Standup Comedy (3 Viewers)

Joe Harris

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Anybody into standup comedy?
I am a huge fan..my love for a good standup special rivals that of my affinity for poker. At times they have gone together. The first home game I was involved with had a few traditions, one of which was to listen to Mitch Hedberg (RIP) while we played. Eventually that game dissolved, but one day I will again play some Mitch during a game and see how it goes.

I listen to standup sometimes while I'm working, so if I hear any noteworthy routines or bits I'll post them. Hopefully I won't be the only one.. :)

Here's a few to kick it off:

Kyle Kinane - Pancakes (2 parts, but autoplays 2nd)
Matt Braunger - Lonely Man Dinners
Kevin Nealon - The Blacks
Hannibal Buress - Letterman
 
Mitch Hedburg was funny as hell.
Carlin was a favorite of mine.
Greg Giraldo was good.
I saw Frank Caliendo once. He was OK. Does a few good impressions.
I saw Jerry Seinfeld twice, once in Pittsburgh and once in Atlantic City. I like his type of comedy.
 
Bill Burr! Everything...but definitely his best skit is "An Epidemic of Gold Digging Whores"
Jim Norton is great
Jim Jeffries is pretty decent
Greg Giraldo's life was cut too short, he was one of the best of the 90s
Dave Attell is a super nice guy and great comedian.
But stand up is always a good time, there are lots of small clubs here in vegas i go to
 
I've seen Carlin, Dane Cook, and Seinfeld live. They were all great. By far my favorite stand-up special is Robin Williams Live on Broadway 2002. I have never laughed so hard.
 
I love watching the Dean Martin Roasts on youtube.
Foster Brooks, Don Rickles, and Rich Little are great too.
 

You will either love or hate Neil Hamburger.

Preface: In this recording he's opening for Tenacious D in front of about 18000 jumped-up teenagers and 20-somethings in Madison Square Garden, so naturally he opens with a rape joke. Keep 'em on your side the saying goes.
 
You will either love or hate Neil Hamburger.


True story.

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;)
 
Mitch Hedberg is one of the greats. Todd Barry and Hannibal Buress are really good too.

My first favorite comedian was probably Emo Philips. I guess I just really like character comedians. A lot of comedians list Andrew Dice Clay as an influence on them but I never really got it.
 
I've seen these great ones live, but many of them were doing sit-down comedy:

Mort Sahl
Early Cosby
Dick Gregory (still going strong; saw him last year)
Alan King
Victor Borge
Buddy Hackett
Robert Klein
Jonathan Winters
Robin Williams
Nichols and May
Steve Martin (arrow-through-the-head era)
Gallagher
George Carlin
Lily Tomlin
Dave Attell
Steven Wright
Paula Poundstone
Jake Johannsen
Amazing Johnathan (more humor than magic, by far)
Rita Rudner
Bill Engvall
Ron White
Louis Black (Baltimore, with his parents at the next table 8;)
Jon Stewart
John Oliver

The best? For political humor, Sahl. For just side-splitting funny: Winters, Poundstone, White. Among those I never saw live, Bob Newhart's albums were the funniest material ever, short of Winters live. All IMO, of course.
 
the holy trinity for me:

bill hicks
richard pryor
george carlin

without hitting the obvious ones that will be mentioned by others (and for good reason), i'd recommend checking out:

kurt metzger


tig notaro


norm macdonald (i know everyone knows him, but mostly not for his stand up which is truly amazing)


david spade (like norm he is known, but not for his stand up. i've lost it many, many times watching this hour)

 
richard-f-ing-pryor
Steve Martin, especially when a visit from the banjo
eddie murphy, (at the time)
 
I'm not sure how Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock got left off so far, though I've never seen Rock live, and Chappelle only at a big festival after the show. Aziz Ansari and Kumail Nanjiani both have great standup specials as well, for some more recent stuff.

I really like Eddie Izzard, and he's probably my wife's all-time favorite. Seen him live twice.

Al Madrigal did a great live show (same festival as Chappelle) but I'm not sure I've ever seen a special of his.

I really wish there was a more convenient comedy club to where I live.
 
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I'm not sure how Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock got left off so far, though I've never Rock live, and Chappelle only at a big festival after the show.

yeah i figured both would be covered and so didn't bother myself. rock's bring the pain is hands down his best hour imo. like spade above, i watched it literally dozens of times in college and it's absolutely just as good now.


i was lucky to see chappelle pretty early on in a small venue and he was hysterical. killing them softly is very, very good, but i remember material from the show i saw that absolutely killed and somehow never made it into any of his recorded sets.

 
George Carlin and Jim Norton two of my faves. Greg Giraldo was one of the best on the roasts, although never saw any of his work outside of those.
 
Mitch Hedberg is one of the greats. Todd Barry and Hannibal Buress are really good too.

My first favorite comedian was probably Emo Philips. I guess I just really like character comedians. A lot of comedians list Andrew Dice Clay as an influence on them but I never really got it.

I've seen Emo 3 times. He picked on me while doing crowd work at one of the shows. His crowd work is not as good as his standup sets, but it was a great moment to be lampooned by Emo.
 
BTW - I just started re-watching Dr. Katz lately. Dom Irrera and Ray Romano were so great on that show.
 
as sort of an antidote to the thinky comedians i posted earlier, these guys are just knee slappers. not cerebral. not high brow.

i know a clip was posted above, but this whole brian regan special is so fucking hysterical. i lose it with this guy.


and i know this guy might not be everyone's cup of whatever, but i find him pretty hilarious.

 
I've seen quite a few stand up genius performers. San Kinison was my very favorite. His best bit of all time that I saw live (I was laughing so hard i almost blew chunks) is when he ends the show with his jokes about the news report from Los Angeles about the homosexual necrophiliacs that were going to mortuaries in the City of Angels. Can't find it on Youtube. If you don't almost piss yourself when watching this, there is no hope for you.
 
My top 3:

George Carlin - Saw him live at Bally's back in 1998. So much good stuff in his library.
Robin Williams - His recording at the Met in the 80's kills me. Alladin is my favorite Disney movie because of him.
Bill Cosby - Got to see him last year right before the tidal wave of new assault allegations broke. Sexual assault aside, I love his early records, loved him on Dick Cavett, and Himself still kills me.

I was deeply affected when Williams died. In the Corps he was the guy we laughed at the most, partly because he was one of the guys that supported us the most. Never got to see him in person and thank him for what he did for my fellow members of the armed forces. There's no doubt on my mind that, given the opportunity, he'd have stood watch at a post for us.

I also really enjoy Jeff Dunham and Frank Calliendo. Peanut and Walter will always make me laugh, and I like Calliendo if for no other reason than I'm a sucker for some impressions, and he's a local dude. Mitch Fatel was also pretty good. Got to see him live at the Comedy Stop at the Trop before he made it big. Not sure if that room is even around still. Would be a shame if they closed it down as lots of great comics played there before they got national run.
 

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