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Pick of the Day: Comedy Dynamics Festival Tapings (near LA) 4/5-4/9
April 3, 2023
News
comedy dynamics, comedy festival, comedy special, el portal theatre, free show, los angeles comedy, solo show, tv taping

To throw a comedy festival in LA, you have to bring something special to the table. The fact that there’s a festival’s worth of live comedy on a nightly basis (now that everything venue/show/etc. has returned after the pandemic) hasn’t really changed throughout the Greater LA Area.

With that in mind, Comedy Dynamics, one of the biz leader’s when it comes to producing comedy specials, is putting an entire eponymous festival this week, run out of NoHo’s El Portal Theatre that relies on their expertise. That’s right, it’s an entire week of comedy special tapings that hopes to capture lightning in a bottle from their favorites sourced from coast-to-coast including Samantha Ruddy, Cara Connors, Subhah Agarwal, Rachel Scanlon, Mary Basmadjian, Leah Rudick, Laurie Kilmartin, and Kylie Brakeman.

As it’s all tapings, the festival just so happens to be free to attend (so long as you RSVP) leaving you very little reason not to go. This Comedy Dynamics Festival runs from this Wed. Apr. 5th through Sun. Apr. 9th and you can RSVP for individual shows/tapings here.

Mae Martin Is a Master of Earnestness (and Talking Gender Identity) on “SAP”
March 30, 2023
News
comedy special, Mae Martin, sap, stand up comedy

The prospect of truth when it comes to comedy, especially stand-up comedy, can often conjure up a world-weary voice at a mic, standing slack from the weight of everything that they’re going to tell you. It’s not common, however, to have truth presented with a forest backdrop with a spritely, bubbly Mae Martin sharing all of themselves with the funniest details, stories, and confessions all neatly honed together in an hour.

Martin’s latest Netflix special, SAP, goes against the typical grain when it comes being truthful with stand-up and very much leans into its title (not a references to “Spanish Audio Program” in case you were wondering) of being emotionally open and being uncompromisingly yourself. Whether that’s having difficulty of thinking of new baby names to share when in a new relationship or opting to run into your ex despite warnings from your best friend and very much being the opposite of the “good night” you wanted to have, Mae takes great joy in tapping the comedy of her own “sap”, an overarching theme of this hour, to celebrate the magnificent absurdities of being alive as a human being. Even though Martin doesn’t shy away from highlighting from their flaws, this hour is tender in such a lovely way where everyone wins/feels good (versus the notion of a comedian being a self-deprecatingly sacrificial lamb for laughs). It’s a much more soothing comedy special than one that might typically be described as “unfiltered truth”.

Also, Martin, as a non-binary comedian, succinctly shares their thoughts on the unfortunate punching down of trans-identity and jokes about gender identity in general that is, for our money, one of the best responses to the poorly thought out bits from Gervais, Chappelle, etc. Martin earnestly and hilariously highlights how paradigm-shifting and alienating it can be to opt out of the gender binary rather than just go for a cheap punchline. Go figure that the best material and points about gender would come from a non-binary comedian?

Overall, you’ll have a much more fond idea of snow globes thanks to Mae Martin, maybe even akin to Rosebud in Citizen Kane, after watching SAP, and that’s probably all for the better given the chaos of these times.

Mae Martin: SAP is now streaming on exclusively on Netflix here.

You Know That the World Gets a Bit Better When Kyle Kinane Releases a New Hour; This Latest One Being “Shocks & Struts”
March 23, 2023
News
800 pound gorilla, comedy special, kyle kinane, shocks and struts, stand up comedy

Ever since Death of the Party, Kyle Kinane has been releasing truly beautiful hours of comedy that showcase the artistry that can happen with just the a mic, mic stand and one’s tightly honed thoughts and words. That was true in his landmark debut album and is still so very true with his latest special, Shocks & Struts, fresh off the presses from 800 Pound Gorilla Media.

The comedic world view of Kinane is equal parts epic poetry and some of the keenest observations in all of comedy and, above all else, a missive of hope in people and of the world despite the absurdity in the world he has so deftly highlighted in all of his jokes. This latest hour sees Kinane coming off the pandemic, after having left LA, resettling in Portland, getting a van, and playing the road without having lost an iota of his comedic prowess. The only difference is that this special taps into a world that seems as scarier than any other in our lifetimes with the pandemic, the threat of AI, the very real consequences of climate change, etc. etc. Again, Kyle so colorfully and masterfully weaves and paints a funny, yet quietly beautiful picture of a world where, perhaps, vaccines causing autism is the key to combatting the “Singularity”.

Also, Kinane, as an almost signature part of his comedic repertoire, highlights humanity in a hopeful way despite whatever snap judgments he has. On Death of the Party, it was being relieved when going #2 at a scary bar and here, on Shocks & Struts, it’s getting saved in the desert from a “dude” named “Garrett” who had an egregiously gigantic truck.

As we said in the headline, the world is just a bit better with a new Kinane special and such is the case right here right now with Shocks & Struts. You can rent the special for another week from 800 Pound Gorilla Media or watch it on YouTube com Mar. 30th.

Jenny Zigrino Sends Up All the Generations with Her Debut Hour Special “Jen-Z”
March 13, 2023
News
comedy central, comedy special, jen z, jenny zigrino, stand up comedy

The tapping of generational divides is a time honored source of comedy and very likely will be until, well, the end of time. That said, it takes exceptional comedic prowess, skill, and talent to find unique, singular footing on such well-tread territory. The keen wit and acumen of Jenny Zigrino in her first marvelous, amazingly self-produced hour special Jen-Z very much hit that mark (as well as broke away from the unfortunate comic habit of purely punching down at younger generations).

Zigrino herself is a Millennial and cheekily called it Jen-Z with plenty of great material on how Generation Z stole the thunder that Millennials had going for them going right before COVID-19 shuddered everything for awhile (Also, Jenny’s COVID material delightfully stands out from the countless hours of it we’ve seen over the last three years). Gen-X and Baby Boomers are in the mix too since Jenny does her due diligence to make inclusively satirize all ages.

Again, Jenny makes sure that any sort of generational bitterness gets evened out by a very insightful and funny balance for folks younger (who want everyone to be sexually gratified) and older (who didn’t have to find love through a dating app). Throughout Jen-Z, it’s a great reminder that people of all times are trying their best and some of the best comedy comes from finding where people’s “best” is sometimes just worthy of a participation trophy.

Jenny Zigrino: Jen-Z is now streaming on YouTube for your convenience, free of charge. Look for Jen-Z as an album from Blonde Medicine on Apr. 14th.

A Kyle Kinane Special, Shocks & Struts, Approaches
March 7, 2023
News
800 pound gorilla, comedy special, kyle kinane, stand up comedy

One of the best comedy voices in our generation/era belongs to one Kyle Kinane. Kyle might get bashful with such a statement, but that humility feeds the ingenious bits and poetic hilarity that has seen him through several brilliant hours of comedy. When we first started covering comedy over a decade ago, we fell in love with Death of the Party, Kinane’s first album and pretty much watched this 10 minute bit about oversized pizza on repeat for a week.

Needless to say, the prospect of another special of Kinane’s coming out soon is extremely exciting and has been long awaited (Trampoline in a Ditch came out in 2020). Shocks & Struts is that special and Kinane just posted a teaser that has us thinking there is something very special coming on this month with this hour.

See for yourself here and then, likely, pay $10 because you’ll want to see as soon as you can starting Mar. 15th.

Howdy gang. New special on deck. March 15th for $10 dollars for you early birds, or wait until March 30 and get it for FREE.https://t.co/IiHdzLeImE pic.twitter.com/V2fokMcQXf

— Elon Musk (for serious Im totally him) (@kylekinane) March 7, 2023

Nick Youssef Beautifully Shows the Uselessness of Toxic Masculinity on “Take Care”
March 6, 2023
News
comedy special, nick youssef, take care

As historic as it is that Chris Rock performed his latest hour special as a live-to-stream broadcast on Netflix, the vision of the world that Rock paints seems, in a word, defeatist (except for the final passage where he screams about Will Smith being a bitch for slapping him over and over), especially when it comes the whims of men and their relationship to their masculinity. When you remember that Rock is 58, his proclamations about how women’s beauty runs the world seem a little less surprising.

In contrast, Nick Youssef’s latest hour, his special Take Care, presents a subversively nuanced idea of what a man and mental wellness can (and should) be in 2023. Through a seamless work of resonant and funny personal stories with what an actually healthy relationship looks like (i.e. plenty of crying is allowed), the feeling of getting the right depression meds, keen observations of “men being men” from a distance (though still viewed as a man), Nick concludes that men, and really everyone, would do so much better if they took the title of this special to heart.

This hour makes you wonder how, in 2023, toxic masculinity can be so toxic still when there is much more empathetic and evolved side to those folks who go by he/him, but does leave you hopeful that there is a growing death-rattle-ish air to the men afraid of being “feminized”. That’s a rare feat as is in comedy at any time, but even more so in a year that features a big time comedy special called “From Bleak to Dark”.

Lucky for us all, Nick Youssef’s Take Care is streaming for your convenience, free of charge, on YouTube right here.

For Some Good, Old Fashioned Ridiculous Silliness, Give Brad Wenzel’s Debut Special joke. joke. joke a Watch
February 28, 2023
News
brad wenzel, comedy special, stand up comedy

For what it’s worth, the jokes of most comedians are usually stringed together in some sort of intricate fashion that allows for an engaging narrative arc or, at the very least, a strong call back later in their set. To do more cut-and-dried, short form jokes is rare these days because, well, the writing would have to be so good to sustain that for more than a ten minute or shorter set.

That’s not to say that it can’t be done and Brad Wenzel has proved time and time again as he does on this very first special he just releaed, joke. joke. joke. His knack for distilling just the right amount of asymmetry in his observations for splendid, silly, original jokes feels simultaneously vintage and unmistakably current all at the same time. True to the name of the special, Brad goes from joke about fencing to joke about history remembering certain dinosaurs with shade, many just set-up-punch, but with an easy-going charm that makes all 40 minutes delightfully coast on by.

Honestly, it might be a special that almost anyone could get into, whether they’re an intense comedy nerd or someone who uses the word “skits” to describe stand-up.

Brad Wenzel’s joke. joke. joke. is streaming on YouTube for free at your convenience here.

Get Your First Look at Mae Martin’s Latest Hour Special “SAP”
February 21, 2023
News
comedy special, Mae Martin, netflix, sap, stand up

One of the harder tickets to score in comedy these days is one to seeing one, Mae Martin. They go up quite a bit wherever they are (which, thankfully, is in LA), but their shows, whether it’s stand-up, improv, or another thing, sell out pretty damn quick since Mae’s unassuming charm and vulnerability have built a massive following (also, having a Netflix series helps too).

Luckily, you’ll have a much easier time seeing Mae do stand-up very soon as their latest special, SAP, is coming to Netflix on Mar. 28th. Abbi Jacobson, who we’d hope you know from Broad City and A League of Their Own, is directing the special and you can already see the fun touches (i.e. the woods) she has put on it in this very first clip of SAP here.

We’ll all be able to see Mae share a candid, but undeniably fun hour of stand-up comedy on Tues. Mar. 28th on Netflix.

 

Marc Maron Shows the Beautiful Side of Dark Comedy in “From Bleak to Dark”
February 14, 2023
News
comedy special, hbo, marc maron

These days, the label of “dark comedy” often, and unfortunately, gets conflated with being an “edgelord”, a comedian wheeling and dealing in verbal schadenfreude, or someone mistaking the defense of free speech with ignoring the fact words can have consequences (and that’s almost never an infringement on their rights).

Any fan of Marc Maron can probably quote word-for-word their favorite bit or their favorite episode of WTF and illustrate that there is another side of the dark comedy spectrum that is dark simply because that’s the genuine, vulnerable reality that it explores (and often makes for some of the most hilarious, human jokes that reminds us that we’re not alone). Maron has operated in such a space for years, but he really puts this notion on display in his latest hour, the HBO special From Bleak to Dark.

Spanning from the very untimely and tragic death of his girlfriend, celebrated filmmaker Lynn Shelton, to more global concerns of the world more transparently falling into entropy, Maron paints his bits delicately with a muted, but sharply nuanced palate.

He’ll dream up faux solo shows that highlight the disturbing future ahead instead of just making the observation of not knowing what to do according to the climate-change-action-gospel of Greta Thunberg or do an extended act out that acutely illustrates the problem with The Joe Rogan Experience and its legion of listeners rather than roasting Joe in a more traditional fashion. Rather than just simply describing what’s wrong with the world in a Seinfeld-ian mode of “What’s the deal with…?” or decrying these times in his advanced age with “Back in my day…”, Maron jovially revels in the existential nature of the present. “I don’t want to be negative, but I don’t think anything is going to get better ever again,” is how From Bleak to Dark opens and, in these times, that feels almost a comforting thing to hear in that we’re not alone in this feeling that lives somewhere in the title of the special.

There are several heavy passages/set-ups that really come from Maron’s penchant for being as vulnerable as he can be, even exploring the idea of him even being able to be funny after Shelton’s passing. The payoffs are all worth it as you can see here in Maron’s story of his first joke he came up while grieving Lynn’s death. It’s a beautifully sad story with a great punchline, which, arguably, could be a tagline for life itself (at least in Maron’s darkly humorous vision of it).

When watching this hour, one might take note of the gorgeous multi-colored cloud filled backdrop, very atypical of a stand-up comedy special from any era. Director Steven Feinartz told us that the backdrop was actually inspired by a conversation between Lynn and Marc about their love of Pacific Northwestern sky. The sheer contrast of Marc’s post-modern gallows humor (ex. his insistence about someone having a tight 5 in a place such as Auschwitz) and the billowy flourishes of color is emblematic of finding the humor in the darkness and, in a more zoomed out perspective, the joy when there seems to be nothing else but despair.

Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark is streaming now on HBO Max.

 

Get a First Look at Josh Johnson’s Peacock Special “Up Here Killing Myself” Cutting Between Therapy and Live Stand-Up
February 7, 2023
News
comedy special, josh johnson, peacock, stand up comedy, trailer, up here killing myself

It’s a wonderful thing that mental health has been more focused on than ever in the realm of comedy. Not only are more and more people in and around comedy seeking out and getting the help they need with their anxieties and insecurities, but they’re more candid about it on stage than was ever previously the norm.

To highlight this shift even further (as well as furthering the emphasis on mental health), Josh Johnson‘s hour special Up Here Killing Myself, coming to Peacock. as it will intercut between Josh doing stand-up in front a live crowd and then to a reenactment of a therapy session, gorgeously shot in black and white. The link between his material and what eats away at his psyche is so strong that it seems Josh is finishing his own sentences in therapy on stage, in joke form (hence the title).

Take a gander for yourself with the trailer for Up Here Killing Myself here, then look for it on Peacock starting Fri. Feb. 17th.

Here’s a Trailer for Marcella Arguello’s HBO Debut Special “Bitch, Grow Up!”
February 3, 2023
News
comedy special, hbo, marcella arguello, stand up comedy, trailer

Marcella Arguello wasted no time in staking her claim in the LA comedy scene when she moved down from the Bay Area some years ago. Her quick and cunning jokes and striking presence quickly made her favorite of crowds and comics all around the Greater LA Area.

So, it has been about time for Marcella to get an HBO special for awhile and, thankfully, that time is very, very close. Fri. Feb. 10th, Marcella will make her HBO debut with her hour special Bitch, Grow Up! Go ahead and set a reminder for that Friday when it drops on HBO Max and then see for yourself why Marcella has made every to-watch comedy list for years in the Bitch, Grow Up! trailer.

Looks Like Marc Maron Is Going to Show Exactly How to Do Dark Comedy These Days in Upcoming “From Bleak to Dark”
January 25, 2023
News
comedy special, from bleak to dark, hbo, marc maron, stand up comedy, trailer

No matter which phase of Marc Maron’s career one may look at, there is an unmistakable tangle of dark comedy threads throughout his work. Of course, it comes from his candor, which was much more political in his earlier years, then got intensely personal over the last decade and half or so. In either case, Maron has a preternatural feel for how to find the comedy gold in the darkness of the human experience as opposed to what a lot of “dark comics” do by simply trying to channel unfiltered shock in their material.

With how times have been going and are currently going as you read this, Maron might be one of the most crucial voices in comedy and this latest special From Bleak to Dark might be further proof of that fact. Set to come out HBO on Sat. Feb. 11th, we’ve heard excited whispers of this new hour that Maron has been largely working out a clubs, namely The Comedy Store, Largo, and Dynasty Typewriter here in LA.

The trailer for From Bleak to Dark, just released today, seems to very much validate said whispers and we can’t wait to watch it to get in the perfect mood for Valentine’s Day.

We’ll all be able to see for ourselves when From Bleak to Dark premieres on HBO on Sat. Feb. 11th.

Just Watch Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? on Repeat Instead of a Yule Log Over and Over
December 24, 2022
News
comedy special, have you heard of christmas, holiday special, matt rogers, showtime

Let’s face it, both real and looped videos of yule logs are a thing of the past. Even with the nostalgia that’s deeply baked into the holiday season, the creation of meta “yule logs” is, perhaps, a sign we need a new thing to play over and over on Christmas (and going back to A Christmas Story or Elf might not work either).

With that in mind, there’s a new Christmas special, a comedy one at that, done up exquisitely by Matt Rogers, (after performing it annually on stages for years) gleefully titled Have You Heard of Christmas?. It’s equal parts subversive and reverent when it comes to being a holiday special and Rogers showing off his golden pipes is a lavish frosting on top of it all.

Rogers dissects the entire cottage industry that is big time actors and pop stars doing holiday specials with a scripted narrative arc shot separately from the live special (featuring great cameos from Jo Firestone and Pat Regan), then revels merrily in his disruptive riffs and takes on your time honored Christmas themes, stories, traditions for a raucous live crowd. Matt’s witty, self-aware panache does the whole special in such a marvelously satirical way that almost no one else can pull off.

So, for those reasons, make Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? your choice to watch throughout Christmas Day and beyond (so long as you have access to Showtime and, maybe, no tiny children?).

Atsuko Okatsuka’s The Intruder Is So Good That It Should Change Up Some Already Released Year End Lists
December 12, 2022
News
atsuko okatsuka, comedy special, hbo, stand up comedy, the intruder

It’s kind of a grand error by several publications that year end lists often get published in late November/early December (i.e. not the actual end of the year). As such, there is always something that’s worthy of mention that gets unjustly left off and, for 2022, that glaring omission might be Atsuko Okatsuka‘s first HBO special, The Intruder.

Atsuko has meticulously and carefully honed her entire comedy act and brand as well as her audience in a way that’s pretty undeniable. Her unstoppable charm and warmth combined with a thoroughly fresh and fascinating story (unknowingly getting moved to the U.S. from Japan as an undocumented immigrant and living as such for 7 years) and perspective (and a marvelous splash of style) have led her from being a beloved LA comedy staple to headlining across the country (and then there’s her Tik Tok fame). All of these qualities are dazzlingly on display in this HBO special, The Intruder, Atsuko’s most high profile work to date.

Atsuko exudes such great magnetism in this hour that it’s clear that she has been ready for this stage of her career for quite some time now. Her presence and command of the stage holds several narrative threads involving being undocumented and getting lost in pandemic hobbies, all stemming from the main one about a home intruder and how and her husband attempt to deal with him. In fact, there’s a hopefulness, a word rarely juxtaposed to stand-up comedy, to Atsuko’s observations and stories that might be a beacon of what stand-up comedy can (and maybe should) be (rather than re-hashings of what it has been since the 80s with updated references).

Undoubtedly, it’s one of 2022’s best specials and one can only hope that the new HBO keeps Atsuko around for more to come despite being on a cancelling spree.

Sean Patton’s First Hour Special “Number One” Proves This Shouldn’t Have Been His First Hour Special
December 5, 2022
News
comedy special, number one, peacock, sean patton, stand up

Between three full length albums, a Comedy Central half hour, a handful of late night sets, and a This Is Not Happening story, Sean Patton has served up, time and time again, truly grand stand-up comedy that has hints of more traditional joke structure scaffolding, but is also, at the same time, so colorful, imaginative, and beautifully tangential that it feels that it’s in a class all its own. Suffice it to say that Sean Patton, as far as The Comedy Bureau is concerned, should have gotten an hour special several years ago.

Thankfully, we don’t have to say that any more as his very first hour special, the aptly named Number One, just landed on Peacock.

Patton’s nearly unrivaled storytelling prowess and knack for some of the most wildly colorful imagery and panache-laden details are presented unadorned on a charmingly rustic stage in New Orleans, Patton’s hometown. Sean is one of a shrinking group of comedians that are so good at stand-up that they can do a straight-forward, classical stand-up special and leave an indelible mark as the credits roll. The sheer power of his voice/presence and delivery make the long winding rivers of his bits about his childhood and Hurricane Katrina are truly arresting and, of course, so damn funny at every bend.

If anything, Sean Patton’s Number One is worth going in on Peacock if you haven’t done so already (or gotten a friend’s pw).

Andy Sandford Finally Gets to Release Terrific Latest Hour “Basket Case” After Having to Not Tape It in Spring 2020
November 28, 2022
News
800 pound gorilla, andy sandford, atlanta comedy, basket case, comedy special, stand up comedy

The ripple effect of COVID-19 shutting down live, in-person performances will reverberate for years to come. Along with the rows of big time live tours and tapings for both specials and albums for comedians had to be indefinitely put on hold, there are untold numbers of small time productions of albums, specials, big time one-offs, etc. that just didn’t get to happen in 2020.

Atlanta’s Andy Sandford had slated a taping for a full hour special in 2020 right around when every single type of in-person gathering (that wasn’t grocery shopping) was prohibited. Added on top of having to pre-empt that taping, Sandford encounter non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 issues, all while the world felt as close to ending as many of us have ever encountered, leading to only getting around to having hour shot, edited, and released to just about a week ago, November 2022.

That’s all to say that the artisanal quality of Andy Sandford’s jokes were worth the wait (such was the case before the pandemic).

All of his material is remarkably balanced on almost every level, a rare quality in comedian these days. There’s complete truth, abject abursity, hard punchlines, frank vulnerability (sometimes in the form of talking head interview clips), callbacks, getting meta with old jokes, wordplay, vivid imagery, etc. etc. Andy goes to great lengths to seamlessly blend all of those elements (a lesser comedian might seem sporadic and uneven trying to check all those boxes simultaneously) into beautifully intricate scaffolding constructing the hour of Basket Case. Even when he makes his COVID jokes, they feel less like well-trodden territory (see most comedians’ COVID jokes about any number of things they ate or put in their mouth when growing up and consequently “not being scared of COVID”) and fresh, sharp jokes on what might be the most relatable topic in all of human history.

Sandford left NYC after a decade and now resides back in Atlanta, which means Basket Case, now streaming for free on YouTube courtesy of 800 Pound Gorilla, is probably your best chance to see Sandford ASAP (i.e. how you should generally go and see him).

Finally, Sean Patton Has a Comedy Special Coming Out, “Number One”, on Peacock
November 18, 2022
News
comedy special, number one, peacock, sean patton, stand up comedy

We have a list here at TCB that’s, well, not specifically written down anywhere, but has an ever-growing collection of names of comedians that are well past due for an hour special for how consistently and unbelievably hysterical they are. One of our all time favorite comedians, someone who we’d urge you to go out of your way to watch, Sean Patton is thankfully not on that list anymore.

Patton is simultaneously one of the best tale weavers, then also has one of the most colorful imaginations in all of comedy these days and the combination of those two qualities has been one of our favorite things to see on any stand-up stage anywhere. Listen to any of his albums or watch his This Is Not Happening ep. and you’ll hear why we’re thrilled that Peacock has given him an hour special due out Fri. Dec. 2nd.

Speaking of which, here’s the first gander you can take of Sean Patton: Number One here. Then make a reminder for Dec. 2nd to stream this on Peacock.

Billy Wayne Davis Gives Us All a Trip That We Needed in Comedy Specials with “Testify”
November 17, 2022
News
billy wayne davis, comedy special, international church of cannabis, moment, stand up comedy, testify

The pacing of comedy specials churned out by Netflix and HBO and others make it seem like the majority of what an hour long stand-up comedy special will be is a well-rehearsed, considered hour of jokes done on a mostly empty stage with a mic and mic stand. Thanks to the likes of Bo Burnham, Hannah Gadsby, Hasan Minhaj, Moses Storm, Maria Bamford, Christina Catherine Martinez, Adam Sandler, Danny Jolles, Nick Vatterott, Whitmer Thomas, Gary Gulman, and more, there is a wave of reimagining what the comedy special is and can be.

Billy Wayne Davis’ brand new special Testify marvelously furthers this notion on top of Davis’ wry use of his Southern drawl and the sharp panache of his storytelling and observations.

Taped at Denver landmark, The International Church of Cannabis, Davis recounts parallel narratives of a drug trip and a trip to a parole hearing, which could be enough to account for a solid, traditional-looking special. Billy doesn’t waste the space his chosen with utilizing projected flourishes of colors that go with all the “religious” use of cannabis at that one-of-a-kind church. Soothing hip music and a dream sequence are all in the mix to distinguish Testify as a stand out special, but not to the degree where it would outshine the core of the hour (and what should be the core of any comedy special, no matter how experimental it is), Billy’s precisely whittled comedy. Davis deftly and, almost stealthily, works in differing reactions and explaining references in a way that feels less expositional and just simply part of a really funny bit.

None of how splendid Testify is should be surprising considering that one of Billy’s first recorded works was at Jack White’s hallowed Third Man Records (and only a handful of other comedians even got to record at such a rarefied stage).

Billy Wayne Davis’ Testify premiered live already, but is available to stream for replay at Moment. Go buy and watch it over and over (it’s definitely that type of special that demands that) here.

Here’s Your First Look at Atsuko Okatsuka’s First HBO Hour Special “The Intruder”
November 15, 2022
News
atsuko okatsuka, comedy special, hbo, stand up comedy

Wherever Atsuko Okatsuka goes, she is a very joyful, very stylish breath of fresh air on top of being one of the funniest comedians taking the mic these days. Okatsuka is finally getting her due this year from being such a performer with the debut of a whole hour long HBO special entitled “The Intruder”.

At the risk of tipping off too much, especially if you haven’t seen Atsuko before, we will just say that her story of immigrating to America is one of the most fascinating ones we’ve heard in comedy (and, of course, so very timely). The journey, the self-styled vibrant aesthetic, the moves, and the carefully honed observations and stories of a former undocumented immigrant turned dancer turned comedian, as you’ll see, should leave an indelible mark on this year’s comedy special landscape.

See for yourself with this first look at Atsuko Okatsuka: The Intruder here, then look to stream it on HBO Max on Sun. Dec. 10th.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 137: Hasan Minhaj & The Mise En Scène of Comedy
November 9, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
comedy special, hasan minhaj, stand up comedy, the king's jester

The look and feel of a comedy special has been largely subtle, unadorned, and stripped down for a long time. Thankfully, that is starting to change thanks to folks like Bo Burnham and this week’s TCB Field Report guest, Hasan Minhaj. Fresh off the release of his latest, fantastic special The King’s Jester, we get into the finer points of how to redefine stand-up through reimagining how a special, arguably the pinnacle of a comedian’s work, can be done.

Follow Hasan @hasanminhaj across platforms and watch The King’s Jester, streaming now on Netflix.

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

Hasan Minhaj’s The King’s Jester Continues to Prove That a Comedy Special Can Be More Than Just Being Alone on Stage for an Hour Telling Unconnected Jokes
October 5, 2022
News
comedy special, hasan minhaj, netflix

Since 2017, the year of his last special, Homecoming King, Hasan Minhaj hosted his groundbreaking show on Netflix, Patriot Act, took a major recurring role in The Morning Show and founded a production banner, 186K Films. He has been so busy that all of that would explain what seemed to be an extended break from stand-up (not to mention the COVID years taking almost all stand-up out of the equation for awhile).

That said, Minhaj seems to pick up right where he left off, not losing a step, with his latest Netflix hour, The King’s Jester with more moxie, more slick graphics, and a thoroughly entertaining journey through all the feels. For those wanting more out of someone doing stand-up for an hour, Minhaj more than delivers here.

Where Homecoming King was an enthralling, hilarious story of coming-of-age, self-acceptance, and love, Minhaj focuses on how important his family is to him through his career highs of punching up at everyone he could with Patriot Act or taking the mic at esteemed honorary ceremonies. Minhaj is very likely the most impassioned storyteller in comedy these days and it’s marvelous to watch how he interconnects all the narratives of past and present throughout The King’s Jester with undeniable fervor.

This hour shows itself to be as emotionally colorful is as the extremely slick graphics display Hasan uses to highlight his points. With as many raucous laughs and applause breaks, there are many points in the special where you can hear a pin drop followed by a precision slicing of a very thick tension. In fact, there are “awwws” and gasps and almost every sort of reaction you can have when you have the audience completely tied to your every word as a comedian.

Akin to Moses Storm’s Trash White, there is so much to take in visually with The King’s Jester that it would be a disservice to just listen to it as an album (even though Netflix will likely release an album version so it can qualify for Grammys consideration). The wild changes in color and utilizing the sort of graphics package that Hasan had at Patriot Act are a more than welcome break from the routine hour of seeing someone in a soft wash behind a nice curtain in a packed venue (though Bo Burnham sure does know how to make that set up look absolutely stunning). We can only hope that, in the not so distant future, it might be jarring to see a comedy special that could double as a very special live episode of a podcast.

Above all, Hasan’s zeal in his performance is what really ties everything together to make The King’s Jester one of Netflix’s best releases this year. There is such urgency in his delivery and all of his act outs that one can’t help be drawn into his world and want to get caught up, with the rest of the audience, on whatever journey Hasan is taking us on. He’s very animated on stage to be sure, but, at the same time, it never feels so outlandish that it takes away from the gravity of criticizing the Saudi government or dealing with American Islamophobia. We  would even venture to say that part of his firebrand way of delivering jokes and stories get fueled by his sticking to the full truth of what he’s talking about as much as possible.

Hasan Minhaj: The King’s Jester is now streaming on Netflix.

Byron Bowers Waxes Poetic, Transcends, and Is, Per Usual, Hilarious on Special, Spiritual N**ga
September 19, 2022
News
byron bowers, comedy special, fx, stand up

Over the last few years, the name Byron Bowers has been seen more often in credits of prestige TV and acclaimed art house movies than on live comedy line-ups, but that doesn’t mean that Bowers isn’t one of the most imaginative and engaging comedians taking the mic these days.

His first hour special, Spiritual N**ga, shows off how deep he wants to get with the art of stand-up as well as break the mold in every single aspect, whether it be aesthetic or content. Bowers stitches together exquisite vignettes of his life as well as flights of fancy (that are occasionally induced by psychedelic mushrooms) making for what is the most poetic hour of comedy that we’ve seen this year (or in awhile). The contrast of his vivid imagery and his sharp, satirical wit are the perfect pairing for so many of the laughs throughout this hour. Ranging from 1700s “streetwear” to some of the darkest chapters of his life to his visions from his first time on shrooms, Bowers manages that ever illusive balance in comedy of getting philosophical and having punchlines to punctuate his points.

The whole look of it is a welcome departure, thanks to direction from rising auteur Alma Har’el, from the normal special too. Spiritual N**ga opens with a literally trippy narrative leading into a modified boxing ring as opposed to some cavernous theater that has been around for several decades. Killer Mike and Susan Sarandon are evens in the crowd and Byron runs a Casablanca scarf through his hoodie in place of drawstrings as sweet, atypical touches to a special.

Essentially, this special is, in all facets, a lot to behold making Spiritual N**ga a very fitting name. Get a taste of it with this trailer, then go watch it immediately on FX on Hulu right now.

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Get Your First Look at Jena Friedman’s Special Ladykiller (Done While Pregnant After Roe v. Wade Got Overturned)
September 15, 2022
News
abortion jokes, comedy special, jena friedman, peacock, stand up comedy

The precedent for abortion access in the U.S. in known as Roe vs. Wade was overturned on Jun. 24th, 2022 after essentially being the law of the land since its inception 1973. America in 2022 was already in a bizarro dark timeline that has only gotten darker with an overly activist conservative Supreme Court giving license to individual states to take away abortion access from women, which several states have done very quickly already.

Thus, abortion jokes are especially charged now, even more so than already were in decades past and there are few comedians that craft better abortion jokes than one Jena Friedman. This will undoubtedly be showed off spectacularly in Jena’s upcoming Peacock special, Ladykiller that not only will have a heavy focus on the battleground topic of the moment, abortion, but done so while she is very far along in her pregnancy. Jena has always wielded her dark sense of humor mightily when it comes to joking about the most controversial issues of the day, but this latest hour might be more special and affecting than when she seemingly risked her life to doing a satirical interview with computer-security-tycoon-turned-international-fugitive, John McAfee, when he ran for President.

Just see for yourself in the first trailer for Ladykiller here, then look for this latest hour from Jena on Fri. Sept. 30th, exclusively on Peacock.

Sheng Wang’s Sweet & Juicy Keeps the Torch of Observational Comedy Burning Bright
September 8, 2022
News
comedy special, netflix, sheng wang, stand up comedy, sweet and juicy

If you’re perusing Instagram and Tik Tok for stand-up, the prevailing trend that might clog your feed is crowd work videos, ultra personal confessions in joke form, or the classic heckler-crushing videos. Classic, observational comedy isn’t necessarily what’s in style right now, but, then again, great comedy, especially stand-up comedy inherently questions/bucks trends.

Cue in Sheng Wang, the dulcet tones of his deep voice, and his crisply delivered, finely tuned jokes in his first hour special, Sweet & Juicy. For several years, if you’ve been in the comedy know, you’ve hopefully savored Sheng’s painstakingly crafted material that slightly harkens back to decades past when observational comedy was king. Wang’s deliberate pacing and silky smooth voice sweeten beautifully simple reflections of the world around him.

However, it’s not akin to Jerry Seinfeld or even a somewhat similar-sounding legend, Mitch Hedberg. Wang has an uncanny ability to pick the perfect word that, in of itself, can get a hearty laugh without it being the whole of the punchline or a tag. This bit on posture is just one of many bits throughout Sweet & Juicy that exemplify Weng’s mastery in writing a classic joke and making it slickly feel as though you’re not even listening to a joke. That is, of course, when observational comedy is at its very best form.

Sheng Wang’s Sweet & Juicy is now streaming on Netflix and watching it over and over will be a great way to get through whatever natural disaster you’re having to go through right now.

 

Pick of the Day: Jena Friedman-Ladykiller Special Taping (in NYC) 7/15
July 5, 2022
News
comedy special, free taping, jena friedman, nyc comedy, peacock, stand up comedy, tv taping

Jena Friedman was already one of the most crucial voices in comedy, dedicating her needle-sharp material to topics and issues that have only become more pressing over the last few weeks. When it comes to the agency and freedom of women, Jena stands tall with some of the best, dark jokes being told on stages today or on her series, Soft Focus or Indefensible.

So, Jena is taping an hour special, Ladykiller, next week for Peacock that will be a great, long-awaited follow-up to American C*nt. There will be two tapings on Fri. Jul. 15th at 7PM ET & 9PM ET at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. It’s free to attend so long as you’re fully vaccinated. Go reserve tickets here.

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