November 6, 2014
Published by Amy Hawthorne at November 6, 2014

Why Roast Battle is Becoming The Biggest Can’t Miss Show in Comedy

Roast Battle is the ultimate “you had to be there” experience, and fortunately New Yorkers will get the chance Saturday November 8th thanks to the New York Comedy Festival. It’s what you’d get if you combined 8 Mile style rap battles with a Comedy Central Roast and held it at a circus. Roast Battle is the brainchild of comedians Rell Battle and Brian Moses, who took a couple of comedians trading barbs at a late night open mic and turned it into a standing room only weekly event in The Comedy Store’s Belly Room.
Do you like it?
Read more
October 1, 2014
Published by Amy Hawthorne at October 1, 2014

Greer Barnes Guide to Blaxploitation Films That Should Have Been Made

Greer Barnes’ debut album “See What I’m Saying” is unique in so many ways. First off, Greer’s no green young thing, he’s a universally respected veteran of the New York Comedy scene. Second, it wasn’t produced in the usual way. Instead of taking a weekend at a road club or a one-nighter at an intimate venue, Greer and producer Matt Lipton crafted the album from multiple shorter sets Greer performed at his home club, The Comedy Cellar. And finally, there’s Matt. He’s a producer, but not the typical outside label producer parachuting in to put this together, he’s also Greer’s road feature, the man who probably knows Greer’s act better than anyone on earth. The result is a stand out album.
Do you like it?
Read more
August 25, 2014
Published by Amy Hawthorne at August 25, 2014

Top 5 Uncensored Comedy Underground Moments

If you watched the first season of “Comedy Underground with Dave Attell” you got a taste of live, raw, uncensored comedy in your living room. But if you think that’s as uncensored as comedy gets, you should check out the live Comedy Underground shows Attell has been putting on at The Village Underground during hiatus. Here are four great moments from the last two, that are definitely not ready for prime time.
Do you like it?
Read more
August 20, 2014
Published by Amy Hawthorne at August 20, 2014

T.J. Miller Tells You Why You Should Hit Up the Denver High Plains Comedy Festival This Week

T.J. Miller is an LA-by-way-of-Chicago (by way of Denver) comedian who can currently be seen in HBO’s Silicon Valley, but has also graced the big and small screen more times than you can count. His stand-up is a mix of everything weird and wonderful that defies any other type of description. T.J. spoke with the IBang about the upcoming High Plains Comedy Festival in Denver, CO and why Denver kicks ass.
Do you like it?
Read more
August 10, 2014
interview with comedian nick youssef
Published by Amy Hawthorne at August 10, 2014

LA Comedian Nick Youssef: Overnight Success 10 Years in the Making

Nick Youssef is a Los Angeles based comedian who has been doing comedy since before he was old enough to get in to a comedy club. His material tends to take an amusingly exasperated look at everything from clothing trends and smartphones to turning thirty and being famous. His first album, "Stop Not Owning This" is available on iTunes August 5th.
Do you like it?
Read more
August 4, 2014
Published by Amy Hawthorne at August 4, 2014

King Is Dead, Long Live The King: The Transition at the LA Comedy Store

Under Mitzi, Talent Coordinators came and went, but as she became less and less hands on due to illness, Tommy became The Anointed One. His position was unassailable (though many tried and failed), everyone assumed he would hold it until Mitzi’s death, at which point the valuable property would be sold off to developers [Note: this is the worst case scenario imagined by a bunch of anxious and depressed comedians, not a prediction based on any specific knowledge or facts] so Tommy was the de facto Talent Coordinator Forever. That’s why the transition from Tommy Morris to Adam Eget this week was a shock to everyone.
Do you like it?
Read more
July 21, 2014
Published by Amy Hawthorne at July 21, 2014

The Meltdown Effect: How One Show Changed the Shape of Comedy in LA

You never know how much one comedian, show or event is going to change the shape of a scene. Even a little show in the back of a comic book shop could grow to influence everything from a generation of open mic'ers, to the podcast landscape and even which comedians you get to see on your television. And that’s exactly what The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail has done.
Do you like it?
Read more
July 14, 2014
Published by Amy Hawthorne at July 14, 2014

Sam Tripoli, Very Funny…For Adults

Sam Tripoli is a Los Angeles based comedy killer. He’s often labeled a “dirty” or “edgy” comedian, which he thinks is stupid because, “I’m just honest, I just talk about what I know. I’m not trying to shock anybody.” But, as the founder of the adult variety show The Naughty Show, and co-host of PunchDrunk Sports podcast where he once lost a bowling bet and had to pop a viagra and watch gay porn live on the podcast, you can see where people might get those labels from.
Do you like it?
Read more
June 15, 2014
Published by Amy Hawthorne at June 15, 2014

Out of the Tarpit: The Rebirth of the LA Comedy Club Scene

A few years ago, anyone paying attention to the stand-up scene in Los Angeles would have been within their rights to think that the clubs were aging dinosaurs, sinking slowly to their death in a tar pit they’d never be able to escape. The Big Three (The Comedy Store, the Improv and the Laugh Factory) were not having their better days and it seemed like everything they did to get unstuck just made them sink deeper and deeper. But today, business is booming, with the clubs drawing stronger audiences to watch a broader range of comedians and really reasserting their relevance in comedy and pop culture.
Do you like it?
Read more