We’re all in need for some laughs lately; The world seems to be falling apart in many different ways. On the lighter side, there will always be laughter to brighten our days, and thankfully the Second Annual Brooklyn Comedy Festival starts today! The BCF was founded and organized by performers and producers Ashleigh Walker, Julian Kiani, and Chris Nester (with the help of many others). This festival invites a deluge of comedy, flooding the streets of Brooklyn with laughter for six nights of hilarity.
With many different headliners and venues, the festival aims to embrace and enliven the thriving comedy scene here in NYC. After all, New York City is one of the central hubs of comedy in the world, so it’s no surprise that a fair amount of comedians are either from Brooklyn or currently reside here, and definitely derive humor from these city streets. Each year the festival does it’s best to showcase the best and brightest comedians from every type of comedy, including improv, standup, and sketch. Some of the performers featured this year are comedians like Nikki Glaser, Sasheer Zamata, Chris Gethard, Dave Hill, Phoebe Robinson, Jermaine Fowler, Michael Che, Myq Kaplan, improv groups like Stone Cold Fox, plus so many more. For a full list of performers, check HERE.
The Second Annual Brooklyn Comedy Festival kicks off today, Monday, August 18th, with FREE SHOWS over at Spike Hill and Cobra Club at 8pm, and Bar Matchless at 9pm, along with an opening night after party over at Union Pool at 10:30pm. The festival will continue throughout the week, where shows range in price from free to $10, until the wrap party on August 24th at Crown Victoria at 1pm. It looks like there isn’t an option for a weekly pass, but tickets will be sold individually depending on the venue.
Here are some of the acts and venues we’re looking forward to seeing this week:
Tuesday 8/19:
Grocery at the Brewery
Brooklyn Brewery 8pm doors, 8:15pm show, 21+
$5 Ticket, beer tokens $5 each, or 5 for $20
Featuring: Julian Kiani, Brooke Van Poppelen, Mark Normand, Nikki Glaser, Andrew Mayer, and Dan Crohn
Wednesday 8/20:
Impro(vs)tandup @ Glasslands
Glasslands 7:30pm doors, 8pm show, 10pm doors, 10:30pm show, 21+
$8 ticket (purchase of ticket will guarantee entry for both BCF shows at Glasslands that evening, guests will not have to leave venue between shows)
$7 Brooklyn tall boys, $10 tall boy + shot combo
PT 1 Featuring: Boris Khaykin, Ted Alexandro, Ian Fidance, Sasheer Zamata, US National Improv Tea, plus more performers TBA.
Pt 2 Featuring: Sean Patton, Dan Wilbur, Stone Cold Fox, plus live music by Hello Phones
Thursday 8/21:
Brooklyn Comedy Festival @ The Rock Shop
The Rock Shop 7:30pm doors, 8pm show, 21+
$5 tickets, available online and at the door
Featuring: Astronaut Theatre, G.U.S., Higgins, Moriarty, Emmy Blotnick, and Jim Tews
Friday 8/22:
Brooklyn Comedy Festival @ Knitting Factory
Knitting Factory 8pm doors, 9pm show, 18+ to enter, 21+ to drink
$10 tickets available online and at the door
Drink specials TBA
Featuring: Myq Kaplan, Jean Grae, Nick Vatterott, Mike Lawrence, Zach Sherwin, Davon Magwood, Package Deal, and Murderfist. Guest DJ Ashok – aka Dapwell – from Das Racist. More performers TBA.
First Comes Love: BKCF @ Knitting Factory
Knitting Factory 11pm doors, showtime soon after, 21+
FREE
“First Comes Love is a new underground show that has already managed to gain a small cult following. Comedians act out anonymously solicited adult film scripts from actual aspiring porn writers on Craigslist. Movie parody, TV parody, porn parody. A night of debauchery brought to you by Kyle Ayers”
Saturday 8/23:
Comedy’s Place in American Culture Panel @ Videology
Videology 5pm doors, 5:30 show, 21+
FREE
$4 select Brooklyn beer
“Comedy’s Place in American Culture Today Panel, hosted by Jason Zinoman”
Featuring: Jason Zinoman (NY Times), Portia Sabin (Kill Rock Stars), John Fugelsang (The Stephanie Miller Show), Kevin Avery (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), Hari Kondabolu (Comedian, Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell), Lizz Winstead (The Daily Show)
Brooklyn Comedy Festival @ Baby’s All Right
Baby’s All Right 8pm doors, 9pm show; 10:30pm doors, 11pm show, 21+
$10 tickets (Purchase of ticket will gaurantee access for both shows)
Part 1 Featuring: Julian Kiani, Chris Nester, John Fugelsang, Sheng Wang, Matteo Lane, Matt Koff, Michelle Buteau, Cyrus McQueen, Rebecca Vigil and The Vigilante
Part 2 Featuring: Julian Kiani, Chris Nester, Kevin Barnett, Jermaine Fowler, Will Miles, Lucas Bros., Mookie Thompson, Josh Rabinowitz, and Boat. More performers TBA.
Sunday 8/24:
Brooklyn Comedy Festival 2014 Wrap Party @ Crown Victoria
Crown Victoria 1pm-6pm, 21+
FREE to hang out, $13 for pig roast (includes sides)
$4 select Brooklyn beers while supplies last”The Brooklyn Comedy Festival crew and friends will be out in the backyard of Crown Victoria from 1pm-6pm to enjoy some daytime summer drinking! We’ll have a table or two and BKCF banners on display so that you can find us. Hungry? Pig roast by John Ratliff of Ends Meat (formally of Anella & Calyer). The pig will be done around 3pm and is sold into the evening.”
For the FULL SCHEDULE and ALL TICKETING INFO, please click HERE!