Brown Paper Tickets uses cookies to provide the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy

Cookie Settings

Comedy Critique: Jackie Kashian

screen shot 2014-02-18 at 55930 pmBlog post courtesy of Brown Paper Tickets’ Comedy Doer Julie Seabaugh and her professional comedy criticism site The Spit TakeSelected blog post by Nick A. Zaino III

Jackie Kashian begins her new special, This Will Make an Excellent Horcrux, with a couple of notes up front, away from her audience. For the uninitiated, she explains that a “horcrux” is a Harry Potter reference, an object that contains her soul. She may not look or sound like a prototypical “dork,” but she does host a podcast called The Dork Forest, and her dork cred becomes hilariously obvious later on. The second thing she does is congratulate her audience on their choice of downloading the special, with the corollary that seeing stand-up comedy live is the best way to experience it.

Horcrux was taped at Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis, and it feels like everything a good night out at a comedy club should be. Kashian is smart, bracing without being bitter, and she knows how to keep the punchlines rolling without seeming manic or insincere. It’s the kind of set that might make those who look down on “club comedy” as the petri dish of the lowest common denominator in stand up reconsider.

Of course that’s not a fight Kashian is taking on in an obvious sense. She takes on stand-up stereotypes that bug her because, as she says, she loves comedy, and she’ll do comedy wherever they’ll let her. Her first line in the live set after introductions is “I’m overweight. You may consider that addressed.” Translation: no tired fat jokes will follow. Kashian does, however, address her appearance further to establish a sense of place rather than to self-deprecate. Where she grew up in Wisconsin, she’s a solid six. In L.A., where she lives now, she’d be cast as an airport cop.


Read More…

Comedy >

Spit Take Saturday: Morgan Murphy

514Vah5BY5L._SL500_AA280_Welcome to Spit Take Saturday, courtesy of Brown Paper Tickets’ Comedy Doer Julie Seabaugh and her professional comedy criticism site The Spit Take. Julie’s goal with the site is to “elevate the public perception of stand-up comedy to that of a legitimate art form, and to enable comedy criticism be taken as seriously as that of theater, film, music, food, even video games. No a**-kissing. No bias. No mercy. Just honest, unfiltered, long-form reviews written by professional, knowledgeable comedy critics.” 

Every week Julie will select an entry from the site to be included on our blog and hand-pick some related events happening that week that So, without further ado, let us introduce you to this week’s Spit Take Saturday!

__________________________________________

Morgan Murphy knows how to write a joke. She’s a Twitter phenom and has written for 2 Broke Girls, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live. She’s got a great comedic mind, and it’s clear why she’s done well for herself as a TV writer—her jokes are smart and her material covers, with equal weight, Planned Parenthood and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days.



Read More…

Comedy >

The Pronto Podcast — Brown Paper Tickets’ Event Guide for Seattle

BPT_buttonWelcome to The Pronto! Brown Paper Ticket’s event guide for Seattle.

Tune in every Tuesday to check out a few of our favorite events in the Emerald City! You can check back to the blog every Tuesday at 10am or hit “subscribe” on the player and get each week’s Pronto delivered right to your computer.

Have a friend that’s visiting Seattle this week? Why not share this podcast with them and give them ideas of something to do? 

This week’s podcast features burlesque calendar girls, Thai food recipes and marketing tips for indie authors. 

Tonight, Tuesday, January 7, it’s time for Self Defense 101 for Women at University Heights Community Center or Phinney Neighborhood Center. In this six week class you’ll learn everything you need to know to stay safe and defend yourself.

If this is the year you’re going to publish your book, you definitely want to make an appearance at Sell Your eBooks and Drive Reviews at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture also tonight, Tuesday, January 7. Listen to best selling author Ingrid Ricks share everything she knows about being a successful indie author.
Read More…

Arts >

The Pronto Podcast — Brown Paper Tickets’ Event Guide for Seattle

BPT_buttonWelcome to The Pronto! Brown Paper Ticket’s event guide for Seattle.

Tune in every Tuesday to check out a few of our favorite events in the Emerald City! You can check back to the blog every Tuesday at 10am or hit “subscribe” on the player and get each week’s Pronto delivered right to your computer.

Have a friend that’s visiting Seattle this week? Why not share this podcast with them and give them ideas of something to do? 

This week’s podcast features our top picks for this year’s New Year’s Eve! These are just a few ways to ring in 2014.

Conor Byrne Pub in Ballard hosts the 2nd Annual Artist Home New Year’s Eve Celebration. Lots of guest musicians on the roster including members of Big Sur, Ravenna Woods, Hounds of the Wild Hunt, Smokey Brights and more.

If you wanna get exotic this year check out Afro-Caribbean New Year’s Night at Salsa N Seattle. The doors open at 10. Breakfast at 4. In between expect lots of partying, plus an amazing performance by Sultan Clinton, DJ Toni and others.

If you really wanna feel the music this time around, perhaps a stop at Bassdrop Music NYE 2014 is the way to go. This one is at the newly renovated Monkey Loft in Sodo and features DJs Jameson Just, Paul Wheeler, Tyler Brown and others.

Lucky Strike in Bellevue hosts Cirque Glow New Year’s Even 2014. With prices ranging from thirty bucks to a ten thousand dollar VIP package (yes, you heard that right) there’s plenty of bowling, dining, drinking and dancing for everyone. Plus acrobats and other circus performers. Amazing party.

This might be the year to go back in time. Couple’s Cupid 70’s New Years Eve Groovy Dance Party goes back to the 70’s. So wear your best vintage clothes. This sexy event is limited to couples and single females only.

If you wanna go straight for the tunes this year, head over to the High Dive in Fremont. You’ll blaze in the new year with The West, Ever So Android and Dead Ship Sailing. Great bands, indeed.

In the mood for some Russian influence this time around? How about spending new year’s eve at the Russian Community Center of Seattle on Capitol Hill. They’re calling it The Firebird. Your hostess will be decked out in Russian attire. There will be plenty of Russian food and music. And of course, there will be enough vodka for everyone.

Wanna go retro? Why not spend the evening at Fuel Sports in Pioneer Square with Platinum Spandex. That’s Puget Sound’s best 80’s hair rock band. You know you sorta wish it was 1987.


Read More…

Arts >