David Cross Oh, Come On David Cross is my main man. He’s my jam. He’s my main squeeze. Not only is he responsible for getting me into comedy albums way back in the day, but his material has kept resonating with me after all these years. I discovered his comedy in a dark period in my life (yes, that sad old story), and it immediately spoke to me. Soon afterwards I was listening to his albums and specials over and...
Sean White Dead & Gone (A Special Thing Records) If tragedy plus time equals comedy, then Sean White must have missed the memo. It takes great standup sets to really put into perspective what high levels the art form can take. In our modern times, Tig Notaro’s album Live probably is the best example of how tragic and introspective and hopeful and smart standup can be. And I’m sure Tig Notaro’s aware the kind of attention she’s gotten is bound...
The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy by Kliph Nesteroff Books like this one are what it’s all about, people. I am a comedy nerd and the current comedy boom is the sweet stuff that dreams are made of. My dreams, anyway. Yes, with any boom comes an excess of participants. Most will fade away when said boom goes bust, forever forgotten. Unless of course some avid fan (read: nerd) writes a book about them. Enter...
Louis CK “Live at Madison Square Garden” picture disc. We might all owe a debt of gratitude to Louis CK. Not just for his numerous comedy specials or his great TV show, but for bringing “alternative” comedy to the masses and for making comedy “cool” again. It would be completely ridiculous to say he reinvented standup, but what he most certainly did was present this idea to the mainstream that standup can be smart, challenging, and angry. And while...