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TCB Debriefing 11/6/23: Rufat Agayev, Catherine Cohen, The Bear, Peaches, James Corden
November 6, 2023
News
catherine cohen, don't tell comedy, emma corrin, james corden sirius, lucie zhang, peaches, rufat agayev, stand up comedy, the bear

1. One would think that, as artists, comedians would have a vast and colorful imagination, but, alas, there are plenty of examples of comedians simply “painting by numbers”. Rufat Agayev is a very refreshing break from the rote examinations of everyday life with pondering our common human ancestry and better uses for the “one chip challenge” and delivering it with authority (comedically undercut with brazen goofiness). All of this is on display in his Don’t Tell set that just dropped today. Please enjoy it here.

 

2. Come for Catherine Cohen and her Come for Me U.S. tour coming all over the nation starting next year. Maybe get a whole posse to come all at the same time? Tickets at catherine-cohen.com/tour.

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3. The Bear is renewed for its 3rd season and we still haven’t figured out whether it’s a comedy or not (even though it’s rightfully one of television’s most acclaimed series).

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A post shared by The Bear (@thebearfx)

4. Emma Corrin is taking a massive departure from her previous work by embarking on a dark comedy where she plays a scamming gold-digger who, along with French star Lucie Zhang, gets scammed herself. It’s a trio of international firsts as it will be Hong Kong writer/director Jenny Suen‘s first English language film, Emma Corrin‘s first comedy with top billing, and Hollywood icon Cate Blanchett’s first comedy as a producer (Deadline).

5. James Corden will be returning to interviewing celebrities, but not on TV. Instead, he’ll be doing a SiriusXM show called This Life of Mine with James Corden (USA Today). Guess Conan O’Brien has blazed the trail for post late night life in doing podcasts/radio?

6. We’ll leave you with this: Both John Oliver and Matt Rife are guests on The Tonight Show this Wednesday and, for what it’s worth, we actually would have loved to see this pairing on The Late Late Show with James Corden because both of them would have to share a couch and, presumably, roast each other?

TCB Debriefing 11/4/23: Jessica Sele, Atsuko Okatsuka, James Austin Johnson, Curb Your Enthusiasm, F Marry Kill
November 4, 2023
News
atsuko okatsuka, blonde medicine, comedy album, curb your enthusiasm, james austin johnson, jessica sele, lucy hale, seth meyers, stand up comedy, weird vibes

1. Nailing a comedy album title is often a quietly difficult challenge. Many a comedian try sidestepping it by just going the “Live at…” route while others fall short of the mark with a goofy name coupled with a corny pose for the album cover. For our money, the deeply funny Jessica Sele not only comedically lives up to the pitch perfect album title of Weird Vibes, her brand new record from venerable comedy record label Blonde Medicine, but she embodies it. Sele never ceases to surprise and has us snickering throughout the whole hour in fully embracing her own strangeness in every aspect of her life and presenting so frankly, but doing so with a gleeful awkwardness. All told, Weird Vibes radiates pretty sweet vibes. Weird Vibes is now streaming and available now wherever you get your comedy albums.

2. Not only is Atsuko Okatsuka full grown, but she is a bonafide comedy star. Just look at this tour schedule and sold out dates (and those added dates that you should get tix for if you’re anywhere around those cities).

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A post shared by Atsuko Okatsuka (@atsukocomedy)

2. James Austin Johnson, yet again, proves that he’s the perfect weapon at SNL on his Late Night with Seth Meyers appearance this week.

3. Season 12 of Curb Your Enthusiasm is set for Feb. 2024. Perhaps, it’ll be an early Valentine’s gift on 2/12?

4. Turns out F*ck Marry Kill will be the latest game to be adapted into feature film (THR). This adaptation will, of course, not shy away from the nature of the game and, instead, lean into it with star Lucy Hale trying to figure out which of the three guys she’s dating is a local serial killer and which are F or marriage material. With all of that in mind, we are curious as to who owns the trademark to F Marry Kill if anyone.

5. We’ll leave you with this: Yes, this TCB Debriefing is a day late because we run this site all on our own and book a theater, so apologies for this and any future delays (and thank you kindly for reading).

Pick of the Day: Roz Hernandez (in NYC) 11/8
October 30, 2023
News
new york comedy, ny comedy fest, roz hernandez, stand up comedy

If you somehow weren’t aware, Roz Hernandez is having a moment (and then some). There’s her hit podcast Ghosted!, then the upcoming Hulu comedy adjacent, supernatural reality series Living for the Dead, and then there’s her headlining show at the New York Comedy Festival.

That’s right, Roz will be front and center at the historic Stonewall Inn on Nov. 8th at 7PM as one of, as far as we’re concerned, one of the highlights/gems/must-sees of the entire festival (and there’s a whole lot of everything comedy to choose from). In general, Roz’s penchant for delightful, exuberant mischief is something you should never miss if it’s going to happen anywhere near you, but you definitely need to go snag tix at $25.55 to see Roz put on a gala worthy show at NYCF.

TCB Debriefing 10/23/23: Netflix Verified Stand-Up, Sophie Buddle, Ms. Pat, Whitney Cumming OFTV, If You Were the Last, Desus Nice
October 23, 2023
News
daily show, desus nice, don't tell, if you were the last, ms. pat, netflix is a joke, sophie buddle, stand up comedy, verified stand up

1. First, The Standups, then came The Comedy Lineup. Now, Netflix is having a (slightly) more creative name for their handpicked stand-up showcase series with Verified Stand-Up. Asif Ali, Dulcé Sloan, Gianmarco Soresi, Isiah Kelly, Leslie Liao, Nimesh Patel, Robby Hoffman, Rosebud Baker, Sabrina Wu, and Vanessa Gonzalez have short sets that will premiere on the streaming giant come Tues. Nov. 28th.

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2. Please enjoy the oh so clever (and honestly, kind of naughty, but mostly very clever) Don’t Tell set from one of Canada’s finest comedy exports, Sophie Buddle.

3. Watch the amazing true story of Ms. Pat going from being a plaintiff on Judge Joe Brown to be a beloved touring headlining comedian that is going to have her own small claims court show on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

4. Whitney Cummings is doubling down on OFTV (the non-NSFW arm of OnlyFans) by having her sixth special, Mouthy, premiere and exclusive stream on OFTV come Nov. 15th. Already, she made a big splash with her first OFTV exclusive, The Roast of Bert Kreischer, presented by Cummings. So far, if you want to watch, OFTV doesn’t need a subscription fee or your e-mail (and we’re pretty sure not part of the AMPTP?)

5. Peacock is coming out what might be the cutest space based rom com with the Zoe Chao and Anthony Mackie two-hander, If You Were the Last. Take a gander here and, if you’re digging it, you can stream it now on Peacock.

 

6. FYI, it’s Desus Nice week at The Daily Show with still no permanent host.

7. We’ll leave you with this: generic rock really feels like the wrong pick for trailers for stand-up specials, despite it being the go-to trailer music for almost every comedy special promo.

Pick of the Day: All for Armenia Live Comedy Fundraiser (in LA) 11/3
October 20, 2023
News
armenia, benefit show, fundraiser, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy, ucb

The world isn’t technically at war, but it’s hard to feel like that the whole of the planet is even remotely close to being at peace. One could spin a globe with eyes closed and probably land on a location rife with violent conflict. As such, supporting any and all of the humanitarian aid you can, wherever it may be, is crucial.

That’s why James Adomian is leading a benefit for All for Armenia at UCB on Fri. Nov. 3rd at 10pm, since the horror in Armenia perpetrated by Azerbaijan still continues with ethnic cleansing of Armenians living in the surrendered territory of Artsakh (though you wouldn’t know it from the news).

Joining Adomian is a very stacked line-up of Reggie Watts, Phil Hendrie, Chris Estrada, Alyssa Limperis, Mary Basmadjian, and Nate Craig all for the nice price of $15 (right now). 100% of ticket sales go to All for Armenia.

Go get tix here before they inevitably sell out and, if you’re feeling generous, directly donate to All for Armenia.

TCB Debriefing 10/13/23: Omid Singh, Found Footage Fest, The Afterparty, David Krumholtz, Diablo Cody, Ramy Youssef
October 13, 2023
News
comedy special, david krumholtz, diablo cody, found footage fest, free tickets, lisa frankenstein, omid singh, ramy youssef, stand up comedy, the afterparty

1. Omid Singh has tirelessly worked on his stand-up day in and day out for years in the very crowded LA comedy scene. Yet, you wouldn’t even think about the time he’s put in with the ease, self-assuredness, and quiet command of the stage in his first special, Lil Special. Singh seems carefree and yet on-point for tried and true material that includes a very informative Indian dance lesson. Please enjoy what undoubtedly will be a precursor to a great hour special with Lil Special now on YouTube here.

2. Found Footage Fest has found more footage and more dates and cities to spread the gospel of forgotten VHS content. Go get tix at foundfootagefest.com/tour

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3. There will probably be an afterparty after The Afterparty was just cancelled today by Apple TV+, but it’ll very likely be invite only (and have no murder at it).

4. David Krumholtz once graced the Internet as Gigi with WeatherFrom.com, then was in Oppenheimer, and is now set to play a lit professor with six months to live (Deadline). Look for Lousy Carter in early 2024 to continue to a trend of angry professors in dramedies (Lucky Hank, The Holdovers).

5. Diablo Cody returns (note that Juno came out 16 years ago) with her latest project, Lisa Frankenstein (Deadline) that seems to be a teen rom com with a Frankenstein in it? So, maybe akin to Warm Bodies, but way cooler dialogue?

7. We’ve got free tix for Ramy Youssef headlining The Regent in LA next week. Let us know if you want tix at thecomedybureau@gmail.com this weekend and they very well could be yours.

8. We’ll leave you with this: We guess, get Taylor Swift to be a fan of your comedy?

Pick of the Day: Cult Classic (in LA) Mondays Starting 10/9
October 6, 2023
News
lindsay adams, los angeles comedy, sam wiles, stand up comedy, will miles

No matter the state of the world/economy/government, nothing really changes Mondays from being Mondays and, in our minds, it’s imperative that they are reliable forms of mental relief via legit weekly comedy shows plentifully available. Such is the case on Wednesdays in LA (Hot Tub, Better Half, Microdose, Motherland, Totally!, and Skin Contact to name a few).

Mondays are much more sparing.

That’s why it’s thrilling to hear that LA comedy staples Lindsay Adams, Sam Wiles, and Will Miles are starting up a brand new weekly stand-up show, Cult Classic, in Eagle Rock’s Señor Fish. Every Monday night at 7PM, just head on up Eagle Rock Blvd. to wooden-fort-ish Señor Fish after you bought your $8 tickets to enjoy a painstakingly curated, secret line-up and negate any instance of “having the case of the Mondays”. Also, don’t you want to get in on the ground floor of a “cult classic”?

Keep up with everything for Cult Classic @cultclassiccomedy on IG and go get tickets for their inaugural show this coming Monday, Oct. 9th.

TCB Debriefing 10/4/23: Beth Stelling Special, The Drew Barrymore Show, Chloe Troast on SNL, Moshe Kasher, Zainab Johnson,
October 4, 2023
News
beth stelling, chloe troast, comedy special, moshe kasher, netflix, snl, stand up comedy, the drew barrymore show, zainab johnson

1. The long awaited follow up from Girl Daddy, a special that will be remembered as one of the best of this decade, is finally here. That’s right, Beth Stelling brand new special, If You Didn’t Want Me Then, has just been released on Netflix this morning and delivers on the high expectations that were riding on it. Stelling is somehow even more self-assured in this hour (when that’s already her specialty), commanding the theater and anyone watching it as a special on Netflix with such ease and casual grace. It’s that sort of ever present sense of calm (reinforced by her choice of tea rather than the standard issue bottle of water on the stool) that makes her punchlines and tags and asides pop so acutely. Her continued, evolving portrait of herself as a woman in this day and age is so rich and full even though it feels like an old friend (albeit, your funniest friend) is just catching you up to speed over the last few years. Just give Beth her own late night talk show already. While we wait for that to happen, enjoy If You Didn’t Want Me Then now streaming on Netflix here.

2. The Drew Barrymore Show is now set to return after the debacle of trying to return during the WGA Strike, then rescinding the announcement. That said, her head writers Chelsea White, Cristina Kinon and Liz Koe have declined the offer to return as a result of not only Drew trying to get back on the air during the strike, but finding out via social media ticket giveaways (THR). So, expect at least one, if not a few, “very special episodes” of The Drew Barrymore Show when it finally makes back to TV

3. Chloe Troast will be SNL’s newest cast member and, as of this debriefing, the only new cast member to be added this season. We hope this signals a continuation of SNL getting weirder and wilder as it has with Sarah Squirm, Please Don’t Destroy, James Austin Johnson, and Bowen Yang.

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4. Some folks actually did get around to their King Lear during lockdown. One of those folks is the brilliant comedian Moshe Kasher. Moshe already has one astounding memoir under his belt with Kasher in the Rye and is set to release his next one, Subculture Vulture: A Memoir in Six Scenes, on Jan. 30th. Kasher is such an exquisite writer and storyteller that he shouldn’t have to make a promo on IG to promote the book, but he did anyway so you can enjoy something until the book’s release. Pre-order Subculture Vulture here.

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5. Take your first gander at Zainab Johnson‘s very first hour special, Hijabs Off, due out on Oct. 24th on Amazon Prime. It’ll be the perfect time to watch it as you probably also try to get two day shipping on whatever last minute costume you’re coming up with for Halloween.

 

6. We’ll leave you with this: Should we rebrand the term “gallows humor” as “2020s humor”?

Pick of the Day: DAD (in NYC) 10/16
October 4, 2023
News
alex english, Devon Walker, gary richardson, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Once upon a time, there used to be a special gathering of the comedic powers of Alex English, Devon Walker, and Gary Richardson at the Jane Hotel in the West Village about once a month or so. Called Dad, you’d never really want to miss it when it came around, no matter that there are so many amazing things in NYC comedy that are happening every night and that not all three hosts worked at SNL yet.

Now, English, Walker, and Richardson all write/perform at Saturday Night Live and are returning with Dad at their brand spankin’ new home of The Georgia Room on the other side of the city (specifically Kips Bay, which is specifically-specifically north of Gramercy Park in Manhattan). Celebrate Dad’s glorious return on Mon. Oct. 16th at 8PM. Tickets are $17.85 a pop and you better go get them here now as we’re pretty sure they will sell out.

TCB Debriefing 10/3/23: Blake Wexler Special, Nateland, Only Murders in the Building, Mulaney, CYSWK
October 3, 2023
News
blake wexler, comedians you should and will know, comedy special, john mulaney, nate bargatze, nateland, only murders in the buidling, stand up comedy, vulture

1. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, Blake Wexler’s pandemic fueled exodus from LA back to Philly, then releasing a humdinger of a comedy special makes our hearts here at TCB flutter. Daddy Long Legs is the debut hour special from Wexler and Blake makes the sort of first grand impression with a special that one could hope for their very first hour. Taking cues from mentor Todd Glass, Blake is an agile balance of silly and sincere and exuberant and nuanced. He doesn’t so much navigates through this hour as he jubilantly flies through it and it’s quite the ride he takes you on. Please enjoy Daddy Long Legs streaming now, for free, on YouTube, courtesy of 800 Pound Gorilla, here.

2. Nate Bargatze has added entertainment mogul to his resume with the official unveiling of his content company Nateland (Deadline). Though it’s focused on “family friendly” fare, amazing specials from Joe Zimmerman and Greg Warren produced by Nateland suggest that there is plenty to be enjoyed by adults who hate “family friendly” content.

3. Only Murders in the Building will get a fourth season, which means comedy/banjo legend Steve Martin will stay in the realm of comedy for a little longer, thank goodness.

4. John Mulaney just announced dates for a national tour running through all of November and December. If you want tickets, you better go to johnmulaney.com right now before they all sell out.

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A post shared by John Mulaney (@johnmulaney)

5. Vulture’s 2023 class of Comedians You Should & Will Know was finally unveiled yesterday and, in case you didn’t already know, we have something to do with it. Please go enjoy what might be the most fairly run list (we run it kind of like the MacArthur Genius Grant) of “who’s next/who to watch” in all of comedy.

6. We’ll leave you with this: if you’re wondering how commonplace parallel thought is in comedy, late night had five months off due to the WGA Strike and still managed to land many of the same jokes about the same news items on their first night back.

Pick of the Day: Velvet Tuesdays with Cameron Esposito (in LA) 10/10
October 3, 2023
News
cameron esposito, elysian theater, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy, variety show

We think all that we should have to say to get you to go to this is that Cameron Esposito is starting up a monthly show at the Elysian and then you would just go buy tickets here.

That said, we’ll fill you in on some details. Esposito remains as one of our favorite comedians for all of her wit, candor, and warmth that has only gotten more refined and nuanced since we’ve first saw her live on stage. The prospect of getting to see her live on a regular basis again is absolutely thrilling news and that will indeed be happening with Velvet Tuesdays with Cameron Esposito, a (for now) monthly show at the Elysian kicking off on Tues. Oct. 10th at 7:30PM.

The inaugural line-up will be stacked with the likes of Byron Bowers, Steph Tolev, Deb DiGiovanni, and Chad Damiani.

Tickets are $16 and we highly suggest getting on them right now right here before they sell out.

 

Pick of the Day: Don’t Tell Comedy NYC Tapings (in NYC) 10/6 & 10/7
September 29, 2023
News
don't tell comedy, live taping, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Though the name says otherwise, Don’t Tell Comedy is a nationwide (and, actually, an international) phenomenon. This year alone, they’ll have done thousands of pop up comedy shows in over 140 cities, wherever they may be a weird, cool, non-traditional comedy venue and strong comedy scene might be.

The strength of that brand has lead them into now having taped sets presented on Don’t Tell’s YouTube channel that rival any that you’d see on TV or streaming services. If you’re in the NYC area next week, you could actually be part of the latest round of Don’t Tell Comedy tapings, set for Fri. Oct. 6th in Williamsburg/Brooklyn and Chelsea/Manhattan on Sat. Oct. 7th. You could actually make it a comedy taping hat trick as Comedy Central’s tapings are on 10/5.

Tickets are only $25 and, per the Don’t Tell Comedy protocol, the line-up is secret and exact location is revealed day of after purchase of your ticket. Go get them here before they sell out.

youtube

Pick of the Day: Filipino Comedy Festival (in NYC) 10/20 & 10/21
September 27, 2023
News
caveat, filipino american heritage month, filipino comedy festival, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

It’s comedy festival season in NYC. The New York Comedy Festival is on the horizon, there is Apartment Fest 2023, and now there is the very first Filipino Comedy Festival, presented by the NYC Filipino comedy collective that is Banana Ketchup, that’s coming to NYC as well (just in time for Filipino American Heritage Month, FYI).

Keith Pedro, Patricia Dinglasan, and Kyle Marian will indeed be taking over Caveat in LES for four shows over two night highlighting some of the best Filipino comedians, many of which have gotten shine elsewhere on TV or in LA & NYC including Michael Cruz Kayne, Andrew Orolfo, and Clare O’Kane. Fingers crossed that there will be plentiful lumpia as well instead of the typical comedy show staple of chicken fingers.

Come kick off this inaugural Filipino Comedy Festival on Fri. Oct. 20th and Sat.. Oct. 21st and you can snag $15 tickets if you go buy them right now (this will also be available for livestream if you’re not in NYC or maybe in the P.I.).

Pick of the Day: Apartment Fest 2023 (in NYC) 10/19-10/22
September 25, 2023
News
apartment fest, eitan levine, harlem, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Sure, sure, The New York Comedy Fest is coming in November and taking over the entire NYC comedy scene for a week and a half. What if you don’t want to wait until November for a comedy festival in the NYC area?

Thank goodness that Eitan Levine is here for you with the return of his Apartment Fest, a four day comedy festival that’s run out of, you guessed it, his apartment, somewhere in Harlem (and it’s a little crazy to us that this doesn’t happen more often in any of the five boroughs, to be honest). This will be the festival’s sophomore year following his first run pre-pandemic that, like so many things in comedy, started as a joke (creating a festival because Eitan was rejected from a comedy festival), then manifested into a real, very fun thing.

This year, Apartment Fest will run Thurs. Oct. 19th-Sun. Oct. 22nd with NYC comedy scene staples as headliners including Chloe Radcliffe, Ismael Loutfi, Stef Dag, Sureni Weerasekera, and Matthew Broussard. Tickets are $10 per show right now and we highly suggest you get in on ’em here.

Pick of the Day: Comedy Central Stand Up Featuring Taping (in NYC) 10/5
September 21, 2023
News
comedy central, nyc comedy, stand up comedy, taping

Comedy Central is doing its latest round of exclusive tapings for their digital stand-up showcases, which is the most consistent stand-up comedy endeavor from the comedy channel these days. Also, it has been nice to see that these recent tapings have seen comics getting to play fast and loose rather than stick strictly to a set list.

The 2023 NYC Comedy Central Stand-up Featuring will have two tapings at NYC’s beloved Cutting Room on Thurs. Oct. 5th. Per usual, tapings are free to attend so long as you RSVP (do so here).

Slated to perform are choice picks out of the NYC comedy scene:

6:30PM: Ayanna Dookie, Sam Morrison, Chinedu Unaka, Homles, Randall Otis, Lucas Zelnick & Kate Sisk

9PM: Tommy Brennan, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, Usama Siddiquee, Mark Smalls, Mav Viola, Asha Ward, Ethan Simmons-Patterson, & Eagle Witt

Again, RSVP here before it fills up! FYI, there is an open bar an hour prior to the show!

 

TCB Debriefing 9/18/23: CCSUF, NYCF, Talk Shows Pause Return, Russell Brand, Barbie, Jonah Kills
September 18, 2023
News
barbie, bill maher, comedy central, drew barrymore, jax media, jonah kills, new york comedy fest, russell brand, stand up comedy, wga strike

1. The latest round of Comedy Central’s digital stand-up showcase, “Featuring” or more explicitly “Comedy Central Stand Up Featuring” just announced its New York line-ups for its latest taping. The likes of Ayanna Dookie, Sam Morrison, Chinedu Unaka, Homles, Randall Otis, Lucas Zelnick, Kate Sisk, Tommy Brennan, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, Usama Sidiquee, Mark Smalls, Mav Viola, Asha Ward, Ethan Simmons-Patterson, and Eagle Witt will be taking the Cutting Room stage on Thurs. Oct. 5th. Admission is free so long as you RSVP to the early or late show here. Thank goodness this came along and the arrival of Comics Unleashed on CBS won’t be on the only short form stand-up you’ll see from a TV network.

2. The New York Comedy Festival, running from Nov. 3rd-12th, just made a big announcement for their line-up and schedule which includes:

Get the full schedule/line-up/tickets all at nycomedyfestival.com/schedule

3. Both Drew Barrymore and Bill Maher have paused their return of their respective talk shows, The Drew Barrymore Show and Real Time with Bill Maher (NY Times), following controversy stemming from the ongoing WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes. Considering negotiations are to resume on Wednesday; let’s hope this is a good omen for talks to pick up in earnest and bring the strikes to an end with fair deals all around.

4. Russell Brand is facing allegations of emotional abuse, sexual assault, and rape during the “height of his fame” and nearly every project and endeavor has been put on pause (BBC). We would wonder how has it taken this long for this to come out, but the story of survivors is so frequent that it’s common knowledge that it could take years and years and years for them to step forward when processing trauma.

5. Barbie has just surpassed The Avengers as the 11th highest grossing domestic release in film history with $626 million in U.S. theaters (Variety). If it makes $30 million more at home, it’ll beat the far less raved about Jurassic World to be in the top 10.

6. Showtime is lining up its ducks for when the strike ends, starting with a UK comedy from UK theater impresario Clem Garrity called Jonah Kills (Deadline). Fingers crossed that this is another sign that we’re nearing the end of the strikes, which has lasted 139 days.

7. We’ll leave you with this: Elon Musk is thinking of starting to charge for use of Twitter/X concluding that it might be the best way to combat bots on the platform. It’s also the best way to finally sink Twitter into oblivion besides trying (and kind of failing) to change its name to X.

 

Pick of the Day: Kumail Nanjiani is Doing This Again (in LA) 10/3
September 18, 2023
News
kumail nanjiani, largo, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy

It has been seemingly an eon and a half has passed since hundreds of folks would gather at the back of Meltdown Comics to see Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani helm one of the best weekly comedy shows in the country. While the physical space that housed The Meltdown with Jonah & Kumail is now slated to be another overpriced apartment building in LA, we’re over the moon to see Kumail’s return to stand-up comedy after becoming a legitimate movie star.

You’ve might have seen Kumail in and around LA popping up as a special guest, but he’s taking over a whole night at Largo at the Coronet (a short drive from Sunset x Gardner) on Tues. Oct. 3rd. The show was just announced today and bound to sell out. So, get your tix at $46 a pop here quick.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 181: Nataly Aukar & NYC Mornings
September 13, 2023
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
nataly aukar, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

For those who that pine catching someone’s ascension in comedy as it’s happening, one might not need to look further than NYC comedy staple Nataly Aukar. From Lebanon to NYC to all around the world, Nataly has worked her way through the comedy ranks, refined her skills, found her voice, and crafted her story with plenty of punchlines to tell on stages all around the U.S. and around the world (she’s playing Dubai later this month). This week’s TCB Field Report has a beautiful chat with Aukar about her process and perspective on comedy, both within herself and all around her.

Follow Nataly @natyourcolor on IG

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by Carly Hoogendyk

Pick of the Day: Chatterday Nite (in LA) Starting 10/7
September 12, 2023
News
chatterbox, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy

Though still far from what travel guides what consider the “hip” neighborhoods in and around LA, West Covina still remains home to one of the LA comedy scene’s best weekly nights of comedy at The Chatterbox. Partially due to its distance from LA proper as well as their well-earned group of regulars, Chatterbox Comedy, is well worth the trip to further reaches of the Greater LA Area for both comics and comedy fans.

Starting Sat. Oct. 7th at 8PM, you’ll have more chances to see what a great room they’re running out East as Chatterbox is launching a weekly Saturday night show for headliners (as opposed to their showcase format of 6-7 comics). This Saturday night show, which will be called Chatterday Nite, will go with a more traditional headliner format of host, feature, headliner and starting off with the amazing homegrown talents of Chris Estrada, Scott Luhrs, and host Corina Sagun.

Chatterday Nite will be every Saturday night, pairing quite nicely with the Sunday night show. So, make plans to head out to The Chatterbox starting, again, on Oct. 7th after you get your tickets for $10 a pop here. Keep up to date with all things Chatterbox Comedy @chatterboxcomedy on IG.

 

Pick of the Day: Pooping It Out with Maria Bamford & Friends (in NYC) 9/5-9/7
September 1, 2023
News
maria bamford, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Maria Bamford is bringing her early, rise and shine stand-up comedy shows across the country all the way to NYC. Whether you’re an early riser or just keeping the night going through to the morning, you’re going to want to watch living and working comedy legend Maria Bamford do a three day run at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective that she’s choosing to call Pooping It Out with Maria Bamford and Friends.

Maria is working her new hour, which is part of the reason why these shows are at 10AM, and will have some of NYC’s very best opening for her, bright and early (for comedians anyway). Joining in support will be Sara Hennessey, Shalewa Sharpe, and Sam Morrison at 10AM on 9/5-9/7.

$10 advanced tickets are already sold out, but you’ll be able to get a chance to see her with limited tickets available at the door (i.e. get up extra early to make sure you get in).

Pick of the Day: Return of Butterboy (in NYC) Starting 9/4
August 28, 2023
News
brooklyn, butterboy, littlefield, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

School is back in session and, thankfully, so is the Monday night comedy institution that is Butterboy @ Littlefield. Jo Firestone, Maeve Higgins, and Donwill took a bit of Summer break (because can adults do that too/Edinburgh Fringe usually sees a lot of LA & NYC go to Scotland for a month).

So, now you can find your way to Gowanus to Brooklyn staple, Littlefield at 8PM sharp for one of the most surefire ways to make Monday feel not like a Monday (with NYC and beyond’s best stand-up comedians). Per usual, tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door and Jo, Maeve, and Donwill will greet all of those coming back with them on Mon. Sept. 4th.

Oh yeah, their first line-up is a bunch of irrefutable NYC favorites including Napoleon Emill, Caitlin Cook, Petey DeAbreu, and Cansu Karabiyik.

As always get tix, more info, etc. at butterboycomedy.com.

Pick of the Day: aggressively alive 2 Year Anniversary (in LA) 8/30
August 21, 2023
News
aggressively alive, house show, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy, variety

A lot of DIY shows popped up after quarantine and, while they had their time in the sun, they faded away as performing indoors become a more ready option. So, putting on a house show and keeping it going for years is really something.

Maddy Martin, Ben Berke, and Eli Josel have dutifully kept their monthly DIY show, Aggressively Alive, in WeHo bathed in blue light and white folding chairs and stacked line-ups of their personal LA favorites in a space that looks like it wouldn’t be able to host a comedy show going strong. Two years in, it’s a big monthly underground comedy party, complete with slickly branded merch.

They’re celebrating their two years officially on Wed. Aug. 30th (doors/party @ 7:30PM) with another line-up of their favorites from, well, all over the country.

That will include:

EJ Marcus
Jamel Dotson
Ketra Long
Langston Kerman
Laura Peek
Luke Mones
Megan Gailey
Sarah Coffey
Tom Thakkar
Vinny Thomas

Tickets are only $9 and we highly suggest snagging them before too long at aggressivelyalive.com.

Pick of the Day: James Adomian Stand Up Comedy Special Taping (in LA) 9/14
August 17, 2023
News
800 pound gorilla, comedy album, james adomian, live taping, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy, the elysian

It has been well over a decade since the release of the brilliant comedy album Low Hanging Fruit from the always astounding James Adomian. Though we’d like to have a new hour from Adomian to binge and listen on repeat much sooner, James has been, over the last 11 years, a little busy touring as Bernie Sanders opposite Anthony Atamanuik’s Trump, and playing several voices on your favorite adult animated series, doing one of the best hidden gem podcasts The Underculture, amongst several other things.

Thankfully, this Adomian drought will come to an end as James is set to tape his very first stand-up comedy special and brand new hour next month for 800 Pound Gorilla Media. At The Elysian on Thurs. Sept. 14th, James will give those in attendance the meticulously honed collection of hysterical, incisive socio-political coupled with the most spot-on impressions you’ve ever heard or seen.

Tickets are only $15 right now for either 7:30PM or 9:30PM tapings and you best go get tickets here now.

 

DeAnne Smith’s “Chiweenie In A Tank Top” Is a Perfect Spoonful of Sugar for Talking About Identity
August 15, 2023
News
800 pound gorilla, chiweenie in a tank top, comedy album, deanne smith, stand up comedy

Mary Poppins’ refrain of a “spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down” is, unknowingly, a core function of comedy. The underlying philosophies and messages from a comedian are often dissolved into the sweetness of their well-crafted jokes. That said, many a comedian these days opt out of the sugar-quality of comedy and instead decide to serve their medicine/message with a generous portion of even more sour tasting medicine.

DeAnne Smith is and has long been a bright and shining example of the former as they employ their preternatural warmth and extremely keen joke writing chops to actually explore those “pesky” modern day identity politics of gender, sexuality, and what to do when running into Jon Hamm. Such nuanced depth is thankfully caught on digital wax on their latest release, the perfectly titled Chiweenie In A Tank Top.

Recorded live at the Curious Comedy Theater in Portland, OR, DeAnne gave an extensive tour of so many spectrums (and even joyfully ribbed what was a very open-minded crowd). Pronouns, feminism, hotness, the death penalty, writing a joke about the death penalty, and more highly debatable are dissected with aplomb. What’s intriguing is that Smith doesn’t necessarily present this an hour of comedy necessarily as an answer for every debate, but, instead gives a hysterical account of their life and how they’re faring in a world that’s (thankfully) continuing to evolve. That’s definitely a sweeter angle to play than joking about what one clearly thinks is explicitly capital G and B, good and bad.

Essentially, the message here is that spectrums don’t have to be frustrating and can be a beautiful thing if you feel lost, in between, or outside of the “norm”. Just think about that in regards to the title, Chiweenie In A Tank Top (a great line lifted from this very lovely, affirming hour of stand-up).

DeAnne Smith’s Chiweenie In A Tank Top is now streaming pretty much everywhere you get your comedy albums. Listen in here.

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Pick of the Day: Christina Catherine Martinez (in NYC) 9/24
August 14, 2023
News
christina catherine martinez, experimental comedy, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Unflinching in her quest to distill the most nuanced of ideologies into abject tomfoolery, Christina Catherine Martinez is taking her preposterously sublime comedy across the country again, all the way to NYC. We here in Southern California are blessed to see the critically acclaimed comedian in all sorts places high and low, from the esteemed REDCAT all the way to an out-of-the-way dive bar.

Martinez will be taking over one of Brooklyn’s beloved comedy establishments, Littlefield, next month to do, well, whatever she wants (which might include some intellectual dissection of Taco Bell and/or unbridled satirization of the gender binary). The brilliant River Ramirez will be joining Christina for this special evening of the highest and lowest brow comedy together.

Christina is set to play Littlefield on Sun. Sept. 24th at 8PM. Tickets are only $15.54 and we highly suggest you get them here.

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