Williamsburg Waterfront last year (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

As I previously wrote, "there will be concerts at the Williamsburg Waterfront this summer. In fact, the plan is to have 10 ticketed shows and 5 free shows." And, "The five free concert dates are still TBD, but one will be of a classical/philharmonic nature, and one will be geared towards kids. The free shows may or may not be on Sundays or even on weekends, and they will definitely not have anything to do with Jelly."

Since then three ticketed shows have been announced: Kid Cudi on Wednesday, July 6th (on sale), Death Cab For Cutie/Frightened Rabbit on Tuesday, August 2nd (on sale 5/6, but a presale starts 4/29), and Sonic Youth/Wild Flag on Friday, August 12th (on sale Friday). Seven more announcements to come.

Service Charge-free tickets are available at the Best Buy Theater Box Office (44th and Broadway in Manhattan) and at Sound Fix Records (44 Berry St. at North 11th St. in Brooklyn).

Two of the five free shows have also now been announced. The first is nothing like what Jelly would have booked: Coheed and Cambria, Adrian Belew Power Trio, and Tigers Jaw play the Williamsburg Waterfront on Saturday, June 11th. The second is sort of like what Jelly might have booked, but more closely resembles what you'd get at Celebrate Brooklyn: Eugene Mirman "& Pretty Good Friends Featuring Kristen Schaal & Many Surprise Guests" open for They Might Be Giants at Wiliamsburg Waterfront on Friday, July 29th.

Assuming TMBG won't be playing a kids set, and that the comedians will tell a few dirty jokes, the free kids show announcement is still to come, as is the classical concert date info (which means just one more completely unknown free lineup to come). Both announced free shows open their doors at 5:30pm.

All five shows, ticketed and free, are part of the "2011 T-MOBILE WILLIAMSBURG WATERFRONT CONCERT SERIES PRESENTED BY OSA" and "supported by Onitsuka Tiger, Vitamin Water, and Brooklyn Brewery."

All five shows are listed in an easy-to-read format below....

Continue reading "Williamsburg Waterfront adds 2 free shows (and 3 pay ones)"

Ra Ra Riot @ MHOW in 2010 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Speaking of Japan benefits, The Bell House has two special ones scheduled....

Continue reading "Ra Ra Riot, Wyatt Cenac, Tim Harrington, Todd Barry & many, many more playing Japan benefits @ the Bell House "

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"

Tom Allen

Very funny UK comedian Tom Allen, who just completed a mini 'Pretty Good Friends' east coast tour with Eugene Mirman, Reggie Watts and Kumail Nanjiani, is now on their homebase and playing his own show at Union Hall tonight (3/8).

It's a late show - begins at 10pm. If you want to make a night of it, another comedy show, with Kristen Schaal and more, is happening at the same venue earlier.

The next 'Pretty Good Friends' with Eugene Mirman happens at Union Hall on Sunday, 3/13 at 7pm. That's an early show that is followed, strangely, by a "CONAN O'BRIEN STAND-UP GUEST SHOWCASE" with Eliot Glazer, Andy Haynes, Matt McCarthy, Eugene Mirman, John Roberts, Dan St. Germain, Myq Kaplan, Joe Mande, Dave Hill, Jay Oakerson, and Kurt Metzger. It is unclear if Conan even knows about this intimate Park Slope basement show with his name on it, but it should be good nonetheless.

Reggie Watts may or may not being playing a free show at Cake Shop tonight (3/8), but he's definitely playing TWO shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 30th.

Aziz Ansari may or may not be on the bill of "Tell Your Friends" at Lolita bar tonight, but host Liam McEneaney has leaked the following clue:

JUST ADDED TONIGHT:
A guy whose name is very nearly an anagram for "ZZ Sariani."
You might know him from his show that is anagrammed as "A Crankiest Pardoner."
And his sketch show on "VTM" might also be known as "Giant Human."
And his first name is "Aziz."
And I "farted."

Brody Stevens, who like many of these guys is also heading to SXSW, will be there too!

Eugene Mirman can also be found at City Winery with John Wesley Harding (and Andrew Bird) on April 22nd.

A Tom Allen video below...

Continue reading "Tom Allen is here + Aziz Ansari, Brody Stevens & other stuff"

Ted Leo doesn't have any real headlining dates scheduled in NYC at the moment, but before he heads out to Texas for SXSW, you can catch him at a special mostly-comedy show at the Pit in NYC at 11pm TONIGHT (3/4) with Todd Barry and Kristen Schaal and 'Night of the Living Dead' host Kurt Braunohler. Tickets are still available.

In somewhat related news, the annual WFMU pledge drive marathon is underway until March 13th. Ted and Carl Newman helped raise funds on the Best Show this past Tuesday (listen in the archives). Yo La Tengo will be on the air tonight. Check out the full schedule. All Ted Leo dates below...

Continue reading "Ted Leo @ the Pit tonight, WFMU pledge drive underway"

As we reported in February 2010, but I completely forgot until I saw this Wall Street Journal article today...

"Stand-up comedian Pete Holmes had an audience of more than 100 million people last month. As the snarky voice of the stock-trading baby in commercials for the online trading site E*Trade, Mr. Holmes and his two recent Super Bowl spots were part of the most-watched TV event in U.S. history.

Normally, when Mr. Holmes performs, it's for audiences of hundreds--gigs at New York comedy clubs, colleges or the occasional taping of a Comedy Central special. He doesn't do finance.

"I know about as much about investing and banking as an actual baby," he says." [The Funny People Behind the Famous Ads]

We used to see a lot more of Pete Holmes when he lived in NYC, but as his Facebook page points out, he now lives in LA where he performs at the What's Up Tiger Lily? Comedy Show on 2/21 (he moved there in 2010 to be a writer for NBC's Outsourced).

Pete Holmes performed at Comix in NYC on March 11th, 2010 (and other times). Comix went out of business less than one year later.

Pete's friend Mike Birbiglia (I mean they're probably friends) has a new off-Broadway (I think that's considered off-Broadway) show opening at Barrow Street Theatre and tickets are on sale.

If Pete was in NYC tonight (2/18), maybe he would go see Pajama Men at St Ann's Warehouse, or maybe he'd prefer the less high profile comedy show going on at Union Hall (with Seth Herzog, Bridget Fitzgerald, Jon Glaser, Kristen Schaal, and Adira Amram).

A video of Pete performing at Comix in 2009 can be watched below...

Continue reading "(I forgot that) Pete Holmes is the E*Trade Baby"

Last week Littlefield wasn't listing any more editions of "Hot Tub" on their schedule, but it is in fact back tonight (2/7). Corn Mo, Brent Sullivan, Adam Cayton-Holland, and Free Love Forum will all join Kurt Braunohler (but maybe not Kristen) at the Brooklyn venue this evening. There's also a lineup listed for 2/14 - "Found Footage Festival, Sandra Bauleo, Surprise Guests, + more!" (and Kristen's name is on that bill).

Tonight is also another edition of Kevin Allison's Risk! Storyslam at the Pit, and of course Whiplash at UCB (with Jay Pharoah, Adam Cayton-Holland, Brooke Van Poppelen & Roger Hailes).

Speaking of UCB, the Chris Gethard Show returns to the venue on February 19th. Chris recently returned from a tour that kicked off with some help from Diddy.

Speaking of Diddy (not actually), the great Reggie Watts has announced another big headlining show. Having already sold out Manhattan's Highline Ballroom, his next big NYC conquest will be Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 30th. Tickets for the "partially seated show" go on sale Friday at noon.

Reggie will also join Eugene Mirman (and Kumail Nanjiani) for a special Boston edition of "Pretty Good Friends" on March 1st. Meanwhile catch the next edition of Mirman's "Pretty Good Friends" at its usual home of Union Hall in Park Slope this Sunday (2/13), and don't miss the extra-large Brooklyn edition coming to the Bell House on 2/27 in honor of Michael Showalter's new book.

And speaking of The Bell House and new books...

TUE 2/8: 8pm / FREE
JON GLASER BOOK RELEASE PARTY
Please join us for an evening of readings and music from Jon Glaser's new book "My Dead Dad Was In ZZ Top" (Harper Perennial), followed by general hanging out good times. Paul Rudd, Scott Adsit, John Hodgman, Zoe Lister-Jones, Ira Kaplan, Jon Hamm, and other special guests are scheduled to appear. Books will be on sale, plus the first 25 people to purchase books receive a special free un-named gift!

That's like half the cast of the new New Pornographers video all in one place and it's free!

Last but not least, Tuesday night live comedy series "Tell Your Friends" (who are advertisng a secret musical guest for this Tuesday's show) are releasing a movie! Trailer (starring Reggie Watts, Kurt Braunohler, Kristen Schaal and many others) and more details below...

Continue reading "Hot Tub, Reggie Watts, Whiplash, Jon Glaser's book, Tell Your Friends the movie, Chris Gethard & more shiat"

Tune in at 11am today (1/31) to catch Stella buds Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black streaming in Michael Birbiglia's Macys window (which he is still in through Tuesday).

In related comedy news, Michael Showalter is kicking off his "Mr. Funny Pants" tour on February 24th at Barnes & Noble in Union Square with special musical guest Neko Case. He swings back through town mid-tour to hit the Bell House in Brooklyn on 2/27. Tickets are still on sale for that special edition of "Pretty Good Friends" with Eugene Mirman, Reggie Watts, Kumail Nanjiani and special guests ("Please note this show will be mixed seated and standing. For best seat selection please arrive early and use the TicketFast print-at-home ticketing option. ").

Michael and Michael, as many know, used to be on a very funny show called The State along with red head Kevin Allison who is still doing his thing as well. Catch his show called "RISK! STORYSLAM" tonight (1/31) at the Pit at 6pm for FREE. If you miss it, there's always next Monday and the Monday after that and...

Also on Mondays (but much later): Whiplash at UCB. Jon Friedman, Myq Kaplan, Mike DeStefano and Adira Amram will all be there tonight.

Also coming up at the Bell House in Brooklyn: two chances to see "WTF With Marc Maron". Early and late March 10th shows are on sale.

Also coming up at the Bell House:

MON 1/31: 7:30pm doors / FREE

WONDER TWINS & RUSSCOMM PRESENT
THE 2011 BROOKLYN BEARDFEST & STACHE BASH:
NECKBEARD TELECASTER
LOS ENCANTADOS
JON MIZRACHI
BEARD-LESQUE
By members of Storybook Burlesque, featuring:
Magdalena Fox, Victoria Privates, and Jenny C'est Quoi with mustacio'd stage kitten Rosey la Rouge

Finally - a festival for bearded and mustached people and the people who love them! Come celebrate all things beard with us on Monday January 31st as we prepare to enter "Facial Hair February" with beardy bands, mustached DJs, vendors, contests, food and more.

DJ Russ and DJ Choyce Hacks will also be supplying the tunes at the Brooklyn beard event.

Speaking of tunes, piano-playing comedian Bo Burnham isn't even old enough to drink but he is big enough to headline Best Buy Theater in Times Square on February 4th. Tickets are still on sale. Maybe you caught Bo's special on Comedy Central. If not, it airs again on February 4th and February 11th.

Speaking of Comedy Central, Nick Kroll's special that was taped at Music Hall of Williamsburg aired on Saturday. I don't know when it will air again, but I only caught about 10 minutes and wish I saw the rest - in part because it's fun to see the barely recognizable Brooklyn venue on TV. Meanwhile you can watch two clips below.

Kurt Braunohler and Kristen's next edition of Hot Tub @ Littlefield in Brooklyn (the only remaining Hot Tub on Littlefield's schedule for now) happens tonight (1/31). Their guests include Dan St. Germain, Matt Higgins, Dr. Uke and Daughters, "+ more!"

It won't be long before you see more of Kurt though. He's starting a new talk show at the Pit called "Night of the Living." "This monthly show will feature special house band Adira Amram and the Experience, and bits and sketches from New York City's finest comedians. Come see the beginning of something very cool. And very stupid. Because that's how we like it." Its first episode happens live on February 4th with special guests Eugene Mirman, Jon Glaser, and a secret musical guest. Tickets are on sale.

Daniel Kitson played his final show at St. Ann's Warehouse last night.

Neil Hamburger is touring in February and March. Tickets are on sale for a March 17th Brooklyn show at Knitting Factory with "The Kenny 'K-Strass' Strasser Yo-Yo Extravaganza" and "Major Entertainer Mike H." All tour dates are below....

Continue reading "Michaels in Birbigs' window, Neil Hamburger tour, Beardfest, Bo Burnham, Marc Maron, Nick Kroll, Kurt Braunohler & more"

As hinted, posted and speculated, Bonnie Prince Billy (who plays Town Hall tonight), Kristen Schaal, Kurt Braunohler and Nels Cline (who played LPR one night earlier) all joined Yo La Tengo at Maxwell's on the 7th night of Hanukkah. Full setlist below...

Continue reading "Bonnie Prince Billy & Nels Cline played w/ Yo La Tengo"

As rumored, Mission of Burma stopped by Maxwell's this Hanukkah to be one of Yo La Tengo's eight openers. A full review and set of pictures from last night's show is coming soon, but meanwhile let's figure out what we've got so far:

12/1 - M. Ward, Todd Barry, Nash Kato
12/2 - The Parting Gifts, Jim Gaffigan, members of The Feelies
12/3 - Jeff Tweedy, Eugene Mirman & Kid Congo Powers
12/4 - Syl Johnson, Jon Glaser, Peter Wolf & Ira's mom
12/5 - Mission of Burma & Wyatt Cenac
12/6 - ?
12/7 - ?? & Kurt Braunohler & Kristen Schaal & ??
12/8 - ?

So who else will open and/or play with YLT on the final three nights?

Well, "Anonymous | December 2, 2010 9:31 AM" says that Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric, who played Bowery Electric on November 12th, announced that they'd be at Monday's show "during their show near d.c." That comment was made four days ago. Since then Wreckless Eric made a surprise last minute appearance at Home Sweet Home Friday night. BUT, "Anonymous | December 6, 2010 11:10 AM" says "Tonight's opener is Mofongo, despite the apparent info that Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby would open. Perhaps Eric and Amy are the encore guests."

note that the proper spelling is: Mofungo

It should also be noted that Bonnie Prince Billy plays Town Hall Wedneday
(tickets are still on sale).

Last night's setlist is below...

Continue reading "Who has opened for Yo La Tengo so far? (Mission of Burma) Who still will? (Mofungo? Wreckless Eric?)"

Todd Barry @ Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

Want to laugh Tuesday night? Head over to Lolita Bar at Broome and Allen for another edition of "Tell Your Friends!". This week's special guests include HANNIBAL BURESS (who performs a free show every Sunday at Knitting Factory) (and who recently opened for Aziz Ansari at Beacon Theater), LIAM McENEANEY, ANDY DE LA TOUR, and a "MYSTERY GUEST" who "is doing a big big show later in the week, and can't be advertised for this. He appears all over television and films, though, and this may be your last chance to see him in a basement before he's too famous for our show. - A MUST SEE!" Hmm.

Speaking of a big big show later in the week, Nick Kroll's two tapings at Music Hall of Williamsburg take place this Thursday, 11/18.

Nick also did a show at UCB tonight/Monday right before Whiplash (with special guest Mike Birbiglia). How was that? Whiplash takes place every Monday.

MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden will be a guest at the live broadcast of WFMU's comedy/variety show "Seven Second Delay" at UCB Theatre on Wednesday (11/17). $5.00 tickets are still on sale, though note that he won't be performing. They'll be interviewing him, but they promise they have a couple of surprises planned. Other guests appearing on the same show: former New York Times Ombudsman Dan Okrent, and author / gambling expert / former bookie Beth Raymer.

That WFMU thing is early - like 6pm. Stick around after for an edition of Joe Mande and Noah Garfinkel's Totally J/K with special guests Hari Kondabalu (Comedy Central Presents), Greg Johnson (Sirius/XM Radio) "& more!" Then stay even longer, cause Joe Mande is also part of the show right after that too. Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn & Ed Gavagan also perform in "The Nights of Our Lives"

Much like Pee Wee Herman, Colin Quinn has a new show on Broadway (which is directed by Jerry Seinfeld) (the Colin show) (Jerry didn't direct the Pee Wee show). We are giving away tickets to see Pee Wee. The Apiary has a pair up for grabs to see Colin.

What about Eugene Mirman you ask? Well, in addition to stuff we've mentioned in the past and his somewhat regularly scheduled Sunday night shows at Union Hall, you can catch him along with John Roderick (as Santa Claus), A.C. Newman, John Hodgman, Gary Shteyngart, and Ollabelle on December 17th at City Winery for the next edition of John Wesley Harding's Cabinet of Wonders. Tickets are on sale.

You will also find Eugene Mirman at the Bell House on December 12th for "Pretty Good Friends (formerly Tearing the Veil of Maya) End of the Year Holiday Blowout" with Kristen Schaal, Jon Glaser and "more to be announced." Tickets are on sale.

Speaking of Kristen Schaal, was she at Littlefield last night/tonight/Monday night for "Hot Tub with Kurt"? It's unclear from the listings whether Kurt Braunohler is doing "Hot Tub" without her every Monday night through 11/29. Upcoming listed guests include Wyatt Cenac, Laura Krafft, Dan Friel, Jon Friedman, Liam McEneaney, and Chris Rozzi.

Patton Oswalt has four shows coming up at Caroline's - two on January 7th and two on January 8th. Tickets are on sale.

Last but not least, after postponing the original date, honorary Juggalo Gallagher will appear at Gramercy Theatre on April 8th. Tickets are on sale.

Continue reading "Andrew VanWyngarden, secret guests, John Roderick as Santa, Dan Friel, AC Newman & other upcoming comedy shows"

by Klaus Kinski

Nick Kroll

When Rififi shuttered it's doors back in 2008, the part of my brain that required comedy in order for me to live also shuttered itself, though not completely. I did, and still do, continue to see comedy, but for some reason when the Rififi option was off the table, my zeal plummeted to a dangerous low and I psychologically couldn't overcome it. Melodramatic, huh? Yeah. Rififi exposed me to bazillions of comedians who to this day I still regard as favorites, but one favorite who I haven't seen much of since Rififi's closure is Nick Kroll.

Nick is part of a gaggle of comedians, including Jon Daly, Brett Gelman, and John Gemberling, who kill me not so much for their stand-up prowess (though, they don't lack in that department) but more for the insanely funny characters they come up with and perform as on stage and in videos.

Nick's characters include Bobby Bottleservice (1/2 of the Ed Hardy Boyz), a Rich Dick, and Fabrice Fabrice, among others. I cannot remember the last time I saw Nick live, so I was chuffed to see that he is doing two Comedy Central tapings at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on November 18th, early and late. These tapings will amount to a future 1 Hour Nick Kroll comedy special called Thank You Very Cool. I don't know what to expect, but I am hoping it will feature both stand-up and sketch material. Get your tickets! For serious.

In other, closer-to-now-shows-news, did you get your tickets to see Kristen Schaal, Kurt Braunohler, and Reggie Watts at NYU's Skirball Center this evening (10/21)? It carries with it a $25 price tag, but if you've got it spend it! You have to support your local favorites when they hit the larger stages people. Be loyal, not a dicknose. Oh, and you also might be able to get in to this one with your CMJ badge.

OK. Fine. I totally get it. You were a good pup and bought your tickets to tonight's comedy-free BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase happening at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. That was a smart move, and I now see why you didn't buy your tickets to see Ms. Schaal, Mr. Braunohler, and Mr. Watts at Skirball tonight.

So, since you missed the show at Skirball tonight, you should be happy to know that you can still see Reggie Watts for FREE at the BrooklynVegan and Converse FREE Saturday Party that's happening at Public Assembly from 12:00pm - 6:00pm.

Once you've had your fill of beer and other free goodies Saturday, you and your buddies are going to hop in a cab and head over to Union Hall for the Heart of Darkness: A Night of Forgiveness and Salvation CMJ show that features Greg Barris, Reggie Watts (again!), Kurt Braunohler, Dave Hill (who's band Diamondsnake has a show coming up at Mercury Lounge), and Kristen Schaal. There will also be music by The You Are Forgiven Choir featuring Ariel East, Mother of Three and New Beard. Tickets are only $10 and are, inexplicably, STILL AVAILABLE.

So tonight, Tivo Night of Too Many Stars and rock your socks off with BV at the Music Hall. And then on Saturday, see a ton of comedy and music, drink for free, and go to bed happy for a mere $10.

flyers and videos below...

Continue reading "comedy at CMJ, a Nick Kroll taping and MORE!"

words & photos by David Andrako

"Boo Todd relentlessly. Throw shit at him. When Jon (Benjamin) and I tell you to stop, ignore us and boo louder." - David Cross's instructions to the audience just before Todd Barry's "surprise" appearance.

The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival came to a close on Sunday, its fourth and final day, at The Bell House with two sold out shows. There was the early show billed as "Wes and Eugene's Cabinet of Wonders", and the late show "A Toddless Tinkle."

Friend and frequent collaborator of Eugene, John Wesley Harding, hosted the early show along with Eugene. The show featured performances by Yo La Tengo, John Oliver, Colson Whitehead, Darin Strauss, and Scott McCaughey.

Darin Strauss, the Brooklyn based author of "Half a Life" read a recently written piece entitled "Puberty", which was an autobiographical story set in the mid 1980s that involved gaining entrance to a much cooler high school classmate's party. Scott McCaughey, touring member of REM, performed two songs backed by Harding and his backing band The English UK including a 5 minute tribute to the 1986 Mets.

Eugene Mirman made a brief appearance with his newly purchased $380 Theremin and also returned to the stage to "sing" a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson." Colson Whitehead, the New York based author, read a chapter from his best selling 2009 book, Sag Harbor. "John Wesley Harding's favorite comedian", John Oliver, from The Daily Show and the upcoming "Smurfs" movie followed with a set that featured a particularly interesting story about a gig in the remote Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Yo La Tengo closed the show with a five song set that featured both Harding and McCaughey and included covers of "I'm A Believer" and The Kinks' "All That Will."

Between the shows Eugene made his way out to the dunk tank in front of The Bell House as John Oliver and Daniel Kitson threw balls at the target and were cheered on by the long line of fans waiting for the 2nd show.

The 2nd show, "A Toddless Tinkle", was hosted by Tinkle founders David Cross and Jon Benjamin. Todd Barry, the other member of the Tinkle crew was at the Music Hall of Williamsburg as an opening act for Superchunk. From the beginning of the show Cross and Benjamin let the crowd in on the fact that Todd would be making a "surprise" walk on sometime between 10 and 11PM. Both agreed that the proper greeting for Todd would be for the audience to boo him off stage. Throughout the evening random audience members were brought onstage to audition to fill the role of "Todd." "Todd #2", an audience member named Andy ventured out into the audience to attempt to do some of Todd's famous crowd work. Andy failed miserably but did offer some unintentional comedy when he approached (and didn't recognize) Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo and mocked him for his orange shirt and told him that he looked like Gilbert Gotfried. Cross quickly jumped in and saved Kaplan from being mocked by the auditioning "Todd".

Todd Barry made his way to The Bell House shortly after 11PM and was greeted by the aforementioned boos as well as cups, beer cans and hundreds of expletives. He attempted to win the crowd over but ended up quickly leaving the stage and the venue.

The nearly 3 hour show featured short sets from John Mulaney, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, and Karen Kilgariff. Festival favorite Daniel Kitson was the final performer of the evening with a 12 minute set that saw him chastise the audience over their reaction to Todd Barry's appearance and pointed out that everyone went along with the "mean boys" (Cross and Benjamin). The show ended with the 2nd ever screening of Cross and Bejamin's "Paid Programming", a mock informercial that aired a handful of times on Adult Swim last fall. The 11 minute short was meant to be aired at 4AM and didn't have any mention of the creators. And with that the 3rd Annual Festival came to a close. 9 shows, 3 venues, 25 velvet paintings of Eugene and 1 angry Todd Barry.

Check out the pictures and reviews from previous nights: NIGHT 1, NIGHT 2 and NIGHT 3. NIGHT 4 continued below...

Continue reading "Todd Barry booed, Yo La Tengo harassed, David Cross & more @ night 4 of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Fest (pics & review)"

photos by David Andrako

Fort Greene Park - Sept 14, 2010

The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival kicks off tonight (9/16) at The Bell House and other venues. One of the performers you'll find on Friday's bill is the multi-talented Reggie Watts. Hopefully you have a ticket for that one though, because that is actually one of the two Bell House shows that is already sold out. Four of them, including the one Yo La Tengo is showing up at, still have tickets though.

You can also now buy a ticket for a comedic CMJ show taking place at Union Hall on Saturday, October 23rd, which also features Reggie Watts:

SAT 10/23: 8pm Doors / $10 ADV / $12 DOS
2010 CMJ Music Marathon
HEART OF DARKNESS: A NIGHT OF FORGIVENESS AND SALVATION
FEATURING COMEDIANS:
GREG BARRIS, REGGIE WATTS, KURT BRAUNOHLER, DAVE HILL AND KRISTEN SCHAAL
Music by The You Are Forgiven Choir featuring Ariel East, Mother of Three and New Beard

You can also try to get in to that, whatever it is, with your CMJ badge if you have one.

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens and Reggie Watts played a free show in Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park on Tuesday night (9/14). According to David Andrako, the mixing of gospel and comedy worked out wonderfully. A set of pictures from that outdoor event continues below...

Continue reading "Reggie Watts played Fort Greene Park w/ Naomi Shelton (pics), playing Mirman Fest & CMJ (dates) "

"Now in its fifth year, the Brooklyn Book Festival is one of the top book festivals in the nation with a hip, huge and free all-star literary lineup!

Come see Salman Rushdie, Venus Williams, Sarah Silverman, Paul Krugman, Dennis Lehane, Paul Auster, Naomi Klein, Gary Shteyngart, Rosanne Cash, Jennifer Egan, John Ashbery, Nelson George, Mary Gaitskill, Colson Whitehead, Francine Prose, Esmeralda Santiago, Pete Hamill, Russell Banks, Michael Connelly, John Hodgman, Kristen Schaal, Sam Lipsyte, Sloane Crosley, Paul Harding and over 200 more! Plus children's and young adult lit stars like Rebecca Stead, Sara Shepard, Jacqueline Woodson, Jon Scieszka, Jenny Han, Tad Hills, and Francisco X. Stork! Click here for festival program schedule."

SoSB @ MHOW - CMJ 2009 (more by Vincent Cornelli)


The CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival "has announced its first round of performing artists." The full list, BrooklynVegan showcase semi-included, and more is below.

One of those performing artists is School of Seven Bells who headline the Windish showcase at Santos Party House on Saturday, October 23rd. Tickets are on sale for that (or you can try to get in with your CMJ badge). SoSB played MHOW during CMJ last year.

Meanwhile School of Seven Bells will kick off a tour with Active Child at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg on September 9th. $5.00 tickets are still on sale.

All SoSB dates, the CMJ artist list, Bad Books info and more, below...

Continue reading "CMJ announces initial 2010 lineup (list), School of Seven Bells touring w/ Active Child (dates) ++ "Bad Books" & more"

Laugh with the stars at Comedy Central's Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert for Autism Education on Saturday, October 2 at the Beacon Theatre.

Hosted by Jon Stewart, the evening will feature Lewis Black, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, Joel McHale, John Oliver, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and too many more scheduled to appear!

Proceeds benefit autism education and family service programs across the country in support of the overabundance of autistic individuals that so desperately need quality services.

American Express® cardmembers can purchase advance tickets, Thursday, July 29 from 10AM - Sunday, August 1 at 10PM before they go on sale to the general public on Monday, August 2 at 9AM.

A great lineup for a great cause.

Much sooner: Tearing The Veil of Maya, the sometimes-weekly show that mostly happens at Union Hall is turning four and celebrating at Union Hall's sister venue The Bell House. The Four Year Anniversary Show will feature Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal, Leo Allen, AD Miles, Wyatt Cenac "and friends!" Maybe Michael Showalter will be there too? That's at the Bell House on August 1st and tickets are on sale (note: "This show will be mixed seated/standing - please come early for the best seats.")

And speaking of weekly comedy shows happening in bigger, near-by venues, The Cameo's "Big Terrific" is happening at Music Hall of Williamsburg on August 27th. Hosts Gabe Liedman, Jenny Slate (SNL) and Max Silvestri promise "Many Special Guests". Tickets are on sale.

Continue reading "comedians fighting autism @ Beacon Theatre, Tearing the Veil of Maya turning four, Big Terrific getting bigger"

tonight in NYC
* Reggie Watts @ LPR
* Eugene Mirman @ Littlefield
* Biz Markie (DJ) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Oblivians, Andre Ethier @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn
* Beach Fossils, Woven Bones, The Beets @ Bruar Falls
* La Orquesta De La Gente and 8 y Más @ St. Mary's Park
* Nobunny, Apache, Daddy Long Legs, Foster Care @ Cake Shop
* Midsummer Night Swing w/ The Time Jumpers @ Damrosch Park
* Akron/Family, Man Forever, Spreaders @ Monster Island Basement
* Zoom: Zvidance, Son Lux with Lottdance @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* D Charles Speer & The Helix, Zachary Cale, Sword & Sandal @ Coco 66
* Slothbear, No Demons Here, Big Troubles, Gross Relations @ The Cameo
* The Family Band, Luke Roberts, The Heavens Jail Band @ Death By Audio
* Toro y Moi, Body Language, Idiot Glee, Rewards, Take By Trees (DJ) @ Glasslands
* Red Directors, The Orion Experience, Hot Seconds, Shayfer James @ Mercury Lounge
* Delta Spirit, Ezra Furman & The Harpoons, The Romany Rye @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, The Eskalators, 9/11 Thesaurus, Sex God Cowboys, Swear and Shake @ Silent Barn
* Walt Whitman tribute w/ CSC Funk Band, members of Wingdale Community Singers, Prince Rama, more @ Brooklyn Bridge Park

Toro y Moi plays the Whitney tomorrow with High Places.

Woven Bones, who are at Bruar Falls tonight with Beach Fossils, play the first Seaport Music show on Friday with Yellow Fever.

"Come see the long awaited UK pilot of Kristen Schaal's and Kurt Braunohler's action-adventure puppet comedy. Comedy show at 8:30 with special guests! Screening at 9:30 and party afterwards."

Check out This Week In Indie

What else?

photos by Tim Griffin, words by Klaus Kinski

Joe Mande @ Club DeVille

2007 ECNY Emerging Comic Award winning comedian Joe Mande is a major favorite of mine, and he's no stranger to the Brooklyn Vegan Live Event Planning Committee (not a real committee). Not only was he on the bill of the very first installment of our epic comedy / music show Rock n' RoFL, Joe (who also performed at the Stereogum party on Saturday) was also one of two comedians to perform to a chatty crowd at the BrooklynVegan / DailyMotion SxSW Day Party on Friday March 19th, 2010. Tig Notaro was the other comedian on our show, and another personal favorite (you may know her as officer Tig on the Sarah Silverman Program).

I didn't realize until very recently that Joe has been working on a book and that it is set to drop on Tuesday March 30, 2010. The book, entitled Look At This Fucking Hipster, began as a modest Tumblr blog but quickly ballooned into a heavily followed phenomenon.

Look at this Fucking Hipster (LATFH.com) was born in April 2009 as a way to help author Joe Mande help his dad answer the question, "Is that a hipster?" Months later, with millions of followers and dozens of parodies, it has become a cultural phenomenon, referenced in media, newspapers, blogs, and more.

Look at This Fucking Hipster is a collection of photos, snarky captions and short essays exploring--and, let's be honest, poking fun at--the wide world of hipster culture, from Williamsburg to Silver Lake and points between. Chapters cover types of hipsters, celebrity hipsters, hipsters through the ages, hipster love connections, and the next generation of hipsters (AKA hipster babies).

To celebrate the release of the book (which you can get at Amazon), the March 31, 2010 installment of Totally J/K with Joe and Noah at NYC's UCB Theater will be devoted to celebrating its release with guests including Reggie Watts, Kurt Braunohler & Kristen Schaal (who you can also catch this Friday, 3/26 at Karma Lounge), BEEAAAANNSSS, and MANY MORE. And don't forget that the UCB theater is a dark, dank, subterranean venue that always has $2 hipster champagne (PBR). So grab your mom's glasses, your tightest jeans, your daddy's Red Wings (that may have actually seen some hard labor in their past), and your terrible cassette tape / bird / star tattoos and join the fun!

P.S. By BEEAAAANNSSS we assume they mean they got the actual Darren Mabee (a regular character on the latfh site) to make an appearance.

More pictures from our SXSW party, and a video of Joe interviewing Ben Gibbard at the Stereogum party (with Scott from Stereogum), below....

Continue reading "Joe Mande interviewed Ben Gibbard (video), played a BV day party w/ Tig Notaro (pics), releasing a book about 'hipsters'"

photos by Ryan Muir

"Chatroulette @ Union Hall, Brklyn. I laughed, I cringed, I screamed. I witnessed THE pinnacle moment of Eugene Mirman's career. Amazing!" - kotter

Kristen Schaal as a smoking whoopie cushion...

Heeb Mag:What do you love most about living in New York? And your neighborhood in particular?

Eugene Mirman: One thing I love most about living New York is that you can walk out of your apartment at any time of day, go into almost any type of restaurant, point at someone and fuck them in the bathroom with no questions asked. It's so cool how up for anything New Yorkers are.

Eugene Mirman and Friends performed comedy (and went on Chatroulette) at the Bell House on Saturday, February 27th as part of the Friends of Celebrate Brooklyn membership campaign. The 'Friends' included Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Showalter, Marc Maron and Kristen Schaal.

Eugene pulled up Chatroulette again Tuesday night at Union Hall which is where his next Tearing the Veil of Maya show (with friends, again) is scheduled for this Sunday, March 7th.

More pictures from the Bell House are below...

Continue reading "Eugene Mirman & friends played the Bell House (and with Chatroulette) (pics)"

Leo Allen benefiting Haiti @ MHOW on 1/23 (by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Aziz Ansari added an extra two shows to his previously-announced run of CD Release shows at Comix. The new total is eight shows over four days (2/3-2/6) and they all appear to be sold out. "Friends scheduled to appear throughout the weekend:" Todd Barry, Moshe Kasher, John Mulaney, Max Silvestri, Joe Mande, Kristen Schaal, Hannibal Buress, Leo Allen, Kumail Nanjiani, and Anthony Jeselnik. A fine set of openers indeed.

Don't have a ticket, but still want to see Aziz during his now-rare trip back to NYC? You can also catch him tonight (2/2) for free at the Apple Store in SOHO. Sarah Silverman will appear in the same venue one night later.

Speaking of Max Silvestri, don't forget to catch his Big Teriffic show every Wednesday night at The Cameo (free!).

Speaking of Kristen Schaal, you can catch her tonight (2/2) as part of Sara Schaefer & Kim Armstrong's new free weekly Tuesday night comedy show in the front lounge of The Bell House (which is also hosting a "TOTALLY SOLD OUT" Lost premiere party this evening as well).

Speaking of Kristen Schaal performing comedy at The Bell House, tickets are on sale for a February 27th show described as "Friends of Celebrate Brooklyn present Winter Warm-Up featuring Comedy with Eugene Mirman & Pretty Good Friends, Special guests include Kristin Schaal & Michael Showalter".

Speaking of Hannibal Buress, he hosts a comedy show every Sunday night at Knitting Factory (free!).

Todd Barry, John Mulaney and Hannibal Buress all return to Comix on the same (February 18th) night (code TBAF saves $5).

Leo Allen hosts Whiplash every Monday night at UCB

A few shows other shows coming up at UCB and other surprises below...

Continue reading "Aziz Ansari at Comix & The Apple Store, Sarah Silverman, Hannibal Buress & other upcoming comedy shows"

...with Liam McEneaney, John Oliver, Caroline Rhea, Kristen Schaal & more TBA @ Comix in NYC on December 8th.

by Klaus Kinski

Secret Wars @ All Points West 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

So we've got the Del Close Marathon happening this weekend (8/14-8/16) and we've got the New York Comedy Festival happening in November. And now it is with unbridled enthusiasm that I can achieve a comedy-festival-posting-hat-trick by announcing the EUGENE MIRMAN COMEDY FESTIVAL which is set to take over Brooklyn venues Union Hall and the Bell House from September 17 - September 20. OK, so we briefly mentioned the festival before, but with line-ups, showtimes, as well as venue and ticket info just released, it's time to spread the word.

Curated by the great Eugene Mirman, this year's festival has a gasp worthy line-up that is truly beyond belief and will feature stand-up, panels, videos, special guests, 'theme' shows, the occasional free drink, after-parties, and much more. The highlight of the festival for me are two Daniel Kitson headlining gigs at Union Hall. Daniel is a British Stand-up comedian who I've only had the opportunity to see once, but that one experience was epic. More monologuist than stand-up comedian, he is one of the smartest, funniest, most energetic and eloquent performers I have ever seen. We are blessed to have two chances to see him headline such an intimate room. Besides that, the festival boasts appearances by Reggie Watts, Todd Barry, John Hodgman, Bobby Tisdale, AD Miles, Kristen Schaal, Michael Showalter, Marc Maron, John Mulaney, Jon Benjamin, and many many more. And, of course, Eugene.

The schedule so far is below. According to the folks in charge, even more excitement will be announced in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!! Tickets for all shows go on sale Sunday August 16 Saturday, August 15 at noon via Ticketweb (Bell House, Union Hall).

Full lineup and more below...

Continue reading "Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival 2009 lineup (Daniel Kitson & more), an 826NYC benefit (tickets), a new Sub Pop album"

by Klaus Kinski (of Klaus Kinski's Comedy Canon)

Two films I've been dying to see quickly made their way in and out of our fair city this past June. Being an idiot that cannot seem to prioritize anything, I missed them both. The films I speak of are Big Fan starring Patton Oswalt and Visioneers starring Zach Galifianakis. You may recall from previous articles that Zach and Patton are among my favorite comedians of all time; thus the eagerness to see these films and the anguish at missing them. Big Fan is the directorial debut of Robert Siegel, the man wrote The Wrestler, a film that featured comedian Todd Barry (another favorite). In Big Fan, Patton plays the role of Paul.

Paul is a 35-year-old toll booth operator from Staten Island who lives and dies by his New York Giants. When he has a chance encounter with Giants linebacker Quantrell Bishop, however, things go horribly wrong and a brutal beating at the hands of his idol tests Paul's allegiance to the team. Comedian Patton Oswalt delivers a heartbreaking, layered performance in this pitch-black comedy that reveals the disturbing side of obsessive fandom.

Thankfully, word is out that Big Fan will begin showing in theaters in New York and Philadelphia August 28th, Los Angeles, D.C, Dallas and Houston theatres September 11th and then expanding! In the meantime, visit the official website for trailers and whatnot. And definitely check out Patton's diaries from when Big Fan played at Sundance back in January. Trailer below.

Having seen the trailer last year, I feel like Visioneers has been on my radar for a really long time. It definitely looks to be a somber, Orwellian, supremely dark comedy. The film, directed by Jared Drake, stars Galifianakis as George Washington Winsterhammerman.

George lives a comfortable yet completely uneventful life, and when he starts having dreams in which he's the first President of the United States, his doctor informs him that they could be signs of impending explosion. Later, as the dreams become more frequent and his co-workers continue to detonate, George is prompted to reevaluate his mundane existence.

It looks like that June 3 screening at the 92Y Tribeca may have been my only opportunity to see it theatrically; it comes out on DVD July 21st (using Zach's role in The Hangover to reach a broader audience) and there only seems to be independently organized screening parties scattered across the US. Trailer below.

Zach did a split 7" with Ted Leo a while back, available only via Chunklet.com and only available if you purchased another item from the Chunklet store. Now you no longer need to buy a second item in order to purchase the record. This extremely limited edition 7" is only $5 and is available on four different types of wax. Get 'em while they're hot!.

In Other News........

Continue reading "comedy news: Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Zach Galifianakis, Ricky Gervais, M Showalter, ATP & more (by Klaus Kinski)"

Comedian and musician Dave Hill was summoned to Bonnaroo this past weekend to be part of both the comedy and music going-ons at the four-day Tennessee festival. I asked if he'd mind sharing his experiences (and pictures) with BrooklynVegan.com. He agreed. I regretted it. He sent it anyway, so here it is (starting with some MP3's by his rock band Valley Lodge), but warning: this post is not for the squeamish (NSFTS)...

DOWNLOAD: Valley Lodge - All of My Lovin (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Valley Lodge - Hangin On (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Valley Lodge - The Door (MP3)

Dave Hill tests face-melting licks out on some chairs

I've just returned from four magical days and nights at Bonnaroo, where my rock band Valley Lodge was the house band for Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's "Bonnapoo 2009" shows, which featured all sorts of awesomeness from Robert Smigel aka Triumph as well as sets from the great Todd Barry, Amy Schumer, and Kumail Nanjiani.

"Smigel performed four sets as Triumph at Bonnaroo, which annually hosts a comedy tent along with its smorgasbord of music acts, spread out over five main stages on a farm in rural Tennessee.

"My live act is a huge undertaking because Triumph kind of thrives on the immediate, discussing what everybody's thinking about," said Smigel while whisking past festival-goers in a golf cart, puppet on hand." [AP]

The excitement started on Wednesday night when I got on a plane to Nashville with my close personal friend Janeane Garofalo, Pete Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani, and the rest of my rock band Valley Lodge. If you've ever wanted to be on a completely hilarious plane, you could do a lot worse than to have been on this plane. As you can probably imagine, all of us were running back and forth between our seats spraying each other with seltzer bottles and throwing pies in each others' faces. At one point, Pete Holmes came over to my seat to shake my hand and it turned out he had one of those joy buzzers on his finger. Man, was my face red. I got him back though by spraying him in the face with a prank flower I was wearing at the time. We both just laughed and laughed after this happened. He couldn't stay mad at me.

Once we got to Nashville, some unmarked vehicles took us all to Murfreesboro, the popular Tennessee town where we all stayed at the Doubletree Hotel, which is really classy. Because I snore and also like to get up to all sorts of hardcore banging in hotels, I had my own room. When I dropped off my bags, I looked around the room and got all excited about all the snoring and hardcore banging I would be doing in my room over the next few days and nights.

continued below...

Continue reading "What It's like to be a VIP at Bonnaroo 2009 by Dave Hill"