ester steinberg

Many attempts were made at making comedy specials when we were in the thick of pandemic times and, we’d say, very few were successful (especially the ones that were done outside and socially distanced). It takes a special grade of comedian to pull off doing stand-up like that and Ester Steinberg is one such rare talent to pull off doing a special to folks in their cars parked outside of The Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

With that in mind, you shouldn’t pass up what she can do in appropriate comedy environment, i.e. a comedy club, which is exactly happening for her next special. Ester will be taping her latest special next month on Sat. Mar. 23rd at 7PM & 9PM at Santa Monica’s Crow Comedy Club (LA’s only comedy club with FREE parking). Tickets are only $20 and you shouldn’t miss out on Ester doing stand-up since you won’t have to stay in your car to watch her. Go get ’em here.

Who Else Could Have Been Nominated (and Maybe Win) for Best Comedy Album at The Grammys Besides an Undeserving Louis C.K.?

As much as we’d love to dissect C.K.’s lack of a proper mea culpa for being an admitted, repeated sex pest, how that has soured his comedy since his return, and how he’s wholly undeserving of his third Best Comedy Album Grammy win (he’s artistically regressed with his last couple of hours), we’re pretty sure that such words would only be affirmed by those already demoralized by his latest success or tossed to the metaphorical curb by his diehard acolytes. We could even spend hundreds of words on how The Recording Academy, the governing body responsible for The Grammy Awards, has long since been out of touch with what would supposedly be the “Best Comedy Album” having largely succumbed to Netflix and HBO and the like putting out audio versions of highly produced and promoted specials that end up edging out other purely audio comedy albums from ever even getting nominated.

Hmph. We digress.

Rather than delve into that endless rabbit hole or go into the systemic issues at The Recording Academy that reduce this particular Grammy category, amongst others, to mostly a popularity contest (the voters for this category, like any major awards, have no real incentive to listen to every single album and often just go with what they know ahead of time), we’ll instead show you the folks that met all the qualifications to even be in the running to be nominated (ostensibly, who was left out of the equation against C.K.’s lackluster Sincerely Louis C.K.)

You already know that the other nominees for Best Comedy Album were Kevin Hart: Zero F***s Given, Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American, Lewis Black: Thanks For Risking Your Life, Chelsea Handler: Evolution, and Lavell Crawford: The Comedy Vaccine. One could make the argument, if you’re already OK with CK returning to stand-up, that he is most definitely in the running against the five other nominees (especially Kevin Hart’s very tone-deaf special done in his basement that’s bigger than most apartments anywhere).

However, there are plenty of folks that, because of lack of fame, prestige, etc., were already doomed to not get any recognition from the Recording Academy despite their comedic prowess (and explicit lack of sex crimes). Amongst those that could have been nominated for Best Comedy Album this year were Beth Stelling, Rory Scovel, Michelle Buteau, Chad Daniels, Sean Devlin, Ester Steinberg, Ziwe, Tim Minchin, Atsuko Okatsuka, Ben Roy, Robin Tran, Tim Heidecker, Ian Edwards, Lisa Curry, Chris Gethard, Dan Soder, Sam Tallent, Dave Helem, and Lil’ Rel. Those names represent some of the very funniest people in comedy right at this moment, but only a fraction of who could have been nominated for a Best Comedy Album Grammy this year (and possibly beat out Louis CK).

Thanks to an industry source, we’ve got a list of pretty much everyone else that was in the running for a Grammy nomination this year, but ultimately was left out for the aforementioned reasons above and many others. Even though you might think major awards ceremony are largely overly self-important and indulgent, we hope that you can get some perspective on who is left out (and much more likely has the actual Best Comedy Album of this past year).

Nicole Burch: Never Been Kissed
Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia
Colin Cook: This Won’t Work
Affion Crockett: Mirror II Society
Lisa Curry: Alive for A While
Chad Daniels: Twelfth Night
Sandy Danto: Daddy Boy
Jim David: Gay Jokes for Straight Cruisers
DC Benny: Adrift in Predicaments-Stories of Shoulda Known Better
Mark DeMayo: Bangers
Sean Devlin: Airport, Animals
Eleanor Kerrigan: Lady Like
Paul Kim: The Lion Kim
Raul Kohli: All My Heroes Are Dead, in Jail, or Touched Up Your Nan
Nish Kumar: It’s In Your Nature To Destroy Yourselves, Parts 1 & 2
Preacher Lawson: Get to Know Me
Lewberger: Live at Lincoln Hall in Chicago
Orlando Leyba: Adorable
Lil’ Rel: Humbly Vulnerable-I Said What I Said
Joe List: I Hate Myself
Ignacio Lopez: EspañYOLO
Jonny Loquasto: The In 3-D
Levin McCachen: Illuminati
Ed Hill: Candy and Smiley
Melinda Hill: Inappropriate
Katie Hughes: Queen of the Castle
London Hughs: To Catch a D***
Taylor Hughes: Chasing Wonder
Katie-Ellen Humphries: Ladyfinger
David Huntsberger: Big Nothingness
Eddie Ifft: Sweet Home Malibama
Ryan James: I’m Fine
The Jerky Boys (self-titled)
Maz Jobrani: Pandemic Warrior
Danny Jolles: Six Parts
Jamie Kaler: Homeschooled
Noah Gardenswartz: New Fodder
Arthur Gaus: Nice Jokes for Smart People
Chris Gethard: Half My Life
Harrison Greenbaum: Live at Madison Square Garden
Nick Guerra: Love Me at My Worst
Joey Guila: Ringleader
Nathan Hansen: I Was Supposed To Get Married Today
Kevin Hart: Zero F***s Given
John Hastings: Float Like a Butterfly, John Hastings Like a Bee
Tim Heidecker: An Evening with Tim Heidecker
Dave Helem: D.J. the Chicago Kid
Amy Hill: Shades
Kevin Yee: One Boy Band
Ziwe: Ziwe-A Famously Iconic Soundtrack
Kevin Doyle: 30 Year Old Virgin
Scout Durwood: Comedy Electronica Vol. 1
Jeff Dye: Dumb Is Gooder
Mat Edgar: Take the L
Ian Edwards: Bill Burr presents IanTalk-Ideas Not Worth Spreading
Mark Ellis: Dog Stepfather
Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions
Matt Falk: Optimistical
Randy Feltface: The Book of Randicus
Adam Ferrara: It’s Scary in Here
Glen Foster: Unchecked
Jen Fulwiler: The Naughty Corner
Jerry Garcia: It’s Not My Weekend
Tryf Da Comedian: Symphunny, Vol. 1
Bill Burr Presents the Ringers
More Funny Women of a Certain Age
Ron Vaudry: Talking on Thin Ice
Joey Villagomez: Jokes, Drugs, Rock & Roll
Paul Virzi: I’ll Say This
Phil Wang: Philly Philly Wang Wang
Jeremiah Watkins: Family Reunion
Daniel Webb: Hoe’s Parade at The Rose Bowl
Aaron Weber: Shirts and Skins
Jacob Williams: Unemotional Roller Coaster
Lance Woods: Undeniable
Glenn Wool: Viva Forever
Heather McDonald: Juicy Scoop
Harmony McElligot: The Struggle Continues
Michael McIntyre: Showman
Sean McLoughlin: Hail Mary
Doug Mellard: I’m Worried About Me
Garrett Millerick: Smile
Tim Minchin: Apart Together
Ginger Minj: Gummy Together
Daniel Muggleton: Unprecedented
Atsuko Okatsuka: They Call Me Stacey
Natalie Palamides: Nate – A One Man Show
Brian Parise: Last Wishes
Eddie Pence: The (Un)Special Comedy Special
Rojo Perez: Words
Nick Rado: On-Trend
Adam Ray: I’ll Take It From Here-The Crowd Work Album
Brian Regan: On The Rocks
Erica Rhodes: La Vie en Rhodes
Erik Rivera: Super White
Shayla Rivera: It’s Not Rocket Science
Darrin Rose: Wearing a Suit
Ben Roy: Take the Sandwich
Bob Rubin: Oddities & Rarities
Amber Ruffin: The Amber Ruffin Show-Music from the Original Series
Marc Ryan: The Clean Album
Brendan Sagalow: Not Now More Than Ever
Andrew Schulz: Brilliant Idiot
Rory Scovel: Live Without Fear
Harry Shearer: The Many Moods of Donald Trump
Dan Soder: Son of a Gary
Gianmarco Soresi: Shelf Life
Ester Steinberg: Burning Bush
Beth Stelling: Girl Daddy
Fatimah Taliah: Nice to Meet Me
Sam Tallent: Waiting for Death to Claim Us
Erik Terrell: Live at Helium Comedy Club
Robin Tran: Don’t Look at Me
Jesus Trejo: Stay at Home Son
Steve Treviño: I Speak Wife

Please Watch and Enjoy Ester Steinberg’s Burning Bush Where Ester Kills at a Drive-In

April 28, 2021

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comedy special, ester steinberg, stand up

As you may well know, much of comedy and the comedians in it have taken a hiatus or shifted to something else throughout the last year. Maybe they gave a crack at Zoom and decided to wait it out for the return to people gathering in tight, crowded, dimly lit places to watch stand-up.

The few that have opted to take on the challenge of doing live stand-up and, further than that, do an entire special have tried anything and everything that they could possibly think of while trying to not further the transmission of COVID-19. Drive-ins, no audience, doing it over Zoom, etc. (though no one seemed to try what Harland Williams’ did several years ago by doing stand-up all alone in the desert).

Comedy Dynamics tapped four comedians to drive-in specials that were shot live at the parking lot of the world famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Ester Steinberg was one of those four and truly rose to meet the challenge. She had to perform in front of a field of cars that often honked and flashed their headlights in appreciation (as laughter is often to hear while doing a drive-in show) as she taped her very first special, Burning Bush. In the entire history of comedy, no such endeavor had been undertaken because, well, it goes against so many best practices of live comedy (outside, people separate from each other, physical barrier to connecting to the crowd). Steinberg has had more than enough experience fiercely grabbing hold of the audience’s attention working the road and doing her own weekly room at the Kibitz Room at Canter’s that it’s no surprise that she made this experiment really work for her.

Keep in mind, at the point of the pandemic, almost no comedian had performed in person for six months. So, to have enough material to even do a special, care about said a material, gear up to do it, and then do it in front of cars like no other comedian has ever really done before is such an unbelievable feat. Again Ester’s command of the stage and her blend of clever observations and truthful vulnerability made her first hour sing, even under what are truly unfair circumstances.

See for yourself as Ester Steinberg; Burning Bush is now streaming on demand on Amazon and Apple.

My one-hour comedy special comes out March 30th. ?BURNING BUSH ? avail on Amazon and iTunes @comedydynamics @Tribeca pic.twitter.com/wO71mTGs8o

— Ester Steinberg (@EsterKay) March 28, 2021

Pick of the Day: Live at Tribeca Drive-In @ Rose Bowl

July 2, 2020

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comedy dynamics, daniel rugg webb, dave helem, drive in theater, erica rhodes, ester steinberg, live comedy, stand up comedy

With the return to popularity that drive-in theaters have gotten during these months of lockdown, it’s no surprise to see that other forms of entertainment are opting to try to do something at a drive-in that isn’t just screening a movie because people can stay in their cars to stay safe as the COVID-19 pandemic persists (as well as being one of the very few permitted public events right now). That indeed includes live comedy. LA hasn’t gotten the experience of a live drive-in stand-up comedy show yet, though that will be changing next week.

Comedy Dynamics is hosting four exclusive nights of live stand-up comedy, July 9th-12th at 9PM, at the Tribeca Drive-In pop-up at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Tribeca Drive-In itself actually starts screening movies tonight.

Headlining will be a handful of comedians that you ought to get to know since they’ll, as far as we’ve seen, probably rise further up the comedy ladder than they already have very soon. That includes Dave Helem, Ester Steinberg, Daniel Webb, and Erica Rhodes performing 7/9-7/12 respectively.

Tickets are $26 per vehicle and you can go get tickets here. If you do go, do take proper caution and limit physical contact, wear a mask, and maintain distance at all times. Also, please note that Comedy Dynamics will be taping these performances for “later viewing” if you’d rather stay safe at home and still watch.

Please Enjoy Ester Steinberg’s Debut Album “Hebrew School Dropout”

April 5, 2019

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comedy album, ester steinberg, hebrew school dropout, stand up comedy

To try to even come up in comedy in both LA and NYC, you’ve got to have some sort of special gumption to you. Ester Steinberg has that sort of tireless work ethic, voice, comedic presence that demands to be heard and thus, successfully hopped between both cities while honing her stand-up chops.

Ester puts all of this nicely on display with her debut album Hebrew School Dropout. Dashing through a tour of her life of being a wild child to finding her very, very specific version of a perfect fiancé, she maintains a bouncy and bold energy the whole way through.

So, please go get and enjoy this first hour of Ester’s Hebrew School Dropout, available now here on Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes.

October 8, 2018

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boast rattle, caleb synan, compliment contest, dynasty typewriter, ester steinberg, experimental comedy, greg edwards, k town, kyle ayers, macarthur park, megan gailey, noah gardenswartz, sara schaefer

Well, do you want to hear something, anything at all positive? Sure sounds like a compliment contest might be the thing you need.

It just so happens that the monthly, always fantastic Boast Rattle is happening this Wednesday at Dynasty Typewriter and is sure to be an escape to funny life affirmations, (maybe slightly awkward) expressions of affection, and more.

Get your tickets in advance here for $10. It’s $15 at the door.

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

August 6, 2018

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ahamed weinberg, benefit show, ester steinberg, hannah einbinder, heather pasternak, if not now, lyric hyperion, paige weldon, stand up

IfNotNow is a national movement of young American Jews working to transform our community’s support for the Israeli Occupation into a call for freedom and dignity for all Palestinians and Israelis.

There are so many benefit shows these days that are supporting so many causes. Working towards a resolution and peace between Israel and Palestine is definitely such a cause and this show, with a terrific line-up, is definitely not one to miss.

Tickets are $18 and you should go get them here.

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

Female Stand-Up Docu-Comedy Series “Funny Girls” Coming to Oxygen in April

February 3, 2015

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calise hawkins, ester steinberg, funny girls, nicole aimee schreiber, oxygen, scout durwood, stephanie simbari, trailer, yamaneika saunders

Oxygen is now set to have a whole documentary series following female comedians in their pursuit of making it. They’ve gathered a pretty great bunch to follow as well including Calise Hawkins, Ester Steinberg, Nicole Aimee Schreiber, Stephanie Simbari, Scout Durwood, and Yamaneika Saunders

The show follows them around semi-reality style through the highs and lows of being a comedian that’s hustling to make it big while also including plenty of bits of actual stand-up.

Check the trailer here.

Funny Girls will premiere Tuesday, April 7th at 9PM on Oxygen.

Pick of the Day: Ester Steinberg LIVE RECORDING (near LA) 3/23

Who Else Could Have Been Nominated (and Maybe Win) for Best Comedy Album at The Grammys Besides an Undeserving Louis C.K.?

Please Watch and Enjoy Ester Steinberg’s Burning Bush Where Ester Kills at a Drive-In

Pick of the Day: Live at Tribeca Drive-In @ Rose Bowl

Please Enjoy Ester Steinberg’s Debut Album “Hebrew School Dropout”

Female Stand-Up Docu-Comedy Series “Funny Girls” Coming to Oxygen in April