RECOMMENDED

Yes, the title of comedian Arj Barker’s DVD is “Balls,” presumably so people will have to say “I’d really like to see Arj Barker’s ‘Balls.’” And sure, Barker also stars in a Web series called “Arj and Poopy,” in which a kitten talks to him through farts. But rest assured, Barker may be one of the more underrated stand-ups for social commentary in the biz, the type who will sprinkle in juvenile punchlines to disguise the fact that his comedy is chock full of substance. Take, for instance, Barker’s bit on how people don’t understand when he’s joking around over text messages: “It’s too hard to convey tone in digital communication. And we can solve this problem so easy; all we need are some new fonts,” he says, suggesting the creation of the “Sarcastica” and “Good Times Roman” fonts. For a little sampling of Barker’s best “ballsy” character, check out his portrayal of Dave, the hilariously insolent friend of Jermaine and Bret on HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords.” (Andy Seifert)

July 10-11 at Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, (773)472-3492. $20.

RECOMMENDED

If it’s the stand-up’s responsibility to uncover the overlooked humor in our ever-frantic daily lives, Owen Benjamin is fulfilling his obligations. The New York State-based stand-up has a knack for lightheartedly illuminating the peculiar situations in his life that reek of absurdity, like the “Peanuts” theme song being played the precise moment a friend starts to have a serious conversation with him, or the crushing letdown that ensues when people find out that, even with his six-foot-six stature, he sucks at basketball. His “Owen Benjamin Presents” series on Crackle.com takes that principle and applies it to several “how to” lessons, including “How to be ‘the man’ at a BBQ” (open beers without a bottle opener), “How to fake talent” (wear a beret) and “How to look rich” (use an umbrella when it’s not raining). Benjamin appears as part of the MySpace Secret Show series, so, um, don’t tell anyone I told you. (Andy Seifert)

July 8 at Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, (773)472-3492.

David Cross and Bob Odenkirk

By Andy Seifert

Chicago may be an improv town, but Chicago also likes a little one-on-one action every once in a while, as in the audience versus the entertainer, one guy or gal throwing out his or her material in the hopes that it will produce a moments worth of euphoria in a crowd of onlookers and they can reap all the glory. That’s stand-up comedy for you, and it’s the format that will dominate the “Just for Laughs” Festival, which makes its American debut after twenty-seven years in Canada.

Legitimate Hollywood stars, alt-comedy favorites, Comedy Central stand-bys, Chicago theater troupes, and fresh-looking up-and-comers (yet to be chewed up and spit out by the industry) will converge in the Second City between June 17-21, meaning a ton of talent and a number of borderline personality disorders will be on full display. Spanning twelve venues throughout the city and including a fluid, diverse lineup of about forty shows, the Just for Laughs festival should appeal to a wide range of audiences and, like any festival, has its share of both immensely exciting shows and left-field head-scratchers. Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

If there’s one thing L.A.-based stand-up comedienne Melinda Hill has mastered, it’s the art of humorous incongruity. Watch her act on TV with the sound off, and you’ll see an attractive blonde, sweetly speaking and constantly smiling. But her outward appearances are deceiving. Her actual material is anything but sweet and innocent—it’s slyly sarcastic, self-deprecating and downright scathing. “I just had a surprise birthday party,” she says in one of her prototypical jokes. “I have to say, it wasn’t much of a party, it was just everyone I know getting together to tell me I drink too much.” Never one to shriek or go “Andrew Dice Clay” on everyone, Hill maintains a steady deadpan delivery style while occasionally including a couple of clever subtle touches. “I never ever have sex on the first date, unless I am raped,” she quips, with a bounce in her voice, as if she was joking about candy and ice cream. (Andy Seifert)

June 4-6 at Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, (773)472-3492. $15.

Is Todd Barry merely a comedian? Nay! Todd Barry is an incoming juggernaut, a megastar on the rise, a future inductee to People Magazine’s 50 most beautiful stars. If George Clooney balks at “Ocean’s 14,” who do you think they’ll be calling to replace him? That’s right, Todd Barry, who, by the way, is poised to put the bongos back on the musical map. Yes, Todd Barry is a big deal. He says it himself on the opening track of his newest album, “From Heaven,” after he thanks the opening comics: “It must be exciting for those young comics to work with me, it’s kind of exciting, not be an asshole or anything, but I’m semi-famous.”

Of course, he’s joking, but it’s worth noting that Todd Barry’s built the foundation of his career on a very sly, crafty bit of self-deprecation. Bald, 45 years old, and a king of tongue-in-cheek cockiness, Barry says near the end of “From Heaven” that “time flies when you’re seeing the best show you’ve ever seen in your life.” It’s a really perfectly delivered line, and there’s some truth to it: the fifty-minute “From Heaven” breezes by all too quickly, and while Barry may not be biggest draw in the comedy world, he’s certainly not low-profile anymore.

“I have a nice level of recognizability,” Barry says via email. “I get approached several times a week, but people are usually nice, and I can still ride the bus and shop at Kmart without causing a mob scene.”

His celebrity status may get a nice bump from recent stints, having played Mickey Rourke’s jackass boss in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” and having briefly filled the role of “third Conchord,” a.k.a Todd the unwelcome bongo player, on HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords.”

“We had a brief discussion about getting me one bongo lesson, but that never panned out,” Barry says of his popular “Conchords” part. “It probably made it funnier that I didn’t completely know what I was doing.”

While Barry appeared to hint that he may have a TV engagement on the way (“way too early to talk about it”), it appears he’ll delay certain stardom for the time being to concentrate on stand-up shows and, in much more serious matters, a “colossal update to his Web site.” (Andy Seifert)

May 15-16 at Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, (773)472-3492, 7:30pm and 10pm. $20.

RECOMMENDED

Stories like Bo Burnham’s either warm your heart or make you puke: riding a tidal wave of popularity from his amusing YouTube music videos (bemoaning his overwhelming awkwardness at parties and the underlying feeling that his family thinks he’s gay), the 18-year old Massachusetts comedian/teenager already has two records and a Comedy Central special under his belt, as well as a deal to write an upcoming Judd Apatow “anti-High School Musical” movie. That’s well and good for him, but I just wish it didn’t make the rest of us feel like we’ve massively underachieved with our lives. Regardless, Burnham’s clearly a wickedly talented kid with a ton of potential, and his material works when he disregards any restrictions from political correctness. “I want you like a lawyer slash mathematician wants some kind of proof, I want you like JFK wanted a car with a roof,” he sings on “Love Is…” from his new self-titled record. “Love is like real life porn, minus all the things that make porn cool.” (Andy Seifert)

May 8 at Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, (773)472-3492, 7:30pm and 10pm. $22.50.

RECOMMENDED
Actress, comedienne, activist, radio host, and bane of freedom-lovin’ conservatives, former stand-up mainstay Janeane Garofalo returns to her roots, sure to piss off Bill O’ Reilly or Glenn Beck or whomever from the stage rather than from the radio booth. Personally, I preferred Garofalo before she flung herself into the middle of the political arena, back in the early nineties when her self-deprecation knew no boundaries and she’d toss around sayings like, “I have no self-esteem left, and I hate to be the type of girl comedian to talk about those things, and I never thought I would be, but I’m a beaten man.” Her Air America incarnation of the last five years, playing a sort of left-wing answer to Dennis Miller, has been mildly amusing, but I still say she peaked during her iconic performance as The Bowler in the 1999 cult classic “Mystery Men.” Garofalo will be appearing with comedic vet (and her former Air America partner) Marc Maron. (Andy Seifert)

May 1 at Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, (773)472-3492, 7:30pm and 10pm. $29.50.

RECOMMENDED

Having finished third on last season’s “Last Comic Standing,” Spokane, Washington’s Jeff Dye rolls into Chicago with the bronze around his neck, appearing poised for long-term success and armed with the good looks of “Jim” from “The Office.” In retrospect, Dye’s audition on “Last Comic Standing” is a microcosm of his entire routine: he calls himself a “badass” because he pees on vegetables at Costco, his screen name is “Dragonslayer” on eHarmony, he watches B.E.T. even though he’s white, he speeds through school zones while texting (“I hit a kid? LOL, I don’t care!”), and he reads “Goosebumps” books alone. That’s the running theme throughout Dye’s act: self-deprecation with a smile. Bustling with energy and youthfulness, Dye’s already learned to make fun of his weak body, his love for fu-fu drinks and the fact that he’s an all-around pansy. Once he figures out how to really rip on people other than himself, he’s got “guy who appears on Comedy Central at random times ”written all over him. (Andy Seifert)

April 10-11 at Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, (773)472-3492, 8pm and 10:30pm. $25

RECOMMENDED

Letterman regular and Massachusetts-born Bill Burr is probably best known for his 2006 profanity-strewn and murderously angry tirade against the city of Philadelphia when an unruly crowd booed one of the opening acts on an Opie and Anthony tour. But Burr’s routine is so much more than “fuck the Phillies”—he’s also angry at a myriad of other things, like his girlfriend’s stubborn love of stupid activities and the desolate loneliness of Nebraska. Okay, Burr doesn’t exactly reach Sam Kinison-levels of anger, but he’s at his best when his subject matter has to do with being agitated and his delivery starts to resemble a coherent hybrid of Joe Pesci and Michael Rapaport. Burr’s ace up his sleeve? Racial humor: “Every time I hang out with a black dude, at no point during the evening has he, like, teached me how to dance. You know, that interracial ‘Footloose’ moment they have in those movies? And I’ve never gone to his neighborhood to try to save a school. How many times are they gonna make that movie?” (Andy Seifert)

April 3-4 at Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, (773)472-3492, 8pm and 10:30pm. $20

RECOMMENDED

As the host of the occasionally funny “Best Week Ever” on VH1 (which, at its worst, is just a barrage of painfully stupid one-liners), Paul Tompkins anchors a huge cast of hit-or-miss comedians, providing enough actual pop-culture commentary or blissful goofiness to keep his comedic companions from making the show intolerable. His stand-up act, however, is happily uninterrupted by some comic smirking, “He looks like a black Jeff Goldblum!” or videos of Britney Spears falling on her ass. This leaves plenty of time for Tompkins to riff on smoking pot while drunk, his mom’s dying words on homosexuals, and insanely vicious dogs whose owners won’t apologize when they lunge at him. “Wow, that certainly startled me, that dog that is your responsibility,” he says. “I’m sure that he would apologize if he could, but as he lacks the capacity for speech, who will pick up the baton, I wonder?” Tompkins will use the Lakeshore show to record the follow-up to his debut album, “Impersonal.” (Andy Seifert)

March 14 at Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway, (773)472-3492, 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm. $20