City Desk » comedy

Stella at 6th & I Historic Synagogue, Todd Barry at DC Improv

Mike Riggs — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:49:36 +0000

In tomorrow's schedule, wedged between "Doing the Right Thing: Jewish Ethics in the Modern World" and "News Media Malpractice: Mis-Covering the Middle East," is a 7 p.m. performance by Stella (Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and David Wain), the absurdist supergroup responsible for Wet Hot American Summer, The Baxter, and the short-lived and eponymous Comedy Central series, Stella.

I've got a real soft spot/hard on for David Wain in particular, as he voices the warden on Adult Swim's underrated Superjail. Some clips below (the first is Stella as a group, the second is Wain in Superjail.)

And now, Superjail:

Another good comedy show this week is Todd Barry (the bongo player from The Flight of the Conchords), who performs Thu., 12/4, at the DC Improv. Barry delivers his lines at a snail's pace and without ever raising his voice, and magically manages to keep you on the edge of your seat:

No Place to Sit at the Rhys Darby Show

Mike Riggs — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:27:28 +0000

First: I would've enjoyed his comedy routine last week at the 9:30 Club much more if I had never, ever heard of him.

I'd already seen most of his jokes on YouTube and his Myspace page, and he didn't deviate from what he's done before. I was almost envious of the people around me who were hearing his routine for the first time and laughing their asses off.

But there was something else that kept me from enjoying the show: the 9:30 Club's seating arrangements. Darby's event was a "seated show," yet the venue was intended for standing-room-only events. Ergo, the 9:30 Club provided a few rows of folding chairs on the main floor, as well as bleacher-style benches on either sides of the balcony. But because they don't actually sell you seats, just admission, it's up to the patron to find a spot. We (there were two of us) tried to sit down several times, only to be told "seat's taken."

We grabbed a spot on the balcony rail after being shooed away from several chairs and the bleachers. The show started at 7 p.m. (we showed up at 6:15, the doors opened at 6), and I counted 19 empty chairs at 6:58 p.m. I told my girlfriend that I was going to try for two of those spots, and she replied simply, "Shut up and quit whining." When Rhys came onstage around 7:05 p.m., there were still 6 empty seats in the audience that never filled.

Now I'm debating whether or not to fight for a seat the next time I go to a "seated show" at the 9:30 Club. After all, if some greasy hipster tells me "Seat's taken," who's going to throw me out for saying, "How 'bout I keep it warm until your imaginary date shows up?"

Untapped Comedy Potential on 2300 Block of Champlain Street NW, Aug. 20, 2008

Andrew Beaujon — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:21:36 +0000

Fringe & Purge Launch

Ted Scheinman — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:08:18 +0000

This past Thursday, to prodigious applause and a minimal throwing of old fruit, the City Paper launched its 2008 Fringe & Purge blog.

Ever since, we've been positively inundated with questions, compliments, and offers of a decidedly salacious nature. Rather than responding individually, I've decided to offer some answers right here, for all to see.

After the jump:

Is Fringe & Purge my go-to place for the inside scoop, the low-down, and/or the nitty-gritty on this year's Fringe Festival?

Yes. Yes it is.

Will Trey Graham and Glen Weldon, perennial Fringe & Purge all-stars, be back and better than ever?

Yes. Yes they will.

Will there be totally awesome videos, photographs, reviews, commentary, and more?

Why yes, now that you mention it.

Is it true that Brian Reed blew off a date with Miss America 2006 to attend the final Fringe Happy Hour?

Brian, I'm not going to dignify your feeble ploy by responding to this or any subsequent red herrings.

Enough of this pitter-patter; watch the sneak previews below:

Trouble viewing? Try the YouTube version of this video.