A workplace comedy at a precinct in Brooklyn might peak some people’s interest, but seeing Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, Chelsea Peretti, Joe Lo Truglio bumbling around the bullpen of a police office is what shows promise to us for Fox’s new Brooklyn Nine Nine.
Give it a watch for yourself.
The name “Heart of Darkness” promoted as a live comedy show might make many people a little queasy, thinking perhaps, that if they attend, they will be made uncomfortable on what is performance art attempting to be Andy Kaufman. Though there is a higher brow in the brand of comedy that producer/host/comedian/ringleader Greg Barris wrangles for his show, one will never find themselves laughing only because they’re uncomfortably lost in the “Heart of Darkness”.
Taking place at unusual and unique venues that are a far cry from the traditional comedy club around the country, Greg Barris purposely makes his show more of an organic experience (he touches and forgives audience members) rather than another one of the stand up showcase shows that has spread like a virus across the face of Los Angeles. In fact, at both the Burbank Moose Lodge or in the back room of Meltdown Comics for the recent two-show stint in LA, audience members got more the sense that they were hanging out after school and some really amazingly talented and hilarious friends rather than the $8 you paid to sit in a crowded room and see a “planned-enough performance”. With a small line-up, all the performers got to play loose and at their pace, keeping the easy-going, laid-back vibe present throughout the duration of “Heart of Darkness”.
The Comedy Bureau was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the Meltdown Comics edition that had a stellar line-up of comics including the incomparable Reggie Watts (as only briefly caught on tape here) floating between a multitude of accents, jokes, and songs, the painfully, but hysterically honest stories of Sean Patton, and the anxiously funny Chelsea Peretti as well as the head of the whole operation Greg Barris and his right hand man in the form of band Dima and Doctor Juchins. The show was sold out and packed to the gills as I gladly stood the whole time.
For anybody that has groaned when they have heard the joke set-up, “So I’m half…,” wondered if that was all that stand up comedy has become and why you’re possibly not having a good time, perhaps you should catch Greg Barris’ Heart of Darkness next time it’s in town to restore your faith in that there is indeed an alternative to stand up comedy that’s been stuck in the hey-day 80’s and it’s pretty damn funny.
1) There have been actual reports of comedian Dave Chappelle sightings at both the Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store performing comedy and hanging around. More details to come as the Comedy Bureau receives them.
2) Not only is Heart of Darkness with Greg Barris having another Los Angeles run, but it’s going to have none other than Reggie Watts in its line-up (not to mention Chelsea Peretti and Sean Patton). YOU ARE A BAD PERSON IF YOU MISS THIS (*status of being a bad person subject to change). Feb. 12th at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood $8.
3) I want you to take a pen and go to whatever you use as a calendar and mark Feb. 25th as the date of Kyle Kinane’s “Comedy Central Presents” Special and then make sure you do nothing else that day that would prevent you from watching it.
4) Garfunkel and Oates “All Over Your Face” comes out tomorrow on iTunes and cdbaby. I don’t know about you, but this will be replacing the Tron soundtrack in my car and though that statement is out of context, that’s pretty damn significant (I’ve listened to Derezzed over 250 times).
5) Tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL-You won’t have to go to 7-11 after this one…
What’s Up Tiger Lily? Presents Melinda Hill CD/Pilot Release @ Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill 8PM FREE
Just for Laughs Showcase @ Hollywood Improv Lab 8PM/10PM FREE
Keep It Clean Comedy @ 1739 Public House 10PM FREE
Crash Test @ UCB Theatre 11PM $5 (stand by only)
6) Recently: Valentine’s Day Flowers are trending over the events taking place in Egypt according to Yahoo, which means a major portion of the male U.S. population has been in quite a dry spell.
7) Another 100 days, here we go.
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1) THE BIRDS OF PREY (@birdladies or @lizzycooperman @thatsusanburke @emilymayamills) MADE IT INTO FHM!! Their sketch “Suicide Girls Suicide Hotline” is actually posted on the site! DON’T BELIEVE ME? Oh yeah, it’s f’n knee slapping hilarious too.
3) The Ultimate Free & Cheap LA Comedy List 1/30-2/5. Thanks Wisepix.
4) Chelsea Peretti’s Comedy Central Special airs tonight 11PM meaning that you should watch it. Seriously, I’m not kidding. I’m sure it will replay several times, but you should watch it when it first airs because it is THAT MUCH MORE SPECIAL.
5) Tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL-It’s manageable, which gives you even less of an excuse
Just for Laughs Showcase @ Hollywood Improv Lab 7:30PM FREE
Comedy Car Hole @ Comedy Car Hole 9PM FREE
Just for Laughs Showcase @ Fake Gallery 10PM $5
Stood Up Friday Night @ Moving Arts Theatre 10PM $5
7) Recently: There is revolution afoot in Egypt and somehow Donald Sutherland and 9 other non related topics are trending instead on Yahoo. Hmmm……
8) 100th day of the Comedy Bureau still under deliberation…. Details will follow soon.
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1) Meltdown @ Meltdown Comics IS simply what people should expect out of a good comedy show. Packed house and a great line-up (free beer also helps). Unfortunately, a large segment of the population, not only in LA, but around the whole country have a different idea of what a live comedy show actually is. Hilarious comedienne Chelsea Peretti pointed it out so poignantly during the evening when she mentioned how she would rather be a fat guy and THEN the audience would understand that “comedy was happening” and shout, “WE GET IT! WE GET IT!” The stereotype of an overweight vulgar man making fun of audience members then hitting on their date when they go to the bathroom has been reinforced by far too many comedy clubs. Meltdown has the potential to prove this stereotype FALSE of live comedy as I sat right in front as part of a crowd of about 100 for the entire show and was not made fun of once AND had a fantastic time. Host Jonah Ray, after thanking people for not watching Gallagher at Club Nokia, let Meltdown rip with awesome performances from Ali Wong, Jerrod Carmichael, Randy Liedtke, Nick Kroll as force of nature Fabrice Fabrice, Seth Morris, Steve Agee, and Chelsea Peretti THEN Kumail Nanjiani apologized for not being there by texting a joke. Again, this is what people should expect from a live comedy show. Meltdown is every Wednesday 8:30PM $8 @ Meltdown Comics, 7522 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA.
2) The Jesse Miller Talk Show @ The Next Stage Theatre is the FUTURE of a live comedy show. Andre Hyland, as his absurdly fast-on-his-feet character Jesse Miller, hosts an off-air late night talk show that because of its brilliance, as sensational guest Joe Wagner commented, should be on TV. With completely dead-pan and completely hilarious musical sidekick Daryl and princess/straight-up girl/Jesse Miller Talk Show dancer Tanya, Jesse Miller takes absurdity in comedy to another level as he might seem like an unassuming yokel from Norwood, OH, but can rattle off quips, comebacks, and obscure Sonic Youth references with the best of them. Formatted with four amazing performers, a video of Jesse Miller (this edition included him in Cincinnati showing his Bengals Superbowl tattoo to people on game day), a heartfelt, bone-crushing song from Daryl, gut-busting interviews of all the guests, and an EATING CONTEST, there is no way you can beat entertainment like that for $5 on a late Tuesday night. “Straight-up hell yeah props” to Nicholas Rutherford, Melinda Hill, Joe Wagner, and Chris Fairbanks as last night’s line-up. The Jesse Miller Talk Show is on one Tuesday a month 11PM $5/one free beer @ The Next Stage Theatre, 1523 N. La Brea, Hollywood, CA (2nd Floor).
3) For all of you in the LA comedy community, the entire Comedy Bureau watched over 5 hours of live comedy yesterday.
4) For tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL, you need to discover instant cloning to not miss anyone of these shows. Seriously, get on it. Start off with Comedy Speakeasy @ TSR Loft 8PM (call 323-568-1616 to be audience member), then send your clone to Wil Anderson w/Brent Weinbach @ Hollywood Improv 8PM $14/2 item minimum, then “original you” go to The Josh & Josh Show @ Bar Lubitsch 8:30PM FREE, then your clone should go to Holy Fuck! @ Downtown Independent 9PM FREE, then you go to Facepush @ Flappers-Burbank 9:30PM $10/2 item min. Make sure to kill your clone at the end of the night, mostly to prevent any bad reality show being made from your lives.
5) Brand spanking new Comedy Bureau feature, as promised, OPEN MIC RUN. For all you comics trying the impossible by getting up more than once in LA try this: Go to SANDWICH SPOT 7PM, 3101 Ocean Park Ave, Santa Monica, CA, TKO SHOW @ 212 Cafe 9PM, 212 Pier Ave., Venice, CA, CAFE ON 2ND 7:30PM 7 S. 2nd St./$3 cover/10 min. at least., MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 5PM-11PM, 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA $5 cover/free coffee & bottled water/go up as many times as you want. Just do it (and maybe get some laughs).
6) The Comedy Bureau will be live tweeting throughout tonight’s comedy odyssey. Follow here.
7) Announcing another new feature in the works: The Comedy Bureau will tip its proverbial hat, because we can’t afford a real one, to a single tweet a day from all the amazing LA based comedians it tracks on Twitter. Not only will they be retweeted, but they will be mentioned here and if its popular enough, maybe will have contest with a TBD prize.
8) The Comedy Bureau needs your support both in the way of hugs AND donations. Please donate here.
8) With Veteran’s Day here, please honor all the men and women serving our country and keeping us safe so we can stay out until 3AM talking about how we hate dick jokes/dick jokes.
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