British Invasion

The video portions of the Life of Si displayed a tightness and imaginative ardor that the strained and shrill live sections lacked. The opportunity for wit was constantly occluded by the easy choice of making noise. ... full review

NOTE: This review has been updated to correct my misspelling of Coppin's name. D'oh. Since I was here and all, I went ahead and rearranged it and threw in a few extra details. This review is specific to Nik Coppin, chosen at random based on my schedule availability. He roamed hilariously all over the place, but without losing the thread or scattering at random. Racial categorizations, spiders, more spiders, comic books, cricket, just-up-on-the-edge-of-blue stuff, sharks, hair, Australia... And that's not even the half of it. Once he started talking he did not stop and he kept it tight. It was just great! Tomorrow I'm off to find his mailing list. The British Invasion was not originally on my hit list, but I started hearing raves... full review

This review is specific to Mark Allen's GO SLOW: When British stand-up comic Mark Allen became more annoyed than disturbed at a suicide that hindered his daily commute, he decided to go off the grid and take things slow for a month. His hilarious tale of modern in-conveniences and tortoise-seeking shenanigans is full of witty gems ("When I post on Twitter and Facebook, my friends have my thoughts twice as much as I do") and honest revelations ("I'd become an asshole"). Affable and sweetly self-depricating, Allen checks in with the audience when the British humor doesn't seem to land and ultimately proves that taking life slowly can be a challenging (and laughable) act of rebellion.... full review

Jim Smallman hosted the Tuesday night Jam. Previously I had let him know that I did not like the section of the performance where he got a few audience members to reveal embarassing stories. Did he listen to my advice? NO! I think he knew that I was going to be there. This time he had every member tell an embarrassing story. I was just horrified. I was in that audience. He was all in. Really discovered his strength. Bloody brilliant. I have to admit I quite enjoyed it this time. So what do I do for my embarrassing story? He started out at the other end of the room. It was clear he had it in for me. No way I was going to tell my embarrassing story. There was a dull embarrassing story, but that was kind of dishonest, certain... full review

The Brits are HILARIOUS. Go support them.... full review

Recently saw Kent Valentine -- I give him 4 stars. He's a wonderfully funny story teller whose attention to detail is equally spectacular and funny. From his story about making napalm and blowing up the neighbor's drive-way to getting a pram for his newborn daughter, he certainly keeps you captivated and laughing. A top-notch stand-up comedian. ... full review

I got a tip to go see Jim Smallman for FREE last Sunday night. The show was not packed which, as a fellow comic, disappointed me. Here is this great guy all the way from England, playing to a smallish crowd in a dance studio at 10pm on a Sunday. But, like a great comic, he turned it into a special event that I felt very lucky to have stumbled upon. It was intimate and raw and by the end, all 15 of us in the audience felt like friends. I have to admit though, he kept telling us we would all see how awful a Human Being he was by the end of the show, and sorry...he was totally lovable! A tattooed teddy bear. He's playing the rest of the week. And I think all his shows are FREE. I mean, come on, go see the guy!... full review

I only caught 2 comedians on Friday, June 18, late night and they were fuckin' funny. The first was the host, he has great timing, was relaxed and confident on stage. The second was drunk off his ass but was still very astute, his best material on Bear Grills. Sloshed with liquor but brimming with british pride, he courageously weaved his way through his 15 minutes of material. I was mocked 2x for my white jacket and I always love being a part of a show, even if it is at my own expense. Good work brits.... full review

JIM SMALLMAN is a smart and funny guy. He works the crowd well. He’s got some charm and some amusing stories. But the form of riffing on audience stories as a segue to his “bad boy” tales gets tired after 30 minutes or so, particularly because they don’t add up to anything. He admits that he doesn't write and it shows. College (drinking) crowd material. ... full review