Rafe Williams, Young Grandpa
First the pandemic. Then the UFO. Then the murder hornets. We need a laugh, and we need it now. Who better to guide us than St. Louis’ independent comedy scene. Here’s what local comedians are streaming and listening to that’s funny enough to take their mind off current events.
1. “In the evenings, we’re lucky enough to have resources for local comedy,” says Chris Cyr, standup and creator/host of the podcast Impolite Company. “The Improv Shop has a number of shows doing live streams. Back Door Comedy and We Are Live! have weekly shows.”
2. Performer Bobby Jaycox can’t pick one favorite—so here are two: “Follow Nikki Glaser on Instagram to see hilarious content from a famous comedian from St. Louis. And watch the new show Robbie on YouTube for free. It's from Rory Scovel, who is one of the funniest comedians today.”
3. “The Dress Up Gang is a hilarious show on TBS that had been canceled but has been given a second life streaming online,” says Rafe Williams, who released a comedy album,Young Grandpa, this year. “Their online sketch ‘Cute House’ is a great example of their style of comedy. If you haven’t seen it, Google it right now and enjoy.”
4. “Probably the closest thing to standup I’ve been listening to is podcasts,” says Jeremy Hellwig, who has been hosting his live storytelling podcast, Sorry Please Continue, on Zoom through Helium Comedy Clubs. Most of my favorites can be described as ‘Two funny women having a friendship.’ These include The Jackie and Laurie Show, Baby Geniuses, and my favorite local podcast, Slop City. On Slop City, Tina Dybal and Libbie Higgins tell stories, segue in and out of improv, and just fill the time being hilarious and talented.”
5. “I’ve been watching Big Time Adolescence, starring Pete Davidson from SNL, on Hulu,” says Mollie Amburgey, host of The Casually Mollie Podcast. “I also got to interview Rafe Williams about his comedy album, Young Grandpa. It’s a great listen, because he does a lot of storytelling.”
6. “I also have a ticket to watch the Mr. Show full cast reunion show on Zoom,” says Hellwig. “That show was a big reason why I got into writing sketch comedy and eventually standup, so I’m glad I get to see [the cast] together again.”
7. “I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend Kyle Kinane’s standup,” says Williams, “all of it. Start at the beginning—Death of the Party—and watch all his specials. He has a command of language and an uncanny ability to approach a subject. When you hear it, you know you’re in for something special. He’s the closest thing to Carlin we got left.”
8. “I almost exclusively watch that Say Yes to the Dress show and pretend I’m one of the brides,” says standup comic Angela Smith. “Having a televised meltdown in a $12,000 dress and someone still marrying me is my biggest fantasy. I’m also watching a new YouTube show, Frank & Chuck With Chuck & Frank, by local comics Frank Chubb and Charlie Winfrey.”
9. “I love comedian Erica Rhodes’ comedy album Sad Lemon. She has great material regarding relationships, family, and awkward situations that are pretty relatable, even in quarantine,” says Amburgey. “There’s a great bit about how being an adult is when you have an actual headboard and not just a bed from IKEA.”
10. “I was a huge Ally McBeal fan as a kid,” says Tina Dybal, standup and co-host of the Slop City podcast. “I’ve been rewatching it. They tackle some pretty progressive topics in the show, considering it was made in the late ’90s. They have a unisex bathroom in the office that everyone uses and meets in. Listen, if Ally McBeal in 1997 could get hip to a unisex bathroom—technically gender-neutral, but they didn’t know it at the time—why can’t some people today? Favorite current running bit in the show is a lawyer they’re negotiating with named Caroline Poop [played by Sandra Bernhard]. They never address it, which makes it so much funnier when they talk about her.”
11. "Personally, I've been relishing in the opportunity to take a break from thinking of the next bit, and just laughing for myself," says Sam Lyons. "#BlackAF on Netflix should be in everybody's rotation, for some wholesome morbid family humor. My girlfriend and I have also been going through some classic Bob's Burgers episodes ("Bob, Actually," Season 7, episode 9), and we've binged I Think You Should Leave (also Netflix) about a hundred times. The closest I've come to creating new content is tweeting through my One Tree Hill rewatch and dealing with my confusing feelings for Chad Michael Murray."
