800 pound gorilla – The Comedy Bureau

Rory Scovel: Live Without Fear, One of Our Favorite Specials in Recent Memory, Will Be on YouTube 6/24

May 19, 2021

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Two years ago, we were fortunate and privileged enough to get a sneak peek at Rory Scovel‘s latest special Rory Scovel: Live Without Fear (and collaboration with director Scott Moran). We were blown away at the lightning-in-a-bottle that was captured through a handful of entirely improvised stand-up sets (there wasn’t even a never-before-seen-topic as there would be with Set List or a mere suggestion from the audience).

Even though we had no idea where else it would screen or how else would people see it, we wrote about it anyway because the fly-on-the-wall look at Scovel’s daredevil-ish stand-up antics was inspiring. In fact, it was moving in a way that we hadn’t really felt in a comedy special, perhaps, ever before. In fact, it made our 100 Best List for 2019 because it was really that damn good and there was still no news as to how or where or when people could go watch Rory Scovel: Live Without Fear.

So, it’s truly thrilling news to know that 800 Pound Gorilla Media is going to release Rory Scovel: Live Without Fear on YouTube come Thurs. Jun. 24th. We’ll hold off on saying anymore for now. Until then, you can a look at an exclusive clip of the comedy docu-special over at Vulture.

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

April 29, 2021

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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.

Tim Heidecker Announces and Releases Trailer for First Stand-Up Special “An Evening with Tim Heidcker”

October 15, 2020

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Tim Heidecker is a comedian, but very rarely does stand-up. Tim is much more renowned for his ultra absurdist work under the banner of Tim & Eric and, most recently, a decidedly non-comedic music album “Oh We Drift Away” with beloved indie singer-songwriter Weyes Blood.

Whenever Tim does stand-up, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he has something up his sleeve besides standing on stage with a mic and straight-on telling jokes. There’s a subtle, but very subversive angle that Tim plays with satirizing what a good deal of mainstream stand-up is. So, for this hour special, An Evening with Tim Heidecker, you’ll notice that Tim makes sure that things, on the surface, look extra conventional and then show off the “cracks in the veneer”. It’s a fine line to walk, but Tim does pull it off.

You can see all of this for yourself in this trailer for An Evening with Tim Heidecker, then you can see the full extent of Tim’s version of stand-up when it premieres on Oct. 23rd at 6PM PT/9PM ET on YouTube.

Please Get Katie Hughes’ Debut Album “Queen of the Castle”

September 14, 2020

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Because of the restrictions of the pandemic, we don’t get surprised like we used to with comedians that we’ve never seen live before that just happen to be on one of the many shows that we used to watch on a nightly basis. Also, there is still only a certain percentage of comedians that are even doing live-streamed comedy right now and the sliver of live, outdoor shows that are happening around the country (not really in LA still) can only be seen locally. Coming across something new, like all things right now, is harder than it used to be.

That’s all to say that it was very nice surprise to hear Katie Hughes‘ debut album Queen of the Castle as Hughes is based out of Atlanta nixing any chances to see her live on stage over the last several months. For a debut album, Hughes as charmingly self-assured and confident in her blend of personal revelations and wildly colorful set of assorted characters throughout her own life, especially for her very first record. Hughes’ specificity in her voices and writing about her journey from her growing up poor in North Carolina to dishing out her brand of artisanal, vulnerable silliness is so rich and really makes Queen of the Castle a satisfying listen. Again, it was such a joyful surprise to listen to Hughes for the first time and we’re excited to what she whips up in the years to come (you know, when stand-up comedy can happen like it used to).

Katie Hughes: Queen of the Castle comes out Tues. Sept. 15th from 800 Pound Gorilla Records. You can (and very much should) pre-order/buy/stream it here.

Kyle Kinane’s “Trampoline in a Ditch” Is Another Classic Kinane Album That Comes with Bonus Stories & Animated Shorts

July 23, 2020

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Kyle Kinane‘s first comedy album, Death of the Party, came out over 10 years ago and gloriously announced the arrival of Kinane and his grand, painterly style of stand-up that blended observations and stories with both a poetic, salt-of-the-earth grace and a keen eye for the deeply embedded absurdities of life. Every hour since has seen Kinane refine said style while successfully managing to adjust his perspective with his rising success.

This latest album from Kyle, Trampoline in a Ditch, shows that, 11 years later, he is still very much a masterful artisan when it comes to writing and detailing his bits and stories into these ornate, yet unmistakably homespun jokes. Tying the paranormal to white privilege or his subconscious finding a way to subvert the beauty of water fall or even a layered tale of having a DUI are just a small sampling of what is his most sprawling album (probably one of the most sprawling comedy albums in comedy history). In fact, Trampoline in a Ditch runs just over an hour and 40 minutes because, in addition to an hour of stand-up, there are separate stories that haven’t found a home in previous releases from Kyle. Of course, Kinane is one of the best storytellers in comedy and these bonus tracks really make you get your money’s worth for this album.

In addition to all of that, Kinane wanted to bring a new element into the fold for what is effectively a double album. Different bits from Trampoline in a Ditch will be animated in different styles rather than just. seeing more of the Kyle you know and love on stage with a mic and a mic stand. The very first animated bit from CJ Cook is pretty spectacular and follows the opening of the album. Please enjoy it here.

Kyle Kinane: Trampoline in a Ditch comes out Friday, July 24th from 800 Pound Gorilla Records. Please do yourself a favor and pre-save or pre-order it right now.

Please Get and Enjoy Alex Edelman’s New Hour Until Now

July 13, 2020

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Currently, there is a distinction between American comedy and comedy in the UK and Australia. Specifically, the difference respectively comes with mixing a melting pot of various short sets and extended bits versus a prevalence towards storytelling and thematically crafting an entire hour from the get go. Alex Edelman is one of a handful of comedians that actually straddles both worlds, especially since he’s an American comedian that frequently and successfully plays in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival quite a bit along with the rest of the UK.

Edelman’s latest hour Until Now is another testament of the melding of short form observational comedy with the influence of having done more solo show-esque performances overseas. Alex has plenty of very honed, punchline filled observations on this album, but the thorough exploration of the millennial mindset is very well organized and effective. Edelman gives a hysterical, three dimensional picture of the world that millennials are brought in and the highs and lows of how they deal with said world whether it’s entitlement or being too progressive for past generations (or maybe even for each other). This spirit especially gets delightfully captured with his story about graduating college and how misinterpreted a moment to oneself can be taken out of context.

So, go get, listen to, and enjoy Alex Edelman’s Until Now, fresh from 800 Pound Gorilla, here.

Please Get and Enjoy Doug Smith’s Debut Album “Barely Regal”

December 3, 2019

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NYC’s Doug Smith serves up a terrific debut album here with Barely Regal. Smith has carved out his place in NYC comedy as a stand-up and co-created one of favorite things awhile ago in the experimental stand-up show, See You in Hell.

There seems to be a very classic feel to Barely Regal with Doug’s myriad of stories and observations of his life and straightforward, low key delivery. Also, Smith’s debut album still feels current, modern, and relevant as he makes that “classic feel” work for these times that we live in. There is an undeniable earnestness throughout this hour and careful, pinpoint consideration as to where get silly (including his amazing This Is Not Happening story included at the end).

So, please go get and enjoy Barely Regal, out now from 800 Pound Gorilla Records., here.

Please Get and Enjoy Emmy Blotnick’s Fantastic New Album “Party Nights”

June 5, 2019

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Ever since we saw Emmy Blotnick start dropping by LA years ago, we’ve thoroughly been delighted in her unabashed excitement that she exudes on stage though seeming, at first glance, perhaps modest and reserved. Her giddiness for sharing her comedy with you is infectious and part of why, for us, her well observed jokes connect so well.

Her latest hour on the newly released album Party Nights is a perfect showcase of all of this. From the get go, there is an unmistakable throughline of joy in Blotnick’s performance, even during the most self-deprecating lines, that make Party Nights a really wonderful comedy album. After listening to it, we almost want to hear Emmy’s take on, well, anything at all for how simultaneously subversive and fun it would be.

Party Nights now is available from 800 Pound Gorilla here.

Gastor Almonte’s New Album/Special “Immigrant Made” Is a Beautiful Collection of Stories That Highlight the Importance of Immigrants in America

April 5, 2019

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A lot of people have a lot of very different, very hardline opinions about immigration these days. We hope that they do remember that the majority of the country are immigrants and that the immigrant experience is integral to the fabric of the mighty U.S. of A.

East Brooklyn’s Gastor Almonte takes pride in his parents emigrating to this country and relishes that he is the fruit of the seeds that his mother and father planted. Of course, that fruit is the freedom to make an entire comedy special about that very notion and Almonte does it with wonderful poise throughout a collection of carefully constructed long form stories on Immigrant Made. Though straight forward and subtle in his delivery, Almonte observations about his world and his place in it are simultaneously funny and full of genuine heart.

Get a taste of all of that here in the trailer.

You can get in on Immigrant Made now where you listen to comedy albums and stream it on Amazon. Do so here.

Ben Roy’s New Album “Ooze Your Delusions” Is a Really Great Way to Enjoy Laughing Through Your Rage

November 17, 2018

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On performance of his jokes alone, Ben Roy is a thrill to watch and listen to. It’s almost as if his comedy is to stand-up as MC5′s Kick Out the Jams was a shock to sixties’ rock.

Ooze Your Delusions, Ben’s follow-up to No Enlightenment to Sobriety, picks up right where he left off being the best, bombastic firebrand comic and yet poetic throughout his rants all at the same time. Truly, it’s a great way to release rage that you might have right now for some reason via Ben channeling his own rage into comedy. Also, he does all of this without really getting political, which might be refreshing for some Trump-weary comedy fans.

Ooze Your Delusions is available now from 800 Pound Gorilla Records here.

Please Enjoy Another Clinic of Cleverness with Louis Katz’s Latest “Katzkills”

November 9, 2018

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To be a comedian that often delves into blue material and wheels and deals in extremely clever wordplay and misdirection and make it all work for audiences in 2018 is a very tall order.

Yet, Louis Katz delivers another hour with Katzkills that gets bawdy and arcane and even downright silly in his very well constructed bits from wire to wire. Katz’s unwavering confidence and delivery sweetens every punchline making for a very, very fun listen.

You can get Katzkills now from 800 Pound Gorilla Records wherever and however you listen to comedy albums here.

Ted Alexandro’s New Hour “Senior Class of Earth” Is a Finely Crafted Hour of Comedy in 2018

October 17, 2018

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Due to the nature of showbiz and the instantaneous demand of something new, crafting an hour of comedy often is rushed and, consequently, ends up looking rushed. You’ll find that there’s no connective tissue between the material and the arc of tone and energy seem random at best.

Ted Alexandro’s Senior Class of Earth is a welcome break from all of that.

Ted Alexandro is a great comedian and an exemplary artisan of the form. He has done it before, but Ted shows again what a well crafted hour of stand-up can be (and can be for the world weary audiences of 2018) with Senior Class of Earth. As always, Ted is so perfectly laid back in this special/album with his performance that he can sail through choppy waters and keep the audience on board the whole time. That’s not so easy these days with the mere mention of a certain political figure or divisive topic freezing up comedy audiences immediately.

Here’s a trailer to get a taste of what we’re talking about.

So, we urge you to get and enjoy Senior Class of Earth, available now as a special from All Things Comedy and as an album from 800 Pound Gorilla.

It’s not part of the special, but Ted showed how very good he is at making the medicine go down with a spoonful of sugar in this recent set about Louis CK and Cosby.