Bob Saget at Stand Up Live delights with raunchiness

Posted on January 13, 2013 by nicki

Ah, you’ve got to love a comic you grow up viewing on a wholesome family show who now spews expletives every other word of his stand-up set. Bob Saget of Full House fame didn’t disappoint during his late show Saturday night at Stand Up Live in Phoenix, as he admitted he tells female fans who watched him growing up to know watch him while they’re going down — think about it.

This was the second time I’ve seen the classic television star, and I’ve also had the privilege of interviewing the oh-so-charming, still sort of dad-like Saget. Most of his set was improvised and revolved around audience interactions, with Saget teasing several audience members in-between telling tales about John Stamos and his acting gigs since Full House wrapped. The set totally reminded me of the first time I saw him more than 6 years ago at the Tempe Improv, but it was still highly entertaining, especially coming off of his recent roast on Comedy Central.

If you’ve never seen Saget, make it a priority to get a ticket next time he comes to town. His comedy is dirty and raunchy and nothing like the wisdom of his alter ego Danny Tanner — which, in my opinion, is really great. And, like always, expect to pay for a pricey two-drink minimum at Stand Up Live. Our service this time was disappointing, with the second drink coming out mere minutes before the show ended. I’d order both drinks up-front next time to ensure you can drink throughout the show. For more information on Saget, go here, and for more information on Stand Up Live, go here.

7 Minutes in Hell, Ghostfest bring spooky energy to Downtown Phoenix

Posted on October 28, 2012 by nicki

Happy early Halloween! I celebrated already this weekend with some cool theater events in downtown Phoenix, including my first-ever Ghostfest at The Torch Theatre and 7 Minutes in Hell at Space 55, one of my favorite variety shows in the Valley.

First up this past Saturday night was 7 Minutes in Hell, where every performer in the show got 7 minutes to do whatever the heck he or she wanted, with no prior auditions. Obviously, this could make for a hit-or-miss show, but every single 7 Minutes show I’ve seen (and participated in) has had high-quality performers who put a lot of passion into their performances. This week, we got to take in everything from Halloween-themed haikus to a fake game show to some musical performances. The next 7 Minutes show is 7 Minutes Under the Mistletoe, which I’m sure will be highly entertaining, as well. Check out more pics from the show below, and see all of Space 55’s upcoming shows here.

Next, I headed over to The Torch Theatre for the improv community’s second annual Ghostfest. This 30-hour improv marathon featured 15-minute shows from a variety of performers, and the line-up included a diverse offering of improv formats.

The most interesting show I saw was a Bane-from-Batman-themed performance, where characters such as Bane Austen, Bane Fonda and Bane Goodall came on-stage for a debate. It was highly bizarre but highly entertaining.

The Torch always has something fun coming up. My Level 5 improv classmates have a show there this Friday at 10:30 p.m. For tickets, go here.

Speakeasy Comedy Lounge highlights local comics

Posted on September 23, 2012 by nicki

Blink and you’ll miss it, but head into Papi Chulo’s Mexican restaurant in Scottsdale, and there’s a small comedy venue next door called the Speakeasy Comedy Lounge featuring lots of shows by local comics. Last night, I headed there to see one of my fave local gals Joleen Lunzer perform her last stand-up show in the Valley before she moves out of state.

The venue is comparable to The Comedy Spot in Scottsdale — not too massive so that every seat in the house makes you feel like you’re an intimate part of the show. The event I saw last night had a long line-up of local comics, so you’re going to see a large variety of comedy with every show here, and there’s a lot of opportunity to find your new favorite local comic. Find out more info on the venue here.

Stand Up Scottsdale hooks up Old Town with solid national and local talent

Posted on August 5, 2012 by nicki

I cannot believe it’s taken me until this week to check out Stand Up Scottsdale, a stand-up comedy club/nightclub in Old Town that’s been open for more than a year, but I had so much fun there at a Bully Mammoth sketchy comedy show earlier in the week I had to go back to check out Barry Rothbart when he headlined last night. Now that Tempe Improv is closed, I would say Stand Up Scottsdale is my new favorite comedy venue in the Valley. I love the dark atmosphere, the wait staff is super-friendly and down-to-earth, and the comedians who perform are seasoned.

On Thursday night, Bully Mammoth put on a phenomenal show, with a variety style that included fun trivia games, engaging characters doing their own stand-up acts and a few sketches in the format the troupe is known for.

I was highly impressed that all their material was completely different than what I’d seen at Tempe Center for the Arts a few weeks ago, and it’s nice they respect their regulars by bringing new material to their shows. Catch them next at Tempe Center for the Arts Saturday, August 18 — for more info, go here.

Last night’s show featured members from another local sketch comedy troupe, Duck in Cover. This was my first time seeing any of the members perform, but I’m definitely going to be checking them out again soon.

Besides being talented stand-up comics, the ensemble also makes comedy videos. Member James Mabry did a great job performing with Bully Mammoth earlier in the week, and last night Matt Anderson, Jeffrey Wiles and Ricardo Rocha kept the crowd laughing. They perform together as Duck in Cover Wednesday, August 15, at Stand Up Live in Phoenix — head here for details.

The house was packed for headliner Rothbart, who really impressed the crowd throughout the night with his intelligent comedic approach.

He touched on everything from crushing children’s dreams, to the scariness of babies, to dolphins raping humans — and it was all super-funny. Rothbart has appeared on MTV’s Punk’d and is an actor splitting time between Los Angeles and New York. He’ll be appearing in the new Martin Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio film The Wolf of Wall Street, which I am so excited to check out! Watch some of Rothbart’s comedy here.

Stand Up Scottsdale owner Howard Hughes also performed last night, and it was neat to talk to him after the show and hear his insistence that only high-quality performers grace his stage. It’s nice to see such a passionate comedy venue owner, and with affordable ticket prices, there’s no reason you shouldn’t check out the venue, too! Learn more about Stand Up Scottsdale here.

Jeff Dye makes Stand Up Live smile

Posted on June 28, 2012 by nicki

When I first saw the MTV show Money from Strangers, I thought it was one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. As a fan of pranks, flash mobs and Tom Green, the improvised stunts in the show had me laughing out loud harder than I had in awhile — and the fact that the host, Jeff Dye, is ultra-charming, didn’t hurt, either.

Dye sends strangers undercover into public places and has them act ridiculously for some quick moolah — think yelling in restaurants, asking employees bizarre questions and covering entire meals in ketchup then eating them. I got to see hilarious host, who has also had his own stand-up comedy special on Comedy Central, when he came to Stand Up Live this week for a show.

Dye is pretty adorable, not only in looks, but also in his sweet and endearing comedy. It’s always refreshing to hear about how overrated living in Los Angeles is, and he also encouraged women to be more confident in themselves with some great insight into the male mind. Definitely check out the show if you have a chance, and I guarantee you will laugh out loud.

Dye was preceded by a slew of stellar local comedians, including Jill Bryan, Brian Kohatsu and Erick Biez. Bryan puts on the Wednesday night shows and fills up the line-ups with great local talent. For a full schedule of shows, head here.

Bryan Ricci brings the funny to Stand Up Live

Posted on May 20, 2012 by nicki

I saw even more quality local comedy last week when I headed to Stand Up Live at CityScape in downtown Phoenix to check out local stand-up comedian Bryan Ricci‘s inaugural headlining show. His set lasted about an hour, and the show included two openers that made the absolutely packed house roar with laughter.

This was the third time I’ve seen Ricci — I checked him out at Tempe Improv a few months ago, and also at Martini Ranch last month when he opened for Aaron Karo. Ricci has always kept me laughing because of his confidence and enthusiasm and sassy New York accent, and it’s been neat to see him in several different types of settings around town.

Ricci, just like Jay Penn whom I had seen at The Comedy Spot, has also performed overseas and includes a funny bit about what you’re supposed to do if you experience a bomb threat. He also has some vignettes about his girlfriend’s love for Wii Cooking, along with his amusing experiences as a third-string kicker for the Arizona State University football team.

What I really loved about Ricci’s expanded set at Stand Up Live was his integration of multimedia at the end of the show. Ricci showed the audience a slideshow of costumes he’d worn as a kid, along with some awkward family photos, that included shots of him in a Tinkerbell fairy costume as well as overalls with a unicorn on the front. It was a neat, personal glimpse into the comedian’s upbringing that was also relatable and hysterical.

Ricci is a Valley gem in the stand-up scene, and if you’d like to see him yourself, find more info here.

The Comedy Spot comics shine in Valley comedy scene

Posted on May 15, 2012 by nicki

I’m continually impressed by local comedic performers here in the Valley, and when I attended a special Mother’s Day stand-up comedy show at The Comedy Spot in Old Town Scottsdale this past weekend, the strong talent of the comedians was no exception.

There were four comedians showing off their stuff on the stage, which is housed in an intimate room that can pack in only about 50 people — everyone who sees shows here is definitely a part of the performance, especially if you sit in the front row like I did with my family.

First up was Joleen Lunzer, a stellar lady who I first saw open for Kevin Nealon at the (sadly) soon-to-be-closed Tempe Improv. Lunzer is extremely relatable to young women, with an observational take on comedy that draws from her own personal experiences. She’s one of my favorite local comedians, and you can read her quirky musings here on SmartFem.com.

Next up was Brian Kohatsu, a fun and cheerful guy who mixed in stellar impressions with his tales of his family life. I really liked his enthusiasm and passion during the stories he was telling, and he made everyone laugh a ton. Find him here.

Mike James followed. James drew a lot of inspiration from his relationship with his wife for his set, as well as just general dude-life. He had sort of a deadpan delivery, which I thought added a nice variety to the show, and he was very funny. Find out more here.

And closing out the show was Jay Penn, a local comedian who has performed overseas. His stand-up act was neat because it relied mostly on his interacting with the audience, as well wove in a few humorous vignettes about parenting. I can’t say his set made me ever want to be a parent myself, but he definitely made me laugh! Find him on Twitter here.

Seeing the show this weekend just made me hungry for more comedy. Give more local comedians a chance, since their shows are less expensive but just as high-quality — and maybe with more local supporters, Phoenix could become a bigger destination for aspiring comics around the nation.

Aaron Karo at Martini Ranch an intimate comedic experience

Posted on April 16, 2012 by nicki

I’ve been a longtime fan of seeing concerts at Martini Ranch in Scottsdale, but I was curious how the venue would be transformed when stand-up comedian and writer Aaron Karo came to town last week to perform.

It was neat to see the intimate space usually reserved for people rocking out to shows be filled with chairs and tables that made it look like a cool comedy club.

There were probably about 50 people in the audience to see Karo, a guy I’ve been a fan of for 8 years now. I picked up his first book, Ruminations on College Life, randomly at a bookstore and instantly because a fan of his witty written vignettes that would eventually become his stand-up act, which has developed into 20-something-and-beyond musings. I’ve seen him at Tempe Improv a couple times before, and I’d say he’s definitely one to catch next time he comes to town because of his relatability and average guy-ness. I also bought one of his newer books (his latest, a novel called Lexapros and Cons, just came out last week), and he has four altogether.

I thought Martini Ranch was a cool place to host a comedy show. This was one of their first comedy shows they’d had there, but I found out they plan on hosting more. Even if you are turned off by it because it’s an Old Town Scottsdale bar, don’t discount it when it comes to its comedy line-up.

Rhys Darby impresses at Stand Up Live in downtown Phoenix

Posted on March 17, 2012 by nicki

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from seeing Rhys Darby at Stand Up Live at CityScape in downtown Phoenix last night. I’m a huge Flight of the Conchords fan, and I love his character Murray on the show, but I didn’t know how he would translate live on stage. Thankfully, he was awesome!

He didn’t talk much about his days on the show, save for one minor mention, and he instead focused his stand-up on his own personal experiences, ranging from hitting on girls in clubs to the differences between America and his native New Zealand. He’s extremely talented at doing random sound effects, including robot and go kart noises, and I was pleasantly surprised to take in all his talents–not to mention, he was very likable and relatable. He’s here the next couple nights, so if you don’t have plans, check him out!

This was my first time at Stand Up Live, and I had a great time there. I love that downtown Phoenix now has a really classy comedy club, and there are lots of big names coming through soon, including Carlos Mencia and Dana Carvey. I didn’t like that the room had more of a restaurant feel than a comedy club feel like the Tempe Improv (I think it was the wood tables), but that was my only complaint–every seat provides a great view of the stage, and there’s a great bar next door called Copper Blues that features live music every night. And parking is free, which you’ve also got to love when it comes to downtown Phoenix venues. For more info on Stand Up Live, go here.

Jay Pharaoh tears up the Tempe Improv

Posted on January 22, 2012 by nicki

Last night, I got to see stand-up comedian Jay Pharaoh‘s final Tempe Improv performance for the weekend. I’ve been a fan of Pharaoh since he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live this past year, since he’s already one of the cast’s biggest stand-outs despite his young age of 24.

Known for his amazing impressions (he claims to be able to do more than 100 of them), Pharoah injected many of his trademark voices into the set, including everyone from Nicolas Cage to 50 Cent to Denzel Washington to Stewie from Family Guy. His ability to mimic the physical and vocal nuances of such a wide variety of people and characters is amazing, which makes him a huge asset to SNL.

Besides doing his wonderful voices, Pharaoh’s stand-up set included a lot of traditional random musings on life. He seems like such a fun guy and someone you’d want to be friends with, and when he high-fived me when he exited the stage (I was lucky enough to have front-row seats), he just solidified my position as a lasting fan. He’s hitting up shows in Alberta, Canada next, so if you’re in the area, check him out. And he mentioned he might come back to Tempe to film a stand-up special–let’s hope he does it!

Nicki a la Noche

A 20-something's guide to what's hip in the Valley.

Category Archives: Stand-up Comedy