The Comedians of Comedy
Encyclopedia
The Comedians of Comedy is an occasional stand-up comedy
tour featuring alternative comedians
Patton Oswalt
, Zach Galifianakis
, Brian Posehn
and Maria Bamford
that was documented in a 2005 film and 2005 Comedy Central
television series of the same name, both directed by Michael Blieden. Recently, Zach Galifianakis left the tour and has been replaced by comedian Eugene Mirman
.
and similar tours — involves the comedians performing at smaller indie rock
venues instead of comedy clubs. Playing indie rock clubs was an idea taken from anti-comic, Neil Hamburger
who is considered a pioneer of this type of show, playing such clubs since 2000. Both the film and television series alternate between footage of the comedians on stage and other aspects of their lives on the road.
The final Comedians of Comedy show with Patton Oswalt
, Brian Posehn
, Maria Bamford
occurred on July 28, 2008, in San Diego, California
. Zach Galifianakis
appeared via pre-recorded video/sketch; and special guests included Paul Scheer
, Rob Huebel
, and Aziz Ansari
of Human Giant
, along with Sarah Silverman
. The show took place at Spreckles Theater in San Diego, California during the same weekend as the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con
.
, also the film's distributor. The film inspired Comedy Central to commission a six-episode Comedians of Comedy television series, involving a six-city tour during the summer of 2005; the show premiered in November of that year. The episodes were shot in Baltimore
, New York City
, Philadelphia, Atlantic City
, Boston and Martha's Vineyard
.
After ending their run on Comedy Central, Oswalt, Posehn, Mirman and Morgan Murphy
performed in a 2006 Comedians of Comedy tour.
The Comedians of Comedy also appeared as one of the Friday opening acts at the 2007 Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival, including San Francisco Bay Area comedians Brent Weinbach
and Jasper Redd
.
On October 2, 2007, a DVD of a live performance from the Troubador was released, featuring the cast of the film alongside other notables like Eugene Mirman
, Jon Benjamin
, David Cross
, and others.
2005 television series
The Comedians of Comedy: Live at The Troubadour
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
tour featuring alternative comedians
Alternative comedy
Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...
Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
, Zach Galifianakis
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...
, Brian Posehn
Brian Posehn
Brian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...
and Maria Bamford
Maria Bamford
Maria Bamford is an American stand-up comedian and voice actor. She is best known for her portrayal of her dysfunctional family and self-deprecating comedy involving jokes about depression. Her comedy style draws upon surrealism and incorporates voice impressions that good-naturedly mock various...
that was documented in a 2005 film and 2005 Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
television series of the same name, both directed by Michael Blieden. Recently, Zach Galifianakis left the tour and has been replaced by comedian Eugene Mirman
Eugene Mirman
Eugene Boris Mirman is a Russian-born American comedian, writer, and filmmaker. Mirman currently plays Yvgeny Mirminsky on Delocated, and voices Gene Belcher for the animated comedy Bob's Burgers.-Early life:Mirman was born in Russia to Jewish parents...
.
History
The idea behind The Comedians of Comedy — its name a play on The Original Kings of ComedyThe Original Kings of Comedy
The Original Kings of Comedy is a 2000 stand-up comedy film, directed by Spike Lee, and featuring the comedy routines of Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac. Filmed in front of an audience at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, the comedians give the...
and similar tours — involves the comedians performing at smaller indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
venues instead of comedy clubs. Playing indie rock clubs was an idea taken from anti-comic, Neil Hamburger
Neil Hamburger
Neil Hamburger is a standup comedian character played by comedian and musician Gregg Turkington.-Style:Hamburger's live act, which is quite different from his many albums, features a barrage of question/answer jokes aimed often at celebrity targets, including Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, The Red...
who is considered a pioneer of this type of show, playing such clubs since 2000. Both the film and television series alternate between footage of the comedians on stage and other aspects of their lives on the road.
The final Comedians of Comedy show with Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
, Brian Posehn
Brian Posehn
Brian Edmund Posehn is an American actor, voice actor, musician and comedian, known for his roles as mail clerk Kevin Liotta on NBC's Just Shoot Me!, a cast member and writer on HBO's Mr. Show, and most recently as Brian Spukowski on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program.-Early life:Posehn...
, Maria Bamford
Maria Bamford
Maria Bamford is an American stand-up comedian and voice actor. She is best known for her portrayal of her dysfunctional family and self-deprecating comedy involving jokes about depression. Her comedy style draws upon surrealism and incorporates voice impressions that good-naturedly mock various...
occurred on July 28, 2008, in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Zach Galifianakis
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight "Zach" Galifianakis is an American stand-up comedian and actor known for his numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special...
appeared via pre-recorded video/sketch; and special guests included Paul Scheer
Paul Scheer
Paul Christian Scheer is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He co-created and starred in MTV's sketch comedy series Human Giant and currently co-stars as Andre on the FX comedy The League. He also currently stars as Trent Hauser on the Adult Swim show NTSF:SD:SUV:: which he created...
, Rob Huebel
Rob Huebel
Rob Huebel is an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his sketch comedy work on the MTV series Human Giant. He currently co-stars on the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital.-Early life:...
, and Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari is an American actor, writer, and stand-up comedian. He currently stars as Tom Haverford on the NBC show Parks and Recreation....
of Human Giant
Human Giant
Human Giant is a sketch comedy show on MTV, starring writer/performers Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer and directed primarily by Jason Woliner.The show has completed two seasons. The status of a third season is unknown...
, along with Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....
. The show took place at Spreckles Theater in San Diego, California during the same weekend as the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con
Comic-Con
Comic-Con, Comic Con or ComiCon may refer to any of the following Comic book conventions, none of them affiliated to any other:*San Diego Comic-Con International, annual fan convention in San Diego held since 1970, also known as Comic-Con or San Diego Comic-Con*Dallas Comic Con, annual fan...
.
Movies and series
The film The Comedians of Comedy, shot during the fall of 2004, had its world premiere at the South by Southwest film festival in March 2005. It is one of the first films to be financed by the DVD-rental service NetflixNetflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
, also the film's distributor. The film inspired Comedy Central to commission a six-episode Comedians of Comedy television series, involving a six-city tour during the summer of 2005; the show premiered in November of that year. The episodes were shot in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Philadelphia, Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, Boston and Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
.
After ending their run on Comedy Central, Oswalt, Posehn, Mirman and Morgan Murphy
Morgan Murphy (comedian)
Morgan Murphy is an American stand-up comic and comedy writer. She was born in Portland, Oregon. She has performed in the Comedians of Comedy tour and appeared in the "Comedians of Comedy: Live at the Troubador" DVD. Bobcat Goldthwait cast her in the films Sleeping Dogs Lie and World's Greatest...
performed in a 2006 Comedians of Comedy tour.
The Comedians of Comedy also appeared as one of the Friday opening acts at the 2007 Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival, including San Francisco Bay Area comedians Brent Weinbach
Brent Weinbach
Brent Weinbach is an American stand-up comedian and performer based in San Francisco, California. He is known for his experimental style and abstract, deadpan delivery. Weinbach regularly performs stand-up at the Comedy Death-Ray shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles and has...
and Jasper Redd
Jasper Redd
Jasper Redd is an American comedian from in Knoxville, Tennessee.Jasper's brand of comedy is distinguished by his use of polyrhythmic timing. Earlier in his career, this was more pronounced...
.
On October 2, 2007, a DVD of a live performance from the Troubador was released, featuring the cast of the film alongside other notables like Eugene Mirman
Eugene Mirman
Eugene Boris Mirman is a Russian-born American comedian, writer, and filmmaker. Mirman currently plays Yvgeny Mirminsky on Delocated, and voices Gene Belcher for the animated comedy Bob's Burgers.-Early life:Mirman was born in Russia to Jewish parents...
, Jon Benjamin
H. Jon Benjamin
Henry Jon Benjamin , known professionally as H. Jon Benjamin and Jon Benjamin, is an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his voice-over roles as Jason and Coach McGuirk on Home Movies, Ben on Dr...
, David Cross
David Cross
David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...
, and others.
List of works
2005 film2005 television series
- The Comedians of Comedy at Comedy CentralComedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
The Comedians of Comedy: Live at The Troubadour
External links
- The Comedians of Comedy at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Brian Posehn
- Maria Bamford
- Patton Oswalt
- Zach Galifinakis