Time to turn off the Royal We button on the keyboard for this one.

This post officially marks my last moment as Mr. Head Editor for the site. Maybe I’ll be around here and there in the future to share a thought or two, but the day-to-day operations will no longer be under my control. I’ve tried as best I can to juggle this website, my job, my three African orphans, my constant fight for woman’s rights (to have sex with me), my scheme of stealing money from the poor to give to the rich, digesting food, and my morning jog, during which I smuggle illegal Canadian immigrants across the border. But it’s all just become too much for me to handle, so I had to take a look at my life and reevaluate my priorities. After dumping the orphans off on my mother’s doorstep, I realized I still had more life-cleaning to do, which is why I’m signing off today.

I’m not entirely sure what’s going to happen to this site from now on, but keep your eyes peeled. I’m sure there’ll be news regarding the future of The Coming either here or over at The Apiary, but if you have any questions, send an electronified mail.

So, that’s all. Don’t worry. You’ll all get through this somehow. Probably by turning to alcohol.

I love each and every one of you equally, except for three of you, whom I loath,
Rick

Friday:
The Tag Team Dans welcome Matt Braunger, Jackie Kashian, and Douggpound — among others — into the trecherous depths of downtown, and only one of them will make it out alive(!), with The People You’ll Like Show at The Spring Street Smokehouse. (9pm, Free!) Second City Alumni put their public speaking phobias aside for a night of reading some personal essays at Recital. (9:30pm, $5) Glass Beef (Paul Rust and Charlyne Yi) put their petty differences aside, all of which had to do with Paul’s love of dairy, to reunite for a once-in-a-lifetime comeback performance, coincidentally coinciding with the release of their greatest hits CD with The Glass Beef Comeback Special (and CD Release Party) at the UCB. (11pm, $8)

Saturday:
America’s Radio Sweetheart welcomes special guest Miranda July to witness the verbal drilling that author George Saunders will receive as he fields the toughest questions ever(!), in this world or the next, during a conversation and book signing at the Beverly Hills Public Library Auditorium. (2pm, $20) Make that two reasons to risk falling into the ocean this weekend: Five comedians of different religious beliefs perform to find out who the one true God really is — spoiler: it’s one of their testicles — with CoExist Comedy at the Westide Eclectic. (9:30pm, $10) Jason Yellow takes on Jerry O’Hearn for a record-tying 1,367th match in a row with Last Comic Standing at the UCB, this week with special guests Matt Manser, Josh Fadem, James Adomian, and a whole lot more. (10pm, $8)

Sunday:
Mary Lynn Rasjskub proves there is nothing more complicated than purchasing a poodle pillow with the 1,346,761st performance of her show The Complications Of Purchasing A Poodle Pillow at the Steve Allen. (8pm, $25) Put your bowels on hiatus when Josh Fadem welcomes Craig Anton, Derek Hughes, Robert Yasamura and Paul Rust to his Acid Reflux Hour at the Ramada Inn. (9:30pm, Free!) While you were busy seething that the Leave Britney Alone guy signed a TV deal, there was a world out there that was actually going on, a world that will be summarized via sketch comedy with Big News at iO West. (10pm, $5)

We’re always hesitant to steer folks in the direction of the Westside Eclectic in Santa Monica. Not only do you have to handle the pressure-filled congestion of the 10-West, but you also run the risk of falling into the ocean following an earthquake of 4.5 or higher (it’s a scientific fact!). But, Jesus Christ people, look at the lineup for The Be-Bop Heroin Hour this Friday (10:30pm, $5):

Maria Bamford
Eddie Pepitone
Brody Stevens
Brent Weinbach
Dan Mintz
Josh Fadem
and your hosts: Hugh Moore & Jamie Flam

You can’t afford to miss this one! It’s totally worth the risk of being thrust into the ocean, which we always imagined as kind of fun anyway.

(For free tickets to another good show tonight, send an email over to whipitoutcomedy@yahoo.com, mention The Coming, and get on the ultra-exclusive guest list.)

“Roommating: Episode 1 - Slave”:

“Dudes in Bed: Master Self-Promoters” (Dan interviews Ryan McKee and Ron Babcock):

“The Insider: OJ Simpson Exclusive” by Phillip Wilburn:

“Holy Weird presents Dane Cook in Good Luck Chuck” by Drennon Davis and Dave Burleigh:

For the past few months, we’ve been going back and forth over electronic mail with Mr. Brody Stevens to get some answers to our more pressing queries regarding information that you, The People, deserve. We were going to wait until the Q&A was complete — evidently, his routine of flexing and memorizing U.S. maps cut into his down time — but since we’ve got nothing else to talk about this Monday afternoon, we’re just going to print what we got so far. Enjoy.

You do a vast amount of drum karaoke, both onstage and off. Where does this come from? Do you have any drummers that you try to emulate?
Started banging chopsticks during the Summer of ‘84 in the San Fernando Valley. My playing evolved to no lessons and larger chopsticks, also introducing U2 and Pearl Jam to the playlist, peaking in 1991 during my college years in Tempe, AZ.

To further focus on baseball and comedy, my drum playing went dormant through a move to Seattle and early adjustment days in New York. I decided to bring the drumming back in the Lower East Side for the 1999 pilot season. Surf Reality and Collective Unconscious. These two venues let me do anything, and the crowds took to the “drum karaoke” which was done on chairs with a pair of Sam Ash specials.

In LA, the late night vibe at The Comedy Store created the perfect setting for drums in a club. Started it there, now everyone wants to see it. I look up to all drummers because they are better than me.

Music, that’s a different story. If I like the song, and I can drum to it, we got a ourselves a bit! Actually, not that easy. Finding the right song, factor in the venue, my spot in the show, can I bang on dinner theater chairs?, can the sound system handle an ipod?, etc…

And finally, driving. Nothing like banging away for two hours on the I-10, thumping your steering wheel listening to the latest British export on the way to Mom’s house in the desert so you can help her change a light bulb in the garage.

Continue Reading »

We’re taking off early this weekend to head over to The Walmart and pick up some supplies in the event of an apocalyptic flood this weekend. But before we do, here’s your usual comedic schedule. Use it wisely.

Friday:
Mary Lynn Rajskub and Danielle Schneider have horrible sex stories they want you, specifically, to know about during Worst Laid Plans at the UCB. (8pm, $8) Ladies, hold on tight to those chairs or you may slip off while seeing the all-beefcake male lineup at The People You’ll Like Show downtown.(9pm, Free!) Greg Fitzsimmons, Blaine Capatch, and Eddie Pepitone tell some lies, tell some sweet little lies at The Fake Show. (9pm, $10)

Saturday:
As usual, Edmund will serve coffee at Second City. But what the performers don’t know is that this time, the coffee is going to be ice cold! (9:30pm, $10) Host Eddie “The Rubberband Man” Steeples and musical guest Judge Jackson care not about your anti-carb rhetoric by participating in Fries on the Side at SMC Theatre. (9:30pm, $7-ish) Raj Desai wonders aloud, in front of others, how anyone can find anything to gripe about in this picture-perfect world we live in with I Love ____ at the Westside Eclectic. (11pm, $5)

Sunday:
Pause your Season 2 DVD and see some live ASSSSCAT instead. (7:30pm, Free!) See which of our national heroes will be ridiculed and challenged to a fight this week at the Acid Reflux Hour. (9pm, Free!) Learn about what happened this week while you were too busy watching “Leave ____ Alone” videos — the worst one, by far, being this monstrosity — with Big News at iO West. (10pm, $5)

“Awesome Meets Awesome” by Fries on the Side:

“Celebrity Outbreak” by The Pineoaks Lodge (featuring Neil Campbell and Hendershawians):

“Letters to Guccione, Episode 2″ by StudioFred.com:

“Cat’s in Pajamas” by Dave Willis:

Also, check out this “Let’s Eat” episode, which is far too large to embed here, featuring an interview with Jen “The Year Of The” Kirkman!

(Brilliant photo found on AST; not sure who took it.)

We’re a little late on this, we know, but we’d feel remiss if we didn’t let the people know about this Brody vs. Heckler story from last Sunday night’s Acid Reflux Hour. Commenter “Steve Agee” over at AST has the summary:

Holy shit! I’m so glad I went to the Ramada last night. I showed up just in time to see the largest man I’ve ever seen trying to kill Brody. He was part of a husband/wife duo that were staying at the hotel and they just happened to be in the bar. Take every stereo type for a NY, Italian couple and there you have it.

They were talking during the show and Brody told them to shushhh a few times…and the woman was offended by this. Later on Brody addressed the fact that she was mad at him. That’s when it escalated. The husband had not been saying a word the entire time Brody was talking to his wife and then, out of nowhere he snapped. He was yelling at Brody that he didn’t like him “heckling” him and his wife…whatever that means. Brody calmly, yet still in Brody fashion, kept coming at them and telling them that this was a comedy show and they were rude for talking during it. finally the guy stood up (and holy fucking shit, he was a giant! he was bigger than me..by far) and started walking towards Brody telling him he was going to knock his head off. A bunch of people got between them, but it still ended up being moved into the hallway.

finally the bartender (gus?) talked the couple into leaving. Brody, being the pro that he is got everything back on track and saved the show.

All of this confrontation has us rethinking our alignment with The Church of Brody; we fear confrontation, especially of the religious kind.

Bonus: Brody’s own summary of the events!

While doctors and scientists are busy sipping margaritas and being fed grapes by scantily-clad women and/or men, comedians are the ones whose brows glisten with grunt-work sweat! Tonight at the NoHo Arts Center on Magnolia, there’s a whole lot of comics and sketch groups — like Ten West, Superpunk, The Class Project, TROOP!, and The Weekly Armenian — who will be using your donations to CURE AIDS!

The AIDS Show
The NoHo Arts Center
Monday September 17th at 8:30 pm
11136 Magnolia Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601
$Donation Only$

That’s right, folks. The price is “Donation Only”, meaning you get to be “the decider” when it comes to how much money you want to spend. Has AIDS affected you personally, or do you just want your date to see how big your heart is? Write them out a check. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” theory and you think that these “cures” are for cheaters? Turn up your nose and drop a shiny nickel into the bucket. The choice is yours!

All proceeds go to the APLA cause.

Friday:
Matt Price takes the stage and tells a few tales that’ll tickle your soul with The Weird People Who Lived in My Basement at the UCB. (8pm, $8) If you’re in the mood for a one man show, but don’t want Scientologists to hurtle thetans at you from the rooftops, head over to Second City instead for The Greg Abbott Revue. (8pm, $5) Raj Desai, Susan Burke, Andrew Solmssen and others cut off their arms and use them as weapons in a battle royale to the death in The People You’ll Like Show at The Spring Street Smokehouse. (9pm, Free!)

Saturday:
Dan Castellaneta and friends dub new dialogue to old movie clips they’ve never seen during this week’s episode of Totally Looped at iO West. (8pm, $10) Beth Lapides welcomes Taylor Negron, Greg Behrendt and Laura Kightlinger to remove their cabarets — note: we have no idea what “cabarets” are — to Un-Cabaret at M Bar. (8pm, $15) Leave the ‘rents at home while you take in the disgusting filth of The Dirtiest Sketch in LA Contest at the UCB. (midnight, $5)

Sunday:
Don’t speak over the entire weekend so your voice will be strong when the audience is asked for suggestions during ASSSSCAT at the UCB. (7:30pm, Free!) Ed Salazar, Paul Jay and Chad Fogland are among the “comedians” who will be “walking” onto a “stage” and delivering “jokes” into a “microphone” which will be “heard” by an “audience” at Sundae Royale at iO West. (8pm, $5) Mary Lynn Rajskub finally surpasses Tommy Wiseau’s record for longest-running LA area show with this week’s performance of The Complications of Purchasing a Poodle Pillow at the Steve Allen. (8pm, $25)