thelaughbutton:

This weekend marked the 2011 version of the MTV Video Music Awards. Where the former music network celebrates music videos, giving out moonmen to those that managed to get their video played. The flannel-bearded indie rocker known as Bon Iver who’s gone on record for hating MTV in the…

In the name of Bill Hicks?

1) MAD MAGAZINE HAS A BLOG!!!

2) Curtiss Angel-Criss Angel’s Cousin Part 2 (Here’s Part 1 where he still believes in magic) NOTE: Follow anything Andre Hyland does. We’re not kidding.

3) My favorite picture of the week with Ron Lynch and Craig Anton…

4) Everyone is saying that the 30 Minutes or Less Red Band Trailer is giving away too much? Well, at least they’re giving away that it might be worth watching:

EMBED-30 Minutes or Less - Watch more free videos

5) This week’s “Tip of the Hat” goes to Sean Patton.  Look for the article/profile coming soon.

6) Favorite Season 1 Recap of Comedy Show of the Week: The Good Luck Show!

Good Luck Show, Season 1 RECAP! from Charlie watkins on Vimeo.

7) Bill Hicks Tribute by Paul Provenza, Colin Hanks, Richard Linklater, Keith Olberman, and more!!!

8) The Ultimate Free & Cheap LA Comedy List 6/19-6/25. Thanks Wisepix.

9) Will Dave Chappelle Ever Really Make a Comeback? [via Punchline Magazine]

10) ON THE HORIZON
Comedy Revolver @ Hollywood Improv Lab Tues. Jun. 21st 10PM $5 
This Is Not Happening @ Hollywood Improv Thurs. Jun. 23rd 8PM $5/2 item min.
Kyle Kinane @ Hollywood Improv Fri. July 1st  8PM $18/2 item min. 
Jack Follman: Recipe for Disaster Comedy @ Cafe Muse Sat. July 9th 9:30PM FREE 

11) COMEDY CRAWL
It’s A Long Way Down 8PM FREE 
ASSSSCAT @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10
Brian Posehn @ Hollywood Improv 8PM/10PM $20/2 item min.
Re-Animator @ Steve Allen Theater 8PM $30
Jimmy Dore @ Flappers Burbank 8PM/10PM $17/2 item min.
The Anytime Show w/Dominic Dierkes @ Underground Annex Theater 8PM $5
Pod F. Tompkast LIVE! @ Largo at the Coronet Theater 8:30PM $25
Little Dick Sports @ Hop Louie 9PM FREE 
Gelmania @ UCB Theatre 10PM $10 (stand by only)
Magic Bag @ Underground Annex Theater 10PM $5 
Tournament of Nerds @ UCB Theatre MIDNIGHT $5 (stand by only) 
The Tomorrow Show @ Steve Allen Theater MIDNIGHT $8 

12) OPEN MIC RUN
SPOT CAFE 4455 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA/Starts 2PM/feedback given at end
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA/Starts 6PM/$4 min./first come, first served
MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/5PM to 11PM/$5 min./multiple sets allowed/coffee & water provided
WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATER 1323-A 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica, CA (in alley between 3rd and 4th St.)/Sign-up (lottery) 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/no purchase necessary/4 min. 

13) Saw a “comic” point out noises instead of telling jokes or do ANYTHING because apparently we weren’t on board with his weirdness, which he didn’t approve of, and then cut and run right after his set.  If he was trying to make sure that people won’t come to his shows where his name is on the bill, he’s doing a damn good job.

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1) American: The Bill Hicks Story is out on DVD today here in the States!!! 

2) You can win a copy of American if you submit your favorite Bill Hicks quote at the Sataristas FB event page here.

3) Do Modern Comedy Roasts Need More Class? (Punchline Magazine Article by the Comedy Bureau)

4) The Walsh Brothers Go “Planking”

5) One of the funniest people we know here at the Comedy Bureau (an early recipient of the Tip of the Hat) Abbey Londer is actually using her Twitter account, so we highly suggest that you follow @abbeylonder so you can catch “Stop fucking smiling at me it’s just a latte you idiot. #firemealready”.

6) Sappity Tappity, the Drunken Roller Skating English Christmas Tree (Jon Daly) Tries to Explain Himself.

7) Theatre of Life w/Nick Rutherford and Beck Bennett.  Essentially, it’s “extreme people watching”, well… as extreme as “people watching” can get.

8) Connected Comedy: What I’ve Learned in My First Three Months on Tumblr.  Great Article AND we’re mentioned in it.  Thanks Connected Comedy.

9) Bad Hostage Negotiator with Rob Corddry.  Plenty of you have seen this, but, truly, we’d regret not posting here.

10) COMEDY CRAWL
Drinking Buddies Presents @ Hollywood Improv 8PM $14/2 item min. 
Drunk On Stage: Pride Week! @ Akbar 8PM FREE
The LA Improv Comedy Fest: The Armando Show w/Drew Carey @ iO West 8:30PM $25
Comedy Bang Bang @ UCB Theatre 8:30PM $5 (stand by only)
For a Few Geeks More @ Michael’s Bar & Grill 9PM FREE 
Lower Crust Comedy @ Genghis Cohen 9PM $6  

11) OPEN MIC RUN
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE TOKYO @ SEÑOR FISH 422 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6:30PM/Starts 7PM/6 min./first come, first served/no purchase necessary
LIBRARY A COFFEE HOUSE 3418 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA/Sign-up 7:30PM/Starts 8PM/first come, first served/no purchase necessary
WESTWOOD BREWCO 1097 Glendon Ave., Westwood, CA/Sign-up 7:30PM/Starts 8PM/lottery/first come, first served/no purchase necessary
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, CA/Starts 8PM/first come, first served/$4 min.
WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATER 1323-A 3rd St., Santa Monica, CA (in alley between 3rd St. Promenade and 4th St.)/Sign-up 9:45PM/Starts 10PM/lottery/$1 cover
MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA (walk up Martel past Big Mama’s and Papa’s)/5PM to 11PM/$5 min./multiple sets allowed/bottled water and coffee provided 

12) A comedian asked me last night, “Is comedy even cool?”  To that I say, “YES!!!” and suggest you watch this.

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1) American: The Bill Hicks Story will be out on DVD in the U.S. June 7th w/5 hours of extras! Interviews, never before seen performances, and more!

2) Yesterday, I found [via A.V. Club] the perfect response to Patton Oswalt’s bit about stopping the Star Wars prequels. Thanks to Slick Gigolo, George Lucas can finally “Strike Back”.

3) Andres Du Bouchet is doing his CD taping next week at Bar Lubitsch on Wednesday and Thursday next week.  He’s a writer on Conan, but more importantly he got “boner” trending on Twitter.  Do not miss this.

4) Not quite sure what to make of this just yet, but MTV’s on Tumblr.

5) Larry David is both fun & sad for me to wait on, but mostly sad… by Brian Farrell

6) Puddin’-“Grandma”

7) Conan and the Basic Cable Band are performing for charity!!!

8) Paul Scheer’s How Did This Get Made? now has T-Shirts!!!

9) COMEDY CRAWL
Dead Authors @ UCB Theatre 6:30PM $5
First Fridays Comedy Variety Talk Show @ Theatre Asylum 9PM $5 
The Garfunkel & Oates Hour @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10 
Re-Animator the Musical @ The Steve Allen Theater 8PM $30
12 Shiny Nickels @ Hollywood Improv Lab 8:30PM $5
Stood Up Friday Night: Animals & Mythological Creatures @ Moving Arts Theatre 10PM $5 
The Roast of TJ Miller @ UCB Theatre MIDNIGHT $5 (stand by only)

10) OPEN MIC RUN
SET LIST @ FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia, Burbank, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 5:30PM/given “set list” of topics to do jokes off of/first come, first served/no purchase necessary
iCANDY 1708 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 7PM/first come, first served/$3 min./mixed mic/booked show in middle around 8PM
SILVERLAKE LOUNGE 2906 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (Silverlake)/Sign-up (lottery) 6:30PM/Starts 7PM/4 min./no purchase necessary
MAX BLOOM’S 200 N. Malden Ave., Fullerton, CA/Starts 7PM/booked show after/no purchase necessary
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL 1160 N. Vermont Ave., Hollywood, CA/Starts 7PM
TRINITY CHURCH 1015 California Ave., Santa Monica, CA/Starts 8PM/must work clean/no purchase necessary/mixed mic
GLENDALE DAYS INN 450 N. Pioneer Dr., Glendale, CA/Sign-up 7PM/Starts 8PM/No foul language/No purchase necessary/first come, first served 

11) Jack Kervorkian jokes here we go (cue sound of sad party favor)…

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I know the title of this post might be either surprising or incredibly obvious depending on your opinion of Nick Cannon.

Still, someone who picks Hannibal Buress, Garfunkel & Oates, and Harris Wittels as some of the hottest, up and coming comedians has an infinitely better idea about the state of comedy than an entire publication that calls comedy legend Bill Hicks underrated.

This is not a review of American: The Bill Hicks Story.  There’s plenty of that going around the web that breaks down the story stringed together of Hicks’ life and the intriguing animation utilized to convey all the interview clips, stand up, etc. filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas.  Instead of wasting time repeating what everyone else is saying, I’ll just go ahead and say see the movie.  It’s good.

Instead, this will be my collected and (semi) processed thoughts on watching American: The Bill Hicks Story at the Comedy Store, no less, with a room full of comics and comedy folks.

Whilst sitting at a booth in the main room, there were many feelings floating around my head watching a teenage Hicks emulating one of his first comedy heroes, Woody Allen.  The amount of evolution and re-invention he went through as an artist to go from working almost exclusively clean and talking about his parents to trying to free people’s mind and redefining an individual’s purpose in life, to me, was simultaneously inspiring and daunting.  Seeing the almost stereotypical downward Hollywood spiral that’s overplayed in nearly every movie about the entertainment industry was painful for me, as a comic, to watch.  As Hicks started to “expand” his mind with drugs and see where he could find his limits in how much he could take, it almost seemed necessary to Hicks’ development that he struggle out of hole that he kept digging.  

I’m on the opposite end of this spectrum. I personally have never ingested any type of hallucinogenic and have very rarely ever gotten drunk, much less belligerent.  Sure, I struggle through depression, had one break down or two, but I can’t let go out of the notion that Hicks had to suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally to such an extreme to find his own way to espouse his views while making people laugh.  I know that it’s not a prerequisite to greatness, especially as an artist, that you become addicted to alcohol, coke, etc., but in thinking of what Hicks’ went through, that tired old phrase of “you’ve got a long way to go,” starts ringing in my head.

That’s not to say that I’m on the verge of quitting or even close to it.  In watching the Comedy Store’s very own Mack Lindsay to attempt to do 15 minutes to open for the screening to a bunch of comics and comment, “Even when Hicks is dead, it’s hard to open for him,” I found a weird sense of comfort in one of the reasons why I perform stand up comedy.

I know, for a fact, that I’m an infinitely better guitarist than I am a comic.  In having a decade in sporadically picking strings and ultimately being a lazy musician, I’ve developed a level of proficiency to where people enjoy seeing me play.  Yet, I don’t get nearly the same fulfillment and validation from soloing on a guitar in front of bunch of drunks and subsequently getting free drinks as much as I do struggling to make recovering alcoholics and drug addicts to laugh and get an applause break.  In short, I love/obsess about the purity of stand up comedy.

As Hicks found after walking entire rooms while yelling into the mic, being on stage alone poses an artistic challenge unlike any other where, no matter what you talk about, there is a responsibility to entertain.  With music, poetry, painting, films, an individual may do as they place without validation from anyone else.  Their art can be just for them. In such media, you can chalk up silence or a lack of adoration/compliments to people just “not getting it”.  Though no joke/bit/act will ever be universally funny, a few people have to laugh at it for it to ever develop artistically.  

This functioning principle of comedy is what largely attracts me to performing over other art forms.  No matter how much I’ve been “eating it” on stage lately spouting off about my own self-imposed isolation, the feeling of expressing your true self and then genuine validation is transcendent.  In fact, it’s addicting, even more so than drugs could ever be.  Having literally nothing to hide behind on stage, being one person against many, expecting you to do something for them while trying to not pander/sell out and even going so far as to enlightening people is daunting, but I love it.  I love that it’s daunting.  I love that there is my own personal point of view in both what I find funny and what I want to say on stage and people might not find it funny.  Actually, real people most likely, especially on material’s first time out, probably won’t find it funny.  Yet, I will revel in their silence for collective hours on end to find that intersection of myself, my ideas, opinions, personal truths, etc. and what’s funny to everyone else because that’s my addiction.

Even if I never become a junkie or find myself strewn across a bar drooling on myself, the obsession for truth in art like Hicks, no matter how it manifests itself, reaffirms my own personal journey as a comedian.

Still, I got a hell of a long way to go.

1) As the Comedy Awards already happened and we already know who won, I’d say watch the premiere of Norm MacDonald’s Sports Show at 10:30PM April 12th first, but the Comedy Awards are chronologically on first at 9PM, so just watch both on Comedy Central.

2) You probably already suspected that American: The Bill Hicks Story was going to be reviewed like this, but it’s nice to actually read it in reality. [via PopcornBiz]

3) Weird Places to do Stand Up w/Chelsea Peretti, Pete Holmes, Howard Kremer, and more! [via HuffPo Comedy]

4) Tip of the Hat for Jim Hamilton

5) Tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL
Comedy Without a Cause @ Boardners 7:30PM FREE
Feel Good Comedy @ Hollywood Improv 7:30PM $10/2 item min. 
ASSSSCAT @ UCB Theatre 7:30PM FREE
Ian Federgreen Presents @ Flappers YooHoo Room 7:30PM $10/2 drink min.
#hashtag @ Bar Lubitsch 8:30PM FREE 
Powerviolence @ The Complex 8:30PM FREE 
Chatterbox Comedy Night @ Chatterbox 9PM FREE 
Top Story Weekly @ iO West 9PM $5
Lettuce Entertain You! (W/Stand Up) @ UCB Theatre 9:30PM $5
The Sunday Sunday Sunday Show @ The Improv Space 9:30PM FREE 

6) OPEN MIC RUN
PALMS 8572 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA/Starts 6PM 
SUNSET GRILL 7439 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 7PM/one item min. 
TSUNAMEDY @ TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA (Echo Park)/Sign-up 8PM/Starts 9PM
MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA (walk up Martel past Big Mama’s and Papa’s)/5PM to 11PM/$5/multiple sets allowed  

7) I apologize profusely for the tardiness of this post.  There’s no excuse other than I can write an update this complex via my smart phone.  Damn technology.

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1) Want to be part of the audience of an episode of Norm Macdonald’s Sports Show (premiering tomorrow night on Comedy Central)?  Click that link.  Also, watch Norm MacDonald’s Sports Show tomorrow because, simply, it’s Norm MacDonald’s Sports Show and that should be reason enough.

2) Though it was posted yesterday, there may still be room for the Comedy Store screening of American: The Bill Hicks Story on Wed. Apr. 13th 8PM.  Try e-mailing at talent@thecomedystore.net.

3) Entertainment Fund Chiefs Pen Op-Ed urging need to raise money for American Comedy Fund via The Comic’s Comic.

4) The Comedy Bureau “Tips Its Hat” this week to Jim Hamilton.  Article/profile to follow later today. 

5) ON THE HORIZON
An Evening with Tina Fey in Conversation with Steve Martin @ Nokia Theatre Tues. April 19th 8PM $29
Humanist Comedy @ Bar Marmont Mon. Apr. 11th 8PM FREE

6) Tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL
LA Comedy Shorts Festival @ Downtown Independent Theater
Ogre Mage @ Silverlake Lounge 6PM FREE
ASSSSCAT @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10 (stand by only)
Lit Up! @ St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Parish Hall 8PM $10
Christina Pazitsky @ Downtown Comedy Club 9PM $11/2 drink min.
The Anytime Show/Magic Bag @ Underground Annex Theatre 8PM/10PM $5 
Dana Gould @ Hollywood Improv 8PM/10PM $20/2 item min.
Alonzo Bodden @ Ice House 8PM/10PM $17.50/2 drink min.
The Back Room @ UCB Theatre 10PM $10
The Tomorrow Show & Midnight Show COMBINE @ Steve Allen Theater MIDNIGHT $8

7) OPEN MIC RUN
SPOT CAFE 4455 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA/Starts 2PM/people usually give feedback at end of set
WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATRE 1323-A 3rd St., Santa Monica, CA (in alley between 3rd and 4th St.)/Sign-Up 6PM/Starts 6:30PM
SUNSET GRILL 7439 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 7PM/one item min.
MARTY’S/THE OPEN MIC 7351 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA/5PM to 11PM/$5/multiple sets allowed 

8) Said to someone last night, “I am the Comedy Bureau,” and felt more validated than ever for about 5 seconds before remembering I only have $5 in my wallet and my empty light is about to turn on.

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1) American-the Bill Hicks Story hits U.S. theatres this week on April 8th, but the earliest you can see it is April 13th at the Comedy Store then April 15th at the Laemmle Sunset 5.  Something is wrong with this picture.  If it changes, the Comedy Bureau will let you know.

2) LA via Australia-Hear clips of Garfunkel and Oates & Maria Bamford live in Melbourne

3) Brand New Open Mic coming next week: 
Smiles Nightclub
13615 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Every other Wednesday
5 minutes of stage time with 1 item purchase
$3 Domestic Beer, $3 Soda, Half off apps
Contact Chris Dunham or TK Matteson
www.facebook.com/chrisdunhamlive-www.facebook.com/tkocomedy 

4) The Comedy Bureau’s own calendars have been updated with a few new venues!

5) Once again, Conan on WTF w/Marc Maron.

6) Tonight’s COMEDY CRAWL
What’s Up Tiger Lily @ Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill 8PM FREE
Keep It Clean @ 1739 Public House 10PM FREE
Crash Test @ UCB Theatre 11PM $5

7) OPEN MIC RUN
RED ROCK 8782 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA/Starts 7PM/multiple sets allowed/$5 min.
CLUB 705 705 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach, CA/Starts 7PM-ish
JAKE’S 38 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA/Sign-up (lottery) 7:30PM/Starts 8PM
TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA (Echo Park)/Starts 8PM/call (213) 483-4458
D’AMORE’S 8369 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up (lottery) 8PM/Purchase required 
GROUND ZERO USC 615 Childs Way, Los Angeles, CA/USC Campus/Nestled between 3 dormitories approximately a block away from the intersection of Figueroa and Exposition/USC student sign-up 9PM/non-USC-student sign-up 9:15/Starts 9:30PM  

8) Yesterday, the Comedy Bureau posted the article, “Why are THEY on the Show?” about the unfortunate trading of spots on shows that happens in LA and some readers were wondering a few things.  Specifically, The Comic’s Comic wondered about comics who struggle to get stage time starting their own room.  I have no problem with other comics starting their own room to get their own stage time if they can’t get it elsewhere.  Again, I reiterate stay away from trading spots.  Whether they are good or bad as comics is a matter of subjectivity to me really, but, as I point out in the article, if they can find an audience of their own, my opinion doesn’t really matter.  Another reader wondered that if a person works the Haha, Ice House, Comedy Store, Improv that they should get a shot at performing at another room.  First off, there are plenty of comics that are (and I’m putting this very politely) raw that get to perform at all of those clubs.  Once more, as I pointed in the article, plenty of comics can get laughs, but if they’re not funny to the booker, why should the booker put them up?  Last week, I saw someone do nothing but offensive material jumbling up the most controversial topics to date (i.e. Libya, Tsunami, and Liz Taylor’s Death) into one dick joke ridden mess and kill.  Did I laugh? I didn’t even smile.  Just because this comic happened to do good on a certain night because they had a good spot on the show, I don’t feel obligated or guilted to promote their comedy as, plain and simple, I don’t find them funny.  If you have any further questions regarding this article or anything else, please send them to thecomedybureau@gmail.com.

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thecomedystore:

Exclusive Comedy Store clips from American: The Bill Hicks Story

The groundbreaking documentary about Comedy Store legend Bill Hicks, traces the life and legend of a Comedy outlaw  the intense highs and lows, and the sacrifices comics make to bring laughs to an audience.

Screening at Laemmle’s Sunset 4/15-4/21
Special Comics, Friends and Family Screening at The Comedy Store on 4/13
(For an invitation e-mail: Talent@TheComedyStore.net)

Every single one of you definitely need to be watching out for this…