Shows That Make You Go "Hmmmm"

TONIGHT, FRIDAY APRIL 9!!

Classic American Comedy
Parker's Classic American Bistro in Bethesda, MD
10pm FREE
This is one of the greatest showcases in the country. If you are a fan of watching great comedy, or performing on great comedy shows, please check out Parker's tonight. It is a young show and as all young shows are, on a probationary period. We need to pack the room to tell the owners that stand up is as important as we the readers think it is. Do it for your country (or at least your friends.) Tonight, check out John McBride, Brandon Ivey, Nick Turner, Shotgun Tom, Andy Haynes, and Tyler Sonnichsen

TOMORROW NIGHT, SATURDAY APRIL 10!

DCC4N presents: DC Comedy Festival Showcase
DC Improv Comedy Lounge
8pm $10
Featuring the best stand-up comics in DC auditioning for spots in the DCCF '08. Line up includes: Jason Weems, Aparna Nancherla, Jay Hastings, Bryson Turner, Kojo Mante, Nick Turner, Tony Gracyk, John McBride, Tim Miller, & Hampton Yount.
Buy tickets here

WIT's F.I.S.T. Tournament FINAL ROUND w/ JACKIE
Flashpoint Theater in Chinatown
9:30pm $12
The Final Two Teams in the 2008 F.I.S.T. tournament go head to head to crown the ULTIMATE CHAMPION. The audience votes for the winner!
Buy tickets here









WORD!

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Guaranteed to Score with These Shows!

If you are going to do anything other than watch NCAA basketball this weekend (forget them, you know your bracket is already fucked up) then head out to these above-the-rim comedy shows.

The Awesome Room
Tonight is The Awesome Room @ McGinty's Pub in Silver Spring, MD. This week's show crosses over and hits the paint with music, comedy, musical comedy and comedy about music.

9pm $4

Starting Lineup:
Tyler Sonnichsen
Bryson Turner
Kojo Mante
Jason Saenz
...and DC funk/fusion powerhouse The Champions!


Washington Improv Theater's F.I.S.T.
Also tonight thru Saturday is the final bracket of WIT's F.I.S.T. tourney @ The Flashpoint Theater. It is teams of 3-on-3 competing for YOUR vote. Shows have been selling out. There is only going to be more madness in March as we approach the final matches.


Tonight:
Yocko Cronkite vs. MimeHunters @ 8pm

Friday:
Blue Cop Town vs. The Achievers @ 9:30pm

Saturday:
Pay Attention To Us vs. Grandma Molly's Wayback Machine @ 8pm

Winner of Thursday's Match vs. Polygamy @ 9:30pm

Buy tickets here.

Note: Basketball puns are like comedy swishes!

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Caveat @ The Comedy Spot in Ballston

Washington Improv Theater's most energetic troupe, Caveat, explodes all over the Comedy Spot next weekend.

And they are debuting a new experimental format. Calling in one of their former members, James Williams, the show will be a plethera of music, lightning and love.

Yes, they have the power to create romantic clouds of music.

8PM Thursday Feb 21 - $10
8PM Friday Feb 22 - $15
7:30PM Saturday Feb 23 - $15
CLICK FOR TICKETS!

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Open Mic Closings and a city full of openings

Well folks, there seems to be a widening, mack-truck sized hole with which to park that open mic or showcase you've been dreaming about starting.

Taglines open mic which I believe only started a couple of weeks ago, is a victim of the closing of it's host restaurant, the Fire Rock Grill. The Bistro Europa has also closed, leading to the cancellation of the long-running Sunday open mic headed by Lance Smith.

We here at DCC4N have been doing our best to compile a list of possible show locations if you are contemplating the jump to producer. If you have any suggestions for places in the District that would be great for hosting shows, please let us know in the comments or drop us some gmail.

Why produce your next show in the District and not on the outskirts?

(read on to find out why!!)

More shows in the District will help aide the cohesiveness of the comedy scene. Chicago doesn’t have a thriving comedy community because of all of the great shows in Aurora the same way New York isn’t a destination because of the industry in Westchester. When people come to visit DC and want to check out what our fair city has in the way of comedy, they shouldn’t have to go to Woodbridge or Shirlington or other places that people have made up in an effort to fool me into thinking that there are shows that I am missing out on there.

At this point, not only do a majority of the area's comedy shows happen outside of the city, but I can only think of 4 currently running that actually happen inside of it. And that's bad news for any comic without a vehicle because that makes it pretty damn hard to fill your calendar. This is a town where you certainly don't need a car and the result is a city full of people who rely on metro on their nights out. Producing in the city will aide in your ability to secure quality comics and quality audience.

Maybe I'm over-analyzing it, but I think a more centralized scene would go a long way to change the national perception of the DC comedy scene. If you look at the facts, there are small rural areas that produce more local comedy than DC, a city of 600,000 people. If there is one thing I can say for absolutely sure is that DC is filled to brim with ridiculously talented comedians that are ready to plucked into stardom, we just need to make the "AVAILABLE" sign a little bigger and a little brighter.

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Give Me Back My Son

Written by and Starring Jake Young and Sariel Lehyani. Directed by Isaac Carey Nejako



Sariel Lehyani hosts The College Perk Coffeehouse Open Mic, which happens TONIGHT (Feb 7th) at 9pm
at 9078 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, MD 20740
(signup happens at 8:30)

And Jake, of course, hosts The Awesome Room, which happens next on February 28th at McGinty's Public House in MARYLAND of all places.

SEND YOUR VIDEOS TO dccomedy4now(at)gmail.com

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Tuesday at Solly's

TOP SHELF

Go to Solly's Tavern tonight, because you deserve it. And because people who don't dress up to tell jokes are assholes.

The resplendent "Top Shelf" lineup includes:
Rory Scovel
Andy Kline
Bryson Turner
Seaton Smith
Jimmy Merritt
Nick Turner
Eric Myers


and hosted by Tony Gracyck


Tuesday, February 19th, 2008
8:30pm
Solly's Tavern
1942 11th St. NW (11th & U St.)
$5 Read more!

Tonight. Awesome.

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"Romantic Comedy" to become the first show to ever sell out in the history of the WORLD!!!!

We are putting on our second showcase at The DC Improv Comedy Lounge on Valentine's weekend combining the sweetest standup and improv comedy just for you, that's right, you snickerdoodle. Our First showcase, "Clash of the Titans" sold out (unlike any show that has ever been produced by any person or persons in any medium!)and we are celebrating by putting on another local comedy showcase with twice the heart, with TWO shows @ 8pm and 10:30pm. Hey pumpkin-pudding, you deserve nothing but the best.

Fall in love with stand up from:
SHOTGUN DENNY TOMM (winner of 2007's "Funniest Person in Baltimore,")
NICK TURNER (jerk from NYC and [little-seen] National Commercials)
JAY HASTINGS (Comcast On Demand)
JASON WEEMS (Last Comic Standing, Comcast On Demand)

And Long-Form Improv/Pillow Talk from:
HOURLY RATE HOTEL f/ Topher Bellavia, Natasha Rothwell, Dan Hodapp (Washington Improv Theater's "161" and "Caveat" )
THE JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION f/ Dave Johnson, Mikael Johnson, Jason Saenz-Johnson (Washington Improv Theater's "161" and "Jackie")

And hosted by the debonair but cuddly JASON SAENZ (member of WIT's "Jackie" and "iMusical)

What: DC Comedy: 4 Now Presents: "Romantic Comedy"
When: Saturday, February 16th @ 8:00 and 10:30pm
Where: The DC Improv Comedy Lounge
Cost: $10 at the door or go to http://www.symfonee.com/improv/dc/home/index.aspx.

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Announcing "Top Shelf" at Solly's Tavern

DC Comedy:4 Now proudly announces the marriage of stellar comedy and sophistication at an exclusive new comedy show.

Starting January 22nd, our newest creation is a twice-monthly showcase of the very best comedy this fine city has to offer. On the first and third Tuesday of each month DCC4N will be hosting only the most erudite of comedians in U Street's most stately establishment, Solly's Tavern. The audience is free to come as they are but we assure you that the talent will be dressed to the nines in their Sunday best (and that's not a joke).

The Resplendent Lineup includes:

Chris White (Last Comic Standing, DCstandup.com)
Jake Young (Host of The Awesome Room, Geek Comedy Tour 3000)
Brandon Ivey (Jimes)
John McBride (Host of Rendezvous and 18th & Red comedy shows)
Larry Poon (Funniest person in Baltimore, knows Cameron Diaz)
Nick Turner (Owns a suit, knows Larry Poon)
and hosted by Aparna Nancherla (finalist in NBC's Standup for Diversity, knows too much)

Top Shelf
Solly's Tavern
1942 11th St. NW (11th & U St.)
January 22nd (and 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month thereafter)
8:00pm
$5

for more information email dccomedy4now(at)gmail.com
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Hero of the Week: Jake Young

Everyone knows that we need more quality comedy shows here in the DC area, but few of us are actually doing anything about it. Well the announcement came this week that one such comedian has stepped into the role of producer and is about to give comedians more stage time and fans of comedy more to laugh about with his new monthly show, "The Awesome Room.". We spotlight this fine gentleman in our first "Comedian of the Week." (I'm sorry if you think this title implies that there will be a new comedian of the week each week, but there's no way we could keep up that kind of grueling schedule)
We recently met with Jake Young over a shared pancake topped with delicious Ethiopian food to discuss why anyone would be so amazing as to start their own show. Little did we know that Jake only grants formal interviews to "traditional media," so we were left with this decidedly non-traditional interview.
(Jake's new show premieres on January 31st at 9pm at McGinty's Public House in Downtown Silver Spring. More info at theawesomeroom.com)

-Why did you decide to produce your own show?



(Marvel at the rest of the interview from this DC Comic after the jump)

-Why a booked showcase rather than an open mic?





-What about the venue appealed to you?




-What do you hope to accomplish with your new show?





-Do you forsee any personal benefits to having your own show?



-I'm sure you are about to be inundated with booking requests from local comics. How do you go about booking the show?



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Happy New Year, DC!!

We hear[Grammar King!] at DCC4N would like to thank everyone who reads our blog for making 2007 a incredible year. Never had we though[GK!] that things would take off as they have, but more importantly we are just happy to see comedians, of all sorts, coming together in this city.

Here is to a even better 2008 for everyone!!

Check back next week for announcemets regarding...

More SHOWS!
More ROOMS!
and more great local, DC COMEDY!!

Also, don't forget about DCC4N's New Year Bustin' "Clash of the Titans".
Friday Jan. 4th @ 8pm
DC Improv Comedy Lounge!

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DCC4N presents "Clash of the Titans" on January 4th!

On Friday, January 4th, the stars of DC Comedy come out for their first show at The DC Improv combining the best in standup and improv comedy.

Lineup includes stand-up from:
LARRY POON (winner of 2007's "Funniest Person in Baltimore,")
NICK TURNER (superstar from NYC and [little-seen] National Commercials)
JAY HASTINGS (Comcast On Demand)
APARNA NANCHERLA (Finalist in NBC's "Standup for Diversity," member of WIT's "Jinx")

And Long-Form Improv from:
SUPER BEST f/ Tyler Korba, Mike Bass, Brian Coleman (Finalist of WIT's F.I.S.T. Tournament '06)
UP w/ THE JOHNSONS f/ Dave Johnson, Mikael Johnson, Jason Saenz-Johnson

And hosted by the inimitable JASON SAENZ (member of WIT's "Jackie" and "Reindeer Games")


What: DC Comedy:4Now Presents: "Clash of the Titans"
When: Friday, January 4th @ 8:00pm
Where: The DC Improv Comedy Lounge
Cost: $10 at the door or go to Symfonee.com

For more information please email dccomedy4now@gmail.com

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Salute to Dr. Dremos: Comedy Showcase this Wednesday Night!!

For comics and patrons alike, Dr. Dremos in Arlington, VA has been a top spot to party at for many, many years. From their legendary (and now banned) Beer-Pong tables to their awesome downstairs lounge for comedy shows and music, Dr. Dremos will surely be missed after it is torn down for more F'ing condos in Feb '08. It really is a shame.

But, there is still time to catch great shows at Dr. Dremos before it closes and this Wednesday, December 5th marks one of the last opprotunities to do so.Rory Scovel, Jon Mumma , Kojo Mante, and Jay Hastings will be featured for a special Comedy Showcase & DVD taping. This show is going to be one of the finest Dr. Dremos has ever seen. Please come out to support live, local stand-up comedy and celebrate the kick-ass legacy of this one fine establishment.

To recap:
WHO:Rory Scovel, Jon Mumma, Kojo Mante, & Jay Hastings
WHAT:An amazing comedy show
WHEN:Wednesday, December 5th 2007 @ 8pm
WHERE:Dr Dremos, Arlington, VA

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Tonight....

DO IT!!!

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Hey, comics in the back...Shut the Fuck Up!!!

This past Saturday night I noticed something that has become increasingly annoying to me: comics talking in the back of the room. I can cut people
slack when it is an open mic or a large room where the whispers don't carry. We've all been guilty in that scenario. Unlike Saturday however, at an open mic there aren't normally cameras recording for television. Was this Lettermen or Leno? Most certainly not, but it was a TV spot for Comcast OnDemand. Is it a big deal? Probably not, but it's still nice to think that your material will be seen and heard by people watching TV. Treat it with some sort of respect, people.

So, why did a handful of comics run their fucking mouth during the whole fucking show? Maybe I've got sensitive ears and it was just loud to me. Wait, no it wasn't because other comics complained about it! Most every comic stood in the back, directly behind or next to the camera. What would make a person think, "This is the perfect place to whisper loudly about complete bullshit and distract people from enjoy a comic who I FUCKING KNOW!" If you want to talk, step outside. It is not only rude to the comics, but to the audience as well. It was jaw dropping to see a group of comics not give a fuck about the fact the cameras were rolling. More disturbing though is that noone really said anything. I was hosting the show and remembered "sooshing" people twice, but to no avail.

Did I want to watch every comic that was on the show that night? No. Did I have to because I was hosting it? Yes. I know how boring it is to watch the same comic do the same set over and over again. That's why if I don't have to stand in the back, I leave. I go talk to other people who are bored. I don't stand in the back and fucking talk. Why? Because I'm not rude and actually give a shit about other peoples performance...even if I don't like it.

And one more thing about the showcase: I was fucking amazing. Read more!

Comcast Showcase @ The DC Improv Comedy Lounge

Comcast brings its Comcastic Comedy Showcase back to the DC Improv's Comedy Lounge on November 24th @ 8:00pm. The first showcase was a awesome night of local, stand-up comedy and Saturday promises to be just as amazing.

The show will feature 11 of the best local working comics the greater DC metro area has to offer. Here is the line-up(in order from most fuckable [sorry Chris]): Mike Way, Jimmy Merritt, Freddi Vernell, Jared Stern, Tim Miller, Sean Gabbert, Matt Kazam, Jon Mumma, Justin Schlelgel, Joe Deeley, and Chris White. The showcase is hosted by Jay Hastings and he shouldn't suck. There are just a few tickets remaining for a lovely, intimate evening of great local comedy. Come out and check it out. Read more!

DC Improv Showcase Show

Tonight is the DC Improv's local talent showcase show. This is a monthly showcase, and tonights show is hosted by Ryan Conner. Tonights line-up is:

*JERMAINE FOWLER
*EVAN VALENTINE
*LANCE WEISS
*LAFAYETTE WRIGHT
*TAYLOR EDGAR

There will also be two guest sets at the end of the show from two previous showcase winners: Bryson Turner & Jake Young

This is what the future of DC comedy looks like, so come out and support the laughs (yep, that's the gayest thing I've ever typed). Read more!

Reminder: Big Show tonight @ 18th & Red

The Bomb Shelter @ "18th & Red" get's written up by THE ONION'S A.V. CLUB tonight!

The show will include the comic styles of:
Seaton Smith, Kojo Mante, John McBride, Aparna Nancherla, Bryson Turner, and Erin Jackson.

Please, come show your support for local comedy and give the AV Club a big "HELL YES!"

WHERE: 18th & Red (In Adams Morgan across from The Diner)
WHEN: 9:00pm (starts promptly) Read more!

The Onion's A.V. Club checks out The Bomb Shelter this Thursday!

The Bomb Shelter @ "18th & Red" get's written up by THE ONION'S A.V. CLUB this Thursday, November 8th!!!

The Bomb Shelter is pleased to inform everyone that our showcase was selected to be written up by The Onion's A.V. Club. They'll be reviewing live, local comedy in The District. PLEASE COME SUPPORT THIS SHOW!!! This will be a great line-up of local comics.

The show will include:
Seaton Smith, Kojo Mante, John McBride, Aparna Nancherla, Bryson Turner, and Erin Jackson.

John McBride and Jay are the two guys who run the room, and we would really appreciate the support. This is a huge thing to be featured in The Onion and I'd love for 18th & Red to be packed out with fellow comedians and our friends. We think it's great that the Comedy Newspaper in DC is going to review a locally run comedy show by local comedians. If you are able to come out and support the show we would be very greatful, and you'd be greatful because it's going to be a great show.

WHERE: 18th & Red (In Adams Morgan across from The Diner)
WHEN: 9:00pm (starts promptly) Read more!

The Bomb Shelter: Thursday October 25th @ 18th & Red

The Bomb Shelter is BACK! We took last week off due to paid work, but now we're back because no one is paying us. This weeks show looks to be pretty good. The line-up is:

*Jay Hastings
*John McBride
*Mike Way
*Hampton Yount
*Jermaine Fowler

As always 18th & Red has great drink specials for our comedy audience. Come out and help support live local comedy.

SHOW STARTS AT 9:00pm!

Thanks and hope to see you there. Read more!