Don’t Miss the Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival in Austin This Month

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It’s only two weeks before one of the best comedy festivals in the country starts, and it’s not too late to get tickets to go.

Set aside April 23rd to the 26th and book a flight, because the 3rd Annual Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival in Austin promises to be everything you ever hoped a comedy festival would be. The line up is amazing with over 100 comedians performing in more than 80 different shows.  There are nine venues, parties every night, and all the energy of an event hitting its peak. And it’s in Austin, Texas, where the weather is amazing, the bars are endless and the food is fantastic.  We love Moontower, so here is our five reasons to go to Austin’s Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival this month. Get all the “official” info with full schedules, pricing, details on badges and more at moontowercomedyfestival.com.

1.  The Line Up Is Unbelievable.  

There’s over 100 comedians heading down to Austin and there are more a-listers than we have space to mention, as well as some incredibly funny people you’ve never heard of.  Some of our favorite people are heading down to be a part of this year’s line up include Bob Goldthwait, Colin Quinn, Maria Bamford, Michael Che, W. Kamau Bell, James Adomian, Aziz Ansari, Mike Birbiglia, Fred Armisen, Kurt Braunohler, Hannibal Buress, Ron Funches, Dom Irrera, Kurt Metzger, The Kids in the Hall, Joe Mande, Rory Scovel, Bobby Slayton, Mike Lawrence, Cameron Esposito, and Dan Soder — and thats not even a quarter of the amazing names who will be there this year.  Some of them will be performing on their own, others in group theme shows, giving you more chances to see more comedians. There are headliners performing in 1000+ seat venues, and there are also 85 seat venues where you get to be up close and personal.

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2.  The Badge System Is Much More Fun

Buy the Badge. At most festivals you have to buy a ticket for every event you want to attend– making it feel a lot less like a festival– and more like you’re just in a city buying tickets to a lot of shows. The badge changes everything.  With your badge you can go to an unlimited number of shows, and there are 3 options to choose from in case you’re watching your wallet. The cheapest badge is only $129 and will get you admission to all four days of the festival, and the headliner shows if there is space available.  It’s a bargain and even if you don’t make it in to the headliner shows, there’s still 70+ other acts to see.  Step up to the $299 badge and you get to add in guaranteed admission to four headliner shows plus all the other shows, plus a bunch of perks. If cash is not an issue, grab the VIP badge.  It’s $599 but gets you into every show, all headliners, a bunch of free drinks and permission to cut all the lines.  It is possible to skip the badge entirely and purchase single tickets to any of the 9 headlining events, but come on, go all in.  Get the badge and you will be able to easily hit up 20 to 30 shows.  Use the badge to go see people you’ve never heard of. Because this year’s opening act could be next year’s headliner.  Last year Michael Che opened for one of the headliners (and got himself a standing ovation, by the way) and this year you’ll be fighting people to get in the door to see his show. Here’s all the official details on badge options.

3.  The Festival is Designed to Make You Happy

Festival CEO Jim Ritts told us that the secret to a successful festival.   “We take care of the comics and we take care of the audiences.  Everything else will take care of itself,” he said.   And they do.  The festival was carefully designed to maximize the experience for everyone.  Nine of the ten venues are within just a few blocks from each other, making it easy to get around and change plans if necessary.  The organizers use social media to keep you up on what is going on too.  If someone has a badge and is waiting to get into a venue and looks like some people wont get in, the organizers get on the social media and tell them– “here’s something near by you can get in to.”

4.  It’s Not Just Stand Up.  There Are a Lot of Parties and Special Events.  

Every night, all the comics go and hang out at the Moontower Lounge, a 30,000 square foot venue with terraces overlooking the studio.  It stays open every night till 2am, and is the home base for the festival.  There are also happy hours, an opening party, a wrap party and a Comedian Ping Pong tournament party with a BBQ.   Colin Quinn is bringing his hit show Unconstitutional just for the Moontower badge holders. And then there’s also  sketch comedy,  improv, magic,  music and even burlesque to go check out.

5.  The City of Austin is Amazing, Oh, and BBQ!  

Austin would be a great destination.  If you’ve never been there, you’ve definitely heard the rumors.   Great weather, endless bars, phenomenal restaurants and a cultural vibe that you thought you’d have to go to a city like New York to enjoy.  And all of that comes mingled with local Austin style, great weather and a lot more space.

Every year Festival Organizer Lietza Brass creates a list of the top ten BBQ joints in town for the comedians as part of their welcome packet and the comedians consider it the most important list to have in Austin.  This year, she’s sharing the list with us so write these down.  All roads lead to Franklin Barbecue.  When Hollywood comes to town, they go to Franklin.  And so should you but get in line early.  Also on the list, John Mueller Meat Co., La Barbecue, Micklethwait Craft Meat and Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew. Want more BBQ? Oh wait, here’s five more.   Live Oak BBQ, Blue Ox BBQ (and pancake tavern!), Kerlin BBQ, Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ and Mann’s Smokehouse.   If you like Tex Mex and you are cool with a hole in the wall (and we assume you are), Cisco’s is a must (try the migas!).  While you’re in town stop by the Kolache Factory and grab one of these warm awesome weirdish donut-y-slash-danish-y pastries.  And finally, an unexpected recommendation in landlocked Austin Texas– Sushi!  Sources tell us (and that source is festival CEO Jim Ritts, so he should know) that the sushi at Uchi and Uchiko rival any sushi you’ll find on either coast– IF you can get in.

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If that doesn’t convince you to head out to Austin later this month, nothing else will.

Are you going to Moontower?  Let us know! We need a street team to keep us posted on what’s going on in Austin.

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