People often ask, "Who’s the next big name coming to Stanford’s?"
And I say, "Well, I try to book big names every week. It’s just different stokes for different folks." Truth is, just like music or the NFL/NBA these days, the big names change very quickly. There are new stars every year and, sadly, some bigger names fall off the map faster than is fair. But that’s the way it is today.
We have two of the top three comics coming in the next couple months.
One name that might suprise you is this week’s star, Dov Davidoff. Dov has blown it up the last two years and many people – me included – rank him in the top five standup comics today, along with names like Lewis Black and Jim Jefferies.
Dov comes from a painful and edgy place in life.
He’s still fairly young, in his mid 30’s, and looking to hit the ball out of the park. He starred in RAINES with Jeff Goldblum and the hit film Invincible with Mark Wahlberg. He’s been on Chelsea, some Showtime specials, a one hour Comedy Central special and on and on.
Davidoff‘s always working, but his comedy has gotten so rich, he’s now one of the most sought out stand-ups.
Dov just shot a new one hour TV special in Amsterdam and he’s at Stanford’s this week.
Other big names coming over the next few weeks include, THE BROKEN LIZARDS. Their first time ever to KC will be next week at Stanford’s. The troupe made its mark in comedy films including Super Trooper, Club Dread, The Dukes of Hazard and Beerfest. Its two main guys, Steve Lemme and will be here February 2-4 and it looks to be a sell out show for audiences under 30.
Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, stars of THE CRANK YANKERS and HEAVY METAL TV shows will be at Stanford’s the last week of February. Jim made this line famous, ‘I GOT MAIL, I GOT MAIL, I GOT MAIL…YEAH, GREAT!!!!" Jim and Don also did several DVD’s and CD’s Terrorizing Telemarketers…all still played on 98.9 The Rock with Johnny Dare.
March 8-10 will be a sure sell out weekend with Austrailian superstar and Jim Jefferies. Jim’s HBO special I SWEAR TO GOD, still gets play and made him a big name comic everywhere. It will be Jim’s fourth trip to Stanford’s. He usually does theaters now, but will do at least one more week at the club. He’s a modern day Richard Pryor meets George Carlin.
He steps on too many toes, but somehow gets away with it – maybe it’s the accent. He even made Teresa on Mix 93.3 cry when he explained to her there was no God on the air. They later made up.
There are many more, but these are all stand out shows. If you want to see the new breed of comedy and stars pick one and come on out, see if I’m right.
A non-hater response
Craig, my oldest son and I came down when you still had the Westport venue to see Lewis Black. Second or third time I’d seen him, I guess. So, I have no idea how long ago it was, but its when I found him his funniest, before the went off on so much of the politcal stuff. It was back when he just did his quirky, angry old guy routine that I related on multiple levels. The weather men, IHOP, If it wasnt for my HORSE…. I would have never gone to COLLEGE. His REALLY great old stuff.
He was already huge, so I found it odd that at the end of the last set, he was actually just standing at the upstairs door just chatting with a couple of people. Most people just wwalked out but I spoke, he responded and we struck up an incredibly interesting conversation. Two things stood out. How short the guy is for one, as he comes across on TV as 6’3″, but more than that, this almost painfully shy, introverted kind of personality he seemed to exhibit. Now, maybe thats not him at ALL, maybe he didnt feel well, but what an interesting conversation and seemingly normal guy.
I feel the urge to say something incredibly UGLY so your haters wont attack ME now, but I’ll leave it at that!
Stanfords
I am going to come see Dov.
…will also try to see Jeffries, though not a big fan.
Good work scribe
Now the rest of the story
Let’s hear it for Craig and more shamelless self promotion. Give him a handjob. Don’t be afraid to clap. Craig knows all about the clap. We love ya Craig! You’re such a teaser!
Saying Jim Jefferies is a modern day Richard Prior meets George Carlin is like saying Justin Bieber is a modern day Jim Morrison meets Jimi Hendrix. That’s a stretch that Armstrong couldn’t make. Guess we’ll wait and see if Jim gets esophageal cancer before we make our mind up on that God thing.
Florentine and Jeffries make nice foils for Eddie Trunk on That Metal Show but their monotone voices and lack of real comedic timing make them PAINFUL as stand-ups. Eddie’s also responsible for the ” deals” they got with Metal Blade. When Eddie Trunk is your Godfather the skies the limit, right about 9,999 feet is where the limit kicks in. You don’t even get to turn on your electronics.
Dov has some game but I shot a one hour “special” in Amsterdam too. It’s called amateur porn. Cost me 425 Euros.
I’m always skeptical of comedy troupes. Do 4, 6, or 8 somewhat funny guys equal one make me piss my pants funny guy? Nyet says comrade Putin. In any case they ain’t Monty Python. In Darwinian terms I think the python always kicks the lizards ass, especially a broken lizard.
So enjoy the rest of the night and remember comics are here weakly! and if you’re not gonna bang your waitress at least remember to tip her or she’ll get a ten grand authorization on your credit card and you’ll be fucked for the next 5 days.
I Beg To Differ Smartman
The scene is always changing, Jefferies in my opinion and most top comedy agents, managers and CAA(his agency and mine) all feel he is the top dog, talent wise. Look Jeff Dunham makes 200 g’s a nite, with puppet comedy, did Sprint….so if we go by bucks Jim is top twenty, no more…but comedy talent makes him near the top…I see everyone out there eventually he is special…so is Lewis, I agree Lou is too much into comments on politics now, but give him credit, he has now been a top dog for a decade, makes over 8 million a year, household comedy name…I think Jim will get there, maybe Dov as well, might take three more years though…
Smartman, we all know Craig is shameless self promoter, but if we didn’t have him…how would we know how awesome he was?
As for comedy troupes, Broken Lizard has managed to actually make more funny movies than Python did in their time (Pyton had 2 genuinely good movies, Grail and Meaning of Life…Beerfest, Slammin’ Salmon, and Super Troopers makes three for Broken Lizard).
If you don’t know who Broken Lizard is (even though Craig only got 2/5 of them) I don’t think you know a lot about comedy that wasn’t originally released on vinyl.
Prefer the Improv
What happened to that rumor you were spreading about the Improv on the verge of closing? Several months ago you said it was imminent, so I called management and said you had proclaimed on this blog that the place was gonna close. Since then I went to a show at Stanfords (paid for front-row seats) and I gotta say, I prefer the Improv. Stanfords has no real food menu, my bar at home has more liquor options than the Stanfords bar, the waiting area was ridiculous, especially when the mad dash hit after the doors opened, and service during the acts was very slow. Throw in the fact the restrooms are up near the stage and it really wasn’t appealing at all. The headliner was hilarious, but not any better than those at the Improv. I haven’t been back to Stanfords, despite frequent offers for reduced price or free tickets. We saw Bobby Slayton at the Improv on Saturday night, dropped $100 on food and drinks, and enjoyed the short drive home. Not dissing Craig’s club (preferred it in Westport, mainly because of the food), but this column reminded me of those earlier reports that the Improv was near death. I’m glad Mr. Almost 80 Percent was wrong this time.
They Are Decent Guys, The Improv, But Not Doing That Great
I have nothing against them. I was offered their space last year by people at Zona Roza…I guess they stay rent free, they don’t have any other real options there. They do have some good acts,we had Bobby three months ago…good comic…funny Stanfords isn’t as good but you had to wait in line to get in, it was packed…reminds me of a story from Westport….on one of the opening weekends I went table to table asking how it was… a guy stopped me and said, “You guys will never make it, you are way too busy…” ok, we lasted over 30 years..I doubt the Improv will be around anywhere near as long as we have, this is their THIRD attempt, second at Zona Rosa…they had Funny Bones at 103rd back in the day…none of their places have lasted more than four years….in one spot, we just finished our fifth year at Legends…9 at OP, 31 in Westport….of the ones I had, not Stan….so if you like them better ok…I have never heard we didn’t have enough drink options…we only have a ‘fun menu’ we are not a restaruant….dumb us….baby when you are nationally known as we are for one spot, mentioned on tv almost weekly, in books etc…..its like you are a mulitple Super Bowl winner, we are. Improv is a good chain no doubt, but we own KC, they don’t…ask Johnny Dare….anyways sorry you don’t like us, we will live.
Thanks Craig
Thanks for the response, Craig. It was logical, not rude or indignant like some I read on here, and you make a decent case for your club. My point wasn’t that I didn’t like Stanfords … the comedians there were great. Yes, the food thing is an issue to me, and it might not be such a big deal to others. That’s fine. What prompted me to write initially was that you had said, with a great deal of certainty, that the Improv was going to close, and it didn’t. I’m glad it didn’t.
I want to applaud you on the tone of your response. I’ve been a reader now for more than two years, and sometimes you come off as an arrogant asshole when you don’t need to be. You’re right, Stanfords will survive even if I never step foot inside the place again. That’s a good thing, too. But as far as “owning” Kansas City … (shrug) .. that’s a matter of opinion, I guess. Everytime I’ve been at the Improv, it’s been full, too, and I go at least twice a month. The Improv’s crowd is usually a lot more “urban” than the folks I saw at your place. Slayton’s show was really the first time that my wife and I weren’t in the “minority” there, but we’ve never felt threatened regadless of the audience’s makeup. That dude you have bartending, with the creepy blue contact lenses, is more intimidating by far! haha. Cheers!