A couple months back Bill Burr brought his edgy stand-up comedy to DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, this month his new half-hour animated series debuts via Netflix. The half-hour streaming show, F is for Family, is based on Burr’s own childhood and features voice work from Burr, Laura Dern and Justin Long.
Over the years, Bill Burr has become known for his edgy stand-up bits — he’ll rant about how stay-at-home moms are taking it easy and “living the dream” and then smoothly segue into the positive aspects of population control. Monday, Oct. 26, he brings some of that heat to DeVos Performance Hall.
Unlike many stand-up comedians, superstar Brian Regan doesn’t fear the infinite space of the great outdoors. “Most comedians I think are a little hesitant to play outdoors, but I don’t have a problem with it,” Regan told Revue. “I was doing a show one place outdoors and I was doing a joke about the moon. I looked up and I literally saw the moon up there and I was like, ‘Wow, I guess I’m a prop comedian. Take a look! It’s the biggest prop in comedy history.’”
In the ‘80s, stand-up comedy boomed. Clubs were packed, legends were born and anything was possible. For one glorious decade stand-up reigned. Decades later the Internet has introduced the new generation of stand-up comedians. A comedy renaissance is underway and it’s larger and more diverse than ever before. That’s where Taylor De La Ossa comes in.
Stu McCallister has hosted the Funniest Person in Grand Rapids competition for eight years now. At this point, he’s always frank with the newcomers taking the stage for the first time.
“I’m completely honest. I say, ‘You’re not going to win,’” McCallister said. “So many people have this thing where they come in like, ‘I’m gonna f*ckin’ win,’ and I tell them, ‘There are 90 people in this contest. One person wins. You’re not going to be that person.’”
When Iliza Shlesinger started pursing stand-up out of college, there weren't a whole lot of women in the audience and there even less performing on stages alongside her.
As far as benchmark goals are concerned, The Don’t We Boys are ahead of schedule. Shortly before recruiting Scott Erickson as their third member near the end of last summer, sketch comedians Joe Anderson and A.J. Schraeder of The Don't We Boys wrote up a list of goals for 2015.
A father, a fanboy and a “fartist,” comedian/actor/writer Brian Posehn is many things, but a grown-up isn’t one of them.
Currently co-writing Deadpool for Marvel Comics, and working on a comedy/metal album with Scott Ian of thrash icons Anthrax, Posehn is now living out his inner adolescent dreams.
Before we get started, let’s get one thing straight: Michael Kosta’s new stand-up album, in his own words, “was written for, and designed to be enjoyed by, very attractive people,” and so by extension, this column was, too.
Most college kids who get a fake ID use it for one thing, and one thing only: to obtain copious amounts of alcohol. Of course there is the occasional oddball who has ulterior motives, and comedian Don Friesen is one of them.