9 Must-See Shows At The 2013 Just For Laughs Festival
By Matt Byrne in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 10, 2013 2:15PM
While much of the attention during each year's Just for Laughs festival goes to the biggest names on the lineup (justifiably so, when folks like Bob Newhart, David Cross, and Bill Maher all appear in town over the stretch of a few days), some of the best, most rewarding shows pack in five or more comedians into smaller venues across the city. Many shows offer comics the opportunity to divert from their prepared material, giving countless Chicago comedy nerds the chance to catch lightning-in-a-bottle type moments, while others remain fairly straightforward yet memorable, benefitting from an incredibly strong roster of rising comedians.
At past Just For Laughs, a communal, summer camp vibe developed as comics drop in on each other's shows, doing guest spots at many of the dozen or so venues the fest took over across the city. That phenomenon will be even more prevalent this year, with an overwhelming percentage of the shows taking place at Stage 773, a four-theater entertainment complex in Lakeview. In anticipation of the development of this temporary comedy commune, we've put together a list of nine of the largest, most exciting, and unique shows at this year's festival.
Secret Big Time Local Comedy Showcase
For those in the know, the SBTLCS, curated by Chicago Underground Comedy, is one of the biggest shows of the festival, in terms of both quality and quantity. On top of the announced lineup, which features some of Chicago's strongest and most unique performers, like Adam Burke, Katie McVay, and Candy Lawrence. Big Time guests may or may not drop in throughout the night, giving audiences a special treat during this parade of comedic titans from today and tomorrow.
(June 11, 9:30 p.m., $15, The Box at Stage 773)
The Dailymotion Comedy Showcase
Andy Daly (Eastbound and Down, MadTV, Comedy Bang! Bang!) hosts these four early evening showcases in Stage 773's largest space, The Thrust. Each night's lineup features choice comics both local and national, many of whom do not have any other officially announced appearances at the festival. Wednesday night's show, featuring Brendon Walsh (Conan, Last Comic Standing, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show), Sean Patton (Conan, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), Cameron Esposito (host of the excellent live standup podcast Put Your Hands Together), Ever Mainard (called "one of The Most Influential Women in Chicago Comedy" by Gapers Block), and Mike Lebovitz (producer of Comedians You Should Know) is perhaps the most enticing, with an eclectic mix of rising talent. In case you miss any exciting drop-ins or thrilling surprises, clips from these shows will be available to watch afterwards on Dailymotion.com
(June 12-15, 7 p.m., $15, The Thrust at Stage 773)
Set List
One of the most unique shows from last year's JFL returns with more improvised standup from some of the biggest names at the fest. None of the four shows have announced lineups, but a single show last year featured intimate, irreproducible performances from the likes of Marc Maron, TJ Miller, Amy Schumer, Jon Glaser, and more. Set List asks these headliners to riff on previously unseen phrases submitted by the audience before the show; this show really speaks to the dexterity of these comics' minds, as they spin gold from the super lame puns and absurd non sequiturs that often pop up.
(June 13-14, 8:30 p.m. & midnight, $15, The Box at Stage 773)
Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction
This fairly high-concept-yet-self-explanatory comedy show, which pits ten comedians against one another in a perverse battle of words, has become a favorite at festivals across the country. Five comics come prepared with sexually explicit stories, featuring characters from across the pop cultural spectrum (Miss Daisy, Charlie Brown, the entire cast of Friday Night Lights, etc.) getting nasty, while five more standups must spend the first half of the show backstage, assembling entirely new works to be revealed in the show's thrillingly cutthroat second half.
(June 14, 10 p.m., $15, The Box at Stage 773)
Bad Boys of Comedy
Marlon Mitchell (Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand-Up, ComicView) anchors this massive lineup at the hub of Chicago's urban comedy scene, Jokes and Notes. The titular bad boys include some of the most popular and raunchiest J&N regulars, including Shawn Morgan (Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes?, Comicview) and Mike Samp (Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes?).
(June 14, 10:30 p.m., $20, Jokes and Notes)
The Playground presents Alone: Chicago's Best Solo Acts
Alone is always a great crash course in the art of solo sketch performance, spotlighting wildly talented Chicagoans that have mastered this increasingly popular comedic form. While you can regularly catch most of these performers onstage at the various tent pole theaters around town (iO, Second City, The Annoyance, etc.), a lineup this stacked doesn't come along every day. Those looking to take in pure, polished sets from some of the best and brightest in the city (and take a break from the standup world that seems to dominate JFL) would do well to check out this show.
(June 14-15, 7 p.m., $15, The Box at Stage 773)
Pete Holmes' You Made It Weird Live!
Comedian Pete Holmes' (Comedy Central Presents, Ugly Americans) emotional openness and blunt honesty enables his guests to overshare in unexpected ways, which makes the regular, in-studio episodes of his You Made It Weird podcast reliably compelling, intimate listens. Live shows, however, which often feature six or more guests, take on a different tone, and often devolve into something like a joyful roast, showcasing the disparate personalities and neuroses of the overstuffed panel of comedians onstage.
(June 15, 7 p.m., $15, The Cabaret at Stage 773)
5-Star Leading Ladies
One of Jokes and Notes' best-loved JFL shows returns with another crowd-pleasing, all-female lineup of National and local comedians including Vanessa Fraction (writer for 106 & Park and The Mo'Nique Show), Kellye Howard (star of OWN's My Life is a Joke), and Chastity Washington (ComicView, HBO Def Jam).
(June 15, 8:30 p.m., $20, Jokes and Notes)
Kill All Comedy
Local sketch comedy collective Kill All Comedy has crafted an all-new, absurdist, smart-stupid/stupid-smart show specifically for JFL 2013, with a mind-bogglingly large cast of 19 comics. Word from KAC ringleader Steph Cook is that "June is pretty spooooooky (ghost noise) and the show reflects that." Fans of The State, Kids in the Hall, and other aggressively silly troupes should make a point to catch this show; it looks to be one of the breakout surprises of the fest.
(June 15, 8:30 p.m., $15, The Box at Stage 773)