Well, if you’ve want to see Eric Andre do an hour of stand-up in LA, you could have a chance next month at UCB Franklin. Advance tickets are sold out, but there will be a stand-by line, so, we suggest, plan accordingly to show up early.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
UK’s James Acaster is returning for another run at the Lyric Hyperion. In case you missed him the last time he was here, watch one of his four specials on Netflix and have become a fan, or want to just see him again, you can go see him from Thurs. Sept. 13th- Wed. Sept. 19th at 10PM.
Tickets are $15 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.
Epix Orders Upcoming Stand-Up Comic Showcase Series ‘Unprotected Sets’
As Netflix has spent much of their cache in stand-up comedy on the biggest names around and stand-up seems to unfortunately be mostly an afterthought in late night, there is a growing window for other folks to tap into comedians that have yet to get their first break.
Epix is going in on this opportunity with 12 episodes of a stand-up showcase series called Unprotected Sets with Page Hurwitz showrunning and Wanda Sykes EP’ing focusing on comics on the rise.
It’s interesting to note that they won’t be shooting in America’s comedy hubs of LA, NYC, or even Chicago, but, instead, in Portland, San Diego, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Minneapolis.
No word on who is on the show as of yet, but you’ll definitely know when the show premieres on Friday, October 5th on Epix.
Here comes our weekly Hot Tub Ticket Giveaway! Per usual, it’s a line-up that you really ought to not miss that includes a Colbert writer that’s in town and a very funny poet that tours with Eugene Mirman.
Enter to win a fresh pair here: http://thecomedybureau.dola.com/giveaways
Kyle Kinane is headlining The Rec Room in Huntington Beach. Need we say more to get you to go? The answer definitely should be no.
Tickets are $20 + 2 item min. You can snag them in advance here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Well, this is sure to upset a lot of comedy purists.
That being said, if you watch this behind-the-scenes clip, it seems like both Jerrod Carmichael and Drew Michael are completely fine with that.
They’re not even entirely sure if this can be categorized as a stand-up special. Of course, that’s really up to who is watching and how they interpret and react to the special as Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette has shown. It should be noted that there is plenty of room for an experiment like this underneath the ever burgeoning and evolving world of stand-up comedy.
They both are accomplished comedians we really dig and just want to try something different, which we’re on board for. Also, if you think this is totally unprecedented, we’d like to remind you that a special sans a live audience has been tried before by Harland Williams doing “Force of Nature” in the desert.
From these few bits of the special in the promos, the special does seem very moody (maybe like certain Drake songs?) and we already feel a certain heightened tension when the laughter of others is absence. That could end up being something that pays off.
We’ve really enjoyed Drew’s albums in the past that were recorded in front of live crowds. Drew’s comedy is undeniably dark and personal and that probably will feel, again, heightened in this special due to the absence of laughter from others that you’re used to.
In any case, we can’t wait to see what Drew and Jerrod have cooked up in its entirety on August 25th when the special premieres on HBO.
Jo Firestone’s playful spirit is pretty damn undeniable. In any of her work, Jo is always game for something where silliness can abound, knowing full well that things might go off the rails (sometimes at her behest).
This album The Hits amplifies said spirit as Jo freewheels between jokes, earnest crowd work, and dealing with the accompanying musical interludes/interstitials/interruptions of Arcade Fire’s Will Butler for what is one damn fine, fun hour. Though she might seem anxious at the bits and chaos that she has set up, Jo’s presence makes everyone so carefree that they’re willing to follow whatever absurd unknown Jo is headed towards.
The fact that she calls her debut album The Hits is a pretty good indicator of how dedicated Jo is to her sense of the ridiculous.
Please give it a listen ASAP as The Hits is just fresh off the presses from Comedy Central Records on both iTunes and Spotify.
A combo of laid back breeziness and having a bite is a rare find in comedy, but that is what you’ll find with Clare O’Kane and her debut comedy album Let It Be, fresh off the presses over at AST Records.
Clare has spent a significant amount of time honing her comedy chops in SF, LA, and NYC and the result is an hour that hits that sweet spot between loose, sharp, personal, silly, flippant, and sweet (the intro by Megan Koester sets a perfect tone for the album by the way). There’s such an great easy going energy for this album, it almost feels like it wasn’t being recorded and you’re a fly on the wall at a really cool indie show.
So, go get Clare O’Kane’s Let It Be on vinyl or iTunes already.
Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen’s line-ups continue to be as hot as the current LA heat wave. Maybe even hotter?
In any case, we’ve got a pair of tickets for you to win!
Enter for you chance to snag ‘em here: http://thecomedybureau.dola.com/giveaways
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.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t give you a specific heads up on the latest edition of Repentance at Lyric Hyperion on Wednesday, August 15th.
Not only are Ahamed Weinberg, Ramy Youssef, and Kyle Mizono a wondrous show on their own, but the addition of Aparna, The Lucas Brothers, Jamar, and Jared is beyond stacked.
Honestly, we’re a bit surprised that it’s not sold out yet.
Tickets are $10 and space is limited. Go get your tickets quick here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
it’s not often that Third Man Records releases comedy albums, but when they do, there’s usually a good cause for doing so (i.e. past releases have been from such comedy luminaries as Rory Scovel, Reggie Watts, and Neil Hamburger).
Turns out Brad Wenzel’s debut album Sweet Nothings is yet another good reason for a Third Man comedy release.
While honesty and vulnerability are en vogue right now in comedy, that doesn’t mean that old school observational humor (i.e. short, uber clever jokes that are not really grounded in the personal life of the comedian telling them) is gone. Wenzel has some of the best jokes of this ilk (with a healthy splash of absurdism) that we’ve heard in awhile. We should also note that Brad steers clear of the tired old framework and cadence of “What’s the deal with…?” and employs his own sneaky structure and delivery.
Also, Brad performs the whole hour with a laid back pacing, so you can really savor just how good his writing really is. Whether you’re annoying comedy purist or not, Sweet Nothings is a really fun listen.
You can go stream, buy, etc. Sweet Nothings now.
Oh year, since it’s from Third Man, you can get it on vinyl as well.
Coming fresh off of being an unrepped New Face at JFL Montreal, Katie Hannigan shows Colbert’s crowd at The Late Show what a handful of industry folks got to see just a week or so before.
She has such a magnetic persona and delivery that contrasts perfectly with her material about her life, making it a real joy to watch this late night debut.
See the set for yourself here.
Did you see that line-up there? It’s yet another hot one at Hot Tub that you really ought to not miss.
Thankfully, we got a pair of tickets to giveaway, per usual
Enter here to win: http://thecomedybureau.dola.com/giveaways
Second City Hollywood’s LA Diversity in Comedy Festival Is Now Taking Submissions
The world famous Second City will be having their latest LA Diversity in Comedy Festival from October 11th-14th. They will be featuring diverse sketch, improv, and stand-up and, as such, are accepting submissions up until Saturday, September 1st.
That gives you a month (i.e. plenty of time) to get your submissions in.
Get more details and submit here.
Lisa Best is a terrific comedian whose name you should definitely get familiar with and also had a lovely late night debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
On top of that, she made a great case, during her set, for understanding and empathisizing the B (for bisexual) in LGBTQIA+ more than the general public probably does currently.
Watch, enjoy, listen, and learn here.
Any time you can catch the outside-the-box genius that is Brent Weinbach do any set, especially an extended set, you should always try and catch it just like you can do this Tuesday.
Get tickets here (oh yeah, it’s at the Lab, so there is no item minimum, FYI).
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Jamel Johnson, who has made our TCB Most Wanted List in the past, is recording an album within earshot of the Hollywood Bowl this weekend.
We highly urge you to attend to see Jamel lay down a sweet hour down on digital wax. FYI, it’s free to attend.
Get more details here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
For quite some time, Drew Michael has been on the darker side of comedy and we have quite enjoyed it (especially his album Funny to Death).
So, this minimalist, yet trippy trailer for his upcoming HBO special doesn’t come as a total surprise. However, it does leave us curious as to what lies in store for the hour stand-up special since stand-up-turned-comedy-impresario Jerrod Carmichael is directing, there is no audience, and there seems to be a secondary character played by a girl going through a roller coaster of emotions.
See for yourself here. Drew Michael premieres on HBO on Saturday, August 25th.
Hometown favorite drinking-game-comedy-show, Brew Haha, is back to film their next few shows as part of their new partnership with Thrillist.
The latest edition will be taking place in Echo Park this Saturday July 28th and will absolutely only be 21+ only.
Get more details here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Whenever we watch Andy Sandford, we can’t help but think how Andy makes his jokes as funny as they can be. Whether they be extended stories or classic set-up/punch style jokes, Andy meticulous tinkers with how his bits are written and delivered to their funniest point.
Shameful Information, Andy’s just-released special, exhibits Sandford’s exquisite craftsmanship that’s so enjoyable that you probably won’t even think about how an hour has passed by the time it’s done. Andy taped the special at Star Bar in Atlanta, his hometown, giving a much more genuine feel than you’d might get with a special performed in a gigantic theater. On top of all of that, Andy closes it with one of our all-time favorite jokes about inner city kids watching Abbott & Costello’s Who’s On First.
Also, we’d like to note that this special was recorded pre-2016 election and, for what it’s worth, there is a wondrous air devoid of the unmistakable cynicism of the current moment.
So, you can (and should) get and watch Shameful Information on iTunes right here.
2018 New Faces of Comedy Announced for This Year’s JFL Montreal
Announced a little earlier than usual, here is the latest class of New Faces that will be going up to Montreal, Quebec for the renowned Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy & Arts Festival. 49 were picked between stand-ups (both repped and unrepped), character comedians (sketch performers), and creators (writer/directors). Hopefully, you recognize some of these names as you’ve might have seen them on TV, on a big time podcast, or even here.
New Faces
* Rosebud Baker
* Emmy Blotnick
* Joel Boyd
* JC Currais
* Rocky Dale Davis
* Robert Dean
* Kenny DeForest
* Kellen Erskine
* Jourdain Fisher
* Simon Gibson
* Mekki Leeper
* Zach Noe Towers
* Erica Rhodes
* Paris Sashay
* Usama Siddiquee
* Daphinique Springs
* Nina Tarr
* Ron Taylor
* Jordan Temple
* Jeremiah Watkins
New Faces-Characters
* Sheila Carrasco
* Chloe Fineman
* Katie Hartman
* Michael Hartney
* Andrew Leeds
* Matt Richards
* Becky Robinson
* Sarah Shook
* Sarah Smallwood Parsons
* James III
New Faces-Creators
* Abby Feldman
* Anway Jibawi
* Sydney Marquez
* Manon Mathews
* Frankie Quiñones
* Josh Ruben
* Molly Schreiber
* Alan Wagner
New Faces-Unrepped
* LeClerc Andre
* Vincent Bryant
* Katie Hannigan
* Joe McMahon
* Avery Moore
* Dan Perlman
* David Rodriguez
* Amy Silverberg
* Dusty Slay
* Caitlin Weierhauser
* Ashton Womack
Just North of San Francisco rests the town of Petaluma, CA that hasn’t the pleasure of hosting a comedy festival like the one coming next month.
Pet-A-Llama, presented by Blonde Medicine, seems like it’s going to start off quite nicely for its first go around (just like at the line-up above).
Tickets range from $10-$20 (and some shows are even free) are on sale now here.
Get more details, schedule, etc. for the first Pet-A-Llama Comedy Festival here.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Mark Normand’s style, writing, cadence, persona, etc. are kind of perfect for the demanding nature of doing stand-up on a late night talk show.
His tight writing, structure, and transitions (and the fact that he dons a suit) calls back to a sort of a classic tight 5 on Carson (this set just happens to be a bit over 5 min. FYI).
In any case, you should enjoy Normand’s set here.
Hasan Minhaj is set to go on a big ol’ North American tour starting this August. Called Before The Storm, Minhaj will actually be kicking off his tour in LA with three shows at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in DTLA.
The three shows are as follows:
Saturday, August 11th 8PM & 10:30PM
and
Sunday, August 12th 8PM
Tickets are $30-$75 and you should get them sooner rather than later as we can imagine that these will sell out.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.