Family, Friends, Live Comedy, and College Basketball…that’s what life is all about…well, at least in my world. And during the month of March…barring death…College Basketball rules all…so bare with me on the slow updates on the world of live comedy in Los Angeles. Nothing in sports…and very few things in life…beat Davidson knocking off Georgetown or San Diego taking down UConn. It’s not just about basketball…it’s about setting a goal, believing in yourself, and fighting against all odds to come out on top. Ask a stand-up comedian…they might be able to tell you what it feels like ; ).

I wanted to wrap-up a few loose ends from last week. I went to Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge at Red Rock on Tuesday to see Shang perform for the first time. I can’t lie…I had preconceived notions about Shang (I’m human). I saw the headshots…the big time pub…and I thought…”Who the heck is this guy?” Here’ is the truth – Shang is the man. Very cool, down to earth comedian…so comfortable on stage. He wasted no time in letting the jokes fly. I am not sure how long he has been doing stand-up…but I would venture to say it’s forever because the stage looks like it’s home. He reminds me of Joe Rogan…I have a feeling these guys would get along. Just doesn’t give a shit…and tells it like it is. So great to see him do his thing in an intimate setting like Ballgame’s.

The rest of the line-up was good. I think Brian Keith Etheridge went on too long about sucking dick. His material is too good to be talking about sucking dick for 7 minutes. It’s uncomfortable. It’s not Gaffigan talking about bacon…you get a different vibe. Saw Ed Galvez for the second time in the last week…I’d like to see Ed do improv or sketch…I think he would kill in that environment. Josh Wolf was stellar…his jokes about his kids are unreal. He tells a joke about wrestling his teenage son and using “old man strength” that had me screaming. Bryan Erwin is always good. And Ballgame had Jay Montepere in the house for the first time. He was solid. Looking forward to seeing him again.

Calendar updates coming soon. Let me know if you saw Attell last week.

Line-Up:
Matt Baetz
Mark Serritella
Matty “Ballgame” Balaker
Andy Kozel
Bryan Erwin
Brian Keith Etheridge
Matt Iseman
Tom Segura

Big line-up for the Laugh Lounge. But here’s the key difference between Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge and the typical “room”. Ballgame books very good comedians up and down the line-up. Every “room” has it’s purpose…the “rooms” that put up 12 comedians are for comedians to practice…this “room”…is for top performers…and the great up and comers. Normally I say there is no reason to have more than 5 – 6 comedians in the line-up…and that’s the most. But if you’re solid all the way through…and everyone keeps their sets tight…8 is ok. 10 – 12 comedians kills an audience no matter what though.

Matt Baetz – mattbaetz.com
Hands down the best host in Ballgame Laugh Lounge history. He’s the perfect host. Great material. Tight set. Made sure he knew everyone coming to the stage…and was interested in seeing them. That’s the key right there. I was late unfortunately for the beginning of his set…but I hope Matt is getting spots at the big clubs…and going on tour. I see big things for him. He has the tools.

Mark Serritella – markserritella.com
For some reson, Mark’s set isn’t sicking with me. It was very smooth and he has his stuff dialed…I just need to see him again to get the material down.

Matty Ballgame – myspace.com/balaker
Nobody in comedy writes more new jokes than Ballgame. I’m not kidding. He prides himself on putting himself out there…and we all need to respect him for it. It’s easy to use the security blanket…Matt rarely does. That’s how you become famous…throw your balls out there!

Andy Kozel – myspace.com/andykozel
Andy had one of the best jokes of the night…his “America’s Most Wanted” bit was spot on. I always change the channel because it scares the shit out of me…but then I have to turn it back…I just have to. I thought Andy got off to a slow start…but he brought it back around with “America’s Most Wanted” and closed strong. Looking forward to seeing him again.

Bryan Erwin – bryanerwin.com
Bryan has been at Laugh Lounge a bunch…he’s polished. A little fast…but his parenting material is solid…and this guy is dirty. I’m digging it.

Brian Keith Etheridge – myspace.com/briankeithetheridge
BKE crushed it this time around. His “sucking dick” tirade at the end of his set was just awesome. He was calling out girls left and right…and the crowd was on the floor. I love when comedians push the envelope. Stand-up comedy is still the only place you can do this…that’s why it’s the greatest.

Matt Iseman – mattiseman.com
Matt has really good stage presence….loved his joke about his new girlfriend…who is smokin’ hot comedian Kris Lezect. She uses him as a scratch post when she’s having an orgasm…he just gets in the way. We should all be so lucky. Anyway…back to the blog. I’d like to see new material from Matt. He’s a solid performer and a cool dude though.

Tom Segura – tomsegura.com
Tom is hands down one of the top 10 comedians out there. I love this guy…I’ve written about him many times. He and Sickler make the best writing team in the business. Someone just needs to let them have free reign on a project. His racial, sexual, and dirty humor is off the charts funny.