It's flannel season, which is an immediate boon to the comedy community. Strap on some yourself and get out to one of these great shows. more ›

HotHouse is a different show altogether. No velvet rope, not a square inch of advertisement, and no tickets at the door. You won’t find show reviews, photos, tweets, texts, sexts or anything else, from the audience or the performers. Just a stand up venue that comics know well and love to get booked on, because for once there’s an event in town that’s not built on hype. Go figure. more ›

It’s hard enough to produce, book, and then promote your indie stand up show in any neighborhood in Los Angeles, to say nothing of shoving it downtown into a venue that tells you right in the name you might not be willing to make the weeknight trip: Far Bar. Between the thin alleyway entrance and the proximity to the deliciousness of Daikokuya, it’s a wonder any of the comics ever find their way into Frolic. more ›

In this town, you’ll spot about as many new burger places as you will alternative stand up comedy shows. That is, a lot; especially along Sunset Boulevard as it drags its way from the beach to Elysian Park. (OK, maybe Pacific Palisades isn’t a hotbed of comedy, but you get the idea). So when The Park on Sunset in Echo Park - with their fantastic Wednesday night burger deal - decided to host a Monday night stand up show, the Eastside comedy feeling was a resounding “…totally…”. more ›

The name Groundlings is ubiquitous to not only the comedy landscape of Los Angeles, but to all of America. As a smallish school along a particularly shop-heavy strip of Melrose, Groundlings has helped to usher in fresh face after fresh face to the homes of millions of Americans. more ›

We’ve come so far together, us comedy folks. Time was, the ‘alternative’ stand up scene meant practically anything outside of a dedicated club, from rented out basement theaters to milk crate seating in the back of a Denny’s. Enter: Joel Mandelkorn… and a whole bunch of other people, actually - including co-producers Mandee Johnson and Betsy Koch. The point is, Mandelkorn, Johnson and Koch, co-producers of the highly acclaimed monthly Super Serious stand up show, have brought a little bit of class and a lot of talent to the stage. more ›

It's Memorial Day, which officially ushers in a summer full of BBQs, beach parties... and comedy! So why not honor the summer tradition with some amazing shows this week. Adam Carolla, Aries Spears, BILLY CONNOLLY?! Not to mention a few long-time great shows, like Sit N' Spin, to keep you satiated as the summer swings into full gear. more ›

This week's comedy scene is a combination of shows for a cause (well, one show is specifically WITHOUT a cause), indie improv tournaments, and national headliners. In other words, it's one of the best line ups we've seen in a while, so you should be out enjoying yourself. more ›

It's a dog-eat-dog week in comedy, but the Doberman's share has to be going to the Hollywood Improv. Their Improv Lab continues to book talent at a high level, and the unique shows they churn out are an absolute model for how to do comedy right in Los Angeles. more ›

Sometimes the stars align, and all of the great indie stand up shows fall on the same week. Thankfully, this is that week. Frolic! is back, Red Velvet Comedy is at the Improv Lab, Holy F*ck! is delightful and downtown, and Comedy is Dead takes over the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Jeez. more ›

It's another wild comedy week here in LA, and there are quite a few charity shows to throw into the mix. Alison Becker's monthly INDIGLO show is happening this week at MBar, the Chris Gethard Show is rolling into UCB, and Tiger Lily looks to kill with an amazing line-up. more ›

It's almost Christmas time, which means any comedy show worth its salt has started pushing in a more charitable direction, and this week is no exception. Comicthon kicks off tonight at the Laugh Factory, with proceeds benefitting the Children's Hospital of LA, while Room 101 is helping fight autism. Know of any other upcoming benefit shows? Send 'em my way! more ›

Welcome to November! The nights are a little cooler, and the jackets are getting a little heavier, so why not snuggle up some great laughs this week? There's plenty to be had, from Largo to the Lost Studio. In fact, this week there's a bunch of shows you're not likely to see ever again, so make sure to prioritize your life accordingly. more ›

Just when you thought Largo, the hip comedy and music venue on La Cienega, couldn’t get any cooler - they go and do something like this. On Monday, October 11th, they’ll be hosting the West Coast rendition of Punchline Magazine’s Five Year celebration, and essentially all bets are off. So far Greg Proops, Marc Maron, Maria Bamford, Whitney Cummings and Chris Hardwick are all slated to slay the stage; that is, in addition to the giveaways, the after-party and the inevitable special guests. How dare you, Largo. more ›

It's a stand up splosion! this week, with tons of shows going on all over town. From Los Feliz to Downtown to deep in Silverlake, independent shows are cropping up everywhere, and each with their own bombtastic lineups. more ›

‘Free’ is a much heavier word than it sounds. Free as a bird, you say, or free thinker. But there is another side to free, filled with warnings and buyers doing their best to beware. When it comes to free, you get what you pay for, they say, and usually that’s true. But every once in a while, a freebie comes along that is so pure, so honest, and so worth the price of admission ($0) that the only words you’re left with are: Holy Fuck. more ›

Usually, the faces change but the places stay the same. At least that’s the idea when it comes to the myriad of comedy houses peppered throughout Los Angeles. The names come and go (some bigger than others), but the brand and the comedy philosophy stay with the space. Groundlings, ACME,  iO West, and UCB (a relative newcomer, but still not-so-quietly celebrating their 5th anniversary this month) all preach a very specific form of comedy, and have been doing it in one form or another for years. Each of these, however, pale in longevity to ComedySportz LA, which holds a very unique distinction as not only the most tenured comedy theater in town, but is actually the longest running stage show in Los Angeles. All of which could change without your help. more ›

At well over six feet tall, it would be hard to miss longtime stand up comedian Matt Braunger in a crowd. The good news is, he's not trying to blend into the crowd anyway. After all, this is that one stand up who admits to having normal parents. You know, the one who goes on Letterman and spends half of his set talking about owls, then releases his stand up album Soak Up the Night on vinyl. And besides, that growing crowd was here to see him all along. more ›

This week, both Mortified and Sit N' Spin are playing, while Rob Delaney invites the crowd to get inside his past with Naked & Bloody at the Comedy Central Stage. However, the crown jewel for this week has to be the Super Serious Show in Culver City, where Matt Braunger, Kumail Nanjiani and a slew of others are sure to set it off, Vivica A. Fox style. more ›

Man, is it shaping up to be quite a summah or what? The comedy shows aren’t slowing down one bit (we’ve got even more great stuff coming up next week), and the weather is finally starting to cooperate. Since there’s so much to do, you should be fully prepped on the upcoming week of comedy, and plan your time accordingly. None of this ‘didn’t hear about it in time’ BS. It’s summah time, get out there! more ›

MONDAY 6/21 Neutrino Video Projects, 8p iO West. This highly successful show, originally from NYC, the Neutrino Projects bring long-form, character-based improv to the silver screen - live. It’s shot, edited, mixed and scored in real time, presenting the audience with a finished product in no time flat. more ›

A while back, LAist tipped off the local comedy scene about the upcoming Friars Club Improv & Sketch Competition being held June 25th and 26th at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCB) in New York City. Well folks, we weren’t joking, and the $10,000 grand prize certainly isn’t anything to laugh at. Apparently a few hundred sketch and improv teams didn’t think so either, forcing the Friars to separate out the comedy gold from the pyrite pile. And after weeks and weeks of submissions, LA will be representing left coast comedy in both the improv and sketch categories. more ›

There's plenty of great comedy to get out and see this week, especially at Largo. They've got The Mighty Boosh's Rich Fulcher and Paul F. Tompkins on back to back nights. Otherwise, there are a few benefit shows (which always get love here), the iO West Harold Competition winds down, and the big MaxFunDrive bash at Meltdown Comics (which is secretly killing comedy lately), running from 4pm to midnight on Friday. more ›

Sitting knee to knee in the hot, dark, rectangular back room of a coffee shop on Santa Monica Boulevard, it’s easy to think you’ve been lied to. Hoodwinked. This comedy thing, it’s nothing but blank, bleak spaces with one brick wall and a silent cry for touch up paint. Bamboozled. But then you look around, and realize the only reason your knee is getting cozy with its neighbor in the first place is because this place is cramped. At 8 o’clock at night on an unassuming Tuesday, the Comedy Central Stage (part of the Hudson Guild Theater in LA’s Theater Row) is absolutely buzzing. It’s not the Comedy Central brand name, or the ticket price - free; instead friends, family, cohorts, and online aficionados are here to support Tremendosaur, the 2-man sketch comedy beast comprised of Justin Michael and Jacob Reed. Turns out, the only folks getting hornswaggled are those who aren’t here. more ›

Another great week of comedy is upon us, as winter fades out and summer starts to crawl on in. Festivals are just around the corner, Zach Galifianakis killed it on SNL, and there's even another benefit show this week. You simply won't find any other place where you can get this much good comedy all in the same week. And if you know of any more, hit me up. more ›

It's an improv sort of week, with a few special other shows thrown into the mix. The Birthday Boys and A Kiss From Daddy have their monthly show at UCB, which is always a hit. There's a Haiti benefit show out in Venice that has a great line up, and the latest Moth GrandSLAM is out in Echo Park. The weather should be clearing up, so you can feel free to climb out from under your rock and get out to some awesome comedy. That is, if you're not lame. Lame people need not apply. more ›

The Apple Sisters is one of those shows that you could never accurately pitch to your friend to get them to go with you. It’s part variety, it’s part sketch, it’s music and comedy and satire and character and, well, funny. It’s really, really funny in fact. more ›

There are a few benefit shows this week that seem like must-sees, from Breast Cancer Be Trippin' to Laugh Night to benefit Art Share LA. Both have fantastic line ups that are worthy of the crowds they're sure to bring. Probably the best show of the week, though, is CraigsLOST and the Apple Sisters at UCB. On any night, either one of these shows is worth a mention, but together they're a powerhouse of comedy that cannot be stopped. For serious. more ›

This really is a great month for comedy. The Irvine Improv is hosting some great names for the next couple of week, there's fantastic indie shows like Joke Lab, and Funny or Die is over at Largo. Huzzah! more ›

Welcome back from a week of giving to the needy. Now it's time to give solely to yourself, and the greatest gift is the giggles! Get out and see some fantastic improv and sketch shows, even though stand up is ruling this week's calendar (in particular, the network of Improv comedy clubs is just going bonkers - Brea, Irvine, Ontario, and Hollywood all have great line-ups). As always, if you've got a hot tip on a great show, let us know. more ›