• Events
    • Los Angeles Open Mics
    • Los Angeles Shows
    • New York Open Mics
    • New York Shows
  • Book A Tour
  • Venues
  • News
  • Podcast
  • About
    • About The Comedy Bureau
    • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Digital Wall of Trustees

comedy special

divider

Dan Soder’s HBO Comedy Special “Son of a Gary” Gets a Trailer
November 14, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, dan soder, hbo, stand up comedy

Sure, you know Dan Soder as Mafee on Billions, but we hope you also know that Dan contains multitudes in characters, voices, and life experience. 

You’ll get a chance to see a more whole Dan Soder with his wonderfully titled, upcoming HBO special, Son of a Gary. In fact, Soder’s special might just stand out on HBO as it seems like it’ll be mostly just a straightforward comedy special in contrast to HBO’s exciting row of comedy special experiments (most of which we really enjoyed) over the last year and a half or so.

Get a taste of what’s to come with Dan Soder: Son of a Gary with this trailer, then look for its premiere on Sat. Dec. 7th at 10PM on HBO.

Please Watch and Revel in the Beautiful Humor of Jenny Slate: Stage Fright
October 22, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, jenny slate, netflix, stage fright
image

Jenny Slate is pure magnetism in such a beautiful, magical way in this very first (which is almost unbelievable given her body of work up until now) hour special Stage Fright and it’s almost as if this special is the sort of platform that Jenny has been ready to take on for quite some time.

Slate’s mere presence is crackling with energy, even before she gets into her myriad of fantastical voices/characters/impressions, and we found ourselves truly entranced by her performance on Stage Fright. The vignettes she presents of her life, whether it be on stage, in a candid interview with family, or via home videos, really make Slate shine even in her vulnerable moments discussing her relation to the name of this special. Also, she just might have more candor than we’ve seen recently with all the deep observations on her life and what she’s willing to share and Stage Fright is all the more powerful for it.

There is a certain mastery of “being in the moment” that flows throughout her entire performance here. Even though this all material that has been worked out to a certain degree, Jenny truly makes this hour feel alive and like you’re seeing something, well, special.

Go see it for yourself as Jenny Slate: Stage Fright is streaming on Netflix as of today.

Jenny Slate’s “Stage Fright” Netflix Special Gets a Trailer
October 8, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, jenny slate, netflix, stand up comedy, trailer

Perhaps taking a cue from HBO’s latest row of comedy specials, the latest comedy special offering from Netflix, Jenny Slate: Stage Fright, will intercut between documentary footage and stand-up that paints a more complete, deeper picture of Jenny.

Slate, who jumps between starring in such movies as Obvious Child, performing live as a stand-up, and voicing wonderful characters like Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, has such a dynamic, undeniable charm, making you hang on to everything she says. 

From the looks of Stage Fright in this trailer, we’ll get a bit of a better glimpse of what drives Jenny (the name of the special perhaps?).

Look for Jenny Slate: Stage Fright to drop on Netflix later this month on Tues. Oct. 22nd.

Gary Gulman’s The Great Depresh Shows a Truly Uplifting Side of Comedy
October 8, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, gary gulman, great depresh, hbo, stand up comedy
image

As with all things done by Gary Gulman, great time and care has been put into this latest special, The Great Depresh, and, consequently, it was absolutely worth the wait (many years have passed since his last special).

The Great Depresh is the latest hour from Gulman that actually cuts between stand-up and documentary footage of Gary visiting his childhood home, apartment, therapist’s office, sometimes with his wife and his mother. It’s touching, sweet, and still brilliant and boundary pushing, all within a neatly packed comedy special. 

The beauty of this latest work is three fold. The Great Depresh simultaneously shows how Gulman remains one of comedy’s best artisans when it comes to crafting and telling jokes (Gulman’s diction is unrivaled as far as we’re concerned), aims to lift up (as opposed to punch up or down), and sheds light on the importance of mental health (a topic that continually needs to talk about no matter how many comedians are talking about it).

We were left with a sweet, satisfying smile as the credits rolled on Gulman’s latest and we hope that it does the same for you. 

Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh premiered this past weekend on HBO and is now streaming on HBO NOW and HBO GO.

Daniel Sloss’ Latest Hour “X” Coming to HBO
October 4, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, daniel sloss, hbo, stand up comedy, trailer, x

To call a comedy special “X” should denote that one will be going into some sort of dark territory, a place that Daniel Sloss is more than familiar with.

We actually got to catch X while Sloss was running it at Largo and it might be his best hour yet. Sloss dives head on into toxic masculinity and picks it apart in his signature bouncy, yet subversive style.

Get a taste of what’s to come with Daniel Sloss: X with this trailer, then look for its premiere on HBO on Nov. 2nd.
October 3, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy show, comedy special, jesus trejo, los angeles, north hollywood, showtime, stand up comedy, tv taping

The latest stand-up special that Showtime has lined-up has us pretty damn excited as it will be for Jesus Trejo.

Trejo has perfected his craft, climbing his way carefully up through the LA comedy scene for years, to become a paid regular at The Comedy Store and having a great set on Corden. Personally, we enjoy his mix of grounded, personal observations, penchant for a bit of silliness, and his cool, gnarly voice.

So, please make yourself present at the taping for Jesus Trejo’s first special Stay at Home Son for Showtime. There are two tapings (7PM and 9:30PM) at NoHo’s El Portal Theatre and you can RSVP here.

Nikki Glaser Bangin’ Is a Fantastic Special and Proof That You Can Still Be Hysterical and Edgy in 2019
October 1, 2019
Uncategorized
bangin, comedy special, nikki glaser, stand up comedy
image

In the interests of making you watch Nikki Glaser’s awesome (and we use that superlative very sparingly around here) comedy special Bangin’ rather than another screed that dissects the art form of comedy in these times, we’ll try and keep this brief.

1) In case you didn’t notice, Nikki Glaser is as sharp (with a wonderful dash of silliness) as ever and this hour is a wonderful exhibition of that notion.

2) Bangin’ is undeniable proof you can be edgy with the current “woke culture” and still be so damn funny. Glaser starts off so blue as she opens up on an in-depth, explicit bit on blowjobs and then, talks candidly about sex for the whole hour. Speaking your truth (with a bit of brilliant comedic finesse) rather than going for shock seems to be the magic ingredient with Nikki on Bangin.  

3) Nikki Glaser: Bangin’ is, in our opinion, the best stand-up special, out of literal dozens (including all the ones with the biggest names in comedy), from Netflix this year.

So, go watch Nikki Glaser’s Bangin’ on Netflix, streaming now.

Dan Soder Will Get Be Taping and Premiering His First HBO Special This Year
September 20, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, dan soder, hbo, stand up comedy

Dan Soder Will Get Be Taping and Premiering His First HBO Special This Year

Though many know Dan Soder these days as Mafee from Billions, Dan has carved out an extensive career as a great stand-up comedian (including a deep repertoire of voices and characters) with late night appearances, big time radio appearances, specials, etc. for several years now.

Now, he’ll be getting his very HBO special, which will tape, “10/23 at Bowery Ballroom in NYC. 2 shows, tickets at dansoder.com”. Definitely be in attendance for the taping if you’re in or around NYC around late October and then tune in December when it premieres. 

Also, it’s interesting to note that this might be the first traditional stand-up special HBO has done in several months.

Nikki Glaser: Bangin’ Gets a Trailer
September 19, 2019
Uncategorized
bangin, comedy special, netflix, nikki glaser

We watched Nikki run this hour leading up to this taping and it was something special (you know, like the notion that’s in the title of a “comedy special”). There was a purity in her jokes (certainly not in material though as it is wonderfully, hysterically blue) in that there was seem as perfectly crafted and delivered as they possibly could be and that every transition was seamless, etc. etc.

If you think that Nikki’s roasts are great, we’d bet you’ll thoroughly enjoy seeing her when she has free reign to sink her comedic teeth into whatever she wants.

 So, we’ll be excited to for Oct. 1st when Nikki Glaser: Bangin’ drops on Netflix. Get a taste of Bangin’ with this trailer.

Middleditch + Schwartz Are Shooting an Improv Comedy Special
September 13, 2019
Uncategorized
ben schwartz, comedy special, improv comedy, middleditch and schwartz, thomas middleditch
image

Though long form improv has been an established discipline in the art form of comedy for decades now, the prospect of seeing it in the form of a comedy special has been incredibly rare. The last time we even remember seeing something like that was when Schwartz led off a night of improv with the cast members of House of Lies.

Now, Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz together as Middleditch + Schwartz, arguably one of the most successful long form improv teams in comedy history, will be blazing a new trail by making a special out of four tapings recorded at the NYU Skirball. The tapings are almost entirely sold out at this point, but the promise of what this might be is incredibly enticing.   

Admittedly, putting long form improv as a special proves for an especially hard challenge as the nuance and ephemeral nature of improv comedy begs that you don’t cut anything from the entire performance. We’re not sure exactly what Ben and Thomas’ strategy for the final product will be, but it’ll undoubtedly set a new precedent in comedy. 
September 13, 2019
Uncategorized
alex theatre, comedy show, comedy special, glendale, live taping, los angeles, ronny chieng, stand up comedy

Ronny Chieng who you’ve probably seen and enjoyed multiple times on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Crazy Rich Asians is capping off his international stand-up comedy tour Tone Issues by taping it as a special at Glendale’s Alex Theatre.

Chieng’s rants and the style in which he taps into his own rage is such a delight to watch and relish in, no matter what he’s talking about. There are two shows, both on Fri. Sept. 27th, 7PM & 9:30PM for $20 a pop. Get them here and here respectively.

Here’s the Trailer for Bill Burr’s Latest Special “Paper Tiger”
September 3, 2019
Uncategorized
bill burr, comedy special, netflix, stand up comedy

Well, Netflix is really rolling out the big specials one right after the other. Last week was Chappelle’s Sticks and Stones and, next week, it’ll be Burr’s latest hour, Paper Tiger. 

This time around, Burr taped his special at London’s revered Royal Albert Hall, his biggest venue for a special yet (just over 5,500 w/o production crew). Burr’s penchant for being a contrarian, we’re truly curious what this latest hour will be and the conversations that will undoubtedly be held around it. 

We’ll just have to wait and see if Burr has flawless comedic logic yet again come Tues., Sept. 10th on Netflix. In the meantime, watch the trailer for Paper Tiger here. 

Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh Trailer Shows HBO Special Aims to Capture Gulman’s Brilliance On and Off Stage
August 28, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, gary gulman, great depresh, hbo

Continuing to push what the comedy special can be, HBO has their latest hour special showing off one of comedy’s all-time best jokesmiths, Gary Gulman, that will seem to feature Gulman talking about the “depresh” AKA depression and then delving into a documentary exploration of his life and past with said depresh. 

Both raising awareness of mental health and having a brand new special from Gulman is 2-for-the-price-of-1 as far as we’re concerned. See it for yourself in the trailer for Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh here, then look for it to premiere on Oct. 5th. 

Go Watch Alice Wetterlund’s First Hour Special “My Mama Is a Human and So Am I”
August 24, 2019
Uncategorized
alice wetterlund, amazon studios, comedy special, stand up comedy
image

Today marks Amazon taking a big step into the world of stand-up comedy specials highlighted specifically by Alice Wetterlund’s first hour special My Mama Is a Human And So Am I.

Amazon Studios released four very different comedy specials (and Jim Gaffigan’s latest hour earlier this week), but Alice’s special stood out for us as she really got to let loose with her cool, sharp, and deftly wry sense of humor for a whole hour. Undeniably, Wetterlund has a command of the room in such an effortless way. She satirically points out how deep the threads of the patriarchy run through every fiber of society and examines her own long journey of self-acceptance and healing all while maintaining a relaxed vibe, sneaking in punchlines throughout. 

So, please enjoy My Mama Is A Human And So Am I as it just started streaming on Amazon Prime today.

Watch Trailer for Latest Comedy Central Half-Hour Specials Featuring Jaboukie Young-White, Sara Schaefer, David Gborie, and More
August 22, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy central, comedy special, half hour, stand up comedy, trailer

Well, here’s your first look at and reminder of the upcoming Comedy Central half hour specials (now branded as the third season of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents) for:

Jaboukie Young-White, Sara Schaefer, Vanessa Gonzalez, Joe Kwaczala, Charles Gould, Will Miles, Nore Davis, Tom Thakkar, Dulcé Sloan, Allen Strickland Williams, Mia Jackson, and David Gborie.

From what we can see, it looks like it’ll be a good season. Check for it on Comedy Central starting Oct. 18th.

Julio Torres’ My Favorite Shapes Takes Prop Comedy to a Personal Level That It May Have Never Been to Before
August 13, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, hbo, julio torres, my favorite shapes, prop comedy
image

As we suspected, Julio Torres has done something groundbreaking with his new comedy special My Favorite Shapes. Torres has managed to make prop comedy vulnerable, deep, personal in the way that the rest of stand-up comedy has been for the last few years.

Prop comedy usually conjures up some sort of mysteriously big box that some sort of high energy comedian picks weird, often Frankenstein-ed items that are a visual punchline/aid to some cheesy one-liner. It’s so hackneyed that it’s often made fun of by many other comedians playing a prop comic that has some sort of breakdown in the middle of their intentionally cheesy set.

Every detail of My Favorite Shapes seems so stylized in a some sort of ethereal-80s-parallel-universe way, coming from the very soul of Julio Torres to be cleverly shared in little joke morsels. The shapes do operate similarly as any sort of comedic prop, but the structure and narrative of the show and the consideration to have this conceit of Julio “sharing his favorite shapes” brings into Julio’s mystical, weird, and wonderful world (that’s often in miniature). Also, for all the supposed pretension one might think is running amok in this special, it’s pretty accessible and self-aware of its own indulgence, which is a pretty fun gag in its own right. To our knowledge, we haven’t seen props used so frequently to such great comedic and emotional effect.

My Favorite Shapes, for our money, is something that will indeed move the needle forward for the art form of comedy. Additionally, we like the big chances that HBO is taking in comedy specials recently (Drew Michael, Feelings, Home Videos). 

Go watch and enjoy and revel in My Favorite Shapes on HBO GO or HBO NOW.

Ian Edwards’ Latest Special to Be a TED Talk Parody “IanTalk”
July 12, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy central, comedy special, ian edwards, parody, stand up comedy, ted talk

We’ve always enjoyed the sharp and clever stand-up of Ian Edwards over the years and we’re delighted to see that he’s throwing a bit of a curveball with his latest special, IanTalk.

Presented by Bill Burr, Ian will be doing his material in the style of a TED Talk presentation, but with “ideas not worth spreading”. See exactly what Ian has up his sleeve in this trailer.

Then, look for the premiere of IanTalk on Comedy Central, this Saturday at midnight.

Alice Wetterlund to Have Stand-up Special “My Mama Is a Human and So Am I” at Amazon
June 25, 2019
Uncategorized
alice wetterlund, amazon, comedy special

Alice Wetterlund to Have Stand-up Special “My Mama Is a Human and So Am I” at Amazon

We were wondering when Amazon was going to push forward with stand-up comedy specials in going toe-to-toe with Netflix.  

Well, we’re glad to see that Amazon has tapped the splendid Alice Wetterlund to release a special (and, maybe, fill the space that Netflix used to by giving full comedy specials to comedians that weren’t already majorly famous at the time of their first Netflix special, highlighting some great talent, i.e. Ali Wong, Tom Segura, Jen Kirkman).

Called My Mama Is a Human and So Am I, it’s due out later this year to stream on Amazon Prime and will hopefully be the first in many comedy specials that Amazon sagaciously produces.

Watch Trailer Ramy Youssef’s Debut Hour Special “Feelings”
June 4, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, hbo, ramy youssef, stand up comedy, trailer

2019 is shaping up to be a banner year for Ramy Youssef. His eponymous series not only debuted to much acclaim on Hulu and got very quickly renewed for season 2. 

Later this month, Sat. Jun. 29th, he’ll have his debut hour special, Feelings, premiere on HBO at 11PM. Also, what a pretty looking special it is on top of seemingly being a stand-up extension of his show. 

Take a gander at all of that in Ramy Youssef’s Feelings via this freshly dropped trailer.
May 7, 2019
Uncategorized
altadena, arcadia, comedy show, comedy special, los angeles, pasadena, stand up comedy, taping, tv taping
image

Photo by Adam Smith

Billy Wayne Davis is one of our favorite comedians working today with his sly comic sensibilities masked by his welcoming voice (as well as being one of the rare comedians to record an album at Jack White’s Third Man Records). 

He’ll be taping his brand new special this Wednesday at an old chapel at Mountain View Mortuary & Cemetery in Altadena, CA. 

That’s right, you’ll get to see Billy tape his hour at a funeral home’s chapel. 

There are two tapings, 7:30PM and 10:30PM, and they aiming to start on time. Admission is free so long as you RSVP at BookingBWD@gmail.com. We’re going to say that this will be worth the trek to Altadena if you’re not close.

Julio Torres Is Getting an HBO Special
April 26, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, hbo, julio torres, my favorite shapes, stand up comedy
image

We’re really digging HBO’s pick for their next comedy special with Julio Torres and his current hour entitled “My Favorite Shapes”. Everything about Torres (his presence, timing, writing, etc.) is so wonderfully unique and hysterical that an hour special will definitely be worth setting a reminder to watch.

Here’s a refresher, in case you need it, to show you why we’re excited for the arrival of My Favorite Shapes on HBO.

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
Uncategorized
800 pound gorilla, comedy album, comedy special, east brooklyn, gastor almonte, immigrant made, nyc
image

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.

Please Enjoy Chad Daniels’ New Special “Dad Chaniels”
March 28, 2019
Uncategorized
amazon, chad daniels, comedy special, stand up comedy

It takes quite the comedian to carve out a big place in comedy and not basing themselves in LA or NYC (though the Internet has made that a teensy bit easier in the last few years). 

Chad Daniels is one such comedian that shows why with his second hour special, Dad Chaniels. He truly is a ‘Midwestern King of Comedy’ and has the polish, chops, sharp observations, and resolve to have such a title (not to mention that he is still based out of Minnesota). This new hour showcases Daniels in top form with clever observations (and even boldly doing a take on #MeToo that includes Aziz’s incident) and playful poking and prodding of the audience. 

Get a taste of all of this in the trailer. If you’re digging, it you can go stream Dad Chaniels now on Amazon.

Nate Bargatze’s New Hour “The Tennesee Kid” Is a Great Sequel
March 28, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy special, nate bargatze, stand up comedy, tennesee kid
image

First off, we should say that Nate Bargatze might have the calmest, most tranquil voices in comedy (save for Joe Pera, maybe?), which is part of what makes the twists in his humor so potent (as you’re lulled into a very relaxed state when listening to him). 

Anyways, Nate offers up another hour of stories and observations in The Tennessee Kid that are as homespun as homespun can be and makes an hour that’s quite literally a sequel. He gives explicit follow-ups to bits from his last special to close out this special, which, outside of talking about family, almost never happens in comedy specials. Whether or not it’s his down-to-earth-ness that make fans clamor for the throughlines to Nate’s life and experiences, it’s hard not to be charmed by Bargatze yet again here.  

Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid is now streaming on Netflix.
January 28, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy show, comedy special, eddie pepitone, k town, live taping, los angeles, stand up, westlake

We sincerely hope that Eddie Pepitone goes down in comedy history as one of the greats. Pepitone is a truly electrifying performer that somehow makes every performance special and enthralling even if you know some of the material by heart.

Thus, you should definitely be in the room when his latest special is being taped next month at Dynasty Typewriter. There are two shows on Sat., Feb. 16th, 8PM & 10PM, that you can attend. Also, Dana Gould will be featuring and Caitlin Gill will be hosting, which might just be more brilliant comedy than we all deserve.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and you can and very much should get them here and here respectively

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

« Recent News
Older News »

Recent News

divider

  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 277: Ethan Stanislawski & Being Timely in Comedy (Whether You Like It or Not) - When divisiveness is the order of the day, some of the best bridges are the… Read More
  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 276: Andy Sandford & Keeping Jokes as Tight Possible - Andy Sandford's philosophy of trimming all the fat from all his comedy has served him… Read More
  • The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 274: Spaghetti Festival & Sticking on the Wall (Together) - The Spaghetti Festival @ The Elysian represents a wholly rejuvenating spark of imagination and creativity… Read More

Sign up For The Newsletter

Copyright © 2020 The Comedy Bureau
All rights reserved