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....

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