Tomorrow the various comedians from the Chelsea Lately Round Table begin a 4 week mini-series of their own called the Comedians of Chelsea Lately. They have been performing together in Los Angeles for a few months now (presumably in preparation for this show…I don’t know when they taped it). First at Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge, then at the Improv, and then a few big shows at the Nokia Theater at L.A. Live. I think it’s pretty awesome that these folks are getting a chance to showcase their stand-up talent on national TV.

Our buddy Chris Franjola’s episode airs on September 4th, so be sure to tune into that one (Josh Wolf and Jen Kirkman in that one as well). But I’ve seen all of them live (except Whitney Cummings and Heather McDonald) and they are all really good. I am bummed that Brody Stevens isn’t in the mix, though. Anyway, set your Tivo’s. Jo Koy, Sarah Colonna, and Guy Branum get things going.

Whoa…look who has an exclusive clip before it hits Hulu. I know…slowly becoming a legit blog.

The good folks over at CandorTV shot me this clip of Chelsea Lately regular Jen Kirkman at her most recent performance at Stand-Up at Candor a few weeks ago. Love Jen Kirkman. Plus, I got a half a second of camera time. Check it.

I learned some very important lessons last night at my first visit to the monthly show Stand-Up at Candor:

1. Corey Holcomb is off the charts funny. The man is a professional. I had never seen Corey live but had seen him on TV a bunch, so I knew he was great. I wasn’t sure though if he was going to hold back and work clean because the show is filmed for Hulu (more on that later). Thankfully, he stayed true to his brand of comedy and let loose. Abortion jokes, sex jokes…you name it…he brought it. His style of comedy is what I love most…dirty, honest, and he just doesn’t give a shit. To me, that’s the recipe for a great comedian.

2. When a stand-up comedy show is filmed, I don’t think you get an honest reaction from the crowd or a truly candid performance from the comedians. When the host says, “This is being filmed, we want laughter” right before the show starts, something feels a little forced. Laughter isn’t as natural. Comedians aren’t as free. I had this same feeling at the Dov Davidoff taping last week. I didn’t use to feel this way because I believe in the importance of TV for comedians. However, if you go to enough live comedy shows, you can feel the difference when it is being filmed. Maybe that’s why successful stand-up comedy on TV is tough. This is another reason why Corey’s set was so great. He didn’t care either way. Also, it gives me even more appreciation for a show like Russell Simmon’s Def Comedy Jam. I don’t think any stand-up comedy show on TV has been able to duplicate the authenticity of that show (the original version).

3. I confirmed that I enjoy watching live comedy the most in a non-entertainment industry atmosphere. I might be wrong, but I just got the feeling that the show leaned more towards a networking event than a comedy show. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just a different live comedy experience than I enjoy. I prefer the UCB/Ice House vibe. Which is more like…”Let’s make the neighborhood people laugh”.

4. All comedians should be paid if their material is on Hulu or anywhere else in which advertising revenue is being generated against their content. I will do a more in-depth post on this subject, but companies like CandorTV and Comedy Time should be paying comedians. If they aren’t…it’s a problem. I will find out.

5. Abbey Sibucao is my new favorite host of a comedy show. With all due respect to Ritchie Angeles, Karl Hess, and Matt Baetz, it’s almost impossible to compete with a hot girl and the C-Cups she brings to the table. Plus her willingness to display them is unparalleled at a comedy show. Good lord! You should have seen the dress she had on. Boobs win fellas, boobs win. I’m just being honest…I’m a man. I do, also, appreciate her passion and sincerity for live comedy, though. You could tell when she brought the comedians to the stage that she appreciated each one of them. Abbey is also the producer of the show.

This can be distracting though:

Abbey Sibucao

Shoutout to Ben Morrison, Jen Kirkman, and Steve Hofstetter for great sets.

The comedy picks for this weekend have one thing in common and her name is Jen Kirkman. She’s kinda sassy, kinda sarcastic, kinda hot…she’s the crazy, lovable friend in a sitcom (that someone should help her get…hint).

Friday – 2/27
Comedy Meltdown/Meltdown Comics/8pm/$8 (includes open bar from ASAHI and TeaZazz)
Definitely one of the best shows in L.A. Linda Pine knows how to run a good show. Short line-ups. Good comedians. Open bar. What’s up people? I’ve only seen Jen Kirkman from the line-up, but I’m sure I’ll discover someone awesome. Check it.

Saturday – 2/28
Matt Braunger CD Taping/Hollywood Improv/7:30pm and 9:30pm/ FREE + Service Fee (Passcode: HAHA for 7:30pm; JOKE for 9:30pm)
You just have to support the cause on this one. Dude is taping his first CD. That’s huge. Imagine if you were taping a CD. You’d want people to show up right? He’s funny. Plus they threw Kirkman in there. And it’s free.

Sorry for the late recap on last week’s special edition of Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge: The Chelsea Lately Special.

The concept of having a comedy show tied to a TV program is a stroke of genius by show producer Matt Balaker. I can see him continuing to do this with other TV shows that have writing and performing staff members that are stand-up comedians (…and let’s be honest…that’s every show). It will fill the room because people will want to see their co-workers perform and it will give the general public a chance to see names and faces they are familiar with from their favorite shows. Also, it gives Balaker a chance to put up one or two additional comedians in the line-up for exposure to show execs, as well as some exposure for himself. Very saavy, if you ask me. If I’m Matty Ballgame, I’m trying to get Laugh Lounge: The Late Late Show Special, The Office Special, The Comics Unleashed Special, etc. And if I’m a comedian, I’m making friends with Matty Ballgame.

The line-up was solid. Balaker kicked things off with some classic girlfriend material and closed strong with current events. I continue to be impressed by his writing efforts. He is creating new jokes for every show, which any comedian will tell you is extremely difficult. Comedians have a tendency to get lazy and rely on the same jokes over and over again. That’s not a recipe for long-term success. It’s a recipe for about 15 minutes of fame. Last Comic Standing fame…really.

The rest of the line-up was solid. I enjoyed seeing Guy Branum for the first time, as well as Jen Kirkman. Dave Hanson is one of my favorite comedians in the city because he’s a man’s man. Chris Millhouse did a solid set in front of the Chelsea staffers and Josh Wolf did a quick 5. I’m sure Josh is a hell of a nice guy, but I think you have to be an extraordinary comedian to be a “story teller”. I’m just not getting sets. I think TV folks could turn his life into a good TV show – young, divorced dad with custody of his two teenage children. But it’s tough on stage.

Anyway, Chris Franjola closed strong. He got heckled again. He handles the hecklers pretty well, though. Sometimes I wish Chris would just do crowd work and not worry so much about being the “headliner”. He’s best when he is loose and able to go into the crowd.

On a side note, Red Rock completely remodeled the upstairs lounge. It actually looks high end. I have a feeling it’s a direct result of the comedy show. Seriously. This place is pretty slow without the show. Let’s hope the remodel kills the attic jokes, the ski lodge jokes, etc. Please God let it kill those jokes.

2009 Comedy Season Totals
Show Count: 7
Total Ticket Cost: $38
Total Min. Drink Cost: $12

Stand-up comedy…in the back of comic book shop…with an open bar…on a leap year date. Even more brilliant than before.

The line-up for Comedy Meltdown 3 is coming together nicely…looks like Jonah Ray (the surprise hit from Meltdown 2) will be hosting…and Jen Kirkman and Mike Phirman are in the rotation.  Los Angeles is filled with great stand-up comedy…this show hit my radar big time this month and I will make sure I’m there in February.