As an employee of VH1, I thought it was pretty exciting that we were putting on a comedy show, but I'm using the word 'we' very loosely because I had absolutely nothing to do with this show, aside from being an audience member. Regardless, I thought it made me feel that I was involved in a small way. The VH to the One Comedy Showcase takes place at The Bitter End, which normally hosts more rock and roll (cough Bob Dylan cough) performances, but welcomes the VH1/stand up crowd with open arms every other Tuesday! The vibe is dive-ish, but also really classic and full of history. The show I, personally, attended was it's maiden voyage so there weren't as many people in attendance as I expect there to be tomorrow. The show was hosted by Cassidy Henehan, who did a pretty good job, although at times seemed a little confused as to what was supposed to happen next.
The first act was Kumail Nanjiani, who I had actually seen before at 'Big Terrific'. Nanjiani uses the kind of voice inflections that just makes you want to laugh. Also everything he says is hilarious. I was surprised that he was the first act because he has been featured on SNL, and also is fantastic. In any event, it was a great way to get the audience pumped up and ready to laugh for the rest of the show.
Next up was Joselyn Hughes. Her jokes mostly poked fun at her love life, focusing on how all her exes are now out of the closet. She was funny, but the least so of the group, which really just says how good the show was. Following Hughes, was Sean Patton. I remember thinking Patton was very funny, but for some reason the only thing I can remember about his set was that he said he a friend I was there with (sorry for being such a douche, but I really should have written this the next day).
Next up were the two headliners: Pete Holmes and Big Jay Oakerson. Holmes, has apparently, been on tons of VH1 clip shows, as well as Comedy Central's "Premium Blend". Also, I have seen him before at various shows around New York. Even though I had seen him the week before and remembered a decent amount of his material, it was still just as laugh out loud funny as it was the week before when my mind was fresh. Holmes' jokes are relatable to pretty much everyone, unless maybe you don't speak English, and some have a lot to do with everyday occurrences that only when brought to your attention, by Holmes, are hilarious. I would recommend checking out one of his performances to anyone that enjoys laughter, or funny things. The final act, and second headliner, Big Jay Oakerson, was also fantastic. His style is very different from Holmes in that he is very, very vulgar. His act also involved a great deal of audience participation. At one point he asked a girl in the audience to ask him any question about himself, she was bewildered and had no idea what to say so he went on to ask himself how he lost his virginity. I'm not sure if I believe his rundown of that fateful night, but I don't even give a shit because it was hilarious. He also integrated the two other people at my table, separately, and used what they said to create something wonderful. I really appreciated his no nonsense, not giving a fuck attitude because he came off that way, but never was mean to anyone or even seemed unapproachable.
Overall, VH to the One Comedy Showcase is a great show, and the comedians and the host change each week, which makes it a show that you should frequent as often as you can. It is bi-weekly, on Thursdays (The next show is December 4, 2008 and then the following is December 18, 2008). Also it's a really good deal for so much funny, as it only costs $5. The only problem that I had was that it was advertised originally as not having a drink minimum, but once I got there, there was a drink minimum. I didn't have a problem with drinking the drinks, but I just hadn't planned on drinking/spending the extra cash. However, it is a relatively minuscule problem. I would definitely recommend your attendance at this show to anyone who enjoys laughter, paying very little money, classic rock and roll joints, and drinking
[sorry this post is so delayed, it was a busy week]
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