The New York Comedy Festival, which announced its Manhattan-centric lineup today, isn’t the only game in town. Over in Kings County, the Brooklyn Comedy Film Festival is happening at Nitehawk later this month. And on the weekend of September 7, the Cinder Block Comedy Festival will take over venues in Williamsburg and Bushwick.
Cinder Block has now announced its lineup, and there’s good news if you’ve been binge-watching Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (the first episode of which features a hilarious Kim’s Video cameo, btw). Janeane Garofalo (aka camp director Beth) will be appearing at Bar Matchless on Sept. 8 and at Rough Trade on Sept. 9. Other headliners include Judy Gold and Nikki Carr, who will share a bill with Garofalo as part of a “Women of a Certain Age” showcase.
In 2015, comedian Coree Spencer set out to “create a festival where all voices can be heard.” According to her ACLU benefit showcase; Kelli Dunham, a self-described “ex-nun genderqueer nurse” who will be part of an abortion storytelling night; Took Edalow, a regular in Circus of Dreams at Bizarre Bar; Bushwig favorites Fantasy Grandma; and Jes Tom, a comic who offers “the nonbinary queer Asian American radical cyborg perspective.” There’ll be musical comedy as well, courtesy of faux emo band My Dark Little Corner and the Flight of the Conchords-esque Sam and Bill (listen to the duo’s anthem for straight white men, at the top of this page). Among the out-of-towners to look forward to is Sarah Sherman; the comedian/performance artist’s Helltrap Nightmare was just declared “Best Underground Comedy Show” by Chicago magazine, which called it “Ghoulish. Mystical. Grotesque.” Sign us up!
Among the NYC shows making a return are the relationship-themed Relationshit; Dunces & Dragons, wherein comedians have to complete D&D-esque challenges; and Bayside Myself, featuring comedians table-reading Saved by the Bell episodes.
Check out the schedule here.