Fourth Wall has reopened two of its venues that it had before lockdown, Fourth Wall Comedy Cafe in Thai Town and the original Fourth Wall in North Hollywood. It may be hard to believe (and there’s no definite word on their Koreatown location), but Joe Manente at Fourth Wall has just opened up another Fourth Wall location, this time just down the street from the renowned Hollywood Improv, to offer even more open mic stage time to comedians up for paying $5 for 5 min. $8 for 10 min. and $12 for 15 min.

7916 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA Suite #2–fourthwallcomedy.com

The Stand Up Comedy Club-The San Gabriel Valley isn’t often afforded much live comedy as they are east of even what is now referred to as “the eastside” in LA. There is the occasional show at a dive bar or some restaurant that usually doesn’t have a stage, but does have plenty of customers ripe to be ambushed by stand-up. Bellflower, CA is changing that with their very own new club that just opened up that features stand-up showcases and open mics.

9831 Belmont St., Bellflower, CA-thestandupclub.com

Grand Central Market (rooftop of their parking garage)-Born out of live comedy needing to be outdoors to have any modicum of safety during the pandemic, LA’s historic and still bustling Grand Central Market built a whole makeshift comedy venue on the rooftop of their parking garage. They decked out with a stage, tables, chairs, local vendors, and a skyline view of DTLA that you would never get at any other comedy show. They’re home to The Comedy Roof, but are looking to expand their comedy offerings.

317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA-grandcentralmarket.com

The Whitley-Stand-up comedy in the round was rather a rare occurrence usually reserved for the biggest headliners playing arenas or very big, unique theaters. Yet, The Whitley, seemingly born out of necessity during this pandemic has provided a space for an evening of stand-up with line-ups that you might see at The Comedy Store or Laugh Factory done in the round (w/o a roof) between Supernova Comedy & Comedy at the Whitley. Located just off of the most tourist-y parts of Hollywood Boulevard, they have live stand-up comedy multiple nights a week.

1716 Whitley Ave., Los Angeles, CA-SuperNova Comedy @ The Whitley

[Venue Name TBD] Storefront in Glendale-Sean Casey, a former artistic director of the long standing Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, is going in for a venue all the way on the other side of LA county. There isn’t a name for the place and the exact details have yet to be announced, but it’ll be near downtown Glendale, have a “relaxed vibe/bookstore atmosphere”. If interested in putting up a show or the space itself, DM @sbcasey on Twitter

That’s it for now, but there is more live comedy to come roaring back. In fact, we already have some hot tips on other new spots opening in the not so distant future.

Pick of the Day: Eddie Pepitone & Friends (in LA) 7/12

dana gould, dynasty typewriter, eddie pepitone, james adomian, la comedy, stand up comedy

The NY Times named Eddie Pepitone’s For the Masses 2020’s Funniest Comedy Special. That special just happened to be shot at Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth Theater back in 2019. We just happened to bare witness to one of the tapings and it remains as one of the best nights of stand-up comedy we’ve ever seen.

2 years and a a good portion of a pandemic later, Pepitone is back at the very same hallowed venue to rumble its walls and seats with rolling laughter (along with some pals in James Adomian, Dana Gould, JT Habersaat, and Steve Lolli) on Thurs. Jul. 12th at 8PM PT.

Tickets are $20 now and $25 on the day of and you best go get your tickets before they sell out.