24-Hour Comedy Mayhem Hits NYC This Weekend
One man's crash is another man's pleasure.
Hello and welcome to the 7 new subscribers since my last email, in which I suggested a few digital strategy tips for the comedy movie ‘Friendship’. Today, I’m flagging an exciting benefit show happening this weekend at UCB, on the off chance you live in/near New York City and don’t feel like getting sunburnt this Memorial Day Weekend.
It’s not often you find a slice of Edinburgh on US soil.
But with a combination of up-and-coming comedians, cheap tickets, moderately priced beer, and being the most tired you’ve ever been, Chris Gethard’s imminent 24-Hour Marathon Show feels like it should be happening next to the Ladyboys of Bangkok tent.1
Here’s an excerpt from the show blurb:
Seasoned vets from all corners of the comedy scene experimenting. Newcomers you haven’t met before staking their claim. A live band. All uniting to put on a show that’s not about gathering three minute videos for TikTok2, it’s about putting on a live show that knocks you, the audience, right on your fucking ass.
And here’s the lineup:
All proceeds will be going towards mental health services in schools, and there’s even a full menu of punishments and rewards that you can direct your funds towards:
This is exactly the sort of show I thought would be happening all the time when I first moved to New York, but is typically only reserved for BCC’s Fun And Dumb festival.
What can I say, I’m a sucker for variety with a gimmick. Whether it’s the Neo-Futurists and Paper Machete in Chicago, or the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society in Edinburgh, this will always be my favorite show type. The acts are deliberately curated by the host, and there is guaranteed to be a diversity of comedic style. 1-2 may fall flat, but a handful will become people you follow online afterwards, and one will become your new hyperfixation whose clips you binge the second you get home.
Watching previous installments of That Show has already introduced me to the storytelling of Nick Fierro, the characters of Maria Randazzo, the finger puppetry of Lily Armstrong, the merchandise of Dave Ross, and the sandwich-making skills of Gastor Almonte. Stoked to see what each of them have prepared this time around, and the same goes for Nico Cattaneo, Miles Calderon (Mr. Cardboard), and Chicken Big.
And in case you haven’t seen Nico’s Bop-It joke or Chicken Big’s Human Blender bit:
Watching That Show find its groove in 2025 has felt a bit like witnessing a kinder, geekier, Kill Tony develop in real time. Today’s comedian’s comedians are starting to become regulars a la Casey Rocket and Kam Patterson on KT, effectively melding the modern era of alternative comedy with the TCGS days of yore.
In-person tickets are $10 in advance and $15 on the day of the show, and livestream tickets are $10. You can buy tickets in 6-hour blocks, or for $35 for the full 24 hours, HERE.
IYKYK.
Anyone who receives this mailing list knows that putting on shows is not about gathering three minute videos for TIkTok. It’s about gathering hour long videos for TikTok.
Dear David,
Great piece as always.
Love Chris Gethard, and I love this:
"Watching That Show find its groove in 2025 has felt a bit like witnessing a kinder, geekier, Kill Tony develop in real time."
Thanks for sharing!
Love
Myq