The Definitive Guide to Comedy
I’ve called Baron Vaughn a quintuple threat before, praising his ability to weave back and forth from joke-telling, acting, dancing, singing and rapping, plus an intangible quality he brings to the stage. Of course, not all of his talents can be seen on a CD — perhaps he should have put …
In stark contrast to many of this year’s comedy CD, Andres du Bouchet’s “Naked Trampoline Hamlet” has only six tracks covering the full hour. But each is its own unique set piece. Du Bouchet is quite the character. Or characters. Perhaps you’ve seen what he’s capable of as a writer for …
Listening to “Impregnated With Wonder,” the new stand-up comedy disc from Pete Holmes, provided one of the more truly enjoyable experiences I’ve had listening to new comedy CDs this year. How could it not be enjoyable when Holmes himself clearly is having so much fun onstage. Throughout the 55-minute performance, …
“I’m not going for laughs. I’m going for sympathy,” Johnny Beehner tells us. After all, Beehner reveals upfront how his last name prompted taunts and insults toward him over the years, as its homonym is a racial and ethnic slur, and its closest rhyme for simpletons is, well, just remember …
Adam Newman opens his 58-minute disc “Not For Horses” by wanting customers (that’s you) to know that the audience at Atlanta’s Laughing Skull loved the comedian before him who performed “Piano Man” as “Piano Monkey.” Newman, meanwhile, wants to sell you on his pop-culture naming policy for dogs — spoiler alert: …
I’ve known Joe List for years, but I’d never had the opportunity to hear him deliver a headline-length set until receiving his debut disc, “So Far No Good,” a 14-track, 43-minute performance recorded at Skyline Comedy Club in Appleton, Wisc. Touring for the past few years as Nick DiPaolo’s support …
This gal’s got sass. Always has. Even when appearing on the first season of The Biggest Loser back in 2004 (she lost 72 pounds then). After questioning a silent audience member at Mottley’s Comedy Club in Boston who Kelly MacFarland presumed was questioning her running regimen: “I lost weight a …
Recording your comedy CD in Ottawa, Canada, isn’t something you’d normally see from an American comedian. But Jesse Joyce wants you to know he’s not as normal as you might think. And on his 2011 disc, “Pro Joyce,” Joyce lets you know that by opening with a series of bits …
No matter your feelings about the American version of The Office on NBC — love it, loathe it, or used to love it but have become disappointed in it over time (which is how I feel this current season) — this is the perfect time to revisit the original UK …
Recorded in early 2010 and released in early 2011, Lee Camp’s CD, “Chaos For The Weary,” is best listened to now in the wake of the Occupy movements on Wall Street and across the country. Even in his opening track, he manages to get a dig in on Santa Claus, …
