NYC Comedy Picks for Monday 5/19/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
an entire evening of sketch comedy double-bills at UCBT, kicking off with
the enjoyably disturbing Murderfist (6:30 pm & 8:00 pm & 9:30 pm),
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),
world-class storyteller Kambri Crews, stand-up comic Christian Finnegan (VH1, Comedy Central...
and Kambri's husband), Brian Kiley (genius head writer for Conan O'Brien), Charles Star,
and more at Liam McEneaney's free Tell Your Friends (8:00ish pm),
political sketch comedy, plus an interview with journalist John Gorenfeld (NPR; author of book
about Sun Myung Moon titled Bad Moon Rising), at Liz Winstead's Shoot the Messenger (8:00 pm),
stand-up guests Jen Kwok, Shawn Hollenbach, and Mimi Gonzalez joining delightful hosts
Jackie Monahan, Leah Dubie, Amy Beckerman, & Gloria Bigelow at Dykes on Mics (8:00 pm),
and stellar stand-ups Victor Varnado (Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Comedy Central), Baron Vaughn
(MTV, VH1, Shoot the Messenger), Eric Andre (Comedy Central), and Sean Patton (Tommy Danger)
at one of the finest comedy shows in NYC—which just happens to be free—Cavalcade! (11:00 pm).
Writers, performers, and directors, most of whom are students at UCBT,
try out their sketch comedy routines.
Tonight features six groups in three double-bill slots:
at the 6:30-7:45 pm show, experienced troupes Murderfist and Zehl Steen Think Pound;
at the 8:00-9:15 pm show, The Skuntz and mixtape '98;
and at the 9:30-10:45 pm show, Stone Cold Fox and 27 Kidneys.
Some of the material will probably be very funny.
And a lot of it probably won't.
But if you enjoy the raw energy of young artists trying out bits,
come and support tonight's experiments, live on stage.
6:30 pm & 8:00 pm & 9:30 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5 per show
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 (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Brian Kiley, Christian Finnegan, Kambri Crews, 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 superb guests are
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),
Kambri Crews (luminous performer, stellar publicist & producer, and one of the most sharp, charming, and heartfelt comedic storytellers working in NYC; for Kambri's correspondence with her deaf dad, who's in a Texas prison for trying to stab his wife to death, please visit Web site LoveDaddy.org; for a video of Kambri reading her jailed dad's wedding toast, please click here),
Christian Finnegan (VH1's Best Week Ever, Comedy Central Presents, Chappelle's Show, The Today Show, host of TVLand's Game Time, former staff writer for Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn; just released first 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
Charles Star (Onion News Network, Stay Free! Daily blog,
host of monthly Brooklyn live comedy show Pant-Hoot).
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.
John Gorenfeld's new book, 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 live NYC show Drink at Work, please click here.)
Tonight's guest is journalist and author John Gorenfeld, who wrote the recently published book Bad Moon Rising: How Reverend Moon Created the Washington Times, Seduced the Religious Right, and Built an American Kingdom. Gorenfeld has also written for numerous magazines, including Salon, Wired, Mother Jones, and the UK Guardian; and he's appeared on ABC’s World News Tonight, NPR, Pacifica, and Air America.
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.
Amy Beckerman, Gloria Bigelow, Jackie Monahan, and Leah Dubie
Free gay-themed stand-up comedy show featuring the gals above
as regulars/hosts, plus tonight's guests
Jen Kwok, Shawn Hollenbach, and Mimi Gonzalez.
8:00 pm at RubyFruit Bar & Grill, 531 Hudson Street (between West 10th & Charles);
no cover, one item (food or drink) minimum
Baron Vaughn, Victor Varnado, and Eric Andre...
...and concerned citizens watching a video by Oren Brimer
This razor-sharp stand-up extravaganza is no place for the innocent.
However, it's enormous fun.
Tonight's superb comics are
host Baron Vaughn (MTV's The Gamekillers, VH1's Awesomely Oversexed and
Best Week Ever, co-star of weekly NYC live comedy show Shoot the Messenger;
for a radio interview, please click here),
Victor Varnado (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, NBC's My Name is Earl, Chicago City Limits; wrote and directed the movie Twist the Cap, starring Charlie Murphy; for a stand-up sample, please click here),
Eric Andre (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; 2007 HBO Aspen Comedy Festival;
Geico caveman; for a video sample, please click here),
Sean Patton (LES' The Tommy Danger Show, founder of the New Orleans Comedy Festival;
for a stand-up audio clip about vitamin-coated condoms, please click here),
and videos by Oren Brimer (writer/director/producer of short funny films for SuperDeluxe.com
and YouTube.com; for numerous samples, please click here).
Tonight's show—produced by Jeremy Levenbach—is likely to be one of the funniest in NYC.
And it's free.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Tuesday 5/20/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
Jesse Joyce (Comedy Central), Jamie Lee (VH1), Jodie Wasserman (Comedy Central), Maddog Mattern,
and several folks randomly selected from the audience battling it out on stage
for your vote in the biweekly stand-up competition Eric I's Comedy Showdown (7:30 pm)
superb stand-ups Joe Mande, Jon Friedman, Greg Johnson, and Brad Stauernagel
performing deliciously long sets at Ken Zimlinghaus' Fat Tuesday (8:00 pm),
comics writer Ron Marz (Green Lantern, Broken Trinity) and artist Cliff Chiang (Green Arrow/Black Canary)
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),
improv troupe Stray following the twists & turns of an audience-selected object, and the acclaimed
Adrianne Frost creating a unique show based on improvised character monologues, at Thread and Be (8:00 pm),
two of the most brilliant stand-up comics in the country, Mike Birbiglia and Pete Holmes, plus
rising stand-up star Julian McCullough, and genius comedic chameleon Larry Murphy, at one
of the finest & funniest shows in NYC, the wonderful Seth Herzog's Sweet (9:00 pm),
stand-ups Patrick Borelli (Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central, ESPN), Brooke Van Poppelen (Slumber Party),
David Cope (comedic storyteller), and more at Carol Hartsell's & Sean Crespo's Drink at Work (9:00 pm),
and an innovative new improv form, plus a one-woman show: Tracers and Big, Bad, and Pink (9:30 pm).
Jesse Joyce and Jamie Lee
This new biweekly extravaganza is a comedy competition hosted by Eric I.
Four established NYC comics, plus two up-and-coming comics selected at the show's start
from the audience, each get 8 minutes on stage to be funny. The audience then votes
on who it believes was most hilarious. The winner receives an additional 5 minutes
of stage time to make comedic fun of the losers; and also moves on to a semi-final round in June to determine a season champion (with a prize of $500, and bragging rights).
Tonight's four battling veteran comics are
Jesse Joyce (Comedy Central's Live At Gotham and 2007 Campus College Tour; hosted AMC's
Date Night; comedy CD Joyce To The World; for video about killer bees, please click here),
Jamie Lee (VH1's Best Night Ever, Archers of Ha),
Jodie Wasserman (Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Comic Remix, BET),
and Maddog Mattern.
Expect sparks to fly.
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 (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
Greg Johnson and Jon Friedman
This free weekly show allows a few talented comics to perform long stand-up 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 superb guests are
Joe Mande (2008 ECNY Award winner for Best Emerging Comic;
co-host of weekly NYC live comedy show Totally J/K),
Jon Friedman (host of the superb NYC live comedy extravaganzas Slightly Buzzed and
The Rejection Show; author of the book Rejected: Tales of the Failed, Dumped, and Canceled),
Greg Johnson (razor-sharp, quick-witted stand-up comic, and co-host of the award-winning
NYC weekly live comedy extravaganza The Greg Johnson & Larry Murphy Show), and
Brad Steuernagel (ImprovOlympic, shows Ice Cream Before Bed and Local Comedian;
for video with Brad as scary-hilarious magazine subscription salesman posing the
memorable question "Do you like information, sir?", please click here).
8:00 pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); free
Visions of Dr. Thirteen and Batman from DC Comics artist Cliff Chiang
Hosted by Alex Zalben, Justin Tyler and Pete LePage,
who enjoy discussing comic books while getting laughs.
Tonight's guests are comics writer Ron Marz
(Green Lantern, Silver Surfer, Broken Trinity, Beyond) and
comics illustrator Cliff Chiang (Green Arrow/Black Canary).
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—
Whorenado, The F*cking Kennedys, The Law Firm, The Scam, and Bangs—
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
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 a one-woman improvised show by veteran comic Adrianne Frost, who'll use suggestions from the audience to craft complex and unique character monologues on the spot. Frost has previously performed similar show to great acclaim at the Toronto Improv Festival. Her many credits include The Daily Show, VH1s Best Week Ever, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and the book I Hate Other Peoples Kids.
8:00 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
Julian McCullough and Larry Murphy...
...and Seth Herzog, Pete Holmes, and Mike Birbiglia
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 thoroughly wonderful guests are
Mike Birbiglia (flat-out one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country;
hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing;
two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on
Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live;
upcoming comedy series on CBS),
Pete Holmes (razor-sharp & lightning-fast, and also 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),
Larry Murphy (brilliant 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;
host of superb weekly NYC live comedy show Friday nights at Rififi;
for an animated VO reel, please click here), and
Julian McCullough (Comedy Central's Live at Gotham; Montreal Comedy Festival's New Faces; joining Mike Birbiglia at Central Park's Summerstage in June; and according to Seth, "becoming known for his intelligent insights and 'going places' most comics in a club wouldn't dare take their audience").
9:00 pm at The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard Street (corner of Stanton Street); tickets are $5
Carol Hartsell, Brook Van Poppelen, and Sean Crespo
Weekly show produced by Carol Hartsell and hosted by Sean Crespo
(stand-up comic and prolific filmmaker; for samples, please click here & here & here).
Tonight's fine guests include
Patrick Borelli (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Comedy Central's Premium Blend,
ESPN's Cheap Seats, Video Power Hour),
Brooke Van Poppelen (Carolines, Laugh Factory; host of bimonthly NYC live comedy show Slumber Party; for a video sample, please click here),
David Cope (comedic storyteller; for videos of David relating an encounter with a prophet
and reading his romance novel, please click here and here), and
Prescott Tolk (Comedy Central's Premium Blend, Web sites for The Humor Network).
9:00 pm, Ochi's Lounge at Comix, 353 West 14th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues);
no cover, 1 drink or food item minimum (on low-cost menu; e.g., draft beer for $4-$5)
A celebration of St. Patrick's Day written by BJ Gallagher, with music by Chris Caniglia, and performed by John Flynn, Jacob Brown, Yang Miller and Kirk Damato. The official description:
"In 1963 Irish folk band The Irish Peddlers was formed...in Canada! Join brothers Paddy, Maddy, Laddy, and the boys for a look at their rollicking career from rainbow's beginning to pot o' gold ending. Watch and listen as The Irish Peddlers themselves enchant you with original music and tales spun in traditional Irish yarn. One lucky audience member will win a Potato Surprise!"
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); tickets are $5
Factory Factory: Tracers and Ali Bernstein: Big, Bad, and Pink
An innovative sketch troupe and one-woman sketch show for five bucks.
First, Chicago troupe Factory Factory demonstrates 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.
The double-bill then continues with a one-woman sketch show
written and performed by Ali Bernstein (and directed by Joe Schiappa).
9:30 pm at The Magnet Theatre, 254 West 29th Street (off 8th Avenue); tickets are $5
NYC Comedy Picks for Wednesday 5/21/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
genius stand-up/sketch comic John Oliver (The Daily Show) hosting a recording of his show
for UK radio, with guests Mike Birbiglia, John Mulaney, and Lee Camp, in Political Animal (7:00 pm),
typically stellar stand-up comics, plus hilarious character-based sketch comedy, at comedic chameleon
Brett Gelman's (Cracked Out, Death by Roo Roo, NY Lotto's "Little Bit of Luck") Gelmania (8:30ish pm),
superb stand-ups Rick Shapiro, Dan Mintz, Mike Destefano, and more at Whatever (8:30 pm),
improvised political satire, and an improvised soap opera, in the double-bill
The Spin Room and Hot Lather: As the Diamond Burns (9:30 pm),
and a laid-back free show where virtually anything can happen on a School Night (11:00).
John Mulaney, John Oliver, and Mike Birbiglia
John Oliver's Political Animal
John Oliver is the delightful & hilarious news correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; one of the very finest—and nicest—stand-up comics in the biz;
recently aired a superb hour-long Comedy Central special, Terrifying Times;
and is the co-writer/star of The Department for BBC Radio 4.
Tonight John hosts another BBC radio show, Political Animal, recorded right in front of you,
with these thoroughly wonderful guests:
Mike Birbiglia (flat-out one of the finest stand-up comedians in the country;
hour-long Comedy Central special What I Should Have Said is Nothing;
two Comedy Central Presents half-hour specials; multiple appearances on
Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien;
comedy CDs Two Drink Mike and My Secret Public Journal—Live;
upcoming comedy series on CBS),
John Mulaney (one of the most razor-sharp stand-ups around; VH1's Best Week Ever,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien; for stand-up samples, please click here and here), and
Lee Camp (Sometimes Funny Hurts DVD; SharkBaby Comedy News Webcast; Spike TV,
E!, Law and Order: SVU; for stand-up video on political hypocrisy, please click here).
Seats for tonight are sold out; but if you're okay with standing,
you can still get in and enjoy this wonderful show.
7:00 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
Brett Gelman
This superb weekly show is hosted by Brett Gelman, a comedic chameleon
who's currently ubiquitous as the Little Bit of Luck guy in New York Lottery ads.
Brett's numerous credits include Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Colbert Report,
and ace improv troupe Death by Roo Roo. For a recent interview with Brett, please click here; for samples of Brett's mind-blowing work with partner Jon Daly, please click here and here,
and also check out their hip-hop parody album Fleetwood Cracked.
Tonight's guests haven't been announced, but they're usually gems.
8:30ish pm at Rififi, 332 East 11th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues); $5
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 fine guests are
Rick Shapiro (fresh, hilarious stand-up; HBO's Lucky Louie, PoCreations Radio,
comedy CD Unconditional Love),
Dan Mintz (HBO's Lucky Louis, Comedy Central Presents, MTV's Human Giant,
upcoming 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.")
Mike Destefano (Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Last Comic Standing),
Nick Griffin (Comedy Central Presents half-hour Special, Late Show with David Letterman), and
Kurt Metzger (White Boys in the Hood; writer for Chappelle's Show).
8:30 pm at Failte Irish Whiskey Bar, 531 Second Avenue (between 29th and 30th Streets); $5
Hot Lather: As the Diamond Burns and The Spin Room
Two unique improvisation shows for a mere five bucks.
First up is As The Diamond Turns from Hot Lather, an improv group that specializes
in the soap opera format. Its members include some powerhouse performers:
Mike Cavanaugh, Matt Fisher, Jon Gutierrez, Molly Lloyd, Anna Rubanova, Achilles Stamatelaky, Mike Still, Abra Tabak, Andree Vermeulen, and Paul Welsh,
with direction by Rob Webber.
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
Kurt Braunohler, Pat Shay, and Kimmy Gatewood
The Faculty and The Baldwins and Sid Viscous
Some of the PIT's instructors—who include such talents as Ali Farahnakian,
Kurt Braunohler, Ptolemy Slocum, Jen Nails, Pat Shay, Matt Donnelly, Kevin Scott,
Rebekka Johnson, and Kimmy Gatewood—perform improv for around 30 minutes.
And opening for them will be house improv troupes The Baldwins and Sid Viscous.
9:30 pm at The Peoples Improv Theater, 154 West 29th Street (off 7th Avenue); free
Host Justin Purnell provides a mix of guests who perform stand-up, improv, music,
and occasionally acts that defy categorization. The level of talent can vary wildly—
but for some (like me), that's part of the laid-back fun.
Come support the experimentation, and periodic magical surprises,
that this free show makes possible.
11:00 pm at UCBT, 307 West 26th Street (off 8th Avenue); free
NYC Comedy Picks for Thursday 5/22/08
Tonight's recommendations for the best in NYC live comedy include
world-class storyteller Kambri Crews, and a small mob of talented comics—including Hayes Hargrove, Anthony DeVito, Rob O'Reilly, and Brooke Van Poppelen—telling funny and sometimes poignant tales about their relatives at Sara Benincasa's Family Hour (7:30 pm),
Lennon Parham, one of the most appealing & hilarious comedic actresses you'll ever see on stage,
tackling eight wildly different characters, plus sketch/improv duo Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney,
in Lennon Parham: She Tried to Be Normal and BriTANick: Begging for Approval (8:00 pm),
Dave Ahdoot and Ethan Fixell relating their YouTube-documented romantic adventures
live on stage...possibly accompanied by visits from some of the gals...on Double Date Us (8:00 pm),
brilliant stand-up Todd Barry (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, HBO, Comedy Central), genius
comedic chameleon Larry Murphy (Adult Swim), world-class storyteller Chris Gethard (Weird New York),
and Mike Drucker (Comedy Central) at the hilarious Joe Mande's & Noah Garfinkel's Totally J/K (8:30 pm),
super-talented raunchy singer/songwriter Jessica Delfino, and popular comics artist & musician Dame Darcy,
hosting a comedy/music party like no other, with both fine comics and musicians, plus
"hot sailors, sexy mermaid babes, and dancing till the place shuts down:" The Naughty Nautical Night (9:00 pm),
superb stand-ups Michelle Buteau (Comedy Central), Claudia Cogan (Logo), and more
at gay-themed comedy show hosted by Jenny Rubin: The Back Room (9:00 pm),
Dave Hill demonstrating he's one of the sharpest, freshest, funniest comics around,
with guests John Oliver (genius stand-up and correspondent for The Daily Show) and
music by Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices) at The Dave Hill Explosion (9:30 pm),
and energetic & inventive improv troupes Death by Roo Roo and Load competing for audience
laughs & votes—plus the rare appearance of a dancing Baer—at Cage Match (11:00 pm).
Happy children with "Aunt" Sara Benincasa...
...and Rob O'Reilly, Kambri Crews, and Brooke Van Poppelen
A stand-up comedy show in which everyone tells jokes and/or stories related to
their family. Hosted by comic/actress Sara Benincasa (MTV's Choose or Lose Campaign;
host of Tub Talk with Sara B. on Nerve.com; for video sample, please click here).
Tonight's fine guests are
Kambri Crews (luminous performer, stellar publicist & producer, and one of the most sharp, charming, and heartfelt comedic storytellers working in NYC; for Kambri's correspondence with her deaf dad, who's in a Texas prison for trying to stab his wife to death, please visit Web site LoveDaddy.org; for a video of Kambri reading her jailed dad's wedding toast, please click here),
Hayes Hargrove (This Is Spinal Tap, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Larry Sanders Show,
The Muppets, The Office (UK), The Groundlings, gobeyondthepale.com),
Anthony DeVito (Late Night With Conan O'Brien, VH1's Best Week Ever, Rescue Me,