From Cleveland to New York with Jim Tews

New York by way of Cleveland comedian Jim Tews is more than just another standup comic. He’s a also a cat blogger (Felines of New York), documentary director (Make Fun), and singer/guitarist for a Weezer tribute band (The Undone Sweaters). Since making the move to New York, he’s performed on Last Comic Standing, Louie, and […]

Continue Reading

‘Little Clown’ Does Something More Sketches Should

Written by and starring Wes Haney, directed by Doron Max Hagay, and featuring Ana Fabrega in a silent but memorable role, Little Clown grabbed my intention because of what it didn’t do, as much as what it did. What begins as a straight ahead sketch setup–guy buys weird clown art–pivots to offer a twist about halfway through. It heightens like […]

Continue Reading

In Praise of James Urbaniak’s Grant Grunderschmidt on ‘Review’

Like Da Ali G. Show and Nathan for You, Review is audacious and fearless in the way that it continually ratchets up the stakes and the danger facing its protagonist. The Andy Daly vehicle has gone to such dark places in its first two seasons that it almost seemed like its protagonist Forrest MacNeil would […]

Continue Reading

The Hosts of ‘Black Men Can’t Jump’ Are Ready to Take Over TV

If it seems like comedians Jerah Milligan, Jonathan Braylock, and James III have taken over every platform imaginable, it’s because they have. There’s their nearly two-year-old podcast, Black Men Can’t Jump in Hollywood, performances at UCB with Astronomy Club, and Thank You, Black People, a Snapchat and Instagram series they and writing partner James Carr […]

Continue Reading

On the Surprising Heart of ‘The Comedy Jam’

The connection between musicians and comedians is long-established, with the idea often being that each group wants to be the other. Comedians long for the joy of being rock stars, while our favorite musicians often want people to know they’re funny. As Madonna’s disastrous attempt at standup proved, this trade-off does not always work out […]

Continue Reading

On the Surprising Heart of ‘The Comedy Jam’

The connection between musicians and comedians is long-established, with the idea often being that each group wants to be the other. Comedians long for the joy of being rock stars, while our favorite musicians often want people to know they’re funny. As Madonna’s disastrous attempt at standup proved, this trade-off does not always work out […]

Continue Reading

March 2017’s Best Standup Specials: Kurt Braunohler, Sasheer Zamata, and More

March was a big month for standup specials, specials that ran the gamut from “everybody’s talking about it” to “why isn’t everyone talking about it?” In case you missed it, here’s a rundown of what dropped last month: Kurt Braunohler – Trust Me (Comedy Central) Braunohler’s first full-length Comedy Central special combines his usual absurd […]

Continue Reading

Inside Eliot Glazer’s ‘Haunting Renditions’

Comedian Eliot Glazer has created a live show that combines his absurd comedic sensibility with his musical gifts. A classically trained vocalist, Glazer orchestrates poorly written pop songs of the nineties like “Too Close” and “S8R BOI” into moving ballads featuring vocal harmonies and critical analysis. The most recent monthly performance of Haunting Renditions sold […]

Continue Reading

They Can’t All Be Spider-Man: Your Handy Guide to B-Level Super-Powered Folk, by Kit Lively

The Stupendous Bee Woman. College student Sheila Sherwood is stung by a bee that had been exposed to mysterious rays of ultra-dimensional energy. Realizing that she now has incredible bee powers, she decides to devote her life to fighting crime as The Stupendous Bee Woman! Sadly, after stinging only one evildoer, she died immediately. Dutch Oven. Dutch […]

Continue Reading

‘Complete Joy’ Is a Hilariously Grim, Worthy Follow-Up to ‘The Complete Woman’

Pod-Canon is an ongoing tribute to the greatest individual comedy-related podcast episodes of all time. The 2015 cult mini-series The Complete Woman introduced listeners to self-help author Marabel May, a gently narcotized 1960s housewife who has the curious distinction of being the hero, anti-heroine and villain of her own story. As performed with the perfect […]

Continue Reading