Upright Citizen’s Brigade Premieres “Comedy Death Ray” CD

The Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater in Hollywood threw a very unique CD release party to celebrate the “Comedy Death Ray” CD (Comedy Central Records). Comedy Death-Ray is the brainchild of creators/performers BJ Porter (Mr. Show) and Scott Aukerman (The Fun Bunch) which originated in 2002. It is a unique mix of stand-up comedy, characters & sketch that bring a sense of fun back to Los Angeles’ alternative comedy scene.

The UCB Theater originated in New York. The theater here in Los Angeles is the offspring of the Upright Citizen’s Brigade comedy Troupe, Comedy Central show (now on DVD), Improv School, and now two theaters. The UCB is L.A’s spot to be for improv, sketch, and stand-up comedy, all performed in Hollywood by cutting-edge comedic performers.

The atmosphere in the UCB is quaint and edgy, with its black painted walls, and limited seating. The place crackles with show energy as right up to the last minute chairs are being added to stage left & right to accommodate seating one-hundred. The size of the theater is also a good reason to try to get reservations in advance and arrive to the line early, especially to avoid sitting five feet from a razor sharp comedian like Jimmy Pardo, or Doug Benson, as the people on stage can become part of the show at any given moment.

When you’re in the mood to have some big laughs on Tuesday night (8:30) at Comedy Death Ray, go to the UCB Theater and see why it’s billed as "The world’s best comedy night." On any given Tuesday, several great comics are at CDR to work out every thing from new material, to characters, and who knows what else. These are a few examples that give CDR its stellar reputation for the funniest Tuesday night of Comedy in LA. The show is created by Mr. Show veterans Scott Aukerman, and BJ Porter. Comedy Death Ray is a safe place for comedians to work out material, and that attracts an all-star line up.

The list of performer’s are top-notch with the likes of Sara Silverman, David Cross, Patton Oswald, Bob Odenkirk, Greg Proops, Doug Benson to name a few. Surprisingly, the price is (still) only five-dollars, so for little money go see some of the hottest comics around doing what they do best. The show is known for being hard to get tickets for, but now you can experience the show at home as it’s available on a new Comedy Central Record’s release, and the Comedy Death ray disc is available on their website (www.myspace.com/comedydeathray).

Aukerman and Porter both agree that the CD is a solid representation of the live show, adding “The CD is from two-shows, one recorded at the UCB in Hollywood, and the other at Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco. They were two of our best shows, and are a solid representation of the live show.”

Aukerman and Porter spoke on the importance of Comedy Death Ray, and the freedom it brings to comedy, and comedians: “It’s a safe place for comedians to work out comedy, try new things, as well as serve as an incubator to for their sketch comedy pilot for Fox, “The Right Now Show!” starring Maria Bamford.
When asked about the importance Comedy Death Ray, Aukerman and Porter both feel that, “It’s a unique mix of stand-up comedy, characters & sketch that brings a sense of fun back to Los Angeles’ alternative comedy scene. CDR is the place to see today’s comedy greats and tomorrow’s innovators play in an ever-changing, anything can happen environment.”

The Comedy Death Ray CD release is big news for comedy fans, and even people that feel they don’t like comedy (but secretly need to a laugh) as the disc is full of top comedians like David Cross (Mr. Show), Doug Benson (Last Comic Standing), Maria Bamford (The Right Now Show), Brian Posehn (Mr. Show), Patton Oswalt (King of Queens), and Reno 911 (Comedy Central).

These great performer’s and many more, fill the Comedy Death Ray CD and make it great buy for comedy fans, or just a great CD to add to any collection. Also, for a fun night out visit the UCB as all the shows from “Comedy Death Ray,” to the “Benson Interruption,” are worth seeing at the UCB. If you want to contact the UCB Theater (Hollywood at 5919 Franklin Blvd) to make reservations call them directly (323-908-8702), or visit UCB, or CDR online at www.myspace.com/comedydeathray and www.ucbtheatre.com.

Photos by Dennis Lorence.