Ben Roy

James Clark of Governor Jack on improv, and making a web series about a web series

Governor Jack -- a group comprising James Clark, Rollie Williams, Jason Metter, Asa Erlendson and Max Schwartz -- is campaigning to make improv a more visible part of Denver's burgeoning comedy scene. The group produces the improv show Governor Jack Watches You Sleep at Voodoo Comedy Playhouse, with ... More >>

Become a part of Ben Roy's live recording session tonight at Comedy Works

Ben Roy has some catching up to do: While his mates in the Grawlix -- Andrew Orvedahl and Adam Cayton-Holland -- are both promoting brand-new solo CDs, Roy is still recording his followup to last year's I Got Demons. Tonight at 8 p.m., he'll perform at the second of three dates at Comedy Works devo ... More >>

Comedian Josh Blue on the pros and cons of being an "inspiration"

There have been a handful of standup comics with cerebral palsy over the years, but few have transcended the "inspirational" novelty and gone on to achieve legitimate credibility in their field. Not like Denver's Josh Blue, who conquered the fourth season of Last Comic Standing and released his own ... More >>

Benjamin's Buttons

The ten best comedy events in May

Now that we've finally eked our way into the warmer weeks of spring (fingers crossed), it's time to get off the couch and head out into the fresh air to get to May's ten best comedy events. We've got albums being recorded, albums being released, two Latino-themed shows, nerd heroes Aziz Ansari and C ... More >>

Anthony Jeselnik celebrates baby-death, bulimia and domestic violence at DU

The appearance of sociopathic dreamboat Anthony Jeselnik at the University of Denver's Newman Center Saturday was filled with unthinkable rape jokes and reverse-pandering to the backward-hat bros and "Woo!" women who populate the college campus. Despite the fact that nearly half his set was recycled ... More >>

Andrew Orvedahl on Those Who Can't, the Grawlix pilot for Amazon

The Grawlix have been one of the brightest lights on the Denver comedy scene for a couple of years now, most successful comedy team not to come out of Denver -- but to live in Denver. Their crowning achievement thus far, though, has got to be this past weekend's premiere of the Those Who Can't sitco ... More >>

Video: Got the blizzard blues? So do The Grawlix in new teaser for Those Who Can't

Bummed out about the annual spring blizzard that just hit a city that was 71 degrees two days ago? The Grawlix feel your pain. In a timely teaser release for the premiere of their pilot, Those Who Can't (a potential sitcom about three inept teachers in a Denver high school), these three characters d ... More >>

Denver's ten best comedy nights

We thought 2012 was a banner year for comedy in Denver -- but only three months into the new year, comics like Ben Roy, Adam Cayton-Holland, Sam Tallent and Kristin Rand are setting the stage for this once-intimate scene to be blasted into national recognition. With so many great comedy nights alrea ... More >>

Demetri Martin on Woody Guthrie, prop-comedy and not being a hipster

Demetri Martin's polished micro-jokes, nervous stare and intense appreciation of aesthetics have made him a welcome antidote to the wave of loud and sloppy comedians who have dominated the scene over the last decade. In advance of Martin's visit to Comedy Works South this Sunday for two shows (one i ... More >>

Kickstarter campaign for Denver comedy documentary Joke Life now live

document the everyday struggles of people trying to eke out a living from performing stand-up.

Comedian Adam Cayton-Holland debuts new podcast with Ben Roy interview

When a comic's greatest strength is his dynamic physical presence on stage, podcasting can be risky. But while Adam Cayton-Holland has a few sluggish moments during the premiere of his new podcast, My Dining Room Table, his background as a journalist and his genuine rapport with fellow comics make f ... More >>

Reader: Auraria shares traits with this Georgia town

Even sobriety can't tame comedian Ben Roy's savage humor

See also: Everybody Loves Ben Roy: Denver comics weigh in on their longtime colleague

Everybody Loves Ben Roy: Denver comics weigh in on their longtime colleague

Ben Roy, the subject of this week's cover story, has worked hard to establish himself as a unique voice in the growing Denver comedy scene. We recently spoke with several local comics who have a relationship with Roy both on and off the stage, some of whom were there at the germination of Denver's u ... More >>

Kristin Rand's Freak Show kicks off Funny Final Four tomorrow at Comedy Works

Everyone loves a contest, and it's no different in the world of comedy. The Comedy Works' Funny Final Four, which has four teams compete for top honors over a period of weeks, is a case in point: It's so popular it keeps coming back, year after year. See also: - Ten best comedy shows in Denver in ... More >>

Ten best comedy shows in Denver in February

With Denver's local comedy scene finally beginning to catch up with Comedy Work's national acts -- in terms of both talent and swelling audience numbers -- we figured it was time to assemble some of our favorite standup shows for the coming month. As we salivate over the smorgasbord of Denver's incr ... More >>

Comedian/restaurateur Will White on his paleo-diet truck, Kickstarter and standup

Will Will White consent to an interview? "Gee, let me think, um..fuck yeah man!" says the up-and-coming comedian and restaurateur. White's exuberance has reached a fever pitch lately, as his bourgeoning stand-up career dovetails with a new chapter in his business career -- as owner of the Caveman Ca ... More >>

Five choice moments from Denver's standup scene in 2012

No question, 2012 was the year of the comedian in Denver. A lifelong fan of standup, I've had the pleasure of reporting on some amazing shows this year -- and I'm sharing some of the high points here. Still, I'm sure there's a vast ocean of talent that slipped past me in 2012; feel free to remind ... More >>

10 things to do for $10 in Denver this weekend (5 free!), December 21-23

Yeah, the world might end tonight. But just in case it doesn't, hold onto some of your cash, rather than ending up like one of Harold Camping's followers. Because there will be plenty of ways to spend it this weekend in Denver, where bargain activities include skating at a roller disco, dancing away ... More >>

The Narrators, holiday edition, examines "The Gift" tonight at Deer Pile

As the year draws to an end, the Narrators is growing into its cozy home at the Deer Pile. The thoroughly modern storytelling session, co-hosted by Andrew Orvedahl and Robert Rutherford, brings a chorus line of local creatives with a certain verbal panache -- comics, writers, musicians and the uncat ... More >>

Louie C.K.: Five examples of his twisted comic wisdom

Like Lenny Bruce in the '60s, George Carlin in the '70s or Bill Hicks in the '90s, Louie C.K. could go down as the premier comic of this decade. His standup specials have not only changed the course of comedy material, but have changed the business of stand-up comedy. C.K. will be performing to a so ... More >>

10 things to do for $10 in Denver this weekend (7 free!), December 7-9

Money troubles? Forget your cares while enjoying some of the bargain entertainment in Denver this weekend. Friday thrugh Sunday are full of interesting events -- everything from watching classic Saturday morning cartoons and local comedy to gazing at dinosaur bones -- and we've found seven great eve ... More >>

Santa, Baby

Fun on the Run

Too Much Funstival comedians on how Denver's scene has evolved

"When I started doing comedy in Denver, there were about two open mikes a week and one alt show a month," says Bobby Crane, a member of the Fine Gentleman's Club. "And now there's more than one open mike every night of the week and three or four alt shows a month that are really good. I'd say in the ... More >>

Evan Nix's top picks for the Laugh Track Comedy Festival

The Laugh Track Comedy Festival will descend on Denver tonight, bringing three days of comedy performers and films that are sure to make your sides split. To help you navigate the thirty short films and over forty comedians, festival co-director Evan Nix sent us his top ten picks of events not to mi ... More >>

The Humor Code, Untitled edition: Pete McGraw and Joel Warner explain funny

Scientists have long understood that farts are hilarious. What's less understood, however, is why. In all seriousness, though, actual scientists have been trying to theoretically understand humor since the time of Aristotle without much success -- until University of Colorado Boulder professor Pete ... More >>

Greater Than Collective signs distribution deal with Sony RED and adds Epilogues to the roster

See Also: • (Profile) The Epilogues story has a happy ending • (Profile) Cobraconda goes on Spring Break • Snake Rattle Rattle Snake partners with Greater Than Collective • Illegal Pete's and Greater Than Collective's Second Annual Starving Artist Showcase Since launching Greater Than -- t ... More >>

Ten things to do for $10 this weekend, March 30-April 1, 2012

Just because you're scrambling to get the rent together this weekend doesn't mean you have to stay inside and mope. From a vegan prom to a Mexican wrestling-themed dance party, we've got everything to do this weekend all in one place, and for under $10. So go out and enjoy the sun, check out some of ... More >>

Andrew Orvedahl: 2012 MasterMind award winner

Founder of "The Narrators," a live storytelling night

The best jokes, by comedian, of Comedy Works' Funny Final Four

Jodee Champion opens the show.​It opened with a differently-abled World of Warcraft avatar and ended with fat-kid pedophilia, and there was an impressive amount of homeless people in between. Needless to say, then, the Funny Final Four at Comedy Works downtown got off to an excellent start las ... More >>

10 things to do for $10 this weekend, January 27-29, 2012

As the end of the month approaches -- and the rent is due -- other expenses fall by the wayside. We start making bizarre food concoctions out of whatever is left in the fridge and skimp on luxuries, like shampoo. But even though the landlord is looking for us, it's no reason to skimp on fun. Here's ... More >>

The Nix Bros. on comedy, short films and what funny really means

​This is one in a series of posts in honor of Denver Arts Week that salute some of our favorite people and places on the arts scene. The Nix Bros. have been busy the last few years doling out comedy films of all shapes and sizes, from the patently absurd Rainbow Chasers, to the music ridiculo ... More >>

Grawlix co-founder Andrew Orvedahl on the comedy series, a new web show and more

​The Grawlix comedy show has been selling out the Avenue Theater since it launched (it runs the last Friday of every month), so we figured it was time to catch up with one of the founding members, Andrew Orvedahl to talk about the history the show and its future, including a brand new web seri ... More >>

Review: Planes Mistaken For Stars at 3 Kings, with Fire Drills and Kingdom of Magic, 8/13/11

Aaron Thackeray. See more photos from last night. PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS REUNION at 3 KINGS TAVERN | 8/13/11With special guests Kingdom of Magic, the Fire Drills and Vamos! Right before Planes took the stage, you could see the anticipation on the faces of many people who had been looking forwar ... More >>

Download the free This Ain't No Cowtown, Vol 1 comedy and poetry compilation

​A couple weeks ago, ZetaKaye House released This Ain't No Cowtown, a compilation of Colorado bands, and this week we've got a collection in a similar vein with some of Denver's best comedians and poets. If you're the type of person who's scared to go to comedy shows or poetry readings becaus ... More >>

10 things to do for $10 this weekend, January 28-30, 2011

​It's the last Saturday of January, which means, well, absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it does mean it's the weekend and that's all that matters. The important thing is you'll have plenty of activities to do on the cheap this weekend; from comedy to art, we've got you cov ... More >>

The Gamits light your eyes on fire this week

​Quick: What type of glasses do you usually see at a Gamits show? If you guessed aviators, horn-rimmed or browline, you win a substantial amount of geek points for knowing the names of the three nerdiest types of glasses. Also, you should probably get down to the Gamits show this weekend, beca ... More >>

Funny Ladies

The Fire Drills tap former 29th Street Disciples frontman Ben Roy to take over frontman duties

​This item's a little close to home, but the news is too noteworthy not to share: The Fire Drills have a new frontman. The outfit, which features longtime Backbeat contributor Jason Heller, has tapped renowned funnyman and former 29th Street Disciples frontman Ben Roy to take over lead vocals. ... More >>

200 Million Years shows off their need for help in style

​The last few month have been unkind to a few local groups. It seemed like everywhere we looked bands were getting their gear jacked. Thankfully, Colorado loves to help when these things happen, that's where Loss Prevention Thanksgiving comes into play.

Hearsay bits: The Band Formerly Known As Prince splits, more bassists wanted

​Prince of tides: Looks like the Band Formerly Known As Prince is now merely the band fomerly known. Evidently, the uni-monikered members of the curiously named, dancetastic, barely-ready-for-primetime unit have opted to part ways. Aaron the frontman broke the news to fans this past Friday and sai ... More >>

There's no business like snow business: Cayton-Holland show postponed

The Wrist Deep Crew -- Adam Cayton-Holland, Greg Baumhauer, Ben Roy and Jim Hickox -- were supposed to be at Rockbar tonight for "Slumming It: A Night of Live Comedy at Rockbar."But the game's been called on account of rain. "Slumming It" has been rescheduled for May 2; for more information, call 30 ... More >>

You can leave your (cowboy) hat on at Stampede

Slumdog Millionaires

Give Wrist Deep Productions a hand.

Will the Real Ben Kronberg Please Stand Up?

2 Girls, 1 Clip

Nothing is sacred on the information superhighway.

29th Street Disciples

Monkey Mania

Get Up, Stand Up

I set out to write a story on open-mike nights. But the joke was on me.