Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Comedians’ Category

The Aimee Mann & Ted Leo Christmas Show (Scottish Rite Auditorium, Collingswood, NJ, December 6, 2024)

Posted in 'til Tuesday, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Aimee Mann, Christmas, Christmas Album, Collingswood NJ, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Josh Gondelman, Krampus, Paul F. Tompkins, Scottish Rite Auditorium, Slade, Ted Leo on December 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: December 6, 2024] The Aimee Mann & Ted Leo Christmas Show

My wife and I saw Aimee Mann 18 years ago.  When this show was announced, it sounded like a great way to see her again.  Way back then I didn’t know anything about Ted Leo.  And when the two of them got together as The Both, I was interested more for her than for him.  Now, all these years later, I’ve seen Ted Leo twice and am more interested in The Both because of him.

But I assumed that this would be a fun Christmas night out.

And it was.  But it also wasn’t what I was expecting at all.

I assumed that it would be the two of them singing Christmas songs and that their guests, the amazing Paul F. Tompkins, Nellie McKay and Josh Gondelman would add humor and song to the sets.

They had a backing band (whom they introduced but whose names I missed).  There was a bass player, a drummer and keys.  Aimee and Ted both played guitar.  The backing band started playing the haunting opening of Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime.  Then Aimee and Ted walked out (both dressed head to toe in black, which amused me) and sang.

And that’s basically what I expected.  Up next was a Christmas song that I barely knew but which I loved immediately–Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade.  It became a favorite Christmas song for me. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Brent Butt–“Huge” (2023)

Posted in Brent Butt, Canadian Content, Comedians, Funny (ha ha), Murder, Thrillers, Violence on March 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: hiatus

[READ: January 2024] Huge

Brent Butt is a Canadian comedian (treasure) who created Corner Gas.

His humor (at least in the show, I’ve never seen his stand up) is fairly PG–a few jackasses thrown in, but mostly (the show at least) is about living with weirdos who you love and hate.

So, imagine my surprise to find that there’s bad words in here–and pretty intense (but not graphic) violence!  This is not Corner Gas: The Book.

It is about stand up comedy though.  And it follows three main characters (in 1994).

Dale is the main character.  He’s been a comedian for years and is reliably very funny.  But his star is fading and now that he is his forties, he’s finding himself doing smaller shows.  He also has an ex-wife and daughter who he wants to support. Once he gets through this run of shows he’ll have enough to give her what she needs. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Fortune Feimster: Live Laugh Love (Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre at the Count Basie Center, Red Bank, NJ, January 21, 2024)

Posted in Caitlin Peluffo, Count Basie Theatre, Fortune Feimster, Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, Red Bank, NJ, Set in New Jersey! on January 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: January 21, 2024] Fortune Feimster

My wife asked for tickets to see Fortune for Christmas.  I was pretty delighted to see her too.  I don’t know her career that well, but she was a favorite character (Dougie) on the short lived Life in Pieces.

I didn’t really know what to expect from her stand up, but I assumed it would be brash and funny.

What was really impressive is that she basically told four stories over the course of 75 minutes and each story was funnier than the next.

There’s weren’t jokes per se, there’s no real one liners, they’re just very funny stories.

The first was about her and her wife going on a honeymoon to the Maldives and her discovering mid-flight that in the Maldives being gay is a crime.  Her (over)reactions to everything that people did on the island was great.  (more…)

Read Full Post »

Caitlin Peluffo (Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre at the Count Basie Center, Red Bank, NJ, January 21, 2024) [FORTUNE FEIMSTER]

Posted in Caitlin Peluffo, Count Basie Theatre, Fortune Feimster, Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, Red Bank, NJ, Set in New Jersey! on January 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: January 21, 2024] Caitlin Peluffo

Being an opening band has got to be tough.  being a warm up comedian might be tougher (or maybe not, if the crowd is already pumped).

Anyhow, we didn’t know if there was a warm up act, and then as the show was announced we were told that Caitlin Peluffo would be warming us up.

I hadn’t heard of her.

She came out in jeans and work boots and joked  that she wasn’t gay, it was just a clothing choice.  She then announced that she had a boyfriend.  Peluffo has a very loud, aggressive style, which worked really well for some of the jokes, but here it almost felt defiant–that she was straight opening for a gay comedian.  Or something.

She had some good jokes about being a physically strong woman and how she liked to date smaller guys.  I enjoyed the gentle male bashing that she did, but somehow her jokes fell a little flat for me–smiles but not a lot of laughs. (more…)

Read Full Post »

The Teeth / Alejandro Morales (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, January 19, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Alejandro Morales, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, The Teeth on January 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: January 13, 2024] The Teeth / Alejandro Morales

I had never heard of The Teeth before I saw that they had sold out three nights at Johnny Brenda’s months and months before these shows happened.

So who were they?

The Teeth was an indie rock band from Philadelphia consisting of twin brothers Aaron MoDavis on rhythm guitar and Peter MoDavis

After abruptly breaking up 15 years ago The Teeth are reuniting for a pair of special shows at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia. Twin brothers Peter MoDavis (Bass) and Aaron MoDavis (guitar) will reassemble with Jonas Oesterle (drums) and Brian Ashby (guitar) on their favorite stage in the City of Brotherly Love.

Opening for this show was comedian Alejandro Morales.  I watched a clip of his standup and found it okay.  I wanted to like him more than I did.  The vibe was good but the jokes didn’t seem to land very well.

Here’s some more about The Teeth: (more…)

Read Full Post »

The Teeth / Brad Howe (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, January 12, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Brad Howe, Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA, The Teeth on January 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: January 12, 2024] The Teeth / Brad Howe

I had never heard of The Teeth before I saw that they had sold out three nights at Johnny Brenda’s months and months before these shows happened.

So who were they?

The Teeth was an indie rock band from Philadelphia consisting of twin brothers Aaron MoDavis on rhythm guitar and Peter MoDavis

After abruptly breaking up 15 years ago The Teeth are reuniting for a pair of special shows at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia. Twin brothers Peter MoDavis (Bass) and Aaron MoDavis (guitar) will reassemble with Jonas Oesterle (drums) and Brian Ashby (guitar) on their favorite stage in the City of Brotherly Love.

Opening for this show was comedian Brad Howe.  I watched a clip of his stuff from 2017 and rather liked him.

Here’s some more about The Teeth: (more…)

Read Full Post »

Jeff Tweedy with Seth Meyers: World Within a Song: Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, November 7, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Jeff Tweedy, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Philadelphia, PA, Seth Meyers, Seth Meyers, Theatre of Living Arts on November 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 7, 2023] Jeff Tweedy with Seth Meyers

Usually any show with Jeff Tweedy is one I want to go to. For one reason or another I wasn’t really feeling the need to see Jeff Tweedy read from his book.

Ironically I just finished listening to his first book (on audio with Tweedy reading) and loved it.  So, really there’s no reason I shouldn’t have gone.

Later on, when I found out that he was going to be interviewed by Seth Meyers, my personal choice for Late Night hijinks, I was really bummed that I didn’t get a ticket.  By then it was sold out.

I guess I didn’t realize it would be a kind of fun night of q and a and reading or whatever.

Oh well.

I did get to go to Isiliel that night, so it’s all good.

That night or the night before or earlier that day (who knows) Jeff was on Seth’s TV show.  I wonder if they talked about the same things in Jersey City as they did in NYC.

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Sarah Sherman (Fillmore Philly, Philadelphia, PA, October 31, 2023) [JAPANESE BREAKFAST]

Posted in Crooks and Nannies, Hop Along, Japanese Breakfast, Philadelphia, PA, Sarah Sherman, The Fillmore Philadelphia on October 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 31, 2023] Sarah Sherman

After Crooks and Nannies, we waited a few minutes, honestly hoping that JBrekkie would come on stage soon so we could get home early, when out came a a woman in a clown suit.  It took us a moment to realize that we recognized her from the Adam Sandler film You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah.  She was weird and funny.

Turns out she was a special surprise Halloween guest for this show.  Michelle Zauner later said that she didn’t ask to perform, she just came out and insisted on it.  Which is pretty funny.

So Sherman started doing her routine.

I have no idea what her stand up is normally like.  If this was a typical gig for her, just shortened to twenty minutes.  Or if she was trying stuff out or what.  But her stand up is deliberately annoying, I believe.

I was annoyed by the guys behind us who kept saying things like “why would you have a stand up comedian come out between bands.”  I mean, it’s Halloween it’s supposed to be fun, shut up.

She does a lengthy bit about New York “you know what I’m tawkin’ about.”  She repeats that line “you know what I’m tawkin’ about” about forty times.  Funny, not funny, then funny, then not funny then funny again. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Aunty Donna: The Magical Dead Cat Tour (Perelman Theater, Kimmel Cultural Campus, Philadelphia, PA, October 7, 2023)

Posted in Aunty Donna, Australia, Broden Kelly, Funny (ha ha), Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Mark Bonanno, Perelman Theater, Philadelphia, PA, Religion, Zachary Ruane on October 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: October 7, 2023] Aunty Donna

I don’t recall what made me check out Aunty Donna one night.  But the opening skit of the first episode had me cracking up.  I’ve been a fan ever since.

The only “problem” with them is that their jokes are so vulgar, so over the top rude, that it’s hard to share them.  Especially with the kids.  I mean, even their merch–which includes a hat that says Morning Brown is hard to explain without going a bit red in the face.

So what was this show going to entail?

Well, the promo told us this

Dear Human Beings,

Hello, I am a Magical Dead Cat, the titular Magical Dead Cat from the very title of this very show. I write to you today because I have discovered the most wondrous sketch show on the popular streaming service Netflix – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun. I was so impressed with said show that I issued Aunty Donna this challenge: entertain me with a 2 hour live show, one that features all new sketches, but also a few fan favourites. It MUST include a short interval, and based on availability / budget, possibly an opening act. If Aunty Donna succeeds in pleasing me with a rip-roarin’ show, I have promised to surprise them with a special, web slinging, mystery guest!
Come, sweet humans, and see if Broden, Zach and Mark are up for the task!

With loving grace,
The Magical Dead Cat.

The show also came with a warning that there would be occasional coarse kanguage.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It was filled front to back with nothing BUT coarse language.

They opened the show by having an announcer introduce each of the three comedians.  And as each one’s name was announced they came to the front of the stage and did a high-stepping dance.  But the announcer continued to re-introduce Broden and Mark, as Zach’s face fell and the other two grew exhausted from all of their dancing. (more…)

Read Full Post »

David Cross / Sean Patton (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, May 5, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Arrested Development, Comedy Album, David Cross, Funny (ha ha), Mr Show, Philadelphia, PA, Sean Patton, Union Transfer on May 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 5, 2023] David Cross / Sean Patton

My wife and I saw David Cross back in 2016.  He was hilarious.

He’s consistently one of my favorite comedians.  I have enjoyed David Cross since the old days of Mr. Show, and the as Tobias on Arrested Development and even in Alvin and the, well, actually I’m just happy for him that he got a lot of money for it.

It was really puzzling that this show was at Union Transfer (as opposed to a seated venue).  I assume that they put in seats-who wants to stand up for a stand up?

This show was scheduled for the same night as Yves Tumor who I had very much wanted to see.  So David didn’t get my ticket purchase.  But the show sold out so he doesn’t care.

Sean Patton opened.  He’s a comedian I’d never heard of.  He had a special on Peacock, with a theme about people being broken.  People are like glow sticks–you gotta break them before they can shine.  He sounds dark but optimistic.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »