NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 6/23/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy 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),
brilliant comedy TV & movie star Kristen Schaal (The Daily Show, HBO's Flight of the Conchords, MTV)
and constantly inventive comedic chameleon Brett Gelman (Conan O'Brien, Colbert Report) paying tribute
to the pseudo career of a made-up Hollywood icon at Andres du Bouchet: Born With A Stage Name (8:00 pm),
stand-up from top TV comedy writers Brian Kiley (genius writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien since 1994),
Dan Cronin (writer for Conan O'Brien; NBC, Comedy Central), and Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report;
star of Sonic commercials; ace improvisor) at Liam McEneaney's free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),
delightful lesbian stand-up comics Jackie Monahan, Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, and
Gloria Bigelow hosting a Gay Pride Show edition of their weekly Dykes on Mics (8:00 pm),
political sketch comedy, plus an interview with political consultant Cliff Schecter about
his new book The Real McCain, at Liz Winstead's Shoot the Messenger (8:00 pm),
sharp stand-ups Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents, Chappelle's Show, VH1),
Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents, HBO, Showtime, MTV), and more in a new show
from superb comedy hosts Giulia Rozzi (MTV, VH1, Stripped Stories) & Michelle Buteau
(Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central): A Cute Show with Rozzi and Buteau (8:00 pm),
deliciously funny Kate McKinnon performing a one-woman show about pill-popping fairy princesses,
and an improv troupe specializing in political satire, in Disenchanted and The Spin Room (9:30 pm),
and some of the best improvisors in NYC performing in pairs at Couples Skate (11:00 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)
Brett Gelman and Kristen Schaal...
...and Andres du Bouchet
Andres du Bouchet: Born With A Stage Name
Andres du Bouchet is a writer for & performer on FOX's Talkshow with Spike Feresten; has also performed on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn, and ESPN's Cheap Seats; and hosts the NYC live comedy show Andres du Bouchet Has Been Expecting You. To watch Andres explain song lyrics, please click here; and for lots more videos, please click here.
Tonight Andre pretends to be a tad more famous than he actually is, "celebrating his 35 fictional years as a Hollywood icon with fascinating interviews, powerful film clips, titillating stories, and stiff drinks." Helping pull off this semi-improvised sketch show are two of the funniest and most inventive comics in the country:
Kristen Schaal (lovely, brilliant, breathtakingly talented writer/actress/comic;
thoroughly delightful new correspondent and shining star on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart;
co-star of HBO's Flight of the Conchords; writer for MTV's Human Giant;
AMC's Mad Men; upcoming feature film Cirque du Freak (with Salma Hayek);
co-star of Web video series Penelope: Princess of Pets; winner of numerous comedy awards, including the prestigious 2nd Annual Andy Kaufman Award and the 2008 ECNY Award for Best Female Stand-Up; to read about Kristen's killer set headlining at Comix, please click here) and
Brett Gelman (comedic chameleon who's currently ubiquitous as the Little Bit of Luck guy in New York Lottery ads; numerous credits include Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report, and ace improv troupe Death by Roo Roo; host of delightful weekly NYC live comedy show Gelmania, which just wrapped due to Brett moving to work in LA; for a recent interview, please click here; for samples of Brett's mind-blowing work with partner Jon Daly, please click here and here; please also explore their hip-hop parody album Fleetwood Cracked...and keep an eye out for their just-completed Cracked Out pilot for Comedy Central).
This promises to be a wonderful show, and is highly recommended.
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Peter Grosz, Liam McEneaney, and Brian Kiley
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 stand-up comic guests are some of the best TV writers in the industry:
Brian Kiley (brilliant writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien since 1994; has performed on Late Show with David Letterman, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Comedy Central Presents),
Peter Grosz (staff writer for The Colbert Report; star of over 100 Sonic fast-food commercials; member of Chicago's Second City acclaimed improv troupe 4 Square, and half of the current UCBT improv show 2 Square), and
Dan Cronin (staff writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien; has performed on NBC and Comedy Central).
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.
Amy Beckerman, Gloria Bigelow, Jackie Monahan, and Leah Dubie
Free gay-themed stand-up comedy show featuring the gals above
as regulars/hosts. (For a video featuring the fabulous foursome, please click here.)
Unusually, tonight's guests haven't been announced;
but the evening's being billed as the Gay Pride Show.
8:00 pm at RubyFruit Bar & Grill, 531 Hudson Street (between West 10th & Charles);
no cover, one item (food or drink) minimum
Cliff Schecter's new book The Real McCain, and STM host Lizz Winstead
Lizz Winstead is co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; and a performer on such shows as Comedy Central Presents and HBO's Women of the Night. (She's also a character; e.g., for a memorable anti-apology after canceling her appearance on the NYC show Drink at Work, please click here.)
Tonight's guest is Cliff Schecter, a political consultant and author of the new book The Real McCain—Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't.
To get a feel for STM, please view a fun interview with cartoonist David Rees by clicking here
and read a March 2008 New York Times article about the show by clicking here.
8:00 pm at The Green Room, 45 Bleecker Street (off Lafayette); tickets are $12.50
Nearest subway stop is Bleecker Street on the #6 (which brings you virtually to the door of the theatre)
and Broadway-Lafayette on the F/V/D/B.
A Cute Show with Rozzi and Buteau
A new stand-up comedy show—directly followed by a dance party!
The lovely and hilarious hosts are
Giulia Rozzi (VH1's Best Night Ever podcasts; MTV; video series The Message Board, which makes fun of brides, on ComedyNet.com; co-producer of East coast version of hit national show Mortified; Web columnist for 236.com and HuffingtonPost.com; and co-host of monthly NYC red-hot live comedy show Stripped Stories; for a video sample, please click here) and
Michelle Buteau (superb stand-up who the judges knocked out way too early in this season's Last Comic Standing; Comedy Central's Premium Blend).
And tonight's fine guests are
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),
Big Jay Oakerson (Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, HBO's P. Diddy's Bad Boys Of Comedy, Showtime's Whiteboyz In The Hood, MTV; for stand-up videos about why he doesn't like to travel and what TV teaches us about pedophiles, please click here and here),
Wil Sylvince (BET; The Patrice Oneal Show), and
Wendy Ho (raunchy comedic singer/performer; for her music video
Bitch, I Stole Yo' Purse, please click here).
Doors open at 7:00 pm; show starts at 8:00 pm; dance party swings into action at 10:00 pm;
Crash Mansion, 199 Bowery (at Spring Street); tickets are $10 plus two-drink minimum
Kate McKinnon deconstructing fairy tales; and your tax dollars at work
Kate McKinnon: Disenchanted and The Spin Room
Two unique shows for a mere five bucks.
Disenchanted comes from delightful comedic actress Kate McKinnon, who's a
cast member on the Logo TV series The Big Gay Sketch Show. In a series of vignettes, Kate turns fairy tales upside-down and exposes their dark sides as you "watch the beloved fairy princesses of your childhood pop a few Klonopins and eat themselves into a coma." The quality of the material varies from scene to scene; but Kate's performances are always stellar. This is a sharp, witty actress who "gets" both verbal and physical comedy down to her bones, and is worth keeping an eye on.
The double-bill then continues with The Spin Room, which takes a current political news story chosen by the audience and then improvises scenes about it. The troupe consists of Jeremy Bent, Beth Cartier, Guy Cohen, Timothy Cooper, Eric Hollerbach, Barry Lank, Beth Newell, David Siegel, Matt Stillman, and John Robert Wilson, with direction by Doug Moe.
9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Tara Copeland, Chris Gethard, and Will Hines
In this new show, some of the best improvisors in NYC are paired up
and perform, often for the first time, as duos.
Hosted by Sean Clements (30 Rock) & Brandon Gardner (for sample sketch, please click here).
Tonight's fine lineup consists of
Chris Gethard (one of the most talented and brilliant storytellers and improvisors in New York;
The Stepfathers, The Nights of Our Lives, Happy Hour, author of book Weird New York) with
Nate Lang (member of improv troupe Beatrice),
Tara Copeland (always-inventive star at both UCBT and The Magnet; weekly shows include Mother: The Soundtrack, The Tiny Spectacular, Ms. Jackson, and The Made-Up Musical) with
John Frusciante (member of sketch troupe BLITZKRIEG!), and
Will Hines (half of sketch duo The Brothers Hines, sketch show Hines & DeCoster: 7 Fights, former member of acclaimed improv group Monkeydick) with
Adam Frucci (member of popular improv troupe Bastian).
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 6/24/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
stand-ups of diverse looks & voices at Helen Hong's & Maria Shehata's Little Ethnic Girls and Friends (7:30 pm),
typically fine stand-ups performing deliciously long sets at Ken Zimlinghaus' Fat Tuesday (8:00 pm),
sly stand-up Heather Fink (Street Meat) and improvisor Matt Donnelly (troupe Threat) lending
their comedy talents to 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),
an improv troupe that uses an audience suggestion to create a comic book tale, and Matt Evans &
Frank Campanella performing sketch comedy, in The Incredible Comic Book and Suit Yourself (8:00 pm),
the return of a cult hit sketch/stand-up/music/interview show: Creation Nation (8:00 pm)
brilliantly inventive & hilarious Dave Hill (HBO, VH1, SuperDeluxe.com, The New York Times),
God's Pottery (currently the brightly shining stars on NBC's Last Comic Standing), Canadian
Barry Julien (newest staff writer for The Colbert Report), and Craig Baldo (Conan O'Brien, VH1)
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 terrific stand-ups Lizz Winstead (The Daily Show, Shoot the Messenger), Dan Mintz (Conan O'Brien, HBO, MTV),
Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents, Chappelle's Show, VH1), and Noah Garfinkel (Totally J/K)
at hosts Jon Bander, Dan Gregor, and Lucas Held's biweekly Her Majesty's Stand-Up (9:30 pm).
Maria Shehata and Helen Hong
Little Ethnic Girls and Friends
This biweekly comedy show is hosted by two petite women,
one Korean-American and the other Arab-American, who like to make you laugh:
Helen Hong (TLC's What Not to Wear; E!'s Exposed: 25 Most Notorious Fashion Week Moments; Helen says " I love it when people ask me 'Where are you from?' and I say 'New York' and they say 'No, where are you really from???' I know they want me to name some Asian country like Japan or Korea. Instead I just stab them in the eye with a chopstick and scream 'I'm from the Land of Deadly Chopsticks, you evil Round Eye!' And then I shuffle away like a dainty geisha...;"
for Helen's hilarious stand-up video about false assumptions
and verbal misunderstandings, please click here), and
Maria Shehata (Comedy Central's The Watch List, TLC, Women's Entertainment Network, numerous appearances on Sirius Satellite Radio; for a stand-up video about Maria's parents' arranged marriage, please click here).
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but will probably be taller than their hosts.
7:30 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)
Ken Zimlinghaus
This weekly show allows a few talented comics to perform long comedy sets, just as if they —and you—were in a swanky comedy club. It's hosted by Ken Zimlinghaus, who can be heard regularly on Sirius Satellite Radio's Wake Up With Cosmo; and the best bits from this evening will probably end up getting broadcast on Sirius as well.
Tonight's lineup hasn't been announced. But if you're feeling adventurous...
8:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); tickets are $5
Matt Donnelly and Heather Fink
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's comedy guests are
Heather Fink (nominated for the 2008 NY Emerging Comic Award;
for videos demonstrating Heather's acting skills, please click here and here), and
Matt Donnelly (member of improv troupes Threat and Neutrino).
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 current 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—
Bangs, The Scam, Law Firm, Bastian, 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
Robin Taylor (far left and right) and Billy Eichner (in yellow) as Lord & Willing
Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show
A variety show (created in 2003 and now back from a year-long hiatus) with sketches, stand-up,
original musical numbers, short films, and an interview
with a celebrity guest.
The hosts are Billy Eichner and Robin Taylor in the guise of characters Billy Willing and Robin Lord. It also features musical director Eli Bolin at keyboard and Lee Overtree on drums, with direction by Benjamin Salka.
Tonight's guest hasn't been announced so far, but you can check for an update by clicking here.
For more info and/or to purchase tickets online, please click here.
8:00 pm at The Zipper Factory, 336 West 37th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues); tickets are $20
The Incredible Comic Book and Suit Yourself
An improv show and sketch show for just five bucks.
First, a gang of improvisors turn an audience suggestion into a complete comic book tale. I'd probably love this show if the Magnet had the sense to schedule it at any time other than directly opposite the only other live comedy show about comics in New York (see Comic Book Club above). What were they thinking...?
Anyway, don't blame the intrepid performers, who consist of Megan Gray, Corey Grimes, Steve Horak, Ethan Kaye, Alan Lidogoster, Michael Short, Chet Siegel, with direction from James Eason.
The double-bill then continues with skilled comics Matt Evans and Frank Campanella perform what they describe as "A sketch show we wrote for you. Save the date and stop by to watch! Oh... you have to work late that night? You have a blind date? You have a cold? Fine. Suit yourself..."
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Jeremiah Smallchild (Wilson Hall) & Gideon Lamb (Krister Johnson) as God's Pottery; the brilliant Dave Hill...
...Canadian Barry Julien; dynamic host Seth Herzog; and the unflappable Craig Baldo
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 are
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 much-missed Smoking Gun TV series; starred in TV series The King of Miami on the MOJO network; Web comedy series on both SuperDeluxe.com and Bud.com; hosts monthly UCBT extravaganza The Dave Hill Explosion—to learn more, please click here),
God's Pottery (Wilson Hall & Krister Johnson's delightful parody of a Christian folk singing duo who are currently shining stars on NBC's Last Comic Standing; UK TV comedy showcase The World Stands Up; Comedy Central album God's Pottery: Live at Comix!),
Barry Julien (Canadian who's the newest staff writer for The Colbert Report; previously an award-winning writer for CBC comedy show This Hour Has 22 Minutes, FOX's Talkshow with Spike Feresten, and The Onion; performed stand-up at the Halifax Comedy Festival; acted in such feature films as The Terminal, Abandon, and The Last Kiss), and
Craig Baldo (performed over 30 sketches for, and also recently did a stand-up set on, Late Night with Conan O'Brien; performed on Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Comic Remix, VH1's Best Week Ever, and Bravo; written for The Onion;
for Craig's Conan stand-up, 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)
Dan Mintz and Christian Finnegan...
...and Lizz Winstead and Noah Garfinkel
Biweekly show hosted by Jon Bander, Dan Gregor, and Lucas Held.
Tonight's fine stand-up guests are
Lizz Winstead (co-creator and former head writer of the original The Daily Show; former Executive VP of Air America Radio; Comedy Central Presents half-hour special; HBO's Women of the Night; host & star of weekly NYC live political comedy show Shoot the Messenger),
Dan Mintz (sharp deadpan stand-up; Late Night with Conan O'Brien, HBO's Lucky Louis,
Comedy Central Presents half-hour special, MTV's Human Giant, writer of upcoming
Demetri Martin show Important Things; "It's so much easier for kids to jerk off than
it used to be. When I was young, you had to find the Sears catalog, flip to the lingerie section.
Now, with the Internet, I just turn on my computer, get online, and go right to Sears.com;"
for stellar stand-up video, please click here),
Christian Finnegan (Comedy Central Presents, 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), and
Noah Garfinkel (co-host with Joe Mande of NYC biweekly 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).
9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 6/25/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
a brand new one-woman show from star storyteller & sketch comic Margot Leitman (7:00 pm),
some of most razor-sharp and uproariously funny storytellers in the country—including Chris
Gethard, Greg Tuculescu, Jonathan Gabrus, and Eliot Glazer—telling deeply personal tales about their dads at one of the finest shows in NYC, The Nights of Our Lives (8:00 pm),
a seriously funny look at the presumptive Replication candidate for President from authors
Cliff Schecter (The Real McCain) and Paul Waldman (Free Ride: John McCain and the Media),
plus a small mob of political stand-up comics, at Laughing Liberally (8:00 pm),
a fun show in an Irish bar in which comics are told they can perform Whatever (8:30 pm),
open-mic stand-up in Queens' LIC, with guest headliner Dan Curry (author of Drunk on a Bike)
and host John F. O'Donnell at The Kingdom of Heaven (8:30 pm),
musical improv comedy genius Reggie Watts (2007 Andy Kaufman Award, Electric Company), and
stellar stand-ups Leo Allen (SNL, Conan O'Brien), Chelsea Peretti (Variety SHAC), and Bobby Tisdale
(Invite Them Up) at a show hosted by comedic chameleon Brett Gelman (Conan O'Brien, Colbert Report)
who mixes things up with hilarious sketch comedy (that's mostly improvised!): Gelmania (9:00 pm),
delicious comics Margaret Champagne, Joselyn Hughes, and Brooke Van Poppelen inviting
a few of the coolest gals and guys they know for stand-up comedy fun at their Slumber Party (9:00 pm),
superb comic Michelle Buteau (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central) performs a new
one-woman show about her travels and self-discovery in 30 Years in Africa (9:30 pm),
two ace Chicago-trained improvisors, Peter Grosz (writer for The Colbert Report) and John Lutz
(writer/actor for Saturday Night Live since 2004; 30 Rock), making up scenes as 2 Square (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 Alert: 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, Kenny becomes a man—
and develops a memorable drug problem.
Set your TiVo to 10:00 pm or midnight at Comedy Central
to learn the warning signs and avoid the same wonderful terrible
fate.
Margot Leitman thinking of stories she could tell
World-class comedic storyteller Margot Leitman (sketch performer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien; Comedy Central, VH1, ESPN, new Spike TV animated show The Team; columnist for 236.com; co-host of monthly red-hot NYC live show Stripped Stories; for Margot's fun reel, please click here) takes the stage for brand new one-woman show.
Margot's an expert at monologues, sketch, and stand-up, so there's no telling
exactly what she'll do; but expect something smart and funny.
7:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
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)
The Nights of Our Lives: My Old Man
This is one of the best shows in New York.
The format is simple: A bunch of razor-sharp writer/performers tell stories
about themselves revolving around the evening's theme—which tonight,
in a nod to Father's Day, is the potentially explosive "My Old Man."
The only rules of the show are that the tales must be true, and must be funny.
The brutal honesty, and jarring bravery, of some the participants can be hair-raising.
What they offer aren't merely jokes, but resonant, humane perspectives on life.
At the same time, there are very few shows, on or off Broadway,
that will make you laugh as consistently and as loud.
Enormous kudos go to host David Martin; and to brilliant storytellers
Anthony Atamanuik, John Flynn, Chris Gethard, Curtis Gwinn, Anthony King,
Margot Leitman, Adam Pally, and the other comedy soldiers who've bared
some of their darkest and funniest secrets on the Nights of Our Lives stage.
This evening's scheduled yarn-spinners include the aforementioned Chris Gethard and Dave Martin, plus sharp comics Gregory Tuculescu (member of brilliant sketch troupe Quiet Library), Jonathan Gabrus (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, VH1's Best Week Ever, improv troupes fwand and Tybrus), and Eliot Glazer (co-creator & co-host with his sister Ilana of UCBT extravaganza High School Talent Show).
8:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Laughing Liberally: The John McCain Comedy Jaunt
Political humor, New York style, tonight asking the question:
"John McCain: Scary...or Hilarious?"
The featured guests are Cliff Schecter, a political consultant and author of the new book The Real McCain—Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't; and Paul Waldman, media expert and author of the new book Free Ride: John McCain and the Media.
And the comics are Lee Camp, Katie Halper, Jamie Kilstein, Charles Star, and Baratunde Thurston.
8:00 pm at The Tank, 279 Church Street (bet. Franklin & White Streets); tickets are $10
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
Monthly NYC Live comedy show hosted by Gary Vider and Phil Murphy, "childhood friends who combine forces to bring you the most laid-back comedy atmosphere. More of a state of mind than a comedy show. For example, when a comedian wants to know what type of material to do, our answer is simply Whatever."
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're usually terrific.
For a last-minute update, please click here.
8:30 pm at Failte Irish Whiskey Bar, 531 Second Avenue (between 29th and 30th Streets); $5
John F. O'Donnell and Dan Curry
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 gen