Comedy
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Comedy / Television Heartbeat: NBC comedy stars scheduled for Indy
Posted by Katherine Coplen on Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 12:27 PM
File this under most exciting music news of the day (right after Beyonce in Ryan Murphy's new musical and the really excellent and stream-able new Bowerbirds full length): NBC comedy greats Aziz Ansari (he of the great R. Kelly impersonation and inspired food slang) and Donald Glover (better know to some as Troy on Community and uber-literate emcee Childish Gambino on the stage) will both be swinging by Indianapolis in the near future.
You can see Ansari at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre on Saturday, May 12 and Glover on June 15 at the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre. But before that, you can catch up on Community when it returns on March 15 and Indiana-based Parks and Recreation every Thursday until then.
(You can also check out the not-entirely-terrible Parks and Recreation band Mouserat.)
Aziz Ansari - R. Kelly from weLovetoLaugh2 on Vimeo.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Comedy Late night locals: The Matt Clemens Show
Posted by Andrew Roberts on Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 8:02 AM
If you go to Crackers with any regularity, you've noticed that their emcees have been getting exponentially better over the last few years. The same corps of five or six comics typically open the show to scattered laughter as they are asked to do the impossible—- warm up a hostile crowd by being funny without being edgy, controversial or too funny.
I've seen each of their sets three or four times or more, but somehow the jokes get funnier even though I've heard them before. You are likely to see either Kevin Ruble, Matt Clemens, Brent Terhune, and Blake Boatright at one of the Crackers clubs on almost any given weekend, so seeing their jokes evolve and their stage presence become more confident has been tantamount to the growth of the Indianapolis comedy scene.
If I may be brutally honest to make my point, the first time I saw Terhune I thought he was absolutely terrible, and the response to his jokes was painfully quiet. I was told that he had been very successful in the college scene around Muncie and Bloomington, but I just didn't see it. However, each time I saw his act, it kept getting better and better— eventually to the point where his 15 minutes only feel like about two minutes of scripted jokes, while the rest is very finely-tuned crowd play. The mob mentality within the walls of a comedy club is viciously uniform, and sometimes you have to put yourself outside the crowd to properly appreciate what's happening on stage. Otherwise your experience at a club is only as good as the guy next to you, who may or may not be an idiot with a shitty taste in comics.
So I've grown a certain affinity for these comics, perhaps partially because their growth through the ranks of Indianapolis comedy has been concurrent with my growing love and familiarity with this city. I can see Blake Boatright tell a joke about acronyms and remember everything about the night I heard the joke for the first time— where I was at in the crowd (right-center of stage), what I had to drink (Newcastle), and what base I got to later that night (a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell). I'm kidding, of course. I saved my first kiss for my wedding day, like all Catholics do.
Therein lies the personal appeal of "The Matt Clemens Show:" a hilariously low-budget locally made late-night-style talk show, featuring Matt and an evolving crew of characters comprised of the Crackers crew. People you pay to see be hilarious any given weekend, being hilarious for free in a completely different way. Terhune's "Jonathan Peepers" character is a brilliant spoof of those crappy gimmick comics, and Oskay's "Darryl" character only needs about two words to make an entire episode worth watching. If you can get past its homemade nature, there's a fun local show to be found.
Without further adieu...."The Matt Clemens Show"—- comedy about comedy, done right.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Comedy Weekend live comedy preview: Too much to do
Posted by Andrew Roberts on Fri, Dec 3, 2010 at 2:00 PM
If you complain that there's nothing to do in Indianapolis you're a cynical idiot. Also, Merry Christmas.
Now that those two things are off my chest...there's a lot of good comedy around town this weekend, and if you're interested in heading out to a comedy club, your choice is made even more difficult by the other great arts and community events around the city.
The Naptown Roller Girls have a double-header Saturday night, tonight is "First Friday," David Sedaris' "Santaland Diaries" play is debuting this weekend at IndyFringe, tonight Irvington has their Christmas festival with horse-drawn carriage rides around the neighborhood and special deals at the local shops, and there are heaping spoonfuls of other Christmasy goodness around town— the list goes on and on. And, regrettably, with snow on the horizon it's entirely too tempting to just rent a movie and start a fire. In the fireplace, that is.
Making matters worse, anyone that knows me has been suckered into helping me move tomorrow in the snow. There are many bad weekends to be my friend, and this is perhaps the worst of them.
Tragically, there are only so many hours in a weekend, and in addition to a lot of great comedy, there's also a lot of general warmth to be found on this perfectly seasonal December weekend. So while I feel good about most of the comedy shows around town, I don't feel confident in any single one of them to suggest it over another.
Here's the rundown:
Bill Bellamy at Crackers Broad Ripple- I've never seen Bill Bellamy live, but he's very similar to D.L. Hughley in his sense of humor and subject-matter; and come to think of it, Hughley has performed on the exact same stage on almost the exact same weekend each of the last two years. Bellamy, it seems, is "taking his place" this year— whether that's a coincidence or by design of Cracker's or a promotions agency, I have no idea. But I think he'll thrive in a comedy club environment; I expect a lot of off-script crowd interaction and jokes about Indianapolis. Mainstream comedians are always at their best in a club they feel like they're too good for. I never cared for Hughley on TV but on the Broad Ripple stage he was one of the best acts I've seen.
Stewart Huff at Crackers Downtown- I've written about Huff a few times before, but haven't seen him live in four or five years. Once again, I'm going to miss him. He's not even the headliner, but he alone is worth the price of admission, and if the headliner Tim Harrison turns out to be even better than Huff, it's just an added bonus.
Reno Collier at Morty's- Never heard him and don't want to. His opening line of his bio says something about touring with Larry the Cable Guy.
Christmas Carol: Unscripted- I love this series at ComedySportz. It runs Friday nights at 10:30, all month long. Also worth noting at ComedySportz this weekend, Jeff Clawson is performing in the regular improv shows. I am biased because we were in the same IU Sketch comedy troupe (though he graduated before I arrived), but he is ComedySportz's best comic, hands down.
Brian Posehn at the Funny Bone in Bloomington- HUGE show and if Bloomington is within reach to you this weekend this is the show to see. He's one of the best "indie comics," if you will— he runs around with Zach Galifinakis and Patton Oswalt.
Weekend Lineup:
Price listed is the lowest available, and all shows are Friday and Saturday, unless otherwise noted. Most also have Weds, Thurs., and Sunday shows; check their website for more info.
Crackers Downtown- Tim Harrison w/Stewart Huff, 8 and 10:30 pm, $15. www.crackerscomedy.com
Crackers Broadripple- Bill Bellamy, 8 and 10:30 pm, $22. www.crackerscomedy.com
Morty’s Comedy Joint- Reno Collier, 8 and 10:30pm, $15. www.mortyscomedy.com
ComedySportz- Improv, 7:30 pm, (and 10:00 on Sat.), $15, www.indycomedysportz.com
Comedysportz- A Christmas Carol: Unscripted, 10:00 pm. Friday only, $12. www.indycomedysportz.com
The Comedy Attic (Bloomington) — Brian Posehn, 8 and 10:30 pm, $20. www.funnybonebtown.com
More than most forms of entertainment, stand-up comedy lineups are subject to last-minute changes, as well as unexpected sell-outs. Please be sure to check the website of the venue (or call and reserve tickets) before heading out, and make sure to be aware of any updated times, prices, availability or performers.
If you are aware of any upcoming events or venues that are not included here, please feel free to comment them below or email aroberts@nuvo.net!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Comedy A beer with a comedian
Posted by Andrew Roberts on Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 11:17 PM
- Mark Lee
- Oskay with his son Elijah
It seems like almost every interview I do is my favorite one, until the next. Sure it's an arts cliche, but I think for journalists who get to write with the creative freedom that NUVO offers, it's probably just as true as it is for any songwriter or painter.
I met Jeff Oskay at the Mass Ave Pub for last week's feature ("Jeff Oskay: Full Time Comic"), and it was more relaxed and conversational than any major interview I've ever done. I accredit that to a combination of a few things— I've met him briefly a couple times before, he's very humble, very friendly and approachable, and perhaps most of all— he is extremely honest and comfortable with himself. I usually spend the first thirty minutes of an interview trying to break through the image the subject wants to portray for him or her self, but with Oskay there was no pretense or cat-and-mouse line of questioning. That's not to say that any of the other profile pieces I've done didn't get there eventually— just that it usually takes a little more creative questioning on my part to get the details I want out of the more image-oriented subjects I've written on, and I found Oskay's confident honesty refreshing.
It's also an interview I wish I would have done years ago, when I first started reviewing comedy. I've interviewed comedians before, but I've never just sat down and had an honest conversation about comedy as a craft— and Oskay's straightforward insight into the business side of the local comedy clubs was fascinating.
Unfortunately I had to cram two hours worth of conversation into about twelve hundred words for last Wednesday's article, so I wasn't able to get into great detail on Oskay's rise from open-mic dud to headlining ace. It's a progression that every comic has to make if their career is going to have the one element they are all fighting for—- sustainability.
It's no secret that the emcee— or opener— usually sucks. If an emcee is good it's a pleasant bonus— but as Oskay said of his time as an emcee:
"I thought it was a compliment to work with such a huge headliner, but as it turns out, they put the worst person with the best person because no one came to see your ass. No one gives a shit if you suck because they all came to see Ron White. There’s nothing worse than getting started your first week and emceeing for 14 people trying to get that party started. You’re going to suck for a while, but that’s what makes it fun—figuring out how not to suck then you move on to the next level. You suck at open-mics, then you move up to emceeing and suck at that, then you move up to featuring, and you suck at that, then you featuring and you do all right, but you have those nights where you go up and people just absolutely hate you and you have to stand there for thirty minutes. Then you get to move up and suck again as a headliner. Even once you’re headlining, you can move on to theaters— - so there’s always room to grow."
However, in addition to being young and unproven, the opener has several other uncontrollable elements working against him or her.
First of all, unlike the headliner, an emcee is subject to the club's censorship. The management doesn't like them to curse, and the crowd doesn't like them to be edgy or controversial. "You can't open for Ray Romano and go do 9/11 material," Oskay said. There's something about an opener, no matter how good he is, that the crowd just doesn't give him any credibility— there's no trust, and therefore, a joke that might make Zach Galifinakis look like an idiot savant would make an emcee look like just an idiot.
Oskay sums it up best himself:
"You can’t be the comic you really want to be until you get to start headlining. And you have to earn that trust from the crowd—if the first comic going up is talking about some horrible topic, the crowd will just say “who the fuck are you to talk about this?”
(Perhaps that should be the name of my blog, wokka wokka).
In addition to the psychological adversity, there are also obstacles in the physical environment at the start of a show. People are ordering drinks, idiots are coming in late and tripping over people, more idiots are talking at their tables, and the biggest idiots are just being generally disrespectful and trying to be a part of the show. And again— because of the lack of an established relationship with the audience and the demands from club management— the emcees are in a horrifically vulnerable position. They can't retaliate viciously against paying customers like a headliner
can.
So, in a very roundabout way, the moral of this story is to be nice to your emcees. If you focus, and try to tune out all those natural prejudices, you'll find that some of them are a lot better than you think.
Another interesting insight I took away from the Oskay interview was the relationships among local comics. His summary, again, requires no paraphrasing:
"When you start off with these people—I’ve been doing it for like six years—we all do shit-hole bars where people yell at you and make fun of you. And they’ve all seen it happen to you, and you’ve seen it happen to them—you see those people at the lowest point of their life. So it’s almost impossible not to have a bond with those people. There’s a ton of comics in Indianapolis and I don’t like all of them and I’m sure they don’t all like me—but they’re still on my team; we’re still against everybody we’re performing for. Even if it’s someone you can’t stand, you don’t want to see them do badly. If you see someone being a dick in the crowd, you want to go punch that guy in the face for them. "
And strangely, it's often harder to perform in your hometown— there is no such thing as a home field advantage in stand-up comedy.
"We all get branded as 'local comics,' and people automatically assume we’re not going to be as funny," Oskay said. A while ago Nick Thune was supposed to headline at Cracker’s and just didn’t show up; so Wednesday night at 7:30 pm I get a call to headline. It went amazing the whole week, and not one person complained; even though they had pre-sales of hundreds of people, until the second show Saturday night somebody pulls [the Crackers manager] out into the hallway and says, “Who the fuck is this? He’s a fucking local comedian—he drinks at the bar I go to, I’m not going to pay to watch him fucking talk," Oskay said, laughing aloud, admitting to the validity of her point.
"Hundreds of people didn’t complain, but there’s still that astigmatism. Even if you’re living here performing on the Tonight Show you’re still a 'local comic' who just happens to be performing on the Tonight Show."
There are a handful of Indianapolis comics doing well for themselves nationally— but none have broken through to the elite status that will give all the other great comics in this town the credibility they deserve.
Hopefully, with Blake Boatwright featuring for Nikki Glaser at Cracker's downtown on Saturday, and Oskay headlining at Cracker's Broad Ripple at the same time, the scene is gaining traction and that astigmatism will be less and less imposing in the coming years.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Performance Arts / Hip-Hop / Comedy Grey Granite presents “Not A Robot — A Perfect Date” starring Action Jackson
Posted by Danielle Look on Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 9:50 AM
In the day and age where anyone and everyone has access to technology that allows them to snap pictures and shoot video almost instantly, it’s rare to see amateur graphic designs made with high quality and good taste- let alone cinematic undertakings that yield any merit.
Music videos from local artists are a rare treat. It’s a time consuming process that necessitates the convergence of many different skill sets, both in front of the camera and behind it. Unfortunately, making a video for the sake of making a video tends to be the primary motivator in local productions. And it shows. But when the recipe includes a developed plot, proficient acting, qualified digital editors, and respectable music, the outcome is guaranteed to be worthy of your time.
Leave it to the artistic genius that fuels Heavy Gun Blog (one of the city’s most impressive local hip hop collectives) to set the bar... and to set the bar high. Getting a group of your hip hop friends together to stand in front of a graffiti wall while you rap and flail your arms in front of the camera is no longer a viable plot if you want your music video to be taken seriously, nor should you use your kitchen as a backdrop or cereal boxes as props.
The music video below plays to the single “Not a Robot” from Grey Granite’s recently released EP, Pixelated Lazer Face Bass Monster. The song is catchy and remains true to Granite’s branded electro/hip hop sound, but also finds the rapper following suit from his last album (Lust Poisons Pride) and venturing into the vulnerable realm of singing.
Granite was inspired to make “A Perfect Date” after watching a video about life size dolls and soon thereafter enlisted local DJ Action Jackson to help his vision come to life. Appropriate for a song about faux beauty (both inside and out), the video is an exploration of what it would be like to “date” a doll.
Whether they’re listening to records, playing video games on the couch, or helping each other to decide what to wear out, baby-faced Action Jackson and his lifeless “girlfriend” are undeniable naturals in front of the camera. Talk bubbles bring a dialog element to the video, remaining consistent with the Heavy Gun brand of humor.
As stated on IQ Entertainment’s web page and disclaimed in the video, “we promise that Action isn’t as creepy as he’s portrayed to be.”
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Comedy Weekend live comedy preview
Posted by Andrew Roberts on Thu, Nov 11, 2010 at 9:17 PM
Ron Shock has been doing comedy for approximately nine thousand years, and his stories last almost as long.
Unfounded-criticism-for-the-sake-of-an-easy-joke aside, he's one of the last good 'ol boys of comedy, and he's a very safe bet for any fan of traditional stand-up. Anyone who performed on Johnny Carson and is still in the game obviously has a good yarn to spin. Shock will be at Crackers Broad Ripple this weekend, performing with the Merry Bluesters.
Weekend Lineup:
Price listed is the lowest available, and all shows are Friday and Saturday, unless otherwise noted. Most also have Weds, Thurs., and Sunday shows; check their website for more info.
Crackers Downtown- Jesse Joyce, 8 and 10:30 pm, $15. www.crackerscomedy.com
Crackers Broadripple- Ron Shock, 8 and 10:30 pm, $15. www.crackerscomedy.com
Morty’s Comedy Joint- Steve Hofstetter, 8 and 10:30pm, $15. www.mortyscomedy.com
ComedySportz- Improv, 7:30 pm, (and 10:00 on Sat.), $15, www.indycomedysportz.com
Comedysportz- $5 Improv Jam, 10:00 pm. Friday only, $12. www.indycomedysportz.com
The Comedy Attic (Bloomington) — Kyle Kinane, 8 and 10:30 pm, $12. www.funnybonebtown.com
IndyPROV- White Rabbit Cabaret9 and 10 pm, $5 Saturday Only. www.IndyPROV.com
More than most forms of entertainment, stand-up comedy lineups are subject to last-minute changes, as well as unexpected sell-outs. Please be sure to check the website of the venue (or call and reserve tickets) before heading out, and make sure to be aware of any updated times, prices, availability or performers.
If you are aware of any upcoming events or venues that are not included here, please feel free to comment them below or email aroberts@nuvo.net!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Hip-Hop / Comedy Let's Do Lunch with Oreo Jones
Posted by Danielle Look on Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 3:12 PM
The video below surfaced on the local blogs and Twitters earlier this week featuring Heavy Gunner Oreo Jones. The pilot episode for what could become a monthly presentation is called “Let’s Do Lunch with Oreo Jones” and finds the emcee hosting a cooking show with special guest DJ B Qwyatt. The chefs complement each other well and the video is laced with subtle humor typical of Heavy Gun productions- from Qwyatt’s squashing of a mosquito that lands on Oreo’s face to the first taste test of the "Chili Cook Off Extravaganza" where Qwyatt tosses the drippings that fall from Oreo’s mouth back into the pot of chili. Be sure to watch the entire 10 minutes; as the video nears the end, Oreo even asks Qwyat to “do a little cookin’ dance” with him.
I caught up with Oreo Jones for a few questions about his television debut as the host of his own cooking show.
NUVO: Your CD is titled “The Delicious EP”. You share a name with a famous cookie. You are munching on a bag of popcorn in the Heavy Gun photo for NUVO’s Broad Ripple Music Fest issue. I once even saw facebook photos of you in a bathtub full of milk and Fruit Loops. Why the food obsession?
OREO: Everyone loves food! You would die if you didn't eat. When I was 19 I had a job as a line cook at Cheese Burger in Paradise for two weeks. I got fired because I wanted to play basketball one afternoon with my friends instead of going to work. Thinking about that job makes me kinda hungry.....
NUVO: How was the concept for your own cooking show born?
OREO: When I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional chef and karate champion. Neither worked out, so I decided to start a show where I could learn how to cook with people who are doing cool stuff around my city and beyond. I just thought of the concept randomly. I don’t think anyone around here has their own cooking show. Especially a rapper.
NUVO: Any hints on who might be the next guest?
OREO: Two words: Bill Murray
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Comedy Weekend live comedy preview
Posted by Andrew Roberts on Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 9:06 PM
It's a routine week for Indianapolis comedy, as the last few have been. There is one exception— the Headless Horseman: Unscripted special at Comedy Sportz— but I featured that a couple weekends ago, leaving very little to talk about. A couple of unknowns at Crackers, a treat for the college kids at Morty's, and an interesting show in Bloomington that I can't get to with all the Halloween happenings of the weekend.
So instead, it's time we pay homage to perhaps the greatest and funniest Halloween-themed pop song of all time, "The Monster Mash."
They just don't make great Halloween music like they used to.
See?
There's something magical about that wise old man's voice; it seems like he should be reading a book of E.E. Cummings poetry on NPR instead of singing about a dance he calls "The Transylvania Twist," which either sounds like seasonal flavor from Baskin Robbins or an extremely raunchy sexual maneuver.
And the lyrics are genius. For example:
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes/to get a jolt/from my electrodes.
You can't just make up lyrics like that— he either made a deal with the devil, or it had to have actually happened. And hidden within this American treasure are several great band names. My wife and I have been looking to start a musical project, and I need to post Bobby "Boris" Picket's gems here, so that no one steals them for their own band later.
The Crypt-Kicker Five
The Coffin Bangers
The Transylvania Twist
We'll put it to a vote. In the meantime, if you're on the south side tomorrow, go see my kid brother's band Veseria at Lizard's.
I think the scene will be something like this:
The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive
With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five"
You said it, Bobby.
Weekend Lineup:
Price listed is the lowest available, and all shows are Friday and Saturday, unless otherwise noted. Most also have Weds, Thurs., and Sunday shows; check their website for more info.
Crackers Downtown- Ryan Dalton, 8 and 10:30 pm, $15. www.crackerscomedy.com
Crackers Broadripple- Jeremy Essig, 8 and 10:30 pm, $15. www.crackerscomedy.com
Morty’s Comedy Joint- Joe Larson, 8 and 10:30pm, $15. www.mortyscomedy.com
ComedySportz- Improv, 7:30 pm, (and 10:00 on Sat.), $15, www.indycomedysportz.com
Comedysportz- Headless Horseman: Unscripted, 10:00 pm. Friday only, $12. www.indycomedysportz.com
The Comedy Attic (Bloomington) — Bob Zany, 8 and 10:30 pm, $18. www.funnybonebtown.com
IndyPROV- Spotlight Players, 8 and 9 pm, $10 Friday Only. www.IndyPROV.com
More than most forms of entertainment, stand-up comedy lineups are subject to last-minute changes, as well as unexpected sell-outs. Please be sure to check the website of the venue (or call and reserve tickets) before heading out, and make sure to be aware of any updated times, prices, availability or performers.
If you are aware of any upcoming events or venues that are not included here, please feel free to comment them below or email aroberts@nuvo.net!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Comedy Weekend live comedy preview
Posted by Andrew Roberts on Thu, Oct 14, 2010 at 9:45 PM
ComedySportz's "Unscripted" series is targeted toward a different demographic than their main event shows, as they are much more enticing for anyone who prefers f-bombs and boner jokes over their typical family-safe improv.
That's not to say that there's inherent comedic value in the f-word or easy sexual humor, but the ComedySportz performers— like all improv comics— tend to have an extra punch when they don't have to consider if the words coming out of their mouth are age appropriate. Those split-second decisions being made come at the expense of invaluable comedic timing, when a comic has to go out of his comfort zone to clean up.
It does go both ways, however. Like a creative writing exercise, the filter can sometime force a comedian who relies on gay jokes or racial gimmicks to branch out into something a little more clever.
In this case, it works well for CS— the change of pace allows the audience to see a different side of the comics; and there's no rule that says they can't make clean jokes, too, if that's where they thrive. So unless you're easily offended (elitist), or nine years old, there's nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
Weekend Lineup:
Price listed is the lowest available, and all shows are Friday and Saturday, unless otherwise noted. Most also have Weds, Thurs., and Sunday shows; check their website for more info.
Crackers Downtown- Dan Greuter, 8 and 10:30 pm, $15. www.crackerscomedy.com
Crackers Broadripple- Brad Williams, 8 and 10:30 pm, $25. www.crackerscomedy.com
Morty’s Comedy Joint- Marshall Chiles, 8 and 10:30pm, $15. www.mortyscomedy.com
ComedySportz- Improv, 7:30 pm, (and 10:00 on Sat.), $15, www.indycomedysportz.com
Comedysportz- Headless Horseman: Unscripted, 10:00 pm. Friday only. www.indycomedysportz.com
The Comedy Attic (Bloomington) — James P. Connolly, 8 and 10:30 pm, $12. www.funnybonebtown.com
IndyPROV- Talbott Street, 10:30 and 11:30 p.m., Free. Friday Only. www.IndyPROV.com
More than most forms of entertainment, stand-up comedy lineups are subject to last-minute changes, as well as unexpected sell-outs. Please be sure to check the website of the venue (or call and reserve tickets) before heading out, and make sure to be aware of any updated times, prices, availability or performers.
If you are aware of any upcoming events or venues that are not included here, please feel free to comment them below or email aroberts@nuvo.net!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Comedy Weekend live comedy preview
Posted by Andrew Roberts on Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 9:58 PM
I haven't seen Three Dollar Bill for about a year, and they're not making it easy on me. They have an all-new sketch show, but only one performance.
Now that they've cut their strings from ComedySportz (if only in venue) they have an opportunity to establish their independence and create a following from the college-age crowd they are best-suited for. Though I have to question if Fountain Square is the best place to make that happen; if they were to book shows in the Butler or IUPUI area they would have an excellent shot at developing the local recognition they deserve.
That said, I know from experience that experimental sketch comedy troupes are often seen as intruders upon even the most liberal of theater venues, and finding space to perform is as easy as it is cheap. So while it's easy to critique their marketing strategies from the warm electric glow of my laptop, promoting aggressive sketch comedy in Indianapolis is much easier criticized than perfected. Regardless of what kind of fan-base they do or do not generate over the long term, they're great for the city and always have at least a few skits that absolutely kill.
TDB's old teammates from ComedySportz will be competing with them this weekend, with yet another raunchily improvised version of a classic fairy tale. "Headless Horseman: Unscripted" begins this weekend, and runs every Friday in October. The humor isn't exactly mind-blowing, but the CS fairy-tale series is extremely interactive and provides a unique experience of comedic fun.
Weekend Lineup:
Price listed is the lowest available, and all shows are Friday and Saturday, unless otherwise noted. Most also have Weds, Thurs., and Sunday shows; check their website for more info.
Three Dollar Bill Comedy Company- "Jerk-o-Lantern." Wheeler Theater, 8 pm. $15, Saturday Only.
Crackers Downtown- Tim Statum, 8 and 10:30 pm, $15. www.crackerscomedy.com
Crackers Broadripple- Tim Wilson, 8 and 10:30 pm, $25. www.crackerscomedy.com
Morty’s Comedy Joint- Collin Moulton, 8 and 10:30pm, $15. www.mortyscomedy.com
ComedySportz- Improv, 7:30 pm, (and 10:00 on Sat.), $15, www.indycomedysportz.com
Comedysportz- Headless Horseman: Unscripted, 10:00 pm. Friday only. www.indycomedysportz.com
The Comedy Attic (Bloomington) — Bobcat Goldthwait, 8 and 10:30 pm, $18.50. www.funnybonebtown.com
IndyPROV- White Rabbit Cabaret Theater, 10:00 and 11:00 p.m., $5. Saturday Only. www.IndyPROV.com
More than most forms of entertainment, stand-up comedy lineups are subject to last-minute changes, as well as unexpected sell-outs. Please be sure to check the website of the venue (or call and reserve tickets) before heading out, and make sure to be aware of any updated times, prices, availability or performers.
If you are aware of any upcoming events or venues that are not included here, please feel free to comment them below or email aroberts@nuvo.net!
