Farley Elliott

Photo via WSJ, courtesy the Poehlers. Amy Poehler has been a recognizable face in American comedy for years, with a successful stint on Saturday Night Live and her current role as Leslie Knope on NBC’s Parks & Rec. She’s also a founding member of LA’s own Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, as well as real-life wife to everyone’s favorite Will Arnett. But what was Amy like as a kid, or growing up and going to...

WHAT?! Photo courtesy pfau via LAist Flirck pool. Largo is sure to be pulling in the comedy crowds this week, with Paul F. Tompkins and Sarah Silverman each doing their shows, plus a West Memphis Three benefit show that should be amazing - assuming you can get in. Elsewhere, the Hollywood Improv is stacked from the front to back, while the weekend is dedicated to stand up in the LA environs. If you'd like...

Photo courtesy UCLA Live. In the mood for something subversive? You're in luck. The ever-peculiar John Waters will be taking the Royce Hall stage on February 23rd as part of the ongoing UCLA Live season. Parents: you've been warned. Waters is best known as a charming (if eccentric) countercultural icon, having helmed such cult films as 1972's Pink Flamingos, Cecil B. Demented and the original Hairspray (which was turned into a hit Broadway show,...

Dear dreamers, Don't worry. Another week of comedy is here. From Charlie Murphy to Dana Gould, Scott Thompson to Laura Kightlinger, this week is sure to bring you more joy than those dreams of yours can handle. So stop looking off into the middle distance, and start enjoying the week in comedy that's right in front of your eyes. You deserve it, dreamers. You really do.

Photo by reneerk via LAist Flickr pool. Yet another great week of comedy is upon us, with stand up shows, improv extravaganzas, and more to fill your precious free time. As always, if you've got a show in mind for the future, email me here and we'll work it out. MONDAY 2/7 Harold Night, 8p UCB. The new Harold teams continue to kill at UCB. Get in the stand by line early to make...

LOOK OUT! Photo by markluethi via LAist Flickr photo pool. What a stellar week of comedy we've got in store for ourselves, folks. Lily Tomlin is doing a show at the Comedy & Magic Club, The Meltdown Show is amazing as always, and there are even a few killer possibilities to compete with your Sunday timeline, if the Super Bowl isn't exactly your thing. Check it! If you'd like to get a show listed...

Photo by lord-jim via LAist Flickr pool. It's another wild comedy week here in LA, and there are quite a few charity shows to throw into the mix. Alison Becker's monthly INDIGLO show is happening this week at MBar, the Chris Gethard Show is rolling into UCB, and Tiger Lily looks to kill with an amazing line-up. If you've got an upcoming show you'd like to see listed, email us and we'll see what...

Photo courtesy Way of the Puck. All of the ingredients are there: the doughy white guys, the semi-obscure passion, the earnest effort at legitimization, and the occasional shrug to the camera by every bit player that just says ‘oh, those boys’. Yet Way of the Puck somehow fails to hold the same charm, humor, and audience as contemporaries like King of Kong. Those fans of the nerd-obsessive smirky documentary genre may already be familiar...

Wallace Shawn, courtesy Katie Sokoler / Gothamist. Wallace Shawn has the face of an aging angel, which has borne itself onto screen in well-remembered roles in The Princess Bride, Manhattan, and Clueless. Yet, on stage, Shawn is a sharp-witted maestro of the theatrical arena, having collected an Obie award and many adoring fans for his thought-provoking, politically-driven pieces. In some cases, such as his one-man monologue The Fever, Shawn strips down the essence of...

Blam. Photo courtesy ihatemyscreenname via LAist Flickr photo pool. It's this LAist'ers birthday week! Want to help me celebrate? Then come on out to one of 14 shows that should be some combination of fantastic, weird, amazing, stunning, off-the-wall, or just plain fantastic. There's stand up by Dana Carvey, Dan Levy, Greg Proops and more. There's improv from some of LA's best at Room 101, and written stuff for a good cause at Largo...