Flyover Comedy Festival
LA-based sketch group The Big Team (formerly White Women) will return this year after selling out both their shows at 2019's Flyover Comedy Festival.
After the past 18 months or so, we could all use a laugh. Luckily, Flyover Comedy Festival is returning this year with more than 30 events featuring performers from across the country. The fest, which was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place across multiple venues in The Grove from Nov. 11-13.
"This would have been year five for us if not for the pandemic, and I know the team here, between me and co-founder Brady McAninch and local comics like Rafe Williams, who's on our board, and Emily Hickner, I think we're all just really excited to have it back at all after the last year," says co-founder Zach Gzehoviak. "We definitely planned to continue this thing year after year, grow it as much as makes sense, and have this be a super fun weekend of comedy in St. Louis."
Changes this year include, as expected, COVID safety protocols such as masks and proof of vaccination, but there's also been several venue shifts due to pandemic closures. Hot Java Bar, formerly The Ready Room, will host several festival events, and the events previously bookmarked for Atomic Cowboy have been moved to Urban Chestnut. The Dogwood will play host to the STLMADE Showcase, which will feature local comedians Bobby Jaycox, Ronaldo Mercado, Angela Smith, Meredith Hopping, JC Sibala, Mychael Anthony, Brandon Taylor, Tina Dybal, and Kenny Kinds.
Gzehoviak says nailing down the details was one of the biggest challenges in planning this year's fest, as businesses remained in flux and closures were unpredictable. "We didn't know what venues would be available," he says. "The past two years almost have been difficult for people, and we were hesitant to start planning without knowing what was going on with businesses and where they were at, but we're so glad that things are coming around and coming back and shows have started happening all over the place again. I think by festival time things will be really ready to go and cool."
Plenty of folks are looking forward to seeing old favorites return to the much-anticipated event, but for those who haven't yet experienced Flyover, Gzehoviak's top piece of advice is to try something new and embrace the variety that the event offers.
"Pick something out of your comfort zone, go see some somebody that you haven't heard of before," he says. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with about anybody you pick on [the lineup]. I also would encourage people to, if they can only make it one night, pick two or three events to skip around to. We've sort of planned it with the idea that there's a variety of different comedy events to go check out between improv, sketch, and standup."
In addition to that advice, Gzehoviak also let us in on some of his top picks from the festival lineup. Take a look at his list below, and get both single tickets and festival passes at flyovercomedyfest.com.
Must-See Events from Flyover Co-Founder Zach Gzehoviak
Flyover Comedy Festival
Doug Benson will be joined by Giulia Rozzi, Eliza Skinner, Adam Cayton-Holland, and Bobby Jaycox Friday night at Hot Java Bar.
Top Pick: Rachel Feinstein
Saturday, Nov. 13, 8 p.m.
Hot Java Bar (formerly The Ready Room)
You just can’t go wrong with buying tickets to see Rachel Feinstein at Flyover 2021. You may know Feinstein from her three Comedy Central specials, including the most recent Amy Schumer Presents Rachel Feinstein: Only Whores Wear Purple. Rachel recently recurred on the Steven Soderbergh Amazon series Red Oaks and on Judd Apatow's HBO comedy Crashing. She also guest starred on Bravo’s Odd Mom Out. Her past credits include Trainwreck, Top Five, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, co-hosting The View on multiple occasions, and several appearances on Inside Amy Schumer. Feinstein has also lent her voice to Adult Swim's Venture Brothers and the phenomenally successful Grand Theft Auto video game franchise. Her latest special premiered on March 20, 2018 as part of Netflix’s half hour series The Standups.
Other Great Picks:
The STLMADE Standup Comedy Showcase
Thursday, Nov. 11, 8 p.m.
The Dogwood
Flyover Comedy Festival has selected what we believe is a tremendous cross-section of the region’s best up-and-coming talent for a STLMADE showcase. Our stellar lineup includes Ronaldo Mercado, Angela Smith, Meredith Hopping, JC Sibala, Max Pryce, Brandon Taylor, Tina Dybal, Kenny Kinds, Aaron Porter, Charlie Winfrey, Chris Cyr, and Will O’Donnell. The host for the evening is Bobby Jaycox.
Doug Benson & Friends
Friday, Nov. 12, 8 p.m.
Hot Java Bar (formerly The Ready Room)
It’s a five for one! Catch Flyover 2021 headliner Doug Benson, plus Giulia Rozzi, Eliza Skinner, Adam Cayton-Holland, and Bobby Jaycox at this Friday night show. Benson has been charming audiences with his endearingly aloof and witty, stoner-brand comedy since the late 1990s. Benson is known for his popular podcasts (Doug Loves Movies and Getting Doug With High), his films (Super High Me, The Greatest Movie Ever Rolled, Chronic-Con: Episode 420), appearances on TV shows like @midnight, The Trailer Park Boys, and You're The Worst, and for presiding over The High Court as ‘Judge Doug’ on Comedy Central. A finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing back in 2007 and a series regular on four seasons of VH1’s Best Week Ever, Benson has released four comedy albums with Comedy Central and six albums with AST Records.
The Big Team
Friday, Nov. 12, 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 13, 9 p.m.
The Improv Shop
Los Angeles-based improv team The Big Team (formerly known as White Women) were so good at their two sold-out shows at FCF 2019 that Flyover Comedy Festival had to bring them back in 2021. Formed after meeting at the UCB Black History Month Show in 2013, this team has been featured at theaters all over Los Angeles and the country, having headlined festivals in Portland, D.C., Austin, New York, and more. Group Members include Ronnie Adrian (Key & Peele, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot), Zeke Nicholson (AP Bio, The Good Place), Ify Nwadiwe (@midnight, TwitchTV), Lamar Woods (New Girl, Single Parents), Carl Tart (MadTV, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and Ishmel Sahid (Cousins For Life, Maron).
Jeremiah Watkins
Saturday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
The Improv Shop
Known for his quick witted, off-the-cuff, physical standup style, Jeremiah Watkins guarantees a comedy experience like you’ve never seen before. Watkins is heralded as the comedian who, during a performance on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, made Judd Apatow “fall in love with comedy again,” and that’s a direct quote from Apatow himself. Watkins is well known for his podcasts/YouTube shows Jeremiah Wonders and Scissors Bros with Jeremiah Watkins & Steebee Weebee. He is also a regular at the world-famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles, where he runs the popular monthly "Standup on the Spot with Jeremiah Watkins" show. An improvised standup comedy show, "Standup on the Spot" was named one of GQ’s “5 Funniest Nights in America.” Other credits include Lights Out with David Spade, Netflix’s Historical Roasts, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. And if you’re a Batman fan, Cartoon Network recently announced Watkins will voice The Joker in its upcoming animated Batman series.
Kiry Shabazz
Saturday, Nov. 13, 10 p.m.
Urban Chestnut
If you don’t know Kiry Shabazz now, you will soon! Seen on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Bill Burr Presents: The Ringers stand-up series, Shabazz was one of 1,250 stand ups who auditioned at open calls for the annual Stand Up NBC Competition, and he went on to win the entire competition. Don’t miss him and five other festival comics from all over the country on Saturday at Urban Chestnut Brewery.
