Farley Elliott

If you live in Los Angeles and you like to see cheap comedy, more than likely you’re spending your time and money in the ‘alternative comedy’ scene, for better or worse. Now, I’ll be the first to promote the benefits of lesser known comedians in more intimate venues, but every once in a while it’s nice to take a step back towards more mainstream comedy, just to retest the waters and see if you...

Back off kid, I'm not going to adopt your brown exploding face, thanks. Photo by byrneout via Flickr. There's a few big events going on this week, from the LA Comedy Festival continuing over at Acme on La Brea, to the start of the Harold Competition at iO West. There's a bunch of good sketch this week at Acme and UCB, and some solid stand up around town. Not to mention Aziz. Always Aziz....

Photo courtesy jcolton via Flickr. While LAist certainly doesn’t condone all you able-bodied folks out there mooching off the government in this age of budget shortfalls, we’re not one to lay down the law when it comes to having a little fun, either. And apparently we’re not alone. The Laugh Factory in Hollywood and Long Beach have recently begun to offer free shows for those of us who can prove that we’re unemployed. Sounds...

Dan Deacon, the Baltimore whiz kid with the big glasses and even bigger soundtrack, managed to run his veggie-powered bus through Los Angeles last week, just in time to unload his monster ensemble on stage behind him and get the party movin'. Unless you live or die by the reviews on Pitchfork, it might be a bit of a stretch to say that Dan is a household name, which truly is unfortunate. His happy brand...

A deer made out of grilled cheese. Finally, something worth hunting. Photo courtesy imjeffro via LAist Flickr Pool. This week is a great one for comedy, as a lot of heavy hitters are performing all over town. the Comedy Central Stage is getting a lot of love, as is Largo with back to back nights featuring Aziz Ansari and Sarah Silverman. Beer Shark Mice is back at iO, and Harold Night tonight at UCB...

The once-thriving South Central collective garden. Photo courtesy Black Valley Films. Not too long ago, LAist tried to turn you on to an absolutely wonderful documentary that hits closer to home than it ever should. It is engaging, enraging and honest. And like all documentaries, it deals with the actions and responsibilities of those around us, for better or (often) worse. It is The Garden. When LAist last caught up with this film, it...

Truer words were never spoken, At least not by a t-shirt. Photo courtesy fotonomous via LAist Flickr page. It's 4.20! Smoke all your smokes and whatnot. You'd think I'd hype The Smokes show at UCB tonight at 7, or the 4.20 Crash Test show or SOMETHING, but nope. Smoke free since 1983, playas! Anywho, UCB has so much else going on this week you can't believe it. The great shows like CDR are killing...

As of yesterday, Eddie Izzard has made firm plans to drop in at the Largo tonight and tomorrow! Tickets are $28 and are available at the Largo website but there's only a few left, so get them now! Largo is just killing these great celeb-driven shows as of late, and this one is no exception. If you missed Mike Birbiglia's mind-blowing one man show this week, make the amazing Izzard a priority....

Safety first, kids. Photo courtesy Brett Morris/LAist. The Mike Birbiglia one man show hits Largo on Tuesday and Wednesday, but UCB has CDR Sketch with Casey Wilson on Tuesday night too, so choose wisely. Help out the Midnight Mission on Sunday, see the USS Rock N' Roll at the Westside Eclectic, or spend tonight at UCB with Flap Jackson and Sentimental Lady, then stick around for the Dirty Laundry show at 11. As always...

Photo courtesy Mystic Artists In 2004 the documentary buzz was all about Born Into Brothels, a stark look at the Calcutta prostitution ghettos that are a part of daily life for eight unassuming and wonderful children. The level of humanity, depth, and sorrow found in the crowded streets and scenes inside Born Into Brothels earned it the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in the year’s awards, not to mention global notoriety. Well, as...