Max Silvestri, Jenny Slate & Gabe Liedman @ Rififi (Marianne Ways)

Hi buds,

Woah, get ready. I have some huge news! As you know, one of my lovely Big Terrific co-hosts Jenny Slate has been absent as of late doing "showbiz" stuff, and a lot of you have been all "more like no-biz!!" Well first, stop saying that, and also, it's paid off! She is the newest cast member on Saturday Night Live, which is a long running television show that you have heard of. Won't that be amazing? She is going to be their go-to person for Gloria Estefan impressions. Also, she is going to be their go-to person for everything because she is the best, we love her so much, are so very proud, and cannot think of anyone who would be better on that show. It's really just perfect. Like, we were all surprised to get the news but also we totally weren't, you know? That's how great she'll be.

Jenny will be back at Big T soon to tell lots of showbiz stories about what Megan Fox smells like and how Ted Danson always has mints handy or whatever. Come this Wednesday and celebrate with Gabe and me, before all of us are too famous.

We've got super guests too: Eugene Mirman, Leo Allen, Brent Sullivan and more! We're so psyched. It's Wednesday September 2nd at 8pm at Cameo Gallery, 93 North 6th St between Berry & Wythe in Williamsburg. Come hang out!!

Thanks guys. You guys make Big Terrific the most fun. (Also us, but definitely you a bit too.)

-Max Silvestri

Continue reading "Jenny Slate joins SNL, Max & Gabe continue @ Cameo "

Los Campesinos! @ Sound Fix Records (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

After "Anonymous" posted "soundfix closing at the end of FEB???? true or rumor??" in the comments yesterday, I investigated, and sadly one person that would know did get back to me with a simple "True". Free Williamsburg called Sound Fix "and they confirmed that they were indeed shutting down, 'just the bar,'"

This sucks for the free shows, and this is especially unfortunate for comedy. As we were just pointing out, Sound Fix has filled the gap left after Rififi closed. The Williamsburg bar has in fact become one of NYC's most consistent weekly (free) comedy show locations. The comic's comic writes...

If it seems like only a year ago that live comedy shows were beginning to find a new happy home behind the Sound Fix record store, that's because it was only a year ago, as Max Silvestri started hosting shows then and I was pitching the venue as a potential full-on replacement for the East Village's Rififi, which closed last summer, in part, because that club's owner gave up a similar battle with the neighbors. Gabe & Jenny joined up with Max for weekly Big Terrific shows that have lived up to the name, and other shows soon followed suit, making for lively lineups and large audiences just about every weeknight.

In the meantime, go check out a show at the venue during its final days. A few of them are listed below...

Continue reading "Sound Fix Records bar & venue (not the store) closing in Feb"

by Klaus Kinski

Brett Gelman's 1000 CATS! @ Rififi, NYC (mister mark davis)

So I just got a myspace bulletin urging me to go to Gelmania at Rififi tonight (July 30, 2008), not only because it has a killer line-up featuring Tom McCaffrey, Baron Vaughn, and Adam Newman, but also because, as the message went on to tell me, the author "Just found out that Rififi is closing, come hang out one last time tonight!". This isn't the first time these words have been uttered. Reluctant to get suckered into this Boy Who Cried Wolf nonsense, I checked out trusted comedy authority The Apiary and sure enough they had a pretty convincing scoop on this most recent closing rumor. The Apiary included a note that Rififi's manager sent to the very funny Matt Ruby:

it's quite possible that thursday will be the last day that rififi will be open, it seems that the owner of rififi has come to an impasse with the landlord... as you might have known rififi has been occupying the space on a month-by-month basis since march and the landlord is now asking for substantially more money, it's possible that he's playing hardball but if an agreement isn't be reached by thursday then it will really be the last day that rififi is open.

i'm sorry we didn't have a couple of weeks to plan for this but the relationship between the landlord and the owner has always been somewhat unstable so it was hard to predict if and when the end would actually come... please be assured that all of the time and effort you put into producing your show has been greatly appreciated, if there is any change in the situation i will let you know as soon as i hear about it.

by Klaus Kinski

Will Franken @ Rock n ROFL (more by Ryan Muir)

Holy Toledo. If ever there was a night when the NYC comedy scene presents you with two extremely tough choices of live entertainment, Wednesday April 16, 2008 is a doozie.

On the one hand, you've got the opportunity to see the truly brilliant comedic performance artist Will Franken unleash an HOUR-LONG SET at the Sidewalk Cafe (94 Ave A @ 6th Street) at 9:00pm. Will delivered a short, powerful and completely mesmerizing set at the last Rock n' ROFL that left me ready for a much longer, more involved performance. Tonight's our chance people. Oh, and it's ABSOLUTELY FREE!

Cripes, but on the other hand you've also got the opportunity to check out the latest installment of Rififi's (332 11th St. b/t 1st and 2nd Ave) new Wednesday night staple Gelmania. The show will be hosted by German entertainer Klaus Von Funn (not to be confused with Klaus Kinski), who I endorse completely and without hesitation. The roster of comedic guests makes me weep at the majesty of their caliber; guests include David Cross, Reggie Watts, Chelsea Peretti, Bobby Tisdale, Neil Casey and Anthony Antaminuik. Yes, all of them. Doors for this show are at 8:00pm and costs a mere $5.00.

It's stressful picking which show to go to, but no matter which one you choose, you will have chosen wisely. Gelmania flyer below....

Continue reading "Will Franken vs David Cross & Reggie Watts (TONIGHT!)"

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)"

words by Jon Roren, photos by Marianne Ways

Todd Barry and Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo) @ Rififi, Feb 26, 2008

Eugene Mirman

The penultimate Invite Them Up at Rififi Tuesday night (Feb 26, 2008) was perhaps as close to perfection as downtown comedy gets. It was also about as crowded as it gets. There were so many people that they had to open up the back room, put up a projection screen and seat people in there. This of course inspired some visual humor with Eugene Mirman standing in between rooms, watching himself in the back room while waving his arm in front of the camera in the main room a la "Spaceballs."

Continue reading "Invite Them Up, night 2 of 3 final shows (pics & recap) "

by Klaus Kinski

For over 5 years, Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale's weekly comedy showcase Invite Them Up has been bringing New Yorkers the best comedy (and sometimes music) on the planet. But as mentioned earlier, Invite Them Up will cease operations on February 27th, 2008. And although this loss will leave a huge hole in the comedic soul of NYC, Eugene and Bobby are saying goodbye by giving us three nights of comedy and music beginning Monday 2/25 (tonight)

Obviously such a renowned comedic institution like Invite Them Up won't die quietly. These final three shows will feature line-ups so insane that I'm not going to bother to mention a single participant. I won't even bother to mention a few of the lesser known names and append that with the vague "Plus Special Guests". These three nights' line-ups are comprised of special guests only. Want an idea of how good the line-ups might be? Take a look at their More Info Page and let your imagination run wild.

As with all other installments of Invite Them Up, each show will conclude with a wonderful afterparty featuring a different guest DJ each night. Comedian Craig Baldo is confirmed to DJ the 2/25 afterparty. To accomodate the legions of comedy fans that will stick around for these afterparties, the bar and the showroom will both stay open after the show.

But that's not all. They're going to make a large time capsule. They'll mostly have comedians put stuff in relating to the show, comedy, or this point in time, but Eugene and Bobby would like to Invite the audience to bring stuff for the time capsule too! Bring something. They'll be collecting the stuff over all three nights.

Despite previous reports, there is now no official closing date for Rififi. Nate Sloan at the NY Press reports....

"Whether or not the liquor license will be revoked is up in the air," explains Antonio. "The owner is making an effort to keep Rififi open, and it seems as though Rififi will remain open for at least another four or five months and could remain open permanently if the license is saved and hopefully will continue to operate as it has been."

Invite Them Up - The Final Shows
February 25, 26, 27 - 8:00pm
$5
Rififi
332 East 11th Street

Continue reading "Invite Them Up, RIP - 3 more to go, all this week (@ Rififi)"

"The city cracks down on things, just to give bars fines--that's what kills the new businesses," said Joi Brozek, former co-owner of the Lucky Cat rock club in Williamsburg. "If you're barely making rent and then you're slapped with a $1,500 fine, you're almost doomed to fail, especially when you're dealing with music because then everyone comes out of the fucking cracks like cockroaches."....

...."The reality of it is, live music isn't much of a moneymaker," she said. "If it was up to me, and somebody said, 'What would be your ideal business?' I would say, a straight-up bar, and that's it, because, really, live music is a ton of headaches." [The NY Observer]

by Klaus Kinski

You Should Probably Go To Rififi Tonight (Feb 8)......

Why? Because every Friday night (this month at least) Rififi (332 east 11th, b/t 1st and 2nd) plays host to The Greg Johnson and Larry Murphy Show. If I wasn't so lazy/busy, I would have finished my Top Ten Best Things In Comedy In 2007 list for BV; a list that would have had the ECNY Award Winning Greg Johnson and Larry Murphy Show at the #1 slot. Every single week the line-ups their myspace bulletins boast are so packed with top-shelf talent that I often think Greg and Larry are the biggest liars in the business. But then I show up to the show and, sure enough, they deliver what they promised for a mere $5. Here's what makes tonight's show so great.....

Continue reading "Greg Johnson, Rififi, Larry Murphy, The Whitest Kids You Know, Human Giant, Nick Kroll, Chelsea Peretti, Patrick Borelli, Joe Mande"

Rob Huebel & Aziz Ansari @ Rififi, NYC - Jan 23, 2008 (Marianne Ways)

* Violens plays Pianos
* The Cool Kids are at Studio B
* Corn Mo is playing Mercury Lounge
* Rhett Miller is playing Blend in Ridgewood
* Amanda Blank + Spankrock DJs are @ Hiro Ballroom
* Neurosis, Mastodon, US Christmas, Brooklyn
* Download a US Christmas track @ Paper Thin Walls
* Growing and IUD are playing Death By Audio
* Kaki King is playing w/ Benevento @ Sullivan Hall
* Marc Ribot and Laurie Anderson are playing The Stone
* Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music) & Ben Nichols of Lucero are @ Maxwell's
* Kelly from the Rosebuds is doing comedy in Ochi's Lounge @ Comix
* Comedian Max Silvestri Like's Attention @ Sound Fix

The above picture was taken at one of the last Invite Them Up shows ever. Lisa Loeb! played in a Borders the other day. She also played an Ikea. Video below. What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

Bobby Tisdale, Invite Them Up @ Rififi, NYC - Oct 3, 2007 (CRED)

Numerous comedians are reporting (supposedly not as jokes) that unless someone swoops in and buys it or something, NYC club Rififi will be (despite their plans to continue) closing at the end of February. The last Invite Them Up will be held at Rififi on February 27th. Trash, "I Like Attention", "Totally J/K with Joe and Noah", "At Night with Gabe and Jenny", Starshine Burlesque, Sweet and Nasty Burlesque and The Greg Johnson show will also be without a home.

This comes just a few months after Mo Pitkins closed - another East Village home to regular comedy and burlesque shows.

A couple of days ago I wrote a summary of recent back and forth between Patton Oswalt, David Cross and the public at large. In Patton's final response he explains...

I doubt you remember this, but back in March of 2006 I was in New York, and ran into you at Rififi. I was wearing a suit, and without anyone asking about it or being the least bit interested (unlike you, I am in constant, panick-y worry about what people think of me), I explained, “I just came from the premiere of Failure To Launch.

THE LATEST: In true fairytale goodness, David's future self has since wrote David's present self a letter to round things out, and cool things off. It can be read in it entirity at David's site. Here's an excerpt...

Just don't sweat the small stuff is what I'm getting at here. Nobody really truly gives a shit about it. You're being more than a little vain if you think they do. And if they really, truly do care and you really truly care that they care, then you can drive down to Best Buy and hash it out with them in person (and don't forget to take a look at their screenplay that's almost finished. It's kind of like "Kill Bill" meets "Kill Bill Vol. 2 but waaaay radder). Also, just so you know, you and Patton will remain good friends. Although when Fox buys Pixar and makes "Alvin and The Chipmunks vs. Ratatouille - The Reckoning" things will get a little hairy for awhile. (No pun intended!!!!)

Max Silvestri @ Rififi, NYC - Oct 29, 2007 (CRED)

In addition to all the special comedy shows always going on, don't forget that there are plenty of shows that happen weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly in NYC that are always reliable, rarely over $5, and usually feature some of the biggest comedians in the business. Why, just the other day Invite Them Up featured Jim Gaffigan, Demetri Martin, Nick Kroll, Andy Blitz, and Max Silvestri. Nuts, right!? Here are some other recurring shows I highly recommend.

• Totally J/K with Joe and Noah: Every other Monday at Rififi with Joe Mande and Noah Garfinkle
• At Night with Gabe and Jenny: Mondays at Rififi
• Sweet: Tuesday at The Slipper Room with Seth Herzog
• Invite Them Up: Wednesdays at Rififi with Eugene Mirman and Bobby Tisdale
• Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy: Fridays at Rififi with Greg Johnson and Larry Murphy
• It is It: Monthly at Pianos with Adam Lowitt (The Daily Show)
• Tearing the Veil of Maya: Sundays at Union Hall with Eugene Mirman and Michael Showalter

Rififi (a NYC comedy, music, burlesque and dance venue located on 332 East 11th Street) recently sent this letter to the Apiary:

Hi guys,

We recently saw your piece on our liquor license, the rumors of our closing and the future of the establishment in general and decided you were the place we would reveal the truth and our plans.

The license situation is an easy one. Every liquor license for all bars and clubs expire every two years. The renewal process is simple and quick and must be undertaken every two years, it's a checks and balances system. Rififi's license has been renewed and we plan on continuing to bring you the best comedy shows in the Village.

Unfortunately you are correct, there is a smear campaign being perpetrated against Rififi by some of the tenants in the surrounding buildings. They are intent on ousting Rififi during this period of license renewal, soliciting surrounding tenants to make complaints, abusing the SLA complaint webpage, and invoking archaic and racist cabaret laws (please refer to this site for a history of the cabaret laws in New York City). Many of these people seem to believe it is illegal for people to eat, drink and make merry.

Rififi seeks to nurture a copacetic relationship with our community and many tenants who live in the very same buildings as our opponents attend our shows, patronize Rififi on the weekends and are keeping us up to date in the neighbors efforts to taint the police and SLA against us. There is also talk of a luxury highrise building being erected across the street and this campaign may well be an effort to cleanse the block of 'undesirable' business. Wouldn't it be nicer for everyone if Rififi became a Build-a-Bear?

Of course in this situation our future is unsure, but from our end, we plan to stay open. We believe we are a vibrant and historic part of the East Village community and that nightlife in New York should be encouraged, it is after all an engine that employs 19,000 city residents and generates 100 million dollars in tax revenue every year. We'll do our best to keep you all updated on our situation, in the meantime please contact the community board in our neighborhood (Edwin Chan at CB3- echan@cb3manhattan.org) if you wish to support Rififi as a place to see wonderful and diverse shows every night.

Yours in service,

Rififi

Rififi is known for hosting last night's party,....

Mach '07 Trash (CRED)

burlesque,...

Miss Firecracker and Mister Reusch (CRED)

and comedy....

David Cross & Patton Oswalt - March 2006 (CRED)

And now it can all be yours....from Craiglist via the Apiary:

This East Village bar is just two avenues from the NYU Dorms in the heart of the East Village is a fully equpped/turn-key operation with Full Liquor Licene. I am exclusively representing the owner of this bar as a real estate professional in Manhattan. This bar is a money maker. The owner has other business that he is involved with and would like to get out of this situation. The place gets packed, and has a history in the area that goes back to the 90's. If you ever wanted a bar, or currently operate bars this is a perfect opportunity to continue your success or start now.

FIXTURE FEE is $300K A price that is negociable! Rent is $15K Per Month