In my opinion (sometimes it’s humble…sometimes it’s not), Tom Segura understands what stand-up comedy is all about. No subject is off limits and there is no “line”…so to speak. That’s stand-up comedy. It’s the one place you are allowed to say anything you want and the audience is allowed to laugh. Very few comedians take advantage of that power and freedom like Segura.
One of the most prolific writers of comedy in Los Angeles, Segura’s jokes are racial, sexual, and most importantly intelligent. I have seen Segura perform 8 - 10 times in the last year or so and he consistently delivers new material every time. Two of my favorite jokes are “Guys with ponytails” and “Men who wear tank tops”. You can check out the videos below.
Segura is no doubt on the cusp of going big. He is currently headlining shows across the country and performing along side the likes of Jay Mohr. Also, you can catch him as Teddy Loons in “Cutman”, which he co-wrote with Ryan Sickler.
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):
Variety Magazine came out with a list of “Top 10 Comics to Watch”. No disrespect to Variety or the 10 comedians they chose, but I have a different definition of “watch”. Their definition is “to keep an eye on in the media and movies”. My definition is “to go see in a club and laugh your ass off”. To each his own. I happen to think my list can and will accomplish both feats. But what do I know.
So here is the “10 Really Good Comedians that You Should Go Watch in a Club to Laugh Your Ass Off” list.
1. Ryan Sickler
2. Dana Min Goodman
3. Tom Segura
4. Christina Pazsitzky
5. Jason Gillearn
6. Chris Franjola
7. Steve Flye
8. Andrew Norelli
9. Sam Tripoli
10.The Unknown Comedian
Starting on Monday, we will spotlight each of these comedians. I guarantee…if you go see any of these comedians live…it’ll be a good night.
We’re celebrating live comedy, Live Comedy L.A., and yes…my 30th birthday this Saturday at Red Rock with a show that will blow you away. The line-up is awesome. If you want to laugh, please come down and enjoy the celebration with me. The show is FREE. Yeah…FREE COMEDY. I swear to you…this line-up rivals any of the line-ups you will see at a major club this weekend. Hope to see you there.
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?
We hit up No Name Comics on Sunday at Room 5. Host Brad Stewart puts on the show every Sunday and usually gets a decent crowd from what I hear…but always a very solid line-up of funny comedians, including the likes of Aisha Tyler and Brody Stevens on a regular basis. No difference last night as far as comedians are concerned, but the room was absolutely packed - which was terrific to see. I really hope we can help keep this room full every Sunday night. Last night featured 4 of my favorite comedians in Los Angeles - scratch that - in the country and the discovery of 3 more terrific talents.
You’ve heard me talk about the favorites over and over again. But I’d like to make something clear…great comedians are like fine wine - you can experience them many times but enjoy them just as much as you did the first time…and notice new things every time you see them…and appreciate the nuances that you never recognized previously. It’s really incredible. I’ve seen Ryan Sickler do the same set at least 10 times…to the point where he apologized to me before going on stage. But the reality is you will never see a comedian do the same set, the same way…ever. And last night, Sickler performed his set better than I’ve ever seen it. He truly has evolved as a comedian in terms of his delivery and pacing. His material has always been amazing but watching him last night was just awesome. The same is true for Norelli and CP (CP is how we will refer to Christina Pazsitzky from now on). I love watching them because they are on-point every single time. I am so happy that Norelli is filming for the Late, Late Show tonight and CP is going full steam with stand-up. Please do yourself a favor and get out and see them at your earliest convenience. I will pay you money if you do not enjoy their performance.
Carlos Kotkin was an interesting change-up as far as stand-up comedy is concerned. He is more of a story teller. I dug it…and so did the rest of the crowd. He had a bit about herpes and HIV that was off the charts. Andrew Orvedahl and Alex Nussbaum were great surprises as well. Nussbaum’s jokes about his Russian mother were killer and Overdahl’s Riverside jokes were great. I’ll definitely get out to see these guys again.
Good night of stand-up comedy on a Sunday night. Now it’s time to pick my brackets.
In case you didn’t know…this Sunday is a Holiday…it’s Selection Sunday. The day that 65 teams are picked to participate in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. It’s an amazing day for a college basketball junkie like myself. Unbelievably…my Sunday just got about 33x better. Brad Stewart…the host of No Name Comics…just informed us of this absolutely incredible line-up:
Andrew Norelli
Iliza Shlesinger
Ryan Sickler
Christina Pazsitzky
Carlos Kotkin
Ed Galvez
Andrew Orvedahl
Alex Nussbaum
Brad Stewart
Are you kidding me? Folks…the first 4 comedians on that list are as good as it gets. Not just in Los Angeles…but in the country. Unreal. Selection Sunday. No Name Comics. Let’s do this.
No NaMe CoMiCs @ROOM 5
143 LA BREA 2ND FL. (SOUTH OF BEVERLY)
LOS ANGELES, CA 90036
THIS SUNDAY MARCH 16 @7PM
NO COVER - FULL BAR - DINNER AVAILABLE
Just got off the phone with Los Angeles comedian, Ryan Sickler…he’s gearing up for next Saturday’s taping of “Live At Gotham” for Comedy Central. Sickler recently appeared on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson and now he hits CC for the first time. For those not familiar, “Live At Gotham” is CC’s stand-up comedy show that usually features 4 to 5 comedians doing 6 minute sets. They do about 10 minutes and edit down to 6…no swearing. Just another reason it’s essential to see comedians live. Unfortunately, no “Dash of Downs” for the national audience…but no worries…this guy is still one of the top players in the game. We called it last year when he performed at Ballgame’s Laugh Lounge at Red Rock…it’s nice to see the top brass at the networks are catching up with Live Comedy L.A. ; ).
As soon as I get an air date..I’ll be sure to post it. In the mean time…check out Sickler’s movie Cut Man.
