Netflix Is a Joke Fest Is Cancelled for 2020

July 10, 2020

comedy festival, los angeles, netflix, netflix is a joke, netflix is a joke fest

It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion than any sort of big festival that had been slated for most of 2020 is getting cancelled or, at best, postponed to 2021. That includes the inaugural run of Netflix’s big time comedy festival Netflix Is a Joke Fest that was going to be one of the notable comedy events that Los Angeles was going to be home to in quite some time.

Originally, Netflix Is a Joke Fest was going to happen just over a month after lockdown went into effect in Los Angeles. Then, it was postponed for later this year without very many other details. Now, as LA has suddenly turned into a hot spot for COVID-19, the streaming giant announced their decision to nix the festival entirely on this go around. Full refunds will be issued unlike other major festivals that have cancelled like SXSW, but as to what else might happen with Netflix Is a Joke Fest is a mystery at this point.

In fact, Netflix added in their announcement, “We will come back with something extra special, but until then, please stay safe.”

For the rest of the 2020 for comedy in LA, there are some shows that are lined up in October, but it’s best to think of those as tentative at this point.

Department of Cultural Affairs Offering Funding to Live Theaters in District 2 of LA for Online Experiences

May 28, 2020

News

artist relief, covid-19, district 2, grants, los angeles, theater relief

Los Angeles’ Department of Cultural Affairs, in normal times, has money earmarked to fund live events and performances. As that’s still not happening in full effect for awhile, they have transitioned a lot of those funds into multiple rounds of artist/theater relief.

This latest round of funding goes towards theaters and theater businesses in District 2, which mostly covers North Hollywood and Studio City. As both partial relief and funding, “stimulation contracts” of $8ooo will be offered to create and foster online experiences as the safer-at-home order is still in place in LA county. The deadline to apply is Jun. 12th.

More specifically:

-Funds may be used for rent, salaries, artist fees, videography, marketing, website administration, and related costs to be incurred between July 1 and August 31, 2020.

-Only one (1) application may be submitted by each theater business.

-Eligible theater businesses with fewer than 50 paid annual workers (including proprietors, salaried employees, and independent contractors) are encouraged to apply below.

Plenty of comedy and comedy adjacent venues definitely fit into these parameters and we can only hope more relief is coming all around the county and the Greater LA Area.

Get more details/apply here.

Restarting Community Business with Live Theaters Headquartered in Council District 2

Here’s a List of Local Comedians That Really Need Financial Support Because of COVID-19 Pandemic

March 19, 2020

News

aid, la comedy, local aid, los angeles, relief, support, support artists

In addition to great comedy livestream benefits that are happening like Comedy Quarantine and King Lear From Home or a GoFundMe for venue staff at Lyric Hyperion, a Google Doc has been assembled for comedians and comedy folks in LA that are financially affected the most as nearly all live, in-person entertainment has effectively shuddered for the coming weeks.

Per the doc:

What is this: Comedians rely on live performances to make their living, and many comedians are losing or canceling paid work due to covid-19 and CDC recommendations. There are other ways to support your favorite comedians – many of them have merch, albums, or skills that can be booked that don’t require seeing them in person (notes on scripts, graphic design, etc!).

See, share, potentially join in on (NOTE: Please use your best judgment when including your needs on this document; if you have a full-time job with benefits and are not losing financial income, this might not be the document for you) the Alternate Income for Comedians! here: bit.ly/HelpComediansCOVID19

Pick of the Day: Fancy Sauce (i.e. Return of Sauce Comedy)

March 12, 2020

News

comedy show, live comedy, los angeles, stand up comedy

For every day of the week, there is usually one or more weekly live comedy shows that you can rely on in the Greater LA Area to deliver you the best in stand-up, sketch, and improv. For Fridays, Sauce was absolutely one of those shows and hosts and LA comedy favorites Barbara Gray, Erin Lampart, Jeff Wattenhofer, and Brodie Reed maintained a damn good stand-up comedy show (that always included some jaunty, original bits and characters) at 8PM at Desano Pizza Bakery for years and years.

Now, after a bit of a hiatus, Sauce is back, but has evolved into Fancy Sauce and will be going up at The Airliner on Fridays, starting next month. We have no doubt that they’ll be as good as they have ever been in The Airliner’s brand spanking new, wonderful upstairs show room.

So, Fancy Sauce will be in Lincoln Heights (just North of DTLA) starting Fridays at April 3rd at 9PM. Tickets will be $5 and it should be part of your weekly comedy diet, especially if you live far on the Eastside.

Pick of the Day: Glow Show with Joey Z

March 11, 2020

News

experimental comedy, glow in the dark, kyle kinane, los angeles, reggie watts, variety show

It’s unfortunate that SXSW got cancelled (amidst a bunch of big time events getting cancelled because of COVID-19). However, if you were looking forward to seeing some very special comedy in Austin, TX during SXSW this month, perhaps you can get kind of close (without leaving town) with the Austin-born Glow Show with Joey Z.

As the name suggests, it’s a comedy show with glow-in-the-dark running rampant from start to finish and this line-up certainly is worthy of SXSW with the likes of Reggie Watts, Kyle Kinane, and fresh off her TV debut and fantastic debut album Vanessa Gonzalez. We have no doubt that this ought to be something special.

The Glow Show with Joey Z is set for Mon. Mar. 30th at Lyric Hyperion at 9PM. Tickets are $8 now and $12 day of. Save a few bucks and go get your tickets here right now.

Pick of the Day: Jackie and Laurie Present

March 10, 2020

News, Uncategorized

burbank, jackie kashian, laurie kilmartin, los angeles, pick of the day, stand up comedy

Hands down, one of our all time favorite podcasts is The Jackie and Laurie Show with the amazing, brilliant, hysterical pairing of Jackie Kashian and Laurie Kilmartin. Their weekly perspective as some of the funniest comedians working today (that happen to be older women) is a true joy and illuminating on how far we’ve come with representation in comedy and how much further we need to go.

This evening is a special showcase that not only feature Kashian and Kilmartin, but a collection of their “Comics of the Week”, a handpicked line-up of their favorite female comics that you need to see, which will include Marcella Arguello, Hannah Einbinder, Robin Tran, Kimberly Clark, Bernie Pauley, Amy Anderson.

So, you’ll get a bit of Jackie and Laurie and an amazing stand-up show all in one night. Tickets for Jackie and Laurie Present are $20 (+2 item min.). Please go get them here.

Pick of the Day: 2nd Annual Brody Stevens Festival of Friendship

March 6, 2020

News

brody stevens, comedy show, los angeles, stand up comedy, weho

May Brody Stevens rest in peace and may we remember the joy and light and artistry in comedy that he kept pushing further and further.

A great way to honor his memory is be in attendance for this 2nd Annual Festival of Friendship at one of what essentially was Brody’s home club, The Comedy Store next Tuesday.

The line-up is set to feature:
Bobby Lee
Steve Rennazzizi
Anthony Jeselnik
Josh Wolf
Adam Ray
Tony Hinchcliffe
Brenton Biddlecombe
Brian Redban
Matt Braunager
Cort McCown
Jayson Thibault
Annie Lederman
with Master of Ceremonies Sam Tripoli
+more TBA!

Please go get your tickets for this very special occasion. They are $20 (+2 drink min.) and you can (and should) purchase them here.

March 4, 2020

Uncategorized

baby wants candy, cameron esposito, comedy show, dtla, free comedy, free show, los angeles, musical comedy, stand up comedy, union station

Though it’s often not included in montages of LA, one of Los Angeles’ most beautiful structures is the pristine Union Station in DTLA. Its Art Deco design calls back to a timeless LA look from decades past, not to mention that it possessing all the charm of a classic train station.

So, wouldn’t it be great to watch comedy with LA’s most lovely train station as the backdrop?

Indeed, there will be a live comedy show next week, Clock Tower Comedy, featuring some of LA’s best in improv, musical comedy, and stand-up. Shamilton, the Hamilton-inspired musical improv show is absolutely one of the top musical comedy shows in LA and the one and only Cameron Esposito is bright, shining, genuine, sharp stand-up comedy luminary.

Best of all, admission is free! Get more details here.

March 3, 2020

Uncategorized

comedy shows, david x cohen, futurama, improv comedy, long form improv, los angeles, santa monica

Pretty, Pretty Pony is and has been, hands down, one of our favorite improv groups amidst the ever-multiplying number of improv teams in and throughout LA. You should always catch their monthly residency where they do improv based off of a monologist’s stories at the Westside Comedy Theater for their high-level, yet subversive long form improv done exquisitely by a cast of Cole Stratton, Joey Greer, Vanessa Ragland, Ed Roe, Atul Singh, Chris Alvarado.

This edition of Pretty, Pretty Pony is especially special as their guest monologist is none other than David X. Cohen who has brought us one of the more fun visions of the future with Futurama. Undoubtedly, his stories of his own past ought to be something pretty special too.

Tickets are only $6 and you can (and should) get them here.

The Next Comedy Festival Coming to LA Will Be Coming Courtesy of Netflix with Their Very First “Netflix Is a Joke Fest”

March 2, 2020

Uncategorized

comedy festival, los angeles, netflix is a joke, stand up comedy

Throwing a comedy festival in Los Angeles is a very, very, VERY daunting prospect. There’s virtually a festival’s worth of comedy every night of the week (a notion you’ve probably had yourself as a reader/follower of the site).

The resources of entertainment titan like Netflix does afford plenty of resources, access to talent and venues as you can clearly see in the star-studded and internationally stacked line-up above (or in this slick announcement video) that spans dozens of shows and venues.

The last truly great LA comedy festival, in our opinion, was Riot LA (bringing a damn fine comedy extravaganza to DTLA for a few years) and we’re very excited to know that Riot LA’s founder Abbey Londer is spearheading this new festival (as she is someone who can definitely pull it off and pull it off so well).

So, with all of that in mind, look to the end of April/beginning of May for Netflix Is a Joke Fest to take over LA comedy.

March 2, 2020

Uncategorized

chris gethard, comedy show, experimental comedy, los angeles, lyric hyperion, robby hoffman, tcgs

Robby Hoffman is at it again.

“It” being commandeering beloved and retired The Chris Gethard Show to do her own version of the show, which is arguably a very on-brand TCGS to continue to the show.

Hoffman’s version of the show gets into similar beautiful and hilarious chaos that Gethard did, but does so with her own cheeky alpha energy. Also, special guests could range from comedians, actors, etc. all the way to real estate agents making for a truly unpredictable, but downright hysterical night.

Tickets usually sell out for this, so best go get them for $12 right now (even though the show is a month away).

February 28, 2020

Uncategorized

comedy show, dynasty typewriter, los angeles, podcast, rob schrab, schrab home video

Since the departure of Harmontown, it has been quite a few minutes since Dynasty Typewriter had a big time weekly podcast recording within its wonderful walls.

However, that’s all about change with the one and only comedy/artist/producer/purveyor of wonderfully terrible things Rob Schrab (Channel 101, Monster House, Scud: The Disposable Assassin). A podcast called Schrab Home Video will take residence at Dynasty Typewriter at Hayworth Theater starting Mar. 15th and it’ll be “part clip-show, part talk show, and still more parts A/V installation and basement hang”. Of course, Schrab will talk to his vast, wide web of cool comedy, horror, animation folks that he is connected to and it should be a damn good time every Sunday early evening at 5PM.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 on the day of and you really ought to go get yours for the very first show here.

February 27, 2020

Uncategorized

book of mormon, comedy show, improv, los angeles, musical comedy, ucb, upright citizens brigade

Perhaps a ticket to the current run of Book of Mormon at The Ahmanson (starts at $45) is a little too steep for you right now? Maybe you’ve seen the national touring cast of Book of Mormon in tip top form, but would like to see what else they have up their sleeve outside of the groundbreaking musical?

In either case, there’s something that’s perfect on the horizon for both sorts of folks next month. That national touring cast of Book of Mormon and many of UCB’s very best will be going head-to-head in a show that runs them through the gauntlet of improv, bits, musical comedy, and more!

You’ll get the best of so many worlds in one show and all for the nice price of $14. Book of Mormon vs. UCB @ UCB Sunset is set for Mon. Mar. 9th at 8PM and you best get your tickets real quick right here.

February 24, 2020

Uncategorized

bootleg theater, comedy show, echo park, experimental comedy, lane moore, los angeles, tinder, tinder live

One of the crazier things you’ll ever see live on stage is the dating odyssey that Lane Moore embarks on as she displays a live feed from her Tinder on her phone and narrates her twists and turns through any and all swipes, matches, threads, etc. and letting the audience even somewhat sway what happens. Moore is so open and warm and so damn fun that the chaos is pretty damn fun.

Moore has been touring with this one of a kind, insanely bold social experiment/comedy show as it’s truly unforgettable

The latest edition of Tinder Live with Lane Moore is set for Sat. May 16th at 9PM at The Bootleg Theater. Tickets are $25 and you best get them now as we won’t be surprised at all if they sell out.

February 21, 2020

Uncategorized

beth stelling, comedy show, los angeles, stand up comedy, ucb

The charisma and warmth of Beth Stelling is undeniable (see her recent Kimmel set for proof) and has been for years. That’s part of why she is getting to tape an hour special for HBO Max coming up very soon.

So, next month, Thurs. Mar. 5th at 9:30PM at UCB Franklin, you’ll not only get a chance to see the oh-so-wondrous Beth get to do an hour, (a rarity for any comic in LA), but you’ll get to see her run that hour for said special.

We highly encourage you to be in attendance for this at the hallowed comedy grounds that are UCB Franklin. It’s very likely that this will be the most intimate space you’ll get to see Beth’s new hour in. Tickets are $9 and you can and very much should get them here.

Older News »