Shows: Doug Stanhope

Drinking, drugs, fighting and fucking.

Sounds like any good Friday night, but when you throw in comedy, you render a five part recipe for one of America's most notorious and revered comics - Doug Stanhope.

Stanhope's in your face style and social commentary is unmistakable. His cult following is almost as zealous as the most brainwashed Southern Baptist. But really, what else can you say about Doug Stanhope, he just is. He's a state of mind.

His material ranges from true-life graphic perversion to volatile social criticism. Doug is vulgar, opinionated, brutally honest and shockingly uninhibited and is certainly not for everybody. You might want to stay home if you are pregnant, nursing, or prone to heart conditions. Ask your doctor first, before trying Doug Stanhope.

Doug has built a wide-ranging television resume of dubious achievement. He hosted The Man Show on Comedy Central as well as the ubiquitous pseudo-porn for the sexually crippled, "Girls Gone Wild", both solely and shamelessly for financial gain. He has appeared on "The Howard Stern Show", "Comedy Central Presents", "Premium Blend", NBC's "Late Friday", "Spy TV" BBC's "Floor Show Live" while on ecstasy and wrote, produced and starred in Fox's "Invasion of the Hidden Cameras" and has even popped up on "Fox News with Greta Van Sustern" and "The Jerry Springer Show". But none of it compares to seeing him live.

Luckily for Memphis, with a reputation and history as he has, Stanhope is yet again gracing the stage of Hi-Tone for the night of August 7th. Come out to see one of the finest living mythical stand up comics of our generation before he drinks himself to oblivion.

Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets.com or at the Hi Tone Cafe Website.

Doug Stanhope
The Hi Tone
9:00 pm
1913 Poplar Ave
Memphis, TN 38104
$19 (or $19 + $2 service fee)

Shows: Joby Saad, TR Degraw

For those of you who follow the Memphis Comedy Blog and find that the comics are too divisive or offensive or not kid friendly, we finally have an act for you. Coming Wednesday, July 15 to Christ United Methodist Church, Seabrook Hall is Joby Saad.

Joby Saad is one of the stars of Thou Shalt Laugh, the #1 selling Christian comedy DVD of all time.

With his 100% clean comedy routine, Joby has appeared on Comedy Central, CMT, ABC and A&E. In addition, he has starred in his own episode of the hit TV show Bananas.

His unique comedy includes wacky facial expressions, physicality and plenty of jokes.

Free event – Bring your family and friends! This starts at 7:00pm, so you can get home at a decent hour. Joby Saab's Website villageidiot.tv for more info on this great, clean act.


7:00pm
Christ United Methodist Church, Seabrook Hall
4488 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN
FREE!


For those a little more into the world of the deranged and dark, there will be comedy at Skitz Comedy Club @ Neils on Madison this Saturday. The savant stylings of TR Degraw will on display. He's there for the funny and the dark, the whimsical and the inebriated, with a delightful splash of physical humor thrown in. TR has had many lives, only one has been comedy, but in that life, he's been under the wings of Mitzi Shore at the The Comedy Store in LA. Hanging with Jimmy Shubert and the rest of the crew. Eddie Griffin was quoted as saying "[TR Degraw] is like the John Lennon of comedy." ... we think that's a compliment.

Tickets and information for this show can be found here at BigFunnyProductions.com.

July 18
Skitz Comedy Club
@ Neil's on Madison
8:30pm
$10

Funniest Person in Memphis Finalist List

The finalist have been announced for 2009's Funniest Person in Memphis Contest, brought to you by John Marks and Sammy Marten (bigfunnyproductions.com).

(In no particular order)
Will Stephenson
Andy Fleming*
Stephen Kline*
Jane Haze*
Mike Degnan
Terry Cliburn
Danny Khan
Jamie Grant
Katrina Murrell*
Michael Kline*
Ambrose*
Joel Hamilton
Brandon Sams*
Spank E
Laura Dlouhy*
Randall Holcomb*
Sean Ryan
Jovan Lawson
Melissa Tichenor
Kate Lucas
TN Buford
Monty Mitchell

* Previous FPIM Finalists

We wish all finalist much success! Come out and help decide the Bluff City's finest comic.

For More information:

http://www.bigfunnyproductions.com/2009/05/funniest-person-in-memphis-finalists-announced/

Event: The Funniest Person in Memphis Contest

It is that time a year, when the local club scene brings forth to our merry city the Funniest Person in Memphis competition. This year, is the forth year that Big Funny Productions (the cats that run the former Comedy TN) will be hosting the event. This year, the prelims are already under way. Tuesday, May 26 will be the last of the rounds and June 2 will be the night of the finals.

This is a very exciting time for Memphis Comedy, as its a time to win bragging rights among the fellow comics. In the past, we've seen some very talented people bring the funny to the stage and smash the competition. In 2006, the competition's winner was Michael Danziger. He still does comedy around town, according to his website, mostly to religious organizations and other benefits.

In 2007, Mary Jordan took the top spot. Mary spent the time performing around clubs, from Memphis to Galax, VA and back again, and spending her remaining time improvising with the Wiseguys. She has since outgrown the town and is trying to break into the Chicago Improv and Stand Up scenes.

In 2008, Jeff White took the crown with his goofy style with a guitar closer. He can sometimes be heard as the announcer for the Memphis Grizzlies when he's not teaching the adolescent youth of America.

So we've come to 2009. Who will win it all this year? Support your favorites, boo and hiss at your least favorites. Let Memphis Style Democracy prevail and show us all that at least in comedy it's fair.

Come out to Skitz Comedy Club @ Neil's on Madison May 26 for the last round of the prelims or to the finals on June 2. Shows start at 8:30 pm and the tickets are $10 a piece. For ticket information, click on over to BigFunnyProductions.com.

Memphis Comics: Kerry White

Blue collar comedians has taken a very horrid connotation in the last few years, with the inceptions of Jeff Foxworthy's hacky comedy tour comics. Safe, ignorant and family friendly. But what do you call a comic that's blue collar with actual wit, insight and viciousness. If words could kill, Kerry White would slaughter that popular idea of cutesy comedy, slicing it at the jugular and after the blood dried, those types of comedians would be wearing a shade of sanguine-splattered purple.

Unflinching, unapologetic, and uninterested in the status quo, Kerry White has made a name for himself as a no-holds-barred, NO-topic-is-taboo comedian. If you like your comedy fast paced, blindingly truthful, and right between the eyes, Kerry's show is dead on target. Think it's just show business hype? The cops have been called to seven of Kerry White's shows after some members of the audience (Klansmen, religious zealots, and prudish republicans to name a few) have taken offense to his material's subject matter and become...unruly. How many comedians have you seen perform who have actually had to have a police escort out of two cities after shows? Banned from several comedy clubs, Kerry is currently headlining his "Thought Criminals Comedy Tour" to packed houses in alternative venues around the country. Why? "My crowd is open of mind, and free of spirit. They're not going to comedy clubs."

Memphis has been blessed by the recent return of Kerry White to our mediocre city and our fair comedy scene. That doesn't mean you'll be seeing him any more, so if you get the chance go have your world be question and all the things you hold true scrutinized come out to one of his shows in town. Appropriately enough, Kerry will be performing with Matt Davis' Sinner's Ball - a comedy show for the never offended on April 27 at the P&H Cafe and will be headlining Skitz Comedy Club this August 29.

For more information about Kerry White and his fiendish escapades around the country, click on anyone of the links below. That of course, is if you can handle him... but there's only one way to find out!

Kerry White on MySpace.com
Kerry White on YouTube
Follow Kerry White on Twitter
Kerry White's Blog

Venue: Weekly Show List

As I see a number of people are finding open mics in Memphis through this page, I'll compile a comprehensive list of the local open mics and shows that are going on in town on a weekly basis. I'll try to update this as shows pop up or die off.

Monday:


P&H Open Mic - Show starts at a tentative 11pm. Run by Brandon Sams. Show up and sign up. --- DEAD!

NEW open Mic -

Poplar Lounge - Show starts at 9:00pm. Sign up at 8:45pm. Run by Andy Fleming and Michael Degnan.

Tuesday:

Open Mic at Skitz Comedy Club located at Neil's - Located at Neil's Bar and Grill on Madison. Run by John Marks and Sammy Marten. 8:30pm. Show up or sign up previous week.

Wednesday:

Schizo-funny Showcase at Nocturnal. Not enough info to say a definite reoccurring show. Contact Jane Haze for info.

Thursday:

Nothing at this Time

Friday:

Monthly shows at Skitz or Minglewood; see Big Funny Productions Online for comic schedule.

Saturday:

Nothing at this Time

Sunday:

Nothing at this Time

Venue: Schizo-funny Showcase at Nocturnal

The Jane Hazed Experience presents a comedy showcase fraught with your favorite local comedians doing what they do best - displaying their twisted minds to make you laugh.

This is the first of the series. Comics appearing include, but not limited to:


Will Stephenson - newcomer, but literature/science jokes will tickle your cerebral cortex.

Willow Grant - dark, twisted. And she'll beat you with her riding crop.

The Jazzmaster - tells you about his days playing with Miles Davis, because y'all don't know shit about Miles...

Josh McLane - Memphis' Sam Kinison re-incarnate. Come out for his comedy or if your lucky, you can sleep with the drummer from one of Memphis' bests bands.

Andy Fleming - Funniest person in Memphis finalist and all around adorable comic.

Stephen Kline - The saddest clown ever. He's disgusting, but he already loves you. Hilarious and unpredictable.


Hosted all by Jane Haze, the foster child of Seattle, SF, and Memphis comedy, presenting you with aggro views of the world around.


Bring your friends, bring your hard liquor, and bring your laugh game, then stay for the 80s music.


21+
Doors open at 7:00
Show starts at 8pm.
$3

See ya there, bitches!