Jim Jefferies...and a head full of thoughts.

Ok. Jim Jefferies.

Because I'm what you would call a "professional", the only research that I had done on Jim Jefferies is through what you would call "hearsay" and what this "hearsay" entailed was that he was really hilarious, a favorite among Denver comedians who watch the traveling comics, and that I should probably get my ass in gear to catch him this wkend.

So I did. My pal(and local comic) Bill Blackburn and I hit the cold, hard streets of Larimer Square, dodging and avoiding the Affliction tees and mini dresses, finally making our way into the 8pm show at Comedy Works Downtown.

I really like the big shows that highlight big talent plus Denver talent, and this show was one to be added to that list. Opening and emceeing for the night was Denver comic Vic Alejandro, followed by Comedy Works' house comic Deacon Gray, and the up-and-coming Troy Walker, winner of the past two Comedy Works New Faces contests.

Alejandro opened the night with a blast of physical, smart comedy. I'm not sure how his body moves in the way that it does, between acting like a dog or a cat or showing off his stellar dance moves, I have to say, he's really fun to watch. He's one of the few comics I've seen in Denver who can actually put the mic down and be just as funny without the words.

Gray is a great contrast to Alejandro. He has a laid-back, intuitive style of comedy that picks up on the little things, takes them to stranger places, and challenges you to put the pieces together. After 20 some years of comedy, he has a comfort level on stage that puts everyone at ease. I've gotten something different each time I've seen Deacon perform, and I think that flexibility, as in yoga, is something that is earned through dedication and learned over time. It's something I would hope to move towards as I push forward in comedic endeavors.

Troy Walker. Timing? He has it. Intellect? Check that box, too. Charisma? Yep. If he were a multiple choice question, you'd choose all of the above because he's the whole package. I've seen him do dark comedy at local shows. I've seen him do club comedy at the clubs. And he kills at both. Last night was no exception, and I'll say it was the best set I've seen out of Troy. For as young as he is (24, methinks), he displays a professionalism and an ownership that is beyond his years. Probably why he won the New Faces contest two years in a row. Just guessing...

After a great taste of Denver comedic offerings, it was time for the night's headliner: Jim Jefferies. Or Jeffries. Apparently, we spell his name different in the states, which leads me to wonder how my name would be spelled elsewhere. So since I'm an American who cares about fairness and quality, I'm going to use both last names interchangeably throughout, to pay homage to the fact that Jefferies is not of American descent, he is an Aussie (Yeah, ladies...) and he has pretty much dominated the world of comedy before being introduced to the American crowd through his HBO special "I Swear to God". But being a patriot, I'll also spell it the "wrong" way. Whichever one that really is.

Now that we've cleared that up, on to the show.

The "hearsay" that I'd heard was very much so correct. Jefferies' style of comedy was dark, morbid at times, and, ummmm, a little fucked up. In an awesome way. I was pre-warned of this when I saw the signs posted around Comedy Works that said something along the lines of "WARNING: THIS SHOW IS REALLY DIRTY. LIKE REALLY REALLY DIRTY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED." Dont quote me on exactness, but awesome nonetheless.

The show was dirty. But not in a way though that I would have walked away thinking "Gross". His look fit the mold. Dark, a little greasy, a little hairy, black shirt, black jeans, brown Converse sneaks. As a woman of American descent, the accent is always hot, and I imagine this guy pulls more tang than a lot of comics that I've seen. Which is an interesting thought with the way he talked about women. Perhaps its the "break 'em down to build 'em back up" approach which could be more construed as "break 'em down then bone 'em" or something of the sort.

He really did touch on the hot spots. Religion. Sex. Homosexuality. Misogyny. Actually, the first part of his set was geared mainly towards women like I was saying. And the verbal destruction of us. It's okay, I can take it. Mainly because it's easy to say "That doesn't apply to me" while still there's that deep-down voice that says "Uhh, maybe it does sometimes." I'm not going to look too deeply into that. However, I was glad when he moved on to subjects like religion because its easy to be on the high road of superiority when you agree with what the comic has to say. I like being in that place much better. It's an easier kind of laughter.

He talked alot about Christianity and Atheism, always going back to the point of logic and the absolute denial of common sense. He talked about pedophilia and how many celebs have been open pedophiliacs and he begged the question how talented must one be in order for pedophilia to be ok? And was he talented enough for it to be ok? Which still makes me laugh. I also had no idea the Elvis had adopted Priscilla Presley when she was 14 yrs old as her legal guardian, and then married her at 16 yrs old. Which makes me think Justin Bieber is fair game.

And moving on...

There was a great part in the show where an audience member told Jeffries that the 8pm was the late show, which was a blatant falsity. But with that in mind, he began to ramble in only the way that someone of his talent can, with a bumbling hilarity and effectiveness that seems like it shouldn't work but does anyway. He asked the audience for questions, which I hadn't seen any comic do yet. And as I expected, the audience let me down with their inane babbling questions and it seemed they let him down to. He finally told this one woman to "Shut up" and I thanked him internally for that one.

The show was fun. Reading over this I feel like it's a show that was not so much about laughter but about stimulation. Take that as you may, I walked away with a head full of Jefferies' insights.

And as dark as the show may have been, Bill and I got a chance to catch up with him afterward, and he was beyond nice, really chatty and spouted off some stories about his family and how certain family members still don't think he's funny and will tell him that to this day. He told me how he didn't care much for reviewers, and my response was that I'm overwhelmingly positive so what I say probably doesn't matter anyways. But through the process of conversation, I found that I was really endeared toward Jim Jeffries. Through his insights and through his easy-going and friendly way.

Good shit, people. As per the usual. If you haven't gotten the opp to check out Jefferies yet this wkend, he is here both tonight and Sunday night, and you can score tickets through the Comedy Works website. Oh! And fan DenverComedy via our facebook page if you haven't done so already!

Tom Green in Denver: My bum was real impressed

A fan's foreword to the night:

It was January of 1999. 'Twas the days before I had stumbled across my better half (booze) and for cheap entertainment, I often turned to Music Television. This is where I met Tom Green via The Tom Green Show for the first time. And, much to my parents' dismay, I fell fast and hard for his Canadian quirk.

Observational humor? Yes, please. The Slutmobile? I'd drive it. Swimming across Lake Washington? My fave episode. Drinking milk straight from the cow's udder? Ok, I couldn't get behind everything the guy did. But it was unique. It was different. And from there I followed it all.

Road Trip. Freddy Got Fingered. Bob the Butler. Drew Barrymore. Surviving cancer. The Bum Bum song. The loony loon loon. You get it, I know. I'm a hopeless fan. And throughout my college years, I stumbled upon his webshow, Tom Green's House Tonight. It was fitting then, that when I started twittering I found Tom Green and discovered that he would be touring as a stand-up comic internationally. When realizing that Denver was not on the list, I said something along the lines of "A piece of my soul died today when I saw you weren't coming to Denver." Within a few days, Denver was added to the tour. Was it a product of my twitter post? I'll never know. But I was able to attend his last show this past Saturday night, and walking in, I really didn't know what to expect, as it has typically gone with the Tom Green of the television world. Here's what I got.

The Review of the Show:

Flipping through Facebook, I was excited to see that Andrew Orvedahl would be opening for Tom Green at Comedy Works South. He was awesome enough to hook me and three of my girlfriends up with comps for the show, and his opening was hilarious, as per the usual. The audience was definitely there for Tom Green, an audience of fans if you will, and Orvedahl warmed up to them quickly, identifying with common Denver themes, and building over the course of his set to really big laughs. I heard a lot of positivity from surrounding audience members, and the girls agreed. It was a great fit for the night, and the only one, as Tom Green's act entailed an hour and some change of comedy.

As Orvedahl left the stage, some classic beats hit the air. Journey's "Dont Stop Believin" pumped through the room like a shot of adrenalin, and Tom came through the back of the club, high-fiving and shaking hands and saying hello to the audience on his way up to the stage.

There was something for everyone over the course of the show, and there was a comfortable familiarity in the audience's perception of Tom. We already knew him, we expected things from him, and he delivered in so many ways.

In the beginning of the show, my good friend side-whispered to me "I hope he's not really sexual. I dont know if I could deal with a really sexual Tom Green." And I thought it was an interesting point. In all of his epic weirdness, Tom Green has not been a sexual or verbally vulgar comic, and there was a great part of the show where he talked about his frustration with people asking him about getting it on with Drew Barrymore. Maybe there was a reason I fell for Green's humor as a freshman in high school. It might have been really, really weird, but by God it was safe. I find it interesting where people allow their vulnerabilities to be. Tom's openness about his cancer, about some of the pains of his divorce, about his family and the trials that he has faced throughout the night were obvious points of endearment with the audience. And it gave good cause to the idea that comedy can leave sex out of the equation and still be very, very funny.

He touched on a lot of social observations that followed along the belief that comedy is spreading your ideas, rather than trying to make people laugh. The laughter came out of the bizarreness of his delivery, the strangeness of his thought process, and in identifying with Green's odd realities that often held a lot of truth and, dare I say, wisdom that has obviously come with his 38 years on the planet.

Obviously, I hold a great deal of bias in going to this show. But I was initially nervous going into it. I've seen a few comics that I've really admired in the past, and I've walked away a bit wide-eyed and dismayed at the state of their lives and their bitter, jaded view of life and the world. I know, I know. It's comedy. There's not much room for optimism. And a friend of mine that I confided in passed on the point that you should never meet your heroes.

This was different. Multiple times throughout the show, Tom Green displayed a genuine and heartfelt gratitude, even towards those he may have fallen out of favor with. His view was generally upbeat and optimistic, and when it wasn't it was simply honest.

Afterward, he made the effort to take pictures with fans and thank people and say hello. In all my dorkiness, I partook with my best friend and fellow Tom Green lover, Liv Stringer, and we managed to get this blurry shot on her Blackberry:

Thanks, Tom Green. For the many years of laughter. For performing with a local Denver comic. For the amazing Saturday night with good friends. And for revitalizing the faith that optimism and gratitude is still alive in comedy.

Come back to Denver anytime you'd like! I'll be there, drinking mojitos and laughing too loud.

Me encanta Los Comicos Super Hilariosos...

Is that even right?? I definitely don't know.

This Los Comicos was my third. And they always bring something to the table that makes me incredibly happy to be in Denver, Colorado. Pre-show, there were Facebook stirrings of a mysterious surprise that was in the works. I love me some suspense, so I followed that carrot all the way to the Orange Cat Studio doors. Where I paid the nominal $5 fee for entry and walked into a world of comedy deliciousness.

After three times at the Orange Cat, I've come to really appreciate the space. It's intimate without being too small. It's packed without being overwhelmingly crowded. The acoustics aren't blowing out my ear drums, and the audience is typically respectful and appreciative of the performers. Occasionally, someone heckles but not in a way that completely depreciates what is happening on-stage. Read my piece on Dave Attell for more on that subject, because my friends, it can get ugly.

Greg Baumhauer was our lovely emcee for the evening, and in his own Baumhauer-way he linked together the performances, lifted the elephants from the room, and brought his own brand of uncivilized humor that makes you feel like you're on the inside of the joke. The thing that I like most about Greg is that, whether the on-stage comic kills or bombs, he's got something to say either way. He's an equal-opportunity kind of asshole, and I can appreciate that in an emcee. In fact, I think it makes for the best kind.

Our first comedian of the eve was Denver's own Erik Anker. The kid is smart. Like the kind of smart that you and I might wonder what his brain looks like on the inside. Anker runs off the beaten path with a comedic gait that is both dry and cerebral. Rarely does he break into a smile but last night, I caught it a few times and so did the audience. His acknowledgment of himself was charming rather than ostentatious and that tiny bit of a break from the dry was actually highly effective. He was a great kick-off to the fun.

Our next comic of the night was Seattle's Lizzy Pilcher. Pilcher's comedy was a little more self-focused than observational, and she told stories that were self-deprecating and revealing to her own experiences. Her set felt a little bit unstructured and free-wheeling which I think took a bit away from the comedic dynamo, but she ended with a memorable story that slammed her biggest laugh of the night.

And then came the surprise. And 'twas a very jewy surprise. Visiting national headliner Moshe Kasher stopped in to deliver his style of indie comedy greatness to the Los Comicos stage, and greatness would be an apt word to describe the laughable goods. Kasher is on point. For every second of his set, his complete ownership of the stage married flawlessly with an unrelenting energy and quick-fire delivery. He played with the audience for the first few minutes in a way that only a true professional can, poking fun at the space, pointing out the obvious in a way that makes you understand why he's the comic and you're the audience. He then moved into a structured set that brought me a new type of appreciation for how much preparation it takes to be that good. Because he is that good. No bullshit. I'm gonna catch this guy along with some of our beloved Denver comics on Sunday night, so more to come on Kasher. I wont spoil it all here, but if you want to go and catch a great show, see Moshe and Denver pals on Sunday at 7pm. Comedy Works Downtown. 45 minutes of Moshe Kasher? Uhh yes please.

Next up, the soon-to-be-leaving-Denver Rob Gleeson. Rob has reached a few awesome milestones as of late. He will be graduating from the University of Denver and completing his college degree, and he was recently signed by New Wave Entertainment after winning the New Faces contest at the 2010 Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta, GA. The fresh-faced kid is a fireball of comedy, and he definitely was just that last night. Gleeson's funny work is created from a potent mixture of space utility, body language, and disciplined writing, and it comes across every time. Congrats on everything, Rob. Big things ahead indeed.

Jim Hickox was next in hitting the stage. In a way that was determinedly his own. Through the use of a laptop, a projector, and a large wrinkled sheet, he brought his Los Comicos set to the stage in a way that markedly unique from the typical stand-up scenario. He did stand-up via on-stage web-cam and intermingled it with funny bits that only the technology could have allowed him to get across. He caught some shit for using "crutches" but we all know Hickox can handle a mic on his own. This was a fresh and hilarious break from tradition. Plain and simple: it worked.

Headlining for the evening was Adam Cayton-Holland, a significant part of the backbone that makes up Wrist Deep Productions. There is something about the way that Cayton-Holland does comedy that doesn't pander to the audience. Instead, the audience panders to him. For some reason probably relating back to a feeling of subtle inferiority, you want to be Cayton-Holland's friend. The play within his comedy is that sometimes it feels very much within reach and other times, it doesn't. It's a fine line, and he manages it with the expertise of a professional tight-rope walker. As many times as I've seen him perform, there is constant flow and creativity within his sets. The same jokes work over and over again, the new jokes work too, and you can tell he believes in the art of his words. It's a dynamic experience, and one that rarely disappoints.

And that can be said about Los Comicos itself as well. The comedy comes across artfully, the venue is perfection for the moment, and the experience is one that is well worth the minimal entry fee for what you're getting.

Here's to the last Friday of every month. And the guys behind the show. Another Los Comicos well done.

The Threople Humor Event

Threople. Three people. Andrew Orvedahl. Ravi Zupa. Mathew Reichhardt.

The team of three put on an inaugural show that, with the combination of videography and comedy, has immediately set itself apart from anything currently happening on the Denver scene. The execution was flawless, the artistry evident, and the comedy...well, it was hilarious, to say the least.

Held in S. Broadway's Illiterate Gallery, the trio drew tons of people. Some were standing, a great deal of people criss-cross applesauced in the very front of the room, and the rest of us packed in shoulder-to-shoulder in the rows of folding chairs, sharing body heat and apologizing for constant touching. The guy behind me had an affinity for breathing into my hair. I cant say I didn't like it. There was an air of serious intimacy in the room. Had it not been so hot, I would have been all for it.

But remember, this was a first show. And this first show packed the room so heavily that oxygen nearly became an issue. Um, can we say awesome?

To the comedy. Brilliance would be a word of choosing. The three gentlemen of the night creatively packed each minute with energy and intellect. And the birth of that pairing ended up being a solid two hours of creative humor.

Digital shorts were woven into the fabric of the show in a manner that was fitting and fun. The breaking down of their feature short "Economic Collapse" held a small piece of genius in creating curiosity within the audience as the show progressed. The shorter shorts in between were perhaps my favorite parts of the show.

Orvedahl's short film featuring his wife, infant daughter, and dog was not only adorable and heartwarming, but incredibly well-put together and fun. I love getting insight on a comic through their work, and this piece did just that. Plus, his baby girl is undeniably adorable. Watching her bubble up with laughter was pretty much the cutest thing I could ever want to see.

The short put together by Reichardt and Zupa with Reichardt attempting to woo his girlfriend through Shakespearean jibberish was...well, it was...it was so great. Zupa cleared up the confusion with his own superb take on Romeo and Juliet. And, as I said, these two pieces were my personal favorites within the show.

Each of the threople did their own brand of stand up. Ravi Zupa did a great sketch in which he did the same set of jokes with three different comedy flavors, the first being a first-time comic, the second being the comedy bad boy, and the third being the guy who does stand-up at his local church's easter egg hunt. The clever mix of comedic irony and characters was something I hadn't seen before. While most comics struggle to find one voice, Zupa can pretty much do any one he wants.

Orvedahl brought his stand-up to the table in a way that he described as "the normal kind, not this other experimental shit that everyone else was doing". Or something like that. As a regular on the Denver stand-up scene, he once again brought it to the table in a manner that is very much his own.

And Reichardt went the route of experimentation. He stood to the side of the video screen as a film of himself came on and acted as the voice within his head throughout the whole set. Does that make sense? I hope so. His plays on nervousness and stage fright really worked well with the second voice behind him, and I would assume that getting the timing on that is not the easiest thing in the world. It worked. It worked really well.

To close down the night, the guys invited the national up-and-coming fun-ness that is TJ Miller to the stage for some classic, un-experimental stand-up. I've seen Miller a few times in Denver and his act is always a lot of fun. His crowd interaction, quick wit, and character work combine for a type of comedy that is all his own.

Among the crowd, there were a few familiar faces and I got a chance to catch up with Adam Cayton-Holland as he was within my breathosphere of seat space. He commented that these guys were definitely going to outgrow this space quickly, if not immediately. And I'm pretty sure he might be right. Definitely a cool space, but I've got a feeling bigger audiences are in the mix for this trio of humor.

Definitely a great show. Denver has a ton to look forward to with Threople in the mix, and these guys have definitely set a new standard for creativity in the scene. Well done, gentlemen.

Making Plans

A blog is a blog is a blog. But a website can be much more than that.

For me, that was pretty much the idea when I started this blog/facebook page. To have a website that could include the blog, a calendar of Denver comedy, and hopefully some interactive spots where comics could create profiles or there could be a feed or something weird and possibly unique.

I started looking for domain names last night. Unfortunately, a ton of obvious ones are taken. Including DenverComedy.com. So that leaves me a little between a rock and a hard place. New name perhaps? Additionally, I've checked out the abandoned MileHiComedy page and they definitely had some good stuff going. If anyone has any thoughts or experiences with that, feel free to shoot me an email at Nicole.Qualtieri@hotmail.com

Another thing that I've been wanting to do is to start a Denver comedian of the week. Basically, I'm going to put together ten questions, email or facebook message them off to a comic about town, hope they answer it, and then post it on the blog. I'll get that going for next wk and hopefully get rolling on that pretty quickly. I like that already. Fun for all.

I've made this plea before. And I shall again. By all means, I would love to have more people doing reviews, interviews, humor pieces, whatever strikes your fancy. You don't have to be the greatest writer. I'm definitely not, but I do like to edit so really, it's not a problem. I'm open to anything as long as it somehow relates back to comedy. Photography is welcome. As is anything else that anyone could cook up.

And I've got some other things cooking in my brain. But I want to run them by some of the comedians and get a firsthand account on those ideas. So if you catch me at a show and are curious, ask away.

In the meantime, if you think of a name that might be a little more awesome than the one that has no domain, let me know.

Vag night at the Lair

No, it's not a weird 70's porno flick.

It's pretty much what happened this past Monday night at the weekly open mic at the always classy Lion's Lair off Colfax.

It was an experience I'd never had, something that I had never seen. As it grew closer and closer to what could be called show-time, the room slowly filled with comics not bearing things of phallic measure, but vagii. Which I've decided is the plural for...I think you can figure it out.

The surprise echoed throughout the room. Where did all of these female comics come from? Why were they here? What was it about the Lair that could have possibly pulled in more vag than that place has seen in a lifetime?

I dont really know for sure. But what I do know for sure is that it was almost overwhelming.

Timmi Ann Lasley. Heather Snow. Eliz Fenstermacher. Melanie Karnopp. Jill Tasei. Myself. And the illustrious Cougar Carol.

Alright, there were dudes there too. Sam Tallent and Roger Norquist assumed the helm of the lady-laden comedic buffet in the style that is markedly and awesomely their own. Multiple common faces graced both the crowd and the stage. Erik Anker. Elliot Woolsey. Alex Ash. Bobby Crane. Basically, it was a smorgasbord of unintentional gender equality, new jokes from good comics, and weirdness from the rest of 'em. Fortunately for some of us and unfortunately for others, Cougar Carol did not flash her tits this time.

Serious props to the Lair. Like seeing a child grow, I've watched the double L slowly build week by week, drawing a bigger audience, and an eclectic group of comics. It's not an easy room in the way of pulling laughter, but it is an honest one, and I like that vibe. Laughter is earned here.

In a piece of thought that may reek of the Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco, it was exciting to see so many ladies grace the stage and take some chances. Sans nudity. Plus comedy.

I dont know if I wrote this at any point, but after attending New Talent night at Comedy Works a while back, I made the observation that there were actually more minorities than females in the show. Which a) isn't bad--but also b) is not exactly reflective of the demographics of Denver, Colorado. Let's be honest with this one.

And it made me wonder what it is that keeps many intelligent and funny women away from comedy. I've asked a few of my typically outspoken, confident, and very funny girlfriends if they would consider and their response is verbatim "Oh, I could never do that." And no matter what my persuasion may be for the craft, their belief sticks hard.

It's upsetting to me. I think stand-up is missing out. And I refuse to wax and wane on the whys, but if there are any women who are tempted to stand-up, do it. In my experience, I've found that every Denver open mic I've attended has been incredibly welcoming to me, if not overly so. And a lot of the guys I've talked to have quipped that more women are needed in comedy. The support system is there, I think. Perhaps it needs to be more obvious.

And to me, nothing was more obvious of the supports for lady comics than a night filled with them at the Lair.

Happy hump day to all. And to all a good hump.

I think some of us need to hug and make up.

As I've been getting my feet deeper and deeper into the quicksand of the Denver comedy scene, I've been to a bunch of shows and started picking my way through the general vibe. I've talked with a bunch of the local comics and learned about their personal experiences, and I'm overwhelmed by the general positivity throughout.

We have a ton of driven people, a lot of people in the "just for fun" category, a bunch that are learning and testing the waters, and then the few that linger in their own pretensions. Which is normal, I think. Not bad in a big sense, but I think it can be mildly harmful in others. Not only to the people on the opposite side of the pretensions, but for the ones harboring that themselves.

I guess it's like anything else. But lately when I've thought of anything else, it leads back to child's play.

I was bullied as a kid, not into oblivion, but most of us at some point have been the butt of the joke in a way that wasn't funny. Perhaps it's the old scars that lead us to make others the butt of the joke. Comedy def has an excellent pull for that, but there is an obvious difference in being a dick and poking harmful fun.

I've been to the 404, the Squire, Lion's Lair, and now Kingas. I've hung out at the New Talent deals and gotten the experience of the Future Legends show at the Improv firsthand. And what I've noticed across the board is that every single one of these places has a group of people dedicated to the success of their space and fiercely committed to their own brand of comedy.

Each has something to bring the table and offers a unique experience to learn and practice the craft. The Squire by far pulls the biggest crowd and has a stage that forces you to be at the top of your game with the help of the crass genius of Greg Baumhauer and the Wrist Deep guys. The Lair is coming into its own under Sam Tallent and Roger Norquist. The 404 with Dick Black has been a long-standing stalwart of Friday nights in the comedy community, offering many comics their start in the game. And now Kingas is moving to the forefront of another different and unique thing to bring to the community with Jordan Doll and the guys behind I Stole Your Baby. I'm probably leaving out some other rooms but as for now, that's where I'm leaving it.

I recently had a few back-and-forths with a well-received comic about town, and I was questioning his thoughts on the matter, and he put it way more eloquently than I ever could, so I'd like to leave you all with this to chew on and hope that it at least offers up a thought that will breed more good-will between stages:

Denver has a great little comedy scene but the town is too small to be talking shit about other comics. You see everyone all the time. It's just as easy to not say anything rather than dump on someone because you don't like their comedy or they way they run their room.

This is our studio and stand up is our canvas. We need all of the open mics.

Thanks to this man. You're a stand-up guy. In all senses of the saying.

Support your fellow comics, Denver. We'll all be better for it.