Aimee Mann and Ted Leo and their pals, Monday, January 23, 2023
Sure, Mann and Leo are sweet old friends and deeply literary, detail character actors-driven writers and vocalists capable of darkly comic twists – so their double act is a musical one. Right? Then again, from pals such as filmic auteur Paul Thomas Anderson and author Dave Eggers, who knows who else can show up and joke around with Mann and Leo.
Largo at the Coronet, 366 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Xtreme Gospel Comedy Night, Tuesday, January 24, 2023
No, you didn’t make a wrong turn and head to Sunday church services. Started in the Midwest in 2011 with the tag line “Laugh Yourself to Life,” some of the finest Christian stand-up comedians and unusually funny motivational speakers such as Debra Ruff aka Prophetess Deep take to the holy roll of humorous positivity.
Funny Bone Columbus, 145 Easton Town Center, Columbus, OH
Monet X Change, Wednesday, January 25, 2023
New York City’s Monet X Change isn’t just a drag superstar, a “Miss Congeniality,” the first double crown winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and the first “Queen of Color” inducted into Ru’s Hall of Fame – she is a socio-political stand-up comic whiz and vocalist with a visual album (Unapologetically) to go with her time in the game. In addition to stand-up and lip-synching, Change has her own podcast, Sibling Rivalry, and talk show, The X Change Rate.
Improv Comedy Theater, 7260 NW 87th Street, Zona Rosa, Kansas City, MO
Chris Porter, Thursday, January 26, 2023
Ugly and Angry are huge elements of Kansas-to-Los-Angeles-transplanted comic Chris Porter’s work. “Ugly and Angry – Stop Marketing to Stupid People” is the name of Porter’s Comedy Dynamics LP and streaming special. And no matter what he does and how he does, Porter is pretty disgusted with it all.
Punchline Philly, 33 E Laurel Street, Philadelphia, PA
Dale Jones, Friday, January 27, 2023
Dale Jones might look like Kenny Loggins’ brother-accountant, but in reality, he is a beardo, rubbery faced wild man and a rashly, highly physical stand-up comedian with a self-proclaimed “machine gun style delivery” and renown for appearing on Last Comic Standing, 30 Seconds to Fame and Stand Up Live Nashville. Plus, you can check out his new, stand-up album “I’m Not Well.”
Funny Bone Richmond, 11800 West Broad Street Suite 1090, Richmond, VA
Fred Armisen: Comedy for Bass Players but Everyone is Welcome, Friday, January 27 through January 29, 2023
The Addams Family’s latest Uncle Fester, an SNL alum, and the satirical writer-creator-performer behind Portlandia and Documentary Now, started life as a punk rocker drummer, and surely has a place in his heart for the other half of the rhythm section – the bassist. For his three-night comical and musical residency at San Fran’s Great American Music Hall, Armisen welcomes a different bass player to the stage: Friday with Primus’ Les Claypool, Saturday with The Go-Gos’ Kathy Valentine, and Sunday with Mike Dirnt from Green Day. I can’t speak to the Go-Go or the Green Day rhythm-a-tist, but Claypool is pretty avant-goofy.
The Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA
Chris Gethard, Saturday, January 28, 2023
Actor, podcaster and anonymous phone call enthusiast Chris Gethard is a stand-up comedy monster, but made his deepest impression on audiences (at least this author), with his longform, direly-informed Career Suicide. Nerdy serious-silly tales of ordinary madness, and real life embraces of depression, alcoholism and suicide, Gethard pulls no punches. Ever
Bottlerocket Social Hall, 1226 Arlington Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Hanna Ljungholm, Saturday, January 28, 2023
The Third Place Tavern, Shared Work Space and location for funeral celebrations (!), plays host to more than likely the only stand-up comedian/yoga instructor in the United States. Along with a sunny outlook and a sly silly demeanor, Ljungholm hosts separate ‘stretching your funny bone” sessions that are probably the most exercise most people who go to comedy clubs will get. Just saying.
Third Place LLC, 734 Main Street, Brookville, IN
SF Sketchfest’s 20th anniversary screening of “A Mighty Wind” with a post-show and conversation, Saturday January 28, 2023
The SF Sketchfest’s Saturday is packed with winning comedic events such as its tribute to Elliot Gould, an afternoon with the animated Futurama crew, and the “6 Year Anniversary of the 10 Year Anniversary of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Fest” with Bobcat Goldthwait, Sarah Vowell and Reggie Watts among many. For my money and adoration of icily dry and precisely satiric comic form having Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Eugene Levy, John Michael Higgins, Michael Hitchcock, Jane Lynch, Michael McKean and Catherine O’Hara talking to host Kevin Pollak about the filming of director Guest’s love song to the 60s folk music revival is a gorgeous way to spend an afternoon.
Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA
The Silver Lining with Gianmarco Soresi, Sunday, January 29, 2023
Pretty boy Gianmarco Soresi has friends in high places. NPR likes him. PBS likes him. The Real Housewives of New York likes him. General Electric likes him. Let’s go see why?
Sesh Comedy, 140 Eldridge Street, New York, NY
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