W♥M

Talkies with George Chen

Read More SF Sketchfest For those who do not frequent comedy shows (this is a music blog after all), crowd work is the often painful part of a comedy show, often prompted by an obnoxious heckler …

          Talkies combines standup comedy and short films. Officially it is a show for stand ups to work outside their regular routines, but as a new guest to the show at Lost Weekend Video's Cinecave, I have no idea what their regular routines are. 

          I’m also feeling very strange being in an artsy rental video store for the first time this decade. You’re supposed to have a membership to get into the Cinecave events, for anyone who might read this and decide to go later, because offering live comedy in a small private basement covered with movie and festival posters is awesome (and probably needs real fiscal support).

          As the proprietor of Zum records/zine I’ve known tonight’s host since the mid-nineties. George Chen started the night off with a good-humored and somewhat sentimental “augmented powerpoint” interview with his mother about comedy in her life and her relationship with George.

          The next short film, by David Enos,“Reiterating” wasn’t my favorite of the night. I was too confused watching it to tell you about it now.

          Coming back to the live comedians, Clare O’Kane’s reading of her journal from when she was 13 in 2003 was gold. Her love of surf and skate things, teenage relationship dramas only a thirteen year old girl could dream up and writing in the kind of shorthand/”cool” talk that editors of magazines make up for teenagers to absorb makes me wonder, do all teenagers write this stupid? I did.

          Next up Anna Seregina came out as Regina Seregina, a Eastern European immigrant new to comedy in America. While she looked the part and played it well, her slideshow of photos of her workplace was the kind of comedy that makes you uncomfortable to laugh. The audience was laughing, uncomfortably.

          Land Smith was next with some observational humor on relationships, but it was rather usual standup for this lineup.

JESSE ELIAS AND MILES K photograph by courtney

          For instance, Jesse Elias and Miles K presented a hipster cooking show with recipes for burrito infused vodka, smoked (possibly cigarette) Jell-O and buttered noodle sandwiches served to the audience. It was gross, Miles K has a terrific infomercial voice, and I did not try any of the dishes that were shared with the audience.

          Josh Androsky played a video of his appearance on The Price Is Right, giving us a behind the scenes actors commentary on how he became the Skateboard Rabbi. The story was great, I am tempted to retell it all here, but I suggest you watch the video of his appearance first and then find him in LA to recount all the details.

          Joey Izzo’s short film showed us a very creepy way one Christian Cult/chicken costume sign waving company adds to their flock. Chris Garcia told a story that began with his feelings watching Magic Mike and ending with a gay friend explaining just what his desires really are.

“Sad Vicious, who came onstage in their Best Buy uniforms”

          The finale for the night was Sad Vicious, who came onstage in their Best Buy uniforms and apologized that the show was just a DJ set and not a real concert. Nevertheless, their campy sketches were well timed and closed with a sing along to that Chumbawumba song.

          I’m sorry, is that song in your head now?

          All together, it was a terrific variety show with some very talented people, done in a small space that embraces risk taking. Well done. I’ve already made plans to go back.

Regina Seregina at Cinecave at Lost Weekend, San Francisco (02/01/13) photograph by courtney

courtney ♥ talkiesshow.tumblr.com ♥ sfsketchfest.com

Chris Hardwick: Mandroid

Read More Chris Hardwick Hardwick's Mandroid is coming out on DVD and CD tomorrow, January 22nd, via Comedy Central Records. The DVD is uncensored and the audio CD is extended..…

I like Chris Hardwick. I've been following his career on and off since his G4TV days, which probably wasn't that long ago. A few years ago, he started the very successful Nerdist Podcast, which he is now synonymous with. Most recently you may have noticed that he's the host of AMC's "Talking Dead".

Hardwick's latest DVD and CD release is Mandroid, a live comedy special that was filmed in New York in February 2012 and broadcasted on Comedy Central last November. The hour plus special was finally released a few weeks ago on Comedy Central. If you saw the broadcast, you'd be happy to know that the DVD/CD is completely uncensored and extended.

What I like about Hardwick is that he's quick on his feet. You can see his wit in action on various live shows, so you know there are a million funny things exploding in his head all the time. Unfortunately, on this DVD, Hardwick has to tell pre-written jokes and sometime his performance seems forced. Particularly on the sex jokes or when he's just bullying hipsters! It's funny, but Hardwick has a "nerd" reputation, that it just feels wrong that he's suddenly "cool" on stage.

The other problem that I think might not appeal to normal people, is that you really have to understand (or love) nerd culture like sci-fi, Harry Potter, Atari 2600, to really appreciate Hardwick. While geeks, like me, think that "make it so" joke to be funny, it might not be funny to people who don't know Star Trek: The Next Generation.

I learned a lot watching Mandroid, mostly animal jokes from Hardwick. Hamster can cum when they're excited. Sharks' anus and vagina are the same. Humans and apes can't have offspring. Who knew that Hardwick is so versed in the animal kingdom?

If you like nerd culture, check out Chris Hardwick's Mandroid. The DVD and CD are out now via Comedy Central. If you a massive Hardwick fan, then do yourself a favor and get both formats, because the CD contains new or extended jokes.

If you want to see Hardwick live, he is appearing at "Gilda's Laughfest" in Grand Rapids, Michigan on March 15th. He'll also be taping a new Nerdist Podcast Live at the Fountain Street Church on the same date.

Chris Hardwick at Skirball Center for Performing Arts, New York (02/12)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ Nerdist.com

Rooftop Comedy and SF Sketchfest Stand-Up Showcase

Read More SF Sketchfest Animaniacs was an incredible cartoon at an age when I was supposed to be outgrowing cartoons (except for the Simpsons of course, which wasn't for kids). I never imagined that Pinky …

    While liberal colleges try to talk about diversity, there is something even better about an inclusive show where there is a genuine diversity of gender, race and comedy genres  (yes there are other diversities that may not have been represented, or I may not be acknowledging). Whether it was the work of host Kate Compa or the planning of Rooftop Comedy, I want to thank whoever put together this amazing lineup and talk about some of my favorite performances from January 26th’s early show.

BOBBY JOE EBOLA & THE CHILDREN MACNUGGITS photograph by courtney

    As the sold-out crowd filtered in Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits (acoustic duo version) played some of the favorite Dead Milkmen inspired comedy songs. Was anyone else paying attention to Scooping Up Dog Shit or Poly? I’m a fan of their shtick and would have liked them to return when the audience was more settled.

    Host Katie Compa started off with a regional history of her life, including the complications of being raised by feminist parents and living in an area that is populated by people who “used to be legitimate hippies, but now they all paid off their houses.” Sounds like where I live! And there were blowjob jokes, yes, many female comedians will tell blowjob jokes.

    Next Compa introduced another NYC comedian, Francoise Gordon. Gordon looks like a young Sandra Bullock with a brain injury. After being hit by a car ten years ago she turned to stand up and plays with the audience's own doubt and memory in her routine.

    Kunal Arora shared his obsessions with his family, relationships, and even toilet humor. As in, giving advice to guys that to really impress a girl, a clean bathroom is what she’ll really notice.  Overall I have to say the men on this bill gave superb relationship advice.

JC COCCOLI photograph by courtney

    Arora was followed by JC Coccoli of Los Angeles plays the Valley Girl well earning her a spot as a commentator on VH1’s Best Week Ever. I commend her for her pacing and presentation,  but wasn’t entirely in agreement on her opinions of redheads or cojoined twins.

    So we got more serious with Phoebe Robinson who blogs at blaria.com (that’s Black Daria, get it?). She presented her take on interracial relationships (she's in one!), black hair and being cis (did I note that right? Did she say “cis” because people in San Francisco would understand?)

   After Robinson we’re back to the white men, and Derek Sheen from Seattle was a favorite of mine, we got the truth about gout, hypocritical Christians, and how terrific it would be if the anti-pot commercials from the 80s were brought back and remade for states where marijuana has been legalized.

KATE BERLANT photograph by courtney

   Of all the comedians that night, I have to say the most impressive was Kate Berlant. Her existential absurdity played well in the small theater, in the relationship between audience and performer and even the audience's choice of seating patterns. She slipped into characters seamlessly, a flighty girl one minute and back to a beat poet the next.

    Closing out the night was Ian Karmel from Portland (and yes, he has been on Portlandia). In a slightly rushed set to get the 10PM show ready, he did remind me of a mistake I have made so many times I am still laughing when I think about his advice, when you move to a new neighborhood, you better pick a drunk 7-11 and a sober 7-11. Truer words have never been spoken.

     Rooftop Comedy has additional Sketchfest Stand-Up Showcases at StageWerx on February 2nd at 8 & 10 PM and Febraury 9th at 8 & 10 PM

Ian Karmel at Rooftop Comedy and SF Sketchfest Stand-Up Showcase/Cobb's Comedy Club, San Francisco (01/26/13) photograph by courtney

courtney ♥ rooftopcomedy.com ♥ sfsketchfest.com

SF Sketchfest Presents an Afternoon With Pinky and the Brain

Read More SF Sketchfest What happened after Mystery Science Theater 3000 disappeared from television? In geek communities it never quite went away, but the men behind the robots peanut gallery, Michael Nelson, Kevin Murphy … Animaniacs was an incredible cartoon at an age when I was supposed to be outgrowing cartoons (except for the Simpsons of course, which wasn't for kids). I never imagined that Pinky and the Brain would take on a cult status of their own, or that the twenty first century would mean I'd be ordering Pinky and the Brain cocktails at Brooklyn superhero themed dive bars (Gotham City Lounge, under the M stop at Central) or I would be spending a Sunday afternoon just to see the men behind the voices be absolutely gracious to the kind of geeks who would come out in honor of a twenty year old cartoon.        For those of you who missed the cartoon the first time around, Pinky and the Brain were a pair of genetically engineered lab mice, one sullen and smart and sounding an awful lot like George Orwell known as the Brain, and a lanky hyperactive one with some serious brain damage known as Pinky. Their basic plot was simple, Pinky would ask “Gee, Brain, what do you want to do tonight?" and the Brain would answer "The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!" before diving into some convoluted plot to rule the planet that never went quite right (with one exception in a Christmas episode for those of you who are going to write in to correct me). Some highlights from the SF Sketchfest panel:        Rob Paulsen describes himself as a "singer who became an actor". He treated the audience to I Left My Heart in San Francisco, various snippets of Led Zepplin songs as Pinky and, as the Anamaniac's Wakko Warner, "Yakko's World" and "Variety Speak". He reminisced that the Anamaniacs may have been the last cartoon to have its own 30-40 piece orchestra everyday, and Maurice LaMarche added that there was a special tone that came from using the same soundstage where the classic Chuck Jones cartoons were scored. Paulsen has an extensive career as a voice actor and there is no way I can cover all the characters and commercials he talked about working on. The same for Maurice LaMarche,  even my boyfriend who is a genius at matching cartoon voices to actors was occasionally stunned when he mentioned one that had slipped past him (particularly that LaMarche also voices Kif Kroker on Futurarama, or the most recent voice of Lexus).        Overall like their characters, LaMarche Brain was the quieter of the two, but when at the moderators request he read "Le Big Mac" scene from Pulp Fiction (with much concern for the swearing as there were children in the audience) as the Brain playing Vincent and Pinky as Jules the audience was laughing at why they never thought of how funny that could be. During the open question and answer period, one audience member asked "How would you take over the world now?" LaMarche deadpanned as if the Brain was still concocting plots in his spare time, "Facebook…I wanted to call it Brainbook but Pinky thought that was too obvious." Both men continue to do voice work on a variety of cartoons and commercials you’ll recognize, and Paulsen produces a podcast at robpaulsenlive.com if you would like to hear more songs from his many characters. Mostly, if you want to learn more about voice acting and ALL your favorite 90s (and beyond) cartoons, go see them if you ever have the chance! courtney ♥ An Afternoon with Pinky & The Brain at Eureka Theatre, San Francisco (01/27/13) ♥ robpaulsenlive.com ♥ sfsketchfest.com

SF Sketchfest 2013

The 12th Annual SF Sketchfest starts this week on January 24 and ends on February 10 in San Francisco. This year they've got Reggie Watts, Robert Glasper, Bob Mould, Jonathan Coulton, the Portlandia people, and more!

Full schedule over at their website, but just flipping through their full schedule, these are some of the stand-out shows that I noticed:

Kids in the Hall (sold out), Andy Richter (Conan O'Brien), Neil Hamburger (we like him), Jonathan Coulton (we like him), Portlandia (sold out), Chris Hardwick (the Nerdist, himself), Pinky & the Brain (sold out), Drew Carey, Wil Wheaton (make it so, ensign), and Garfunkel & Oates.

All tickets are on sale right now on sfsketchfest.com.

Below are some artists appearing on SF Sketchfest 2013.

CHRIS HARDWICK
nerdist.com

I actually have a digital review copy of Mandroid waiting for me, but I haven't seen it because I don't have proper internet. Apologies to everyone involved.

Hardwick's Mandroid is coming out on DVD and CD tomorrow, January 22nd, via Comedy Central Records. The DVD is uncensored and the audio CD is extended. I've had similar reviews of Demetri Martin, and from experience, I can tell you that the CD and DVD are refreshingly different. Some jokes aren't even present on the DVD and vice versa. So if you're a hardcore Hardwick fan (that sounds wrong), then getting both formats is a must.

Mandroid was filmed at Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City, and features candid comedy tales of virginity, chess club, shark vaginas, awkward childhood, awkward adulthood, and something called "Quidditch." All this can be yours for $13 on DVD.

Chris Hardwick can be seen on these SF Sketchfest shows:

01/31/13 - SF Sketchfest Comedy NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences
02/02/13 - The Nerdist Podcast at Marines’ Memorial Theatre
02/02/13 - Yacht Rock Heroes at Yoshi’s San Francisco Lounge

GARFUNKEL & OATES
garfunkelandoates.com

I love Garfunkel & Oates, I'm excited to read a review of their appearance at SF Sketchfest, details below:

02/10/13 - Garfunkel & Oates (with Dragon Boy Suede) at The Rickshaw Stop

Courtney will be seeing G&O and reporting back.

I haven't heard from the two girls since their Comedy Central appearance, but they do have a new "holiday album" called Present Face on their website. You can get the title track for free. I couldn't find Present Face (album) on amazon, but their last official release is still Slippery When Moist.

Trivia: Chris Hardwick makes an appearance on G&O's "Handjob, Bland Job, I Don't Understand Job" song.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Demetri Martin: Standup Comedian

Preview

Demetri Martin's second appearance for Comedy Central's one-hour stand-up special, "Standup Comedian", filmed at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, will be premiering on Saturday, September 29th at 10pm ET/PT. Comedy Central is making the DVD and CD of Standup Comedian to be available for purchase on October 2nd.

The DVD and CD are extended and uncensored, and interestingly enough, different from each other. Most of the jokes are the same, but some are extended on the CD (like the "Confidence" joke) or vice versa on the DVD (like the "I'm 43" joke.) I understand why they do this, to fit in the limitations of their respective formats. I think it makes sense to take out the more visual jokes, which Martin is known for his witty jokes and visual drawings.

Like most stand-up comics, you do need to see the person telling the joke. Half of the fun is watching him telling the joke as well as visually illustrating the joke with his hands. For example, the coconut soap joke that appears on the CD and DVD. Hearing it audio only is funny, but it is better when you actually see Martin holding his right hand to his noise with a confuse look on his face.

The other thing about the DVD version is that there are bonus jokes from Martin like the audio commentar(ies) and rejected slideshows. The so-called three minute "audio commentary" is pretty funny, but the bonus "commentary on the audio commentary" took the joke even further.

Not to say there is something horribly wrong with the CD, in fact, there are exclusive jokes on the CD. Plus, you can't drive your car and watch the DVD.

For some reason, it seems the audio jokes on the CD are more improv. Notably when he asks someone in the audience what their two middle names were - then started telling jokes about the two names!

If you're a hardcore fan, you'll probably want the big fan package (available direct at $39.99) which comes with DVD, CD, T-Shirt and a signed print. If you only have enough money for one or the other, I would recommend the DVD. But it's really up to you, keep in mind that I personally tend to listen to audio more than sitting down to watch something on television.

Speaking of which, if you have cable, don't miss Demetri Martin's "Standup Comedian" on Comedy Central this Saturday, September 29th. Standup Comedian will be available on DVD and CD on October 2nd.

Demetri Martin

vu () ♥ www.demetrimartin.com

Lewis Black: In God We Rust

Tour Dates 09/07/12 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Massey Hall 09/08/12 Ottawa, Ontario Canada National Arts 09/09/12 Ottawa, Ontario Canada National Arts 09/13/12 Carbondale, IL Shyrock Auditorium 09/14/12 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theatre 09/15/12 Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Casino 09/16/12 Green Bay, WI Weidner Center 09/20/12 Austin, TX Paramount Theatre 09/21/12 San Antonio, TX Majestic Theatre 09/22/12 Houston, TX Hobby Center 09/23/12 New Orleans, LA Mahalia Jackson 09/27/12 Washington, D.C. Warner Theatre 09/28/12 Washington, D.C. Warner Theatre 09/30/12 Morgantown, WV Lyell B Clay Concert 10/09/12 New York, NY Richard Rodgers Theatre 10/10/12 New York, NY Richard Rodgers Theatre 10/11/12 New York, NY Richard Rodgers Theatre 10/12/12 New York, NY Richard Rodgers Theatre 10/13/12 New York, NY Richard Rodgers Theatre 10/14/12 New York, NY Richard Rodgers Theatre 10/25/12 Scranton, PA Weinberg Center 10/26/12 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre 11/09/12 Las Vegas, NV Mirage Hotel & Casino 11/10/12 Las Vegas, NV Mirage Hotel & Casino 11/16/12 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre 11/29/12 Highland, CA San Manuel Indian Casino 11/30/12 Coachella, CA Spotlight 29 Casino 12/01/12 Long Beach, CA Terrace Theatre 02/17/13 Kingston, NY Ulster Performing Arts

I have been aware of Lewis Black since the early 2000's. Lewis Black is an interesting stand-up comedian. He's not the type of comedian that has set ups and punchlines. He is the type more akin to the late Sam Kinison. It's interesting to see where the "real" Lewis Black starts and when the Lewis Black character begins. Less jokes, more attitudes. Angry rants, that is generally amusing towards Jersey Shore, cellphones, and politics. I am not a politically minded individual, so some of these quips fall on deaf ears. Lewis Black's material on In God We Rust is problematic for me because it is not relate-able.

Lewis Black tells personal stories. With the humor derived from his views. I am not the type of person that watches the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. If you are a politically minded person, you might find the type of humor what you are looking for.

I like Lewis Black as a personality, because he says what is on his mind. Those little annoyances that bug you, Black has you covered. It's kind of like listening to your angry father.

Lewis Black recorded this special in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the historic State Theatre. The set at his stage show was designed by his father, Sam Black. It's a giant red cube which is a lot like Lewis Black's humor. It's red like the vein that almost pops as he goes into an angry rant. It's square like the style of humor compared to absurdist comedians or edgy racial comedians. It's a big cube on a dull background, just like Black's personality that stands out from the crowd.

Lewis Black is like a ticking time bomb. What is it that will make him explode? Sometimes the joy is watching someone else lose their cool.

Lewis Black's In God We Rust will be out September 11th on Blu-Ray, DVD, CD, and digital, via Comedy Central Records. You can catch the premiere on Comedy Central Channel on September 7th at midnight.

jimi ♥ lewisblack.com

Doug Benson: Smug Life

Tour Dates 06/28 Oklahoma City, OK City Arts Center 07/02 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre 07/08 Las Vegas, NV Palace Station 07/11 San Diego, CA Tipsy Crow 07/15 Salt Lake City, UT Wise Guys 07/22 Dallas, TX Hyenas 07/23 Ft Worth, TX Hyenas 07/25 Portland, OR Helium 07/28 Pittsburgh, PA The Improv 07/29 Pittsburgh, PA The Improv 08/04 Toledo, OH Funny Bone 08/05 Toledo, OH Funny Bone 08/09 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room Lounge 08/20 Philadelphia, PA Helium Comedy Club 08/22 Virginia Beach, VA Funny Bone 08/23 Virginia Beach, VA Funny Bone 09/01 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot 09/02 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot 09/03 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot Read More Doug Benson Doug Benson is a "potty" comedian… If you enjoy slacker, toilet, and pot humor, then you're in Benson's demographic.

Doug Benson best known for being 1/3 of the Marijuana-Logues, Last Comic Standing, Super High Me, and podcast Doug Loves Movies. Benson has been a prolific stoner stand-up comedian, winner of High Times 2006 Stoner of the Year. I have had the privilege to meet Doug over the years. Doug Benson has always had a very approachable personality. He has a childish glee, is almost always smiling, and quick witted.

Smug Life is a Comedy Concept Album. This 2-disc set features one disc recorded sober (uncooked) and another disc recorded baked (cooked). Both discs contain similar set list of jokes and observations with different audience interactions which show case his ability to adapt to make you laugh though his personality and not just through his punchlines. What make me enjoy his style of comedy are his stoner set up and his stoner timing.

What works best with any type of comedy is the element of surprise or unexpected. With Doug Benson it's not knowing whether the humor comes clever observation or how a stoner observes a situation. At the same time the humor is mostly derived from the stereotypes of the weed culture. Marijuana has a devout following compared to other drugs; there are no heroin-based comedians or Viagra-based comedians. Doug Benson fits a niche audience that is relatable, because almost everyone is aware of pot.

Can Doug Benson do comedy that eschews from his comfort zone? The question really lies on whether Doug is funnier sober or stoned, and with Smug Life you can have two comedy sets for your own scientific experiments.

A few things I didn't like are there are a few references to some physical comedy that doesn't lend itself well to an audio format. There is also a twitter bit that feels uneven, because it is up to Doug to use his wit to make reading tweets as funny as a spoken joke. So therefore some set ups are not cleverly timed and punchlines are not as well executed.

I enjoy Doug Benson style of comedy, but it is very apparent that his jokes would not be funny if someone else was telling him. Which says a lot about his likability and charm. Doug Benson's Smug Life was recorded on 04/20/2012, and if you do not know the significance of 4:20 to the culture it is aimed at, this album may not be for you. As a Comedy Concept album, it is well executed and is worth a listen.

Doug Benson's Smug Life will be out July 3, 2012, via Comedy Central Records.

jimi ♥ douglovesmovies.com

Sex Sells: the Comedy Edition

Read more Sex Sells and comedy articles.

>>>
JIMMY FALLON
blowyourpantsoff.com

I don't really stay up late to watch the variety shows, but among the late night stars, you would have to agree that Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon are the more internet savvy host. You can tell because their guests include internet-stars and commentaries on the latest viral videos.

Jimmy Fallon's latest album release, Blow Your Pants Off, is coming out June 12th, and features audio recording of his music-related skits that originally aired on his show. I think it's a smart move to bring awareness to how creative and original his songs are, and also involves absolutely no work on his part because all these songs are done and recorded!

Overall, this is a great comedy/music album, but I do have some issues with it: because it was recorded with a live studio audience, you do hear the laughter and hand-claps. I know sometime it's good to hear the crowd's feedback, but sometime it is distracting and it feels like you're missing out because you're wondering what the visual cues were. In fact, I ended up going online to try and track some of these videos to see what I was missing. Unfortunately, due to the wisdom of NBC, most of these videos are not available on youtube because of copyright take-downs. It's also lame because NBC refuses to put up these clips on their own website (was this done specifically to sell Fallon's album?)

The other problem I had was that I'm not that into kid pop songs, so the cover of "Whip My Hair" by Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen was lost on me, but I got the gist of it because Young does an excellent re-imagining of "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (his version actually sounds pretty amazing). Same goes for Rebecca Black's "Friday" cover, which is seriously outdated (hey, people it's 2012).

The songs I did "get", I absolutely think they are pretty incredible and funny. "Tebowie" is a stand-out cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity", about Tim Tebow's Christian faith. Sample lyrics:

Tim Tebow to Jesus Christ
Can't win by myself but with your help I might
Tim Tebow to Jesus Christ
Commencing fourth down hut hut hike
Snap the football and may God's love be with me

Like Tebowie, the Doors singing "Reading Rainbow" is pretty awesome too (just imagine that kids-friendly song turning into an acid-style trip as only Jim Morrison can sing). Same goes for Bob Dylan's "Charles in Charge".

A really entertaining album, it's highly recommended if you like Jimmy Fallon or comedy music. If you end up purchasing the album, you can get a variety of packages (the sunstache sunglasses looks amazing, I wish I could just order that by itself instead of the most expensive bundle) at blowyourpantsoff.com. If you would rather just get the digital album, iTunes is offering 2 bonus tracks not found on the standard CD: "Jeremy (Linsanity)" and "Let Us Play With Your Look". The latter is kind of a toss-away, the title is the only lyric that gets repeated until you want to shoot yourself. "Jeremy" is pretty funny, I believe that's Eddie Vedder singing about basketball player Jeremy Lin, but in the style of his band, Pearl Jam's famous "Jeremy" song.

PS, the cover, as shown on amazon is a censored version, you can see the uncensored version here. I don't really know what the big deal is, it's "tastefully" done and I just don't understand why people find it offensive.

TENACIOUS D
tenaciousd.com

Speaking of censored cover artwork - what is up with the censoring of Tenacious D's third album, Rize of the Phoenix? I had no issues with the album artwork, but I guess people are sensitive to these sort of things. It would've been less subtle if they had just called the album "Rise of the Penis", you know? If you want to see the uncensored artwork, click here.

As part of the promotion of the album, the duo offered audio commentary to each of their song via Spotify, which is great for people who has this software. Sorry, since I don't listen to music on my computer and don't want to pay for Spotify's mobile services, I'll just sit this one out.

Anyway, thanks to the controversy, the duo has been selling out their shows in London (but I suspect this has more to do with the star power of Jack Black and Dave Grohl).

Jun 05 O2 Academy Brixton London, UK Jun 06 O2 Academy Brixton London, UK Jun 07 O2 Academy Brixton London, UK Jun 09 Download Festival Donnington Park, UK Jun 10 O2 Apollo Manchester, UK Jun 12 SECC Glasgow, UK Jun 23 Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN Jun 25 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA Jun 26 The Fillmore Charlotte Charlotte, NC Jun 28 Hammerstein Ballroom New York, NY Jun 29 Hammerstein Ballroom New York, NY Jun 30 Penn's Landing Philadelphia, PA

Jul 02 Bank of America Pavilion Boston, MA Jul 03 Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, CT Jul 05 Echo Beach Toronto, ON, Canada Jul 06 The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI Jul 07 Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL Jul 19 Austin Music Hall Austin, TX Jul 20 Palladium Ballroom Dallas, TX Jul 21 Brady Theater Tulsa, OK Jul 23 The Pageant St. Louis, MO Jul 24 Uptown Theater Kansas City, MO Jul 26 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Denver, CO Jul 28 House of Blues Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV Jul 29 SDSU Open Air Theatre San Diego, CA

GARFUNKEL & OATES
garfunkelandoates.com

Speaking of sex, this comedy ukulele/acoustic duo Garfunkel and Oates released their third album, Slippery When Moist , four months ago (February 21, 2012). As you can guess, they took their name from the two sidekick partners of Simon & Garfunkel and Hall & Oates.

I think they are very funny, but their new song, "29/31", is borderline depressing! I guess it's funny if you're already married (one can only hope that Kate or Riki are still single). The song isn't on any album, I believe they just wrote it, you can see it for yourself on their blog.

By the way, my favorite song off the Bon Jovi-inspired title album is the 'accidently masturbating' song, "Kart Racing". If you haven't heard of it, just youtube it or something. Warning: you might get distracted and end up seeing their amazing one-take video for "Handjob, Bland Job, I don't understand Job":


Garfunkel and Oates is featured on Comedy Central's “The Half-Hour”, this June 8th. They will also be playing live at LARGO in Los Angeles on June 22nd. Expect to see them on HBO somewhen in the near future. I can only hope it'll be more like "Flight of the Conchords"-style comedy… but with more sex.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Jo Koy - Lights Out

Jo Koy's latest Comedy Central stand-up special, Lights Out, was released last month on DVD and digital audio. Despite having established himself as a bona fide standup comedian*, you can tell that Koy's mother didn't approve. Although most of Koy's jokes revolve around his Filipino family, I don't think you have to be Asian to enjoy his routine. His best jokes are about his mother, who is either really funny or doesn't "get it" that she's being funny. For example, she pretends to not know her son when she introduces him to her guests. Mother: "Oh we have a guest. It says here you're a comedian. Wow! Tell us how it is to be a comedian… Jo-- Jokia … Jawai." Jo Koy: "It's Jo Koy… mother!" Jo Koy's Lights Out is available now. You can get the DVD or digital tracks from Amazon or directly from Comedy Central. * Winner "Showtime at the Apollo", Gemini Award winner, a regular on "E!'s Chelsea Lately", appearing on Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, Carson Daly, "BET’s Comic View" and "Jamie Foxx Presents: Laffapalooza."

vu () ♥ jokoy.com