Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival needs your help

We're big fans of Eugene Mirman's comedy festival at the Bell House and Union Hall, which brings in such names as Kristen Schaal, Mike Birbiglia, Sarah Vowell, Daniel Kitson, David Cross, Jon Glaser, we could go on.

If you're fans too, the team put together a Kickstarter fund to help them "bring the awesome" this year.

 

If that's not enough, here's a list of things they'll do with the money:

-Pay a living wage to the people who work really hard to make this event possible.

-Build an ice cream limo or buy an ice cream truck

-Pay comedians enough money to afford one very nice meal and maybe even buy a pair of shoes.

-Fly out and put up some performers so that we can have more events/ panels/ shows/ comedy/ music

-Set up a petting zoo outside of our venue

-Awkward Party Bus

-Have musical guests on some of our shows

-Have fun after-parties

-Pay recent college grads to have sex in a pit (probably not, but we’ll see how much money we raise)

-Delicious free food!

-More surprises!

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Union Hall is going 'Coconuts' with new comedy show

By Meredith Deliso

Comedy fans, add the third Tuesday of every month to your schedule.

A new monthly show is coming to Union Hall, hosted by Gabe Delahaye, of the pop culture website Videogum.

“All my friends are comedians and they all have shows of their own, and I got jealous,” said Delahaye, who launches the Mr. Coconuts Comedy Show on May 24 at the Park Slope bar.

At his inaugural show, Delahaye will be joined by Jenny Slate, former “Saturday Night Live” cast member and host of “Big Terrific” at Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg; Joe Mande, the man behind the blog, Look at this F–ing Hipster; and Larry Murphy, a regular on the Adult Swim show “Delocated.”

Now, as for that name?

“It was the second stupidest thing I could think of,” said Delahaye.

Mr. Coconuts Comedy Show at Union Hall [702 Union St. near Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, (718) 638-4400], May 24 at 8 pm. Tickets $5. For info, visit www.unionhallny.com.

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'Serious' comedy

By Alex Rush

The Brooklyn Arts Council is getting serious about comedy.

As part of its yearly film festival “Scene Brooklyn,” the council will devote a night to Internet shorts by the Greenpoint-based sketch comedy group Serious Lunch, tomorrow at Galapagos Arts Space in DUMBO.

“We didn’t have a lot of comedic short films in the festival, so we though Serious Lunch would be perfect for that,” said Scene Brooklyn’s Ciara Pressler. “And so much film is going on the web these days, so it was important for us to show that.”

Indeed, the group formed in 2007 after inspired by the “Saturday Night Live” digital shorts. Since, the five-piece troupe has held regular improv shows at venues including Littlefield in Gowanus, and posted their videos on CollegeHumor.com. Fan favorites include “The Gift Giver,” a two-minute piece about a supermarket clerk getting revenge on an obnoxious customer, and a classroom-set piece called “Bad Boy,” which features Ellie Kemper from “The Office.”

The group will screen these videos at Galapagos, as well as unreleased shorts, including a clip of a television pilot the group filmed but never pitched. Members will also hit the stage for a round of improv.

“The ‘Scene Brooklyn’ show is a mix of improvised videos, unreleased stuff and audience interaction that we’ll film,” said Serious Lunch-er Tim Bierbaum. “It’ll have a very cool, casual feel to it.”

“Making Mistakes With Serious Lunch” at Galapagos Art Space [16 Main St. at Water Street in DUMBO, (718) 222-8500], May 10 at 7 pm. Tickets $10. For info, visit www.brooklynartscouncil.org/scenebrooklyn.

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Laugh on at the new Freddy's

By Meredith Deliso

This show is a real trip.

The stand-up hour “Ed Sullivan on Acid,” a regular in the back room of the old Freddy’s when it was in Prospect Heights, has followed the bar to its new Park Slope location.

And it’s better late than never.

“The neighborhood was just starved for something like this,” said Pat O’Shea (pictured), whose every-other-Monday show is back on March 21. “The crowds have been great.”

O’Shea started the whacked-out variety show (hence the name), but soon stuck to just comedy, bringing in a handful of up-and-coming comedians each time. When the original Freddy’s closed last year, he couldn’t bear the thought of finding it a new home, and held out until the bar reopened last month in the South Slope.

“I actually missed running the show,” said the Clinton Hill-based comedian, who’ll bring in the likes of Angry Bob (HBO’s “Bored to Death”) at the next show. “It can be a pain in the ass — people are always asking for spots, and sometimes I would rather do my act than host. I didn’t think I’d miss it, but I did.”

Ed Sullivan on Acid at Freddy’s Bar [627 Fifth Ave. between 17th and 18th streets in Park Slope, (718) 768-8131], March 21 at 9:30 pm. Free. For info, visit freddysbar.com.


Photo by Stefano Giovannini

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Brooklyn comics times two

This Thursday, you can sample some of the best comic voices the borough has to offer at Greenlight Bookstore.

That's when Jane Borden, author of "I Totally Meant To Do That" (pictured) and Mike Sacks, author of "Your Wildest Dreams ... Within Reason" read the Greenpoint bookstore as part of its weekly comedy series.

It'll be a laugh riot.

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Just call him Mr. Funny Pants

By Meredith Deliso

Michael Showalter is a tad obsessed with process.

In “Mr. Funny Pants,” the comedian’s new quasi-memoir, he spends five chapters discussing writing the book, including a preface, post-preface, and post-post preface, and even fake reviews for the finished product.

It’s a tactic that may fail in less skilled hands, but makes for a brainy, offbeat and, yes, funny, literary debut filled with irreverent, clever pieces — an imaginary interview with Charlie Rose, a parody of an ad for an online university — as well as tidbits from his own life. (See him discuss the book on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" below.)

Showalter may be new to the publishing world, but he’s made a name for himself in sketch comedy, thanks to The State, Stella, and his Comedy Central show with Michael Ian Black, “Michael and Michael Have Issues.” He’s also a dependable regular at almost every major Brooklyn comedy event.

To celebrate his new book, he’ll first perform at Eugene Mirman’s “Pretty Good Friends” show, and then read at BookCourt in Cobble Hill on March 1. So you’ll have two chances to find out why he’s earned the title, Mr. Funny Pants.

Michael Showalter at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510], Feb. 27, 8 pm, $10; BookCourt [163 Court St. between Pacific and Dean streets in Cobble Hill, (718) 875-3677], March 1, 7 pm, free. For info, visit www.michaelshowalter.net.

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Funny girls

By Meredith Deliso

Jill Kargman is a funny person who wouldn’t call herself a comedian.

“I can never get out and be like, ‘I’m funny,’” said the writer. “I don’t know that I could ever say that about myself.”

So Word Bookshop will say it for her. Tomorrow, Kargman will participate in “Comedienne’s Night” at the Greenpoint store, a night that also includes Rachel Shukert, author of the comedic memoir “Everything Is Going to Be Great”; and comedian Sarah Benincasa.

“Our events are a little something more than just a reading,” said Jenn Northington, event manager at Word. “We’ve got such funny female authors at our disposal, it would be a shame not to take advantage of that.”

Kargman may not consider herself a comedian, but she is, employing improv as she reads from her new collection of essays, “Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut.”

“I usually tell a story from the book without reading. I would rather look at people,” said Kargman. “It’s not so much with a ‘bad-dum-bum’ kind of thing. I like an element of improv with it.”

Comedienne’s Night at Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], Feb. 3 at 7:30 pm. Free. For info, visit www.wordbrooklyn.com.

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See Mike Birbiglia - tonight!

UPDATE: The Monday show has been rescheduled for this Wednesday.


If self-deprecation had a crown, Mike Birbiglia would be wearing it.

The “This American Life” regular has gained fans for his long-form narrative jokes, which mine his awkward adolescence and other embarrassments — personal, career or otherwise — much to our amusement.

On the heels of his 2009 one-man show, “Sleepwalk with Me,” which is also now a book and, in the works, a movie, comes Birbiglia’s much anticipated new one. Titled “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” it opens Off-Broadway in time for Valentine’s Day, fittingly, but the comedian’s been workshopping it all over town lately.

Next up is Union Hall. The Park Slope venue and frequent stage for the comic hosts Birbiglia for two nights, on Dec. 27 and 28 and 29, during which he’ll share some new and not-so-new stories. That should include the one that gave him the name of his forthcoming show — a nod to his popular bit where he tells the story of his first girlfriend, a not-so-nice girl who already had a boyfriend, unbeknownst to our comic. That is, until he meets both the boyfriend and his parents one day.

“It’s a very strange thing, meeting your girlfriend’s boyfriend’s parents for the first time,” says the comic in his usual droll, contemplative delivery. “Part of you is angry for obvious reasons, and part of you still wants to make a good first impression.”

The endearing thing is, you know exactly what he means.

Mike Birbiglia at Union Hall [702 Union St. near Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, (718) 638-4400], Dec. 27 and 28 and 29 at 8 pm. Tickets $20 (standing room only). For info, visit www.unionhallny.com.

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More Hot Tub!

Littlefield knows what you want this holiday season — more Hot Tub.

Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler’s beloved absurdist variety show is back at the Gowanus on Dec. 20 for a second installment this month.

The normally monthly offbeat hour is typically anchored by co-hosts Schaal (from “The Daily Show” and “Flight of the Conchords”) and Braunohler, though this time, Braunohler will be on his own, though joined by “Saturday Night Life” writer John Mulaney (pictured), LA-based comedian and rapper MC Mr. Napkins, and, for a change of pace, burlesque performer Creamy Stevens.

Since it’s a special holiday edition of Hot Tub, there are sure to be some naughty surprises — if you’re nice.

Hot Tub at Littlefield [622 Degraw St. between Third and Fourth avenues in Gowanus, (718) 855-3388], Dec. 20 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $5. For info, visit www.littlefieldnyc.com.

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Comedy comes to the Linger Lounge

By  Meredith Deliso

Without certifiable comedy destinations like the Comedy Cellar or Carolines, comedy shows in Brooklyn pop up anywhere from the stages of music venues and theaters to the backs of coffee houses and restaurants.

The tradition continues this month, as comedy comes to Linger Cafe and Lounge in Boerum Hill on a regular basis with Tickle Me Brooklyn, a free monthly stand-up comedy showcase hosted by Chris Doucette.

“With antique couches and chairs, Linger is cozy and comfortable,” said Doucette. “When there’s a show, the whole place just radiates energy.”

For the next installment on Dec. 16, Doucette brings along some of his favorite friends, including gifted storyteller Sean Patton (of “Jimmy Fallon” fame), “fiesty redhead” Allison Castillo (a “Comedy Central” regular), Paul Case — who’s heavy on the sarcasm — and Maureen Langan.

“I love this lady,” said Doucette of Langan. “She’s a pro, and you know it from the second she takes the stage.”

Tickle Me Brooklyn at Linger Cafe and Lounge [533 Atlantic Ave. between Third and Fourth avenues in Boerum Hill, (347) 689-4813], Dec. 16 at 8 pm. Free. For info, visit www.lingercafelounge.com.

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CMJ Day 5

CMJ may be all about the music, but tonight, comedy's where it's at.

Union Hall hosts "Heart of Darkness: A Night of Forgiveness and Salvation," featuring a few of our favorite comedians, including Greg Barris, Reggie Watts, Kurt Braunohler, Dave Hill, and Kristen Schaal. 

Half of those on the bill played the festival in Manhattan earlier that week for twice as much, just another perk of living in Brooklyn. To that same effect though, be sure to get there early.

"Heart of Darkness" at Union Hall [702 Union St. at Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, (718) 638-4400], Oct. 23 at 8 pm. Tickets $10 in advance, $12 at the door.

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Laugh on with Eugene Mirman and friends

By Alex Rush

Eugene Mirman is all about the props.

And not just objects that he uses on stage during his act. The Park Slope comedian also gives props, as in pays homage, to his comedic influences, who include Steve Martin and Bill Cosby.

This month, his third annual self-named comedy festival will even host a 1986 tribute night at the Bell House on Sept. 16 that features old-school comedian Emo Philips, known for his childlike, somewhat idiotic persona.

“The year 1986 was the height of the stand-up comedy boom, and Emo Philips was the first comedian I’d ever heard I fell in love with,” Mirman said. “His stuff was so weird and smart.”

In addition to the stand-up bits, “An Evening of Comedy from 1986” will have hair stylists giving people ’80s hair makeovers and a Crocodile Dundee impersonator greeting people.

Mirman’s annual comedy festival, Sept. 16-19 at the Bell House, The Rock Shop and Union Hall, won’t shy away from new-school schticks, either. Case in point: Eugene’s World Class Masters of Comedy event on Sept. 18 at Union Hall, whose standout acts will surely be British comedian Daniel Kitson, Ron Lynch, and Marc Maron.

“They’re all very, very good,” Mirman said. “Each one is special in their own way: Marc wears glasses sometimes, Daniel has a beard and Ron is the oldest.”

Mirman, who made his own comedy major as a student at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, has his own ways of being a special Brooklyn comedian.

“I have a totally different face and name from everyone else, so that helps,” said Mirman. “Otherwise, I shop locally and never yell at a stranger’s baby.”

Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510]; Union Hall [702 Union St. near Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, (718) 638-4400]; and Rock Shop [249 Fourth Ave. between Carroll and President streets in Park Slope, (718) 230-5740], Sept 16-19. For schedule, visit www.eugenemirman.com.

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He is back!

By Roxanna Asgarian

This month, “The Terminator” will be up against a terrifying new kind of opponent, the likes of which Ahhnold has never seen: the Raspberry Brothers.

The Knitting Factory’s resident funnymen, who also contribute to “Saturday Night Live” and The Onion, will be lampooning the action classic as it screens during their weekly “Comedy over Movies” show in the venue’s front bar.

“ ‘The Terminator’ franchise has survived a quarter-century, enduring lame sequels, bad reviews, and a TV series,” said Jerm Pollet, lead Raspberry Brother. “Our only salvation is to go back in time to when killer robots from the future looked like the governor of California.”

The weekly shows, whose previous targets have included the Britney Spears flick, “Crossroads,” and “Conan, the Barbarian,” have turned into theme parties, where people dress up and play games for free drinks. The Knitting Factory’s bartender, Johnny, makes a new drink each week to go along with the theme.

Best of all, the show is free, and the Brothers will definitely show you a side of “Terminator” that you’ve never seen.

Raspberry Brothers screen “The Terminator” at Knitting Factory [361 Metropolitan Ave. at Havemayer Street in Williamsburg, (347) 529-6696], Aug. 31 at 8 pm. Free. For info, visit www.bk.knittingfactory.com.

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Laugh on

Williamsburg funny man Hannibal Buress has a lot to be excited about lately. His Sunday night comedy show at Knitting Factory is still going strong. He was named one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch. And, this week, his new album, “My Name is Hannibal,” comes out.

The SNL writer joins the ranks of Patton Oswalt, Doug Stanhope and Maria Bamford on the label, Stand Up! Records, and the record features his own hilarious style of silly, smart humor that touches on race in one second, burritos in the next, all with a killer deadpan.

And yes, his name really is Hannibal.

See him live this coming Sunday at the Knitting Factory in Willamsburg. And for a preview, watch him on Comedy Central in the clip below.

Jokes.com
Hannibal Buress - Living Together
comedians.comedycentral.com
Roast of David Hasselhoff Big Lake It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

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Big laughs, Littlefield

Big laughs come to Littlefield this month.

Tonight, the Gowanus venue presents “2nd Borough,” a night of comedy hosted by Kurt Braunohler, of the variety show “Hot Tub.”

The night features his usual partner in crime, Kristen Schaal (pictured), known for her hilarious turn as an obsessed fan in “Flight of the Conchords,” and as a correspondent on “The Daily Show.”

The two have spent years honing their act, which specializes in absurdist comedy that relies more on the physical — goofy dancing, usually — than quick one-liners or elaborate storytelling.

One popular bit that gets the crowd rolling involves Schaal galloping around the stage, arms flailing, with Braunohler singing, “Kristen Schaal is a horse.”

The night will also feature Brooklyn-based comedian Bradford Jordan, who forgoes his usual improv set-up for some stand-up, and the sketch groups New Excitement and Harvard Sailing Team. The latter’s videos, “Boys Will Be Girls” and “Girls Will Be Boys” — entertaining plays on gender stereotypes — have made the rounds online recently. But why sit at home when you can see the real thing live?

“2nd Borough: A Night of Comedy Hosted” at Littlefield [622 Degraw St. between Third and Fourth avenues in Gowanus, (718) 855-3388], June 28, 8 pm. Tickets are $5 (in advance). For info, visit www.littlefieldnyc.com.

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Eugene Mirman brings the comedy to Celebrate Brooklyn on June 17

Celebrate Brooklyn isn’t just a summer-long music festival.

On June 17, Park Slope funnyman Eugene Mirman, a regular on the much loved “Flight of the Conchords” and the man behind Brooklyn’s annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, headlines a night that features his “pretty good friends” John Hodgman, Michael Showalter, Kumail Nanjiani, Janeane Garofalo and Jerry Minor.

As Mirman has consistently shown during gigs at the Bell House or his weekly stand-up show, “Tearing the Veil of Maya” at Union Hall, the absurdist comic could get on stage without any prepared material and riff hilariously for hours.

The prepared stuff is worth hearing, though. One of his latest bits, “God is a 12-Year-Old Boy with Aspergers,” comes to the conclusion that religion, with all its rules and rituals, is “not a leap of faith, it’s high-functioning autism.” (See that clip below.)

Some of his best bits involve the use of a laptop and video. Here’s hoping that the bandshell is equipped with a projector.

Eugene Mirman & Pretty Good Friends at the Prospect Park Bandshell [enter park on Prospect Park West at Ninth Street in Park Slope, (718) 855-7882], June 17 at 7:30 pm. Free. For info, visit www. bricartsmedia.org.

Jokes.com
Eugene Mirman - Accept Me As Your God
comedians.comedycentral.com
Futurama New Episodes Ugly Americans Funny TV Comedy Blog

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Tompkins squared! Catch this comic at the Bell House on June 13

Get ready for your best night ever.

On June 13, Paul F. Tompkins, best known as the irreverent, gap-toothed host of “Best Week Ever,” as well as a cast member on “Mr. Show,” comes to the Bell House for a night of comedy.

Tompkins has local fans to thank for the show. As part of an ongoing bit about social media, Tompkins has vowed to perform wherever 300 online admirers demand it.

It’s a modest number for the dapper comedian, who’s gained fans for his three-piece suits, as well as his kingly storytelling, which delves from the personal (his mother’s death) to the silly (cake vs. pie). (See the comedian in action in the clip below.)

“There has been a debate raging in our society for many, many years,” says Tompkins in the latter bit. “People are on one side or the other. There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground.

“Some people like cake more than pie, some people like pie more than cake,” he continues, building momentum. “We’ve never been able to agree which one is best — until this historic night!”

Want to find out which one is best? You’ll just have to count yourself among the 300.

Paul F. Tompkins at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. between Second and Third avenues in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510], June 13 at 8 pm. Tickets $20. For info, visit www.thebellhouseny.com.

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Girls Night Out

Newyorkshitty shares the latest video from Greenpoint-based comedy group SERIOUS LUNCH.

Not only does the video feature Ellie Kemper from "The Office" and Hope Davis, it was shot right in the neighborhood, at Anella, Coco66, and East River Tattoo.

Enjoy:

GIRLS NIGHT OUT from Serious Lunch on Vimeo.

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Warm up with BRIC

BRIC is ready to cure your winter blues with the best medicine – laughter.

On February 27, the organization behind the summer festival Celebrate Brooklyn! is rearing up for the pending season with Winter Warm Up, an evening of comedy and music hosted by comedian Eugene Mirman (pictured), recently named Best New York Comedian by The Village Voice.

Joining the Park Sloper will be fellow comedians and Brooklynites Kristen Schaal (“Flight of the Conchords,” “The Daily Show”) and Michael Showalter (one half of Comedy Central’s “Michael and Michael Have Issues”), as well as other friends.

The night isn’t just about entertaining you, of course; the event also marks the kick-off to this year’s Friends of Celebrate Brooklyn membership campaign. Not a friend already? Join at the show and enter a chance to win prizes.

Tickets are $10, with the show starting at 8 pm. The Bell House is located at 149 7th St. For more information, call 718-643-6510.

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Comedians, musicians come out to support Haiti

By Meredith Deliso

The horrors of the earthquake in Haiti have been broadcast to us here in New York over the past week.

Jack McFadden, a local music booker, was not immune to the news. While staying up till the early morning last week caring for his 9-month-old daughter, he realized he wanted to use his powers for good, organizing a star-studded benefit with the likes of Jimmy Fallon.

“I...was watching all of the horrific news and immediately just figured I need to organize a quick benefit to get some cash in the right hands,” said McFadden, the booker for the Bell House in Gowanus and Union Hall in Park Slope. “I’ve had an incredibly lucky past two years personally, so getting involved was a real no-brainer.”

On Wednesday, January 27, the Bell House hosts Strength Through Unity, a benefit for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Reaching out to performers who have a history with both the Bell House and Union Hall venues, McFadden has compiled a variety of performers for the benefit, from comedians to local musicians. “It’s a testament to their kindness that they were able to say yes within the first 24 hours of asking,” said McFadden.

That list includes, as of press time, Jimmy Fallon, a Brooklyn native who hosts his own late night television show on NBC, Eugene Mirman, and Todd Barry on the comedy end. For music, there’s The Walkmen; Ted Leo; Sondre Lerche; Here We Go Magic; AC Newman of New Pornographers with Rhett Miller of Old 97s and Nicole Atkins as a Seekers cover band; The Wahoo Skiffle Crazies; and The Wrens.

“This is such a tragic event. So anything that we can do to help those in need we will do – this being the least of what we can do,” said Greg Whelan, guitarist for the indie rock band The Wrens. “The minute we heard about the benefit we were in.”

Also appearing at the benefit that night are New York State Senator Diane Savino and Pat Kiernan of NY 1. Joe McGinty of Loser’s Lounge and Sara Schaefer will be hosting keyboard karaoke as well. As performers’ schedules are finalized, there might be a few initial maybes that find they can commit to the event, which is giving 100 percent of the proceeds to Save The Children and Partners in Health.

“Most clubs will take their house costs first,” said McFadden, “but we are donating that amount to the cause.”The Strength Through Unity benefit is January 27 at 6 p.m. at the Bell House (149 7th St.). Tickets are $50. For more information, call 718-643-6510.

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