heart of darkness – The Comedy Bureau

March 13, 2018

amber coffman, greg barris, heart of darkness, james henry jr, kate berlant, mcqueen, reggie watts, zebulon

Running a comedy show in either NYC or LA for over a decade is a remarkable feat in of itself. To do so in both is another thing entire together that requires a bit of magic.

Such is Greg Barris’ Heart of Darkness, which will be marking its 15th year of galavanting back and forth across the U.S as a comedy/variety/quasi-spiritual experience show with a great line-up at the ultra hip Zebulon. Don’t miss out on this.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door and you can (and should) 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.

There’s a TV Trailer for Heart of Darkness with Greg Barris

July 24, 2014

Uncategorized

greg barris, heart of darkness, trailer, variety show

Greg Barris’ traveling variety show Heart of Darkness that features comedy, music, ideas, and spirituality(?) now has its own TV trailer.

We’re not sure what that means other than that it might be a TV show. What channel or network it’ll be at and when it will premiere has yet to be announced, but it’s still good news as far as we’re concerned.

Watch the trailer here.

Morning Debriefing 7/22/11

1) You could win $10,000 for one punchline on FunnyForMoney.com [via Laughspin.com]

2) The Comedy & Magic Club has been around for 33 years. Got to respect that, especially when they’re hardly mentioned in the same sentence with the Hollywood Improv, The Comedy Store, Hollywood Laugh Factory, and the Ice House.

3) Though Nate Bargatze didn’t get to perform last night on Conan (he will get to very soon and we’ll remind you), you can catch Jarrod Harris, another amazing member of the former Southern Comedy Quartet Tour comprised of Rory Scovel, Sean Patton, Nate, and Jarrod on Lopez Tonight next week on Thurs. July 28th TBS MIDNIGHT.

4) Ever get a sticker from comedian Greg Barris? Learn it’s real origin.

5) The LAist on the coolest show that you can’t go to (because it’s invite only) at Hot House, a concept that would only work in LA or NY. We’d also like to add that one Marie Colette does a damn fine job putting the show together every month.

6) If you wondered what happened exactly at Holy Fuck this past Tuesday, here’s their words. If you don’t know what Holy Fuck is, go to the Downtown Independent Theater at 251 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA on a Tuesday that’s preferably very soon at 9PM.

7) Lost faith in romantic comedies? Here’s a list we made on Laughspin that might help with that.

8) Puddin’-“Goat” w/guest Laura Silverman (Possibly one of our favorite Puddin’ episodes thus far)

9) ON THE HORIZON
The 4 Year Anniversary of Cartoon Dump @ Steve Allen Theater Mon. July 25th $10
Canada’s Science Bear Presents: Sketch the Movie @ Nerdist Theater Mon. Aug. 15th 8PM $10

10) COMEDY CRAWL
Bill Burr @ Irvine Improv 8PM/10PM $25/2 item min.
Trevor Moore’s Whatever Show @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10
Re-Animator: The Musical @ Steve Allen Theater 8PM $30
The 12 Shiny Nickels Show @ Hollywood Improv Lab 8:30PM $10
Comedy Car Hole @ Comedy Car Hole 9PM FREE
Stood Up Friday Night: Happily Ever After @ Moving Arts Theater 10PM $5
The Also-Ran Comedy Hour @ Hollywood Improv Lab 10:30PM $5

11) OPEN MIC RUN
SET LIST @ FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia, Burbank, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 5:30PM/given “set list” of topics to do jokes off of/first come, first served/no purchase necessary
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA/Starts 6PM/$4 min./first come, first served
iCANDY 1708 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 7PM/first come, first served/$3 min./mixed mic/booked show in middle around 8PM
SILVERLAKE LOUNGE 2906 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (Silverlake)/Sign-up (lottery) 6:30PM/Starts 7PM/4 min./no purchase necessary
SUNSET GRILL 7439 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 7PM/one item min.
MAX BLOOM’S 200 N. Malden Ave., Fullerton, CA/Starts 7PM/booked show after/no purchase necessary
GLENDALE DAYS INN 450 N. Pioneer Dr., Glendale, CA/Sign-up 7PM/Starts 8PM/No foul language/No purchase necessary/first come, first served
MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA (walk up Martel, past Big Mama’s and Papa’s)/5PM to 11PM/$5 min./multiple sets allowed/first come, first served/coffee and bottled water available
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL 1160 N. Vermont Ave., Hollywood, CA/Starts MIDNIGHT

12) As the Sklar Brothers said last night, we need to make “Proopsian” a word.

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THE COMEDY BUREAU/@thecomedybureau

Into the “Heart of Darkness” of an Old Fashioned Good Time

February 27, 2011

Uncategorized

andy kaufman, burbank moose lodge, chelsea peretti, comedian, comedy, comedy central, dima drjuchin, greg barris, heart of darkness, improv, los angeles, meltdown, meltdown comics, reggie watts, sean patton

The name “Heart of Darkness” promoted as a live comedy show might make many people a little queasy, thinking perhaps, that if they attend, they will be made uncomfortable on what is performance art attempting to be Andy Kaufman. Though there is a higher brow in the brand of comedy that producer/host/comedian/ringleader Greg Barris wrangles for his show, one will never find themselves laughing only because they’re uncomfortably lost in the “Heart of Darkness”.

Taking place at unusual and unique venues that are a far cry from the traditional comedy club around the country, Greg Barris purposely makes his show more of an organic experience (he touches and forgives audience members) rather than another one of the stand up showcase shows that has spread like a virus across the face of Los Angeles. In fact, at both the Burbank Moose Lodge or in the back room of Meltdown Comics for the recent two-show stint in LA, audience members got more the sense that they were hanging out after school and some really amazingly talented and hilarious friends rather than the $8 you paid to sit in a crowded room and see a “planned-enough performance”. With a small line-up, all the performers got to play loose and at their pace, keeping the easy-going, laid-back vibe present throughout the duration of “Heart of Darkness”.

The Comedy Bureau was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the Meltdown Comics edition that had a stellar line-up of comics including the incomparable Reggie Watts (as only briefly caught on tape here) floating between a multitude of accents, jokes, and songs, the painfully, but hysterically honest stories of Sean Patton, and the anxiously funny Chelsea Peretti as well as the head of the whole operation Greg Barris and his right hand man in the form of band Dima and Doctor Juchins. The show was sold out and packed to the gills as I gladly stood the whole time.

For anybody that has groaned when they have heard the joke set-up, “So I’m half…,” wondered if that was all that stand up comedy has become and why you’re possibly not having a good time, perhaps you should catch Greg Barris’ Heart of Darkness next time it’s in town to restore your faith in that there is indeed an alternative to stand up comedy that’s been stuck in the hey-day 80’s and it’s pretty damn funny.

Morning Debriefing 1/31/11

January 31, 2011

Uncategorized

chelsea peretti, comedy crawl, dave chappelle, garfunkel and oates, greg barris, heart of darkness, kyle kinane, morning debriefing, open mic run, reggie watts, sean patton

1) There have been actual reports of comedian Dave Chappelle sightings at both the Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store performing comedy and hanging around. More details to come as the Comedy Bureau receives them.

2) Not only is Heart of Darkness with Greg Barris having another Los Angeles run, but it’s going to have none other than Reggie Watts in its line-up (not to mention Chelsea Peretti and Sean Patton). YOU ARE A BAD PERSON IF YOU MISS THIS (*status of being a bad person subject to change). Feb. 12th at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood $8.

3) I want you to take a pen and go to whatever you use as a calendar and mark Feb. 25th as the date of Kyle Kinane’s “Comedy Central Presents” Special and then make sure you do nothing else that day that would prevent you from watching it.

4) Garfunkel and Oates “All Over Your Face” comes out tomorrow on iTunes and cdbaby. I don’t know about you, but this will be replacing the Tron soundtrack in my car and though that statement is out of context, that’s pretty damn significant (I’ve listened to Derezzed over 250 times).

5) Tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL-You won’t have to go to 7-11 after this one…
What’s Up Tiger Lily? Presents Melinda Hill CD/Pilot Release @ Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill 8PM FREE
Just for Laughs Showcase @ Hollywood Improv Lab 8PM/10PM FREE
Keep It Clean Comedy @ 1739 Public House 10PM FREE
Crash Test @ UCB Theatre 11PM $5 (stand by only)

5) OPEN MIC RUN 1/31/11

6) Recently: Valentine’s Day Flowers are trending over the events taking place in Egypt according to Yahoo, which means a major portion of the male U.S. population has been in quite a dry spell.

7) Another 100 days, here we go.

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THE COMEDY BUREAU/@thecomedybureau

Morning Debriefing 1/16/11

January 16, 2011

Uncategorized

beards of comedy tour, big trouble in little tokyo, charlyne yi, comedy, comedy crawl, doorknockers, heart of darkness, la, morning debriefing, old lumps, open mic run, robert buscemi, walsh brothers

1) Charlyne Yi and the Old Lumps, now available on iTunes, meaning you should go iTunes and then check them out (after reading the rest of this post that is)

2) The Doorknockers (Randy Liedtke and Davey Johnson) are having a PARTY and you could be a part of it if you follow them on Tumblr or e-mail them at thedoorknockers@gmail.com. More details here.

3) FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY THIS WEEK: Greg Barris’ Heart of Darkness @ Burbank Moose Lodge 9PM Fri. Jan. 21st $5 and Beards of Comedy Tour @ Meltdown Comics w/Kyle Kinane 8:30PM Sat. Jan. 22nd $10. I wouldn’t be telling you about these shows this far in advance if I didn’t think they were worth going to.

4) Yes, that’s the sound of Big Trouble in Little Tokyo Open Mic coming your way again (just imagine the sound of something awe inspiring). This Tues. Jan 18th THE WALSH BROTHERS and GREG BARRIS!!!! Señor Fish, 422 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA. Sign-up 6:30PM. Starts 7PM.

5) Tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL-GO-the Golden Globes results will be on Twitter.
Jim Jeffries @ Brea Improv 7PM $20/2 item min.
ASSSSCAT @ UCB THEATRE 7:30PM FREE
Comedy Without a Cause @ Boardner’s in Hollywood 8PM FREE
French Toast @ Taix 8:30PM FREE

6) OPEN MIC RUN:
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA/Starts 6PM/one item min.
PALMS 8572 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA/Starts 6PM
SUNSET GRILL 7439 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 7PM/one item min.
TSUNAMEDY @ TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA (Echo Park)/Starts 8PM/mixed mic
MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/5PM to 11PM/$5/multiple sets allowed

7) The Comedy Bureau “Tips Its Hat” today to ROBERT BUSCEMI-“@robertbuscemi No man is an island. Though congrats on getting one you can’t escape from named after yourself, Gilligan.” Taking you on wild ride of absurdist imagery with a painfully clever wit, Robert Buscemi is certainly an act that should be seen as much as possible to veritably “lost” in laughter. Twitter. Blog. Check back at the Comedy Bureau for show dates.

8) From the “You Should Have Been There” Lagoon: Ricky Gervais Takes His Emmy Back (hope something like this happens tonight)

9) What It’s like at the end of the day of the Comedy Bureau: “Night, Jake.” “Night, Jake.” “Yeah, good night to you too Jake.” “Don’t forget to restock the ink cartridges, Jake.” “We don’t have a printer, JAKE!” “Go buy one, Jake” “GO SHOVE IT JAKE!” “See you tommorow, Jake.” “Yep.”

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THE COMEDY BUREAU/@thecomedybureau