Per usual, I’ll be at Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge at Red Rock. The line-up is particularly good though. Chris Franjola, Tom Segura, and Dana Min Goodman…three of my favorites and three of the best in Los Angeles…will be in the house. I’ll be in the back having a Coke. Say hi.
Red Rock Bar and Eater
Sunset Blvd.
8:30PM
Upstairs Lounge
FREE
Crazy show last night at Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge. The line-up was killer - Last Comic Standing winner Iliza Schlesinger was in the house warming up material for her tour; Ryan Stout from MTV threw down 10 minutes; Carlos “The Chicken Whisperer” Kotkin killed it; plus new comer Brad Schecter did a quick 5; and Matty “Ballgame” Balaker brought the heat with some great jokes about disappointing his parents.
Just want to call out two great comedians - “Dragon Boy Suede” Howard Kremer did Ballgame’s show for the first time. I’ve said it before…he’s probably top 10 most talented comedians out there. He gave me a CD last night with the greatest song ever on it called “Nut Valet”. Did I mention DBS raps? Get this guy a show…now!
Finally, I got to see a complete set from Bert Kreisher. Jesus…he’s good. He’s all energy…and dirty. He does a joke about his baby girl sucking on a finger that killed. Plus…one of the great moments in Ballgame’s history happened last night. Playboy Cyber Girl Natasha Budhi (NSFW) a.k.a. “The Chocolate Bunny” showed up to the Laugh Lounge in an outfit that showed three-quarters of her beautiful and gigantic breasts. Some how she ended up on stage with Kreisher in one of the funniest exchanges ever. We need more Playboy Cyber girls at live comedy shows - you will be heavily promoted here at Live Comedy L.A. - I’m just sayin’.
Tonight is the last “No Name Comics” show that Brad Stewart will be putting on at Room 5. Management told him they were going to be replacing his slot with music. Bastards. Like there isn’t enough music around town. What’s worse than bad music. The business model is in shambles anyway.
Maybe I’m being harsh. But I like the show Brad puts on at Room 5…and I like Room 5. It’s one show that I feel comfortable recommending to folks every week because I know they’re going to get a funny, professional show with great comedians
I feel like I haven’t promoted the show enough in the space that I have write here. We can’t have good shows going away. I’ll work harder. I ask the comedians to work harder in promoting themselves. And I ask readers to just GO LAUGH, every once and while. This show was FREE. Brad is looking for another venue to host Room 5. I’m confident that he will find something.
Tonight’s line-up is really great:
Suli McCullough
Kyle Kinane
Jonah Ray
Tom Clark
Rick Mitchel
and a couple more surprise guests (let’s pray that means the smokin’ hot Aisha Tyler - who is a show regular)!
7pm
TONIGHT
143 N La Brea 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90036
FREE!!!!!
Dash of Downs. CAIDS. Vaccination Scar. Three of the greatest jokes ever told from one L.A. comedian - Ryan Sickler. I’ve seen Sickler close to 20 times and his material never gets old. In fact, it has gotten better since I first saw him last year at Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge at Red Rock. He has settled into a smooth rhythm on stage that all great comedians have.
The key to Sickler’s greatness is two fold - his writing skills and his “every guy” attitude. I find that many comedians talk about similar topics. Honestly, how much is there to talk about. Life is life - we all live in it. I’ve never heard anyone talk about CAIDS. I’ve never heard anyone talk about a retarded child with only a Dash of Downs. And I sure as hell have never heard anyone talk about hot Latinas with vaccination scars. The guy just understands the importance of writing…and writing…and writing more…until he comes up with something that no one else has thought of.
Also, Sickler is just a dude. A guy who likes football, boxing, and beer. He’s from Baltimore. He loves tits and ass. This is what America should be. I’m so tired of having to watch Faith Hill or Pink show up on Sunday Night Football. I’m tired of Ryan Seacrest producing shows like “Bromance”. Ryan Sickler gives me hope that one day we will have entertainers that act like men.
Sickler recently did a set for the Late, Late Show and performed on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham. He has several projects in the works, including a comedy he co-wrote with fellow comedian Tom Segura, called Cutman.
Check out these clips of Sickler doing his thing and make sure to catch him live around town (We’ll keep you in the loop on where he is scheduled to perform or you can check his Myspace):
Comedian Steve Flye and the Ice House in Pasadena make a killer combo folks. Last night I hit up Flye’s monthly show at the venue for the first time. Again, the Ice House proved that it is the best large comedy venue in the greater L.A.-area - hands down.
The Ice House is what live comedy is all about. The staff is incredible - especially long time staffer and new author Barbara Corry. I want to personally thank Barbara for showing us a great time last night. She is an amazing contributor to the community. Live comedy and the Ice House should be proud to have her. We will be spotlighting Barbara Corry and her new book “The Ultimate Green Room” in the coming weeks.
On to the show - simply put…Steve Flye has the skills to be a big time player. I asked Steve to perform at my 30th birthday a few weeks ago because I wanted more people to see that he is the real deal. But, honestly, I think he is doing just fine on his own…he packed the Ice House last night…that’s not easy. You may know “Life of the Party with Jay Davis”. But “Flye Comedy” is right there. His material killed again and he can sing (who knew?). I loved when he went into the crowd and talked about the “horchatas” on the Mexican girl in the front row. He said, “Those things could squeeze out cinnamon.”
I also enjoyed the sets from Honest John and Chris Spencer. Honest John is this older dude who talks dirty. Love that. If you are a fan of stand-up, you probably know Chris Spencer from hosting Chocolate Sunday’s at the Laugh Factory. I had never seen him before, but he was great. Tons of great material and so natural.
I want to thank Barbara Corry again. And I want to thank Steve Flye for giving Live Comedy L.A. a big shout out at the end of the show. So cool. He called me the Founder and CEO. How ’bout that people…I’m a CEO. Go Laugh.
Upcoming shows at the Ice House
Gabriel Iglesias: Aug. 28, 29, 31
Kevin Nealon: Aug. 30
I really enjoy the comedy show Linda Pine produces once a month at Meltdown Comics. It’s one of the most original comedy experiences in Los Angeles. Nerd comedy…sponsored/free beer from Asahi…in a comic book store…cool stuff. I highly recommend checking this one out. Jonah Ray, the host, is always great. It’s a fun Friday night. Hit the Bosanova for dinner and you have an awesome, inexpensive date. I know…pimp right?
Comedy Meltdown 8: Jason Takes Manhattan
“Rennie: You don’t understand, there is a maniac trying to kill us! New York Waitress: Welcome to New York.”
Date: Friday, July 25th
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Place: The swanktastic Meltdown Gallery at the rear of the store which is located here:
7522 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
90046-3408, US
http://meltcomics.com/Whom:
ANTHONY JESELNIK
JACKIE KASHAIN
ROB DELANEY
BRIAN ZARIN
ROBERT YASUMURA
Hosted by: JONAH RAY
Sponsored by: ASAHIIn addition to this stellar line-up we are charging NO COVER! Please drink responsibly or designate a driver. Something to be aware of: parking in this neighborhood is dodgy, so please plan accordingly.
OK folks…big weekend for Los Angeles comedian Ryan Sickler. First, he is appearing on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham on Friday, July 18th. The show airs at 10pm on Friday, so set your DVR’s tonight! Here’s a clip:
Then…he is performing at my 30th birthday on Saturday the 19th at Red Rock on Sunset at 9pm. Watch him on Comedy Central and then come watch him live in a small, intimate setting. Yeah…you can reach out and touch him…if you want. The rest of the line-up is awesome…I booked it myself ; ). Matty “Ballgame” Balaker, Lauri Roggenkamp, Steve Flye, Brian Scolaro, Chris Franjola, and Sickler. That’s a lot of sexiness in one line-up people. Can you handle it?
Sebastian Maniscalco has been performing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles for years. He’s the classic story of a waiter in Los Angeles trying to make it big by coming up through the ranks of stand-up. Even leaving in the middle of shifts to go do sets and then heading back to work.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him perform live at the Comedy Store, where he is a regular, on one occasion. He’s absolutely hilarious. His big break recently came with the theatrical release of Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show, where he starred along side fellow Los Angeles comedians Bret Ernst, John Caparulo, and Ahmed Ahmed. Sebastian is doing stand-up full time now and touring the country. His schedule looks pretty packed on his Myspace page but you can definitely catch him at the Hermosa Comedy and Magic Club in September. I also think you can probably catch him at the Comedy Store between road gigs…just call ahead.
In the mean time, Sebastian’s “Comedy Central Presents” special re-airs on the 4th of July at 6:30pm, so set your DVR’s. In the meantime, here is something to wet your appetite:
Dan Bialek, the producer of “12 Shiny Nickels”, that show with 12 comedians in 1 hour, posted this bulletin in the events section on Myspace:
Hi, this is Dan Bialek. I run the 12 Shiny Nickels show on Fridays and Saturdays at 11pm.
I would like clarify one issue that arose at tonight’s show. And I’d like to apologize for not making this point more clear in my previous posts.
EVERYONE WHO COMES TO THE SHOW MUST PAY $5 AT THE DOOR.
INCLUDING ALL COMEDIANS.
AGAIN.
INCLUDING ALL COMEDIANS.
I’m sorry. I know that a lot of other shows and comedy clubs in LA let comics hang out at the venue and watch shows for free. I, however, cannot afford this luxury because I have to pay for the theater space, sound equipment, promotions, videography, editing and especially all of the free beer out of my own pocket. And I’m also doing this two nights a week and expenses add up quick.
(I’ll let you in on a little secret, all three shows that I’ve done so far have ended up costing much more to put on than they pulled in money-wise.)
I apologize for those of you who came down to the show tonight under the assumption that you would be granted free admission if you were a comic. I was not trying to mislead you. But please understand that $5 for all the beer you can drink (two nights a week) is still a pretty good deal whether you are a comedian or not.
Thanks again to everyone who came to the show and who performed on it as well. I’m looking forward to many more in the future.
–dan
P.S. Please do not respond to this bulletin with an email asking me to book you on the show. When I want you to do the show I will email you. I promise.
This show is quickly becoming a logistical nightmare for Dan. I feel bad. Too many comedians, two shows a week, free beer, not a enough help, and a terrible business model are going to crush this show. Small line-ups, great comedians, great venue, smart promotion, and slow growth…wins.
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.