Last month’s Matt Rife hype has died down a bit.
But where did it come from? Why are people so interested in the comedian?
Today’s Stand-Up Spotlight attempts to shed some light on the subject with a story that traces Rife’s career.
There’s also a career retrospective on Paul F. Tompkins, who appears to be ready to rejoin the game, and an article suggesting the comedy scene in Columbus, Ohio, is worth a look.
If South Florida comedians or fans are interested in the Columbus scene, now might be the time to head there. The temperatures will soon be dropping quickly.
Keep the funny rolling.
STAND-UP SPOTLIGHT – August 10, 2023
How Comedian Matt Rife Pulled Off Stratospheric Rise From Pandemic-Era Pickup Truck Stand-Up To A Sold-Out Global Tour With Live Nation
Two months ago, when comedian Matt Rife announced his ProbleMATTic World Tour with Live Nation, he moved around 600,000 tickets over the span of just 48 hours, experiencing the culmination of 12 long years on the road.
Remarkably, this was just the artist presale, with Rife ultimately going on to sell 720,000+ tickets to 300 shows, including eight back-to-back at the Chicago Theatre, six at Radio City Music Hall, and four at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Paul F. Tompkins Is Getting Back Into It
It is a transitory life being a comedian. It is challenging professionally, as has been underlined recently by striking actors and writers sharing their stories of professional ups and downs. It’s also challenging creatively, where once you think you figure out what your thing is, the muses lead you to some new idea, medium, or technique. To look back at Paul F. Tompkins’s nearly 40 years in comedy — starting as a teen in the Philadelphia comedy clubs during the boom to working at Mr. Show and becoming a fixture of the L.A. alternative-comedy scene to his last 14 years as a comedy-podcast guest standard bearer — is to see a comedian adapting to a series of breakthroughs and setbacks. It has taken work, but Tompkins has exhibited resilience and a drive to always be as true to himself as a comedian as possible.
Click here to view original web page at Paul F. Tompkins Is Getting Back Into It
Columbus is Funny: The Golden Era of Local Comedy
Sometime back in the spring, I ran into local comedian Travis Hoewischer while riding my bike on the Olentangy Trail one Saturday morning. We rode together for a bit and chatted, and I mentioned to him that I had been to a couple of really funny stand-up comedy shows recently that seemed to be well attended.
In response, he said something along the lines of, “Dude, we’re in a golden era of comedy right now.”
Click here to view original web page at Columbus is Funny: The Golden Era of Local Comedy
