Recent News – Page 66 – The Comedy Bureau

Pick of the Day: Get Your Pets with John Hodgman 5/14

May 13, 2021

get your pets, john hodgman, maxfundrive

Even after all this time and so many iterations of virtual comedy on so many different platforms and platforms on top of platforms as to make it seem you’re not watching comedians in their living quarters, one of the best live-streams to come from this time is, without question, Get Your Pets with John Hodgman.

Humorist/author/(hopefully) former deranged millionaire John Hodgman would indeed interview pets and not their owners/masters/parents on IG Live for an unbridled delight of a time. Dogs, cats, birds, horses, reptiles, and more would get a nice afternoon chat with Hodgman and it’s truly hard to get more charming than that.

Hodgman did this series quite a bit at the start of lockdown, but went on hiatus in order to take on the several other projects on his very full plate. Yet, Get Your Pets with John Hodgman returns this Friday at 1PM PT/4PM ET as part of Maximum Fun’s annual membership #MAXFUNDRIVE.

Do not miss a second of it @johnhodgman on IG Live.

Pick of the Day: Asian Comedy Festival: Industry Panel 5/23

May 12, 2021

News

aapi, aapi heritage month, alex song xia, asian comedy festival, mark kramer, Mike Cabellon, nik dodani, otter lee, rekha shankar, sachi ezura

As this is indeed AAPI Heritage Month and there very much still is a surge of anti-Asian hate crimes and, despite the vastness and diversity of the Asian identity, the AAPI identity has been vastly underrepresented no matter what month it is, it might behoove you to get the specific AAPI perspective on things.

The upcoming Asian Comedy Festival has put together a very special panel that will dive into what the winding road of Asian Amerian/Pacific Islander comedy folks working in TV is really like.

For this particular discussion, they’ll be virtually assembling:

Mike Cabellon (Mr. Mayor)
Alex Song-Xia (Rick and Morty)
Mark Kramer (Last Week Tonight)
Nik Dodani (Dear Evan Hansen)
Rekha Shankar (Animaniacs)
Sachi Ezura (VP of Adult Animation, ViacomCBS)
Moderator: Otter Lee (Tooning Out the News)

The Asian Comedy Festival Industry Panel is set to go live on Sun. May 23rd at 5PM PT/8PM ET via Bonfire Live. Tickets are only $5 and you very, very much should go get them here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 59: Fizaa Dosani & Feel Good Hustling

May 12, 2021

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

There are an ambitious, pioneering few that really made a go at virtual comedy and, whatever the platform may be, they “figured” it out. Fizaa Dosani, one of the ringleaders behind Facial Recognition Comedy, is one of those few.

She transitioned from doing a live stand-up showcase and a podcast to doing bunches of virtual shows on all the platforms, then became one of the chosen few finalists for Clubhouse’s Creators First Pilot Season program. Fizaa joins TCB’s Jake Kroeger to go over her hustling through all of that over the last year as well as “hot” takes on indie venues finally getting COVID-19 relief, Donald Glover’s take on cancel culture, and Seth Rogen’s stance on not planning to work with James Franco at this time.

Follow Fizaa @fizaadosani on IG and Twitter and follow Facial Recognition Comedy @facialrecomedy on Twitter and @facialrecognitioncomedy on IG. Be sure to get tickets for their May 28th live-stream at RushTix.com.

Lastly, here are a list of mutual aid funds for India.

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

Please Enjoy Jessica Watkins Very, Very Special Comedy Doc “SPECIALish”

May 11, 2021

News

As art forms move forward, innovation and, in many cases, disruption is needed to fuel any sort of true growth. That is especially true of an art form of comedy that is not only subject to frequent change as it’s in comedy nature to question assumptions and expectations.

When it comes to the idea of a stand-up comedy special, especially after decades of just having a mic, mic stand, a bare stage, various sized audiences, and the comedians themselves performing, a desire for something else, something different is there and has been served more and more, even before the pandemic with Maria Bamford’s unconventional specials, Julio Torres’ My Favorite Shapes, and Whitmer Thomas’ The Golden One.

Jessica Watkins also felt that she needed to do something besides just telling jokes on stage in order to stand out with a comedy special, which is why she embarked on an entire walk across America with strategically placed comedy shows in order to make a really special special. What resulted did actually provide something truly special, but it was a far cry from what she had planned.

Through many unforeseen obstacles, circumstances, and a whole bunch of other people just, you know, walking across America, Watkins had to keep reimagining her idea of the special, tour, stand-up, creativity, drive, and purpose while making what would eventually become the beautiful documentary, SPECIALish. It actually ends up being a very self-aware, but enlightening meditation on what it means to be an artist, specifically one that goes for laughs in a dark, crowded room/bar/basement/etc. night after night as well as what it means to express your creative agency as a woman in spite of traumatic past. The several journeys within the main journey of trekking across America go so much deeper in the creative process than so many other comedy documentaries we’ve seen, specifically when it comes to the arduous path that is doing stand-up comedy on the road.

See for yourself in the official trailer for SPECIALish here.

Though it took Jessica several months to do through the journey (long, long before COVID-19), then years to put it into documentary form, it was well worth what resulted in SPECIALish, now streaminig. Please go rent/buy it here and, undoubtedly, soulfully ponder the nature of comedy and art as we did.

Ziwe Has Arrived on Showtime and The World Really Ought to Be Watching

May 11, 2021

News

showtime, ziwe

There’s almost a sense of certainty with ZIWE, the brand new eponymous variety/talk show series sprouted from Ziwe’s own IG Live series, Baited. Of the comedy live-stream that embarked into the unknown of this virtual era of comedy, Baited with Ziwe was lightning that struck louder and bigger every time with her interview format involving race baiting questions and deeper explorations of the biases of comedians, celebrities, influencers, many of which had been “cancelled”. Several hundred and sometimes thousands would tune in on the jankiest of all live-stream platforms, IG Live, and revel in Ziwe’s balance of poise and the iconic looks she would strike based on people’s answers or, in many cases, attempts at answers.

Even, Vulture started to recap it like it was an actual TV series (a mark, which no other live-stream, to our knowledge can really claim).

Without a doubt, it was one of the best things in comedy in 2020 and Showtime made a real smart move in giving Ziwe her own show that not only plays up her iconic ambitions (even evident in these opening credits for the show), but played to the core strengths of Ziwe’s uber-satirical sense of humor and of Baited’s devil-may-care-ish picking apart of one’s biases. The premiere of Ziwe, having just aired on Showtime this past Sunday, was brilliant and that just almost seemed inevitable.

Check her interview with Fran Lebowitz, this wonderfully bizarre American Girl Doll sketch, and her panel discussion with women all named Karen and their feelings on the pejorative term, Karen to see Ziwe’s panache and verve that makes her really stand out from the rest of the crowd (whether it be late night, talk shows, or sketch). Truly, we can’t wait to see wait what the self-styled icon does next over almost anything else on television.

american girl doll: imperial wives collection is not NOT for lesbians pic.twitter.com/9fNFeQXIz8

— ziwe (@ziwe) May 11, 2021

ZIWE airs every Sunday at 11PM on Showtime and, like we said above, you and the rest of the world best be watching (even if it means having to add Showtime to your streaming services/cable package).

Pick of the Day: Joe Pera + Joe Bennett: A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing 5/25

May 11, 2021

News

joe bennett, joe pera, strand book store

One of the calmest and most reassuring presences in comedy and, really, anywhere is that of Joe Pera and as we’re still very much in some of the most chaotic times of our lives. In his own stand-up or on his own series, Joe Pera Talks With You, Pera deftly manages to be soothing as so damn funny.

So, Pera has written a book with illustrator Joe Bennett wonderfully called A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing But Using the Bathroom as an Escape that is sure to imbue a sense of peace, especially if you’re indeed holing up in your bathroom without really having to use it (which we’re sure makes up a significant percentage of people’s time spent in quarantine).

They’re doing a virtual book event for The Strand Book Store on Tues. May 25th at 5PM PT/8PM ET that will even be more relaxing and, again, a hoot at the same time.

Get your copy of the book, starting at $21.99, and access for the event here. FYI, the first 100 tickets will include a signed bookplate by both authors.

Pick of the Day: Breather: A Fundraiser Comedy Show by Indian Comics for India 5/14

May 10, 2021

News

Abish Matthew, best of san francisco stand up, Kanan Gill, Kelt Shreshth, oxygen concentrators, Rueben K., Sumit Anand, vrinda b

The ongoing, devastating, COVID-19 crisis in India persists and has yet to even turn the corner, which is why it’s important to help/support in any way possible.

Thankfully, The Best of San Francisco Stand-Up is collaborating with The Brown Bread Collective and Maker’s Asylum to put on a very, very special benefit show that not only features India comedians performing virtually from India, but is taking donations to supply Oxygen concentrators to the people of India via India’s version of GoFundMe, Ketto. Give what you can if you can here.

This Breather: A Fundraiser Comedy Show by Indian Comics for India is set to feature the comedic stylings, again, all the way from India, of: Kanan Gill, Abish Matthew, Sumit Anand, Rueben K., Kelt Shreshth, and Vrinda B.

This event is set to go live on Fri. May 14th at 8PM PT/11PM ET. Please RSVP here and, once more, donate to their worthy cause here.

Pick of the Day: The Cooties Go Online 5/18

May 7, 2021

News

livestream, musical comedy, the cooties, virtual comedy

One of the best musical comedy groups working today (and, hell, in comedy, period), The Cooties are setting to ease our pandemic and world weary anxieties to rest for an hour or two with a show that’s “50% comedy, 50% concert, and 0% cooking competition.”

For several years, they have served up the most absurd songs with some of the best grooves and most beautiful harmonies in LA and around the country. Truly, they’ll transport you (as well as your toe that will be tapping to their songs) to a better, more fun place with their upcoming comedy live-stream, The Cooties Go Online.

This special, rambunctious evening of mirth and song will go live on Tues. May 18th at 6PM PT/9PM ET. Tickets are going at the nice price of $10 (plus service fee which makes it $11.62). Go get yours for The Cooties Go Online right now right here.

A Little Late with Lilly Singh and It’s 1:30AM Timeslot Ending in June

May 6, 2021

News

a little late with lilly singh, lilly singh, nbc

(via Deadline)

June is shaping up to be time for upheaval in late night.

In addition to Conan’s last episode on TBS airing, Lilly Singh and her own late night talk show over at NBC, A Little Late with Lilly Singh, is getting the ax and that time slot that was owned by Last Call with Carson Daly for years, then handed to Singh, is also going to be closed off from any sort of original programming. That will leave NBC with two nightly late night shows instead of leaving them as the only network with three back-to-back-to-back.

Maybe they’ll come around again to having a trio with The Amber Ruffin Show if that ever becomes nightly?

That indeed means that the scales in late night representation get tipped back a little in favor of white men (especially since Fox News introduced their own reactive, for-conservatives late night show Gutfeld! just a few weeks ago). Singh will still be working up the Comcast NBCUniversal umbrella with a first-look deal and a series with TV comedy power player, Kenya Barris, already in development.

Singh’s 1:30AM time slot was a hard one to wrangle with, especially with so much of late night being consumed on YouTube rather than traditional linear Nielsen ratings. In fact, it was curious to us that NBC tried to fit Singh, a YouTube sensation, on to a somewhat traditional talk show format rather shooting for more of what she did during this pandemic by doing bits and chats from her house.

All in all, this is part of the ongoing shake-up in late night that, largely, is saying quicker and quicker goodbyes to the old ways and even more quickly trying to figure out what’s next. Maybe PAUSE with Sam Jay is the answer? We fortunately won’t have to wait until June to maybe find out (PAUSE premieres on Fri. May 21st).

Pick of the Day: Looking Forward to It with Josh Gondelman (in Support of Fair Fight) 5/10

May 6, 2021

News

alison leiby, dan fox, david wain, fair fight, josh gondelman, khalid rahmaan, looking forward to it, nowhere comedy club, sara schaefer, voting rights

So, state by state, it seems as though new restrictive voting laws are being put in place and enacting how little the voting body of this country is and who gets to be part of it (Florida is the latest perpetrator, FYI). Don’t be mistaken; it’s turning back the clock of history and moving forward as a society.

With that in mind, one should always be in attendance and support the marvelous comedy show Looking Forward to It with Josh Gondelman as it is a show dedicated to both continuing the fight for voter engagement and representation in the very crucial years to come and give you a top shelf night of comedy. This month, one of the most effervescent comedians around, Josh Gondelman, will assemble the brilliance of David Wain, Sara Schaefer, Khalid Rahmaan, Alison Leiby, and Dan Fox and raising money for the amazing efforts of Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight.

Get in on the fun and the fight with your tickets (starting at a $20 suggested donation) here. This edition of Looking Forward to It with Josh Gondelman goes live on Mon. May 10th at 5PM PT/8PM ET, presented by Nowhere Comedy Club on Zoom.

Clubhouse Institutes a “Pilot Season”; Orders Projects From Fizaa Dosani, Henry Kaiser, Jordan Rubin & More

May 5, 2021

News

clubhouse, fizaa dosani, henry kaiser, jordan rubin, paul kim, willonius hatcher

(via Deadline)

Love it, hate it, confused by it, or indifferent to it, Clubhouse is undeniably a current platform to be reckoned with. Even as other equivalents are being tested at Facebook and Twitter, Clubhouse has proven to be a pretty dynamic space, especially as the pandemic hasn’t ended. There has been an explosion of all sorts of content on the audio only, convention-esque platform over the last few months, especially in regards to comedians.

So, it’s not surprising that more than a few comedians were handed more than a few thousand dollars a month to be part of a Clubhouse’s newly minted “Pilot Season” program. They’ll get to develop their show/content however they choose over three months and then be reviewed to see if they’ll get the full support of the Clubhouse app itself. Some of those chosen include Facial Recognition with Fizaa Dosani, which had been a popular LA based stand-up show and podcast as well Henry Kaiser’s NPR parody NNPR.

To the critics of Clubhouse that relegate it to just a “conference call”, it’s worth noting that all these folks got pretty clever with how to make said conference call entertaining.

Here are the rest of the comedy pilots for Clubhouse’s Pilot Season. Get the full list at Deadline.

“Comedy Court” by CoreyBe Sherrill, Tina Graham, and Shaina Farrow: Have you been hurt by the justice system? Slighted by law? Or even just lost an argument with yourself in a mirror? There’s only one show where you can be unfairly judged by a panel of comedians. Speakers present their wrongly dismissed cases, grievances, and disputes to a jury of comedians and improvisers for a second opinion.
“Facial Recognition Comedy” by Fizaa Dosani: An interactive stand-up comedy show highlighting a lineup of comedians from underrepresented demographics. Comedians bring the audience members on stage, creating an immersive and uniquely hilarious experience.
“NNPR: Not National Public Radio” by Henry Kaiser: A powerful public radio parody, featuring a dynamic roster of characters, hosts, and guests providing comedic programming on arts & culture in an organically fun and interactive way.
“Look What You Did” by Jordan Rubin: In the vein of DVD commentary tracks, filmmakers and entertainers watch and discuss one of their own films with movie-fan hosts.
“The Sound of Clubhouse” by Paul Kim: An original a cappella comedy musical specifically written for Clubhouse.
“A Little Soapy” by Willonius Hatcher: A semi-improvised daily comedic soap opera.

Pick of the Day: Enjoy It! LIVE: A Celebration of the Life and Comedy of Steven Brody Stevens 5/22

May 5, 2021

News

brody stevens, rushtix, tribute

Just over two years ago, the world lost a fiercely burning light of positivity, a, as Zach Galifianakis would lovingly describe, jock who does performance art, and one of the most original comedians that ever was.

Brody tragically passed away by his own hand in 2019, but his #positivepush spirit very much lives on in the lives of comedians and fans alike. That’s why there’s a bench in dedication to Brody in the Valley (as Brody would be 818 even after he died) and there’s a special tribute to him on his birthday, May 22nd, on RushTix.

YOUUUUUU GOT IT! Enjoy It! LIVE will celebrate Brody’s comedy and life as well as feature stand-up from his closest friends. It’ll also double as fundraiser for Comedy Gives Back, an org dedicated to supporting comedians in need, especially when it comes to mental and emotional health.

This special evening of Enjoy It! LIVE is set to go live on Sat. May 22nd at 6PM PT/9PM ET. Tickets are $10-$30 and you really ought to snag ’em here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 58: James Adomian & The Upcoming Aftermath

May 5, 2021

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

armenia, james adomian, jimmy kimmel live, mike lindell

Coming to know James Adomian remains as one of our fortunate strokes of luck in all of our time in comedy. The brilliant comedian, impressionist, voice over artist joins us for this week’s TCB Field Report to recount how he has made it through all the continuing trials and tribulations of the last year including, but certainly not limited to, international comedy tours getting cancelled, the tragedy that befell Armenia by way of Azerbaijan, and no critical breaks on rent. That said, Adomian still voiced a cornucopia’s worth of cartoons on major networks, streaming services, and even on Snapchat. Also, James got to satirically confront the My Pillow guy Mike Lindell on Jimmy Kimmel Live as Mike Lindell and is ready to get back into the swing of comedy, virtual and otherwise.

Follow James @jadomian on IG and Twitter, buy tickets to his Nowhere Comedy club headlining show on Fri. 5/7, and please support The Children of Armenia Fund.

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

Sam Jay’s Late Night Talk Show “Pause” Is Going to Be the Most Untraditional Late Night Show Yet

May 4, 2021

News

hbo, pause wiith sam jay, sam jay

The world of late night as we used to know seems to be coming to an end. That is to say, the format of having sharply suited white men doing a monologue, then interviewing famous people in between desk pieces and sketches/bits are most certainly are seeming to become the minority. More and more, late night is focused on deep dives on specific topical issues and are having much more diverse pool of hosts (Sam Bee, Desus & Mero, Lilly Singh, Trevor Noah).

HBO’s latest angle in on late night will be whole rejection of that traditional format as Sam Jay embarks on her journey with her own upcoming late night talk show, PAUSE. From the teaser, one can see that the set is an apartment, there is a pool and/or dining table in place of a desk and couches, and Variety reports that there will be no opening monologue. PAUSE with Sam Jay actually more resembles an episode of Insomniac with Dave Attell or Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn than an episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert or CONAN.

Jay herself represents another queer BIPOC voice in late night and a much more firebrand one than Lilly Singh and that perspective is going to be one of the many elements of PAUSE with Sam Jay that will make it stand out. Personally, we can’t wait to see what sort of conversation (and ruckus) that Sam might be stirring up.

We won’t have to wait that long as the series debuts on Fri. May 21st on HBO Max.

See a bit of all of this for yourself with the first official teaser here.

Conan O’Brien to Have His Final Show on TBS on Jun. 24th

May 4, 2021

News

conan, hbo max, tbs, team coco

Even though Conan O’Brien is undoubtedly the elder statesman of late night, he still very much is the rambunctious, risk taking innovator that he has always been through decades as a late night talk show host.

He has consistently pushed the boundaries where so many other late night hosts follow and, in that spirit, Conan has never forsaken the Team Coco faithful. His renowned remote segments, the growing podcast empire, and Conan’s penchant for not being very good at video games have all found Conan, for our money, ahead of the curve.

So, it doesn’t entirely surprise us that he’s doing something new by closing up shop at TBS and then doing something more sketch based and less like the tried and true late night format at HBO Max. For those who absolutely loved Conan on TBS, know that there are still upcoming Conan Without Borders specials in the pipeline at TBS. We’re not exactly sure what lies ahead for Conan at HBO Max, but we hope that it has the same sort of controlled chaos that is dyed in the wool of pretty much everything Conan O’Brien does.

The dovetailing of Conan on TBS has already begun as the final episode date has been scheduled for Thurs. Jun. 24th and O’Brien announced that they’ll be taking a long stroll down the 11 year long memory lane of his time on basic cable.

We have a feeling that this might be the dovetailing of an era of late night itself and the format originated back in the original Tonight Show/Steve Allen days might just becoming to an end as shows Desus & Mero and Last Week Tonight keep ascending in popularity. Truly, we’re excited to find out what that future looks like.

Pick of the Day: The Endless Honeymoon with Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher 5/15

May 4, 2021

News

live podcast, moshe kasher, natasha leggero, relationship advice, rushtix

When it comes to the non-professional relationship advice game, few couples are as a fun and spicy as Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher on their podcast The Endless Honeymoon (that started as a comedy tour, then a special first). For the entire run of their ‘endless honeymoon’ they’ve been roasting/advising couples in how to mend issues of all kinds and, consequently, making for some of Natasha and Moshe’s funniest moments during their tenure in comedy.

They’ll be doing a special, virtual live edition of Endless Honeymoon, presented by RushTix, coming this Sat. May 15th at 6PM PT/9PM ET and dishing out the same hysterical sort of analysis, solutions, and compromises that listeners/fans have come to love. Couples from the virtual audience will indeed be selected to have Natasha and Moshe dig into their relationship.

Tickets are only $15 (and we bet, if you’re watching as a couple, it’ll be two for the price of one). Go get ’em here.

Tig Notaro Set to Make Comedy History Again With First Fully Animated Comedy Special

May 3, 2021

News

hbo, tig notaro

Tig Notaro has already done enough to cement herself in comedy history.

Her album, Live, might be one of the most audacious, daring, and truthful comedy albums of all time as it is simply a recording of her set at Largo where she revealed she had breast cancer after having C. diff after having her mother pass away and going through a break up.

Also, Tig did one of our favorite late night sets with performing one bit involving the squeaking of a stool as it got gently dragged across the stage.

In short, Tig is magical in such a beautifully unassuming and very truthful way.

Now, she is set to make even more comedy history as her latest comedy special will be completely animated. There has been plenty of stand-up bits that have been animated and Picture This! has been a great example of the marriage between animation and live stand-up. Yet, to our knowledge, there hasn’t been an entire stand-up special that has been animated. Tig might be a wonderful candidate for it as this announcement already sparked what an animated version of her Taylor Dayne or Vegas stories might look like if drawn up.

In any case, we shall get to see what that might be and Tig set another comedy milestone this Summer on HBO, with the guiding EP hand of Ellen DeGeneres.

.@TigNotaro returns to @HBO this summer with the first-ever fully animated stand up special, executive produced by @TheEllenShow.

The special will air on HBO and will be available to stream on @HBOMax: https://t.co/kUAhSTzpoz pic.twitter.com/Pj0VEjlpDL

— HBO PR (@HBOPR) May 3, 2021

Get Your First Look at Chris Gethard’s Comedy Special/Road Doc “Half My Life” (Part of Which Takes Place at Gatorland)

May 3, 2021

News

chris gethard, half my life, special, trailer

In the grand tradition of Chris Gethard being completely untraditional, Gethard has his latest comedy special as part stand-up special, part road comedy doc with his opener Carmen Christopher and his wife Hallie and their child, and part exploration of America’s vast, vast swath of subcultures.

So, you’ll get to see Chris do stand-up in underground comedy spaces, art spaces, at pancake breakfasts, and even in a place called Gatorland (and it’s called that because, you guessed it, they have a bunch of gators) all on Half My Life.

It’s set for release on Tues. June 1st via Comedy Dynamics, but you can catch a glimpse of this Gethard style chaos in the trailer for Half My Life here.

Pick of the Day: Comedy For People Who Hate Joe Rogan 5/6

May 3, 2021

News

Erica Switzer, livestream, michael furr, robin hazel, sophie connell, stand up comedy, subhah agarwal

So, Baltimore-based comedian Sophie Connell has had this recurring virtual stand-up showcase where she features, “four comedians from differing backgrounds.” There are plenty of virtual stand-ups that do feature diverse talent, but we this one just happens to have the timely name of Comedy for People Who Hate Joe Rogan.

Given his, at best, wishy-washy stance on the COVID-19 vaccine that caused national controversy as he expressed said stance on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the biggest podcasts around, comedy or otherwise (Spotify paid him $100 million to go exclusive with their streaming service).

So, this live-stream pushes for other voices that you might want to hear (including very funny guests Erica Switzer, Subhah Agarwal, and Baltimore-based comedians Michael Furr and Robin Hazel).

This latest edition of Comedy For People Who Hate Joe Rogan is set to go live on Thurs. May 6th at 5PM PT/8PM ET and is free to stream, if you RSVP here.

Get Your First Look at Season 3 of Black Monday

April 30, 2021

News

andrew rannells, black monday, casey wilson, don cheadle, regina hall, season 3, showtime, yassir lester

One of the wildest and darkest sitcoms on television, Black Monday, is set to return for its third season near the end of May as well as kick it into the 90s. Maurice and the rest of his ragtag stock market troublemakers are back together again (and so is all the chaos that follows them). They are spectacularly dressed in 90s style from head-to-toe though.

In fact, there’s never been a better time to see the absurdity of pure capitalism at work than now, which makes Black Monday kind of a perfect show for these times.

Get your first gander of Season 3 of Black Monday with the official trailer here, then look for the season 3 premiere on Sun. May 23rd 10PM on Showtime.

Please Enjoy Trailer for Indie Horror Comedy Set in LA Comedy Scene “Too Late”

April 30, 2021

News

alyssa limperis, dw thomas, fred armisen, gravitas features, jenny zigrino, mary lynn rajskub, ron lynch, will weldon

The wires between comedy and horror get marvelously crossed more and more these days to produce some great, out-of-left field movies and TV shows (just think of a good fifth of what Adult Swim puts out). Another entry into this burgeoning hybrid genre is the upcoming indie film, Too Late.

This particular film from D.W. Thomas actually takes the intersection of comedy and horror quite literally as the story is set in the LA comedy scene coupled with a dark, evil presence nestled deep within it. Beloved LA venue Dynasty Typewriter is prominently featured as our so many LA comedy staples including stars Alyssa Limperis and Ron Lynch (who seems to be playing an insidious alternate version of himself/host of the famed Tomorrow! w/Ron Lynch) as well as supporting cast Will Weldon, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Fred Armisen, Jenny Zigrino, and Brooks Wheelan.

See what Thomas has cooked up with the trailer for Too Late here, then look for its release on Fri. Jun. 25th.

Pick of the Day: Jon Daly’s I Venmo U Money 5/11

April 30, 2021

News

comedy livestream, dynasty typewriter, jon daly, venmo

OK, we’re not exactly sure what comedian and mischief extraordinaire Jon Daly has up his sleeve with a call-in live comedy show focused on giving money away via Venmo. Whatever he has planned is sure to be some high level hijinks that ought to be one damn good time.

Indeed, Jon Daly’s I Venmo U Money will be a call-in comedy livestream event where all the callers get paid and, apparently, “How much you make is up to you!” You can call (626) 869-9645 to either leave a voicemail or talk to Jon live during the show and really see if you can get free monies (especially since most COVID-19 relief has been far from enough and often too late to keep people afloat).

Tickets for access to the live-stream are not free, FYI. However, they’re only $10.

Jon Daly’s I Venmo U Money goes live on Tue. May 11th at 6PM PT/9PM ET, presented by Dynasty Typewriter. Get more info/tickets here.

Please Enjoy Fern Brady’s Debut Special “Power & Chaos”

April 29, 2021

News

800 pound gorilla, comedy special, fern brady, stand up comedy

Along side the names of Craig Ferguson, Billy Connolly, and Daniel Sloss, you should add the name Fern Brady to the Scottish-comedians-you-should-know part of your memory.

Brady faithfully continues to hold up a certain Scottish sense of humor that derives from a dark cleverness. That sensibility is woven deeply through her very first special that just came out, Power & Chaos, and makes it a refreshing and satisfying hour of stand-up to get wrapped up in. Also, it’s quite the treat to hear the perspective of not only a woman, but one who is bisexual and is on the autism spectrum through the sound of an exuberant Scottish accent.

Throughout this debut hour, Fern espouses a great sense of calm as she winds her way through her stances on feminism, Brexit, and people trying to do a paltry Scottish accent at her. Thus, the title is quite apt and you should go see all this for yourself when looking to watch a brand new comedy special.

Fern Brady: Power & Chaos is now streaming both as a special and an album and you can get into it here.

Pick of the Day: Casey Wilson’s The Wreckage of My Presence Virtual Book Tour

April 29, 2021

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adam pally, andrew rannells, casey wilson, jessi klein, june diane raphael, kristen wiig, wreckage of my presence, ziiwe

We sincerely hope that, at this point, there’s something that you’ve come across in the work of Casey Wilson that you’ve loved. Happy Endings, Hotwives, Bitch Sesh, and so much more have brought Wilson to have such an extensive, cherished career ini comedy. Thus, she wrote a whole collection of essays about her time through all of it that’s lovingly called The Wreckage of My Presence. It’s set for release on May 4th, but you can (and should) pre-order here.

Of course, she’s going to do a book tour, but as a certain pandemic is still happening, it’ll have to be virtual. However, that’s an opportunity to support many lovely bookstores/venues/festivals as well as source out a very stacked collection of special guests as you can see below.

4/29 with June Diane Raphael
5/4 with Kristen Wiig via Skylight Books/Dynasty Typewriter
5/5 with Ziwe via Greenlight Booksttore
5/6 with Adam Pally via Sixth & I
5/12 with Jessi Klein and Andrew Rannells via Chicago Humanities Festival

Just from those few dates, that’s one hell of a book tour and you should go to any or all of these book release events for The Wreckage of My Presence.

James Adomian’s Mike Lindell Comes Face to Face with the Real(?) Mike Lindell

April 29, 2021

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james adomian, jimmy kimmel, jimmy kimmel live, mike lindell

Jimmy Kimmel Live could have kept tapping the brilliant James Adomian for his masterful impersonation of My Pillow’s Mike Lindell and that, by itself, would have been a very satisfying running bit.

Yet, the late night gods were dreaming about something a bit bigger and getting a little bit gonzo with the whole thing. Jimmy Kimmel, after dedicating several minutes of his monologue that he has dedicated to roasting Mike Lindell, invited him on the show and, surprisingly (and against the advice of everyone) accepted the invitation.

We had a feeling that Adomian’s Lindell might be part of a bit within and around Lindell chatting with Kimmel, but what actually happened was so much better. Jimmy had the latter half of his monologue centered on dealing with a severely disheveled Lindell as played by Adomian. Of course, it was hysterical and thrilling with the real Mike Lindell lurking around backstage.

Then, Kimmel brings out the (supposedly) real Mike Lindell and has a somewhat jovial conversation that does eventually turn to trading jokes about Mike’s former crack addiction for Lindell, yet again, voicing some of his more wild beliefs about voter fraud. In the last two minutes, Adomian comes out to do his Lindell to Lindell himself. It’s amazing and it kind of left Mike with no moves except to laugh at the (only slightly) funhouse mirror version of himself, which, as you can imagine, doesn’t happen too often.

Well, Adomian has actually gotten to do that quite a bit including with Bernie Sanders and Andy Kindler because, well, James is just that magical.

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