news, show listings, contests, ticket give-aways and slander about Nashville's comedy community
digital download: iTunes
cd: AST Records
“Nate Bargatze is going to be huge and this album is proof. 52 minutes of classic comedy done right. A fresh and innocent take on story-driven stand-up, 100% unedited. Highly recommended to anyone reading this sentence.” – A Special Thing Records
Here is one of Nate’s Conan appearances:
For more Nate:
NateBargatze.com
Twitter.com/natebargatze
Facebook.com/pages/Nate-Bargatze-Fan-Page/127380467315420
The Geek Media Expo (GMX), the Nashville area’s Next Generation Multi-Fandom exposition, is bringing teh funny to the world of geekdom on Friday, October 26th. The laughs strike back with the Geek Comedy Showcase II: Laugh Harder, part of the featured programming at GMX Volume IV. Featuring five of Middle Tennessee’s FINEST comedians, the Geek Comedy Showcase brings you the best in fandom humor! You WOULD buy this for a dollar!
What is geek comedy? If the content can be found at GMX, that’s what we want! Material focusing on comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, science and technology, action figure collecting, video games, cartoons, Dungeons & Dragons, cosplaying, living in your parents’ basement…this is prime for the Geek Comedy Showcase. We’ve heard all the jokes before about your lack of athletic prowess, flailing marriage, lackluster sex life, inane traffic run-ins with the cops and arguments with the in-laws. Leave those jokes to the Muggles! GMX is the Geek Media Expo, and we are looking for a special brand of comedy and a special breed of comedian for this event. Once you have filmed your video, you will need to post it to YouTube or a similar site. Send us a link to the video. Do not send the video to us directly as an attachment.
Please email video links to: gmx-geek@geekmediaexpo.com.
Judging: A panel of four judges will be selected to rate your audition video based on a host of super secret variables. Not since the KFC recipe has a formula been so closely guarded. Just be funny. That’s all we ask.
The Hosts: The Geek Comedy Showcase will once again be hosted by The GMX Girls – Gia, Mia and Xia!
Deadline for Submissions: October 3rd at 11:59 PM. Winners will be announced no later than October 6th.
The Geek Comedy Showcase premiere will take place:
When: Friday, October 26th – 7:00 PM (Time subject to change. The showcase follows opening ceremonies).
Where: Cool Springs Conference Center
700 Cool Springs Boulevard
Franklin, TN 37067
More info about GMX: www.geekmediaexpo.com | www.facebook.com/whatisgmx
If you have any questions, please contact Allison Parham, Geek Channel Coordinator for GMX – allison.parham@geekmediaexpo.com.
(GMX “GEEK COMEDY SHOWCASE II: LAUGH HARDER” VIRTUAL AUDITIONS – 9/18 – 10/3/2012 Facebook event page)
Once again, The Belcourt Theatre reminds us why we love them by showing Mike Birbiglia‘s “Sleepwalk With Me”:
“I’m going to tell you a story, and it’s true….I always have to tell people that.” So asserts comedian-turned-playwright-turned-filmmaker Mike Birbiglia directly to the viewer at the outset of his autobiographically inspired, fictional feature debut. Birbiglia wears his incisive wit on his sleeve while portraying a cinematic surrogate. We are thrust into the tale of a burgeoning stand-up comedian struggling with the stress of a stalled career, a stale relationship threatening to race out of his control, and the wild spurts of severe sleepwalking he is desperate to ignore. The kind of passionate and personal storytelling that transfigures intimate anguish into comic art, SLEEPWALK WITH ME also delights as a revolving door of today’s stand-up scene. Also starring Marc Maron, Wyatt Cenac and others.
“A funny and insightful film. I could have watched it for 10 hours.” —Judd Apatow
Look at this trailer.. it’s got Henry Phillips (who is hilarious and was just at Zanies) and Marc Maron (who is fantastically funny and was just here at Zanies in July) and of course dang ole Birbigs (who is awesome and was last at Zanies on September 9, 2008, when he was refining his “Sleepwalk With Me” material in preparation for the off-Broadway theatrical run that preceded his book of the same name and now this movie). Check it out:
The Belcourt Theatre
2102 Belcourt Avenue
Nashville TN 37212
Movie Line: (615) 383-9140
Main Office: (615) 846-3150
Friday, Sep 21 – Thursday, Sep 27
For showtimes, please visit Belcourt.org
Hunstville, AL
Comedy Workshop – September 29
Level Two: Performance Class
Mondays, September 24, October 1, 15
Level One: Writing Class
[Tentatively] Mondays October 29, November 5 & 12
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Huntsville, AL Comedy Workshop!
The School of Laughs is happy to announce a unique opportunity! I will be leading a comedy workshop in Huntsville, AL on Saturday morning September 29 from 9:30AM-12:30PM at The Von Braun Center (700 Monroe Street Huntsville, Alabama 35801).
The workshop will cover techniques as well as performance tips and feedback on a short set you have prepared. We will analyze, write and briefly perform a set all in one session!
The investment is $75.
This is a great chance for those of you who have expressed interest in a “weekend” class. You will get a ton of great information and motivation to put together a comedy routine!
Furthermore … you have the option of attending my stand-up show at the Von Braun Center’s “Comedy Night in the Valley” the night before as part of a “package deal”. The show starts at 7:30 PM on the 28th.
The Friday night show tickets are $20 if you buy them separate. However, you can mention that you are attending the comedy workshop and receive a “package rate” of $85. For the package deal, you will need to contact rocketcitycomedy@gmail.com
Tickets for the show only are available on line at TICKETMASTER.COM.
Be sure to e-mail me to save your spot at the workshop … comedyhomework@aol.com. Please put “HUNTSVILLE WORKSHOP” in the subject header. In the e-mail, let me kmow your name, cell#, perferred method of payment, and if you have any previous comedy or performing experience. I will follow up with a confirmation e-mail and more information.
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Stand-Up Comedy Level Two: Performance Class
NOW ENROLLING!
Mondays, September 24, October 1, & 15
@ Zanies Nashville
Pick one of the following time frames…
4:00-6:00 PM (5 spots left)
or 6:30-8:30 PM (3 spots left)
The 3 session investment is $200 total
About the class:
This class consists of three sessions. In each class you will go on stage for a short set. After your set you will get feedback from myself and then the other students. Feedback will include ideas and angles to clarify your premise, punch line and tag lines. We’ll offer suggestions on how to take your jokes further, as well as constructive criticism on your stage presence, delivery and ability to relate.
Each week there will be some “homework” geared toward preparing a more solid set for the next time. The class is 100% constructive but you will need to have a little thick skin to take advantage of everything involved.
I limit the size of the class so we can give everyone ample time for feedback and have enough for an “audience” for the students onstage. Students who have taken the writing class have the priority when signing up, followed by new students who have had SOME performing and writing experience outside of the School of Laughs.
Students who successfully navigate the writing and performing classes are invited to a GRADUATION show at Zanies where they will perform a 3 minute set. The set will be recorded and given to you on a DVD along with an evaluation of that set. The graduation set must be CLEAN.
If interested, send me an e-mail: comedyhomework@aol.com with your name, cell #, preferred method of payment (check, cash, credit card), and any stand-up comedy experience. If you have never taken a School Of Laughs class please include a link to a Youtube clip of a recent performance.
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Stand-Up Comedy Level One: Writing
[Tentatively] Mondays October 29, November 5 & 12
5:30-7:30 PM @ Zanies Nashville
The 3 session class investment is $200 total
If interested… send me an e-mail: comedyhomework@aol.com with your name, cell #, preferred method of payment (check, cash, credit card), and any stand-up comedy experience.
If you are starting from scratch this is your class. If you have “dabbled” in stand-up and can’t find the consistency you need from your material, this is your class. If you write, blog, tweet or just want to find out how to be funnier … this class is for you.
Ask yourself the following questions. Be honest with yourself!
How solid is your material now?
Do you know the reason each joke gets a laugh?
What techniques suit you the best?
Are you able to mix it up for different types of crowds?
Can you turn a story into a comedy bit?
Do your jokes get consistent laughs?
Are you able to get a laugh every 15 seconds or so?
If you don’t know some of the answers, then you’d benefit enormously from the writing class!
You can pay by check, credit card or money order. Once you’ve paid for the writing class once you have a “Lifetime” membership which allows you to attend any and all of the future writing classes at no extra cost.
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Any questions? Feel free to e-mail and ask!
Thanks!
Rik
Henry Phillips has been seen performing his twisted songs and stories on Comedy Central, ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and NBC’s ‘Late Friday’. He can also be heard regularly on morning and satellite radio nationwide, performing such songs as ‘The Guitar Pill’ and ‘She’s Talking Again’. His nationally released CDs, fusing mellow folk-rock ballads with psychopathic lyrics have earned him mention in Billboard magazine’s ‘Critic’s Choice’, as well as acclaim from such notable artists as Moby, who refers to Phillips as “Disconcertingly Funny”. His biographical comedy film “Punching the Clown” received the Audience award at Slamdance film festival ’09, and is continuing a successful run on the festival circuit. Here’s the trailer:
If you haven’t seen “Punching The Clown” you should, it’s brilliant and it’s on Netflix. A similar project is also being developed as a series for Showtime.
Here’s a video Henry made on his UK tour with Doug Stanhope:
Henry Phillips @ Zanies
Wed Sept 12 7:30 PM
2025 8th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37204
615.269.0221
Follow Henry online:
HenryPhillips.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Henry-Phillips/105601826260
http://twitter.com/#!/henlips