Netflix is a Joke Fest: The Week That Started This Blog

Netflix is a Joke Fest: The Week That Started All of This

Almost a month ago, I spent the best week of my life surrounded by comedy in Los Angeles. Four shows, an endless number of comics, and more people I recognized from my screen than I knew what to do with. I have been obsessed with comedy in every form for years. Stand-up, sitcoms, podcasts, memoirs, all of it. But there is something about being in the room that no amount of screen time can replicate. Netflix is a Joke Fest reminded me of that in a way I was not prepared for.

They say laughter is the best medicine. I am a testament to that. Comedy has given me more than entertainment. It has given me a way to process things, connect with people, and find something worth looking forward to. This week had all of that in abundance, and by the end of it, I had run out of reasons not to start this site. Here is how the week went.

Shane Gillis and a Few Friends — Hollywood Bowl

I started the week at the Hollywood Bowl for Shane Gillis and Friends. Let me be clear: it was great, I do not regret going, and the Hollywood Bowl is an incredible venue without a bad seat in the house. Now, let me also be honest, I expected more.

Six comics for a show called "and Friends" felt light. There are shows at this festival with ten to fifteen people on the roster. This one had Shane, James McCann, Sam Jay, Ron White, Dan Soder, and Jim Jeffries. I was 0 for 5 on predicting who the Friends would be, which, in hindsight, made it more interesting. Dan Soder was the highlight and did not disappoint. Ron White showing up was unexpected in the best way. The show also started thirty minutes late, which likely limited how many surprise guests could realistically pop in, given the venue curfew. I needed more. Underwhelming is the right word, even if I mean that in the most respectful way possible.

The real experience of the night had nothing to do with what happened on stage. I was not prepared for how many people I would recognize just by walking around. The night started with Pauly Shore passing two feet from me on the sidewalk. By the time I was navigating inside, I was squeezing past faces I know well who have no idea who I am. I was shaking the first time I went to the bathroom. It got easier after that, but only slightly.

Ian Fidance ft. Blair Socci, Luke Mones, Tommy Mitchell — The Improv, The Lab

Wednesday night was at The Improv, specifically in The Lab. A small, intimate room that completely changes the experience of watching stand-up. It was my favorite venue of the week for that reason alone. The food menu did not hurt either. Best I have had at any comedy club, and I spent more money than I should have with zero regrets.

By this point in the week, I had seen so many comics that they were starting to blur together. That made the ones who stood out stand out even more. Of the three openers, Blair Socci, Luke Mones, and Tommy Mitchell, Blair was the one I could not stop thinking about after. She has this high, distinctive energy that immediately reminded me of Kristen Schaal, Victoria Jackson, and Jen Tilly all at once. The kind of voice and presence that is made for animated series. Completely her own. Later in the week, I saw photos of her at the Comedy Store alongside some significantly bigger names, which told me everything I needed to know. She has a place in multiple rooms and is clearly on her way.

Ian was underprepared. That was obvious. But his energy in that small room was electric enough that it did not matter as much as it should have. There is something about watching someone perform in a space that is intimate that makes you more forgiving and more connected at the same time. It also made me realize I desperately need Instagram if I want to follow who is actually coming up in this scene. I am doing myself a disservice.

Mystery Lineup at The Comedy Store — The Original Room

Thursday night at The Comedy Store was the best show of the week. I am beyond grateful I finally got a chance to experience what I only knew from photos and videos on social media.

The Comedy Store has a no-phone policy. I did not think about my phone for four hours. The only time it crossed my mind was when I wanted to write down who I was seeing so I would not forget. But with a mystery lineup, that is exactly the point. I have since pieced together that the night included Greg Fitzsimmons, Jeff Ross, Kirk Fox, Steph Tolev, Matt Rife, and Amir K, among others. Jon Lovitz, Pauly Shore, and Ian Edwards were watching from the back.

Speaking of Matt Rife, I remember seeing him more than almost anyone else that night, yet I do not remember a single joke. He had done another show earlier and had nothing left. The crowd was equally shot. More comics were hanging out in the back of the Original Room than people were watching from the seats by 1 am. I walked right past him on the way out and barely registered it. When you are in a room that just had Jeff Ross and Greg Fitzsimmons on the same stage, the bar for what counts as memorable goes up considerably.

What stays with me most is how normal everyone seemed. Comics I have watched on screen for years, whose specials I have seen multiple times, hanging out in the back of a room like they were waiting for a friend. The Comedy Store does something for the people who love it. You can feel it the moment you walk in. I have not been that disconnected from the world in a long time, and I could not think of a better place to do it.

Bad Friends Live

Friday was Bad Friends Live, and I did not realize how good my seats were until I walked up to the third row and sat down.

The openers set the tone well, Fancy, Kat Bird, Dax Flame, yes, the Project X guy and longtime fixture of the Bad Friends universe, and a comic whose name I never pinned down but who was announced as someone preparing to appear at the Kevin Hart Roast. Then Andrew Dismukes, then Bobby Lee.

Andrew is one of those performers who does not need to raise his voice or increase his energy to make something land. Calm, controlled, letting the writing do the work. It is a style that only holds up if you are genuinely confident in the material, and he is. Bobby is the complete opposite. Explosive, dynamic, physical, all over the stage Watching them back-to-back is its own kind of lesson in how different two genuinely effective comedians can be.

After the stand-up set the Bad Friends team came out together. Bobby went into the audience from the start. I think he made out with 5 different people. All I could think of was how bad this would be during COVID. They set up what became a live game show of sorts, an hour of interactive chaos built to promote the Bad Friends Game Show dropping on YouTube. It was loud and completely entertaining and exactly what you would expect from that group. The only way the night could have been better is if I had been watching from backstage. I even got a chance to watch a trailer for their new show coming out in August, so I am even more excited for that.

Why This Week Exists on This Site

I have been talking about starting something like this for longer than I want to admit. After a week of four shows, too many comics to count, and more laughs than I have had in a long time, I finally ran out of excuses. I am not a comedian, and I am not trying to be. But comedy has shaped more of my life than almost anything else I could name, and I want to be closer to it in whatever way I can. This site is that. A way to be part of something I love deeply without being the one on stage. Paying attention, taking it seriously, and hopefully convincing a few other people to do the same.

Netflix is a Joke Fest did what great comedy always does. It reminded me of what I actually care about.