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The 101 Best Things in Comedy We Were Witness To in 2023 in No Particular Order

January 2, 2024
News
aaron jackson, academy museum, addi somekh, addie weyrich, albert brooks, alex edelman, alexander payne, alison stevenson, American fiction, andy iwancio, ari aster, asteroid city, barbie, beau is afraid, ben roy, Ben Wasserman, beth stelling, blair socci, bottoms, brad wenzel, cam gavinski, carol and the end of the world, chad damiani, chop and steele, chris estrada, chris fleming, civil dead, clay tatum, cole escola, cunk on earth, david drake, david gborie, demi adejuyigbe, Diane Morgan, dicks the musical, dream scenario, drew lausch, emma morgan, emma seligman, emma stone, ever mainard, extraordinary, fortune feimster, frankie quinones, futurama, gareth reynolds, green room, greg barris, greta gerwig, handsome podcast, hari kondabolu, harley quinn, hasan minhaj, how to with john wilson, i think you should leave, il fungo, jackie johnson, jackie kashian, james adomian, james hamilton, jamie loftus, jay jurden, jenny zigrino, jerrod carmichael, jesse david fox, jessica sele, joe kwaczala, joe pera, joe zimmerman, john early, john oliver, john waters, josh sharp, joy ride, julia sweeney, katherine blanford, kyle ayers, kyle kinane, langston kerman, last week tonight, lbj the play, leslie liao, Mae Martin, marc maron, maria bamford, mark vigeant, michael j feldman, mike bridenstine, mike lindell, mo welch, molly gordon, moses storm, nate craig, nick lieberman, paul giamatti, paul provenza, perfect amount of wrong, poor things, protected under parody, Rachel Coster, rachel kaly, rachel mac, Rachel Sennott, raine allen miller, reservation dogs, richard perez, richelle meiss, rob reiner, rye laine, sabrina wu, sam walt jones, scout durwood, steph tolev, sunanda, the holdovers, the other two, theater camp, this fool, tig notaro, tim robinson, Tina Friml, tom thakkar, tyler jackson, veronica osorio, wes anderson, whitmer thomas, yorgos lanthimos, zach teague, ziwe

Sorry for the delay and getting this on the 2nd. As always, we wanted to be thorough and not miss out on anything in late December like other lists (and, boy howdy, there were). Anyhow after working tirelessly through New Year’s Day up until now, here is our grand list of the 100 best things in comedy we saw/heard/etc. in 2023, in no particular order.

*An egregious error has been made in not including Gary Gulman’s brilliant new hour special. It’s so egregious that we are, for this one time only, expanding from 100 to 101. May Gary forgive us for the tardy inclusion.

  1. Jerrod Carmichael turned awards hosting on its head with his performance at The Golden Globes (kind of like he did with his SNL monologue and he should be hosting way more things).
  2. In addition to stealing every scene that they were in for Joy Ride, Sabrina Wu has more than put themselves on their map as a stand-up, especially with a stand out set on Netflix’s Verified Stand-Up.
  3. Cole Escola might have just outdone Eddie Murphy in regards to how many characters you can comically play on screen at the same time with their “lost” pilot for the Western “drama”, Our Home Out West.
  4. Diane Morgan’s Philomena Cunk has reached Alan Partridge status with Cunk on Earth.
  5. Between her interview with George Santos and her seminal collection of essays, Black Friend,, Ziwe‘s iconic status continues to grow and Showtime will look more and more stupid for cancelling her show.
  6. LBJ the Play achieves comedic brilliance while also, somehow, bridging the wide gap between President Lyndon B. Johnson and gender identity.
  7. The Perfect Amount of Wrong by Mike Bridenstine gives a great portrait of how kindred spirits in a comedy scene, specifically North Chicago alt-comedy, can evolve into some of the most celebrated performers of our time (and make you wonder what the magical ingredients are in 2024 to make that sort of thing happen again).
  8. The hysterical Rachel Kaly attempted to get back on Conan after appearing as a child with jokes that she wrote when she was a child. The journey was thankfully all captured in the blisteringly hilarious short film ATTN: CONAN O’BRIEN.
  9. Everyone who got to see Ben Wasserman do what will likely the best show to ever happen at a funeral home/mortuary/cemetery with Live After Death has been forever changed for the better.
  10. Yorgos Lanthimos outdid himself again with the exquisite, towering, fairy tale satire that is Poor Things featuring a career defining turn from Emma Stone (and Ramy Youssef).
  11. Kyle Kinane‘s Shock and Struts delivered the goods, almost in the way that the truck in a 20+ min. closing story delivered him and his truck out of the desert.
  12. Michael J. Feldman‘s solo show No, But I’m Definitely in a Better Place Than I Been in a Long Time is the solo show we both all deserve (and can revel in as it hits that gallows humor nerve perfectly).
  13. Addie Weyrich must have set some sort of record by having the overwhelming majority of the audience at The Addie Show individually take part of the show (complete with one of over 100 note cards with specific instructions on it).
  14. Addi Somekh made us rethink both balloon hats and the world arounds us with Inflatable Planet.
  15. Sure, Meg Ryan made a return to form in a rom com this year, but Rye Lane, the feature debut of Raine Allen Miller, in our minds, is the top of the pops for romantic comedies in 2023.
  16. Mae Martin plus a forest of trees on stage plus Abbi Jacobson directing equals Sap, one of the most dreamy comedy specials in recent memory.
  17. Mark Vigeant never ceases to amaze with his commitment to the bit, cleverness to go meta, and his vulnerability, all on wondrous display with his solo show, Mark Pleases You.
  18. Chad Damiani‘s half hour of silent improv is a ridiculous treat, even as shirts come off, sweat flies everywhere, and the narrative thread is often illusory.
  19. Scout Durwood pulls out all the stops for the marvelously off-the-rails cabaret/variety show Everybody Go Go and you should take up every opportunity to see it wherever and whenever you can.
  20. The songs, the moves, and the sharp comedy of Drew Lausch and Zach Teague are a force to be reckoned with.
  21. Greg Barris offers both a restorative emotional experience and a deluge of silliness with his latest album Deep Healing.
  22. The Other Two will forever be remembered as having some of the very best industry jokes of any comedy of all time. It’s almost worth working some awful Hollywood desk to enjoy every bit on the show.
  23. In a comedy world of unrelenting truth tellers and edgelords, one Tyler Jackson opts to revel in purely absurd bits and is masterful at it.
  24. Rachel Mac’s Teacher of the Year makes a case for Rachel Mac being one of the funniest teachers working today, which is saying a lot because, whether you know it or not, many teachers live a double life as a comedian.
  25. We got witness the top-to-bottom brilliance of Richard Perez with his solo show, I Have To Do This, and he has made new romances just a little more tolerable/bearable though this collection of (somewhat) grounded rom com vignettes.
  26. Joe Zimmerman’s special Cult Classic faithfully holds up the torch for classical, observational stand-up comedy without sounding like Seinfeld and being able to find a refreshing angle on killing baby Hitler.
  27. The fact that Bottoms is the second Emma Seligman/Rachel Sennott feature length film and that the first one was Shiva Baby should prove to you that they have a lot more delightful, hysterical havoc to wreak on the big screen in the not so distant future.
  28. May your very first special be as on point as Blake Wexler’s Daddy Long Legs.
  29. Cam Gavinski: how to make everything about you forever and always is yet more evidence of Cam being someone who has so much ambition and vision with their comedy, but has the rare ingenuity to actually pull it off.
  30. Very few people break down comedy and analyze it at the molecular level quite like Jesse David Fox does. The Vulture editor and long time host of Good One conclusively summarizes all of his succinct and astute observations on comedy in his appropriately titled Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture-and the Magic That Makes It Work by Jesse David Fox.
  31. Greta Gerwig’s take on Barbie was a feat on so many levels (financially, philosophically, tonally) all while being so damn fun. Don’t be surprised if comedy runs the table again this awards season.
  32. Being unapologetically genuine and exuberant are a great pairing for comedy and Rachel Coster is a perfect example of that.
  33. As far as taking big swings for specials, very few swung as big as Alison Stevenson with making up a streaming service for her special VUBITV+ Presents: Alison Stevenson: H*rny B*tch: A Comedy Special to “premiere” on and do a bunch of BDSM bits on top of it. It’s such a good time because of it.
  34. Tina Friml is a shining gem amidst a field of angrily smoldering embers and you should go seek out her stand-up whenever you can.
  35. It’s called Hell, but Chris Fleming and his groovy attire front what might be the silliest special on a major streaming platform. Kudos to Fleming keeping true to being utterly ridiculous.
  36. The imagination of Sam Walt Jones is wonderfully bigger than most as shown, just this year, by doing an entire live parody series of Survivor that actually spans several weeks and feels like a splendidly mutated Wonderland version of the show.
  37. LA got a wonderful addition to its scene this year with one Katherine Blanford whose warmth and cleverness ought to see her go real far in Tinseltown.
  38. The sultry voice of Leslie Liao blends comedically so well with her frank observations about herself and it has been a true joy to see her rise out of the ranks.
  39. Langston Kerman and David Gborie seem to be able to do no wrong with their podcast My Momma Told Me even though it’s dedicated to parsing out (and “legitimately” considering) some of the most ridiculous conspiracy theories out there.
  40. Richelle Meiss had a hit on her hands with an unauthorized musical parody of The Bachelor and she did an equally pitch perfect send up of Real Housewives this year. We would love if she just took on all trash TV with her musical parody prowess.
  41. Moses Storm got back to his more experimental comedy roots this year and devised a solo show, Perfect Cult, where he created a cult with the audience. Storm’s mixing of his own experiences, which, in turn, inform how he creates this in-show cult is so fun that you might just want to follow Storm wherever he goes.
  42. Veronica Osorio put all of her being, experiences, desires, and penchant for mischief into her Venezuelan Shamanic clown show, Medicine Woman, and made for one of the most enchanting, mystifying, original solo shows we saw all year long.
  43. Kyle Ayers is unfortunately afflicted with Trigeminal Neuralgia (AKA “Suicide Disease”) and yet, through his own indomitable comedic will, made a non-stop laughs solo show, Hard to Say.
  44. Beth Stelling‘s latest special If You Didn’t Want Me Then is so undeniably good (kind of like Girl Daddy) it should be the calling card for Beth to be in anything and everything that she wants to be.
  45. Kristoffer Borgli‘s Dream Scenario is one of the most radical movies of the year and did so by having Nicholas Cage play one of his most unassuming roles in his entire career. For our money, it’s the best and most original comedy about dreams since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
  46. Julia Sweeney‘s story about the death of her mom, when we heard it at UnCabaret, is one of the best, purest distillations of a comedian’s archetypal relationship with their parents.
  47. So much comedy on the big screen this year had wonderful bite to it, but American Fiction might have some of the most devastatingly funny lines delivered perfectly by Jeffrey Wright and crafted by Cord Jefferson.
  48. Mo Welch went above and beyond in going meta and daring with Dad Jokes, a half stand-up special/half docu-special with super dark dad jokes and then trying to reconnect with your estranged dad.
  49. Alex Edelman infiltrating a White Nationalist meeting as a Jew and turning it into Just For Us is every bit as illuminating and hilarious and resonant as you think it could be (and then some).
  50. As one can see from Live from the Big Dog, the comedic power of Blair Socci will not be denied.
  51. The Academy Museum’s exhibit John Waters: Pope of Trash is an ornate tribute to the auteur and one of the best displays of camp cinema/humor/etc. we’ve ever seen.
  52. How Hasan Minhaj handled the controversy around his New Yorker interview highlighted so much about comedy that people should never forget.
  53. Joe Pera’s first hour special Slow & Steady is a perfect distillation of Joe’s calming and politely off-kilter comedy that is the perfect salve for these times. Also, Joe has the best audience cutaway to the security guard of any special ever.
  54. LA now has its own, postmodern bouffant troupe Il Fungo and, as a postmodern bouffant troupe is wont to do, they bridge the sublime and the silly wonderfully.
  55. While comedians riffing off each other is well-mined territory in podcasts, Mae Martin, Fortune Feimster, and Tig Notaro hanging out on The Handsome Podcast has a magical quality to it.
  56. Julian Velard has the most amazing existential song about being a piano player being asked to play Billy Joel’s Piano Man in his marvelous musical solo show Julian Velard… Is in the Middle of Something.
  57. John Early is up to his meta hijinks in his HBO special Now More Than Ever that dresses up his hilarious stand-up in the middle of a classic rock doc. Also, bonus points go to John for the way he points out his parents in this hour
  58. A very special Green Room with Paul Provenza happened this year as it was all in Paul’s backyard and showed how comedy can shine the through darkest of traumas with Doug Stanhope, Andy Andrist, Kristine Levine, Annie Lederman, and Henry Phillips.
  59. Though Demi Adejuyigbe isn’t doing his September videos anymore, he is still dishing out brilliance in other forms as he did in 2023 with his declaration for 2023 Halloween costumes.
  60. For all the talk about The Boys, best not sleep on a UK satire on super powers from Emma Morgan, Extraordinary, which is decidedly less explicit and (maybe more) charming, in the keep-calm-and-carry-on British manner.
  61. As far as a classical looking and sounding comedy special goes in 2023, it doesn’t get much better than Nate Craig: Live at the Green Mill.
  62. For a show that’s so unpredictable and existentially rapturous, let’s all hold hands and take a moment for the final season of How to With John Wilson coming to a close last year.
  63. NYC comedy darling James Hamilton put out one hell of a debut album with I Don’t Deserve These Deals; the sort of album that makes you wonder how wrong the Grammys are about their nominations for Best Comedy Album.
  64. Thank goodness for the doc following Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett‘s fake strongman duo Chop & Steele and capturing how you might have to go, legally, to defend looking stupid on TV for fun.
  65. Let the hilarious weirdness of the life of one Jessica Sele wash over you with her debut album Weird Vibes.
  66. The new, new, new, NEW Futurama, believe it or not, is pretty damn good (and fully aware of how many times it has been revived).
  67. Albert Brooks: Defending My Life is a great and necessary reminder of how much Albert Brooks is a comedy pioneer as a performer/actor/director as well as a touching tribute from one of his best friends, Rob Reiner.
  68. Joe Kwaczala not only delivers on his album’s title of Funny Songs & Sketches, but cleverly delivers a grand variety of ingenious, innovative bits that points to Joe perhaps deserving a full on sketch show somewhere.
  69. While Barbie rode high this year, let us not forget the R-rated comedy of 2023, Joy Ride (that also a touching story about identity, adoption, and taking the baton from Crazy Rich Asians and running wild with it).
  70. Harley Quinn, now in its 4th season, continues to be a bright, hysterical, subversive light in the imploding world of comic book based IP.
  71. The NYC branch of Comedians You Should Know really made moves this year and one of those moves was one of its heads, David Drake, putting out his very first special that hit the perfect mark of self-deprecation with That’s It.
  72. At this point, you’d wonder how John Oliver could possibly up the ante with his prank calls to action with Last Week Tonight. Then, John went ahead and fixed a New Zealand bird election for the Pūteketeke and gave us an answer.
  73. If you want to see victory and self-acceptance and healing and an irresistibly funny solo show, look no further than Jackie Johnson: How To Get a Second Husband.
  74. Clay Tatum and Whitmer Thomas’ Civil Dead is a charming lowkey twist on what it means to be a ghost and/or the buddy comedy.
  75. Protected Under Parody might be the best sketch show going in LA even though it happens in the bar area of a hip movie theater.
  76. If you don’t already know the name Steph Tolev, you best know it now and remember it fully. The self-ascribed “Queen of Filth” is playing all over the country now and she’s as good at going blue and working a crowd as anyone out there.
  77. Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson made one of the most unhinged, unapologetically queer comedy of the year with Dicks: the Musical, doing A24 proud for their first musical. Let it be known that 2023 could be called the “Year of Dicks and Bottoms”.
  78. Countless hours of comedic observations have been dished out about generational differences, but the amazing Jenny Zigrino has some of the best and sharpest jokes in that realm in her special Jen-Z.
  79. Marc Maron pulled a hat trick with his latest hour in offering one of his most touching, darkest, and best specials yet with From Bleak to Dark.
  80. The only saving grace of Mike Lindell existing is that James Adomian keeps getting to play him brillliantly on Kimmel as he did throughout the year and even over this past holiday season.
  81. Even though Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, and Nick Lieberman had a touching, laugh riot of a tribute to theater kids everywhere with Theater Camp, this feature debut of Gordon and Lieberman is the definitive mockumentary of 2023.
  82. If you’ve mowed through dozens of specials and wondered if comedy has become stale/complacent/hollow, get a shot in the arm with Ben Roy‘s latest hour Hyena and rest easy (after laughing a whole damn lot).
  83. Brad Wenzel and his latest hour, joke. joke. joke. shows that the art form of the one liner, a corner of comedy that often seems to be of yesteryear, is alive and well (and can thrive in the 2020s).
  84. All hail the best sketch show on television, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, full stop. No further explanation should be needed.
  85. Her book Raw Dog, in our minds, has elevated Jamie Loftus into the status of comedy luminary (and is the sort of humor that the Mark Twain Prize actually seeks to honor if you read the award’s mission statement).
  86. The series of IG reels/Tik Tok It’s Not an Issue with Ever Mainard and their Mom on is simply blissful ridiculousness between a mom and their non-binary adult child.
  87. Wes Anderson retains his pristine symmetrical comedy auteur status with his most self-reflexive (and cheeky) work yet, Asteroid City.
  88. If they were a wing of a modern art museum dedicated to video art as dramedy, it should have the entire season of Carol & The End of the World playing on a loop. Hats off to Dan Guterman for creating a beautiful existential valediction to 2023 in the form of an adult animated series.
  89. As time passes, the comedic observations about pandemic times have become more and more worn, but such original and insightful and personal voices like those of Hari Kondabolu make for something special as he did with Vacation Baby.
  90. It might be strange to have a veritable set list as the title of your special, but England, Weed & The Rest from Gareth Reynolds belies his expert skills, especially when it comes to crowd work and making fun of being English. Salutations to Birthday Chicken.
  91. While working the road can wear on the psyche and will of a comedian, some get energized by the challenge and Tom Thakkar is clearly having so much damn fun playing clubs night in and night out wherever he is. That energy (along with thoughtful material about race and politics) is captured wonderfully on Thakkar Noir.
  92. Andy Iwancio not only has some of the very best trans jokes (go figure that the best trans jokes would come from a trans person) in her album Better Living Through Femmistry, but joyfully gets rambunctious about the recording of her album during the actual recording of it.
  93. The genre mash-up of horror and comedy (and your whole outlooking on existence and meaning) might be changed forever (and for the better) because of Ari Aster‘s Beau Is Afraid.
  94. Sunanda‘s solo show dedicated to their love of Britney Spears and their journey to self-actualization from it, the aptly names Sunanda Loves Britney,
  95. Comedy in pathos might have been best displayed in 2023 in the latest collaboration of Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti with The Holdovers.
  96. The trios of Chris Estrada/Frankie Quiñones/Michael Imperioli and Jake Weisman/Matt Ingebretson/Pat Bishop continue on their path to making one of the best comedies of this decade, balancing satirical subversion and the ludicrous all set in a grounded East LA with season 2 of This Fool.
  97. The third season of the modern day indigenous dramedy Reservations Dogs completes a wondrous arc and achieves its best episodes yet making for a rare instance of a TV series getting to do what it set out to do.
  98. The fact that Jackie Kashian made a special using the rearview camera of a car is so funny on its own and then there’s the fact that Jackie is also one of the funniest comedians working today that make Looking Back special.
  99. Whether you go by laughs per minute or just gut feeling, Jay Jurden is indisputably one of the best stand-ups on any stage these days. Just watch his Don’t Tell set, if you haven’t already, and you’ll see what we’re saying.
  100. Even though she might be against the organized religious aspects of it, let’s canonize Maria Bamford as a saint for her brilliant special Maria Bamford: Local Act and hit book Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult.
  101. Gary Gulman is a paragon of the art form of comedy in every single facet of it since he has, perhaps, the deepest understanding of the craft of stand-up, and that has been the case with Gary for a long time. His latest hour, Born on 3rd Base, might be his very best work yet.*

Pick of the Day: Filth with Steph Tolev (in LA) 12/5

November 28, 2023
News
comedy store, filth, los angeles comedy, steph tolev

Go figures as there is John Waters: Pope of Trash exhibit at the Academy Museum that there would be an ascent of a Queen of Filth just up the road at a comedy club. That’s right, Steph Tolev is a well-earned, self-styled Queen of Filth with the perfect husky voice to compliment and she’s doing a very special, very blue night of stories and stand-up at The Comedy Store this coming Tues. Dec. 5th.

When it comes to going dirty, Tolev isn’t so much wheeling and dealing in going graphic just for the sake of it or for schadenfreude, but is so exquisitely talented at sourcing comedy out of the filthiest crevices she can find every month with the aptly named, Filth.

Also, this night will be double as a toy drive for the WeHo LAFD, so you can do some good while listening to something that’s unequivocally NSFW.

Tickets are $10 (plus 2 drink min.) and you can (and should) go get them here.

Pick of the Day: Steph Tolev-in the Round (in NYC) 11/30

November 21, 2022
News
le poussin rouge, nyc comedy, stand up comedy, steph tolev

Thanksgiving. Whether you love it or hate it (and there are so many reasons for that), it definitely disrupts the entire week that surrounds it. What might be helpful to get through the holiday that’s annoyingly always on a Thursday (and largely white washes the treatment of indigenous people of North America) is looking towards what’s going to happen after it.

If you’re in NYC, we’d urge you to look for Steph Tolev coming through NYC to not only headline, but do so in the round at the ultra cool multi-purpose venue Le Poussin Rouge in the East Village. We’ve seen Steph has been killing since we first saw her with her alluring brashness and her immediate command of any stage and she’s now finally getting her due to really cut loose for a headlining set.

Do not miss out on this chance to see Steph come Wed. Nov. 30th at 7PM at LPR. Tickets are $24.93 and you best go get them here.

 

High Plains Comedy Festival 2022 Announces Line-Up

August 8, 2022
News
amy miller, ben roy, blair socci, candice thompson, david gborie, denver comedy, guy branum, high plains comedy festival, jenny zigrino, kyle kinane, pink foxx, shane torres, sheng wang, stand up comedy, steph tolev, yedoye travis

Despite everything comedy has gone through, Denver’s High Plains Comedy Festival, one of the USA’s (and, dare way say, the world’s) best comedy festivals has come out the other side in tact and ready to take up its mantle once more. Spanning the weekend of Sept. 8th, Denver, CO will be the place to be for live comedy in North America with three days/nights of stand-up, podcasts, and much more all throughout Denver.

In fact, High Plains just announced its first wave of performers to remind us all how much they stack their programming with some of the very best comedians working today, some of which happen to be homegrown talent.

Thus far, High Plains will be giving their mics and stages to:

  • Kyle Kinane
  • Nick Thune
  • Steph Tolev
  • Sheng Wang
  • Guy Branum
  • Jenny Zigrino
  • Shane Torres
  • Candice Thompson
  • Blair Socci
  • Yedoye Travis
  • Tom Thakkar
  • Pink Foxx
  • Jim Tews
  • Amy Miller
  • Adam Cayton-Holland
  • Ben Roy
  • Andrew Orvedahl
  • Kimberly Clark
  • David Gborie
  • Sean Jordan
  • Michelle Biloon
  • Ahmed Bharoocha
  • Shain Brenden
  • Caitlin Peluffo
  • Zahid Dewji
  • Felicia Folkes
  • Sam Tallent
  • Rob Haze
  • Matty Ryan
  • Alex Kumin
  • Shaunak Godkhindi
  • Jay Menz
  • Raegan Niemela
  • JT Habersaat
  • Kenice Mobley
  • Colton Dowling
  • Chad Opitz
  • Anna Valenzuela
  • Mike Wiebe
  • Rob Gleeson
  •  Troy Walker
  • Hayden Kristal
  • Chris Charpentier
  • Jordan Doll
  • Mara Wiles
  • Stephen Agyei
  • Kevin O’Brien
  • Allison Rose
  • Nolawee Mengist
  • Brett Hiker
  • Harris Alterman

Right now, you can get a Peak Pass to High Plains, which includes “…all three days of shows on South Broadway, a commemorative t-shirt, and reserved seating at ‘The Zarlengo Foundation Presents Ken Jeong & Joel McHale’ show at Bellco Theatre on Saturday, September 10th,” for $150.

Snag those passes and get more details at highplainscomedyfestival.com.

Pick of the Day: BUTT (in LA) 5/27

May 20, 2022
News
butt sketch comedy, chris stephens, dynasty typewriter, eddie pepitone, joe mcadam, los angeles comedy, sketch comedy, steph tolev

If it is pure silliness you seek as a salve and an escape from the constantly mutating terror of our waking reality these days, one should look no further than the sketch duo of Joe McAdam and Chris Stephens, better known as BUTT.

Their ridiculousness is so often transcendent in such a hysterical way and has their absence due to the pandemic has left a void in our soul. Just thinking about their Yoda dating app sketch keeps us going many days that we’re particularly down.

It’s just fortunate for us all that Joe and Chris and their butts are returning to Dynasty Typewriter come next Fri. May 27th at 7:30PM PT with special guests Eddie Pepitone and Steph Tolev. It should be an undeniably rambunctious night of comedy that will make you forget, above all else, people are trying to distract themselves from the world by watching a horridly messy celebrity defamation trial.

Get tickets to the live, in-person return of BUTT for $20 right now here.

Pick of the Day: (2nd Return of) Blamblamblam (in LA) 4/19

April 18, 2022
News
Anna Seregina & Kyle Mizono, blamblamblam, brian kiley, brodie reed, chris thayer, comedy show, free show, james adomian, k town, los angeles comedy, max beasley, ron lynch, stand up comedy, steph tolev, Vanessa Jeha

In November 2021, we thought we had reached a threshold where we all the things that we knew and love in comedy could somewhat return to happening as regularly scheduled pre-pandemic.

Then, Omicron hit and set most folks/shows/etc. back for months. Thankfully, we’re back to where they rescheduled their shows to or decided to return again and that includes one of LA’s torch bearing shows, Blamblamblam. Faithfully housed in what seems like the lower decks of tall ship in K-Town’s one and only R-Bar, Blam has offered up an otherworldly monthly comedy show for almost a decade and a half.

There’s such a mystical energy to it even when it’s simply a well curated collection of comedians from many corners and disciplines of the art form by one DeMorge Brown. This 2nd return of Blamblamblam is set for this Tues. Apr. 19th at 9PM ish PT (doors at 7PM PT) and a barnburner of a line-up including Ron Lynch, Brodie Reed, Max Beasley, Anna Seregina & Kyle Mizono, Chris Thayer, James Adomian, Vanessa Jeha, Steph Tolev, Brian Kiley, and host Paul Danke & resident mischief starter Davey Johnson are all set to welcome Blam back into the world of living once more.

Oh yeah, it’s free to attend in case we didn’t sell you on it enough already.

Please Enjoy Sara June’s Short “Bathroom Time”

April 7, 2022
News
anna seregina, bri pruett, christine medrano, sara june, short film, sketch comedy, steph tolev

It’s unfortunate that the scarcity mentality that so many of us live under extend to every bit of our lives. We center our lives on how much money or power or water we have left. We especially anxiously ration time to go the bathroom while at work. That’s a very powerful stressor in an economy of scarcity.

Thus, comedian/filmmaker Sara June made a hilariously morbid short film, Bathroom Time, that captures this ever present feeling many of us have with pitch perfect performances from Anna Seregina, Christine Medrano, Steph Tolev, and Bri Pruett.

It recently got to be a Vimeo Staff Pick and we fully co-sign their pick. Enjoy June’s timely short satire here.

Pick of the Day: 69 Filthy Minutes with Steph Tolev (in NYC) 3/10

March 4, 2022
News
asylum nyc, ny comedy, sketch comedy, stand up comedy, steph tolev

If you’re in and around LA comedy at all, it should be no mystery or surprise to you that Steph Tolev is one of the funniest people in the scene. Her brash, bold, and yet very vulnerable comedy that’s delightfully accented by Steph’s one-of-a-kind voice has been such a joy to Los Angeles for years now and we’ll never forget that she is very likely the only comedian that had a show done for her where dozens of her favorite comics in town did an impersonation of her in tribute.

So, NYC is going to get their own bit of Steph next week as she’ll be doing a very special evening of sketch and stand-up at Asylum NYC on Thurs. Mar. 10th at 7:30PM ET. Very specifically she’ll be doing a special 69 minutes that Steph would like it to be very clear that it’s “not PG” (in case the “69” didn’t make it clear).

Tickets are $18.81 (including fees) and you can (and very much should) go get them here.

Pick of the Day: Ron Lynch Presents Hook Up! The “Tomorrow!” Dating Show (in LA) 2/12

February 10, 2022
News
amber preston, brady novak, dating game, elysian, los angeles comedy, mark fite, randy liedtke, ron lynch, steph tolev, valentine's

OK, if you have to go to something romance or dating themed this weekend because of Valentine’s Day in LA, we’d make sure to tell you about how much of corporate money-grab that Valentine’s Day is rooted in THEN tell you to enjoy one of our all-time favorite shows, no matter what time of year it is, Hook Up!, the dating game edition of Tomorrow! with Ron Lynch.

As far as dating games go, it’s not as wild in the sense of Temptation Island or Too Hot to Handle, but it’s still a crazy, absurd mutation of the classic Dating Game and we have loved it for that very reason for several years. Given our hatred of Valentine’s, it’s one of the only things that we’re looking forward to this weekend (also, we couldn’t care less about the Super Bowl).

Ron Lynch will be presiding as host of the romantic hijinks and chaos and be also joined by the stand-up comedy stylings of Steph Tolev, Brady Novak, Mark Fite, Amber Preston, and Randy Liedtke.

This edition of Hook Up! will go down at Tomorrow!’s new home, The Elysian, this Sat. Feb. 12th at Midnight. Tickets are still only $10 and you best go get them here.

Pick of the Day: Hags with Steph Tolev and Daniel Webb (in LA) 12/2

November 26, 2021
News
daniel webb, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy, steph tolev, venice

One of the most fun, raucous stand-up shows we’ve ever been to didn’t necessarily have any bells or whistles or some sort daring stunt required by the comedians on the bill. It just happen to have Steph Tolev and Daniel Webb.  Those two co-hosting is such an uproarious good time in of itself as they, individually, are a hoot and a half. Go down a YouTube rabbit hole for Steph and Daniel if you don’t believe us. We dare you.

They were just getting into a rhythm with their show Hags before lockdown over at the Virgil. Now, they’re returning with their first post-lockdown in-person show and we’re so thankful that this upcoming edition of Hags is just on the horizon, coming next week, Thurs. Dec. 2nd at 8PM, at the beloved Venice watering hole, Townhouse. Also, they’ve put together quite the line-up with Nicole Byer, Cristela Alonzo, and Mary Lynn Rajskub.

Tickets are only $10 and you really ought to snag them up quick. This is one of the best line-ups next week in LA, FYI.

Pick of the Day: Steph Tolev’s I’ve Always Been F*cked 10/6

September 29, 2020
News
dynasty typewriter, solo show, steph tolev, storytelling

We had previously given you a heads up on the absolutely hysterical Steph Tolev putting on a live-stream performance of her solo show I’ve Always Been F*cked, but it had been moved to October just after we had posted about it.

So, we feel it our due diligence to highlight the show’s new date on Tues. Oct. 6th at 6PM PT/9PM ET via Dynasty Typewriter. Again, Tolev’s unflinching honesty and vulnerability and domineering presence on stage have made her into one of our favorite folks to watch on stage at any time and place and the prospect of her very own solo show is absolutely something we’re looking forward to,  even if it’s live-streamed.

Tickets are going for $1-$10 and can (and very much should) be snagged here.

Pick of the Day: Hollywood Quars 6/4

June 3, 2020
News
baron vaughn, brandie posey, caitlin gill, casey ley, charity benefit, chris estrada, hollywood quars, jessica sele, madison shepard, minnesota freedom fund, sean keane, steph tolev

This brand new, weekly comedy game show, Hollywood Quars, hosted by Matt Lieb, takes trivia to a whole new level as both the contestants AND the host don’t know the answers to the questions (even when the host wrote them). It’s up to a really great line-up of comedians to make it seem like their answer is the best (or maybe even actually right?).

For this first edition of Hollywood Quars on Thurs. Jun. 4th at 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET, they’ve assembled:

Baron Vaughn (Netflix, Comedy Central)
Steph Tolev (Comedy Central)
Brandie Posey (Lady 2 Lady Podcast)
Sean Keane (Roundball Rock Podcast)
Caitlin Gill (NPR, 2 Dope Queens)
Madison Shepard (Album “Goodnight Silverlake Lounge”)
Jessica Sele (Vice TV)
Chris Estrada (Comedy Central)
Casey Ley (Gay Power Half Hour )

Also, we gotta say, having gotten a sneak peak, this very well might be one of the slickest looking comedy game shows done via live-stream.

By the way, they’ll be raising money for Minnesota Freedom Fund (which, due to so much support, is distributing funds to other worthy causes)

Tickets are $8 if you snag them right now and you can (and very much should) go get them here.

February 25, 2020
Uncategorized
andres du bouchet, atsuko okatsuka, candice thompson, club tee gee, eddie pepitone, frankie quinones, jay larson, kevin avery, matt mccarthy, peacock, steph tolev, subhah agarwal, year anniversary

This Thursday, it will have been a year since Peacock started prancing around Club Tee Gee over in the lovely part of LA known as Atwater Village. In that time, it has quickly grown into a neatly packed and produced, tight stand-up show that has become a neighborhood (and LA) favorite on Thursday nights. Going for an entire year, especially when you’re maintaining a high quality show every week is incredibly difficult and deserves a nod of admiration (in person at this week’s show preferably)

So, join host Kiran Deol and a very, very special, extra stacked line-up all for the always nice price of a $5 suggested donation to celebrate Peacock’s One Year Anniversary. 

November 13, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy show, experimental comedy, green screen, johnny pemberton, los angeles, matt o'brien, stand up comedy, steph tolev

So, Matt O’Brien has devised a way to have comedians act out a scene with a green screen, then finish a video with a background suggested by the audience before that comedian finishes a normal stand-up set.

For us, it sounds like some beautiful chaos and something you should definitely check out (especially with a great line-up of Julia Hladkowicz, Johnny Pemberton, JB Ball, Andrew Johnston, Steph Tolev). 

This madness will be called Green with Matt O’Brien and happening on Fri., Nov. 22nd at 10:30PM at UCB Sunset. Tickets are $7 and you ought to go get them here.

September 18, 2019
Uncategorized
alice wetterlund, amber nelson, atsuko okatsuka, babs gray, comedy show, courtney karwal, danielle perez, debra digiovanni, hannah einbinder, irene tu, jamie loftus, logan guntzelman, los angeles, los feliz, megan gailey, merrill davis, paige weldon, stand up comedy, steph tolev

The backroom of the Blue Rooster Art Supplies was poised to be the heir apparent to Nerdmelt @ Meltdown. Alas, such a fate was not to come to pass as construction and expansion will prohibit the space from being a live venue. 

Thus, Faded, On Deck, live tapings of All Fantasy Everything, and more will be moving on to a new home in the Mid City Arts Center next month.

However, before they go, they’re throwing a big farewell this Saturday in the form of an all female comedy marathon featuring 30 of LA’s best female comedians telling one joke. Signature Drink, another Blue Rooster show alum, and its hosts Courtney Karwal and Megan Gailey will be presiding over what should be quite the swan song.

Seriously, this would be a show that you shouldn’t miss without the whole prospect of a venue closing. As this is a living wake of sorts, it’s even more imperative that you enjoy yourself at a damn fine stand-up show.

Best get your tickets here quick.

August 16, 2019
Uncategorized
amy silverberg, carl tart, comedy debate, comedy show, daniel webb, danny palumbo, debate, experimental comedy, jared logan, lindsay adam, los angeles, sabrina jalees, sam wiles, steph tolev

Straw Men is, without a doubt, one of our new favorite shows of the year in how it puts many of the funniest people in LA to have the most absurd debates ever using the dumbest arguments and childish tactics possible.

While name-calling, the title-inspiring “straw man”, tangential insults, etc. are not at all productive in real debates between politicians that steer the course of policy at any level, it’s pretty damn fun to watch comedians do it in a theater.

So, go get your tickets for the next Straw Men, happening next week!

Please Enjoy Steph Tolev and Debra DiGiovanni Being Themselves in “Steph and Deb”

July 23, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy central, debra digiovanni, digital series, steph and deb, steph tolev, web series
image

Steph Tolev and Debra DiGiovanni are two of the funniest comedians exported from Toronto to LA in recent memory. Wherever they take the stage around town, they’ve always crushed it by unapologetically being themselves on stage. 

So, this Comedy Central digital series Steph and Deb takes a cue from that and fully realize some of their best bits and stories. Get into it here.

Please Get Steph Tolev’s New Album “I’m Not Well”

March 1, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy album, comedy records, stand up, steph tolev
image

Steph Tolev stepped foot in LA with her brash, colorful, unapologetic, yet always playful stand-up had us doubled over laughing instantly. She’s one of Canada’s latest great comedy exports and this new hour I’m Not Well is the evidence to back that up. 

Her gruff voice, spirited delivery, and unabashed honesty all get painted with her beautifully explicit, personal stories and observations. No matter how blue it gets, there is an undeniable charm to it all (even when she talks about bringing back creepy aunts). Even hearing some of these bits again, we still find ourselves with a wide smile and a big chuckle. 

I’m Not Well comes out this Friday from Comedy Records and you can get/pre-order it on iTunes here.

December 28, 2018
Uncategorized
benefit show, experimental comedy, jason saenz, silverlake, steph tolev, the virgil, you guys like impressions

50 of LA comedy’s best and brightest will be doing their best impression/character of/interpretation/etc. of the damn funny Steph Tolev.

We’re pretty sure a show like this hasn’t ever been done and we’re kind of in love with it. Also, Steph Tolev is very, very funny in case you didn’t know.

The line-up currently includes:
Kyle Kinane, Deb DiGiovanni, Beth Stelling, Nicole Byer, Jak Knight, Moses Storm, Dave Ross, Zack Noe Towers, Caleb Synan, Jame Loftus, Amy Miller, Curtis Cook, Ever Mainard, Ahamed Weinberg, Chris Fairbanks, James Austin Johnson, Anna Seregina, Jack Robichaud, Chris Charpentier, Babs Gray, Julia Hladcowitz, Matt O’Brien, Joe Kwazcala, Brad Wenzel, Josh Adam Meyers, Robby Hoffman, Bri Pruett, Garrick Bernard, Amber Nelson, Candice Thompson, Jordan Doll, Brad Gage, Danny Palumbo and Daniel Webb as Steph’s MOM.

So, please mark down Sun. Jan. 13th at 8PM at the Virgil in your calendars for 50 First Stephs. Also, donations will be taken to aid the recovery of Jason Saenz (you can donate to Jason’s GoFundMe here).

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

December 28, 2018
Uncategorized
benefit show, experimental comedy, jason saenz, silverlake, steph tolev, the virgil, you guys like impressions

50 of LA comedy’s best and brightest will be doing their best impression/character of/interpretation/etc. of the damn funny Steph Tolev.

We’re pretty sure a show like this hasn’t ever been done and we’re kind of in love with it. Also, Steph Tolev is very, very funny in case you didn’t know.

The line-up currently includes:
Kyle Kinane, Deb DiGiovanni, Beth Stelling, Nicole Byer, Jak Knight, Moses Storm, Dave Ross, Zack Noe Towers, Caleb Synan, Jame Loftus, Amy Miller, Curtis Cook, Ever Mainard, Ahamed Weinberg, Chris Fairbanks, James Austin Johnson, Anna Seregina, Jack Robichaud, Chris Charpentier, Babs Gray, Julia Hladcowitz, Matt O’Brien, Joe Kwazcala, Brad Wenzel, Josh Adam Meyers, Robby Hoffman, Bri Pruett, Garrick Bernard, Amber Nelson, Candice Thompson, Jordan Doll, Brad Gage, Danny Palumbo and Daniel Webb as Steph’s MOM.

So, please mark down Sun. Jan. 13th at 8PM at the Virgil in your calendars for 50 First Stephs. Also, donations will be taken to aid the recovery of Jason Saenz (you can donate to Jason’s GoFundMe here).

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

Win Tickets to Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen for Aug. 27th

August 23, 2018
Uncategorized
comedy show, erin lennox, free tickets, hot Tub, jenny zigrino, jordan doll, los angeles, los feliz, mekki leeper, silverlake, stefan pop, steph tolev
image

Hot Tub is back at it again next Monday and so are we with an accompanying ticket giveaway. 

Win a pair by entering here: http://thecomedybureau.dola.com/giveaways

Please Enjoy These Short Sketches from Dave Ross’ Twitter

July 20, 2018
Uncategorized
absurdist comedy, allen strickland williams, dave ross, sketch comedy, steph tolev
image

Longtime TCB favorite Dave Ross has been putting up ultra short sketches @davetotheross​ on Twitter for over a month now and each one of them has been great and absurd as all hell. 

We won’t explain any further and just let you enjoy these sketch morsels as fresh as possible:

1. Congressmen

2. New Jersey

3. Jackass

4. Phone

5. Put Your Phone Away

Also, we’re pretty sure fans of Dave’s old sketch group, WOMEN, will be plenty thrilled with these.

June 30, 2018
Uncategorized
canada, canada day, debra digiovanni, eddie della siepe, fairfax, hollywood improv, ivan decker, los angeles, melrose, rebecca kohler, sabrina jalees, scott thompson, stand up, steph tolev, weho

Sure, the Fourth of July is this week, but you’ve got tip your caps to Canada, which seems like they’re doing much better than us Americans right now.

So, for Canada Day, why not go see some of the funniest Canadians that thankfully are residing in LA (that includes Kids in the Hall’s Scott Thompson).

Tickets are $5 and you can (and should) go get them right now right her

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

June 3, 2018
Uncategorized
dr brown, fred melamed, ismael loutfi, jetzo, los angeles, mo collins, natalie palamides, please understand me, punkie johnson, ron lynch, rory scovel, screening, silverlake, steph tolev, web series

We’re still smiling about the new web series Please Understand Me from Steve Feinartz and Ahamed Weinberg, EP’d by Sarah Silverman that was released this week on Facebook Watch.

Seriously, it’s fantastic. 

Anyhow, if you’re in LA and don’t want to wait in the coming weeks for new episodes, you can go to a live screening of the whole series (including episodes for the pilot presentation) at the Lyric Hyperion in Silverlake (2106 Hyperion Ave., Los Angeles, CA) on Saturday, June 9th at 8PM. We were lucky enough to go to the premiere screening and it’s such a damn good time watching it in a crowd.

Tickets are $10 and you really ought to 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.

“Please Understand Me” Is The Next Thing You Should Be Watching

May 30, 2018
Uncategorized
ahamed weinberg, ismael loutfi, jash, natalie palamides, rory scovel, sarah silverman, steph tolev, steven feinartz, therapy
image

The idea of showing comedians in therapy gets taken to the next level with Please Understand Me from the brilliant duo of Ahamed Weinberg and Steven Feinartz.

In this web series, fictional stories are made up for pairs of comedians who sit down with actual therapists, accented with colorful interstitial flashbacks. Of course, the stories themselves are perfectly ridiculous and played to perfection by a great cast, which includes many of our favorite comedy folks such as Rory Scovel, Natalie Palamides, Mo Collins, Fred Melamed, Steph Tolev, Ismael Loutfi, Ahamed, Juzo Yoshida, Chad Damiani, Phil Burgers, and Punkie Johnson.  

Go enjoy Please Understand Me’s first two episodes right now on Facebook Watch and check back weekly for new episodes.

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