by Klaus Kinski

Chris Hardwick, Adam Savage, Matt Mira & Jonah Ray at Largo in LA

On August 16, 2011 at 8:18 PM, a whistle-blower came forward and called me out on something that I've been hoping would go unnoticed during my tenure as an esteemed, beloved, respected, deified, reviled, BV contributor; my grammar sux. So now I am back at school, bonin' up my wordliness. But with all this classwork and homework, I only have time for a quickie post thingy for you fine folks. So here goes. Tickets for the partially Kickstarter-funded 2011 Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival went on sale a while back and, as expected, ticket sales were rather brisk (brisque?). As a matter of fact, a few shows sold out faster than I could say "It's IT'S not ITS?" The shows that sold out fast were An Evening Of Science featuring StarTalk Live with Neil deGrasse Tyson plus Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman and Scott Adsit on Thursday September 15th and The Archer Variety Hour and Panel featuring Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Adam Reed, Jessica Walter, Matt Thompson, Amber Nash, and Lucky Yates which happens on Saturday September 17th. Both shows are happening at the Bell House. HOWEVER, according to delightful tweet by the Bell House Bot, tickets for those shows will go back on sale today, Tuesday September 13 at noon! Get those F5 buttons ready people! Full updated fest lineup below.

In other sold out Bell House comedy news, once the smoke clears from the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, the great Marc Maron will be in the House on Monday September 19th for a live taping of his better-than-most-other-podcasts podcast WTF with Marc Maron. Yeah, it's sold out, but so were those Eugene Fest shows... so you never know.

Oh, and speaking of live podcast tapings, The Gramercy Theater, who has a new booker in their ranks, has some pretty f-ing awesome podcast tapings coming up. On Friday October 14th, comedian Chris Hardwick brings The Nerdist podcast to the Gramercy with guests Jonah Ray and Matt Mira. In case you want to know, Jonah Ray is one of my favorite LA-based comedians in the business and it's a fucking honor to have him gracing our city with his tall, bespeckled, full head of hair having self. Do you like apples? Jonah is amazing. How d'ya like dem fackin apples? Tickets went on sale back on August 26th and the demand was so great that the added a show later that evening, happening at 10:30pm. It's going to be so awesome. Trust me. Hummus breath.

And speaking of the Gramercy Theater and live tapings, Klaus favorite Doug Benson will have a whopping TWO LIVE PODCAST TAPINGS at the Gramercy on Sunday October 23rd. He kicks things off at 4:20pm with The Benson Interruption. If you haven't seen an Interruption, you are missing out on some of the funniest shit ever. Doug invites his comedy friends to the stage and, while they attempt to do stand-up, he interrupts them. It. Is. The. Best. Tickets are on sale as I type this, so get on that shit Tout de suite. Later that evening, at 8:00pm, Doug brings his legendary Doug Loves Movies podcast to the Gramercy stage. At this point in the evening, I can tell you that Doug and his yet-to-be-announced panelists will be feeling prettttttty loose. As a person who has seen these shows live in the past, I must insist you dust the cobwebs off your wallet and check these suckers out. It may be the best Saturday October 23rd in your miserable lives. And after the shows, go home and buy Doug Benson's new CD Potty Mouth. The package features a CD AND a DVD. Schwing. Welp, I guess I gotta hit the books. Smell ya later.

Continue reading "Nerdist, Doug Benson & Marc Maron keep taping podcasts in NYC, Eugene Mirman fest coming soon (tix back on sale today)"

by Bill Pearis

Pete & the Pirates @ SXSW Convention Center

Wednedsay, Thursday, Friday, and now Saturday...

"This is the weirdest gig we've ever played. I feel like we're in Las Vegas and you are all eating dinner." Pete & the Pirates singer Thom Sanders was remarking on the weirdness of playing the Dot Com Day Stage at 1PM in the Austin Convention Center. Folding chairs were set up near the stage, there were couches around the periphery, more the kind of place where some CEO reveals annual earnings than hearing some sprightly indie pop.

Yet Pete & the Pirates made it work, 'cause they're so damn good. (The bloody mary I was drinking probably also helped.) They charmed the pants off the room. We got a smattering of songs from their first album, and a few from One Thousand Pictures which is due out in May. This was a great way to start my final day of SXSW.

From there it was off to our final day party of the week, which we were throwing with our friends at the M for Montreal festival. The line-up was pretty sick, if I do say, with !!!, Weekend, Austra, Braids, PS I Love You, Braids, Trail of Dead, Owen Pallet and more. The weather had cooled off a bit making both the outside stage at Barbarella and Swan Dive more comfortable than Friday and it was a great afternoon of music. Highlights for me: Versus, who I'd seen the night before, a kick-ass set from !!! who I don't think I've seen play in three years, an abbreviated but great Suuns, and another killer set from Weekend. (Look for an interview with Weekend soon.) I wish I'd gotten there in time to see Montreal's quirky, funky Misteur Valaire who I heard were the perfect lead-in to !!! (editor's note: they were!).

continued below...

Continue reading "Bill's Week in Austin (Day 4 - Pete & the Pirates & more)"

by Klaus Kinski

Tim Minchin

I can't believe I didn't Minchin this earlier. You may have noticed ads for his two now sold out upcoming Gramercy Theater shows (5/4 and 5/5) on BV a while back, but allow me to bring back to the forefront of your consciousness the fact that comedic cabaret wunderkind Tim Minchin is coming to town in May. And by 'town' I mean the NYC area. Lucky for us non-Manhattanites, since the disappearance of those Gramercy ads he has added another show at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg on 5/2. Add to that his scheduled appearance at The Bamboozle Fest at the Meadowlands in Jersey on 5/1 and I'd say he has our area properly covered. Non-New Yorkers and people with a fancy for travel can catch him at Sasquatch 2011 or the Wilbur Theater in Boston on 6/4.

I find Minchin to be one of the most talented, creative, and entertaining performers out there. He's not really a stand up comedian per se; he's more of an oddball guy who makes incredibly wonderful and hilarious music and peppers it all with pitch perfect jokes and anecdotes. His style is definitely not for everyone, and his detractors are sure to take to the comments section in force with guns blazin'. But this man is an endless reservoir of talent and hilarity. Besides that, his shows always sell out, no matter where in the world they may be. I can't think of a better way to shake off a case of the Mondays than by filling my guts with beer at MHOW while Tim Minchin does his best to bust said guts wide open with laughter. People often use the term "He killed it", and in the case of Tim Minchin "Killing it" couldn't be more appropriate; you can't spell manslaughter without mans laughter.

Later on in May, comedy returns to the Gramercy for a Doug Benson double-header. On Saturday 5/21 at 4:20pm, catch a special Doug Loves Movies with special guests TBD. The last time he loved movies at the Gramercy he was joined by Anthony Jeselnik, Eugene Mirman, Morgan Murphy, Graham Elmwood and lots of booze. The result was one of the funnest evenings of my life. After DLM, go out, grab a bite to eat, but don't go too far as he'll return to the same venue for special Benson Interruption Live Podcast also featuring special guests at 8:00pm. Unfortunately, Live Nation doesn't offer a ticket combo pack that will get you into both shows and spare you a double convenience charge, but I can't emphasize enough how worth your while it is to go to both of these shows.

And speaking of ads, did you catch the series of Sony Ericsson ads startting Kristen Schaal that are currently decorating the homepage of Youtube.com? Catch Kristen live tonight, 3/22, at SWEET.

Oh, and speaking of comedy at Music Hall of Williamsburg, don't forget to catch Reggie Watts there on March 30th. The early show sold out but the late show is still available.... AND we have two pairs of tickets to give away to the late show too. Details on how to win them are under the video of Reggie performing a new Portlandia theme song at the SXSW IFC House last week, below...

Continue reading "Tim Minchin & Doug Benson gigs, free Reggie Watts tix, more"

"I'm in Austin TX! You know how I know that? Live music in the airport! #AndASignThatSaysAustin #SXSW" - Doug Benson

"Never realized how much I dislike music until hanging out in Austin, Texas during #sxsw" - Michael Ian Black

Tig Notaro at a BV party in 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

Music is not the only thing will seem light in NYC next week, as many names in the comedy world are headed to Austin for SXSW as well. Scott Aukerman, Matt Bearden, Doug Benson, Michael Ian Black, Kurt Braunohler, Rob Cantrell, Chris Cubas, Joe Derosa, Chris Fairbanks, Dave Foley, Jena Friedman, Brett Gelman, Donald Glover, Chris Hardwick, Pete Holmes, Anthony Jeselnik, Howard Kremer, Ben Kronberg, Tom Lennon, Darryl Lenox, Al Madrigal, Marc Maron, Doug Mellard, Eugene Mirman, Kumail Nanjiani, Tig Notaro, John Oliver, Chelsea Peretti, Kevin Pollak, Amy Schumer, Brody Stevens, Bryson Turner, Brendon Walsh, Glenn Wool, and Hampton Yountare are among those that SXSW lists as officially being there. Esther's Follie's is the venue where much of it goes down.

Tig Notaro, who performed at a BrooklynVegan Austin event in 2010, returns this year with a few more items on her resume. Not only does she have a Sarah Silverman-produced "new comedy variety show for the Logo Network" to promote, but she has reportedly joined the Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar/Dead Oceans family whose official showcase she'll be MCing. She's also on the lineup of Sasquatch this year, and recently shared a bill with Jens Lekman in LA.

Brody Stevens & Zach Galifianakis

You might know LA's Brody Stevens from Due Date or The Hangover (and the Hangover 2 when it comes out). You may have seen him hanging out with his friend and co-star Zach Galifianakis, possibly on a scooter, or maybe in the audience of Saturday Night Live last night. Maybe you follow him on Twitter (like @BVComedy does) (follow @BVcomedy too!).

Brody and Tig (and Mirman and others) perform at Esther's Follie's on Friday, March 18th at 9:30pm, and I'm excited to announce that Brody will also host and tell jokes at the BrooklynVegan Day Party at Barbarella from noon-6pm on Thursday, March 17th! Full lineup TBA momentarily!

Workaholics

Comedy Central will also have a presence down at SXSW, most notably with the cast of their new TV show Workaholics which premieres on the station on April 6th. To quote their press release:

"Graduating from college and entering the real world isn't easy, especially for three unmotivated roommates. The new Comedy Central comedy Workaholics is a look at post graduates as they hilariously cope with working in the real world. Think Office Space if it were a stoner comedy.

Starring Mail Order Comedy's Blake Anderson, Anders Holm, and Adam DeVine, and with former Scrubs executive producer Kevin Etten at the helm, Workaholics is a scripted series that follows three friends fresh out of college who live and work together as telemarketers. Dress codes, deadlines, and waking up before noon isn't something these guys are used to.

They spend their days scheming together to avoid doing any real work and their nights looking for good times."

Good times will be had (despite it being during the day) when Blake, Anders and Adam all host the BrooklynVegan Day Party at Barbarella from noon-6pm on Saturday, March 19th. Full lineup of bands TBA momentarily!

You can also catch the Workaholics guys at Esther's Follies from 4-6pm on 3/17, and at Vice's Closing Night Pre-Party @ Starr Building on 3/9 from 10:30pm-12am. Check out some Workaholics previews, and Brody Stevens videos, below...

Continue reading "comedy @ SXSW (Workaholics, Tig Notaro & Brody Stevens)"

by Klaus Kinski

Doug Benson

As previously mentioned, Doug Benson, Rob Cantrell, and Tony Camin will hit the Gramercy Theater this Saturday 12/18 at 4:20pm for the magnificent, doobie-centric spoken-word show The Marijuana-Logues. Depending on who you ask, Doug, who hosts the preposterously hilarious Comedy Central show The Benson Interruption, is probably the most recognizable presence on the panel. But having seen Tony and Rob individually several times I can tell you that they are two of the funniest dudes in the biz and that there is absolutely zero imbalance in the comedy onslaught coming from those three fellas. As a triad, Doug, Rob, and Tony create one of the funnest, funniest atmospheres on the planet. Tickets are still on sale. I cannot recommend this show enough. Last time I saw the 'logues, I laughed so hard I had an asthma attack AND had tears streaming down my face. Plus, you have nothing better to do this Saturday afternoon. Nor is there anything better you could be doing in NYC this Saturday afternoon.

If you are among the 1 or 2 people in NYC who have prior obligations or, Cod forbid, actually found something better to do Saturday afternoon, you may be wailing aloud "I'm going to miss Doug Benson's only NYC appearance!?" Relax, little grasshopper. I have great news. It was just announced that Doug will be returning to the Gramercy Theater that very evening, Saturday 12/18, for a live recording of his infamous Doug Loves Movies podcast. Tickets went on sale yesterday at the oddly specific time of 11:22am (is that another pot number reference a la 420 that I am not hip to?). The show will have special guests, and this being NYC I can promise that they will blow your mind away. Come to think of it, my first ever exposure to Doug Benson was way back when on bobanddavid.com (RIP) where he had a frequent column called I Love Movies. I liked him immediately and will never forgot his tweet-length review (before Twitter existed) "Amelie is as cute as a button. I hate buttons." Follow my example: go to both shows.

--

In other comedy news, hey San Francisco, Mike Birbiglia is coming to your town. Tickets are on sale for three shows. Grab them before they sell out like every one of his December Union Hall shows did.

We're just one day away from Reggie Watts' headlining show at Highline Ballroom.

Tickets are on presale NOW for a "Benefit for Greg Giraldo featuring Jerry Seinfeld, Lewis Black & More." Taking place at the Beacon on 2/9, the show will be "hosted by Tom Papa and feature Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Norton, Dave Attell, Ted Alexandro, Lewis Black, Judy Gold, Colin Quinn, & Jesse Joyce." PRESALE PASSWORD = HECOMEDY. Regular sale starts Saturday, 12/18, at 10am. Greg Giraldo sadly passed away way too young back in September.

Jerry Seinfeld was recently spotted in the crowd of the Apollo Theater.

Jim Gaffigan's 7-show Best Buy Theater run continues this weekend.

You can catch Jenny Slate in Brooklyn tonight (12/16).

by Klaus Kinski

Did you know that The Benson Interruption was picked-up by Comedy Central for 6 half-hour episodes? It premiered on Thursday, October 28 at Midnight (or it hasn't premiered yet if you believe Comedy Central's website), and although I didn't see it, I have seen the live show and cannot begin to accurately describe how funny it is. Essentially, Doug sits on stage (or in the front row) and interrupts awesome comedians as they try to get through their bits. It isn't heckling. It's more like DVD audio commentary that the actors can actually hear and react to. If you're in LA, then you might like to know that The Benson Interruption is taping in your town on November 4th (8:00pm) and November 15th (7:30pm, 9:30pm). Sign up for your chance to be in the audience! I know I would if I was in LA.

On a related note: Personally, I don't smoke weed. I have, and it's ok, but it's just not my bag. I'm a drinker. I am not against weed, however. I've done it, most of my friends do it, and I'd bet dollars to donuts I have family that have done it. For two years I lived with one of the most habitual pot smokers I've ever known. If anything, I think legalizing it could close some weeping gaps in America's hilarious federal deficit; a deficit that's getting so big that we may actually see a new number invented in our lifetime. That'd be awesome. Also, weed is at the source of so many preposterous incarcerations, fines, and expensive legal battles that I think decriminalizing it would benefit Americans of every financial strata and allow the pigs in charge to pursue real criminals.

The worst thing about weed? Weed Culture. Bongs are ugly. Pipes are ugly. The more ornate the glass, the more it looks like Henry Hill's mistress' apartment in Goodfellas. The 420 motif is beyond arbitrary. The clothes the culture generates could ONLY be worn by people who a baked out of their gourds. And the posters. Good grief. The posters. When I hear the word "pot head" my mind simultaneously conjures up two different images of a pot smoker. The first is that of a burrito selling hippy with a lot of baggy corduroy and bright colored shirts and accouterments bouncing around devil sticks and noodle dancing. "Wanna get a hack?" The other pot head archetype my mind conjures up (editor's note: The opinions expressed by Klaus Kinski's mind are not necessarily the opinions of other BrooklynVegan.com minds) the brooding, small town dude who loves Korn, wears oversized black hoodies, baggy dark shorts, and clunky shoes 365 days a year. Pride bothers me. Pride in something as stupid as smoking pot is laughable. Pot smokers are the only people who should follow a don't ask don't tell policy.

"Jesus Klaus. Do you have a point here or are you just using BV as a pulpit for your kind of irrational and basically irrelevant thoughts on weed?" I know, right? But I do have a point. And that is to tell you that the ONLY good thing to come out of weed culture, The Marijuana-Logues, will be hitting The Gramercy Theater at 4:20pm on Saturday December 18th (3:30pm doors). I haven't seen the Marijuana-logues in many years, but the last time I saw the show I laughed like a man under the influence of some serious Big Buddah Cheese brah. What are the Marijuana-Logues? Simply put, it is three men, one stage, many many many stories about marijuana. The line up for the 12/18 show will feature comedians Doug Benson (of the Benson Interruption), Rob Cantrell, and Tony Camin, all of whom a absolutely hilarious. Tickets went on sale on October 15th and are still available, so GET YOURS. Pot heads, straight edges, and squares alike will enjoy the living crud out of this show.

Video of Zach Galifianakis smoking a joint on a recent episode of of Bill Maher's Show, below...

Continue reading "Doug Benson is on TV, Marijuana-Logues coming to a theater"

David Cross @ ATP NY on Friday (more by Ryan Muir)

Hi, I'm hated comedian David Cross. I've been asked to go to London to perform a three week run of my offensive stand-up routines at the Soho Theater.

And since it's London and those folks have no idea who I am or what my act is like, I thought that rather than try to whip up a brand new tight hour and a half, that I would instead just brush off some old chestnuts and be on my way. But I dont' remember half of the shit I used to do. Good thing I recorded cd's!

Won't you come watch me "get ready" for London with some Klassic Komedy Bitz? It's priced accordingly and there will be beer.

Thanks,
david

The price is $5.00 and it's happening at the UCB Theatre in NYC tonight (9/15 @ 11pm). "ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ARE SOLD OUT", but "There will be a stand-by line for this show" which means if you really want to get in, you have a decent chance (true for all UCB shows, especially the 'sold out' free ones).

David performed at ATP NY this past Friday. One weekend earlier he and some friends were at the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle. That show can be watched in the video below...

Continue reading "David Cross played Bumbershoot (video) -- @ UCB TONIGHT"

Punchline Magazine's 10 best comedy albums of 2008
#1 - DOUG BENSON, Professional Humoredian
#2 - LOUIS C.K., Chewed Up
#3 - ANDI SMITH, Homeperm
#4 - ROBERT KELLY, Just The Tip
#5 - ROCKY LaPORTE, Who Knew?
#6 - TODD BARRY, From Heaven
#7 - MITCH HEDBERG, Do You Believe in Gosh?
#8 - LISA LANDRY, Put Your Keys in the Keybowl
#9 - DOV DAVIDOFF, The Point Is...
#10 - TOM McCAFFREY, Lou Diamond Phillips?

Celebrate Hanukkah with Todd Barry December 23rd at Highline Ballroom and December 28th at Maxwell's. Celebrate the first month of 2009 with Todd Barry at Comix. Get $5.00 off Comix tickets by entering the code TODDB.

What are the best music albums?

Video of Doug Benson performing live in 2007 below...

Continue reading "What are the best comedy albums of 2008?"

Aug 27, 06:00 PM Comedy Central Presents in New York City: Anthony Jeselnik, Doug Benson
Aug 29, 06:00 PM Comedy Central Presents in New York City: John Mulaney, Kristen Schaal
Sep 06, 05:00 PM Family Feud
Sep 09, 03:30 PM Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Amanda Congdon. The Ting Tings
Sep 10, 03:30 PM Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Alice Cooper

That's a sample of the things you can get free tickets for.

words by Klaus Kinski, photos by Shawn Brackbill

Right off the bat, I want to bring something to your attention that's been making it's way around the internet recently. Back in June, comedian Patton Oswalt delivered a graduation speech at his old high school. Anyone familiar with Patton's comedy, his blogs, and his interests in life will realize rather quickly that, in addition to being one of the funniest people alive, Patton is a sharp, thoughtful individual. Anyhow, read the damn speech.

Another one of my favorite comedians is putting out an album. LA-based comedian Doug Benson will unleash his debut CD DOUG BENSON: PROFESSIONAL HUMOREDIAN on July 15th via AST Records.

Whether you know him from VH1's "Best Week Ever," NBC's "Last Comic Standing" or his documentary "Super High Me," chances are Doug Benson has made you laugh before. Now he will make you laugh again, repeatedly, with his first full-length solo comedy album, "Doug Benson: Professional Humoredian." Recorded live at the world-famous Hollywood Improv, "Professional Humoredian" catches Doug at his loosest, silliest and most hilarious. Playing to a rowdy sold-out house on 4/20, Doug tears through his set with wild abandon, delivering material on such wide-ranging topics as movies, politics, relationships, anti-drug campaigns and the miracle of modern science known as McGriddles. A perennial favorite among comedy aficionados, Doug placed sixth on Season Five of "Last Comic Standing" and was named "Stoner of the Year" by High Times Magazine in 2006. Patton Oswalt calls him "prolific ... a resin-scented miracle." One listen and you'll understand why Doug has won such acclaim: witty, charming, relentless and irrepressible, Doug Benson is a Professional Humoredian.

This CD is only 10 bucks and will be worth every penny. If you aren't familiar with Doug, I HIGHLY suggest attending The Doug Benson Interruption on August 7th at 9:30pm at the UCB Theater. The Interruption is for me the funnest, loosest comedy event on the planet. These shows ALWAYS sell out and feature line-ups so majestic and stupefying that many comedy fans fall to their knees and weep. Maybe you'll be able to buy the CD at the show.

As I write this, tickets are still available for all three Ricky Gervais shows happening at the WaMu Theater at MSG on July 14, 15, and 16. And I couldn't be more excited that Todd Barry will be the opener for the 15th and 16th shows. Todd had no problem winning over the sold out crowds at the Flight of the Conchords shows at Town Hall in May so I look forward to his domination of WaMu.

Speaking of Todd Barry, he and several other comedians were part of Sub Pop's 20th Anniversary Festival. The comedy portion of the Festival took place on Friday, July 11th The Moore Theatre and featured David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Kristen Schaal, and Eugene Mirman. I so with I was there. That's where the pictures in this post came from.

More pictures, news, vidoes and upcoming shows, below...

Continue reading "Klaus Kinski's Comedy Canon & comedy pics from SP20"

by Klaus Kinski

Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn

On Friday May 9, 2008 the NYC UCB Theater has an incredible night of comedy lined up, but two shows in particular are absolutely worth seeing.

Continue reading "upcoming Patton Oswalt shows & Mike Birbiglia too"

It's been a while since I posted much comedy-related news, and the last thing I did post turned out to be somewhat of a false alarm caused by completely erroneous listings on Ticketmaster and Live Nation (which they've since corrected). Sorry about that.

Eugene Mirman & Bobby Tisdale cakes, final Invite Them Up (Anya Garrett)


One of the bigger bits of NYC comedy related news was the final installment of Invite Them Up which took place at the still-to-remain-open Rififi on 2/27/08. It was the last of three final shows and, having heard the crowds weren't actually that insane at the previous two, I decided to get there at 8pm sharp. That was a huge mistake. When I arrived the bar was so full that I couldn't even close the door behind me. As the crowd began to file into the live room, I knew there was no way I'd fit in there either, so I decided to watch the show on a large flatscreen from a stool at the bar. The evening's line-up was absolutely insane and featured Kristen Schaal, Jim Gaffigan, Slovin & Allen, Todd Barry,Chelsea Peretti, Eugene Mirman, Jon Glaser & Jon Benjamin, and Demetri Martin. Craig Baldo did the very final "30 Seconds of Stand-Up" during which Rififi received a noise complaint from one of the neighbors.

a cop storms Rififi (Heather Fink)

Because the bar itself was completely packed and everyone was really focusing their attention to the flatscreen, I don't feel like I missed anything by not being in the actual live room. Plus, being at the bar I never had to wait for a beer which was truly joyous. Like every other ITU I've gone to, I left this one extremely drunk and amply satisfied with the fantastic comedy they gave me for a mere $5. Although I am sad to see ITU go, the reality is that it isn't the only cheap, awesome, and reliable comedy showcase in town. We've still got Greg and Larry, Totally J/K, Tearing the Veil of Maya, CBS/NYC, Sweet, ITU's replacement Gelmania, and so many more. So cheer up.

Demetri Martin, Invite Them Up RIP (Driven By Boredom)

One night later I co-hosted our first installment of Rock 'n' ROFL at Pianos, but more about that HERE. Stay tuned for another announcement coming any second with the lineup of our March 31st edition.

Keep reading for news, upcoming shows, videos and more....

Continue reading "Klaus Kinski's Comedy Canon (03/22/08)"

Todd Barry recently discovered that he was interviewed on Carrie Brownstein's NPR blog Monitor Mix. READ IT.

Louis CK is taping a new stand-up special called Chewed Up! It will take place in Boston on March 1, 2008. Tickets go on sale through ticketmaster on 1/25/08 and are $30. HOWEVER, a limited number of $10 tickets will be available through Louis' website so keep checking it for details!

A while back I told y'alls that Eugene Mirman's Comedy Central Presents episode will be airing on Friday February 1st at 10:00pm. Like you, I was happy to hear the episode would finally be airing. Also, like you, I wasn't really looking forward to sitting in my apartment on a Friday night watching TV. Luckily Eugene, a man of intuition and foresight, has come to our rescue and will be having a FREE little screening party at Union Hall.

The details for that, and MUCH MORE, are below....

Continue reading "Klaus Kinski's Comedy Canon (01/24/08)"

Andrew WK, Kurt Braunohler, John Oliver, Leo Allen - Aug 20, 2007 (CRED)

The UCB Theater played host to a freaking stupendous edition of Bro'In Out with Leo and Tony. The show, which featured guests Andrew WK, Jon Oliver, Kurt Braunohler and music by Sam Bisbee, may be the comedy highlight of my summer. The show kicked-off with a sedate and chill Andrew WK discussing his recent lectures and motivational speeches which I found quite interesting. I find his theme of blocking out the bad, letting in the good, and making sure you feel happy and fulfilled all the time a bit unrealistic though - for me at least. WK was followed by Hot Tub Variety co-host Kurt Braunohler who delivered a monologue about fathering thousands of children all over the country. I pretty much laughed throughout the entire monologue and pray he performs it again soon. Up next was Daily Show correspondent Jon Oliver. I should point out that at this point in the show the guests and hosts had just about finished an entire bottle of absinthe, and that the effects were totally dictating the direction of the show. When Jon Oliver hit the stage it was pretty much a free-for-all with guests and hosts talking over each other and just having a blast. One stand-out line occured during a back-and-forth between bartender Jawnee and Jon Oliver when Oliver exclaimed "Giving you alcohol is like giving a child a tambourine." Finally, Sam Bisbee came out to close out the evening with a few songs, one of which was the most touching ode to his little daughter. He was fantastic and brought the energy back down to a normal, non-manic level. I left the show sore. These pics truly capture the essence of the experience.

And speaking of shows, we're giving away a pair of tickets to the next installment of ROFL at Joe's Pub on August 31, 2007. To enter, send us an e-mail at BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: ROFL), and tell us the last thing that made you ROFL. Include your first and last name. One winner will be picked at random and contacted. ROFL! is high art, low humor, YouTube video, Myspace weirdness, flash animation, web memes, conceptual puzzles, original film and non-sequiturs galore.

A few weeks ago Stephen Colbert broke his wrist. Bid on the actual cast.

NYC comedy staple Variety Shac (featuring Heather Lawless, Chelsea Peretti, Andrea Rosen, and Shonali Bhowmik) is having a monster DVD release party on September 21st at the Knitting Factory. This evening of music, comedy, and shorts will have special guests including Zach Galifianakis, Fred Armisen, and Cory Arcangel. The show is on a Friday and tickets are only $8! Check out the sweet flyer.

Speaking of Fred Armisen.... Fred's been working on a new short video series called ThunderAnt with ex-Sleater-Kinney guitarist/vocalist Carrie Brownstein. A while back Fred and Carrie did a short called Boink! Look for the premiere of the newest video sometime soon on Stereogum.

Keep reading for more upcoming comedy shows, more news, tour dates, and just more stuff....

Continue reading "Klaus Kinski's Comedy Canon (08/24/07)"