by Klaus Kinski

Euegene Mirman @ The Eugene Mirman Festival (more by David Andrako)

Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching that time of year when I feel so oppressed and destroyed by the heat and humidity that I can't help but contemplate suicide knowing that I must endure this for many many many more weeks. As the sweat and grease springs forth from every pore of my body... as the sweat that begins at the back of my neck rolls its way south and converges with my back sweat and picks up momentum and girth as the sweaty tidal wave approaches my butt-crack... as I wince through this every day I think, "Dead people don't have to deal with this. It must be much cooler and shadier being entombed." (it's DEFINITELY cooler being in the band Entombed). People migrate to the beach not just to enjoy the sun and the water; they do so to escape the revolting sight of people like me panting and sweating through our clothing and the sheer lack of comfort we exude. It is at this point in the calendar year that I feel my lowest and need a serious and somewhat sustained pick-me-up. Thankfully, the fine folks at Creaghead & Company have a pile of comedic fare for me to ingest in the coming weeks that will hopefully keep me from the edge. It will do nothing for my perpetual moisture and shininess, but it'll make life more tolerable!

For those of you not in the know, Creaghead & Company is a small, mom and pop outfit from Brooklyn that puts together some seriously rad music and comedy events. You may not have known it, but Creaghead & Company was/is behind events and tours such as Pretty Good Friends (a weekly comedy show at Union Hall hosted by Eugene Mirman) (there was also a PGF tour that featured Mirman, Reggie Watts, and Kumail Nanjiani), The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, Heart of Darkness (brain child of Greg Barris), Marking Out (hosted by Matt McCarthy), and more. The shows C&Co put together aren't just standard stand-up fare. Each and ever yone of these shows DO feature some of the best minds in comedy currently drawing breath.

A more elaborate listing of their upcoming events are listed below, but allow me to take time out of MY busy day and give YOU a quick de-briefing (not the underwear kind) of what to expect in the coming days/weeks. The fun starts, like, soon... as in, like, Monday July 11th when Matt McCarthy's show Marking Out hits the Ace Hotel with guests including Michael Showalter, Joe Mande, Adam Lowitt, and musical guest Toys & Tiny Instruments. For the record, McCarthy is an absolute comedic force. Sort of like the real Klaus Kinski, only hilarious and completely different looking. Or maybe like the Minor Threat of comedy where you want to be up front gnashing your teeth and pumping your fist with him, but instead reel it in and respectfully listen while he does his thing. One of my favorites in the biz.

Marking Out is at 8pm which means you can probably catch it before Whiplash, which, like every Monday night, starts at 11pm at UCB.

Then on Wednesday July 13th you can catch Tom Shillue's FunnyStory.biz at Caroline's On Broadway. The show is hosted by Klaus favorite Tom Shillue and features Kurt Braunohler, Rich Vos, Swords, and John Flynn. Yes, it's at Carolines but it's only 10 bucks. And as side note, I know Caroline's gets a lot of shit for being a corporate Time's Square tourist venue, but they have made a serious effort lately to have $5 shows, one of which is hosted by the great Joe Mande. So give 'em a break. You pompous shrill.

Then on Saturday July 16th you can catch Heart of Darkness at Union Hall. Hosted by Greg Barris, Heart of Darkness is waaayyyy more than a stand up revue. I spoke about it in my little corner of the internet, but to sum:

"It is an incorporative show," explains the project's charismatic creator, 28-year-old comedian Greg Barris, who will also take the stage. "The band and the comics will all be performing together, the audience will be involved, special guests will be involved--the whole way through. And people's sins will be forgiven."

This particular episode featuresJaneane Garofalo, John F. O'Donnell, BV favorite Reggie Watts, and MIND WARRIOR: from the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at Johns Hopkins University - Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D. This is something you experience, not passively watch. I really urge you to see this. If I had my way this show would happen nightly.

Head back to Union Hall on Monday July 18th for a pretty serious Creaghead & Company Mandatory Staff Meeting featuring Head Creaghead Caroline Creaghead. The meeting will also feature Department Heads: Eugene Mirman, Murderfist, Mike Pomranz, and intern Roger Hailes. And more. This event is actually not optional. If you don't go you'll be fired, from life. Pretty serious stuff.

Also, you might want to make sure that on July 29th you get your cut-off wearing ass over to the Williamsburg Waterfront for Creaghead & Co. related event Pretty Good Friends featuring Eugene Mirman, Patton Oswalt, Todd Barry, Kristen Schaal, and They Might Be Giants. The setting is beautiful, the event is free, and you deserve a good laugh. Trust me, you do.

More details on all these shows below...

Continue reading "Klaus Kinski's Comedy Canon (07/11/11)"

Back on January 20th, a week before the Decemberists got a whole bunch of press for their chart success, Billboard reported that...

Louis C.K. scores his first Billboard No. 1, as "Hilarious" debuts atop the Comedy Albums chart.

The stand-up comedian and star of the FX breakout hit "Louie" peaked at No. 5 in his previous appearance on the list with "Chewed Up" in 2009.

The new album insightfully jabs that "everything's amazing and nobody's happy," expanding upon a routine that became a viral sensation after Louis C.K. appeared on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" in 2008:

Congrats to Louis CK! Catch him live at Caroline's in NYC, at one of the nine shows he's doing between February 24th and 27th. Tickets are on sale.

Continue reading "Louis CK was #1 on Billboard, playing 9 shows @ Caroline's"

Only a fool would believe...

Michael McDonald (the comedian) plays Caroline's Comedy Club tonight through Sunday. Michael McDonald (the musician) plays PNC Bank Arts Center and Jones Beach on September 2nd and 3rd (and Atlantic City in August), but nothing in the area sooner, despite what Ticketmaster says.

Grizzly Bear and other videos below...

Continue reading "don't expect to hear I Keep Forgettin' @ Caroline's this week"

by Klaus Kinski

Max & Gabe D & friend @ MoMA - Jan 6, 2009 (by Fred Benenson) (via)

I don't get to see nearly as much comedy as I used to, but the scene is as vibrant as ever. If the mood strikes and I find myself wanting to get my yuck-on there is absolutely no shortage of one-off shows and recurring weekly shows. The Tribeca branch of the 92nd St Y has been booking some insane comedy shows recently. I caught Zach Galifianakis there a few weeks ago and was mightily impressed by the performance space and the insane, reasonably priced beer list at the bar. Sound Fix in Williamsburg has free comedy every Wednesday and Thursday. Joe Mande and Noah Garfinkle host Totally J/K every Wednesday at 9:30pm, while Max Silvestri, Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate host Big Terriffic at 8:00pm on Thursdays. These shows fill the void left by the demise of Rififi and its staples Invite Them Up and The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show by attracting big names like Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, Janeane Garofalo, Todd Barry, Eugene Mirman, and zillions more. Speaking of Greg Johnson, he's got a free show every Sunday at Pianos. And speaking of Invite Them Up, former host Bobby Tisdale now has a semi-regular, RSVP only show happening in Greenpoint called Wards of Merkin. It's usually $10 and there's usually free booze and top shelf comedians. And don't forget that the UCB Theater and The Pit have calendars bursting with options as does Comix's underground lair Ochi's. And that's just barely scratching the surface of the goings ons. Below are some shows currently on my radar...

Continue reading "NYC comedy @ 92Y, SoundFix, Comix, Pianos, UCB, places"

by Klaus Kinski

"Playboy & Program Signed by Patton Oswalt" (that's what it says)

If any of you have been wondering when the Comedians of Comedy will hit NYC again, I have the answer. NEVER! It was announced today (well, late last night) that Zach, Patton, Maria, and Brian (and special guests) will do their last show as a team on July 26th at the beautiful Spreckels Theater in San Diego CA. Tickets are on sale now. CoC shows were, for me, the funnest experiences of my comedy-going life. The core group is simply amazing and the friends they'd bring to the stage at each show was always awe inspiring. Obviously, the gang will probably make stops to NYC as individuals at some point in the future, but I sure am going to miss the sheer magnitude of what CoC delivered to fans across the country at each and every show. The entire farewell letter is below.

Also, I caught All Tomorrow's Parties Comedy Curator Patton Oswalt's 8:30pm show at Caroline's this past Saturday (Juen 28, 2008) and he, with the help of openers John Mulaney and Julian McCullough absolutely tore the roof off the place. Patton kicked the extremely diverse crowd's ass with huge pile of new material. It was so great. I wonder if it's only a matter of time before he has a solo show at a place like Town Hall. He should.

Continue reading "Patton Oswalt played Caroline's, Comedians of Comedy RIP"