All posts by Ashley

Joel Kim Booster 2.0

I am less interested in solving problems with my comedy now.

Comedian Joel Kim Booster, a 30 year old Chicago native, has begun a metamorphosis in his career. Identifying as a gay, Korean-American man and growing up with Evangelical foster parents,  Booster used to rely on his comedy as a form of therapy. His act largely focused on his sexuality and being oppressed as a minority within a minority.

Booster has recognized a shift in the comedic environment. He no longer feels the need to work out his traumas on stage. Booster admits he fell into sync with horrendous Asian stereotypes and worked them out on stage. He recalls seeing things like “No Asians” on dating apps that would teach him to feel like he was less desirable and accept dates he normally would not have. Now that Booster has been able to take a step back and realize he was feeding into the BS, he’s decided to find a new voice in his comedy.

I’m in an interesting new phase of figuring out what my voice is and trying not to rely on identity stuff.

Booster’s material is taking a rather different approach to modern society. He’s decided to avoid reality all together, not because he doesn’t see reality’s importance, but because of the pressure to or not to make jokes about the Trump Administration, Fake News, and pressing social issues. Booster’s new act will entail a “divorced from reality scenario with gay men owning the sky and straight people owning the land,” he told The Huffington Post.

My thoughts about racism are so serious, and I don’t go to a funny place anymore when I read the news. 

Catch Joel Kim Booster at Comedy Works Downtown September 13th through 15th.

Love Advice From Nick Thune

Hailing from Seattle, comedian Nick Thune’s absurdist view and deadpan wit have distinguished his unique style of storytelling mixed with one-liners.

Mainly known for his standup comedy, Thune spoons out some relationship advice from the stoup of an apartment building:

Key Lessons from Thune:

1.) Do’s and Don’ts when going to the movies for a date: Dont’ wear pants. They’re hard to get off in the theater.

2.) Smell is very important. Don’t smell clean. B.O. is sexy.

3.) Girls love bragging. Keep bragging until they’re so annoyed that the annoyance turns into love.

Seen on The Tonight Show ten times, CONAN two and Late Night once, Nick Thune will be at Comedy Works South at the Landmark August 2-4! Get your tickets here!

 

The Many Faces of Moffat

New York based comedian, actor, writer and comedian Alex Moffat will be at Comedy Works Downtown August 2-4! 

You probably recognize Moffat from the most recent season of Saturday Night Live.  Before becoming a cast member, he was regularly featured on the show as roles like

Moffat has been named the most versatile male actor on the show by Decider.com. With his roles ranging from Guy Who Just Bought A Boat back in 2017 to Eric Trump, Moffat has only begun to prove his excellence in comedy.

Guy Who Bought A Boat gives dating advice:

Eric Trump, Son of President Donald Trump:

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO:

Al Franken, former Minnesota Senator:

Anderson Cooper, CNN news anchor:

 

Don’t miss this wild card in Denver August 2-4!!

 

 

Adam Cayton-Holland Publishes First Book

Denver native and Comedy Works’ regular, Adam Cayton-Holland has published a tragicomic memoir remembering his funny yet incredibly honest relationship with his younger sister and her suicide. Tragedy Plus Time is set to release on August 21st.

It’s a tribute to the littlest member of our clan who burned so brightly, and it’s an honest look at mental illness and mourning.

We know Cayton-Holland from Tru TV’s Those Who Can’t, CONAN, The Late Late Show and of course, our very own Comedy Works’ stage. But this is a side of Cayton-Holland unbeknownst to the comedy world. Cayton-Holland always knew he wanted to be a writer but he never imagined this would be his first published book’s subject.

But I never in a million years would have thought the subject matter of my first book would be the suicide of my little sister, whom I love and miss so much. I’m excited and heartbroken – which is pretty much how I’ve operated ever since Lydia passed away.

The Cayton-Holland’s had three children: Anna, Adam and Lydia. All of which had developed OCD by the time they were teenagers. Anna found her peace through law, Adam with comedy but Lydia, quite arguably the brightest of them all, struggled to find her place. When Adam sunk into a deep depression his freshman year of college, Lydia pulled him out. Later when Lydia begins to slip into her own depression, although he tries, Adam couldn’t return the favor.

Cayton-Holland recommends his book to anyone who has suffered a major loss. Mental illness is no longer something to whisper about but to learn and to understand from. Cayton-Holland’s Tragedy Plus Time aims to guide the grieving, relate to the ones left behind and remember those who’ve gone too soon.

Pre-order Tragedy Plus Time here!

 

 

Heartfelt and Brilliant – Patton Oswald

Tragedy Plus Time absolutely gutted me- then it filled me with hope. I hate that Adam has this story to tell, but he tells it so beautifully. – Tig Notaro 

A searing memoir… This is Cayton-Holland’s heartbreaking word of genius. He writes with candor and care of Lydia’s bright light and his own darkest hour, making for an unforgettable read. – Booklist 

 

 

Adam Cayton-Holland will be headlining Comedy Works Downtown October 3rd. Get your tickets here!

Cooking with Preacher

You recognize him from NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Preacher Lawson was in the top 5 finalists just last season, the highest rated to date.

If you didn’t catch his NBC debut, maybe you know him from his YouTube series, Cooking with a Comedian, which is actively uploading new videos as of today.

After spending time on a widely recognized T.V. network, Lawson is often questioned why he continues using YouTube as his main social media platform.

 You know why I like it? Because I was walking through the mall in Minnesota and someone recognized me — “Yo, Preacher.” That’s why. Because YouTube is the new television, except you control it. I can’t control if different TV shows pick me up, but I can control my YouTube account.

Lawson takes the trending phenomenon of being a “foodie” and makes it funny. He uploaded “How To Make AMAZING Ice Cream (Vegan)” just this past Tuesday.

How To Make Amazing Ice Cream (Vegan) from Beamingbaker.com

Ingredients:

  • Coconut Flakes
  • Cone
  • Vanilla Extract (1/2 tsp)
  • Dairy-free Chocolate Chips
  • Frozen Bananas (3 whole)
  • Coconut Cream (1 can)
  • Maple Syrup (1/2 tbsp)

Steps:

  1. Blend Bananas in blender until smooth
  2. Add 1 can of Coconut Cream, hold water
  3. Add 1/2 tsp of Vanilla Extract
  4. Add 1/2 tbsp of Maple Syrup (Lawson chose to use 1 tbsp)
  5. Blend together in blender to make cream
  6. Pour in Coconut Flakes and Chocolate Chips (pulse, don’t blend)
  7. Pour mixture into bowl with lid
  8. Freeze for 6 hours

Tips: When ready to eat, let thaw for 5-10min before trying to scoop

Catch Preacher Lawson at Comedy Works South THIS WEEKEND July 12-14!

Fahim Anwar Endorsed by Bill Burr

Nationally recognized comedian, Bill Burr sat down with Joey Neill of Tampa Bay’s Creative Loafing  for an interview. When asked if Burr had an up&comer on his radar, Fahim Anwar’s name is tossed into the ring.

“Being in the business for over 25 years, is there anyone coming up you’ve been paying attention to? ” asked Neill.

Oh yeah, I actually just saw someone the other night. This kid Fahim Anwar I really like. He’s a great joke writer and his onstage personality is really cool to watch.

Fahim Anwar traded in his career as an aerospace engineer to pursue his career in stand-up comedy. Anwar has released an hour special “There’s No Business Like Showbusiness.” You’ve seen him on CONAN, The Late Night With Seth Myers and popular movies like Neighbors and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

Currently, Anwar is a writer for Comedy Central and is quickly rising to the big dog house of Comedy.

Catch Fahim Anwar at Comedy Works Downtown THIS WEEKEND JULY 5-8!!!

 

 

Sean Patton Finally Cracks

You’ve seen him on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan and his Comedy Central Half Hour was released in 2013. Sean Patton shares a story he’d been bribed not to tell.

Patton sets the scene in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at comedy club The Funny Bone. Patton had been promised $100 at the beginning of the night for two sets. The first set, Patton described what it felt like to be “heckled by crickets.” The second set followed up even worse with a drunk crowd booing him off stage.

When Patton was getting paid out, the manager handed him $50. Patton questioned the payment, “I thought it was supposed to be $100?” and the manager answered, “I thought you were going to be better.” And that was that. His set barely got a smile and his pay was cut in half.

Patton thought to himself, “Well, all I want to do is get drunk, now.” And he did. Not long after sitting at the bar, a beautiful, 40-something-year-old woman plopped herself down next to him. She complimented his set and asked if he thought she was pretty. He indeed did think so and that delighted her. She immediately invited him back to her place to “get high.”

Patton drove himself and this woman to a gated community, an obviously very wealthy community with a key pad entry lock. The lady spewed off 3 or 4 combinations of numbers before the security guard came to check out the issue. The lady yelled something in what Patton described as “shitface” language and surprisingly enough, the security guard replied “Oh, OK!” and opened the gate.

The gorgeous exterior did not mirror the inside of the woman’s home. Patton remembered seeing rows of unwrapped ramen noodle squares towering out of an empty pizza box. “There was a refrigerator in the foyer room, laying on it’s side, open and it was on and it was full of trash,” Patton told Vice.

Completely ignoring the mess, the lady tells Patton she’s going to perform for him. Thinking the obvious, Patton sits back on the couch and awaits the show. To his surprise/disappointment, the woman reappears with a VCR and demands Patton hook it up to the TV. He does. She shoves a VHS tape into the device and illuminating the screen is a younger version of this woman acting in a small play.

Not exactly what Patton was expecting but he sticks around a little longer. Then the woman remembers the whole reason for inviting Patton over: to get high. As someone who had engaged in recreational drug use, Patton was familiar with marijuana and opiate aromas. But when the lady lit her pipe, Patton almost didn’t recognize the smell.

“That is crack. It fits the description as crack. That is a rock and it has that sweet-tinny smell that you hear about.”

The woman passes the pipe to Patton and he takes it in his hand. He pulls it over to the side of his face and pretends to smoke the crack. He even inhales a big gust of air to trick the lady. When he passes the pipe back, the lady is already clearly messed up from her first hit.

Patton realizes this is his best chance of escaping this situation and heads towards the door. Just as we think his crazy adventure is over, in walks mystery lady’s husband. From neck tie all the way to the brief case and his unsurprised face, Patton got the feeling this wasn’t the first time this guy had come home to a similar situation.

Before Patton could get a word out, he felt something hard contact with the back of his head. It was the woman. She was punching him from behind, completely losing her mind. The husband grabbed and contained her yelling “Deardra! Deardra!” and Patton realizes he never got the lady’s name. The husband tells Patton to stay put and comes back with a checkbook in place of Deardra.

The husband asked Patton to never speak of his encounter to anyone and wrote him a check for $500.

I made $50 bombing in front of dumb, f***ing idiot, Baton Rouge people, but I made $500 to basically never tell this story.

 

*all illustrations by Matt Marblo taken from Viceland.com*

 

Catch Sean Patton LIVE at Comedy Works Downtown November 8-10!

Date Night at Comedy Works!

A local blog titled, The Colorado Couple featured Comedy Works as their chosen destination for ‘Date Night.’ 

I’ll share the first part of our evening on a different blog post (worth the wait, we promise!) but for the second part, we watched a show at Comedy Works South (the Landmark). Chad Daniels was the comedian that night and he was HILARIOUS! We were definitely laughing the whole time and our stomachs hurt!

Photo taken from www.coloradocouple.com

The post begins with a friendly little reminder that Comedy Works does have a two item minimum policy during the comedy show. Colorado Couple suggests one person order drinks and the other orders desserts (great idea). The couple had never been to CW before and described the scene as “organized chaos.” As suggested when purchasing tickets, the couple arrived 30 minutes early to claim their tickets. 

If you’re waiting for the second show of the evening, like the Colorado Couple was doing, you are encouraged to wait in Comedy Works’ cocktail lounge, Lila B. The blog post makes you aware that any drinks purchased in Lila B do not count towards your two item minimum in the showroom. They also pointed out that eating dinner at the restaurant, Lucy, above the club will secure better seats in the showroom. 

In compliance with Comedy Works’ cell phone policy, the Colorado Couple suggested leaving your cell phones in your vehicle to avoid using the Yondr bags provided by the club. Yondr bags do not block cell phone service. The bags are soft and durable and exist only to prevent customers from using their phones during a show. 

All in all, we had so much fun and definitely worked our food off with all the laughter! ♡

Tuesday With Stories About Comedy Works

Comedians Mark Normand and Joe List host a weekly podcast called Tuesday With Stories.

Last weekend, Joe List graced Comedy Works stage and of course had to review his experience on episode #250 Big Purple Ball of the podcast.

They got the best staff in the business.

Mel is as sweet as pie.

The cool thing about Comedy Works is that they have real headliners…. We had Mike Stanley and John Tole…. Mike Stanley comes out on Thursday and is completely murdering! It’s one of those things where the MC might bury the feature. F***ing destroying…. This is great but it’s almost unfair. 

John Tole MC’d Saturday. Love the Tole! 

Dr. Kev is a fascinating guy! He’s like a sexy older guy. I’ll move here [Denver] just to be friends [with him].

Mark and Joe talk about their high anxiety performing at such a pretentious club like Comedy Works.

You just put a high bar for yourself at a club that’s that HOT!

Roy Wood Jr.’s Long Stand Off with Texas

Regular contributor to The Daily Show, Roy Wood Jr. posted a thread on Twitter last Monday explaining why the comedian has been avoiding Texas since 2006.

Before Wood Jr.’s major comedic career, he was mostly known for engaging in prank calls he would make to famous Hip Hop stars. His series caught on and a Houston based record company BCD Records, offered Wood Jr. an album deal.

Like most contract deals, Wood Jr. was limited to whom he could call and prank on this album. BCD Records gave Wood Jr. a list of acceptable prank victims and CEO of Rap-A-Lot Records, James Prince was first on the list.

J Prince has a heavy reputation being a boxing and hip hop guru for over 20 years. Prince has been described as soft spoken, with a composed demeanor making him that much more intimidating.

Before Wood Jr. could contemplate his first prank, he was already dialing, ready to pose as a Mom & Pop record store demanding repercussion from Rap-A-Lot Records.

But to Wood Jr.’s surprise, J Prince didn’t offer the slightest bit of amusement. In fact, his response was quite the opposite of what Wood Jr. usually gets.

Instead of playing along, J Prince asked Wood Jr. where he was. When the producer took over the call to apologize, Prince responded, “Ohhhhhh, you with Lucas? I see. I know EXACTLY where y’all at. (to driver) Aye man turn the car around.”

Wood Jr. was so worried after that statement, he packed up and left Houston after only 4 hours of being in the state of Texas for his album deal. He didn’t care about the contract. He didn’t want to face J Prince.

12 years later, Roy Wood Jr. has been presented with the opportunity to apologize to J Prince via telephone on MTV’s TRL.

Wood Jr. opens the conversation apologizing profusely for the prank call back in 2006 and goes on to say he’s ordered 3 of J Prince’s new book, “The Art of Science and Respect.” J Prince immediately smiles and responds that Wood Jr. must’ve caught him on a bad day.

Prince continues to chuckle as Roy Wood Jr. describes his feelings on that day. Wood Jr. said he was supposed to spend 4 days in Houston and he didn’t last 4 hours. Prince said he did remember that day and that he had just been on his way to “laugh with him in person.”

Roy Wood Jr. asked J Prince if he is allowed back in Houston and J Prince responded, “Yeah we good man.”

 

 

See Roy Wood Jr. LIVE at Comedy Works Downtown July 12-14! 

*all photos were taken via Roy Wood Jr.’s Twitter Account*