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Showtime Gives Icon Ziwe the Second Season Renewal She Deserves

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Though “iconic” is perhaps Ziwe’s ironic catchphrase and often joked about, the idea of her manifesting her own iconic status is becoming more and more actualized every week.

In case you don’t know, Ziwe already announced that she’s developing a new series at Amazon last week. This week, she got a second season order of her eponymous Showtime series that might truly shift the paradigm of late night and sketch comedy for good. Don’t forget that she has a book due out and just dropped an album of songs that come from her Showtime series. See what we’re saying?

With how far and deep the first season that Ziwe went, often taking no prisoners with its satire (her very own writing staff included), the prospect of what she’ll do with 12 episodes for season 2 is undeniably thrilling and will be one of the most anticipated things in comedy for us until it premieres.

Make no mistake though. A season 2 of Ziwe is big news and well deserved, but Ziwe is far from done with manifesting and exuding being iconic.

Here’s Your First Look at ‘I Think You Should Leave’ Season 2

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It has been our stance since season that I Think You Should Leave has given us many of the best, most iconic, most downright hysterical sketches that we needed at such an absurd time to live. Thus, the prospect of season 2 has been weighing us ever since we’ve sped binged through season 1 more than a few times.

Thankfully, season 2 is just around the corner, past the Fourth of July, due out on July 6th on Netflix. More of Tim Robinson’s daft brilliance will be served up and, yet again, very likely be the very thing we need to see on TV, in comedy, and definitely in sketch comedy.

For now, you can get your very first dose of season 2 with the official trailer and watch it on repeat until 7/6. Please get a ridiculous taste of what’s to come here.

Please Enjoy Ashley Ray’s Set on HBO Max’s Human By Orientation Series for Pride Month

ashley ray, hbo max, lgbtqia, pride month, stand up

As a show of support, HBO Max is lifting up the voices of queer people of all backgrounds via their Human By Orientation series for the month of June.

One of the things that they did for said series was put some of the best queer comedians that need to be spotlighted, put them on a rooftop that has the DTLA skyline in the background, and have them do a set. One of those comedians is Ashley Ray, who put on such a delightful set (in spite of coming out of quarantine and having this do that on a somewhat breezy LA evening) focused on how hard it is to be a saint on all fronts these days.

Since there seems to be way less stand-up on late night and less places for short stand-up sets to live with the branding of a major network or streaming service (i.e. less opportunity for up and comedians to get discovered on big platforms that used to have way more comedy), we’re glad to see HBO Max highlighting queer comedians with Human By Orientation and we hope that they keep it up.

Please watch Ashley Ray’s HBO Max set here.

Pick of the Day: Yard Apples (LA) 6/24

amber preston, chris walsh, frank fairfield, jackie kashian, john ennis, jono zalay, Kiran Deol, la comedy, ron lynch

One of the main great things that The Yard Theater in LA (formerly known as The Fake Gallery in a past era of comedy) had going just before lockdown was their recurring show, Yard Apples.

As we mentioned before, The Yard had done wonders to gussy themselves up and it was prime, before March 2020, to have so many more lovely comedy, music, and variety shows within its walls. They’ve thankfully survived and now is your chance to go see what we’re sure will be marvelous programming starting with Yard Apples on this Thurs. Jun. 24th at 8PM PT.

This first Yard Apples back has the venue’s proprietor himself, John Ennis, along with the amazing Chris Walsh and Frank Fairfield, host LA favorites Amber Preston, Jono Zalay, Kiran Deol, Jackie Kashian, and Ron Lynch.

Tickets are only $10 (proof of vaccination required at door). Go get them here.

One of the First In-Person Comedy Festivals This Year Will Be in Brooklyn: The Tiny Cupboard Penthouse Comedy Summer Comedy Festival

brooklyn, comedy festival, nyc comedy, tiny cupboard

OK, so Moontower is in September. JFL is going to Cancun in the Fall. Then, there’s a bunch of big time comedy festivals that are counting on 2022 to do their thing in person (Edinburgh Fringe, SF Sketchfest).

Now, with the full tilt sprint of live comedy reopening across the biggest cities in the U.S., one might be wondering if there’s going to be a comedy festival before any of the aforementioned happenings.

Well, Brooklyn’s Tiny Cupboard, which has been holding down local stand-up comedy in Brooklyn, for however long this pandemic has lasted. To mark their run, they’re holding their very own festival in August, with Penthouse Comedy (who has also been very active in doing in-person shows in NYC), that utilizes their rooftop and their indoor space, The Pink Church, for four days.

The festival has been minted as The Tiny Cupboard Penthouse Comedy Summer Comedy Festival (or maybe people will start calling it TCPCSCF?).

Like a festival should, they’ve got a massive line-up that features many of NYC comedy’s best and brightest stand-ups, podcasts, and more. Just take a gander at that flyer and you’ll see what we’re talking about.

Tickets are only $25 for a single day pass and $75 for all four days. Best go get them here.

Pick of the Day: Sarah Squirm + River L. Ramirez + Zhe Zhe 6/21

brooklyin, ny comedy, river l ramirez, sarah squirm, zhe zhe

Recently, we overheard an audience member comment that Sarah Squirm‘s comedy is perfect for the tenor of the times. Honestly, her comedy has been perfect for the zeitgeist for years now and her ultra-sarcastic, meta, wildly colorful, horror-core, anti-establishment, hellbent feminist humor is even more on point these days.

Thus, if you’re in NYC, you should get yourself to The Bell House this coming Mon. Jun. 21st at 7:30PM ET. That is the date and time to catch Sarah’s very special evening in Brooklyn. She’ll be joined by other boundary pushing comedic luminaries, River L. Ramirez and the band Zhe Zhe. Tickets are only $20 and, while it’s a full vaccinated event, there will be no distancing, so you can enjoy being packed like the most squished sardines at a comedy venue like you used to do.

Go get your tickets right now right here.

Ziwe’s Iconic Status Continues to Grow with Developing New Series at Amazon

amazon, nigerian princess, ziwe

Ziwe’s manifesting of being an icon continues. Her eponymous Showtime show following her massive success on IG Live is leading further down her iconic path. The latest stop on the path is getting to develop a whole new show at Amazon that feels like Ziwe’s own twist on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Called The Nigerian Princess, it’ll be unlikely buddy comedy where two prep school grads team up and also scheme against each other in the quest to secure that ever fleeting American dream.

If you’ve seen Ziwe, you ought to know that Ziwe will absolutely pull no punches, even if it comes to examining her own biases that are inherently present within this particular project. With that in mind, we wonder if Amazon will get sent up in this as well? We’ll just wait, hope this gets a green light, and see.

Pick of the Day: Tinder LIVE! with Lane Moore (in person & livestream) 6/25

brooklyn, lane moore, littlefield, ny comedy, tinder live

One of the shows that you should all be most excited about coming back in person is the always electric and romantically mischievous Tinder LIVE! with Lane Moore. Lane had been doing her brilliant show where she works Tinder live on stage, often with the audience playing a huge part, all over the country before lockdown.

Of course, that all came to a screeching halt in March last year, but Lane is now set to not only do a date in Brooklyn at the beloved Littlefield, but is going on a legitimate nationwide Tinder LIVE! with Lane Moore Tour. The Littlefield show will be in person on Fri. Jun. 25th at 8PM ET, but also be available for live-stream, and will be featuring very special guests Joanna Hausmann and Frank Coniff of MST3K. Go get tickets for that show here and get dates and tickets for her nationwide tour here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 64: Ever Mainard & CC: Vulnerability

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

ever mainard, psychics, solo show

The energy that Ever Mainard brings to a room or, for that matter, a Zoom call is undeniable and a welcome jolt to the monotony of any given day or yet another one during a global pandemic. Ever joins TCB’s Jake Kroeger to simultaneously go through finding themselves as a performer once again (with some help from a very exclusive psychic), doing a solo show on Zoom, and juggling all of that while answering crucial e-mails. Not to give too much away, but Ever pulled it all off. Also, “hot” takes on a Sarah Silverman musical, new projects from Todd Solondz and Kitao Sakurai (apologies to Kitao: Jake says “Sarukai” in the ep.), and more.

Follow Ever @evermainard on IG and Twitter.

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: Nick and Andrew’s Hellscape 6/25

andrew michaan, atsuko okatsuka, chelsea peretti, comedy shows, dj douggpound, hannah einbinder, joe mande, kate berlant, la comedy, los angeles, nick thune, ron funches

Jam in a Van has been going for a minute in providing a unique outdoor comedy experience in a secret West LA location. On top of a DIY built, outdoor space, your ticket gets you and your party your own cooler of tasty refreshments (as opposed to waiting around to order two drinks).

Several different shows have come through and come through again in their space, but Nick and Andrew’s Hellscape, set for Fri. Jun. 25th, has one hell of a stacked line-up that could very well be a festival line-up if there were any big festivals happening this month. Chelsea Peretti, Ron Funches, Joe Mande, Hannah Einbinder, Atsuko Okatsuka, Kate Berlant, and hosts Nick Thune and Andrew Michaan are splitting an early show 7PM PT and a late show 9:30PM PT (not everyone will play both shows).

You really ought to not miss this show or, really, both shows if you can swing it. Ticket prices are as follows:

Regular Reserved: $35 (plus $2.50 handling fee)
($75 per pair).
VIP Premium seating and a Mr. Heater heater at your seat: $50 (plus $2.50 handling fee) ($105 per pair).

Go get your tickets as space is very limited for Jam in a Van here.

It’s June 15th and Comedy in LA Is Really Reopening This Week

flappers comedy, la comedy, reopening, silverlake lounge, westside comedy theater

As you probably well know, a good majority of Governor Newsom’s COVID-19 mandates, especially in regards to masks and social distancing, have been lifted. That leaves way more latitude for events, gatherings, and the like to happen, especially in regards to live comedy (though we hope protocols and caution are observed as LA county only made it to 55% of its population being fully vaccinated by today).

So, this week there are several venues that are reopening with live comedy as they thankfully survived and are more than ready to have folks come through their doors to enjoy some live comedy.

Namely, Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, Flappers Comedy Club, Bar Lubitsch, and Silverlake Lounge, all of which had several great comedy shows within their walls are putting on shows this week. Definitely count on more indie shows to come roaring back as well including Bear City, Cult Comedy, and more very soon in addition the live in-person shows for fully vaccinated audiences that were already happening at Dynasty Typewriter, Hollywood Improv, and The Comedy Store.

Of course, you can, as always, check our listings to keep up to date on all comedy happenings in LA, and now, NYC.

Behold All the Song and Mirth of Central Park Season 2 in This Trailer

apple tv plus, central park, season 2, trailer

Within the Loren Bouchard-iverse, we’ve been wondering what sort of fate and several ingenious musical numbers would be coming for Central Park in this latest season. The wait to see how meta they’ll get and what possible genres of song (this is very much the best musical series since Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) they’ll explore this time around (the rap number about Weehawken is pretty stellar) is nearly over. Also, if you’ve been jonesing for more Kathryn Hahn or the original cast of Hamilton, your time is coming very soon too.

Season 2 of Central Park is set to kick off on Fri. Jun. 25th on Apple TV+ (though it probably won’t be all the episodes at once) with new episodes being dropped weekly. Until then, you can get a sonorous preview of what’s to come with these new episodes in this Central Park Season 2 Official Trailer here.

Pick of the Day: The Daily Show Turns 25! 7/19

a whitney brown, anniversary, beth littleford, brian unger, lizz winstead, madeleine smithberg, rushtix, the daily show

After a quarter of a century, The Daily Show has been an institution of comedy, both in the realms of late night and political, and has ushered in changes that still reverberate through TV, comedy, and even politics itself to this very day.

So, marking its 25th anniversary is definitely an occasion worth celebrating and having a show for. Thankfully, The Daily Show co-creators Lizz Winstead and Madeleine Smithberg are joining the very first correspondents of The Daily Show, Beth Littleford, Brian Unger, and A. Whitney Brown, to mark the 25 year mark and tell the story of how this pillar of comedy broke its first ground.

The Daily Show Turns 25! will be a live-stream via RushTix on Mon. July 19th at 6PM PT/9PM ET. Tickets/access is only $20 (with an option to donate to Abortion Access Front) and you can (and should) go get them here.

Pick of the Day: Big Grande Presents Holy Shit: An In Person Comedy Show (LA) 6/16

One of the best comedy groups around, Big Grande, (just reminisce when you got to see them all the time at UCB’s many stages) is doing their very first in-person show this week as is the Yard Theater, which had just undergone a gorgeous renovation right before lockdown.

Appropriately titled Big Grande Presents Holy Shit: An In Person Comedy Show, it’s free to attend on Wed. Jun. 16th at 8PM PT, though you have to RSVP. Also, the RSVP’s filled up in 3 minutes of the tickets being released, but there’s a waitlist that you can (and should) sign-up for.

Also, expect more out of The Yard. We have a sneaking suspicion this is the start of lots of good things/shows/comedians coming their way (and, by proxy, all of our ways).

‘Miracle Workers’ Is Now Going on The Oregon Trail for Their Latest Season

miracle workers, simon rich, tbs

Miracle Workers might prove itself to be one of the most ambitiously conceptualized series on TV. Of course, that is Simon Rich’s forte and it can be great when Rich gets quite a bit of latitude to take his shows wherever he so chooses.

They started at wondering at what was up with an almighty God and then they went to the Dark Ages and now they’re all the way in the untamed West of 19th century America. Even anthology series generally don’t take such wild pivots, but it is what keeps intriguing us about Miracle Workers as the show continues on TBS.

From the looks of it, this might be one of the best seasons yet in how it gleefully pokes at all the tropes and history of the Wild West including Radcliffe, perhaps, playing some version of Mormonism founder Joseph Smith.

Get a look at this literally trail blazing season of Miracle Workers here, then look for the premiere on Tues. July 13th on TBS.

Just For Laughs Is Headed Down to Cancún for JFL Escapes!

comedy festival, debra digiovanni, jfl, jim jefferies, nicole byer, nikki glaser, ron funches, The Goddamn Comedy Jam, tom segura

As the prospect of travel to more than wherever you can drive in your car becomes better and better, we fully expect to see comedy festivals pop up in some pretty exotic locales. Just For Laughs is already leading the way by taking themselves all the way on down from Canada to the sunny beaches of Cancún, Mexico.

From Nov. 3rd-7th, Jim Jefferies, Nicole Byer, Tom Segura, Nikki Glaser, Ron Funches, Debra DiGiovanni, The Goddamn Comedy Jam, and more will be taking over to do comedy shows for what we normally thought of just as spring break destination. In addition to shows, there will be a whole package that provides 5-star resort accommodations, parties of all kinds, and other JFL exclusive events.

The early bird package prices for everything are starting at $859, but note that you will be fully refunded if the festivities get rescheduled due to COVID-19 (as that pesky pandemic is still not over).

Go get more details/book a package here.

Pick of the Day: Return of Butterboy (in NY)

aparna nancherla, brooklyn, butterboy, jo firestone, littlefield, nyc comedy

One of NYC’s marquee weekly stand-up shows was Butterboy. Even during lockdown, they did a virtual show every Monday that kept so many of us from going stir crazy and was a very appreciated blessing (as well as a great reminder that it was indeed Monday during quarantine).

Now, Aparna Nancherla, Jo Firestone, and Donwill are all set to return to their normal, weekly in-person regimen back home at Littlefield in Brooklyn on Mondays at 8PM ET starting Mon., July 5th (for fully vaccinated audiences). The line-ups will be great, the tickets are reasonable ($10 in adv., $12 day of), and there will be live-streaming for those not lucky enough to be in NYC for only $5.

Get tickets for Butterboy and keep up to date with line-ups and everything else at butterboycomedy.com.

Moontower Comedy Festival Is Happening This Year and Just Made Their First Line-Up Announcement

andy kindler, atx, austin, bob the drag queen, dave attell, doug loves movies, goddamn comedy jam, hannah einbinder, james adomian, margaret cho, maria bamford, moontower comedy festival, moshe kasher, sklar brothers

OK, are fingers are crossed (and vaccinated) that this time, this edition of the Moontower Comedy Festival is going to stick. They’ve had to reschedule it more than once throughout the pandemic as the prospect of big time gatherings, especially ones that are indoors seem like a distant dream only a few months ago.

That dream seems to be getting closer to reality with the vaccine rollout pushing forward in the U.S. There are better prospects of things like comedy festivals, such as Moontower in Austin, TX, to happen in full force again. Currently, they’re scheduled the festivities for Sept. 22nd-25th, 2021 and, just like they used to do in the before times, have an already massive line-up in their first announcement including Margaret Cho, Dave Attell, Maria Bamford, The Goddamn Comedy Jam, Endless Honeymoon, and so much more.

Do note that Texas does have one of the lowest percentages of COVID-19 vaccination in the country and we sincerely hope it gets way better by the time September rolls around. If you’re game for comedy festivals in just a few months, you best go get your passes/badges right here right now.

Round 1 is here! ? 100+ comedians are invading downtown Austin Sept 22nd-25th to celebrate the 10th year of the Moontower Comedy Festival! Stand-up, podcasts, parties, shows, surprises & more wrapped up into for 4 days of funny ? Badges on sale now: https://t.co/LM5GmRJOyZ pic.twitter.com/apOTPooQvi

— Moontower Comedy (@MoontowerComedy) June 10, 2021

Get Into Mike White’s Latest Biting Satire at HBO, “White Lotus” (Teaser)

alexandra daddario, connie britton, hbo, jennifer coolidge, mike white, natasha rothwell, steve zahn, white lotus

It has been quite some time since the force that was Enlightened came through and perhaps helped usher in the dramedy portion of this latest golden age of television. Mike White’s corporate and self-help satire hit such a great nerve back then (and is still so timely ten years later).

So, we’re grateful that it won’t be much longer before we get the latest Mike White series (it’s still pretty astounding that White was the teacher that Jack Black filled in for in School of Rock) and it looks like it’s going to have pretty sharp teeth that are going to sink into the absurdities of, well, rich white folks.

Jennifer Coolidge looks especially splendid here, by the way, and if Steve Zahn’s last line in this teaser doesn’t hook you, then we don’t know what else to tell you.

Give this all a watch with the first teaser for Mike White’s White Lotus here, then look for it on HBO Max starting July 11th.

Pick of the Day: Vidiots Comedy Show Benefit 6/26

atsuko okatsuka, benefit show, dana gould, georgia hardstark, ify nwadiwe, mary elizabeth ellis, niccole thurman, vidiots

It was so exciting to hear that there was not only going to be a revival of the video rental institution that was Vidiots in Santa Monica all the way on the other side of LA county, but they were also going to open up a live theater in conjunction with it.

The pandemic hitting, of course, made us wonder what exactly was going to happen and if this dream new venue, ostensibly a Cinefamily for Eastiders was going to still be a reality.

Well, luckily, it’s still going to happen (the plan aims for a 2022 opening) and you can help that reality coming to fruition by attending a grand comedy show benefit hosted by two wondrous parts of two different generations of comedy in Atsuko Okatsuka and Dana Gould. Also, on the bill will be the great comedy stylings of Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Georgia Hardstark, Ify Nwadiwe, and Niccole Thurman.

Tickets are only $10 for a live-stream for this Vidiots Comedy Show Benefit set to go live on Sat. Jun. 26th at 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET. Go get your tickets here.

There’s a Whole Docu-Special on Dick Gregory That’s Coming Out on July 4th

dick gregory, documentary, showtime

In regards to comedy both being a bridge between worlds and speaking truth to power, the name Dick Gregory better be at the top of the list. Gregory was a comedy pioneer unlike any other, especially for all the barriers he broke down and how much irony and absurdity he pointed out in race relations and in the actions of the U.S. government. Also, you ought to know that’s just scratching the surface of what he did throughout his comedy career and his lifetime.

Thus, Showtime is giving Gregory his due with a docu-special The One and Only Dick Gregory and having it premiere on, of all days, the Fourth of July, which is fitting for how much truth he freely spoke in his comedy.

Get a taste of what’s to come with The One and Only Dick Gregory here, then look for it to premiere on Sun., July 4th at 9PM on Showtime.

Get Your First Look at FX’s Latest Audacious Talk Show “The Choe Show”

So much upheaval has been coming to the world of late night over the last year (and don’t get it twisted, it’s very much welcome and very much needed). One of the most recent and most radical turns for a late night talk show is FX tapping artist and personality David Choe to front their latest attempt at a talk show.

Choe won’t be in a soundstage on a backlot or be behind a desk with a beautifully rendered backdrop of a various metropolis at night. The Choe Show will actually be done at Dave’s studio where he’ll interview the likes of anyone from Will Arnett to Maya Erskine to Val Kilmer and plenty more and paint a portrait of them.

It’s pretty wild. It has a bit of The Eric Andre Show‘s energy, but it’s not such a radical satirical send-up of late night. Choe genuine wants to connect through his unique lens and, from the looks of it, get messy in the best way possible with painting the portrait. Also, atypical to late night talk shows, all the episodes will premiere on Jun. 25th, then be available on Hulu the next day.

We can only wonder if that’s a way for FX to get us hooked so we’ll tune in every week if they do more.

Get your first look at all of this with the official trailer for The Choe Show here

Hacks Is Getting a Second Season at HBO Max

hannah einbinder, jean smart, lucia aniello, paul w downs

As Hacks get towards the end of its first season, it really has proven itself as one of the best explorations of stand-up comedy in all of TV and film. The intergenerational dynamic between fictitious comedy legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her new writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) captures so much about being a comedian both in decades past and the current moment as well how it has gotten better/hasn’t changed at all for comedians that are women. Also, Smart and Einbinder’s pairing is one of the more compelling relationships we’ve seen on a screen this year.

Thus, HBO Max has smartly given Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky a second season, which, hopefully will get under way soon and won’t be held up by being in the thick of a pandemic.

If you haven’t given Hacks a shot yet, please get into it as it really is, again, one of the best representations of stand-up ever outside of the real life version of it and is currently one of the best shows on television.

This is not a joke. The queens of comedy are returning for Season 2 of Hacks! #HacksOnHBOMax pic.twitter.com/zb3vsL1WDf

— HBO Max (@hbomax) June 8, 2021

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 63: Ashley Ray & Balancing TV/Going Out Again

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

hacks, i think you should leave, jfl, netflix is a joke fest, new faces, tv i say

Welp, the tides of going back out again and, subsequently, live comedy being performed in person and also, being seen in-person, are rising. Ashley Ray is riding high on that said tide as she has road dates now all across America and a special coming out this month on HBO Max after making it through quarantine with a popular newsletter and podcast, TV, I Say. Ray runs through her comedy journey through the pandemic with TCB’s Jake Kroeger leading to quite an entrance back into the world. Also, we definitely talk about Jeff Singer resigning as the JFL New Faces Booker, Netflix Is a Joke Fest returning, and more.

Follow Ashley @theeashleyray on Twitter, @theashleyray on IG, and listen to TV, I Say wherever you get podcasts.

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: FresHair 6/25

comedy shows, dave merheje, echo park, in person shows, jade catta preta, los angeles, rell battle

Before the pandemic happened, one of Echo Park’s biggest barbershops, American Barbershop, was home to a handful of really fun comedy shows. During the pandemic, they transitioned to having it outside, but still with a very cool, vintage barber’s chair on stage.

Now, with things opening up again, FresHair Comedy is going strong putting on a very cool comedy show in the heart of Echo Park in LA. They’ve got, for this latest show this month, Dave Merheje, Rell Battle, and Jade Catta-Preta along with esteemed producers Renee Gauthier, Ryan Dalton, and Allison Leber on the line-up and there will be, as we have seen them do in the past, plenty more great LA-based comedians (or ones that just happen to be in town).

This June edition of FresHair is set for Fri. Jun. 25th at 9PM PT and tickets are on sale starting at $15. Go snag them up before they sell out.