Pick of the Day: BBMT Presents NYE’s Spectacular: Tomorrow! Hosted by Ron Lynch (in LA) 12/31
There are plenty of options for the Greater LA Area that will very likely run you more than a few pretty pennies and mostly be people get drunk while music is played very loud up until a countdown for New Year’s somewhere in the world.
For all the extensive digging and scouring we’ve done on what might be “the” thing to go to on New Year’s Eve (unless you mostly just wanted to get drunk off of champagne and do countdowns), we think we’ve got the thing for LA. Our money is on Ron Lynch having a special exclusive night of his long running, beloved midnight variety show, Tomorrow!, head to another beloved LA institution, The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, for a special music/comedy/dancing extravaganza of a New Year’s Eve starting at 10PM.
Slated to join Lynch for the evening include Tomorrow! favorites of all kinds (comedians, carnies, magicians, non-comedic musicians, musical comedians, and more) including Jack Dagger, Sethward, Drennon Davis, Ian Abramson, Psychic Buster, Nick Stargu, Kristen Lundberg, Wesley Doloris, Blake Rosier, “The Unkillable” Jenny Lynne, Chaki.
Best of all, a ticket to Bob Baker Marionette Theater Presents NYE’s Spectacular: Tomorrow! Hosted by Ron Lynch only costs $23, which is a steal of a deal. Go get your tix now.
Pick of the Day: Tomorrow! with Ron Lynch 16th Anniversary Jam! (IG Live) 7/24
For 16 years, Tomorrow! has been the thing to do on Saturday night at midnight in LA. For so many years, longer than we’ve been doing or covering comedy, Ron Lynch has faithfully brought the perfect mix of absurdity, silliness, beauty, and honesty that’s worth keeping the night going that late.
Of course, for the last year, they haven’t been able to do that in a proper venue and Lynch company have taken to Instagram Live to keep the Tomorrow! flame going and indeed they have kept the show alive and kicking for all these months since whenever March 2020 was (that was a decade ago, right?).
To mark their 16 year anniversary, Ron will be bringing back the original trio, himself, Craig Anton, and Brendon Small, that started off this midnight institution as well as such luminary comedians as Dana Gould, Laura Kightlinger, and Brent Weinbach. Very likely, they’ll have more than just that to celebrate the occasion (in addition to the “Core Four” and Michael Mortilla).
These days, it ought to be something really special if you’re going to tune into an IG Live show, but the 16 Year Anniversary of Tomorrow! with Ron Lynch more than fits that bill. Tune in at Sat. Jul. 24th at 11PM PT/2AM ET on IG Live @ronlynch1 and support the show on Venmo @tomorrowshow.
Best of all, you won’t have to worry about the Delta variant!
First it was Steve Allen Theater, then it was Dynasty Typewriter, and now, The Lyric Hyperion Theatre & Cafe in Silverlake will be the home to the legendary midnight variety show Tomorrow! with Ron Lynch.
The show has been going for over 14 years and might coming to its most perfect home yet. The “re-return” show has a great collection of comedy from all corners of the art form and just so happens to be happening on 4/20.
Tickets are still only $10. Get more details here (and get hooked on this LA comedy institution already).
LA’s legendary weekly variety show celebrates its first year at its new home, but its magnanimous 13th year of bringing the best live entertainment ‘round midnight.
So, do not miss out on what will be an extravaganza of stand-up, sketch, music, magic, jugglers, etc. etc. as well as another chance to see LA’s comedy treasure, Ron Lynch.
Get tickets here.
It looks like the time for the Trepany House at Steve Allen Theater is actually coming to an end, and, with it, The Tomorrow Show with Ron Lynch (an LA comedy institution as far as we’re concerned) seems to be ending as well.
Though it has been running for over a decade every Saturday at midnight, there’s only a month’s worth of ‘Tomorrow’ left and, as such, this week’s show is a special “MASH-UP!” that gives a sampling of Crapshoot!, Five Minutes or Die!, and Hook-Up! (i.e. the various fan favorite formats of Tomorrow).
So, please make sure you see this or one of the three other Tomorrows. You can (and should) get tickets for this week’s MASH-UP! here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Before the end of the Steve Allen Theater this Summer, you need to catch Tomorrow! with Ron Lynch, the long running, beloved midnight comedy variety show.
This week’s edition is of particular interest and Fred Armisen will be co-hosting. Also, a weird and wonderful line-up of:
KARL HERLINGER (ventriloquist)
SCOT NERY (juggler)
BRYAN & JAY (couple guys)
NANA THE CATLADY (gonzo musician)
APRIL HAVA SHENKMAN (performance artist)
PONY DEATH RIDE (sassy band)
& MORE!!
and Tomorrow Show players BRIAN BARLOW, KATIE CROWN, DAVEY JOHNSON & CHRIS WALSH
Please get your tickets here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Trepany House and Steve Allen Theater are still standing and shows that you should see are still happening.
One of our favorite shows that happens on their stage is the Tomorrow Show with Ron Lynch’s Hook-Up!, a great spoof of The Dating Game. Valentine’s Day is well past us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still all make heavily poke fun at love, relationships, and trying to date.
Hook-Up! is happening this Saturday at midnight. Tickets are $8 and you can (and should) get them here or at the door.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
The Steve Allen Theater/Center For Inquiry, Along with Trepany House, Will Be Torn Down This Summer
The Steve Allen Theater/Center For Inquiry, Along with Trepany House, Will Be Torn Down This Summer
There seems to be a disturbing trend of local theaters around LA being torn down in order to build condos.
The Steve Allen Theater, the long time home of The Tomorrow Show with Ron Lynch, the first home of Re-Animator the Musical, a place where the likes of Marc Maron, Bill Burr, Bob Odenkirk and David Cross worked out long sets, etc., is coming to an end this Summer. That includes the Center for the Inquiry and Trepany House, the non-profit behind the programming at the Steve Allen.
The building will be torn down so a new set of condos can be built.
There is no word yet on when the final days will exactly be or, more importantly, their shows will have to find a new home. You can read the Steve Allen/Trepany House’s own Amit Itelman’s announcement of the whole plan here.
In the meantime, we urge you to go see one of the final shows (that includes Tomorrow! w/Ron Lynch) at the Steve Allen over the next few months.
If you don’t already have plans for New Year’s Eve, go to the show that knows how to do shows about today turning into tomorrow, Ron Lynch’s Tomorrow!
Eddie Pepitone, Martha Kelly, Jay London, Ember Knight, champagne, live music, dancing, and, of course, host Ron Lynch are all in store for Tomorrow! Auld Lang Show.
Tickets are $20 and you can get more details here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
More details here.
The rest of our listings for comedy events/shows as well as open mics and maps are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com.
The Tomorrow Show with Ron Lynch takes the idea of The Dating Game and mutates it into this wonderful late night, absurdist version of someone trying to go on a date with a bachelorette. It’s absolutely one of our favorite things to go see.
Get more details and tickets here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows/events as well as open mics are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com.
On The Horizon: Tomorrow! with Ron Lynch presents A Special Valentine’s/Anniversary Hook-Up!
One of LA’s longest running midnight comedy shows hosted by one of LA’s comedy treasures, Ron Lynch, does a delightfully mutated version of The Dating Game in Hook-Up!
Whether you’re into Valentine’s Day or believe that it’s a corporate mandated holiday that constricts us all into the idea of monogamy, it’s great to see a dating game that pits someone looking for love around a bunch of crazy people.
Catch it this Saturday night at midnight, Feb. 13th at Trepany House @ Steve Allen Theater. $8.
For complete LA comedy show listings and corresponding maps, please visit www.thecomedybureau.com
Help Send The Tomorrow Show! with Ron Lynch to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Help Send The Tomorrow Show! with Ron Lynch to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival
For almost 9 years, we’ve enjoyed the magical evening of comedy that is The Tomorrow Show here in LA. It’s about time the rest of the world got to enjoy it as much as we do, so donate what you can to help the incomparable Ron Lynch make his goal to make The Tomorrow Show @ Edinburgh Fringe the most wondrous it can be.
He’s looking to raise $10,000 and has $7.277 raised. He’s ending the campaign by midnight tomorrow.
The Tomorrow Show with Ron Lynch Celebrates 8 Year Anniversary Over Next Month
The Tomorrow Show with Ron Lynch Celebrates 8 Year Anniversary Over Next Month
One of LA’s best comedy shows just happens to be one of its longest running ones, The Tomorrow Show hosted by Ron Lynch. Currently, it’s going on 8 years out of The Steve Allen Theater bringing us all the bizarre hilarity of a true, blue variety comedy show with everything from classic stand up to not so classic stand up to someone making a cheeseburger spin on an umbrella to bad dating shows to wonderful music to old school carnies to some pretty fantastic magic, and, of course, the comedic brilliance of Ron Lynch.
So, you shouldn’t miss the rest of this entire 8 Year Anniversary celebration of The Tomorrow Show over the next 3 Saturdays at Midnight at The Steve Allen Theater with (in order) a Best of Show, Pre-Anniversary Show, and The Big Anniversary Show.
Morning Debriefing 7/30/11
1) Marc Maron’s keynote address from the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal is now online in its entirety. Listen here.
2) No one ruined the Open Meg[aphone] last night in Burbank, so it will be happening again on August 12th.
3) One of our absolute favorite shows in town, The Tomorrow Show with Ron Lynch, is celebrating their 6th Anniversary on August 6th and we were lucky (or cool) enough to get a leak of the amazing line-up they have in store, which is as follows:
Craig Anton
Brendon Small
Neil Hamburger
Brett Loudermilk-sword swallower
Jack Dagger-knife thrower
Gabriela Crowe-chanteause
Bryan Coffee-physical story teller
Ten West
Unknown Hands Puppet Troupe
Frank Conniff
David Higgins
Laura Silverman
Demetri Martin
Eddie Pepitone
Mike O’Connell
&
Cookie Monster
Admission is $15, BUT if you go to the Tomorrow Show tonight, you’ll only have to pay $5 for the astounding anniversary show.
4) If you go to Holy Fuck next Tuesday, this will be happening…
5) The Ultimate Free & Cheap LA Comedy List 7/31-8/6 via Wisepix.
6) Doctor w/Pete Holmes & Matt McCarthy-“Prostate Exam”
7) Troy Conrad and Paul Provenza’s Set List gets written about overseas.
8) Of the recent Variety Top 10 Comics to Watch/JFL New Faces, a few of them got a Tip of the Hat of us before they hit the big time.
Jerrod Carmichael (Top 10 Comics to Watch/New Faces)
Pete Holmes (Top 10 Comics to Watch)
Lauri Roggenkamp (New Faces)
9) ON THE HORIZON
This is Not Happening @ Hollywood Improv Tues. Aug. 2nd $5/2 item min.
10) COMEDY CRAWL
Happiest Hour @ Flappers YooHoo Room 7:30PM $10/2 item min.
ASSSSCAT @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10 (stand by only)
The Anytime Show w/Dominic Dierkes @ Underground Annex Theater 8PM $5
The Heart of Darkness @ Nerdist Theater 8PM $10
Re-Animator: The Musical @ Steve Allen Theater 8PM $30
Channel 101 Screening @ Downtown Independent Theater 8PM/10PM FREE
Magic Bag @ Underground Annex Theater 10PM $5
Seth & Ed’s Puppet Talk Show @ UCB Theatre 10PM $10 (stand by only)
The Tomorrow Show Presents Limbo @ Steve Allen Theater MIDNIGHT $8
Lil’ Draper’s Date Nights @ UCB Theatre MIDNIGHT $5
11) OPEN MIC RUN
SPOT CAFE 4455 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA/Starts 2PM/feedback given at end
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA/Starts 6PM/$4 min./first come, first served
MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/5PM to 11PM/$5 min./multiple sets allowed/coffee & water provided
WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATER 1323-A 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica, CA (in alley between 3rd and 4th St.)/Sign-up (lottery) 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/no purchase necessary/4 min.
SUNSET GRILL 7439 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 7PM/one item min.
12) Hollywood Blvd. you really need to get your shit together… and we’re not just talking about the riot.
Report 00229
THE COMEDY BUREAU/@thecomedybureau
Ron Lynch’s loyal disciples, The Doorknockers (Randy Liedtke & Davey Johnson), will be hosting the Tomorrow! Show’s Easter Thing.
We’re gonna raise the dead!
Laura Kightlinger
Brendon Walsh
Hugh Moore
Derek Hughes
Rory Scovel
Pamela Walt
Kathryn Burns
and music sensation The John 3 Reillys!
Comedy! Music! Magic! Ballet!… It shall not forsaken you!
Saturday (4/23/11). Midnight. Eight bucks.
The Steve Allen Theater
4773 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Oh yeah, that’s because Ron Lynch is at Bridgetown.
Ron Lynch-Tip of the Hat 3/6/11
The Comedy Bureau “Tips Its Hat” this week to RON LYNCH:
“Mmmm mmmm mmm MMMMMM MMMM MMMM!?!?” (Yes, you read that right, Ron unintelligibly mumbled during his entire set last Monday at a bar…. and killed)
If you hear about me talking about Ron Lynch in person, I might say something like, “I wish these were my words, but someone beat me to them: Ron Lynch is a National Treasure.” I told that to Ron once and he told me that was enough of the flattery. The sheer humility of one of the most original and jaw-droppingly funny comedic voices of our generation is, in itself, worthy of a “Tip of the Hat”.
“On paper”, Ron’s act might seem almost too simple and hard to figure how exactly he’ll pull it off, but, by the end, it becomes more brilliant than you can imagine. Last Monday, he literally mumbled his entire set where you couldn’t understand a single thing that he was saying. Still, his deft touch and uncanny awareness as a performer not only got a bar full of twenty-something drunkards laughing, but applauding him victoriously. As is the case with Ron Lynch, there are only so many ways that I could describe what happened, but you really just have to witness him responding to audience suggestions of doing impressions while still mumbling and get uproarious laughs yourself.
Simply put, Ron shows us what comedy can be and the true artistry behind just entertaining a bunch of strangers in a darkened room, which is why he really is a more of a “wonder of the world of comedy” rather than a “national treasure”.
One of my favorite shows in Los Angeles, the Tomorrow Show, is produced and hosted by Ron Lynch every Saturday at the Steve Allen Theater starting appropriately at midnight and is something that really is “bucket list” worthy every time that you go. If you can’t stay up for that, then check back here at the Comedy Bureau for any other dates he performs because, rest assured, they’ll be here.
Eddie-Pepitone-Tip of the Hat 2/26
The Comedy Bureau “Tips Its Hat” this week to EDDIE PEPITONE for
“Puddin”-Eddie Pepitone’s Daily Live Action Comic Strip that has Eddie walk into a break room and wreak havoc on a co-worker trying to eat pudding. My personal favorite is this one where Eddie yells at a magazine that has Taylor Swift on the cover.
There are so many reasons I could have given Eddie Pepitone a “Tip of the Hat”. There’s Eddie’s hilarious Twitter feed where he posts his “to do lists” and/or “signs things aren’t going well” or his performance nearly a month ago as Sven the Clown at the Tomorrow Show where he played a clown running laps around stage just so he could plug his interior painting services at the end, but “Puddin” that premiered just over a week ago puts Eddie and his uproarious character in the person in the perfectly unassuming situation leaving nothing but laughs the whole way through.
No matter how many times I see Eddie take the stage or watch an online clip over and over, he is one of those comedic voices that are so unique and so brilliant and just so damn funny, I keep laughing every time almost to the point of my vision going blurry. As a character comic, Pepitone has perfected his onstage persona of an “unrelenting manic prophet of an apocalypse that he believes is coming in the next second” so well that he can tell jokes, do bits, riffs, engage with audience members, and it will seem flawless and you’ll have no idea whether this was prepared or not.
Literally, it’s magic. Well, it’s magic that yells at an empty stage in at attempt to heckle yourself.
As you’ve might extrapolated from everything written above, Eddie Pepitone is involved in quite a lot of projects AND is one of the funniest people on Twitter meaning you should follow him @eddiepepitone right now, then finish reading this article. He performs frequently in and around Los Angeles, a member of the lovely Long Shot Podcast, and the Comedy Bureau will keep you updated as anything else he’s up to because you should drop whatever you’re doing to see him perform.
Finally!!! It’s Saturday Night and I Need a Laugh (and I’m in LA)…
To both consumers and producers of live entertainment alike, Saturday is THE prime night. As far as live comedy is concerned, many venues want to put their best foot forward as most of the workforce wants a “good ol’ time” filled with laughter and will pay HANDSOMELY to be entertained.
On Jan. 29th 2011, The Comedy Bureau was indeed out in force to see what a night in LA comedy for those regular 9-5ers that have no idea what “alternative comedy” is or that it even exists or that comedy shows happen outside of comedy clubs. With this mission, the Comedy Bureau went to the three big names that many “normal” people in LA and around the world associate with stand up comedy: The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, and the Hollywood Improv. Also, as a contrast, we went to the incredibly underground, cult comedy show The Tomorrow Show w/Ron Lynch at the Steve Allen Theater.
We paid full price. We saw. We shed our attitude as comics and tried to be actual audience members. We took notes.
And with all of that in mind, this, comedy community, is what to expect if you went to see these shows because you wanted to laugh on a typical Los Angeles Saturday night:
Lit with bright names and big faces along Sunset Blvd., the Laugh Factory in Hollywood stands on at the end of a row of beyond hip and trendy AND certainly beyond affordable night clubs and, as such, follows suit with a general admission charge of $25 and a “VIP” charge of $35 with that traditional 2 drink minimum. According to their menu, a single order of Coca-Cola (soft drinks tend to be the cheapest things on comedy club menus) runs $8.
This means: If you were going alone and chose to park for free several blocks away from the Laugh Factory, you would be paying at least $40. If you’re like most people, you’re probably out on a date and will probably pay for valet parking, which will put you in the realm of the night costing $100+.
For that much money one would logically think that you would get to see the biggest names in stand up comedy. At the 10PM show, which is billed as “All Star Comedy”, the line-up included: Chris D’Elia, who just had a Comedy Central Special, but is largely still “on the rise” in regards to being a “name” in stand up comedy, Tony Rock, who is Chris Rock’s brother, Al Del Bene, who been on Comics Unleashed (broadcast network show featuring stand up comics that’s on at the same time as Last Call w/Carson Daly), Dov Davidoff, who also has his own Comedy Central Special, but is largely known for his performance in the Mark Wahlberg vehicle “Invincible” as the childhood friend of Vince Papale that reminds him of his roots, Johnny Sanchez who I also found has his own Comedy Central Special as well as being part of the “Payaso Comedy Slam”, and a secret special guest. Such a line-up isn’t exactly along the lines of the type of comedy that the Comedy Bureau regularly features as this is a very “mainstream comedy” line-up that talks about racial stereotypes, sex, and curses a lot, but then again, everyone has their own personal taste in comedy and I’ve seen such a line-up “kill” a club crowd before.
With that being said, we didn’t know find out who the special guest was because we didn’t see the show. We wouldn’t pay $40 to see Louis CK much less a line-up of comics on the rise that aren’t really aren’t our “cup of tea”.
Several blocks away from the Sunset Strip, the Hollywood Improv rests in a neighborhood of trendy boutiques along what’s arguably the more famous part of Melrose Ave as a clear stand out with it’s old fashioned neon sign and marquee. In that spirit, the Hollywood Improv actually runs several shows that are closer to what most traditional stand up shows around the rest of the country with openers, features, and headliners. This is unique to the Improv as, currently, no single comic headlines the Comedy Store or the Laugh Factory, though there are several features there as opposed to the standard 1 or 2 in their line-ups and the headliner only gets to do half an hour as opposed to a full hour. Still, this is the closest you’ll get to what most stand up shows are like everywhere that isn’t LA or NYC in LA.
We also looked forward to the sight of slightly friendlier prices. Unlike the Laugh Factory, the cover was only $18 plus the 2 drink minimum, of which a beer, not a glass of Coca-Cola, costs $7. Free street parking was slightly more available at the Improv and much closer to the venue than at the Laugh Factory or the Comedy Store.
Getting into the Improv, we attended the 7:30PM show w/Elon Gold, who has been on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno several times, half-packed with what appeared to be friends of host Ben Morrison, a regular at most of the clubs in the LA area. Morrison opened the show strong, but ran the light/went over his time by about 4 minutes with typical club comic material about masturbation and going to gay bar, which was trying.
Despite that, we were glad to see that other comics on the line-up included a few that have been mentioned, featured, or retweeted on Twitter by The Comedy Bureau: Josh Comers, who currently and deservedly writes for Conan, Jarrod Harris, who has only been on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, but is certainly funny enough for a half-hour special, Michelle Buteau, who has been on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend and has toured regularly throughout the world as far as Amsterdam. All of them, another feature Nigel Lawrence, and headliner Elon Gold, even though he relies heavily on a vast array of voices and characters in a way that isn’t much to our liking, showed the “intimate” crowd a legitimate good time that ran around 2 hours.
Once more, with no regard to my opinion of who was on stage and what material they were doing, people genuinely had a good Saturday night at the Hollywood Improv.
The World Famous Comedy Store. Just process that self-proclaimed moniker for a moment and think as to what type of stand up comedy show you would see there. With so much history literally written on the walls of the Comedy Store, many people have come to the assumption that this is the epitome of stand up comedy.
In fact, I’d wager that most people would equate a Saturday night at the Main Room of the Comedy Store, the biggest of the three rooms located there, to be the stand up comedy “end all be all”. Along this notion, we went to the 9PM Main Room show costing us $20 for admission and a 2 drink min billed as 14 National Touring Headliners.
Looking at the posted line-up, we discovered that all the comics were scheduled to do 15 minutes, which already makes the show at least run over 3 hours. Now many show producers have the attitude of “you may come and go as you like” to a show like this, but I argue that a show where the audience WANTS to stay the whole time is infinitely better and will be more likely to have people come back and see the show again.
However, this show ran 4 hours. 4 HOURS. With a line-up (in order) of Kevin Christy, Argus Hamilton, Jeff Altman, Iliza Schlesinger, Dom Irerra, Ahmed Ahmed, Chris D’Elia, Ian Edwards, Rick Ingraham, Sam Tripoli, Mike Young, and Barry Diamond, the show went 4 hours and having fulfilled my 2 drink minimum obligation within the first hour, I was plenty sober and annoyed by the end of the show around 1:30AM.
Now, the aforementioned line-up at this particular show isn’t one that I’d normally go and see (though I did enjoy Argus Hamilton and Ian Edwards), but, in attempting to be objective about this whole report, the crowd of approximately 200 people were legitimately having a good time even when Chris D’Elia, who was getting plenty of laughs, told the audience, “Fuck you!! That’s funny!!!” all the way up until Rick Ingraham.
Ian Edwards had a great set and consequently the show was around 2.5 hour mark, then Ingraham went up and did a very rigid style of crowd work asking anyone within his line of sight “What do you for a living?” An audience member was so annoyed that they shouted, “Tell a fucking joke!”, which was the point where people started walking out on the show. Sam Tripoli continued to walk people as he complained that no one made a connection with him and blamed the audience for not liking punchlines. With only himself and one more comic to go, Mike Young got up and then complained about his spot being nearly a half hour later than the posted time (since most comics went over their time) as well as there being a minute fraction of the original crowd present for his set. With the 20 or so people left in the cavernous Main Room that can actually seat 300, Barry Diamond injected some energy by singing a song and then weaving in and out interesting characters and sheer absurdities that I started to enjoy.
At that point when the show was over the 3 hour mark, Barry Diamond decided to work on his “hour” and simply just kept going and going and going and going some more, and then say he should have gotten off stage long ago, and then kept going. I went from enjoying his act to resenting his refusal to get off stage, both as a comic and an audience member. This isn’t an open mic. This is the Comedy Store Main Room on a Saturday night and people have paid a considerable amount of change to be entertained rather than watch someone work on their hour.
Like I said, I perhaps didn’t enjoy the line-up for the most part, but, objectively, the crowd was having a good rollicking time up until the show was passing the three hour mark and the comics starting blaming the audience, which is when people started leaving and the people they stayed had sort of a feeling of being taken hostage (i.e. couple in front was insulted by comic on stage and was visibly shocked and confused). Going out on a Saturday to the Comedy Store Main Room, this ordeal might be what to expect if you go. Sure, you could just pop in and pop out to see part of the 14 National Touring Headliners that people only marginally know (audience member clearly had no idea who Iliza Shlesinger, arguably the most recognizable name on the line-up, as he mispronounced her name), but do you really want to pay $20 cover, 2 drink minimum, and $15 parking because you don’t want to walk a mile for free parking to do that?
The Tomorrow Show w/Ron Lynch @ The Steve Allen Theater
Appropriately located just outside of Hollywood in Los Feliz, the Tomorrow Show represents the comedy that most people don’t know and subsequently SHOULD KNOW. It’s alternative, indie, underground, unpredictable, and most importantly: funny.
Independently booked, produced, and hosted by the amazing and hilarious Ron Lynch, the Tomorrow Show is a live variety comedy show that includes stand-up, sketch, music, and, on this particular night, a sword swallower. For only $8 with no minimum of any kind (show is B.Y.O.B.), you can get to be a part of this late night madness as the Tomorrow Show appropriately starts at midnight.
Due to the incredibly late, at least by unfortunate Los Angeles standards, start time, the Tomorrow Show remains part of the vast indie/underground/alt comedy scene that many of the “normal” people we met at the Improv and the Comedy Store have no idea exists and consequently has a much smaller turnout than that of a major comedy club. Still, going on its sixth year, the Tomorrow Show has an incredibly loyal fan base that keeps coming back because of the bona fide good time that they have (that was made better as it was under 2 hours).
This night, or early morning, the line-up consisted of Greg Barris, Karl Hess, Robert Selander, Chuck Sklar, Barry Rothbart, Matt Kirshen, sketch group the Doorknockers, and sword swallower Brett Loudermilk. Most of these names are just as unrecognizable to the average person as any of the other names mentioned in this article, but just like at the Improv and the first 2 hours of the Main Room at the Comedy Store, the crowd, small as it was, had a wonderful night/early morning.
With seemingly random interruptions, jokes about zombie conspiracy theories, and absurd, off-the-wall stories, the Tomorrow Show can be categorized as chaotic, especially in the early hours of the morning, but it represents a style of comedy that is different where it isn’t just typical types of jokes about race and/or dicks. Though, it isn’t for everyone, the Tomorrow Show is proof that there’s an alternative where comedy can be something else and even something more.
So Next Saturday Night…
The Comedy Bureau urges you all to simply check here and elsewhere before you go out on a Saturday night to see some live comedy because it does happen outside of Hollywood and outside of a comedy club and it can be something besides overweight balding men shouting obscenities and exploit racial stereotypes AND it can be fantastic.
Special Thanks to Chris Adams, Joe Braza, Russell Corona, Courtney Howerton, and Jeremy Paul in helping making this article possible.
Morning Debriefing 12/4/10
1) ON THE SUBJECT OF HECKLERS (part 1), the Comedy Bureau would like to educate the general public that heckling is not a behavior that is in ANY way acceptable no matter what your set of circumstances you happen to be coming from. It’s not a way to make the show more fun or as some “brilliant” people I’ve overheard say, “I’m helping them.” At a comedy show, as an audience member, you are meant to sit and keep quiet and listen OR if you’re not into what’s being said, have enough respect for the person on stage trying to perform their act in what is (surprise surprise people that don’t think so) one of the hardest art forms ever conceived. There is a discrepancy when the show is at a venue where the audience did not come for the show, but simply to hang out at a bar with their friends and are subsequently being “subjected” to comedy. Even in this case, you always have the option of not listening. With that all being said, if you are a person who came to see the show WITH THE INTENTION of heckling, you are UNDENIABLE PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING. In last night’s case, I had to deal with one of these “I am Heckler” types and realized that there’s a sadistic nature about the whole exchange. This person wants me to fail, to see me unravel as a performer, as if that is the way he will feel good about himself (sidenote: I don’t unravel. I deal with it and if you push me far enough, I’ll verbally rip you into enough shreds for confetti at New Year’s; ask Bobby Kern). As the show was at an “AA room”, I had reasoned that the guy felt like he earned the “privilege” to heckle as he was in AA and had as a common phrase among that crowd “been through a lot of shit”. Especially since the show was formatted to follow the AA meeting and we, the comedians, were not holding anyone “hostage”, I don’t care if you just came from a funeral; If you came to see the show, then simply don’t heckle. As comedians, whether we do this for a living or not, this is “work” for us and I will never go to the business where you are currently employed and say, “Did they warn you about us?” This concludes Part 1 of ON THE SUBJECT OF HECKLERS.
2) Steve-O is still headlining the Irvine Improv this weekend for whatever reason. For those of you that like to retain brain cells/your soul, go on tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL Two Milk Minimum @ Flappers YooHoo 12:30PM $10/2 item min., then Battleship Pretension @ Meltdown Comics 8PM $5, then The Thrilling Adventure Hour @ Largo 8PM $25, then The Twelve Shiny Nickels Show @ The Fake Gallery 11PM $5/21 and over, The Midnight Show @ UCB Theatre MIDNIGHT $5 (stand by only), then Tomorrow!!! w/Ron Lynch presents Crapshoot! @ Steve Allen Theater MIDNIGHT $8, and finish the night with your fist raised in the air a la John Carlos for supporting comedy that actually comedy, then actually good.
3) OPEN MIC RUN: ICE HOUSE OPEN AUDITIONS 24 N. Mentor Ave./Starts 4PM, WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATRE 1323-A 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica (in alley between 3rd St. and 4th St.)/Sign-up (lottery) 6PM/Starts 6:30PM./3-5 min., SUNSET GRILL 7439 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 7PM, MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA (walk up Martel past Big Mama’s and Papa’s)/5PM to 11PM/$5/multiple sets allowed.
4) Good news for all decent people around the world that aren’t the aforementioned “I am Heckler” types: Matt Braunger along with Brent Forrester (writer/producer on The Office) has just gotten a pilot order from Comedy Central!!! Check out more details here and the Comedy Bureau will keep you updated on its progress in development.
5) The wonderful duo of Garfunkel and Oates are both amazing and delightful. However, I think they would be amazing, delightful, and life-changing if they performed in my living room. I can’t afford that, but maybe you can by auctioning for a private show from Garfunkel and Oates right here. This is life-changing because it’s Garfunkel and Oates in the privacy of your own home AND all proceeds go to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
6) The Comedy Bureau “Tips Its Hat” today to JIM HAMILTON-“@Jim_Hamilton With the stage covered in blood and lady halves, Boris realized why there aren’t more open mics for magicians.” Jim Hamilton gets the distinction of being the first person to get a second “Tip of the Hat” and with all of the beyond clever one-liners he has, Jim definitely deserves it. You can see him perform live and for FREE at one of the best shows in town this Tuesday, Dec. 7th at Holy Fuck! in the Downtown Independent Theatre (251 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA) 9PM. I’ll probably say this several times throughout the course of the life of the Comedy Bureau: follow Jim Hamilton on Twitter here.
7) From the “You Should Have Been There” Lagoon-Bill Hicks’ Worst Gig Ever
8) If you missed the tweeting storm the Comedy Bureau had last night, check it out “open mic genius” quotes, etc. here and then donate because I drove from Long Beach to East LA to Fullerton to Garden Grove to Hollywood and back to Long Beach for comedy meaning all of you.
9) So in just over a month, 104 people like The Comedy Bureau on Facebook, 64 people follow The Comedy Bureau on Twitter, and 43 people follow us/really just me on Tumblr. Thanks everyone for reading and all the support because it’s only going to get better (especially if I make any money at this).
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Morning Debriefing 11/27/10
1) I have to give credit once more to Shayne Michael and the energy he has put back into the iCandy open mic/K.A.S. Comedy Etc. Show. With being one of the longest running open mics in the LA area, iCandy/Coffee Haven has seen its share of highs and lows and with a new sound system and a revitalized format that keeps a good energy about the room (i.e. booked show, raffles, etc.), comics who go to iCandy can expect to actually work on their material, which is the purpose of an open mic.
2) What better way to get into the holiday spirit than going to a run of shows that include the words: milk, asssscat, boners, back room, and family. THUS, don’t miss tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL with Two Milk Minimum @ Flappers Burbank 12:30PM $10/2 item min., then Space Boners Gives Thanks! @ Silverlake Lounge 7PM FREE, then ASSSSCAT @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10 (stand by only), then The Back Room @ UCB Theatre 10PM $10, and finish with Ron Lynch and Craig Anton host a Tomorrow! Family Thanksgiving @ Steve Allen Theater MIDNIGHT $8.
3) OPEN MIC RUN: LAUNDROMIC 1054 Vine St. Los Angeles, CA/Starts 4PM, WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATRE 1323-A 3rd St (in alley between 3rd and 4th)/Sign-up (lottery) 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/3-5 min., SUNSET GRILL 7439 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 7PM, MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA (walk up Martel past Big Mama’s and Papa’s)/5PM to 11PM/$5 cover/multiple sets allowed.
4) As it was brought to my attention, even though I knew I needed to get around to it, the “Bureau Approved” page is updated again with a section for shows and open mics. Also, the “Calendars” page got updated with Comedy Store Line-ups and link directly to the Largo Calendar. I might be running out of ways to make this easier for you guys… I’m just sayin’.
5) The Comedy Bureau “Tips Its Hat” today to PAUL DANKE “@pauldanke every black friday, I get up early, go to best buy, and when the doors open. I rob the shit out of people’s cars. #IPODSFOREVERYONE” When not chilling back in his jean jacket, Paul Danke absolutely rips it on stage. According to several sources, Danke closed out the Holy Fuck! One Year Anniversary like a hero, which is certainly no surprise to the Comedy Bureau. Going up all around town as well as his own fantastic show The Comedy Garage (run with Cornell Reid and Sean Green), Paul has definitely earned his praise for his stand-up as well as doing featured blogging for FunnyorDie.com. You can witness Paul Danke tomorrow at French Toast @ Taix 8:30PM FREE or on his blog The Art of Coming Off Casual or his amazing Twitter.
6) From the “You Should Have Been There” Lagoon: Michael Keaton does Stand-up
7) Donate here. Live Tweeting here. Donate here. Live Tweeting here. (insert catchy jingle that’s so catchy you would actually do either or both of the two)
8) On the subject of handling hecklers: Why is there the type of heckler who interrupts your set and then applauds and congratulates you after you yell at him for 4 minutes ripping him to shreds as a person? There should be a new subcategory of psychological disorders in DSM IV that addresses this.
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Morning Debriefing 11/7/10
1) Last night at “The Tomorrow Show w/Ron Lynch” @ The Steve Allen Theater, I felt so honored to perform on Ron’s “5 Minutes or Less” version of the show where a simply delightful line-up does 5 minutes before all the power to the stage is cut off. For those not in the “know”, “The Tomorrow Show w/Ron Lynch” has been a stand out even amongst an extremely rare breed of comedy shows in LA that start at midnight and take place outside of a comedy club AND are so funny that those hesistant about going to a comedy show in general WILL have a good time. With one of the best hosts “in the biz” Ron Lynch and his “magic without magic act”, last night lucky crowd witnessed daylight savings time as it happened and nicely packaged 5 minutes from Alex Mesrobian, Sean Green, Jake Kroeger (Comedy Bureau Director/the person writing this blog/me), Rob O’Reilly, Matt Champagne, John Vargas, SAX Carr, Shawn Carlow, Brandie Posey, Carlos Ramos, and Will Weldon, not to mention a fantastic musical performance from spy music extraordinaires Double Naught Spy Car. The Tomorrow Show!!! w/Ron Lynch @ The Steve Allen Theater, 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (Los Feliz). Every Saturday/Midnight. $8/Free Parking.
2) The extra hour in the day means, you guessed it, a superb comedy show on tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL (football’s not worth that hour). Start off with The Breakfast Show w/Adam Shenkman @ The Strange 4PM & 8PM/e-mail AdamOCerealClub@gmail.com for details, then go to Jeff Garlin’s Combo Platter @ UCB Theatre 6PM $2, then go to Christopher Titus @ Brea Improv 7PM $25/2 drink min., then go to French Toast @ Taix 8:30PM FREE, then Top Story Weekly @ iO West 9PM $5, “Tales of the Black Freighter” @ R-Bar 9PM FREE. OK, that’s more than an hour, but you want to go to more than one comedy show tonight. You know that you do…
3) Tonight, the Comedy Bureau will be delving into another edition of OPEN MIC LIVE TWEETING at the Sushi King, which seems like an urban legend among LA open mic as it starts at midnight on Sundays. Stay tuned for what it sure to be either a great time or one of the harder mental endurance/patience tests I’ve ever subjected myself to right HERE.
4) In addition to the Greater LA Open Mic Map, there already exists a Greater LA Comedy Landscape for all the “booked” rooms. The Comedy Bureau brings you yet another amazing innovation by putting conveniently located links at the top of the page that to both maps. When we can afford an R&D department, we’ll look into the next step of intaking your inner thoughts and desires and letting that navigate through the site, but, for now, primitive as it may be, you’ll have to scroll up and click.
5) Newly minted LA Comedy Competition “The Rickie’s” is now taking submissions. Available categories for submission include Impressions/Characters, One-liners, and Musical Comedy. E-mail therickiesINFO@gmail.com with the category you’re submitting for, a 3 min. online clip, and any other questions. Find more details here.
6) News for the Big Trouble in Little Tokyo Open Mic: Regular tacos cost $1.50, Señor Fish closes at 1AM, and I might punch co-host Russell Corona in the face, just maybe. Go to Señor Fish, 422 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA on Nov. 9th/6:30PM to find out.
7) The Comedy Bureau actually received its first donation from fantastic human being/great comic Jerry Brandt and extends an extra special thank you from all of us (meaning me, the one person who writes and is responsible for everything that goes into this entire agency/blog). Please be the next exemplary citizen by donating to The Comedy Bureau and all my efforts here.
8) “Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…” I wonder if there is any language where that actually translates to laughter. Wherever that is, that’s where my comedy will obliterate.
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Morning Debriefing 11/6/10
1) Comics and Comics @ Meltdown Comics is first off and foremost an uproariously hilarious live comedy show AND THEN an insightful and inviting look into the life of the “fanboy”. Initially, I had thought the show might be largely geek vs. geek trying to top each other with painfully specific continuity issues in various fantasy worlds and who can make the more obscure reference based off of issue numbers, both aspects of geek culture that fantastic host Sax Carr frequently riffs quite nicely off of, but Comics and Comics transcended such stereotypical notions. Privileged audience members got to see all different angles in the life of being a geek/fanboy without getting too arcane and had the seemingly rare experience of having a good time with live comedy. Even when it was too arcane, it was still pretty damn funny. Top notch performances from Ed Greer, Paul Jay, Asterios Kokkinos, Tom Franck, Scott Lobdell, and Johnathan London. I even enjoyed warm up acts Brian Walton and Tim Powers along with music from Elmenopy, which consisted largely of them playing the Batman theme while chanting different comic book/pop culture characters unrelated to Batman. Comics and Comics graces Meltdown Comics on the first Friday of every month. 7511 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA
2) Tonight’s Comedy Crawl not to be missed BY LAW!!!, especially since The Comedy Bureau Director Jake Kroeger is actually going up, so start off w/ Pet Adoption/Charity Auction w/James Adomian @ Amoeba Records 12PM-4PM FREE, then The Truth and Soul Show @ The Comedy Store Belly Room 10PM $5/2 drink min., then Stand Up to Stand Up Comedy @ The Air Conditioned Lounge 8PM FREE, then The Twelve Shiny Nickels Show @ The Fake Gallery 11PM FREE, Ron Lynch’s Tomorrow Show Presents 5 Min. or Less @ The Steve Allen Theater Midnight $8 (this is the one I’m on), The Midnight Show @ The UCB Theatre Midnight $5, The Thrilling Adventure Hour @ Largo 8:30PM $25, Christopher Titus @ Brea Improv 7PM & 9PM $25/2 drink min.
3) Per the last report, there is now a GREATER LA COMEDY OPEN MIC MAP. Unlike primitive open mic lists of the past, the Comedy Bureau brings you to the forefront of google technology and comedy information with a FRIGGIN’ MAP along with details about sign up and start times as well as who hosts the room. SOON TO COME: Alotted time, Reviews, and Open Mic Run Routes.
4) Jason Nash is Married… and it’s definitely a laugh riot. Check it here.
5) If you like the Open Mic Map, hell, if you like this site, and are, again, able and willing, please donate what you can to support the Comedy Bureau. By the way, the magic of the word “please” is being tested here.
6) The Big Trouble in Little Tokyo Open Mic just found out that they will have a STAGE instead of some dusty old carpet from storage that would have stayed there otherwise. I know you can’t see my hand gesturing the improvement of the room by this announcement, but I’ll reiterate, WE HAVE A STAGE!!! Tues. Nov. 9th. 6:30PM. Señor Fish. 422 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA. (little tokyo/downtown)
7) Lakers vs. Live Comedy Shows and Lakers vs. Clippers. Is there any difference? I struggle to find one.
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