NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 7/7/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
the perfect show for short attention spans—open-mic stand-up with 4½ minutes per set
and around 30 comics crammed into 2½ hours—at John Morrison's Ochi's Motel (6:30 pm & 9:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] innovative TV mini-shows (no longer than 5 minutes each)
that live or die by audience votes at Channel101: NY (7:00 pm & 8:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] unintentionally hilarious amateur videos via the Found Footage Festival (8:00 pm),
comedic duo Rory & Craig teaching you about the Web, and then another troupe exploring even
deeper mysteries, in Rory and Craig: Our Internet Knowledge and I Killed You 10 Minutes Ago (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] top TV comedy writers Bryan Tucker (writer for Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, Comedy Central)
and Daniel Dratch (writer for The Chris Rock Show, Monk), sharp stand-ups Christian Finnegan
(Comedy Central Presents, Chappelle's Show, VH1) and Marina Franklin (Last Comic Standing,
Chappelle's Show), plus more at Liam McEneaney's free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),
and a one-man show from Thomas Middleditch (member of genius improv troupe Baby Wants Candy)
on a double-bill with sketch troupe The Resistance (9:30 pm).
Lottery-style open mic for stand-up comics trying out material,
with 4½ minutes per performer...in return for a $5 contribution to the weekly prize kitty.
(In addition, Ochi's 1-item food or drink minimum applies to everyone.)
A breathtaking 30+ comics perform in this 2½ hour show; producer
John Morrison (above) has described it as "comedy on crack."
If you're seeking consistent laughs, this might not be the best way to spend
your evening. But if you're patient and adventurous, it's a potentially wild ride.
And if you're a performer looking for some stage time, it's a nice opportunity.
Plus if you stick around till the show's end to support your fellow comics,
you have a chance at winning the cash from the kitty, along with smaller prizes.
Ochi's Motel is hosted & booked by Sean Donnelly and Joe Powers.
To be entered into the weekly random drawing for performers,
please send email to ochismotel[at]gmail.com.
There are two shows tonight, at 6:30 and 9:00 pm (with entirely different sets of comics).
6:30 pm & 9:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues)
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Screenings of select films running five minutes or less—most of them funny—crafted in the style of TV pilots. The shorts receiving the most audience votes get to continue with additional episodes, while the others are "canceled."
Channel 101: NY (under its previous name, Channel 102) was selected by Time Out New York as one of NYC's 50 Essential Secrets. There's not much on the networks Monday night anyway, so why not come enjoy fresh comedic TV with a live audience?
7:00 & 8:30 pm at Pianos, 158 Ludlow Street at Stanton; free
Just two of the many memorable images from the FFF
Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have spent two years scouring thrift stores
and garage sales around the country for odd, funny, and startling videos.
Based on the stills above, the time was well-spent.
For video samplers, please click here and here.
How can you resist?
Tickets are $20, but you can get $5 off by using discount code HyReviews.
There's also a two-item (food or drink) minimum.
To learn more and/or to order, please click here.
8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
$15 online with code HyReviews, plus two-item food or drink minimum
Rory Panagotopulos and Craig Rowin
Rory and Craig: Our Internet Knowledge and I Killed You 10 Minutes Ago
Two sketch comedy shows for five bucks.
FIrst up is duo Rory Panagotopulos and Craig Rowin, who teach you all you need to know about the newfangled InterWeb, plus sports sweats (for a video about the latter, please click here).
Then continuing the double-bill is I Killed You 10 Minutes Ago, which I'm guessing is a group production of a comedic mini-play. If you're feeling adventurous...
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Daniel Dratch, Marina Franklin, and Christian Finnegan...
...and Bryan Tucker and Liam McEneaney
This free weekly comedy show is produced by Liam McEneaney
(VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,
former writer for Standup Nation with Greg Giraldo).
Tonight's hosts are married comedic duo Noam & Mary.
And the fine guests are
Bryan Tucker (writer for Saturday Night Live 2005-2008; also wrote for Chappelle's Show, Mad TV, The Chris Rock Show, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; performed on Comedy Central's Premium Blend; for a stand-up video sample, please click here),
Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, VH1's Best Week Ever, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show, host of TVLand's Game Time, former staff writer for Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; comedy CD Two For Flinching; for stand-up videos on how to get rid of a boring guy and what your movie choices say about you, please click here and here),
Daniel Dratch (writer for The Chris Rock Show, The Man Show, Monk), and
Marina Franklin (Last Comic Standing, Chappelle's Show, Comedy Central's Premium Blend).
8:00ish pm at Lolita Bar, 226 Broome Street (between Allen and Orchard Streets); free
Nearest subway stops are Delancey Street via the F or Delancey-Essex via the J/M/Z.
A couple of the many faces of Thomas Middleditch
Thomas Middleditch and The Resistance
Two comedy shows for five bucks.
The festivities kick off with Thomas Middleditch, a quick-witted organic talent who honed his improv & comedy skills at Second City and iO Chicago, and is currently a member of improv troupes Baby Wants Candy and Broad Shoulders. Thomas is also the co-host of a sharp new monthly UCBT show about video games called Game Bros. Live!; and is a wildly popular character performer at the monthly Morrison Motel. It's the latter skills Thomas will be drawing on for this one-man show as he literally jumps around on stage, and switches among different voices and body postures in split seconds, to create a small mob of colorful people interactig with each other—and, at one point, even physically fighting each other! The material isn't entirely polished yet; but this is a comedic performer worth keeping an eye on.
The double-bill then continues with young sketch comedy troupe The Resistance, which performs sketches that are intelligent and show promise.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 7/8/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
[TOP PICK] one of the funniest men in the world, Todd Barry (HBO, Conan, Letterman, Comedy
Central, Adult Swim), headlining a hot new show mixing sketch & stand-up: Sweet Haven (8:00ish pm),
Greg Pak (writer of popular Marvel series World War Hulk and Skaar: Son of Hulk)
joining in on a lively & fun discussion about comic books at Comic Book Club (8:00 pm),
three full hours of improv for only five bucks at Harold Night (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] stellar storyteller Tom Shillue (Comedy Central special, Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show),
hilarious improvisor & character performer Thomas Middleditch (Baby Wants Candy), and stand-ups
Liam McEneaney (VH1, Comedy Central), Mike Drucker (Comedy Central, 23/6.com), Jane Condon
(Last Comic Standing), and Dan Cartwright at John Morrison's The Morrison Motel (8:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] comedy giants Horatio Sanz (cast member of Saturday Night Live 1998-2006; movie star)
and Pete Holmes (one of the quickest, sharpest stand-ups in the country; VH1, Comedy Central),
plus John Roberts (host of Downtown With John Roberts) and John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central)
at one of the finest & funniest shows in NYC, the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),
occasionally uncomfortable comedy at Blaine Perry's & Pat Stango's Don't Touch Me There (9:00 pm),
and two innovative improv troupes: Stray follows the twists & turns of an audience-selected object, and
Factory Factory demonstrates how actions in different locales affect each other, in Thread and Tracers (9:30 pm).
This exciting new show comes from sketch troupe Peoples Republic of Komedy, whose members learned how to be funny in Seattle and then sunk all their savings into making a mark in NYC.
The guys are off to a great start with this new weekly extravaganza, which uses sketch comedy to create a framework for their stand-up guests to perform.
And tonight's guests are wonderful:
Todd Barry (wryly brilliant stand-up who's one of the very best in the biz;
Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
Comedy Central Presents; HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Lucky Louie, and Sex in the City;
Comedy Central's Freak Show, Dr. Katz, and Shorties Watching Shorties;
Adult Swim's Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Tom Goes To The Mayor;
recently acted in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky film The Wrestler;
check out Todd's newest comedy CD From Heaven),
David Cope (comedic storyteller, and member of Sweet Haven sketch troupe; for videos of David relating an encounter with a prophet and reading his romance novel, please click here and here),
Jamie Kilstein (2007 Montreal Just for Laughs Festival; has opened for Lewis Black,
Dave Chappelle, Dave Attel, and Marc Maron),
Taylor Clark (for Taylor's heartwarming Christmas video about crystal meth, please click here), and
Kevin Williams (Comedy Central, Food Network, national Bob & Tom radio show).
8:00ish pm (doors open at 7:30) at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); $5
Images from Greg Pak's World War Hulk and WWH: Incredible Herc trade paperbacks
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's guest is Greg Pak (writer of popular Marvel series World War Hulk and Skaar: Son of Hulk), who will probably have some interesting things to say about this summer's Incredible Hulk feature film.
To get a feel for the smart, playful vibe of Comic Book Club, please check out its podcasts—
that is, audio recordings of previous shows in their entirety—by clicking here.
(And for my fave, a delightful show with Kevin "Batman" Conroy, please click here).
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
The Harold is longform improv, pioneered by Del Close.
Tonight, five improv troupes—
DeCoster, Bastian, The Law Firm, Bangs, and RAGNARÖCK—
each give it a go for 30 minutes, with
short breaks in between, for a total of 3 hours.
Some of the groups are great; some are less so. And this show
is designed more for students of improv than the general public.
But if you're interested, and patient, a mere $5 will buy you
a full evening's education...and periodic solid laughs.
8:00-11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Tom Shillue, Mike Drucker, and Liam McEneaney...
...and Thomas Middleditch and John Morrison
John Morrison, a wise & razor-sharp comic who produces the NYC weekly
open-mic show Ochi's Motel, welcomes veteran stand-up talents in this monthly showcase:
Tonight's superb guests are
Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; storytelling podcasts; host of NYC monthly comedy show Moonwork; comedy CD Overconfident!; for stand-up samples, please click here and here),
Thomas Middleditch (quick-witted organic talent who honed his improv & comedy skills at Second City and iO Chicago; currently a member of improv troupes Baby Wants Candy and Broad Shoulders; co-host of sharp new monthly NYC comedy show about video games, Game Bros. Live!; and wildly popular character performer at this show—see, for example, the get-up in his photo above...),
Liam McEneaney (VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,
former writer for Standup Nation with Greg Giraldo, producer of terrific weekly NYC live comedy show Tell Your Friends),
Mike Drucker (winner of Disney's 2007 So You Think You're Funny competition
and performer on Comedy Central's The Watchlist; 23/6.com contributor; for Drucker's explanation of how life is like video games and comic books, please click here; and to learn
why Drucker's girlfriend wouldn't give him a gold star, please click here),
Jane Condon (NBC's Last Comic Standing, ABC's The View, Lifetime; for stand-up video about raising her boys in Greenwich CT, please click here), and
Dan Cartwright (for stand-up videos about cooking and Puff Daddy, please click here and here).
8:30 pm at Cornelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street (between West 4th Street and Bleecker);
$5 for ticket, plus $7 food or drink minimum
Horatio Sanz and Seth Herzog...
...and John F. O'Donnell, Pete Holmes, and John Roberts
Hosted by the razor-sharp, dynamic, and hilarious Seth Herzog (VH1's Best Week Ever).
Seth is one of the finest hosts around—and this is one of the best comedy shows in NYC.
Tonight's wonderful guests include
Horatio Sanz (comedy giant who was a cast member of Saturday Night Live
from 1998 through 2006, appearing in 160 episodes; founding member of the
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre; numerous films include School for Scoundrels,
The Smiths, Road Trip, Boat Trip, and the upcoming May the Best Man Win),
Pete Holmes (razor-sharp & lightning-fast mind, and one of the finest stand-ups in the country;
VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Motherload;
writer for CollegeHumor.com; cartoonist for mags ranging from
The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl; host of UCBT's monthly open-mic extravaganza Gutbucket),
John Roberts (member of acclaimed comedy troupe Pu-Pu Platter, and half of sketch troupe The Dregs...which was recently nominated for a broadband Emmy; upcoming Comix show Downtown with John Roberts; for video samples from this YouTube star, please click here and here and here), and
John F. O'Donnell (wild man who will make you love him; Comedy Central's Fresh Faces; ; host of Queens LIC weekly open-mic comedy show The Kingdom of Heaven and collaborative comedy show JFOD Loves You; for stand-up video, please click here).
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
Blaine Perry and Pat Stango (above) host this comedy show that doesn't mind being unsettling.
A typical Stango bit: "It creeps me out when I visit my parents' house and listen to them
say what a great sex life they still have. It especially freaks me out because
they died in a car accident 10 years ago."
If that made you laugh, you're a Don't Touch Me There kind of person.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced; for a last-minute update, please click here.
9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Stray: Thread and Factory Factory: Tracers
Two unique improv shows for just five bucks.
First, improv troupe Stray performs a show titled Thread: "After getting a physical, tangible object from the audience, Stray follows this object as though a camera were trained on it, catching the action that happens around it. Whether the object stays in one place or moves through a variety of different people and places, you're along for the ride." The group consists of Jill Farris, Wendy Herlich, Kristy Kershaw, and Stefan Schick.
The double-bill then continues with Chicago troupe Factory Factory demonstrating a fascinating new improv form called Tracers. The official description: "Two young lovers sneak into the boys locker room for a forbidden kiss. Morris, a retiring janitor, inadvisably tries out for the school play in the theater. The sound of a lot of broken glass rings out from the parking lot. The roar of a yeti is heard coming from the direction of the gym...Tracers allows the audience to see all of those locations over the same time period, and how they affect one another. When you fire a bullet into the next room, where does it go? With Tracers, the mystery is revealed." Factory Factory consists of Jon Bander, Karsten Cross, Luke Franklin, Megan Gray, Leslie Korein, Garrett Palm, and Morgan Phillips.
9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 7/9/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in New York City comedy
(in chronological order, with top picks marked by colored brackets) include:
[TOP PICK] some of the finest comics in NYC, including Reggie Watts (genius comedic beatbox improvisor),
Livia Scott (brilliant performer & comedic chameleon; Conan O'Brien), Michelle Collins (stand-up; VH1),
Adam Wade (award-winning storyteller; NBC, ESPN), the cast of FUSE TV's recently canceled The Sauce,
and more telling tales of failure at the wonderful Jon Friedman's The Rejection Show (8:00 pm),
[TOP PICK] razor-sharp writer/comic Joe Mande, with the aid of superb performers Kurt Braunohler and
Jenny Slate, recreating on stage Joe's experiences interning for The Maury Povich Show, plus a
one-woman show from Katie Schorr, in Workdays with Maury and Take Me. Seriously. (8:00 pm),
open-mic stand-up in Queens' LIC, with guest headliner Cassidy Henehan and
host John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central) at The Kingdom of Heaven (8:30 pm),
[TOP PICK] a blowout show featuring a virtual who's who in NYC comedy: Nick Kroll,
Eugene Mirman, Pete Holmes, Dave Hill, Larry Murphy, Noah Garfinkel, Julie Klausner,
Laura Krafft, and special guest David Rakoff in a show that mixes star stand-up comics
with sketch comedy (most of which is improvised!) at Gelmania (9:00 pm),
deliciously funny & luminous gals Brooke Van Poppelen, Joselyn Hughes, and
Margaret Champagne delighting with stand-up & stories, and bringing in
sharp NYC comics to perform, at their Slumber Party (9:00 pm),
[MEGA-TOP PICK] brilliant storyteller and stand-up comic Mike Birbiglia (David Letterman,
Conan O'Brien, three Comedy Central specials) performing for $5 one of the best shows
you'll see at any price—in preparation for an off-Broadway run—mixing Mike's years of
stellar laugh-a-minute material with a Broadway-caliber tale of sleepwalking and life choices,
under the deceptively humble title 80 Minutes of New Comedy (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free variety show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
For details, please click here.
TV Tip: South Park is one of the funniest shows in TV history, and this season
has been especially superb—which, considering the series is in its 11th year,
is little short of astonishing. On tonight's repeat, the gang faces the stigma
of head lice. Set your TiVo to 10:00 pm or midnight at Comedy Central
to learn how to deal with communicable diseases.
Adam Newman and Shawn Pearlman
Weekly comedy show hosted by
Adam Newman (CMT's Prankville'd, VH1's Best Week Ever blog, co-host of
monthly NYC live comedy show Street Meat; host of weekly NYC live open-mic comedy show
Blowtorch Slaughter; half of musical comedy duo Uber Luber Death Metal) and
Shawn Pearlman ("If you're in a bad neighborhood, blowing a rape whistle
is like ringing a dinner bell;" for stand-up videos, please click here and here).
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're likely to be talented stand-up comics.
7:30 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Livia Scott and Reggie Watts...
...and Adam Wade, Jon Friedman, and Michelle Collins
Jon Friedman hosts a delightful parade of rejected material
by exceptional comedic performers and writers.
Tonight's wonderful guests include
Reggie Watts (musical improv comedy genius; winner of 2007 Andy Kaufman Award;
cast member of the new Electric Company; scary talented vocalist, beatboxer, and musician whose unique skills will likely amaze you; to learn more, please visit ReggieWatts.com; for video samples of what Reggie does, please click here and here and here; and keep an eye out Reggie's upcoming new album),
Livia Scott (brilliant comedic chameleon; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, world-class sketch groups Meat and Dirty Jeans & Thunderchief, host of NYC comedy show Livia's Castle of Enchantment, ECNY Award-nominated one-woman show Goodnight, O.J.),
Adam Wade (Moth GrandSlam Storytelling Champion; credits include a fiction story in The New York Times Magazine and writing a column for ReallySmallTalk.com),
Michelle Collins (VH1's Best Week Ever and All Access, MTV U, YouCantMakeItUp.org; for a memorable chat about the power of penises over vaginas, please click here),
the cast of the recently canceled FUSE TV show The Sauce, and
Gabriel Delahaye & Lindsay Rob (senior editors of Videogum.com).
There'll also be music from fabulous comedic rockabilly band The Defibulators.
This is a superb show, and is highly recommended.
Please note Comix's usual two-item minimum has been waived for this event.
8:00 pm at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
only $12 online with code HYREVIEWS
Joe Mande creates a mini-play about his internship on The Maury Povich Show...
...and Katie Schorr celebrating her recent 25th birthday, and posters for her comedy show about teens
Mande, Gethard & Slate: Workdays with Maury and Katie Schorr: Take Me. Seriously.
Two sketch shows for a mere five bucks.
Kicking off the evening is Workdays with Maury, a comedic memoir about an internship on The Maury Povich Show. If you've ever wondered what it's like to pursue your dreams by moving to NYC and end up working for free on a seedy talk show, don't miss this smartly written true-life tale written and starring Joe Mande (winner of the 2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic; co-host of superb weekly NYC show Totally J/K).
The mini-play also co-stars these two hilarious and razor-sharp comedic actors:
Kurt Braunohler (frequent comedy partner of Kristen, performing sketches that are hilariously indescribable; co-star of Web series Penelope, Princess of Pets, for which
Kurt won the 2008 ECNY Award as Best Director;
co-host with Kristen Schaal of NYC/LA comedy show Hot Tub Variety Show) and
Jenny Slate (VH1; co-host of Brooklyn live comedy show A New Experience with Gabe & Jenny;
for very funny video, please click here).
The double-bill then continues with a one-woman show from actress Katie Schorr
who "gets inside the heads and hearts of four 17-year old girls."
The writing is so-so, but Schorr creates some nice comedic moments as a performer.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Big Black Car and Fancy Dragon
This free weekly show features the two PIT improv teams above,
each of which performs for about 30 minutes. For a video sample of Big Black Car,
please click here; and for a video sample of Fancy Dragon, please click here.
8:00 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
John F. O'Donnell and Cassidy Henehan
Free open-mic stand-up comedy show in Queens' Long Island City
(just one stop from Manhattan on the #7 train).
Hosted by John F. O'Donnell (Comedy Central's Fresh Faces; for stand-up video, please click here),
a wild man who will make you love him...and who genuinely loves comedy and fellow comics.
If you're looking for stage time, John makes this a very friendly place to perform.
Sign-up for the open mic is at 7:30.
Tonight's guest headliner is Cassidy Henehan (for very long video attempt to break a bottle over a guy's head post-Katrina, please click here).
8:30 pm at The Creek and The Cave, 10-93 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, Queens; free
From Manhattan, take the #7 subway to the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue stop (one stop after Grand Central);
exit on Jackson Avenue and walk one block north to 49th Avenue.
Tonight's blockbuster show is being hosted by one of my favorite comics,
Pete Holmes (razor-sharp & lightning-fast mind, and one of the finest stand-ups in the country;
VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Motherload;
writer for CollegeHumor.com; cartoonist for mags ranging from
The New Yorker to Cosmo Girl; host of UCBT's monthly open-mic extravaganza Gutbucket).
And the thoroughly wonderful guests are
Nick Kroll (one of the most razor-sharp and hilarious comics working today,
exhibiting the versatility and brilliance of an Andy Kaufman;
VH1's Best Week Ever, MTV's Human Giant, highlight of ABC's recent Cavemen sitcom,
and the winner of the 2008 ECNY Award for Best One-Person Show—
Fabrice Fabrice, which was among the funniest shows I've ever seen;
for a few videos by this comic heading towards major stardom, please click here),
Eugene Mirman (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central Presents half-hour special,
Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Jump Cuts, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, VH1,
The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman and En Garde, Society! comedy albums;
co-host with Michael of the award-winning weekly NYC live comedy show Tearing the Veil of Maya),
Dave Hill (written for The New York Times, Salon, HBO, and the eerie
Web site Black Metal Dialogues; written and performed for VH1, Spike TV,
The Learning Channel, and the fabulous Smoking Gun TV series; hosts monthly
UCBT extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—to learn more, please click here),
Larry Murphy (genius comedic chameleon & voiceover actor who performs all the
key characters on Adult Swim's Assy McGee; other TV series include
Home Movies, O'Grady, Cheapseats, Computer Lab, Puppets N Such;
co-host of the 2008 ECNY Award-winning The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show;
for an animated VO reel, please click here),
David Rakoff (This American Life, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; author of the
humor essay books Fraud and Don't Get Too Comfortable),
Noah Garfinkel (co-host with Joe Mande of top-notch NYC Thursday night live comedy show Totally J/K; for video dissections of Andy Rooney and Bill Engvall, please click here and here;
for dueling birthday videos with Joe Mande, please click here and here),
Julie Klausner (writer/performer creating some of the freshest & most hilarious material in NYC at her and Jackie Clarke's monthly UCBT show Obsessed with Julie & Jackie; writer for Logo TV's The Big Gay Sketch Show; co-star of Comix monthly live comedic soap opera Wasp Cove; please check out recent short films by clicking here), and
Laura Krafft (writer for The Colbert Report).
9:00 pm (doors open at 8:00) at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); $5
Your hosts Margaret Champagne, Joselyn Hughes, and Brooke Van Poppelen at...
This twice-monthly event is described as "the sort of variety show that happens when
three girls are delirious from staying up all night boozing and slap-happy from crank-calling!"
Actually, it's a show hosted by three of the most talented women in comedy. And just being in the same room with Brooke, Joselyn, and Margaret—who in "real life" are the best of friends—is a cause for joy.
More specifically, these lovely & hilarious gals are
Margaret Champagne (Carolines, UCBT; for acting reel, please click here),
Joselyn Hughes (for video questioning the effectiveness of rape whistles, please click here), and
Brooke Van Poppelen (Carolines, Laugh Factory; for a video sample, please click here).
Tonight's stand-up comedy guests haven't been announced, but this powerhouse trio have lots of friends and admirers, so expect some fine comics to come by.
And also keep an eye out for a sketch show titled Macho: Grow a Pair that Joselyn and Brooke will be premiering in Chicago on July 10-11. Anything from this duo is bound to be special.
9:00 pm at Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Mike Birbiglia: 80 Minutes of New Comedy
Mike Birbiglia is flat-out one of the funniest stand-up comedians in the country.
He's not loud or rude—just smart, relaxed, honest, and hilarious. (Sample line:
"If the best part of waking up is Folgers in my cup, I'm not sure I want to wake up.")
This razor-sharp comic recently performed an hour-long Comedy Central special
titled What I Should Have Said is Nothing. Mike's also performed two
Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; appeared multiple times on