stand up – Page 3 – The Comedy Bureau

Please Enjoy This Latest, Vivacious Set from Daniel Webb

July 6, 2020

We’ve said plenty of things in praise of Daniel Webb here and elsewhere and we will continue to do so because he is such a sharp, quick-witted, subversive charmer. Since he started making his way from Austin, TX to LA, we’ve always been taken with how undeniably fun his entire persona is and how dark and blue he can go while still maintaining his merry disposition.

As part of Comedy Central’s digital stand-up showcase series, the network caught this marvelous set from Daniel that we’d highly urge you to enjoy here (especially if you’re going to catch him live at the Tribeca Drive-In this weekend).

Please Enjoy This Socially Distanced Produced Bit About Going to Trader Joe’s by Naomi Ekperigin

July 3, 2020

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When it comes to stand-up comedy, the majority of stages are still empty, microphones untouched, and audiences still (hopefully) safely at home during this pandemic. Thankfully, good folks like director Scott Moran have been doing safely, socially distanced bits of comedy that, as with all of his work, have such a distinct, poignant look.

This latest safely produced bit of stand-up comes from Naomi Ekperigin (our guest on TCB Field Report this week) while sitting on the steps at the back of her house to go off on this splendid rant about what her experience going to Trader Joe’s in these times of quarantine is like.

Please enjoy it (and be more mindful and considerate at Trader Joe’s or any store that you’re going to these days) here.

View this post on Instagram

A couple weeks ago, the gifted @scottmoran9876 filmed me doing some socially distant seated stand up on my back steps. I asked Scott for a suggestion and all hell broke loose when he said the word “GROCERIES.” #coronachronicles #traderjoes #lemons

A post shared by Naomi (@blacktresscomedy) on Jul 2, 2020 at 2:28pm PDT

Please Watch and Listen to Blair Socci’s Powerful/Cathartic Set About Sexual Abuse

June 29, 2020

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One of the more amazing things that comedy does is reveling with darkness and demons in such a way that makes people feel less alone. Blair Socci, who we’ve enjoyed see become a great staple around the LA comedy scene, ran this particular set at Faded LA that’s entirely about how she was sexually abused when she was a teenager. It’s a revelatory set (yet, still aggressively upbeat as is Blair’s nature) that is as truthful and vulnerable as we’ve seen anyone get in stand-up.

Sharing experiences like this, especially through the lens of comedy, is the sort of shining-the-light-on-the-darkness that likely makes other people that went through such trauma to feel unafraid to share their story. From there, really understanding how pervasive sexual abuse/harassment/assault is, we can hopefully move forward and not let that sort of harm hide in the shadows any longer.

Please, watch, enjoy, and listen to Blair’s set here.

FYI, Rory Scovel Has Been Releasing Great Morsels of His Stand-Up Every Week

June 26, 2020

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rory scovel, stand up

The second wave of realizing that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t gone away, which also means the prospect of live-in-person stand-up is getting put on hold for even longer. That also means brand new bits, specials, albums of stand-up are going to take on some new form (done via Zoom or at drive-in) or they’ll be never-before-seen-or-released material from yesteryear.

Rory Scovel has plenty of his past performances, that are always equal parts beautifully ephemeral and sharply crafted, taped and, since quarantine started, began releasing bits every week. Scovel is definitely the sort of comedian whose performances are so unique to themselves, as he’s always so present and takes advantage of the moment and the space, to see excerpts from his sets is like getting an official bootleg collection track by track. If a Scovel bootleg collection were up for sale from Rory, you could definitely count us in for pre-order.

So, go get into Scovel’s weekly stand-up collection here, especially this bit that was done a month before lockdown and that will probably be relevant for quite some time.

Eddie Pepitone’s “For The Masses” Might Be the Sort of Dark Comedy Stand-up Special You Need Right Now

June 23, 2020

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Though it was shot over a year ago and the world is such a wildly different place than it was in February 2019, the words, rants, bits, and asides of Eddie Pepitone in his latest hour special For The Masses is more relevant than ever.

For The Masses is the perfect title for Pepitone’s latest (on top of being his best hour yet). Eddie’s stand-up is simultaneously for the disenfranchised/a challenge to the power structures that surround us all as well as an exquisite deconstruction of the comedic form (as Eddie is famous for going on tangents, commenting on tangents, and bringing it all back somehow). That has been Pepitone’s brand for decades at this point, but there is a special spirit that is caught in this Pepitone special, directed by frequent collaborator Steven Feinartz. There is an electricity throughout the crowd (full disclosure, we were there) and Eddie was as sharp as we’ve ever seen him. There is always an air of dark comedic prophecy that comes with Eddie’s stand-up that gets joyfully contrasted with abject silliness and absurdity. Whether it’s about late capitalism, dictators, or how Eddie specifically envisions how forgetful he would get as his brain deteriorates with age, Pepitone is one of the best when it comes to reckoning with genuine dark comedy that’s so unbelievably funny.

Eddie Pepitone: For The Masses just released today. You can get it here. Go get and enjoy the special that is pretty in line with the zeitgeist though it was taped several months ago.

Here’s a bit of a teaser by the way.

My new special FOR THE MASSES is now on Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play and more! Go watch it before I die!!! Album out too! Directed by @stevenfeinartz Get it here: https://t.co/mBACExgUaK pic.twitter.com/FMnwH8HCRu

— eddie pepitone (@eddiepepitone) June 23, 2020

Please Get and Enjoy Chris Fairbanks’ New Hour Special “Rescue Cactus”

June 22, 2020

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Throughout all of our years of watching live comedy (or comedy in general), few are as mastered at being purely silly as Chris Fairbanks. The dedication and care that Fairbanks puts into his wonderfully ridiculous bits are evident in how intricate his comedy can get and we’ve enjoyed the dozens and dozens of times that we’ve seen all of that up close. Whether it be acrobatic level word play or outright tomfool observations, Fairbanks has always delivered on every stage.

Capturing Chris’ joyful lightning in a bottle and releasing in some form or another hasn’t in some time, but thankfully, there’s this brand new hour special, Rescue Cactus just released today. It’s a marvelous collection of the sort of high flying absurdity that Chris couples with his animated, yet slightly grounded delivery. It’s the sort of contrast that heightens the comedy in such a superb way (even the pre-taped, staged opening embodies this notion).

Simply put, if you need a big dose of silly, get and enjoy Chris Fairbanks’ Rescue Cactus now.

Teaser for Eric Andre’s “Legalize Everything” Points Out the Absurdity of the Recently Cancelled Show “Cops”

June 12, 2020

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The works of Eric Andre over the last few years have been so outlandish and absurdist that one might forget about his stand-up, which is also wonderfully outlandish and absurd. That’ll all be put on display in his upcoming special Legalize Everything coming to Netflix on Tues. Jun. 23rd and you can see how bombastic Andre can get with just himself and a microphone.

This teaser was just released in promotion of the special and just happened to be so timely with all the mass protests again police brutality as Andre satirically paints a picture of how insane the long-running show known as Cops really is. We’ve seen Eric Andre do this bit for so many years, one might wonder why the reality docu-series Cops only got its run ended only now, in June of 2020. Watch it here, and, obviously, set a reminder for Jun. 23rd for Legalize Everything.

Pick of the Day: An Evening with Baratunde Thurston

June 2, 2020

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In general, you should follow, hear, and listen to the comedy and works of Baratunde Thurston. On top of having a resume that sports The Onion and The Daily Show and bestselling book How To Be Black, everything Baratunde has involved himself in (Live on Lockdown) has struck a balance of forward thinking, succinct, socially conscious, and, of course, funny.

So, at this moment of on-going mass protests sparked by the murder of an unarmed George Floyd by law enforcement, we’re betting that he’ll have something to say that you really ought to hear, especially as there will be a Q&A. He’ll be doing a virtual headlining stand-up set at the Nowhere Comedy Club this Wednesday, Jun. 3rd at 6PM PT/9PM ET.

Tickets are $10-$25 and you can and should go get them here.

Pick of the Day: “Nore Davis: Live from The Comedy Trap House” ALBUM RECORDING

May 27, 2020

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Several weeks of quarantine and lockdown have passed and, with every passing week, comedy that has been done via live-stream has gotten better and tighter. Some forward thinking comedians have taken all this time, especially with the prospect of live stand-up comedy returning in full force still being unsure, to do full sets/headline over Zoom.

One such comedian is Nore Davis. Davis has done plenty of “stage time” with his Live from The Comedy Trap House series on Zoom and is now opting to make a big leap and record a comedy album while on Zoom, which very well may be the first comedy album to be recorded on Zoom while in quarantine. On top of that, Davis’ upbeat persona and succinct observations are something that we have loved since we heard his first album, Home Game, a few years ago.

If you want to take part in comedy history, there will be two shows for Nore on Fri. May 29th at 4PM PT/7PM ET and 6PM/9PM ET. Admission is free, but you will need to RSVP for the Zoom link. Get details, reserve free tickets here.

Hannah Gadsby’s “Douglas” Is a Very Satisfying Follow-Up to Her Historic Special “Nanette”

May 26, 2020

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If you’re reading this, you have no doubt watched Hannah Gadsby‘s lighting rod, milestone hour special Nanette, which debuted on Netflix in 2018, rippling the very fabric of comedy and amplifying the conversation about sexual violence against women.

The follow-up to that hour is saddled with a unique sort of anticipation that even stands apart for Chappelle’s grand return to stand-up comedy a few years ago. There was so much debate about whether Nanette could even be considered a comedy, an opinion almost exclusively voiced by men who probably felt attacked or rudely awakened in some way by Gadsby’s show. Thus, the expectations for the new special are kilometers higher (Gadsby makes a great point of not bending too much to American whims in Douglas) than they were before.

So, how do you follow your own historic comedy special? Well, just make another damn good special. That’s exactly what happened with this new hour Douglas from Gadsby.

This time around, Hannah shows just how masterful she is at managing expectations. In fact, she even “shows her hand before playing it” by offering up an outline of her hour and giving notes to her critics all before she gets it started. Layered into that is her explicit message that she’s letting all of us know what she’s going to do, therefore taking comedy’s crucial element of surprise away, and still presenting an exquisite hour of comedy. To pull off comedy without the surprise really shows how undeniable your persona, writing, delivery, and command of the audience really is (i.e. how great of a comedian you really are).

The weaving of clever, yet still subversive observations on America, some of the best art history jokes that comedy has ever or will ever have, a continuation of the great, fiery teardown of the patriarchy, enlightening material on autism altogether are so arrestingly delivered by Gadsby that it doesn’t matter that you might know what’s coming during this whole performance. Nanette turned the notion of tension on its head and Hannah has now moved on to deconstructing and turned the concept of expectation on its head for Douglas.

If you’re to draw a divide between American style stand-up and the more solo-show, narrative-based hours of the UK and Australia, Gadsby has successfully made a blend of the two. Douglas absolutely takes the baton from Nanette in form and content, but Gadsby makes a comedy special that is hysterical throughout that answers her critics on her own terms even though she absolutely doesn’t need to.

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas is now streaming on Netflix and you really ought to go watch it as soon as you can.

Myq Kaplan, Yet Again, Makes His Best Album Yet “A.K.A.”

May 7, 2020

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The artistic evolution of Myq Kaplan is particularly fascinating to us as Myq has steadily grown and become a deeper, more evolved, conscientious, and even more clever comedian and yet, still maintained his core of playfulness and almost unrivaled ability with wordplay. You can see this throughout all of the albums, specials, and live performances that we’ve personally been in attendance for.

A.K.A. is the latest milestone along Myq’s path and, for our money, his most personal album yet with diving even deeper into his personal life, view on mortality, spiritual realizations, and journey with ayahuasca ceremonies. Though such subject matter might seem like all weighty topics, Kaplan’s bouncy energy, not unlike a pinball speeding around bumpers for pun and callback bonuses, is still very, very much present through every bit and story. In fact, there’s an air of effortlessness to Myq’s delivery of what has to be incredibly honed bits making Kaplan’s exploration of more heady topics pretty damn funny.

A.K.A. is available from Blonde Medicine on May 8th, but you can (and very much should) pre-order it now.

Jamel Johnson’s New Special “Friend or Foe” Made Without an Audience Because of COVID-19 Pandemic

April 28, 2020

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comedy special, friend or foe, jamel johnson, stand up

In addition to being one of the comedians that you should be watching as they make their ascension, Jamel Johnson is so self-realized in his comedic persona that we could truly hear him rant about anything for quite awhile.

That notion really got put to the test with Jamel’s brand new special Friend or Foe that, because of that damn pandemic we’re all living through, was made completely without an audience. Johnson did shoot this 1/2 hour special with a two-man crew and proper social distancing of course at one of LA’s most beloved indie venues, The Lyric Hyperion.

It will never not be strange to hear stand-up without a live audience laughing, but, for our money, Jamel’s passionate rants about the socio-political minutia of life are just so damn funny that they transcend a completely empty room.

Interestingly enough, Jamel’s special actually stands out from any other sort of special that was done with little to no audience. Drew Michael’s HBO special was set up to seem like he’s in his own head as he’s telling his own jokes along with some staged scripted scenes and Harland Williams’ Force of Nature was shot in the middle of a desert. Both were conceptual adventures in to what might happen at outer limits of stand-up comedy.

Johnson’s Friend or Foe, on the other hand, is a half-hour special that was made out of what the circumstances have afforded him. There isn’t really any tailoring of any of his material to the times or for the strange conditions in which the special was produced. Jamel is just standing alone delivering the his material out a sheer, undeniable need to. While defying the art form of comedy in so many ways, an unfazed Johnson rolling through his material with no audience (with the same sort of vigor he would normally have in the before times) somehow speaks to the tireless drive of being a stand-up comedian. The image of Jamel yelling about the small stuff in an empty room is, in of itself, a pretty great over-arching joke that, for us, had us busting up laughing the whole way through.

Jamel Johnson: Friend or Foe is out now on Vimeo for $5. Go get and enjoy it here already.

Please Enjoy This Recent (from the Before Times) Set from Jena Friedman

April 16, 2020

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Before everything got locked down, there was a good deal of stand-up done in the way where it used to be done without social distancing, going out, etc. One of those collections of stand-up that was recently released, Taking the Stage, comes from Comedy Central x Refinery 29 and just so happens to feature one of our all time favorites, Jena Friedman.

Jena Friedman has always managed to find comedy right in and around the edge. Impeccable writing, pinpoint delivery, and an unflappable sense of composure have served her dark sense of humor very well. While this set does revel in dark, prescient humor, it’s intriguing to see and hear it right now when, comparatively, it seems somewhat less dark.

In any case, Jena delivered a splendid set. Please enjoy her it here.

Pick of the Day: Comedy Quaranweed (LA Food Bank Benefit) 4/20

April 16, 2020

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@ComedyQuarantine has been holding down a very solid live stand-up comedy live-stream Monday-Friday for weeks now. Hosting a nice handful of comedians from all around the country, they’re now going for another big one-off on 4/20 (and of course, keeping it 420 friendly) with Comedy Quaranweed featuring 20 great comedians doing 4 minutes instead of just having their normal, daily line-up of 5 and they’ll be doing it to raise money for the LA Food Bank that has always given food to those desperately in need and are providing a crucial service during this time of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We wouldn’t be surprised if some (or a lot of the line-up) gets a little “toasted” for this special 4/20 show.

On the Comedy Quaranweed bill, is:
Barbara Gray
Jamel Johnson
Jamie Loftus
Teresa Lee
Nick Rutherford
Kat Toledo
Bri Pruett
Tess Barker
Daniel Rugg Webb
Megan Gailey
Erin Lampart
Will Miles
Paul Danke
Lisa Chanoux
Nori Reed
Liza Treyger
Chris Charpentier
Christine Medrano
Jes Tom

To get in on the Comedy Quaranweed, tune into @comedyquarantine on IG Live at 6PM PT/9PM ET

Please Enjoy Marlena Rodriguez’s Late Night Debut on A Little Late with Lilly Singh

March 11, 2020

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From where we’re looking, it might seem like there’s a nice little wave of late night stand-up debuts this month. Last week, Hannah Einbinder dazzled on Colbert. This week, Marlena Rodriguez graces the stage of A Little Late with Lilly Singh for her very own late night network TV debut (and we sincerely hope more are coming over the next couple of weeks)

Rodriguez blends bits of sobering honesty with undeniable silliness, which she especially commits during act outs. It’s a very satisfying mix of the dark and the light that Marlena has perfected over the years.

So, please enjoy Marlena’s comedic stylings with this very set from last night’s A Little Late with Lilly Singh.

The Sklar Brothers Deliver Another Classic Sklar Brothers Set on Conan

March 10, 2020

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Simply put, The Sklar Brothers are and have always been a true joy to watch. Their cadence, act outs, writing, rhythm, imagination always make for a joyful ride through their marvelous brand of comedy. Of course, as their duo of twins, they are just able to hit those punchlines and tags so damn fast and it never fails to have us cackling wherever and whenever we happen to be watching them.

All of that is on display with their latest appearance on Conan, which you should very much watch here.

Pedro Gonzalez Makes His American Late Night TV Debut on Colbert

January 9, 2020

Uncategorized

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We gave one of 100 best of 2019 slots to one Pedro Gonzalez because he was so damn good at crafting jokes regardless of him learning English as a second language.

Well, here’s Pedro doing just that very thing yet again on last night’s Colbert, so precise with misdirection and timing. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.

Please enjoy the set here.

December 31, 2019

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If there was a perfect way to remember 2019, it would be an irreverent, mad dash showcase of the worst jokes that many of LA’s best told throughout the year.

Lucky enough hosts Barbara Gray and Dave Child are, once again, doing 50 Worst Jokes at Silverlake Lounge to revel in the burning garbage pile of 2019 in the way that it absolutely should be remembered.

Admission to 50 Worst Jokes is FREE. Get more details and updated line-ups for the show here.

Comedy Central to Stream 20 Years of Stand Up Comedy Over 24 Hours Tonight

October 17, 2019

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Leading up to their latest run of half-hour comedy specials for this year, Comedy Central is running back a score’s worth of stand-up featured on their network in a 24 hour livestream.

Starting tonight at Oct. 17th at 8PM PST, it ought to be one hell of a trip up through memory lane as you can see in this promo clip here.

If you’re into this 24 Hours of Stand Up, you can stream it here on Comedy Central Stand-Up’s YouTube Channel.

Gary Gulman Might Literally Have the Definitive Bit on the Word “Literally”

September 30, 2019

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The precision of Gary Gulman’s observations never cease to amaze as shown in this bit from his upcoming HBO special Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh.

There have been many bits about the usage/transformation of the word “literally” in modern parlance, but, for our money, Gary is “literally” the best one we’ve heard.

Watch it here, then be sure to watch Gary Gulman: The Grat Depresh premiere on HBO on Sat. Oct. 5th at 10PM.

September 20, 2019

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Immediately following the premiere of her Netflix special Stage Fright, Jenny Slate will be embarking on a nationwide tour charmingly called Little Weirds.

For those only acquainted with Slate from the big screen, she brings an infectious whimsy to the stage and keeps you guessing as to how weird and wondrous her stories and observations are going to get.

One of the stops of Little Weirds will be at the Theatre at Ace Hotel on Nov. 12th. Tickets are going for $39.50 and they’re on sale now! Go get ‘em here.

John Mulaney’s Next Comedy Special Will Be Modeled After a Children’s Variety Show and Be For Kids and Adults

September 12, 2019

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John Mulaney’s Next Comedy Special Will Be Modeled After a Children’s Variety Show and Be For Kids and Adults

This time where comedians seem to be shifting away from just writing and telling the best jokes and bits possible with a mic on an empty stage in front of a big crowd was inevitable.

What was to come in this shift, however, was a mystery until a few years ago.

Julio Torres showed off his favorite shapes, Drew Michael performed with no audience, and Maria Bamford performed in front of just her parents in her living room. Revealed today in an Esquire profile of John Mulaney, John will be taking a swing at making a comedy special that will be truly for all ages and takes on a bit more of a Sesame Street vibe.

Our mind is racing as to even conceptualize what that might be, but we trust that Mulaney will make something special with this project.

Please Enjoy a Very Classic Looking Late Night Set from Ryan Hamilton

September 11, 2019

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In a slick silver suit, on The Tonight Show, and executing a flawless delivery on very well crafted 5 min. set, Ryan Hamilton almost seems a throwback to the Johnny Carson’s days on the Tonight Show.

That being said, the set itself has a certain timeless quality and probably would have killed in the 70s too. See Ryan’s set from last night’s Tonight Show for yourself here.

August 21, 2019

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Not only is this El Paso Strong brought to you by Whataburger benefit show aiming to raise money for those in need from the recent and devastating El Paso mass shooting, but will be made even more personal as the performers have a personal connection here.

Also, it’s a great collection of LA’s best improv, sketch, and stand-up folks that just happen to be from Texas or are Latinx.

The full line-up includes:
Ithamar Enriquez
Vanessa Gonzalez
Spanish Aqui Presents all-stars

Hosted by Whataburger:
Jonny Svarzbein
Mark Jacob
Edgar Momplaisir
Patrick McDonald
Courtney Sevener
Mike McClendon
Jeremy Culhane
Emily Decker
PJ McCormick
Jeff Whitaker
Brittany Uecker
Jeremy Schmidt
Brittany Powell
Brian Bakos
Weikei Yu
Caitlin Linden
Logan Smith
Mike Christian

They’ll be taking donations for the El Paso Shooting Victims Fund at the show. Get more details here.

Julio Torres’ My Favourite Shapes Trailer Shows Julio Sparing No Indulgence For His HBO Special

July 12, 2019

Uncategorized

comedy central, experimental comedy, hbo, julio torres, stand up

Lots of folks are trying a lot of things with their comedy specials these days in order to, thankfully, mix things up, try something new.

Julio Torres has got something really, delightfully out there with his upcoming HBO special My Favourite Shapes with Julio literally commenting on his favorite shapes and forms. In fact, it might just be the most lavish presentation of shapes ever, which sounds pretty grand for a comedy special.

See for yourself in this trailer here, then look for the premiere of Julio Torres’ My Favourite Shapes on Sat. Aug. 10th on HBO.

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