Comedy: Fresh Loaf, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Dad's Garage to move to 7 Stages, likely launch campaign to fund new home

Thomas Wheatley — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:38:22 -0400

For nearly 20 years, Dad's Garage has entertained and amused thousands of people in its Inman Park performance space. Today, it announced it will leave the Elizabeth Street playhouse this summer and, starting in August, set up shop temporarily at Little Five Points' 7 Stages Theatre.…

Key and Peele: Chappelle's heirs apparent

Gabe Wardell — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:30:00 -0500

Ever since Dave Chappelle walked away from his hit Comedy Central show in 2005, apparently leaving $50 million on the table, fans have been clamoring for a show that generates consistent laughs, makes keen social observations, delivers sharp satire, and launches hilarious catch phrases.

That show has arrived: "Key and Peele", a sketch comedy show on Comedy Central stars "MADtv" alumni Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.…

Sklar Brothers activate Wonder Twin powers at Punchline

Curt Holman — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:40:18 -0400

Even great stand-up comedy doesn’t always hold up to repeat listening. An Emmy-winning comedy album may not be worth frequent revisits once the punch lines have sunk in.…

"The Black Nerd Show" goes where no urban comic has gone before

Curt Holman — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:57:43 -0400

Atlata-based African-American comedian Cris Gray knows a whole lot more about Dr. Who than he does Dr. Dre. And why shouldn’t he?…

'Syllabus' makes the grade as a college-themed write-off

Curt Holman — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 14:58:37 -0400

I knew I wasn't going to win Syllabus when I laid eyes on Ryan Lee's visible villainy. Lee and I, along with Jackson Pearce, Jef Holbrook, Reay Kaplan and Topher Payne, were the faculty of the August edition of Syllabus, a light-hearted, collegiate-themed public writing competition held at PushPush Theater.…

Dad's Garage presents Special Editon of 'Wrath of Con'

Curt Holman — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:05:00 -0400

Last February, Dad's Garage Theatre debuted a lighthearted tribute to Dragon*Con and the nerdy niceties of "con culture" with The Wrath of Con, co-written by Jon Carr, Linnea Frye, Z. Gillispie, and Ed Morgan. With Dragon*Con just a few weeks away, the Inman Park playhouse is remounting a slightly revamped version of the show, dubbed The Wrath of Con: Special Edition and playing through Sep. 8.…

Does Louis C.K.'s Casting Gamble Pay Off? @louisck

Gabe Wardell — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 08:55:00 -0400

For the first two seasons of Louis CK's cult hit sit-com "Louie," the comic-turned-auteur has created an off-kilter and slightly surreal world where a date-gone-bad ends with his companion fleeing via helicopter, where a homeless man on a park bench is kidnapped by Men In Black, and replaced with a duplicate, or where an insane bum runs headlong into traffic and is decapitated.

On the whole, CK's Manhattan city-scape is less confrontational than Larry David's L.A. battlefield in "Curb Your Enthusiasm."…

Hari Kondabolu shakes up stereotypes at Laughing Skull

Curt Holman — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 12:45:15 -0400

Aziz Ansari's performance last night at Tabernacle may have been the best way to tee up Hari Kondabolu's four night stint at The Laughing Skull, June 21-24. Now, I'm totally not saying that the two comics are alike, just because both were born in America and have Indian backgrounds.…

A few things I learned as a judge for Autism Laughs

Curt Holman — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:45:12 -0400

On April 12 and 22 I was one of the judges for two of the preliminary rounds of Austism Laughs, a fundraiser for the Georgia Chapter of Austim Speaks. More than 50 comedians competed in the three preliminaries, and the 15 finalists go head-to-head on April 26 at Neighborhood Pub in Virginia Highlands on Thursday night.…

Baron Vaughn rules as the aristocrat of random comedy

Curt Holman — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:32:29 -0400

I would say that not a lot of black comedians make jokes like Baron Vaughn, but not a lot of white comedians make his type of jokes, either. Performing at The Laughing Skull from April 19-22, Vaughn crafts jokes around familiar topics like dating, travel and race relations, and adds a conspicuous love of wordplay and antiquated affectations.…

Tommy Wiseau directed a commercial for the Plaza Theatre

Debbie Michaud — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:11:56 -0400

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Judy Tenuta loves snacks, and you, and makin' love

Debbie Michaud — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:16:16 -0400

Learning to play the accordion is one way to get noticed when you’re one of eight kids in an Italian/Polish Catholic family, so Judy Tenuta latched onto the instrument at an early age. The comedian made a name for herself in the ’80s thanks to the squeezebox, a dippy stage persona, lots of scarves, and sing-songy pop culture satire.…

Catie Donnelly doodles all over 'The Best Show on WFMU'

Austin L. Ray — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:43:00 -0400

Closing in on the impressive 12-year mark, The Best Show on WFMU with Tom Scharpling holds a special place in the extremely passionate hearts of comedy nerds worldwide. To quote Spin's recent, fantastic profile, "Trying to explain The Best Show on WFMU to someone who hasn't heard it can be one of the most frustrating takes on the planet.…

A Three-minute interview with comedian Barry Sobel

Chad Radford — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:31:00 -0400

Comedian Barry Sobel blazed a path in the ’80s, merging the worlds of rap and stand up comedy. Now, between recording sessions with his 3 Minute Talk Show, Sobel pays a surprise visit to Atlanta, and he’s brought some friends.…

Top 5 tweets from ATL comics this week: Off the lot

Curt Holman — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 09:12:25 -0400

Have you ever been killing a bunch of cats and you think "Why am I even doing this" and "I probably shouldn't have huffed all that Freon"?
— Evan Fowler (@ThatEvanFowler) March 6, 2012

It's the 100th birthday of Oreo cookies.It's too bad none of the people who eat them will live that long.
— Mike Kaiser (@Mike_Kaiser_) March 6, 2012

According to DirecTV, humans are only worth $100.…
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Garfunkel and Oates reveal need for job training

Curt Holman — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:23:43 -0500

As Garfunkel and Oates, a musical comedy act comparable to Flight of the Conchords, Rikki Lindhome and Kate Micucci swing by The Laughing Skull March 9-10, partly in support of their new album, Slippery When Moist. Their latest recording presents the duo's usual assortment of sprightly, at times shockingly raunchy songs.…

How Ashima Franklin becomes "a beast" on stage

Curt Holman — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:55:00 -0500

Ashima Franklin did stand-up comedy while pregnant, up until the night before her infant son’s birth, and started styling herself “The O.B.: Original Baby Momma.” Frequently Franklin, nicknamed "Skinny Fine," takes the stage persona of a vengeful, inescapable Baby Momma who makes her Baby Daddy’s life a living hell, like a folk hero for unmarried mothers. In real life, Franklin says she has good relations with comic Karlous Miller, with whom she has a young son, and they even write Baby Momma jokes together.…

Top 5 tweets from ATL comics this week: No-K Cupid

Curt Holman — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 08:13:00 -0500

"Dude, I'm bringing shit-loads. How many?…
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Top 5 Tweets from ATL Comics this week: Fun in funeral

Curt Holman — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:04:15 -0500

My parents can tell how recently I smoked weed by where "Yo Gabba Gabba" is on the Netflix "recently watched" category.
— Matt O'Meara (@OhhhMeara) February 21, 2012

America: where we celebrate our historical figures with 30% off bath towels and free mattress delivery.…
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John Oliver continues British invasion at Punchline

Curt Holman — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:21:55 -0500

American audiences can only wonder how funnyman John Oliver plays to his English countrymen. The comedian and "Daily Show" correspondent makes his Britishness an overt part of his performing style, as you can note in his voice performance in this BBC America promo.…

Top 5 Tweets from ATL Comics this week: Time machine

Curt Holman — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:23:30 -0500

Whitney the singer dies, Whitney the sitcom lives. No justice in this world.
— Topher Payne (@topherpayne) February 12, 2012

I've learned more from Pawn Stars than any history class I've ever taken.Going to school in West Virginia may have played a part in that.
— Steph Swain (@Stepholumpagus) February 13, 2012

Watching the Westminster Dog and Cankle show.
— carlos valencia (@carlos_valencia) February 15, 2012

I'm not sure how to take the "by invitation" funeral, though I assume the deceased is hoping to be on the list wherever they're headed.
— Punchline ComedyClub (@punchlinecomedy) February 16, 2012

Drinking with southerners is like getting in a time machine.…
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Top 5 Tweets from ATL Comics this week: For your ePad

Curt Holman — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:47:20 -0500

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Laughing Skull gets Emo — Philips, that is

Curt Holman — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:57:00 -0500

True story: When I was a college undergraduate, I received a review copy of Emo Philips' first comedy album, E=mo2, while working for the Vanderbilt Hustler. Given that the young Philips bore a faint resemblance to Paul Reubens, I wondered if Pee Wee Herman's alter ego was trying out another boyish comedic persona with an affected voice.…

Top 5 Tweets from ATL Comics this week: Target on your back

Curt Holman — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:55:53 -0500

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Demetri Martin presents comedic data at The Punchline

Curt Holman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:30:25 -0500

My first introduction to Demetri Martin occurred when the young, deadpan actor/musician/comedian played "key-tar" opposite Todd Barry as the one-hit wonder band The Crazy Dogs on an episode of "Flight of the Conchords." Martin starred in Ang Lee's 1960s nostalgia flick Taking Woodstock, but his acting appearances have never done justice to his unique brand of whimsy as a stand-up performer.…