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Hannibal Buress  

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Chicago funnyman Hannibal Buress has racked up a more than impressive CV in the last seven years. From TV appearances on some of the most critically acclaimed comedies in recent times such as “30 Rock”, “Louie” and “Bobs Burgers” to recent movie roles in the likes of “Bad Neighbours”, chances are, if you’re a fan of comedy, you’ve seen him on a screen.

Aside from that, Hannibal has built up a strong reputation as a stand up comedian. Often pointed to as the next big thing in comedy, only recently has Buress started to match up to the billing. Currently on his third stand up tour, having gained previous experience opening for the likes of Jimmy Fallon and David Letterman, the 31-year-old Ohio Native’s most recent show, “Hannibal Buress: Live From Chicago” has been met with much praise from critics, and rightly so.

During the show he had myself and the majority of the audience in hysterics with his bizarre, yet real life anecdotes, which often focused on Buress’ slacker approach to life, his recent travels, and a general social commentary on American life. One particular gag, which involved him bumping into Scarlett Johansson in a hotel, was a particular highlight. If you enjoy comedy from the other side of the pond, Buress is definitely a must for you!

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Hannibal Buress is a stand up comedian who is currently on tour performing some of his best material to date. It’s no wonder, as this guy is exactly what it says on the tin, a comedian. He dwells upon current affairs and observational humour, whilst demonstrating his intelligence all at the same time. It’s no wonder why he has developed an built the following that he has. He’s no Drake, who “Started from the Bottom no We’re Here”. He will hold audiences on a national level in the palm of his hand, keeping them there from the moment that he walks on stage.

Of course Buress was going to make it into film too, with his appearances in the smash hit, Bad Neighbours and then his TV appearances such as 30 Rock, Bobs Burgers, & Louie. This guy is the real deal. He’s funny with a quick wit. Definitely worth going to check out while he is on tour!

Astute. Intelligent. Crass. Reasonable. And a good guy.

Loved Tony mixing the beats in with his show.

I'd see him again, next week, and again the month after that. Great live show!

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Hannibal Buress Announces A New Nationwide Stand-Up Comedy Tour, And Hints At Some Surprises

Between scoring a role in  Spider-Man: Homecoming  and  goofing off on the ESPYs red carpet with Uproxx ‘s Bill Hanstock, it might seem like Hannibal Buress hasn’t been doing much stand-up these days. But as anyone who’s unfamiliar with his rigorous schedule knows, he never really stops. As Buress explained when  Comedy Camisado  began streaming in February, he doesn’t really take breaks from touring. Not even when he visited Japan during a break over the holidays; yes, the 33-year-old comic worked during his Christmas vacation. The result of his efforts? A brand new stand-up comedy tour called “The Hannibal Montanabal Experience.”

“This tour is about me and my journey to find the follow-up single to Gibberish Rap ,” Buress told us. “It’s mostly Uber jokes, and I’m tinkering with a dance solo.”

The 30-city tour kicks off soon, with more dates to come, according to the comedian.

“You know New Orleans is coming,” he said. “There’s a few other cities that we gotta hit.”

Finally, Buress told us that he may have a surprise musical opening act performing at some of the stops along the tour: “There’s an offer out to Future to open for a few dates, but we’re bumping heads on the budget.”

Below is the full list of dates that have been scheduled so far. Tickets go on sale on Friday, August 5 and can purchased on Buress’ website, hannibalburess.com .

Aug. 10-11 — Wilbur Theater — Boston, MA Aug. 13 — Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom — Hampton Beach, NH Sept. 14 — Chicago Theatre — Chicago, IL Sept. 17 — Masonic Temple — Detroit, MI Sept. 18 — State Theatre — Kalamazoo, MI Sept. 22 — Charleston Gaillard Center — Charleston, SC Sept. 23 — Duke Energy of the Performing Arts — Raleigh, NC Sept. 24 — Belk Theatre — Charlotte, NC Sept. 25 — TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall — Nashville, TN Sept. 29 — Byham Theatre — Pittsburgh, PA Sept. 30 — Capitol Theatre — Columbus, OH Oct. 1 — Murat Theatre — Indianapolis, IN Oct. 2 — Masonic Auditorium — Cleveland, OH Oct. 6 — Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall — Baltimore, MD Oct. 7 — Carpenter Theatre — Richmond, VA Oct. 8 — Chrysler Hall — Norfolk, VA Oct. 14 — Nourse Theatre — San Francisco, CA Oct. 15 — Paramount Theater — Seattle, WA Oct. 16 — Fox Theater — Oakland, CA Oct. 17-20 — Aladdin Theater — Portland, OR Oct. 21 — Chan Centre for the Perf. Arts — Vancouver, BC Oct. 22 — Royal Theatre — Victoria, BC Oct. 23 — MacEwan Hall — Calgary, AB Nov. 2 — DAR Constitution Hall — Washington, DC Nov. 3 — The Ryan Center — Kingston, RI Nov. 4-6 — Apollo Theater — New York, NY Nov. 10 — Arvest Bank Theatre — Kansas City, MO Nov. 11 — Taft Theatre — Cincinnati, OH Nov. 12 — Auer Performance Hall — Ft Wayne, IN Nov. 13 — The Pageant Theatre — St Louis, MO

Once again, for tickets, check out Buress’ official website Friday, August 5 at 10 a.m. ET.

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Hannibal Buress Announces Drive-In Tour

By Matthew Ismael Ruiz

Comedian Hannibal Buress has announced a five-city tour of Midwest drive-in theaters in support of his latest comedy special Miami Nights . He released the special for free on YouTube in July. Check out the full run of tour dates below.

Much of the special centers on a 2017 incident in Miami during Art Basel in which Buress was arrested for “ disorderly intoxication .” The charges were eventually dropped . In April, he dropped a new collaboration with Chrome Sparks called “ Judge Judy ,” sampling clips from the TV judge’s show.

Check out Pitchfork’s 2014 “ Situation Critical ” feature with Hannibal Buress.

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09-22 Cleveland, OH - Auto-O-Rama Twin Drive In 09-23 Butler, PA - Starlite Drive-In 09-24 Columbus, OH - South Drive-In 09-25 Indianapolis, IN - Tibb's Drive-In 09-27 Chicago, IL - Lake Shore Drive-In (Early Show) 09-27 Chicago, IL - Lake Shore Drive-In (Late Show)

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By Jazz Monroe

Hannibal Buress Books Drive-In Theater Comedy Tour

By Ryan Reed

Hannibal Buress will experiment with a new format on an upcoming music and comedy tour for drive-in theaters.

The “Let’s See How This Goes” trek — which features a “masks required, socially distanced” format, according to a statement — will run for five dates in late September: the 22nd in Cleveland; the 23rd in Butler, Pennsylvania; the 24th in Columbus, Ohio; the 25th in Indianapolis and the 27th in his hometown of Chicago.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 26th at 10 a.m. local time via the comedian’s website . The tour is produced by Hotbox and Outback Presents, the crew behind recent drive-in tours for Marc Rebillet and Bert Kreischer.

Listings for the shows detail the level of precaution involved in the production. The Cleveland event page notes the drive-in will be “following all CDC guidelines,” with cars to be parked at “their minimum distance in accordance to each state’s safety recommendations.”

The description continues, “All drive-in staff will be wearing PPE and tickets can be purchased online ONLY to ensure contactless payment. There is no re-entry and all sales are final.” Audio will be transmitted through the FM stereos of attendees’ vehicles.

“Let’s See How This Goes” will promote Buress’ recent stand-up special Miami Nights , which premiered in July on YouTube . The comedian recently debuted the first episode of his podcast series Splitting 10s , in which he talks with friends about sports gambling.

In December, he curated the Isola Fest , a music-comedy festival featuring T-Pain and Open Mike Eagle held in his grandmother’s rural Mississippi hometown.

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• Hannibal Buress

Comedian Hannibal Buress Starts Second Career Arc as a Musician with Stellar New EP ‘Eshu Tune’

by Jacob Uitti May 2, 2022, 10:15 am

Hannibal Buress is back at the grind.

Videos by American Songwriter

This time, though, instead of working on new standup material, as is often the trajectory for famous comedians like him, Buress is working on what may amount to a whole new career arc. The quick-witted and multi-talented artist released his debut EP, Eshu Tune , under the same stage name, in mid-April. That eight-song album features both his production work and beat making as well as his sly, skillful rapping. For Buress, the work is both an exciting window into future creativity and something that connects him to one of his earliest loves: music. It’s something that’s invigorating him these days and, perhaps down the line, the work will inform future standup specials. But in the meantime, it’s all about the songwriting.

“I could coast and do standup and clock much more than I’m clocking right now per week,” Buress tells American Songwriter. “But I don’t know if I’d be as happy and inspired through that. Because I’ve done that already. I’ve got five specials already and I’m happy and proud of them but I feel like there’s more.”

Certainly, Buress is not bowing out of standup altogether. He may even incorporate joke telling and storytelling in his upcoming musical sets. But the artist also has significant perspective. He knows hard work—this time in the realm of music—will only ultimately inform any future standup specials. In this way, for Buress, music is all about effort and growth.

“I’m not saying I’m never going to do standup,” he says, “but I bet in three years, my standup special is going to be way more interesting if I’m talking about how I’ve been pursuing rap for three years, you know what I’m saying?”

Truth be told, Buress is one of the best standup comedians on Earth. He is deliberate and nonchalant at the same time. His demeanor on stage is effortless, though it’s true he’s put a lifetime into it. He speaks to his audiences like a friend or roommate, but he is impressive enough to stand on par with the greats. And the same level of work it took to get there, he’s now applying to songwriting, beat making, and achievement in a recording studio. He’s even learning the drums—something he’s wanted to do since he was a kid, forced to learn the saxophone instead of the uber-loud kit.

“I’m looking at it, like, okay, if I’m really working at these other aspects of the game and I’m locked in,” Buress says, “then when I’m 50, my concerts are going to be fucking insane!”

While his career to date, which includes popular specials and appearances in Marvel movies, Buress knows there’s some level of step skipping he’s afforded that other no-name artists aren’t. Yet, while his name will get him in the door, no name is good enough to afford bad songs or lackluster performances.

“This ain’t no novelty shit,” he says.

He’s even begun to book big shows, reach out to promoters and work on sets for upcoming concerts. He calls himself a “hungry musician” who is willing to take discounts to perform his songs. (Though, “if you want some standup, I’m taxing your ass!” he says, with a laugh.) But while Buress is officially putting himself out there these days as a musician in full, his love affair with songwriting began when he was young. Starting with the sax, he says, that “probably had some imprint on my brain.” He wrote songs growing up, even before he began doing standup around the turn of the 2000s. While the songs maybe weren’t exceptional, they were good.

“They might not have been for radio,” he explains. “But if you listened to them, you wouldn’t have been bored.”

He remembers going to open mics. He remembers being around rappers, musicians, beat makers. He remembers “battle rapping” against lyricists, including the Chicago legend, Open Mike Eagle, whom he even beat once in a battle competition. Later, as his standup career grew, he had visions of creating sets around the idea of what vexed him in the world of hip-hop: why certain lyrics didn’t make sense, why some rap videos included a “To be continued…” ending but were never later resolved. He even talked about putting out an EP with fellow comedian Eric Andre. But nothing really materialized (though in 2020, Buress did put out the song “ Judge Judy ”). As his comedy career grew, it became more difficult to find the resolve to sit down and write songs or go into the studio.

“The time was absolutely there,” he admits. “But I was doing other bullshit like gambling or partying. With my extra time, I wasn’t really using it properly.”

But when the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant shutdown occurred, he had his opportunity. Around the beginning of lockdown, in September of 2020, Buress did what several comedians did: participate in a drive-in tour. But this, to say the least, did not suit him. Around that time, his most recent special, Miami Nights , came out (free on YouTube). The show did well and afforded him some great publicity but with COVID still raging, he needed more to do. He wasn’t interested in acting (and all of the hoops one had to do to undertake that work given the COVID-19 restrictions), so music became his outlet day by day.

“In that time,” he says, “the studio experience was still dope. The feel of creating music in that room, once you get in a room. The outside is kind of gone, you know what I mean? So, I was able to lock in and starting from about November 2020, I spent hat time learning how to record.”

In the studio, Buress would work on his own beats, receive beats from producers, and rap, freestyling and writing. Songs began to form, including a 14-minute raw freestyle that he was hyped on and sent around to friends. His main objective at the time (and perhaps still is, in many ways) was to write music that wouldn’t make someone go, in a bad way: What the fuck?! Buress wanted to write and release music that fit in playlists that he loved, work in clubs and not mess up the flow of the night when the DJ spun it. As he wrote, he got better.

“As far as the writing,” he says, “when I have the idea, then the writing is—it becomes pretty easy.”

On the new EP, Buress raps about teeth, bowling, drinking, and much more. The EP is fun. But it’s not some odd dalliance. It’s not Adam Sandler singing about Thanksgiving and Lunch Ladies. Instead, it’s authentic songwriting—not comedy music. One thing that really helped his process was a recent trip to New York City. For the Illinois native, venturing back to the Big Apple, where his comedy career really took off, allowed him to feel old and new creative energies all at once. To feel emboldened where he’d made his name but also excited to be starting, in a way, fresh.

“That’s one of the things that’s been really dope about doing music,” he says. “Revisiting these places kind of in a new state of mind.”

He did midnight sessions in studios in New York. He worked and reworked songs, trimming verses, and using lines from one track to begin another completely new song. He’s begun to reach out to contacts to see if his songs would work for, say, the Professional Bowlers Association. He even found himself in a “bottle service” dance club in New York, randomly “air-dropping” his songs to whoever would accept the file. One of those folks was a DJ in the club, who played the track, which didn’t fuck up the flow of the evening and the dancers. That was a big step.

“It was so cool to be in New York and realize how fast things can really move when you’re in motion and motivated,” Buress says.

In New York, Buress worked on new songs, using slower beats he may not have been initially drawn to at first, working outside of his comfort zone, but seeing he was agile and competent on different vibes and tempos. Later, he traveled to Los Angeles and kept working. Now, with the new eight-song EP loosed into the world, Buress is making more plans, both for music videos and live shows. With music, unlike acting and even recording comedy specials, he can be completely hands-on, working with track sequencing, mixing, and mastering.

Next up: Buress wants to set up some shows in some of his more trustworthy markets: New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles. For starters, he’s got his eyes on a mid-July festival gig in Chicago that could include some 20,000 people in attendance: the Silver Room Block Party . And perhaps another at the large United Center in Chicago.

“I’m learning,” he says, “that it doesn’t have to be rushed. I don’t have to press the gas on it.”

Recently, Buress has done some small pop-up shows and, like a comedian might do after an impromptu improv show, he’s analyzing what worked and what needs to be tweaked in order for the material to truly hit the audience best. His focus is on the upcoming July dates. One song on the new EP, “Veneers,” especially hit live. That’s been an exciting revelation, says Buress. The song is slower, but in that way leads the listener through a hooky chorus. Buress recently performed the song at the “Detroit Thanksgiving,” put on his friend Danny Brown.

“People just rock with that one right away,” he says.

For Buress, the work is all infused with love. He truly adores music and piecing a song’s puzzle together. He finds both joy and honor in the endeavor. It’s truly admirable. Buress could be doing more Marvel movies. He could be going into some Netflix special or sitcom. He could be leveraging the work he’s already done to live fat off the land, so to speak. Instead, he’s challenging himself, doing something he loves—yes—but in many ways starting from scratch. While, sure, his name will get him into some important rooms others may not get to right away, he has to make sure the product is there in full, never the less. And it is.

“I just love having the shit work,” Buress says.

Photo courtesy Hannibal Buress

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Special Event: Brad Upton

2024 Philly's Phunniest - Preliminary Round

Join us for the Preliminary Round of the 2024 Philly's Phunniest Person Competition! Preliminary Round winners are determined by audience vote, so come on out and help us crown this year's champ!

The contest continues with the Semifinals from July 30th - August 8th and the Final on August 18th!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR CONTESTANTS! - TBA

Lineups: tba.

All lineups subject to change

Special Event: Jiaoying Summers

“A major voice on the national comedy scene.” - Vogue International "Her name and survival story have one thing in common — a refusal to fade into the background." - The LA Times "[Summers is] amplifying the Asian American perspective through her work [with] uncensored, unapologetic comedic stylings." - San Francisco Chronicle Jiaoying Summers has been named one of “The Women Running The [Comedy] Scene in L.A.” -The LA Times

Tue Jun 4 2024, 8:00 PM

Helium Presents: Monica Nevi

Monica Nevi is a native of Washington State, having grown up about 20 minutes south of Seattle, in the glory of Renton, Washington. A collegiate basketball player, after injuries ended her career she decided to move forward with the other thing people love for women to do and pursue her strong interest in stand-up comedy. Years later, Monica is an internationally touring stand-up comedian, performing in festivals, clubs, and colleges all over. She created, produced, and hosts the documentary series called "80 For 80." She has been seen on FOX’s "Laughs," as well as in sketches on ESPN’s "Sports Center." Monica’s debut stand-up album, "Mostly Finger Guns," was #1 on the comedy charts followed a month later by her #1 comedic guided meditation album "Chill." You can also find her weekly podcast “Dumb Pitches” on the Helium Podcast Network.

Wed Jun 5 2024, 8:00 PM

Helium Presents: Uncle Lazer

The Single Mother Slayer and Texas’s own prodigal son is out of the oil fields for good. Hitting the road and taking his unapologetic approach to comedy to a town near you. Everything from his outlandish single mother dating stories to the rough and rowdy upbringing of his trauma filled childhood on the bad side of town. Uncle Lazer brings the heat each and every time he walks on stage. The Mullet Maniac’s approach to comedy is completely over the top and outlandish. However he is able to connect to his audience with relatability from a blue collar background. Belly aching laughter and just an all around good time can be promised at any one of his show.

Thu Jun 6 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Donnell Rawlings

Helium Presents: Josh Gondelman

If his face seems familiar, you may recognize it from his appearances on Conan (TBS), Late Night With Seth Meyers (NBC), and The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS). But you may also know his voice from his regular appearances on the NPR news quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me. Gondelman is also the author of the essay collection Nice Try: Stories of Best Intentions and Mixed Results published September 2019 by Harper Perennial. And, if you remember this far back, he was the co-creator of the popular Modern Seinfeld Twitter account.

Josh’s album Dancing On a Weeknight came out in 2019 on Blonde Medicine Records. (His prior album Physical Whisper debuted in March of 2016 at #1 on the iTunes comedy charts (as well as #4 on the Billboard comedy chart) and stayed there for…well…longer than he expected, honestly.)Additionally, Gondelman is also the co-author (along with Joe Berkowitz) of the book You Blew It, published October 2015 by Plume. In the past, Josh has written for Fuse TV’s Billy On The Street. His writing has also appeared in prestigious publications such as McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, New York Magazine, and The New Yorker. For a while he had his own game show podcast called Make My Day that was a lot of fun. You can still listen to it if you’d like. Why wouldn’t you? It’s new to you.

That’s probably more information than you need, but hey…he did these things and he’s proud of himself, okay?

Sat Jun 8 2024, 4:30 PM

Helium Presents: Teacher's Night Out with Gaspare Randazzo

Gaspare Randazzo is a NYC high school teacher in his 13th year in the classroom. When he’s not in the classroom, you can find Gaspare doing Stand Up Comedy all around the country where he talks about his life as a teacher and his experiences dealing with students from all walks of life. In addition to stand up comedy and teaching, Gaspare recently starred in the Netflix show “The Trust” and co-hosts “The Social Studies Podcast” along with Joe Dombrowski. You can find him on all social media platforms at StandUpRandazzo. 

Wed Jun 12 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Rafi Bastos

His 17-year comedy and acting career before coming to the United States garnered many firsts and was covered in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience. Rafi set records, created controversy through freedom of speech and used the power of the internet to reach an astronomical social media following.

Rafi’s videos with stage performances, music videos, interviews and sketches have now more than 370 million views on his Youtube channel alone. In 2011, he was considered by the NEW YORK TIMES as the Most Influential Man on Twitter, at the time with 7 million followers, now at 11.4 million. In 2013, Rafi won the SHORTY AWARDS, also known as the “Oscars of Social Media”, for Best Comedian. Both in English and Portuguese, Rafi continues to prove that he is among the most talented artists of Latin America - always setting the bar higher for innovation, quality and influence.

Rafi’s quick-witted observational humor has made him a hit online and the first Brazilian comedian to become a regular at the most renowned comedy clubs globally, including COMEDY CELLAR in New York, LAUGH FACTORY, and THE HOLLYWOOD IMPROV in California. He is also the first Brazilian comedian to headline at JUST FOR LAUGHS, the largest comedy festival in the world, hosted in Montreal, Canada.

Among his many credits, Rafi has three comedy specials on Netflix:, A Arte do Insulto, Péssima Influencia, and Ultimato. He has starred in movies, had his own controversial talk show, been an in-field journalist and hosted reality shows (Ultimate Beastmaster for Netflix). He is the Co-Founder and owner of Comedians, the largest comedy club in South America. Let’s just say Rafi has done almost everything in Brazil and now he’s in the USA to do it all with a fresh perspective - in UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY.

Special Event: Doug Benson & Friends

Sat jun 15 2024, 4:20 pm.

Helium Presents: HCA Stand-up 160 Graduation Showcase

Sun jun 16 2024, 4:00 pm.

Special Event: Tasha K

Sun jun 16 2024, 7:00 pm.

Helium Presents: Red Richardson

Red Richardson is a critically acclaimed standup comedian, writer and actor and is regarded as one of the most exciting and in demand new faces of comedy. His ‘Stay Toxic’ videos have received over 80 million views on Instagram and his stand up comedy shows sell out theatres and comedy clubs across the UK. In 2023 his stand-up show ‘The Best of Red Richardson’ sold out the iconic Leicester Square Theatre in under 24 hours.

He is a regular performer at ‘Ricky Gervais and Friends’ live stand up shows with legendary comedian Ricky Gervais and also appeared in numerous comedy sketches with Gervais for Ricky's ‘Dutch Barn’ vodka company.

On TV he has appeared on 3 seasons of ‘The Stand Up Sketch show’ and as a writer has written on numerous hit TV shows like ‘Never mind the Buzzcocks’ and ‘8 out of Ten Cats’. His debut Tour ‘Bugatti Live’ begins in The UK in September 2024 with venues selling out months in advance and extra shows being added in every city of The UK and Ireland.

Tue Jun 18 2024, 7:00 PM

Helium Presents: Aaron Chen

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Aaron Chen has quickly climbed the ranks of the international comedy scene. Aaron made his mark on Australian comedy with his debut solo show in 2017 and since then has toured nationally in front of sold-out crowds and rave reviews, earning him the sought-after awards for Best Newcomer (2017) and Director’s Choice (2019), and nomination for Best Show (2021) at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Since his critically acclaimed performance at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Aaron supported comedian Ronny Chieng on his Live Australian Tour, and had feature roles in Ronny Chieng International Student (ABC), Orange is the New Brown (Seven Network), and FISK (Netflix). As a comedian, he also appears on Australia’s #1 panel show, Have You Been Paying Attention (Network 10). Aaron’s acclaimed 2021 Adult Swim special A Life in Questions was for nominated for Best Short Form Comedy special at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, and lead to development deals with Adult Swim/Warner Media. His stand-up special, If It Weren’t Filmed, Nobody Would Believe was released on YouTube in September 2022 and has accumulated almost 1 million views. Aaron lives in New York City.

Wed Jun 19 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Josh Johnson

As a stand-up, Johnson headlines clubs, colleges, and festivals around the world. In 2015, he was named one of Comedy Central’s “Comic to Watch”, in 2016 a “New Face” at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, and in 2018 the winner of the “New York's Funniest” competition at the New York Comedy Festival.

Johnson’s most recent stand-up special, Josh Johnson: Up Here Killing Myself, premiered on Peacock earlier this year to rave reviews touting Josh as a “naturally gifted story teller”. Comedy Central released Johnson’s first hour-long special #(Hashtag) in June 2021.

Johnson’s self-released comedy and music mixtape album Elusive, was described by Vanyaland as “live stand-up observational humor with musical compositions. Both elements wade in and out of political and social waters between the two “arcs” of the multi-genre epic". Johnson also co-hosts the weekly podcast, The Josh Johnson Show (with fellow stand-up Logan Nielsen).

Johnson’s other credits include, CONAN (TBS), @Midnight, Kevin Hart's Hart of The City, The New Negroes, and This Week at The Comedy Cellar on Comedy Central.

Johnson lives in New York and can be seen performing regularly at The Comedy Cellar

Special Event: Tyler Fischer

Sun jun 23 2024, 7:00 pm.

Special Event: Eric Eaton

Eric Eaton has performed all over the United States and can be seen on the hit TV Show Masters of Illusion. Eric has won a Merlin Award (Oscars of Magic) for Outstanding Comedy and Magic. Eric has had the opportunity to amaze celebrities such as; George Lopez, Lou Ferrigno, Russell Peters, Desiigner, and many more in which you can find on his social media platforms; @themagicofericeaton. Eric puts on a great show that earns him high praise with his unique blend of magic, charm and comedic wit. People referred to his amazing comedic tendencies and his ability with magic to being the perfect combination for a compelling and entertaining show. All of Eric’s tricks include audience members. From the show’s start to the incredible finish, audience members find themselves on stage trading barbs with Eric and having the time of their lives! The interchange is classic entertainment at its best. Be prepared to sit back and laugh at the hilarious and incredible Comedy and Magic of Eric Eaton!

Wed Jun 26 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Halal Hilarity

Philadelphia has long been a hub for comedy, and "Halal Hilarity" adds a vibrant and diverse twist to the city's rich comedy scene. With a stellar lineup of comedians from around the globe, this showcase promises to be a unique and inclusive experience for all comedy enthusiasts.

The internationally renowned comedians featured in this groundbreaking showcase have graced stages on every continent, bringing their distinct voices and comedic talents to captivated audiences worldwide. They've made appearances on renowned TV shows, comedy festivals, and have garnered an immense following through their online presence.

With the power of comedy, "Halal Hilarity" aims to break down stereotypes and showcase the shared experiences that connect people from different backgrounds.

Mark your calendars, invite your friends, and get ready for a night of riotous laughter as "Halal Hilarity" takes center stage at Helium Comedy Club. Don't miss out on this historic event that promises to leave you rolling with laughter and eager for more.

Thu Jun 27 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Casey Rocket

Since moving to Texas in 2021, The Crab Man went from living in his Ford Escape to winning the inaugural Austin Comedy Competition. After his victory, Rocket successfully auditioned to join the first class of Door Guys at Joe Rogan’s Comedy Mothership, where he has since performed alongside some of the biggest names in comedy.

In early 2024, Rocket was named as the newest regular on Kill Tony. He has brought his unique brand of nonsense comedy to SXSW, Skankfest Vegas, the Boston Comedy Festival, Aloha Comedy Festival, and many more.

Helium Presents: The Unteachables

Stephen Taylor

Originally a Louisiana native, Stephen moved to Kansas City to escape his traditional southern roots. Combining his unique perspective with some interesting stories and some sweet southern charm, Stephen headlines and features at your favorite clubs, bars, and colleges across the country, as well as his own classroom. He has been featured on The Breakfast Club, The New York Post, and at San Francisco Sketchfest. He is also the co-founder of the Fountain City Comedy Festival and the Barrel of the Bottoms studio in Kansas City.

Lou Pharis is a Denver based stand-up comedian and teacher who uses his high energy and outrageous experiences in the classroom to keep crowds laughing. After failing to make the NFL and win American Ninja Warrior, Lou turned his talents to the public education system. His viral videos on teaching and marriage have amassed over 70 million views on social media. Lou has been featured across the US and UK, has been seen on Bored Teachers and NBC, and was a finalist for Comedy Works New Faces Contest.

Joe McKenna

Joe McKenna is a comedian from Boston, Massachusetts. One of the fastest rising comics in Denver, Joe utilizes his experience as a middle school teacher and traveller to recount his most bizarre undergoings with his students, his time spent abroad, and the ever changing social expectations of the youth. Joe has been seen at comedy clubs across the US, and has worked with household comedians such as Mark Normand, Shane Gillis, and Jeff Ross.

Sat Jun 29 2024, 4:30 PM

Special Event: The Christi Show

Special Event: George Wallace

Wallace is currently pursuing dual coursework at the University of Phoenix and DeVry. With his writing and stand-up experience, Wallace began landing television appearances.

Wallace was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Soul Train/Centric Comedy All-Star Awards; and won Best Stand-Up Comedian at the prestigious American Comedy Awards after four consecutive nominations. As a veteran radio personality, he has also made appearances on “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” and is a charter member of “The Tom Joyner Morning Show.” In 2004 Wallace appeared as the headlining star of his own show at The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas for a 30-day run. Sin City showed its admiration by extending Wallace’s contract indefinitely and nicknaming him “The New Mr. Vegas.” Unlike any other comedy show in Las Vegas, Wallace gave away a number of prizes every night including CDs, DVDs, diamond necklaces, dinner at prestigious restaurants, gourmet chocolates, tropical cruises, and even a new car. He celebrated his 10th Anniversary headlining at the Flamingo in March 2014, and announced he was closing the show to head back out on the road.

Wallace regularly performs in comedy clubs across the country and is an ambassador for the United States government, performing at military bases all over the world.

His first book, "LAFF IT OFF" (Chaite Press) was published in 2014. A tome of life wisdom, humor and insight from a lifetime of observation, the book is in its third printing.

Wallace’s most recognized material is his “I Be Thinkin’” lines and jokes about everything from conversational thoughts to political aspirations. Each show he engages members of the audience in comical banter. If provoked, he might even throw out a few of his signature “Yo Mama” jokes. He shows his gratitude to the audience by signing autographs and taking photos after every show.

Special Event: Justin Whitehead

Sun jul 7 2024, 7:00 pm.

Helium Presents: Steve Byrne

In just a few short years, Steve Byrne has risen through the ranks of the comedy world to become one of the industry’s most innovative and sought-after performers. With his high-energy, physical style of comedy, Byrne has evolved throughout the years into an extremely versatile entertainer that delivers on a day-to-day basis. Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, Steve Byrne was born to a Korean mother and an Irish father. His unique background has given him the base comedic material for his first television show, Sullivan & Son, a half hour comedy on TBS. The first ten episodes averaged over 2.5 million viewers and new episodes will appear on TBS in 2013.

Wed Jul 10 2024, 8:00 PM

Sun jul 14 2024, 4:00 pm.

Special Event: Lisa Ann Walter

Walter is also the co-creator and star of several network sitcoms and unscripted series. Lisa Ann is the proud Creator, Executive Producer and Judge on the highest rated first year NBC/UNI cable series, DANCE YOUR ASS OFF, with over a dozen foreign formats She co-created, produced and directed the original series GONZO GIRLS. and has both scripted and unscripted series currently in development. She has enjoyed guesting on numerous hit shows; THE ODD COUPLE, THE EXES, NIP/TUCK, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, GREY’S ANATOMY, 9-1-1, GLOW.

Lisa Ann spent 10 years headlining clubs all over the country. Her first televised comedy set was as a featured professional standup act on “It’s Showtime at the Apollo” where she turned a skeptical crowd into a cheering one and led to scores of Television spots and she was recently featured on “Gotham Comedy Live”. Walter has hosted dozens of A-List events including “Talk of the Town”, “The Icon Awards” honoring Sidney Poitier, “The Hollywood Bag Ladies luncheon for Lupus” & more. Her comedic memoire/essays on self-loathing, THE BEST THING ABOUT MY ASS IS THAT IT’S BEHIND ME, was a life-changing book published by Harper One and was #13 on the NY Times & Amazon Bestseller Lists.

But Walter is most proud of being a working mom of 4 with “One foot on the Red Carpet…The other at Costco” and that her stomach is still reasonably flat after being the clown car they all came out of.

Helium Presents: Alfred Robles

After getting kicked out of the police academy, Alfred Robles rose to become one of the hottest young comedians in the country. Two years into his comedy career, Alfred was featured in the hit show "Loco Comedy Jam" and the Latino Laugh Festival. He was the only comedian to be featured on all 3 seasons of Stand Up Revolution on Comedy Central. Alfred is currently on a world wide tour with Gabriel Iglesias, and was one of the first comedians to perform at Dodger Stadium alongside Gabriel Iglesias. Alfred was also featured on “Mr. Iglesias” on Netflix, ”Entre Nos” on HBO, and is currently working on his hour special.

Sun Jul 21 2024, 7:00 PM

Helium Presents: Benedict Polizzi

Benedict Polizzi  is a stand up comedian and actor. He starred in season 2 and 3 of FBOY Island and can be seen everywhere on the internet with almost a billion views across all social media platforms. He's been seen on HBO, The CW, and has been featured in People magazine, E! News, Men's Health, BarstoolSports, MemeZar, MensHumor and BetchesMedia. He was named Indy Star's Best Comedian and opened for Nikki Glaser during her “ONE NIGHT with Nikki Glaser'' tour in 2022. Polizzi hosts podcasts ESPRESSO with Benedict Polizzi, and THESE GUYS! with internet sensation Joey Mulinaro. Both available on all platforms. When Benny isn't performing in comedy clubs all around the country, you can find him on a busy street "Polite Catcalling" which gained him over 500 million views online, or eating rotisserie chicken in his car in complete silence.

Thu Jul 25 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Nephew Tommy

Thomas’ role as co-host of the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show puts him in front of a live radio audience of more than 8 million listeners daily. Nephew Tommy provides a key role in the morning show, lighting it up with his own cast of colorful characters and zany humor. Thomas also has a loyal following as a stand-up comedian and has earned a reputation for wowing crowds. For three years, he served as the exclusive opening act on the Luther Vandross tour. And for the past four years Thomas has been the exclusive Mainstage host for the Essence Festival in New Orleans, which draws over 250,000 fans and features acts such as Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Usher, and Kanye West. In October 2010, Thomas recorded his onehour special at the famed Motor City Casino in Detroit. He continues to keep the crowds laughing as he tours nationally to sold out crowds across the country.

He’s a talented thespian, a Theater Major of Texas A&M University, who’s worked in over a dozen stage plays and studied with the Royal Shakespeare Company of London. A number of independent films are on his resume, including 2011’s “N-Secure” and “The Heart Specialist” with Zoe Saldana; “Think Like A Man” in 2012 from the best selling book by Steve Harvey; and premiering in September 2013, he makes a cameo appearance in Fox Searchlight’s “Baggage Claim.”

In 2011 Thomas traveled to over a dozen military bases in the Middle East with the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff USO Holiday Tour. In December 2013, Thomas will once again tour with the USO where he will share his humor, insight and wisdom to thousands of military men and women. This interaction with soldiers, both stateside and around the world, inspired Thomas to establish “Miles of Giving” a non-profit foundation created for the purpose of assisting wounded veterans.

Whether on the stage, big screen, television or radio, Thomas “Nephew Tommy” Miles continues to demonstrate his remarkable talent to the delight of audiences worldwide.

Helium Presents: Hans Kim

Hans Kim is a regular on Kill Tony and has opened up for Joe Rogan and Tony Hinchcliffe. Hans Kim is a big player on the social networking scene, where he has amassed over a hundred friends. Hans Kim is strong both physically and emotionally. He was voted the 3rd most improved indie one-liner comic in North Austin, June 2016.

Helium Presents: Wes Barker

Wes Barker is the most famous magician who will still answer your DMs. One of the first winners on Penn & Teller: Fool US, and star of Big Trick Energy on truTV, Wes also has hundreds of millions of views online. His numerous TV appearances include Ellen, America’s Got Talent, MTV’s Greatest Party Stories Ever, Wizard Wars, and Penn & Teller: Fool Us (two times). Wes has a style of comedy magic that is uniquely his own. He will have you laughing at hilarious true stories one moment and be blowing your mind the next. Watching Wes is guaranteed to be a wild ride of laughter and amazement from a magician at the top of his game.

Thu Aug 8 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Tommy Davidson

Special Event: Craig Shoemaker

Special Event: We Ain't Done Wild'N Yet

Mope Williams 
- Mope Williams is an American comedian, actor, and social media influencer and is a recurring cast member of Wild N’ Out since Season 12. His Wild N’ Out Stand-Up Special and his “Janitor” Free-Style have been viral sensations which led to his “What kind of Plastic Bag Song” that reached over a Billion people in achievements & also in the music industry having released a single called “Beautiful Day” and more on the way.
Mope’s comedy star keeps rising so catch it on the way up! @MopeWilliamsOfficial

Sun Aug 18 2024, 7:00 PM

Special Event: Ben Brainard

Since a very young age, Ben has been “the funny kid,” or at least, “the kid that will cheer you up,” but, oddly enough, stand-up comedy was never really a part of his plan. Before his junior year of high school, Ben won an “Engineering Scholars Program” scholarship and literally did rocket science for a summer. As a senior in high school, Ben played 3 sports, took AP and honors classes and won student body president as the presidencies for the FCA and The Academy of Drafting and Design. For a year and a half after high school, he majored in mechanical engineering and double minored in physics and CAD/CAM at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. Then, one day, he got bored of calculus, dropped out of school, joined the US Army Reserve, moved to Orlando and started doing stand-up comedy. Ben has always said “yes” to opportunities, and his “I’ll try anything once” attitude has ultimately lead to some hilarious stories and an irrationally high 26 different jobs since he turned 16. Ben has done everything from work a drive-thru at Chick-fil-A to drive a bus for the YMCA after school program, and now he takes the stage to tell all about everything he’s done and seen and make you laugh along the way.

Standing at only 5’5 and weighing in at 125 lbs, Ben is not an intimidating presence, but don’t let his size fool you! He packs some serious punchlines! From jokes about his stature to hilarious stories about dating, jobs, general life mishaps and even his crazy family, Ben is sure to have you laughing until your sides hurt!

Wed Aug 21 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Craig Robinson

As a stand-up comedian, Robinson first made his mark in the comedy circuit at the 1998 Montreal Just For Laughs Festival. That year, he also won the Oakland Comedy Festival Awards and the Miller Genuine Draft 1996 Comedy Search. He soon went on to perform his act on “The Jimmy Kimmel Show" and “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Now headlining venues and festivals across the country, he does both solo acts as well as full-band sets – “The Nasty Delicious” – tying together his lyrical comedy with his finesse at the piano. Whether Robinson shows up with just his keyboard or his seven-man band, the clubs are packed to the brim with raucous laughter and musical comedy.

Special Event: Jack Jr.

Thu aug 29 2024, 8:00 pm.

Special Event: Gary Owen

With accolades like 'Black America’s Favorite White Comedian' and the only white comic to ever host BET's "Comic View," it's an understatement to say Gary Owen is beloved by the African-American community. Owen has an upbeat, devil-may-care attitude, and he fills his act with marriage and family antics, as well as the simple differences between the races.

Career Highlights: Star of "The Gary Owen Show;" recurring appearances in "House of Payne;" roles in "Rebound, "College," "Hillbilly Highway," "Get Hard," and "Meet the Blacks;" a headliner on "Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand-Up" and was named "Funniest Serviceman In America."

Special Event: Matt McCusker

In addition to the two-item minimum, there will be an 18% administrative fee in the showroom.

Helium Presents: Lewis Belt

Lewis Belt is an Oakland-born, LA-based stand-up comedian, actor, and producer that gained massive popularity from his viral character, “Sonniebo”, which has generated tens of millions of views online. He starred on Season 7 of MTV’s “Are You The One?”

Host at the Hollywood Improv every Monday. Headlining clubs across the country afternoon Releasing his 2nd Comedy special “Raised By OG’s not IG“ on YouTube, Lewis also shot his 1st special “Rookie of the Year” at the “Boogie's Comedy Slam” in Oakland at the Paramount Theatre. Boogie’s Comedy Slam (which was ranked the #1 on stand-up comedies on Amazon in 2020).

Recently he was a guest host on “So Dumb it’s Criminal” hosted by Snoop Dogg on Peacock. In addition to that he was featured in the new House Party Movie (2023) executive produced by Lebron James Springhill Company and New Line Cinema. Currently on Hulu!

Thu Sep 12 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: John Crist

John Crist is one of today’s fast-rising stand-up comedians, with more than one-billion video views, millions of fans on social media, and sold-out shows from coast to coast.

Widely known for viral videos like “Honest Football Coach,” “Every Parent at Disney,” “Brands that need to be CANCELLED” and hundreds more, Crist would still tell you that his live show is better than any of his videos!

In 2019, Crist made Pollstar’s Top 100 Global Tours list, with over 197,000 tickets sold for his “Human Being Tour.” He held the designation for four consecutive weeks, charting as high as #28.

Crist’s comedy has been featured on ESPN, Buzzfeed, "Sports Illustrated," "The Today Show," "Fox & Friends," HLN, "US Weekly," "USA Today," "Laughs on Fox," SiriusXM, "The Huffington Post," "Oprah Magazine," "House of Highlights," "The Adam Carolla Show," and The Daily Wire. He was even once a voice actor on the popular children’s radio show Adventures in Odyssey.

When asked where he finds the inspiration to write jokes, Crist says, “I grew up in the deep south, my dad is a pastor, and I was the third of eight homeschooled children. My first job was at Chick-fil-A. Coming from a background like that, how do you NOT write jokes?!”

Crist’s 2016 debut comedy special, “I Got Questions,” is available now on Amazon Prime, DirecTV, and Spotify.

Helium Presents: Shafi Hossain

Shafi Hossain is a comedian and writer currently working out of New York City. He moved to America to study Chemical Engineering before falling in love with standup comedy. He is currently the host of the podcast "Culture Clash Comedy Podcast" - a podcast about the history of things through the West and East perspective. He has made his TV appearance on Kevin Hart's LOL Network's show Road Comics -currently streaming on Peacock. In 2021, Shafi was named one of New York's Funniest Stand Up by the New York Comedy Festival. He is a regular at the world renowned Comedy Cellar.

Thu Sep 19 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Taylor Tomlinson: Tries Out New Ideas

A TIME100 honoree and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 star, Have It All follows two critically acclaimed specials including her debut, Quarter-Life Crisis that first premiered on Netflix in March of 2020. Her first hour-long special went on to be named “Best of 2020” by New York Times, Decider, Paste and earned unanimous critical praise with The Washington Post calling her “your favorite quarantine-watch” and Newsweek dubbing her “undeniably hilarious.” With appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, CBS Sunday Morning, Kelly Clarkson and more, the woman Mashable calls "whip-smart and spectacularly cynical" is currentlyappearing as a late-night talk show host of the outrageously funny After Midnight on CBS weekdays at 12:37a ET/PT.

Helium Presents: Pearlmania500

Alex Pearlman has been delighting audiences with his three minute rants across social media as Pearlmania500. He has been featured on The Joe Rogan Experience, Hasan Piker’s twitch channel, and CNN. Join Alex and his five favorite Philadelphia comedians for a night of ranting that will leave you raving.  Lineup: John Deary, Tyler Wolf, Domo Jones, Alyssa Al-Dookhi, Setoiyo, and Alex Pearlman

Helium Presents: Jamali Maddix

Jamali Maddix is one of most promising and exciting acts to hit the circuit in years. With an assured stage presence and considered material that comes from a fresh perspective, he already has the aura of a successful comic well beyond his years.

His natural confidence and charm allow him to tread gracefully across more sensitive topics leaving many of his contemporaries behind. In his first two years of performing Jamali won the Comedy Café New Act of the Year Competition and the Chortle Student Comedy Award - all while making it look effortless.

Jamali has a plethora of gigs under his belt - he plays the Comedy Store and toured with them in the Middle East. In June 2015 he supported Jim Jefferies before a 3,500 strong Hyde Park audience. His debut hour at the Edinburgh Fringe was a total sell out and received rave reviews.He has also done a plethora of TV shows including The John Bishop Show, Live at the Apollo and 8 out of 10 Cats. Season 2 of Jamali’s show Hate Thy Neighbor recently premiered on Viceland to rave reviews. He can be seen on Desus & Mero, The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, and will be touring in the US and around Europe this summer before starting work on a new Channel 4 series.

Tue Sep 24 2024, 8:00 PM

Helium Presents: Benny Feldman

Benny Feldman is a stand-up comedian based out of New York City, who Patton Oswalt calls “an amazing joke writer, and an even better joke deliverer.” He recently performed his hour, "Butterfly Pavilion," to a sold-out audience at the Kennedy Center. He performed on Comedy Central’s Stand-up Featuring series for 2023. He's gone viral many times across many different platforms, with millions of views on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit. Feldman was named one of the New Faces at the 2022 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. Feldman is known for his one-liners and for performing with Tourette’s syndrome, which he was interviewed about on Tosh.0 on Comedy Central. Originally from Philadelphia, Feldman was a finalist in the 2019 “Philly’s Phunniest” competition.

Wed Sep 25 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Jason Cheny Live

Sun sep 29 2024, 7:00 pm.

Helium Presents: Nathan Macintosh

Energetic, loud, never understated and always funny, Nathan Macintosh is quickly becoming one of the names to know in comedy. Most recently appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC, he’s also performed on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on CBS, Conan on TBS, his own half hour special shown on The Comedy Network/CTV, and Just For Laughs All Access and Talk Of The Fest. His debut album I Wasn't Talking was featured in Ex!aim Magazine's Top Ten Hilariously Good Comedy Moments of 2015. His most recent album 'I Wasn't Talking' debuted at #1 on Canadian iTunes and #8 on American iTunes. He is also the host of the podcast Positive Anger, which has over 1,000,000 listens on SoundCloud.

Wed Oct 2 2024, 8:00 PM

Helium Presents: Paul Elia

Paul Elia is an LA-based standup comedian, and content creator from Detroit, Michigan. Among the few Chaldeans/Assyrians in Hollywood, the Iraqi-American artist has appeared in dozens of television shows including Ramy, Lady Dynamite and is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on TBS’s Conan, appearing in over a dozen sketches.

With fellow comedian Matt Rife, Paul created, produced, and hosted the hot LA standup showcase Lowkey Comedy Show, which was featured on The Tonight Show and in the first ever Netflix is a Joke: The Festival. The show also received a glowing review from Deadline for bringing LA comedy fans “a much-needed, top-quality outdoor entertainment experience.” Past guests include Bill Burr, Iliza Shlesingler, Ali Wong, Tom Segura, and Ramy Youssef to name a few.

Thu Oct 17 2024, 8:00 PM

Special Event: Anjelah Johnson-Reyes

The multi-hyphenates’ popularity has translated into six successful comedy specials: “That’s How We Do It”, “The Homecoming Show”, “Not Fancy” and “Mahalo & Good Night”, “Technically Not Stalking”, and “Say I Won’t.” She has displayed her acting prowess both on TV and film. Some of her credits include: “Life & Beth”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Superstore,” “Moms’ Night Out,” and “Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.”

The past 18 months have been busy for Anjelah. She published her first book, “Who Do I Think I Am: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams” (Worthy Books), a hilarious and touching memoir full of memorable anecdotes on how a Latina dynamo was able to forge ahead and become successful. She also was front and center competing on Fox’s dance competition show “The Real Dirty Dancing” and performed at the “Netflix is a Joke - Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin: Live Gala” which is currently streaming on Netflix. In addition, Anjelah launched her wildly successful and sold-out “Who Do I Think I Am?” standup comedy tour across the U.S. encompassed over 75+ cities across North America.

Over the coming year, Anjelah’s book “Who Do I Think I Am: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams” will be published in paperback and she is releasing her 6th comedy special, “Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Say I Won’t” on Sunday, May 14th. She also will be starring Prime Video’s holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane alongside Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Genneya Walton, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, and Danielle Pinnock.

Anjelah and her husband are expecting their first child summer of 2023 and when not on the road, split their time between Los Angeles and Nashville with their dog, Banzo.

Bill Blumenreich Presents

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Hannibal Buress & Michael Che

Other upcoming shows, buddy guy: damn right farewell, rescheduled from 10/3, lyle lovett and lisa loeb: in conversation and song, todd rundgren: me/we, cat & nat’s may soiree, justin silva, aries spears, asi wind: incredibly human, madeleine peyroux, robyn schall, big bad voodoo daddy, deray davis, kathleen hanna: rebel girl book tour, moderated by imani perry; each ticket includes a copy of "rebel girl" book, jeff arcuri, desi banks: the purpose chaser tour, mr. joe jackson presents: joe jackson solo & the music of max champion, jazz is dead, joe pera: the peras tour, recommended for a 16+ audience, comedy bang bang – the bang bang into your mouth tour 2024, george thorogood & the destroyers “bad all over the world – 50 years of rock”, the musical box, the 2 johnnies podcast world tour 2024, michael blackson, corinne bailey rae: plum red lipstick tour, pod save america live: the democracy or else tour, lovett or leave it: live and on tour, the moody blues’ john lodge, rescheduled from 3/17. all tickets honored for the new date., corey holcomb: the book of coreythians chapter 2, our house: the music of crosby, stills, nash & young, games with names live, with julian edelman, old gods of appalachia, donnell rawlings, randy feltface: first banana tour, rescheduled from 5/10. all tickets honored., cowboy bebop live: presented by the bebop bounty big band, buena vista social orchestra, laura ramoso: sit up straight tour, charlie berens: good old fashioned tour, wanda sykes: please & thank you tour, nick mullen, lewis black: goodbye yeller brick road, the final tour, kanan gill: what is this world tour 2024, ismo: watch your language tour, heather mcdonald: the juicy scoop experience, robin trower, my therapist ghosted me, matt mccusker, christina p: old yeller tour, duncan trussell, noel miller: new supply tour, kathleen madigan: the potluck party, whitney cummings: big baby, ryan hamilton, chris botti, morgan jay: aphrodesia tour, girls gotta eat: no crumbs tour, tickets on sale now, monét x change: life be lifin’, rescheduled from 5/14 to 1/24.

About Hannibal Buress: From within the bustling heart of the Windy City, a comedian named Hannibal Buress embarked upon his journey. The year was 2002, the location, the

About Hannibal Buress:

From within the bustling heart of the Windy City, a comedian named Hannibal Buress embarked upon his journey. The year was 2002, the location, the Big Muddy Room at Southern Illinois University. Guided by the wisdom of his friend Chidi and sharpened in the fires of Tony Trimm's “Sunday School sessions,” young Buress was prepared to take the comedy world by storm. In 2006, he emerged from the shadows, performing at Montreal's 'Just for Laughs' New Faces, an event that led to his first international appearance on “Late Night with Jörgen Raymann” in Holland. From that moment, he continued to grow, creating a series of successful stand-up specials including “Animal Furnace,” “Live From Chicago,” “Hannibal Takes Edinburgh,” “Comedy Camisado,” and “Miami Nights”. Fate intervened in 2009, when a last-minute booking on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” led to a meeting with Seth Meyers. This encounter gave him the opportunity to write for the legendary show “Saturday Night Live.” It was there, my young turtles, where Buress had one sketch air – a moment he credits to the creativity of his cousin Percy. He cherishes the memory of watching Rihanna uttering his lines in the “Shy Ronnie” sketch. After a season there, he moved to “30 Rock,” filling the space left vacant by the departure of Donald Glover. In the realm of film, Buress has proven his versatility, showcasing his talents in “Neighbors,” “Neighbors 2,” “Baywatch,” “Daddy's Home,” “Spiderman: Homecoming,” “Spiderman: Far From Home,” and “Tag.” He also provided a memorable performance as Lincoln the dentist on “Broad City” and lent his voice to animations like “The Secret Life of Pets” and “The Angry Birds Movie.” From 2009 to 2017, Buress held court at the “Comedy at the Knitting Factory,” his charm and wit making an indelible mark on late-night television, featuring on shows such as “David Letterman,” “Conan,” “Stephen Colbert,” and “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” In 2022, he underwent a transformation, shedding his skin to become Eshu Tune in the world of music. His rhythmic anthems like “Veneers remix” with Danny Brown and Paul Wall, the lively bowling song “1-3 Pocket,” and the meticulously crafted “I Lift Weights” echo through the streets. This endeavor was made possible through collaborations with creative minds like Kiefer, Tru, Eshu Tune, Wahsabi Papi, Kenny Segal, Eryn Allen Kane, and Haile Supreme. Through these transformations, Hannibal Buress remains a true warrior in the world of entertainment.

About Michael Che:

Named one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Funniest People, Michael Che is currently the co-anchor of SNL’s “Weekend Update” alongside Colin Jost. His first hourlong comedy special, MICHAEL CHE MATTERS, was released in 2016 on Netflix. It hit #1 twice on the platform, first upon its initial release and then again in 2020. Che’s second special for Netflix MICHAEL CHE SHAME THE DEVIL taped at the Fox Theater in Oakland and was released in November 2021.

In 2021, Che debuted his own original HBO Max sketch comedy series, THAT DAMN MICHAEL CHE, which Michael stars in, wrote and executive produced. The show was picked up for a second season, which launched on May 26, 2022. Che has received two WGA Award nominations for his writing on both THAT DAMN MICHAEL CHE and SNL. He has also been nominated for multiple Emmys for his writing on SNL, and in 2018, he co-hosted NBC’s live Emmy Awards telecast alongside Jost. He and Colin also hosted a number of special edition episodes of “Weekend Update” on MSNBC during the 2016 Republican and Democratic national conventions.

Prior to his time on SNL, Michael was a correspondent on THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART and appeared alongside Chris Rock in the 2015 feature, TOP FIVE. When Che is not in front of the camera, he tours the world headlining live stand-up shows.

Hannibal Buress

Live nation.

From within the bustling heart of the Windy City, a comedian named Hannibal Buress embarked upon his journey. The year was 2002, the location, the Big Muddy Room at Southern Illinois University. Guided by the wisdom of his friend Chidi and sharpened in the fires of Tony Trimm's "Sunday School sessions," young Buress was prepared to take the comedy world by storm.

In 2006, he emerged from the shadows, performing at Montreal's 'Just for Laughs' New Faces, an event that led to his first international appearance on "Late Night with Jörgen Raymann" in Holland. From that moment, he continued to grow, creating a series of successful stand-up specials including "Animal Furnace," "Live From Chicago," "Hannibal Takes Edinburgh," "Comedy Camisado," and "Miami Nights".

Fate intervened in 2009, when a last-minute booking on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" led to a meeting with Seth Meyers. This encounter gave him the opportunity to write for the legendary show "Saturday Night Live." It was there, my young turtles, where Buress had one sketch air – a moment he credits to the creativity of his cousin Percy. He cherishes the memory of watching Rihanna uttering his lines in the "Shy Ronnie" sketch. After a season there, he moved to "30 Rock," filling the space left vacant by the departure of Donald Glover.

In the realm of film, Buress has proven his versatility, showcasing his talents in "Neighbors," "Neighbors 2," "Baywatch," "Daddy's Home," "Spiderman: Homecoming," "Spiderman: Far From Home," and "Tag." He also provided a memorable performance as Lincoln the dentist on "Broad City" and lent his voice to animations like "The Secret Life of Pets" and "The Angry Birds Movie."

From 2009 to 2017, Buress held court at the "Comedy at the Knitting Factory," his charm and wit making an indelible mark on late-night television, featuring on shows such as "David Letterman," "Conan," "Stephen Colbert," and "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah."

In 2022, he underwent a transformation, shedding his skin to become Eshu Tune in the world of music. His rhythmic anthems like "Veneers remix" with Danny Brown and Paul Wall, the lively bowling song "1-3 Pocket," and the meticulously crafted "I Lift Weights" echo through the streets. This endeavor was made possible through collaborations with creative minds like Kiefer, Tru, Eshu Tune, Wahsabi Papi, Kenny Segal, Eryn Allen Kane, and Haile Supreme. Through these transformations, Hannibal Buress remains a true warrior in the world of entertainment.

Palace of Fine Arts Theatre 3301 Lyon Street San Francisco, CA 94123

Get Directions

Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and follow signs indicating Downtown San Francisco. Stay to the left and take the Marina exit; you’ll see the sign overhead. While you might be tempted to take a right at the first stop light (Lyon Street) and pull directly into the Palace of Fine Arts, pass the Lyon Street entrance and proceed straight on Marina Boulevard. Then:

• Right on Baker Street
• Left on Jefferson Street
• Left on Broderick Street
• Left on Marina Boulevard, then immediately move into the right lane
• Turn right on Yacht Road and follow signs for Palace of Fine Arts parking (lot is next to the St. Francis Yacht Club).
• Or continue on Marina onto Mason Street. The alternate parking lot will be on your left (see map). Please note that there is a walkway from this lot to the back of the main Theatre lot.

NOTE: Avoid bearing left on Marina Boulevard; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Palace of Fine Arts through the Presidio or retry the directions from above.

Cross the Bay Bridge. Follow the signs to the 9th Street exit. Stay in the right-hand lane. Go one block and turn right onto 9th Street. Stay in the left-hand lane. Immediately after Market Street, veer left onto Hayes Street. Then:

• Right on Van Ness Avenue (look for signs to the Golden Gate Bridge)
• Left on Lombard Street; once on Lombard, get into the right-hand lane
• Right on Divisadero Street

NOTE: Avoid bearing left on Marina Boulevard; that stretch of Marina Boulevard turns into an onramp for Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge. If you inadvertently end up on the approach to the Bridge, don’t worry; you’ll have a chance to exit to the right just before the toll plaza. You can then make your way back to the Palace of Fine Arts through the Presidio, or use the directions “From the North Bay,” above.

From Highway 101

Take Highway 101 North to the Market Street/Van Ness exit. Take Van Ness to Lombard (look for signs to the Golden Gate Bridge). Turn left onto Lombard. Once on Lombard, get into the right-hand lane. Then:

• Turn right on Yacht Road and follow signs for Palace of Fine Arts parking (lot is next to the St. Francis Yacht Club). If you pass the lot, you’ll see signs on the right for additional parking at Crissy Field.

From Interstate 280

Follow 19th Avenue through Golden Gate Park; 19th Avenue becomes Park Presidio Boulevard on the other side of the Park. Follow signs for the Highway 101 Detour. Then:

• Right on Geary Boulevard
• Left on Van Ness Avenue, move into left lanes
• Left on Lombard Street, get into the right-hand lane

The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre has convenient access to public transportation. We are accessible by San Francisco Muni buses #30, #43, #28, and #29. Muni bus lines #22, #41, and #45 also stop in the vicinity. From Fisherman’s Wharf take the #30 Stockton bus. For more information, call Muni at (415) 673-6864 or check the SFMTA trip planner.

If you’re taking BART, get off at the Montgomery Street station, walk one half-block up Market Street to Third Street, and catch the #30 Stockton bus on the corner.

Virtually all downtown-bound Golden Gate Transit buses stop nearby the Theatre. Ask your driver for directions or call Golden Gate Transit Information at 511 (toll-free) or 415-455-2000 (outside the Bay Area).

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hannibal buress

Pick of the Day: Eshu Tune: The Isola Sessions (in LA) Mondays Starting 9/26

In case you didn’t know, Hannibal Buress often takes the stage now by his rap alias, Eshu Tune . He has come a long way in the rap game since doing  Gibberish Rap , but his bars are now filled with the same minutia focused cleverness that Buress made a big name in comedy with.

Eshu Tune is set to put on a weekly Monday blend of music and comedy right in the middle of Chinatown at The Grand Star Jazz Club starting at the end of this month. While you’ll have to head downtown, most parking meters are off around that time on a Monday night. Also, you’ll get a hell of a mix of a line-up that will feature anyone from Open Mike Eagle to Kiefer to Eshu/Hannibal’s favorite comedians that are in and around LA.

Eshu Tune: The Isola Sessions take over (most) Mondays starting Sept. 26th after 8PM and tickets are going for $20. Go get them here as The Grand Star Jazz Club can be pretty intimate.

Stop What You’re Doing and Enjoy the Season 2 Trailer of Ziwe

For the last few years, few other comedians have ascended quite like Ziwe, writing on one of the best late night shows on the air right now, Desus & Mero , to having the hottest IG Live show during lockdown,  Baited with Ziwe , to having her own groundbreaking late night variety talk show, the eponymous Ziwe .

The first season of Ziwe having the keys to her very own talk show was some of the most delectable satire in late night and this next upcoming season (streaming Fri. Apr. 29th on Showtime ) is going to one-up that as you can see in this season 2 trailer here .

Ziwe will march on in her iconic mission to be unflinching in picking apart issues and celebrities (and even her own writers). This season will have Baited-ish interviews with  Ilana Glazer, Chet Hanks, Nicole Byer, Hannibal Buress, Adam Pally, Charlamagne Tha God, Emily Ratajkowski, Katya Zamolodchikova , and Mia Khalifa (and the Hannibal, Ilana, and Chet ones seem like they’ll be iconic from the get go).

Truly, knowing that season 2 of Ziwe is just around the corner, Apr. 29th suddenly seems so far away and can’t come soon enough.

One of 2020’s Biggest Non-Virtual Comedy Events, Bring Back Laughs, Will Be Released via Comedy Dynamics

Back in 2020, when we’re all steeped in a different type of chaos and had no idea about when or how a vaccine would come about, our future (and by proxy, the future of comedy) was more uncertain than it has ever been in our lifetimes. Thankfully, there were enough clever and innovative folks that figured how to put comedy shows together unlike they ever were and, at that point in time, many of the biggest comedians, starved of any stage time, were up for anything.

One of the results from that mix was  Bring Back Laughs , a big, socially distant comedy fundraiser, outdoors in a parking lot that boasted the likes of Roy Wood, Jr., Chris Gethard, Sam Jay, Rojo Perez, Myq Kaplan, Todd Barry, Carmen Lynch, Victor Varnado, Janeane Garofalo, Tone Bell, Nore Davis, Bonnie McFarlane, the Lucas Brothers, Hannibal Buress, Ilana Glazer, and Paula Poundstone . The Creek and the Cave, which was still in NYC at the time, partenered with Supreme Robot Pictures to throw this comedy benefit for  Direct Relief that brought aid to impoverished or endangered folks around the country and the world.

“This performance is based on a series of comedy concerts Rebecca Trent was producing in a parking lot during the pandemic. The performers and the audience were so happy to get outside and benefitting a wonderful charity like Direct Relief is a cherry on top. This performance also made my wife think I’m cool.” said Executive Producer Victor Varnado.

It has been awhile since we’ve seen a pandemic era special, but we did remember seeing the pictures from this and thinking, while in LA, that we almost wished were quarantining in NYC at the time.

Thankfully, Comedy Dynamics is putting this out on all major streaming platforms, both for audio and video soon.

Pick of the Day: Thundercat and Hannibal Buress at Rose Bowl Drive-In 10/24

As far as drive-in shows have gone in the LA area, The Rose Bowl is kind of as high class as it gets thus far. As such, Comedy Dynamics went ahead and shot four different comedians for specials that will be released on a date TBD. Later this month, the fun and funky co-headlining pair of Thundercat and Hannibal Buress will be taking the drive-in stage at  The Rose Bowl .

Buress and Thundercat together, drive-in or not, make for an unforgettable night of grooves and shenanigans that is worth the price per car and/or person and making the trek to Pasadena. There are two shows lined-up for Thundercat  and Hannibal on Sat. Oct. 24th at 4:30PM and 8:30PM . Tickets are almost sold out for the late show, so they just added an afternoon show.

Tickets per car (price per person ranges depending on size of car) start from $120 and go up to $325 for VIP tickets. Go snag them before they’re all gone here .

We’ve Got Tickets for You to Win to IMF Myeloma’s Stacked Comedy Celebration

We gave you heads up about this pretty unbelievable comedy charity benefit for the International Myeloma Foundation   several weeks ago. Just read that line-up* a few times over before you realize that they’re all on one show.

It comes as no surprise to you that tickets are at $100 right now .

However, through the promo code “Final50″, you can get orchestra seating tickets for $50 here .

Beyond that, for you, our TCB loyal, we’ve got a few pairs of tickets to giveaway. You can enter to win here:  http://thecomedybureau.dola.com/giveaways .

*performers subject to availability 

For years now, Boston Calling has been a big music shindig for Boston not unlike Outside Lands for SF, Bonnaroo for Tennessee, SXSW for Austin, etc. 

Like those festivals, it’s now featuring a dedicated comedy portion of the festival billed as a  “A Comedy Experience Hosted by Hannibal Buress” . In fact, look at the flyer and you’ll see it’s a pretty nice weekend all around that they’ve got lined up. 

Tickets range from $99 for Single Day GA to $199 for 3 Day GA and $199 for Single Day VIP to $529 for 3 VIP.

Get more details and tickets here .

San Francisco Is Getting Another Big Comedy Festival This Year with Comedy Central’s Very First “Clusterfest”

At the beginning of the year, San Francisco always has one of the biggest comedy festivals in the world, SF Sketchfest .

Just announced today, SF will be getting another giant comedy festival in the summertime, specifically June 2nd-4th, brought to you by Comedy Central.

The first ever Clusterfest  has a gigantic line-up of the sort proportions and depth that Comedy Central can summon. It’s also the flip of most big time music and arts festival in that it’s mostly comedy with a bit of music as opposed to there being a comedy tent and lots and lots and lots of music a la Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, etc. (Note: producers of both those festivals are involved here). See the line-up below or in this glitterbomb filled announcement video here .

Tickets/passes go on sale this Thursday, March 2nd  here . They range from $199.50 earlybird pass-$599.50 VIP Pass.

Bonnaroo 2017 Announces the Line-Up for Its 2017 Comedy Theatre

From Burress to 2 Dope Queens to The Improvised Shakespeare Company to Chris Garcia to Jo Firestone Hari Kondabolu to Natasha and Moshe , you’re not going to want to miss comedy at all at this year’s Bonnaroo .

The festival is set to take place from Thursday, June 8th-Sunday, June 11th right at its home in Manchester, Tennessee. Passes start at $324.50 .

Seriously, we know that there’s plenty of great music there ( Chance The Rapper, Future Islands, Lorde, etc.), but you’d probably regret it if you didn’t catch the comedy too.

Help Chicago Comedy Institution Lincoln Lodge Find a New Home

TJ Miller, Hannibal Buress, Pete Holmes, Cameron Esposito, and so many more of your favorite comedians these days cut their teeth in comedy in Chicago and specifically did so at a place known as The Lincoln Lodge .

As it stands now, The Lincoln Lodge needs to find a new home to not only continue to be a pillar in Chicago comedy, but support gender equality in comedy and foster new talent like they’ve been doing so well for so many years.

Don’t take our word for it though. Let TJ Miller himself tell you why you should help find a new home for The Lincoln Lodge no matter if you live in Chicago or not.

Tight Five Productions , the team behind this whole operation, looking for an additional $30K after raising $50K for “permits, licenses and minimal resources we need to build out a facility with a 100 seat theater and classrooms” so they can open in July 2017.

You can donate to the crowdfunding campaign (complete with plenty of rewards) and find more details here .

Sony Pictures Classics Lands Distribution for “The Comedian” Where Robert De Niro Plays an Insult Comedian

So, he’s just going to be a little less crazy than De Niro’s Rupert Pupkin from The King of Comedy .

Not only is there a lot of buzz on the order of award nominations around this latest De Niro vehicle, The Comedian , but he’ll play an insult comic that has to face his own demons and grow , which definitely has our interest peaked.  Hannibal Buress, Gilbert Gottfried and Jim Norton will be featured as fellow stand-ups in the movie and the insults were written by none other than the Roastmaster General himself, Jeff Ross . We haven’t seen a trailer or a TV spot, but it’s kind of hard to not have a bit of a good feeling about The Comedian .

Look for limited release from Sony Pictures Classics at the end of this year/beginning of next year. 

Prepare Yourself for Season 4 Premiere of The Eric Andre Show Season 4 Tonight at Midnight

The madness, chaos, abstraction, and utter absurdity of the talk show format that is The Eric Andre Show all return for season 4 on Adult Swim tonight at midnight.

If his RNC / DNC appearances and Rapper Warrior Ninja  are any indicator, you should definitely be strapping yourself in for one hell of a season yet again.

“Rapper Warrior Ninja” Is The Eric Andre Show’s Version of American Ninja Warrior

What might the popular physical feat competition show America Ninja Warrior be like after fed through the filter of The Eric Andre Show , you ask?

Well, it’ll be rappers freestyling while blindfolded and attempting to deal with obstacles that are more, shall we say, “messed up” than they are physically demanding.

See what we’re saying by watching Rapper Warrior Ninja here .

The Eric Andre Show Season 4 Teaser Shows No Signs of Slowing the Insanity Down

While Adult Swim reaches a specific audiences, it’s kind of amazing to think that any actual guest that goes on The Eric Andre Show wouldn’t know what they’re in for.

Yet, this teaser for the latest season   shows that is very much the case and that the same bombastic, absurdist comedy the show is known for will keep on rolling. 

Look for the season 4 premiere of The Eric Andre Show on Friday, August 5th at midnight on Adult Swim .

Line-Up for 2016 Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival

The Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival returns as one of the biggest comedy touring festivals ever. 

It’s interesting that they went with the bold red font for top billed acts and listed the line-up alphabetically instead of doing the traditional top-to-bottom-big-name-to-up-and-coming. It’s one way to be an oddball we suppose.

You can get your tickets here .

Independent venues around the world are struggling to reopen during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, leaving entertainers no choice but to flock to outdoor spaces to host drive-in concerts and raves . It looks like Hannibal Buress is ready to follow the trend because the comedian just announced a drive-in comedy tour of his own.

Buress is called the trek “Let’s See How This Goes” — which may be the greatest tour name of the year — in partnership with Hotbox & Outback Presents, the same team behind Marc Rebillet’s notable run earlier this summer. There will be six shows in total on Buress’ comedy tour; the  Broad City star will begin in Cleveland, Ohio on September 22nd and will wrap things up on September 27th in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois with both an early and a late show. And before you ask, face masks are required.

Expect to hear plenty of jokes and jabs from Buress’ latest comedy special, Miami Nights , which he dropped for free last month. Who’s to say what else he will get up to onstage, though. Maybe he will ridicule Chicago politics again, or maybe he will talk about that time he pretended to be MF Doom at a music festival. You never know for sure what you’re going to get when it comes to Hannibal Buress.

Check out the complete list of tour dates below.

Hannibal Buress to Stream New Comedy Special, Miami Nights, for Free

TV Review: Broad City Grows Up Hilariously in Final Season

Tickets for the shows go on sale this Wednesday, August 26th at 10 a.m. local time at Buress’ website ; you’ll be able to find them here , too.

Hannibal Buress 2020 Tour Dates: 09/22 — Cleveland, OH @ Auto-O-Rama Twin Drive In 09/23 — Butler, PA @ Starlite Drive-In 09/24 — Columbus, OH @ South Drive-In 09/25 — Indianapolis, IN @ Tibb’s Drive-In 09/27 — Chicago, IL @ Lake Shore Drive-In

Editor’s Note:  Stay safe by picking up one of our custom face masks . A portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares’ COVID-19 Artist Relief fund supporting independent musicians.

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Pop Culture

Hannibal buress and the comedy of the unexpected.

With Hannibal Buress, sometimes you don't even know why you're laughing. Take the bit he does about having a surplus of pickle juice : how it came to be, what he's doing about it, what the consequences might be if you mess with it.

It's ... unexpected.

Or take the answer we got when Buress — a former writer for Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, a touring stand-up comic and host of a weekly comedy night at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory — stopped by our New York studios, and NPR's David Greene asked him how he got into comedy in the first place.

"My regular answer is that I started doing open mics in college," he says. "It's true, but that's not — that's boring to me. And so when people say, how did you start in comedy, I say my family was kidnapped by ninjas when I was very young, and to get them released I had to do a killer five-minute set. And even after I did that, you know, I started doing comedy under tough circumstances, I still kept at it, because I enjoyed it."

Hannibal Buress looks at the world from a slightly skewed perspective — and often as not, his observations lead him down some convoluted comedic byways. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Hannibal Buress looks at the world from a slightly skewed perspective — and often as not, his observations lead him down some convoluted comedic byways.

When A Drop-In Doesn't Go As Planned

The truth — at least we think — is that Buress did start at an open-mic night. And it was in college, at Southern Illinois University. But his college career was brief. After tasting comedy onstage, he dropped out and moved to New York, hoping to get some gigs and live with his sister.

She wasn't exactly on board. And within a few weeks, he found himself sleeping on the subway.

"Well it's just 'cause I popped up. I didn't even hit her up — 'Hey, can I stay?' I just popped up, 'Hey, whassup, I'm here. I got $200 and dreams, let's do this thing.' Nothing else to offer, no job set up. ... My niece, she was about to turn 1. So I was just poppin' in on this family without even asking. Know what I mean? It was obnoxious. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was one of the most obnoxious things I've ever done."

He'd stay in hostels when he could get work, or crash with a friend.

"But yeah, there were some nights when I wouldn't have the money for a hostel, or a friend wasn't able to let me stay, so I would crash out on the train.

"It was just really goofy on my part," he admits, in retrospect. " 'Cause I didn't have to do that. I could have — one, I could have made up with my sister and apologized for popping in on her place like that. But I was too cocky. And two, I could have just gone back home to Chicago. So it was just goofiness on my part. I don't glamorize it, like, 'Oh, I was living on the train for my dream. It wasn't; I don't look at it like that at all."

Apple Juice And Race

One of Buress' singularly strange routines involves a whole lot of on-sale apple juice, a fellow shopper who gives Buress and his (white) girlfriend a sideways look, and a misunderstanding. Easier if we just embed it here:

"That happened pretty much verbatim," Buress says. "The whole thing — up until me and my girl stepped out of the store, I thought he was upset about the apple juice."

It was his girlfriend who picked up on the other possible interpretation for the man's disapproval. But then Buress says commentary on racial issues isn't a big thing in his act.

"I'm doin' something different," he says. "I mean, I talk a little bit about race and interracial dating, but it's not the heart of my act. I just try to do what I think is funny; there's no huge message or through line."

Whether Buress is trying to send a message or not, part of his act is never seeming like he's trying too hard. He like to dabble in hip-hop, for instance — though you couldn't say he really labors over the lyrics.

The Genesis Of The 'Gibberish Rap'

"Gibberish rap is — I freestyle all the time, just hangin' out with friends," he says. "And sometimes when I'm freestyling, I'll lose my flow, you know, but I'll still wanna — I don't wanna just stop rapping because I lose my flow. So I'll just put in nonsense words till I can bring in regular words again.

"So that was a freestyle, but I was scared to just perform it. 'Cause I think the song is pretty dumb, kinda bad. So I don't wanna perform it without some type of production. Or stage spectacle."

Enter ballerinas, a Mario brother, and more.

Note: Contains language some may find offensive.

"It's just me takin' a goofy freestyle to the limit," Buress grins. "Havin' fun, and puttin' on a huge spectacle for nothin'."

And no, the ballerinas don't travel with Buress. They're jobbed in at each stop on the tour, from among local talent. Who might just be glad to pick up a little easy work that doesn't involve sugar plums and nutcrackers.

"It's not your normal performance, but I think they like doing something different," he says. "How often do you have some comedian come through the town and say, 'Hey, I need eight ballerinas to dance while I do this rap song?"

Correction Sept. 23, 2013

In a previous Web version of this story, we said Hannibal Buress attended Eastern Illinois University. Actually, he attended Southern Illinois University.

Hannibal Buress is eager to bring stand-up act to Indianapolis drive-in audience

Hannibal Buress picked an apprehensive title – “Let’s See How This Goes” – for his drive-in theater tour. But the stand-up comedian sees the performances as a sturdy proposition.

Buress said the shows represent “structure in a structureless life” after six months of no opportunities to tell jokes for a live audience because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Everybody has things that have been taken from their lives or their routines, so to have it back is really invigorating,” he said during a phone interview.

Buress launched his five-city tour Sept. 22 in Cleveland, and he performs Sept. 25 at Tibbs Drive-In Theatre. 

Known for TV work on “Broad City” and “The Eric Andre Show,” Buress expects to be highly talkative in Indianapolis. He compared the scenario to anyone “blabbering” to other people after emerging from stay-at-home orders.

“I think my show is going to be that, but with a budget,” he said.

The comedian spent the early months of the pandemic in Los Angeles before returning to his hometown of Chicago. A specialist in pinpointing the absurd within the mundane, Buress paused, let out a hearty laugh and mocked himself for initially saying he “probably” stayed on the West Coast from March to July.

“There’s no wiggle room in dates,” he said. “They’re super exact.”

Keeping busy

Buress launched two projects in July, including free special "Miami Nights"  on YouTube.

"That gave me something to work toward. 'OK, we're dropping this on July 3,' " he said.

Otherwise, "stay at home" knocked Buress off-track.

"Before, even if I wasn’t on tour, I was still traveling," he said. "At the most, I would go 10 days without traveling. That movement in itself created a time crunch, which pushed my other work forward. ‘Oh, I’m leaving this day, so we have to do this and that.’ My life had more momentum."

Buress added a new web series, "News Overload," to his plate on July 24. The show features Buress and fellow comedians Al Jackson, Tony Trimmel, Byron Bowers, Brian Babylon and Marcus Price riffing on current events.

Comedy at a distance

At Tibbs, Buress will headline a show featuring rapper Open Mike Eagle as the supporting act.

Although audience members will be spread throughout parking spaces instead of packed into a theater, Buress said he's confident about his material landing for laughs.

"Even if a bit can be fleshed out more, I have a decent instinct of, 'OK, this is a story my friend really died laughing at on the phone,' " he said.

Heartland festival: Check out film lineup at Conner Prairie and Tibbs drive-in

Worth the gamble

One more pandemic project for Buress is the "Splitting 10s" podcast he co-hosts with former casino dealer Kelven Stovall.

The duo talks about blackjack etiquette, a fitting topic that relates to a story Buress told in his 2016 stand-up special "Comedy Camisado."

Buress talked about breaking an unwritten rule of blackjack by asking for another card when his hand was 17. It's generally acknowledged 17 is close enough to the unbeatable hand of 21 that a player foolishly risks "busting" his or her hand by hitting on 17 as well as taking a card that theoretically could bust the dealer's hand.

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To make matters worse, Buress was sitting at "third base" or the last players' spot at the table before the dealer reveals his or her hand.

"I haven’t done it that much," Buress said when asked about hitting on 17. "You do have to be really strong in the moment to do that with other people at a table. That’s what that bit is about: gambling peer pressure."

As the story goes in "Comedy Camisado," Buress busted, the dealer drew to 21 and all players at the table lost.

In the big picture, he said, a $10-per-hand blackjack table adds up to minor drama. 

"Nobody’s life is about to change because of anything that happened here," Buress said. "It's not, 'Oh, If he didn’t hit on 17, I would have started winning. Then I would have been on a roll. I would have won $100,000. I would have put that in Tesla.’ Nobody’s life is shifting from the blackjack table like that." 

Contact IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at [email protected] or 317-444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist .