Live Comedy L.A.

Linda Pine produces a stand-up comedy show once a month at Meltdown Comics on Sunset called Comedy Meltdown that is at the top of the list when it comes to professionalism. Yet, some how she pulls it off in a kick-back, nerdy environment that I dig.

The show is free. The beer is free and sponsored (yes…sponsored) by Asahi. You actually have to make a purchase at the store to get free beer…which is genius. It could be a $0.25 comic…doesn’t matter. But it’s a win all the way around for everyone. The lighting is great…the sound system rocks…the comics have their own little room. And check out that huge poster behind the stage. This show kicks ass. I recommend it to everyone. All promoters should aspire to this level of professionalism.

Three comedians I would like to highlight from a stellar line-up: Jonah Ray (who has hosting duties for the monthly show), Chip Pope, and Brent Weinbach:

Jonah Ray is a pro at hosting and did a great job at setting up the other comedians. You’ve heard me use the point guard analogy for hosts - he nailed it. Love that.

Chip Pope was a little unconventional tonight and took on the role of a character name R.O. Mance. A British pop singer from the 80’s. HI-larious! I’m normally not a big fan of this stuff during a stand-up show…but he killed it.

Brent Weinbach might be one of the most talented performers I have seen on stage in a while. I really enjoyed the Russian Alphabet bit…the upper-case letter in particular.

This is a must see show…so stay tuned for next month…definitely a fun Friday night out.

I asked a few of my favorite L.A.-based comedians a simple question - if you have the night off and feel like going to laugh, who are you going to see? One stipulation…it must be another L.A.-based comedian so that our readers can go see them. Here are the answers I got:

Greg Fitzsimmons - Greg Proops Chat Show at Largo
Tom Segura - Bert Kreischer
Brian Scolaro - Ben Gleib, Bobby Lee, Elon Gold, Ian Edwards
Matty “Ballgame” Balaker - Bert Kreischer
Dana Min Goodman - Sarah Silverman, Tig Notaro, Greg Fitzsimmons
Jason Gillearn - Ian Edwards
Ryan Sickler - Zach Galifiniakis
Chris Franjola - Jason Gillearn, Brody Stevens, Tom Segura
Duncan Trussell - Brian Holtzman
Andrew Norelli - Brent Weinbach
Bob Bledsoe - Zach Galifiniakis

Comedy is very subjective…so you are going to have to get out there and see these guys and gals yourself. But make no mistake about it, comedians are a tough crowd folks. I watch comedians in the back of the room during shows…when the audience is cracking up…they are not laughing. So when they say a comedian is funny, chances are, he/she is bringin’ the goods. Hope you find some new comedians to see from this list - I know I have. A quick search on Myspace or Google will help you find these comedians…or subscribe to our page…we’ll let you know where they are performing in L.A.