This week, Laughs Comedy Spot is AGAIN the place to be...unless you're dazzled by movie stars (then, Parlor's your choice.) There's solid choices at ALL of the comedy clubs this weekend, and a midweek option that promises to be quite fun!
And please remember that these are merely my own opinions and your mileage may certainly vary.
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 5 BEST BET:
Myq Kaplan (w/Jen Seaman) @ Laughs Comedy Spot in KirklandFriday 3/4 & Saturday 3/5 8pm & 10pm shows
Yes, that's how he spells it...and yes, he's very proud of how clever he is... He's VERY clever. He's probably one of the most clever comedy writers working today--his material is impeccable and precise. It is smart and it rewards those who pay attention. So, perhaps Myq Kaplan is not everyone's cup of tea. But, if you like terribly clever, short, Jewish, vegans who have made it to the finals of a competitive network tv reality show (as Myq did, making the finals of this past year's "Last Comic Standing" on NBC)...you won't find better than Myq Kaplan. (Full disclosure: When Myq Kaplan was a semi-finalist in the Seattle International Comedy Competition, he took a nap on my couch. I don't think that should make it a conflict of interest for me to make him our BEST BET of a stand-up comedy show for spending your comedy dollars on this week.) Making the evening more adorable is local favorite Jen Seaman as the featured performer. (www.laughscomedy.com)
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 5 GREAT OPTIONS:
Paul Merrill Goes Back to '88 @ Laff*Hole at Chop Suey in SeattleWednesday 3/2 9pm
Paul Merrill has always added a solid level of theatricality to his efforts in the Seattle alt-comedy scene, with the characters he plays, the sketches he works on and the shows he puts together. This time, he's bringing back a Laff*Hole show idea he first presented while Laff*Hole was at Re-Bar: a re-imagining of what a "Laff*Hole" might have been like over 20 years ago. (That show at the Re-Bar was a lot of fun--and I was a performer on that show--but it wasn't terribly well attended. That makes this second attempt an excellent opportunity, both for Paul to fine tune the show and for more people to get caught up in, and laugh at, the late 80's vibe.) I'm a sucker for thematic comedy shows like this and I'm definitely looking forward to being an audience member for this show...and I think it's a GREAT OPTION for this week, especially to get you through the mid-week. (www.prokomedy.org)
Brad Upton @ Big City Comedy Club at Amore Infused in Seattle
Friday 3/4 8pm, Saturday 3/5 at 8pm & 10pm
This will be the third weekend that this new club has been open and, for three weeks in a row, they've offered shows I think would be a GREAT OPTION for seeing comedy. Brad Upton should be much bigger and better known than he is...he's a consummate professional comedian, with great material delivered perfectly. And, after being seen (unfairly, I think) as too much of a traditional, suit & tie, "corporate" comedian, Brad's loosened up a little bit over the past couple of years which has made his comedy more vibrant and more relevant than ever. I'm definitely a fan, and he doesn't get the opportunity to headline shows here in Seattle as often as you'd think--so, this is indeed a treat. Note: They've changed their show times at Big City Comedy Club--previous shows were 7pm and 9pm and now shows are at 8pm and 10pm. Also, give yourself time to find the place as the street address has Amore Infused on Wall Street but the actual entrance is on 6th Avenue. (www.bigcitycomedyclub.com)
Tom Arnold @ Parlor-Live in Bellevue
Friday 3/4 & Saturday 3/5 7:30pm & 10pm shows
You know who Tom Arnold is...he's been in a ton of movies (including "True Lies" w/Arnold Schwarzenegger) and he's been on a ton of tv shows (including Fox Sports' "The Best Damn Sports Show Ever") and he was married to Rosanne Barr. But, before that...Tom was an active working stand-up comic based out of the Twin Cities--this isn't just some celebrity who is trading in on his name recognition to fill a comedy club based merely on curiosity...Tom IS a stand-up comic AND he's famous, which makes him a GREAT OPTION for this week (because, even if you end up not being a fan of his particular brand of stand-up comedy...well, hey, you saw a celebrity...and that's always good for a story!) (www.parlorlive.com)
Tracy Smith (w/Rodney Sherwood) @ Comedy Underground in Seattle
I'm tempted to make this a "great option" merely because of the feature performer. Tracy Smith is fine, and you may have seen her on Comedy Central before...BUT...when it comes to Seattle comedy, there are a few performers whose talents and abilities are legendary amongst their peers as much as Rodney Sherwood. Five years ago, he announced his retirement from stand-up comedy to concentrate on his commercial production efforts. He must have caught the bug again, because he's back...and word is that he's still got an acid tongue, a knowing exaggeration of show-business cliches and road tested material. If this weekend's Best Bet or other Great Options don't appeal to you, you should definitely consider this a high recommendation for the return of a great Seattle comedian to a Seattle comedy club stage. (www.comedyunderground.com)
Ron Osborne @ Tacoma Comedy Club, Tacoma
Ron is a former Seattle International Comedy Competition champion and a solid pro worth seeing. The posters for this show are listing him as "The King of Improv Comedy"--which is a coronation that I may have missed...but that doesn't mean that Ron should be... He's funny. (www.tacomacomedyclub.com)
Tommy Savitt (w/Meghan Flaherty) @ Comedy Underground, Tacoma
Tommy is a recent Seattle International Comedy Competition champion with a very funny and distinct perspective...who is always, it seems, performing comedy somewhere nearby...which makes it difficult to recommend that you "GO SEE HIM THIS TIME" when another opportunity is just as likely next week (which, actually, it IS)...but that doesn't suggest that you SHOULDN'T go see him, because he's funny and you'd probably like him. This show has him joined by Meghan Flaherty, who has competed in the Seattle International Comedy Competition recently, herself...and just moved to Seattle from Spokane. (www.comedyunderground.com/tacoma/)
Next week, another big week of comedy in the Seattle/Tacoma area...as the string of great shows at Laughs continues with Greg "He's Just Not That Into You" Behrendt while Parlor counters Bill Bellamy (who you either remember from movies, MTV or the years he hosted MTV's Last Comic Standing.) Meanwhile, the Comedy Underground in Seattle welcomes back one of their most consistently entertaining regular headliners AND one of our good friends gets the chance to headline to Comedy Underground in Tacoma. All that and more, next week!
