Thought I would combine the two comedy shows that I went to this week in the greater Los Angeles-area into one condensed post – Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge at Red Rock on Tuesday night and Comedy Juice at the Ice House on Thursday night.

Quick review of the Laugh Lounge line-up:
Matty Balaker, Karl Hess, Nadine Rajabi, Tommy Keating, Johnny Cardinale, Jen Kirkman, Jason Gillearn, Geoff Lott (google them…I don’t feel like linking right now).

Pretty sure Karl Hess is one of the most underrated comedians out there. This dude needs to be in the big shows. Voice inflection alone gets laughs…plus he has great material. Keating and Cardinale were first timers for me and both did awesome. I’ve spoken many times before about how much I like Jen Kirkman. Jason Gillearn is THE most underrated comedian there is. He is off the charts. His slow delivery and unexpected dirty punchline lines kill the audience every time. Geoff Lott seems like he could do material forever…he’s that good and that smart. Plus, he’s a good dude. Rule #1…don’t be a dick.

The Comedy Juice line-up:
K-Von, Adam Ray, April Macie, Ryan Sickler

I love the Ice House. I want to thank my friend Barbara Corry for always being so kind when I’m there. Please check out her book “The Ultimate Green Room”. She has supported live comedy for many years. April Macie was so awesome. I love dirty, female comedians…I can’t help it. And I don’t think I’m the only one. The audience loved her too. Sickler was great again and Adam Ray was awesome too.

I’m headed to Steve Flye’s comedy show at the Ice House on Saturday. Looks great. See you at the club.

I have a new favorite comedy club – The Ice House in Pasadena. The Ice House combines all the best features of the Improv, Laugh Factory, and Comedy Store…plus it throws in ample parking. I absolutely loved my first visit to the Ice House. The venue was well-designed, the staff was friendly and on top of their game, the show was spectacular, and it’s reasonably priced. It was the little things though that I dug the most:

1. All the chairs in the main room faced the stage.
2. The staff took both your drink orders at the same time at the beginning of the show (as not to interrupt you during the show).
3. Every seat is within 30 feet of the stage.
4. The main room was tiered.

The list really goes on and on. The highest complement that I can pay the Ice House is to say that I would like to hold my 30th birthday here coming up in July. We are building a killer line-up of my favorite comedians for the event and I want it to be here.

The line-up was amazing: Frazier Smith, Steve Flye, Jason Collins, Kenny Johnson, and Jo Koy.

Everyone was terrific. Jo Koy went for about an hour and a half. He did new material on the 405 and his son. But amazingly, the crowded requested jokes…and he did them. It was simply the greatest thing I have ever seen in stand-up comedy. Right there…that’s what live comedy is all about.

The comedian of the night however was Steve Flye. We expect Jo Koy to be amazing…and he was. But I love seeing new comedians just kill it. Steve had a joke about child support that was off the charts. Seeing Steve was like seeing Ryan Sickler or Christina P. or Chris Franjola or Tom Segura for the first…he has the goods – you can just tell. It’s an exciting feeling for a comedy dork like me. Check out his VideoShot of Steve.

…and definitely check out the Ice House…I’ll be there all summer checking out the comedians.

I’ll be making my first trip to the Ice House tonight to see a special performance featuring the incredible Jo Koy. Jo kills every time. I suspect tickets are still available. Show starts at 7pm.

Rogan. It’s a show you do not want to miss. He delivers what could be the best live comedy performance ever. There is only one excuse for missing these shows – watching NCAA Basketball conference tournament games. But that’s it.

Friday, March 14th – 8:30pm and 10:30pm
Saturday, March 15th – 9pm and 11pm

Check the Ice House Website for details.