Live Comedy L.A.

Show: Sarah Silverman and Friends
Cost: $5 cover
Line-Up:
Nick Thune: ProfileShot
Morgan Murphy: ProfileShot
Mookie Blaylock
Tig Notaro: ProfileShot - VideoShot
Sarah Silverman: WikiShot - VideoShot
Todd Glass: ProfileShot - VideoShot

Largo is a very cool place to see stand-up comedy in Los Angeles. If you want a very cheap night of comedy, pay the $5 cover and stand at the bar. But that’s for the die hard live comedy fans. I suggest saving a weekend night out for one of their Monday night shows…and having dinner there. You still pay the $5 cover…and there is a $15 minimum per person at the table…but you get a good show. $20…dinner…great comedy…in Los Angeles…pretty rare. Everyone should understand what you are getting however…the comedians are very loose here…they use their notes…and they try out new material. If you want polished…go to the clubs…if you want very good comedians grinding out good stuff…this is a cool spot.

Thune was a very good host…he was enthusiastic and I appreciated his work. I’m still blown away by the fact that there is a comedian named Mookie Blaylock…and he’s not the retired point guard from the Atlanta Hawks. Odd. Tig Notaro definitely delivered the set of the night. She is simply an amazing stand-up comedian…and totally clean. She’s so cool…and calm…I love her. Sarah Silverman was on-point as well…which was great…because the last few times she literally has forgotten her set. When she’s on…she’s one of the best. Todd Glass was great too. I really would like to see a polished set from him as well. It’s fun seeing him work out material though.

BTW…just chillin’ tonight…didn’t go see a show. I’ll keep you updated on the other shows during LIVE COMEDY WEEK.

Really big crowd last night for a solid line-up at Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge. First time Red Rock performers Ari Shaffir (you may know him from Joe Rogan’s crew) and Todd Womack (Video) crushed it. Ari is mostly associated with Joe Rogan so it was cool seeing him away from that crew because he absolutely has the talent to stand alone. Don’t get me wrong…it kicks ass for him to have a partner like Rogan…along with Joey Diaz…they have a killer show that everyone should see. Ari’s stage presence and writing are awesome. Todd Womack was a great suprise because I had not see him perform previously. I love seeing new, awesome comedians. I think Todd performs at UCB a lot…so I’m definitely going to check him out there. Hit up his videos when you have a chance.

The rest of the line-up was solid:
Matt Balaker: ProfileShot
Sari Karplus: ProfileShot
Dave Hanson: ProfileShot
Jason Gillearn: ProfileShot
Nick Thune: ProfileShot - VideoShot

A word on Thune. I thought he mailed in this performance and is capable of much better. I really haven’t seen new material from Thune in about 2+ years and didn’t really appreciate the fact that he wasn’t giving a full effort. You bring 100% every time…or stay home. Bone Hampton brings 100% every time…Jason Gillearn brings 100% every time…Joe Rogan brings 100% every time. Thune brought about 50% and his attitude showed. Having a bad set is one thing…mailing in a performance is another.

I don’t really agree with the Improv giving away free tickets to all of their shows…but hey…I’ll write my business analysis of their clubs in a different post. In the mean…what the hell…might as well see great comedy for no cost:

TONIGHT:
Hollywood Improv - 10pm, Get tickets online and use promo code: COMIC
Bill Burr
Marc Maron
Owen Benjamin
Nick Thune
Neal Brennan
Andrew Solmssen
This is a pretty good line-up and for free…you should check it out. Especially if you can’t make the 8pm Whip It Out show. Bill Burr is hilarious…his take on black people and white people is great. I’ve only seen Maron on Comedy Central…and since you can’t judge a comedian by TV (I hope everyone knows that…that’s a cardinal rule…they censor them like you wouldn’t believe)…I won’t judge. Owen is funny…and Thune’s musings are great…”At what point were there too many birds…and a shortage of rocks on the planet. No…No…No…use one rock…and try to kill two birds.”

THIS WEEKEND:
Ontario Improv - Sounds like all weekend if you can. Call the box office and use the promo code: HILARIOUS 909-484-5411
Headliner: Aries Spears
Since it’s free…I’ll say go ahead and check it out…because he’s pretty damn funny. You remember him from MAD TV. I wish I knew the rest of the line-up. It would suck if the rest of the line-up sucked…or they threw up 10 comedians. Can someone let me know if they go…I’m not haulin’ out to the 909 for this one.

Line-Up:
Matty Ballgame
Patrick Ney
Lana Turner
Bernadette Balagtas
Nick Thune
Jeff Short
Michael Batts
Chris Porter
Josh Wolf

Biggest line-up in Ballgame Laugh Lounge history tonight…but it wasn’t awful. You know why…because all of the comedians were good…they stuck to their time…no one went up too long…and that kept you wanting more. The other thing was important…at no point was Matty saying stuff like, “OK folks…only few more comedian…hang in there.” I hate that shit. If you have to say that…the comedians aren’t good…and you are putting on a bad show…and not helping the cause…which is getting people out to see live comedy. Get with the program folks…this should always be fun…not torture.

Just a highlight review this time (sorry to the comedians in this line-up…I’ll get you back in more detail on another blog) because I’m writing this two weeks after the fact…my bad…I’ll catch up today.

Matty Ballgame is still slinging new jokes every time and the confidence is still rising…I love it. Pat Ney was very good…looking forward to seeing him again. I still can’t get into Lana Turner’s style…it’s not that she has bad jokes…I’m just not into the style…to each his own. I LOVE Bernadette Balagtas…she is just very friendly…clean…funny as hell. Thune did his IM Bit…Salmonerd/Insynchottie…very well done bit…I’ve seen it 3 times now…and he has it dialed…looking for new material from Thune. Jeff Short was the surprise of the night…he crushed it…tons of talent…great jokes…a big time up and comer with Kinno. Michael Batts had a solid set…Porter was stellar…and Josh Wolf was solid. More later on everyone.