Craigslist missed comedy connections

(Note: If you’re looking for Nick Thune’s Missed Connections comedy song, as several readers who reach this post via Google search already have done so, then you need to click here for my report on his Comedy Central half-hour) If kids say the darnedest things, then Craigslist ads must be …

An Underground Brooklyn Comedy Festival

Did you know there’s an Underground Brooklyn Comedy Festival happening this Friday and Saturday? I almost didn’t know. That’s how underground it is. Nate Sloan (alter ego of friendly fellow comedy blog The Apiary, or is that the alter ego of Nate? anyhoosiers, let’s break out of this parenthetical device …

Bill Cosby’s rap album?

All Hip Hop reported today that Bill Cosby would be releasing his own rap album, titled State of Emergency. They quote unnamed sources and say Cosby’s rapping would be an extension of his recent speeches criticizing the black community for its failings in parenting, teen pregnancy, crime and education. I …

Eugene Mirman animated!

Scott Bateman, who animated the ECNY Awards nomination reels, here illuminates a track from Eugene Mirman‘s CD, En Garde, Society! Mirman’s Comedy Central Presents debuts on Friday, in which you can see him for real. Except he’ll be on television. Which means you cannot touch him for real. Enjoy.

Assessing the Rififi/post-Rififi scene

Whether you call it the "alternative" comedy scene or the "downtown" comedy scene, and either of those labels doesn’t quite fit when describing the particular crop of New York performers who tend to eschew the traditional comedy clubs — and even that tag doesn’t apply to those stand-ups who perform …

In review, better late than never

As a journalist, reaching the final page of the notebook always prompts mixed emotions. First, excitement at the prospect of starting anew with a clean, fresh pad of paper. Then, a touch of sadness, because you’ve held this pad literally close to the vest for months, and inside it are …

ECNY extra extras!

Before we move on to other issues in comedy, let’s reflect one more time on Monday night’s ECNY Awards celebrating the New York comedy scene. If you think the cinematography in Cloverfield was shaky, check out this short video I shot moments before the ceremony began at a front-row table …

2008 ECNY Awards

Over the years, I’ve witnessed some of the uglier facets of comedy contests as both a participant and as a judge. Last night, however, I saw the sunnier side at the ECNY Awards (please don’t call them the Emerging Comics of New York anymore) ceremony at Comix in New York …

Last Comic Standing auditions begin Jan. 29

Get ready, because Tuesday marks the official start of season six of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and Bill Bellamy returns to host. Here are the audition cities and dates: Tuesday, Jan. 29: Los Angeles, Hollywood Improv, with "talent scouts" Angela Kinsey and Oscar Nunez from The Office Feb. 7: New …