christopher titus – The Comedy Bureau

The 2010 Post Brunch Update

1) Many who report on comedy in some fashion like to make “best of” lists at the end of every year. As with every list, there’s always debate, so, in the comedic spirit, I’ll stir the pot even further with The Comedy Bureau’s very own “The Very Best of ‘Best of Comedy in 2010” List featuring the top year end comedy lists as decided by Bureau Director Jake Kroeger himself. It doesn’t get any more “postmodern” than this folks…

1. 10 Moments Comedians Made Us Think This Year-Splitsider
2. 10 Best Comedy Albums of 2010-Amazon.com
3. The 10 Must Have Stand Up Comedy DVDs from 2010-Punchline Magazine
4. 15 Funny People We Lost in 2010-Splitsider
5. Top 5 Funniest TV Comedies-Huffington Post-Matt Wilstein
6. 2010 Wasn’t So Shitty After All-Mike Bridenstine

2) WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF another Saturday. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that there’s some great laughs to be found on tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL. Start with The Not Inappropriate Show @ UCB Theatre 4PM $12, then go to Michael Rayner @ Flappers Burbank YooHoo Room 7:30PM/9:30PM $20, then Christopher Titus @ Flappers Burbank 8PM/10PM $60, or just go to San Francisco and do the 15th Annual Comedy Countdown @ Palace of Fine Arts 9:30PM $60-$114.

3) OPEN MIC RUN: FLAPPERS BURBANK BAR 102 E. Magnolia, Burbank, CA/Starts 5PM, MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA (walk up Martel past Big Mama’s and Papa’s)/Starts 5PM/$5/multiple sets allowed

4) The Ultimate Free & Cheap LA Comedy List ½-1/8. Thanks Wisepix.

5) With the popularity of Paul F Tompkins Live Tweeting during a major holiday with his #midnightmass2010, Paul has decided to do it yet again with New Year’s Day and The Twilight Zone Marathon on SyFy. Follow @pftompkins after Midnight PST to join in the after hours/New Year’s fun while you wait for the Rose Parade (because you were waiting to watch the Rose Parade, right?)

6) The Comedy Bureau “Tips Its Hat” today to the entire LOS ANGELES COMEDY COMMUNITY that give the entire Comedy Bureau Staff/me something to write about everyday and the inspiration/will to write/perform every night.

7) From the “You Should Have Been There” Lagoon: George Carlin-Modern Man

8) Donate to The Comedy Bureau. Leave 2010 on a good note.

9) Last night, a comic asked to be heckled, just like 2010 did.

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The 2010 Post Brunch Update

4) The Ultimate Free & Cheap LA Comedy List ½-1/8. Thanks Wisepix.

7) From the “You Should Have Been There” Lagoon: George Carlin-Modern Man

8) Donate to The Comedy Bureau. Leave 2010 on a good note.

9) Last night, a comic asked to be heckled, just like 2010 did.

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Morning Debriefing 11/7/10

1) Last night at “The Tomorrow Show w/Ron Lynch” @ The Steve Allen Theater, I felt so honored to perform on Ron’s “5 Minutes or Less” version of the show where a simply delightful line-up does 5 minutes before all the power to the stage is cut off. For those not in the “know”, “The Tomorrow Show w/Ron Lynch” has been a stand out even amongst an extremely rare breed of comedy shows in LA that start at midnight and take place outside of a comedy club AND are so funny that those hesistant about going to a comedy show in general WILL have a good time. With one of the best hosts “in the biz” Ron Lynch and his “magic without magic act”, last night lucky crowd witnessed daylight savings time as it happened and nicely packaged 5 minutes from Alex Mesrobian, Sean Green, Jake Kroeger (Comedy Bureau Director/the person writing this blog/me), Rob O’Reilly, Matt Champagne, John Vargas, SAX Carr, Shawn Carlow, Brandie Posey, Carlos Ramos, and Will Weldon, not to mention a fantastic musical performance from spy music extraordinaires Double Naught Spy Car. The Tomorrow Show!!! w/Ron Lynch @ The Steve Allen Theater, 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (Los Feliz). Every Saturday/Midnight. $8/Free Parking.

2) The extra hour in the day means, you guessed it, a superb comedy show on tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL (football’s not worth that hour). Start off with The Breakfast Show w/Adam Shenkman @ The Strange 4PM & 8PM/e-mail AdamOCerealClub@gmail.com for details, then go to Jeff Garlin’s Combo Platter @ UCB Theatre 6PM $2, then go to Christopher Titus @ Brea Improv 7PM $25/2 drink min., then go to French Toast @ Taix 8:30PM FREE, then Top Story Weekly @ iO West 9PM $5, “Tales of the Black Freighter” @ R-Bar 9PM FREE. OK, that’s more than an hour, but you want to go to more than one comedy show tonight. You know that you do…

3) Tonight, the Comedy Bureau will be delving into another edition of OPEN MIC LIVE TWEETING at the Sushi King, which seems like an urban legend among LA open mic as it starts at midnight on Sundays. Stay tuned for what it sure to be either a great time or one of the harder mental endurance/patience tests I’ve ever subjected myself to right HERE.

4) In addition to the Greater LA Open Mic Map, there already exists a Greater LA Comedy Landscape for all the “booked” rooms. The Comedy Bureau brings you yet another amazing innovation by putting conveniently located links at the top of the page that to both maps. When we can afford an R&D department, we’ll look into the next step of intaking your inner thoughts and desires and letting that navigate through the site, but, for now, primitive as it may be, you’ll have to scroll up and click.

5) Newly minted LA Comedy Competition “The Rickie’s” is now taking submissions. Available categories for submission include Impressions/Characters, One-liners, and Musical Comedy. E-mail therickiesINFO@gmail.com with the category you’re submitting for, a 3 min. online clip, and any other questions. Find more details here.

6) News for the Big Trouble in Little Tokyo Open Mic: Regular tacos cost $1.50, Señor Fish closes at 1AM, and I might punch co-host Russell Corona in the face, just maybe. Go to Señor Fish, 422 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA on Nov. 9th/6:30PM to find out.

7) The Comedy Bureau actually received its first donation from fantastic human being/great comic Jerry Brandt and extends an extra special thank you from all of us (meaning me, the one person who writes and is responsible for everything that goes into this entire agency/blog). Please be the next exemplary citizen by donating to The Comedy Bureau and all my efforts here.

8) “Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…” I wonder if there is any language where that actually translates to laughter. Wherever that is, that’s where my comedy will obliterate.

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Morning Debriefing 11/6/10

1) Comics and Comics @ Meltdown Comics is first off and foremost an uproariously hilarious live comedy show AND THEN an insightful and inviting look into the life of the “fanboy”. Initially, I had thought the show might be largely geek vs. geek trying to top each other with painfully specific continuity issues in various fantasy worlds and who can make the more obscure reference based off of issue numbers, both aspects of geek culture that fantastic host Sax Carr frequently riffs quite nicely off of, but Comics and Comics transcended such stereotypical notions. Privileged audience members got to see all different angles in the life of being a geek/fanboy without getting too arcane and had the seemingly rare experience of having a good time with live comedy. Even when it was too arcane, it was still pretty damn funny. Top notch performances from Ed Greer, Paul Jay, Asterios Kokkinos, Tom Franck, Scott Lobdell, and Johnathan London. I even enjoyed warm up acts Brian Walton and Tim Powers along with music from Elmenopy, which consisted largely of them playing the Batman theme while chanting different comic book/pop culture characters unrelated to Batman. Comics and Comics graces Meltdown Comics on the first Friday of every month. 7511 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA

2) Tonight’s Comedy Crawl not to be missed BY LAW!!!, especially since The Comedy Bureau Director Jake Kroeger is actually going up, so start off w/ Pet Adoption/Charity Auction w/James Adomian @ Amoeba Records 12PM-4PM FREE, then The Truth and Soul Show @ The Comedy Store Belly Room 10PM $5/2 drink min., then Stand Up to Stand Up Comedy @ The Air Conditioned Lounge 8PM FREE, then The Twelve Shiny Nickels Show @ The Fake Gallery 11PM FREE, Ron Lynch’s Tomorrow Show Presents 5 Min. or Less @ The Steve Allen Theater Midnight $8 (this is the one I’m on), The Midnight Show @ The UCB Theatre Midnight $5, The Thrilling Adventure Hour @ Largo 8:30PM $25, Christopher Titus @ Brea Improv 7PM & 9PM $25/2 drink min.

3) Per the last report, there is now a GREATER LA COMEDY OPEN MIC MAP. Unlike primitive open mic lists of the past, the Comedy Bureau brings you to the forefront of google technology and comedy information with a FRIGGIN’ MAP along with details about sign up and start times as well as who hosts the room. SOON TO COME: Alotted time, Reviews, and Open Mic Run Routes.

4) Jason Nash is Married… and it’s definitely a laugh riot. Check it here.

5) If you like the Open Mic Map, hell, if you like this site, and are, again, able and willing, please donate what you can to support the Comedy Bureau. By the way, the magic of the word “please” is being tested here.

6) The Big Trouble in Little Tokyo Open Mic just found out that they will have a STAGE instead of some dusty old carpet from storage that would have stayed there otherwise. I know you can’t see my hand gesturing the improvement of the room by this announcement, but I’ll reiterate, WE HAVE A STAGE!!! Tues. Nov. 9th. 6:30PM. Señor Fish. 422 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA. (little tokyo/downtown)

7) Lakers vs. Live Comedy Shows and Lakers vs. Clippers. Is there any difference? I struggle to find one.

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Morning Debriefing 11/5/10

1) In the first annual Joe Braza Comedy Invitational, I did not move on because I’m depressing. However, the last group of finalists have rounded out the line-up for the Joe Braza Comedy Invitational Finals. On Nov. 18th @ 9PM, Shayne Michael, Casey Balsham, Matt Champagne, Joe Arrigoni, Erik D Schulte, Daniel Eachus, Jerry Brandt, Mark Schumacher, and Drew Mercury will all go head for the Joe Braza Comedy Invitational trophy or win cash by getting worst comedian, just like Russell “Rape Joker” Corona did last night. Again, The Joe Braza Comedy Invitational @ The Seafood Shack, Nov. 18th at 9PM. Music by Maggie Boles. No cover/no minimum. 11710 South St., Artesia, CA.

2) Just an FYI to all that have the stomach/endurance to do a late-night open mic. Good friend of the Comedy Bureau’s, Kevin Eric McCarthy, sent me a text saying that his weekly open mic at 212 Cafe in Venice was going to 2 IN THE MORNING. 2AM!!! If you really wanted to get up, go to 212 Cafe every Thursday and you will get some decent time with a bit of a crowd as the cafe NEVER CLOSES! 212 Cafe. Every Thursday. 9PM. 212 Pier Ave., Venice, CA. Hosted by Kevin Eric McCarthy and Taylor Collins. If this wasn’t a “Bureau Approved” Open Mic, it is now.

3) Forget about the return of the “midnight movie” by staying in and watching whatever over-the-hill B-list star and random monster combo is on SyFy and go see some damn good LIVE comedy. For tonight, the Comedy Crawl says REALLY go to Comics and Comics @ Meltdown Comics 8PM $5, then Christopher Titus @ Brea Improv 8PM/10PM $25/2 item min., then go to First Friday’s @ The Sapphire Lounge-Newport Beach Radisson 9PM $12, then go to Hot Toddy @ iO West-Del Close 9:30PM $5, then go to Stood Up Friday Night @ The Moving Arts Theatre 10PM, then simultaneously go to Stand Up Super Squad Comedy Show @ Fanatic Salon 10PM $7, then go to Pop Quiz, Hotshot @ iO West-Main Stage 11PM.

4) Another edition of the Ultimate Free & Cheap LA Comedy List thanks to the amazing Wisepix.

5) The new, big, badass, independent comedy show is letting EVERYONE know that they’re here. Check out the Super Serious Show’s Mixtape Vol. 1 featuring the super-serious, badass, and just overall hilarious Andy Peters & Matt Braunger right here, right now, right here, right now. Actually, either link will do.

6) Peoria Comedian Jeremy Paul will live!!! FOREVER!!! maybe…

7) In the next day or so, The Comedy Bureau will bring out what is sure to be its most popular innovation yet, The “Bureau Approved” Open Mic List/Map. Stay Tuned.

8) Just pretend I’m Oliver Twist and donate.

9) With a few days left, let’s recap on the Big Trouble in Little Tokyo Open Mic. Tues. Nov. 9th. 6:30PM. Señor Fish. 422 E. 1st St. No cover/min. $3 beer/$2 fish tacos during happy hour. Raffle for 2 “15 min. drop in spots” for the following week. 50 foot cable and 3 mics. Inaugural special guest performances from Joe Braza and Lauren Rochelle. Sign-up is first come/first serve. Hosted by Comedy Bureau Director Jake Kroeger and Russell Corona. Nothing but fun.

10) I would challenge any other comic to get more awwww’s than me, but that’s one challenge I don’t really want to win.

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