CONCERT REVIEW: Steven Wright (Potawatomi Hotel & Casino's Northern Lights Theater, Milwaukee)

Legendary Boston standup Steven Wright struggles to update a painfully old set at Potawatomi's Northern Lights Theater, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

Read my full review here.

CONCERT REVIEW: Bridget Everett & Murray Hill (Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee)

Arriving just in the nick of time, Bridget Everett's uproariously smutty Pound It tour temporarily alleviates the post-election malaise of this anxious Milwaukee audience.

Read my full review here.

CONCERT REVIEW: Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally (The Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee)

Comedy duo/married couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally take the Riverside Theatre crowd on a sex-fueled trip through the history of their long relationship 

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CONCERT REVIEW: Maria Bamford, Rebecca O'Neal & Rana May (Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee)

The Turner Hall Ballroom is graced with a visit from eccentric comedic genius Maria Bamford, as well as all of the various bizarre characters she brings along with her. 

Read my full review here.

CONCERT REVIEW: Bob's Burgers Live (The Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee)

Bob's Burgers' quirky Belcher family (or at least the actors that voice them) hit the road, stopping at the Riverside Theatre for a fun, well-rounded evening of comedy.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Chris Tucker (The Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee)

Following his recent return to standup comedy, Chris Tucker's infectious energy proves to be the saving grace of an otherwise unremarkable show at the Riverside Theatre.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Steven Wright (Potawatomi Hotel & Casino's Northern Lights Theatre, Milwaukee)

Legendary standup comedian Steven Wright delivers a confusingly dated set at the Northern Lights Theatre, but still proves entertaining despite the stale material. 

Read my full review here.

CONCERT REVIEW: W. Kamau Bell, Zach Sherwin & Greg Bach (Shank Hall, Milwaukee)

San Francisco-based comedian W. Kamau Bell delivers a prolonged, engaging set of his sharp-edged socio-political standup to a disappointingly small crowd at Shank Hall.

Read my full review here.

CONCERT REVIEW: Bob Odenkirk (The Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee)

Comedy legend Bob Odenkirk reinvents the run-of-the-mill book tour as a big, busy stage show in support of his new collection of humorous essays, A Load of Hooey.

Read my full review here.

CONCERT REVIEW: Tig Notaro & Kjell Bjorgen (Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee)

Much-lauded standup comedian Tig Notaro delivers a typically understated, and predictably hilarious, set to an appreciative audience at Turner Hall Ballroom.

Read my full review here.

CONCERT REVIEW: John Hodgman, Bill Corbett & Kevin Murphy (Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee)

One-of-a-kind comedian John Hodgman brings his revealing new tour to the Turner Hall Ballroom, joined by Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy of MST3K and Rifftrax fame.

Read my full review here.

CONCERT REVIEW: Michael Ian Black (Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee)

Perennially underrated writer, actor and standup comedian Michael Ian Black stops by Turner Hall, and proceeds to keep the entire crowd in stitches from start to finish.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Tracy Morgan (The Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee)

Notorious standup comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Tracy Morgan brings his uproariously smutty "Turn It Funny" tour to the Pabst Theatre.

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FEATURE: Satire Isn't Always Smart: Prime Time

It's tempting to say the 1977 television send-up Prime Time was shelved by Warner Brothers for being too uncompromising but, in reality, it's simply an absurd disaster.

Read the full piece here.

FEATURE: Why You've Never Seen Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

Even for a Norman Lear production, the largely forgotten Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was a radical departure from the 1970s television norm, but the show's uncompromising nature isn't what consigned it to eventual obscurity.

Read the full piece here.

FEATURE: Wonder Showzen: We Hardly Knew Ye (but Man, the Stuff We Did Know?)

The controversial kid's show satire Wonder Showzen was predictably cancelled after two seasons but, surprisingly, it wasn't its offensive content that got it the ax. 

Read the full piece here.

FEATURE: Woody Allen Moves Toward the Serious: Love and Death

Woody Allen envisioned 1975's Love and Death as a simple and fun stopgap project, but the production quickly turned into a costly, frustrating mess. In the long run though, the difficult experience pushed Allen's career toward bigger and better things.

Read the full piece here.

COMEDY REVIEW: David Sedaris (The Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee)

Though a bit like a bookstore appearance writ large, an evening with author and radio personality David Sedaris proves enlightening and, even better, extremely funny.  

Read my full review here.

COMEDY REVIEW: Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal & John Hodgman (The Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee)

Though alluring enough on their own, comedians Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal and John Hodgman team up for a short tour, delivering even more bang for your buck.

Read my full review here.

COMEDY REVIEW: Comedy Bang! Bang! Live! & The Birthday Boys (Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee)

Host Scott Aukerman brings the live version of his popular podcast/IFC TV show to the Turner Hall stage, complete with some very special guests. Hilarity ensues.

Read my full review here.