For those in search of laughter or curious about the on-goings of the comedy scene in St. Louis, we will be making monthly recommendations of shows in (and near) the city. From sure-thing-hilarious to fingers crossed, "Oh God! I hope this works," Funny Events is your connection to sketch, stand-up, improv and everything in between and out-of-the box.
Bare Knuckle Comedy's Adventure Quest at Cicero's, Sunday February 10th Show: 8PM
Bare Knuckle Comedy is the longest running independent comedy show in St. Louis. It started off at the Sci-Fi Lounge but has since moved to Cicero's and even undergone a name change; the show was formerly Punch Drunk Comedy. Typically the show takes place every second Sunday of the month. Producers Christian Lawrence and Kevin White decided to take December and January off to revamp things a little bit, but now they're back and the plan is to not only return with a vengeance but with flags full mast and flying strong.
Sunday, February 10th Bare Knuckle Comedy presents Adventure Quest: A Stand Up/Sketch Comedy ODDyssey. Think an elementary school production of The Sword in the Stone meets The Holy Grail's off-color humor. And that's just the adventure portion of the show. Making the trek from Chicago will be comedians Marlena Rodriguez, C.J. Toledano, and Mike Sheehan and local comic JC Sibala will also be on the bill. Like I said, back with a vengeance.
Brian Posehn February 21 - 23 at The Funny Bone Showtimes vary
Nothing is sacred to Brian Posehn. The man performed at the 2011 Gathering of the Juggalos - Yeah; the one hosted by Charlie Sheen. He's a self proclaimed pot-smoking metalhead and when he was criticized on the Juggalo matter by some of his fans he simply said, "getting a paycheck is metal."
His material is crude and and his comedy resume boasts a long history of work with similarly irreverent comics who may be household names but who have been outshined by Posehn when it comes down to the nitty-gritty performance. He co-stared on the Sarah Silverman Program with Steve Agee as a gay couple who was friends with Sarah. Even if you're not aware of Posehn's stand up, it's likely you'll see his face and think "Oh yeah, that guy" from his long list of weirdo characters on a whole mess of TV series and movies. While "he's appeared on this with such-n-such person" is not the reason I recommend you make your way to the Funny Bone, his many characters are good example of the branch of weird you'll experience at his show.
The Improv Shop presents The Lab - Every Monday above Pat's Bar Show: 8PM
I've been immersed in the St. Louis comedy scene for over two years now. I'm at a show at least two nights a week, 52 weeks a year. And it wasn't until just last Monday I found out the Improv Shop lives above Pat's Bar and Grill, and furthermore that they have weekly shows. Shame on me.
You can catch The Lab every Monday night and it won't cost you a thing. The night is all about mixing things up and teaming up the newbies and veterans. By newbies and veterans - I mean students and instructors. The Improv Shop also holds courses for individuals interested in developing or even trying out their funny taught by a variety of instructors with Kevin McKernan and Andy Sloey being the go to guys. While the young guns get to perform with the more experienced, the end of the night is still reserved for a feature performance by a veteran team. The line-up is ever changing so you need not fear a repetitive show of the same comics working out their set; after-all it is improv.
It's an ideal show for those of you in the crowd who have trouble resisting including yourself. When it comes to improv, crowd participation is actually encouraged. However, just because it's alright to chime in, there's still a time and a place. Yes, that means there's a line between participating and heckling.
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