Atsuko Okatsuka, Monday, January 9, 2023
YouTube and TikTok sensation (remember her viral “Drop Challenge”?) Atsuko Okatsuka dropped her debut HBO hour-long special, The Intruder, in 2022, and immediately proved that the pleasure of (and acceptance for) her stand-up bits went far beyond any social media trend. As observed by Variety in regard to her Intruder special, “Okatsuka delivers each punchline with a razor-sharp rhythm that feels remarkably fresh and off-the-cuff.” I second that devotion.
The Elysian Theater, 1944 Riverside Dr, Los Angeles, CA
RHINOCEROS by Eugene Ionesco, Monday, January 9, 2023
Existential angst meets the avant-garde Theatre of the Absurd where the inhabitants of a tiny, provincial French town turn into rhinoceroses with the only non-believer of mass hype and metamorphosis being the town drunk? And you don’t think that is comedy? Sure, there are ideas of fascism, conformity, mob mentality and morality wound tightly into Ionesco’s passion play. But you can’t fight fascism unless you laugh in its face.
The Cutting Room, 44 E. 32nd Street, New York, New York
Pete Holmes: Living at Largo, Tuesday, January 10, 2023
The laid-back, one-time holy roller can be as absurd as the Ionesco above when he so chooses. Mostly, however, his observations of a life led thoughtfully – his mostly – are always charming and succinct. Also, for the sage of the argument, there’s got to be something in dedication to The Coronet’s comedy room about this evening that no one will tell me about. If you go, write me, A.D., here.
Largo at the Coronet, 366 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Funny for Fundraising with Tommy Davidson, Thursday, January 12, 2023
Gabby Bryan, Jatty Robinson and Eva Evans are all part of this comedy fest for the Gift of Adoption Fund of New York. But like fellow stand-up comedian Mike Epps (see below), you don’t see quite enough of Tommy Davidson making jokes. Beyond his flair for observational comedy on Black family life and love in the 1990s, Davidson gets his flowers now for being an original cast member on the sketch comedy TV show In Living Color and for being a centerpiece of the classic Booty Call.
The Cutting Room, 44 E. 32nd Street, New York, New York
Kenan Thompson Presents the Live Performance Showcase, Thursday, January 12, 2023
Saturday Night Live’s last man standing, Kenan Thompson, is not known for his stand-up prowess. Then again, this La Jolla Comedy Store event – two shows that night – doesn’t promise stand-up. Nor does it feature the names of any of its performers. Mystery. My guess is that Thompson doesn’t fuck around since he doesn’t do the ‘live’ thing beyond SNL too often. Enjoy the guesswork until showtime.
Comedy Store La Jolla, 916 Pearl Street, La Jolla, CA
Best in Show with Daniel Simonsen, Thursday, January 12, 2023
Philadelphia comedian and host Daniel Simonsen specializes in the off-kilter, so his night of stand-up, sketch and performance art revelry should prove to be daringly experimental – especially as character-driven comedian/artist Rose Luardo is part of the evening’s thrills.
Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, PA
Chris Redd, Friday, January 13, 2023
Another Saturday Night Live alum, Chris Redd made his bones at NBC with sharp, silly impersonations of Kanye West, Cory Booker, Sterling K. Brown, and NYC Mayor Eric Adams. But there always seemed to be something hidden in his elastic mannerisms and vivid facial tics. Here’s hoping stand-up beyond sketch comedy is his bag.
StarDome Comedy Club, 1818 Data Drive, Hoover, AL
Mike Epps, Friday, January 13, 2023
It is legally impossible to not love stand-up comedian and actor Mike Epps. Not only is he madly self-deprecating and fluidly rude and foul mouthed, Epps has played in several classics of comic cinema and television. Along with having created “Day-Day Jones” for Ice Cube’s Next Friday and its sequel, Friday After Next, Epps was in The Hangover and The Hangover Part III as “Black Doug”. Last but certainly not least, he played Richard Pryor in HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, a role he has been rumored for in the long-in-the-planning stages bio-pic. Makes sense.
The Xcite Center at Parx Casino, 2999 Street Road, Bensalem, PA
Maz Jobrani, Saturday, January 14, 2023
Beloved for his role within the dangerously hilarious “Axis of Evil” comedy group, as a solo actor and stand-up comedian of Iranian descent, Jobrani is an utterly incomparable and quick-witted longform storyteller.
The Comedy Store La Jolla, 916 Pearl Street, La Jolla, CA
Taylor Tomlinson, Saturday, January 14, 2023
If you’re seeking stand-up comedy with an honest edge of therapy in its telling, Taylor Tomlinson is the voice of your generation. Her recent “Look at You” special touched greatly on notions of mental health and how the live comedy show road works in tandem with Taylor’s bipolar disorder diagnosis. Not for the faint of heart as Tomlinson’s humor doesn’t skirt the reality of antidepressants, but worth every minute of your time.
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA,
Marc Maron plays music and does comedy and has friends over, Saturday, Jan 14, 2023
We’re doing two events from Largo for this week’s column as Marc Maron – the ice, dry stand-up comedian who all but put deep-diving, self-analysis podcasting on the map for he and his comic pals – rarely gets out of the studio to play live dates. And his comedy – like Tomlinson’s – is unflinching in its reality. Therefore, one that is billed as comedy, music and a session with friends is irresistible.
Largo at the Coronet, 366 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
The Atlantic City Showcase with Will Julian, Molly Kornfeld, Michael Good, Sunday, January 15, 2023
The historic Claridge Hotel on the double historic Boardwalk welcomes a handful of Jersey Shore locals telling their truth. Knowing that AC is a bit of a mess at present – OK, 30 years of ups and downs – this is going to be dicey. But hilarious. But dicey. But hilarious.
The Atlantic City Comedy Club at the Claridge Hotel, 123 S. Indiana Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ
