As people across the country gear up for this year’s Fourth of July festivities, some of us are still slightly confused as to what happened to the first half of 2012, which seems to have rushed by in a cloudy haze before our very eyes. Before continuing onward in our quest to prove the Mayans wrong, let’s take a moment to reflect on what’s made 2012 memorable thus far.
Marc Maron returns to Boston to tape live episode of WTF Podcast
You’d be hard-pressed to find a Boston comedy fan who doesn’t recall kicking off the year in style when the 2012 Magners Comedy Festival Boston came to town in January, bringing with it the highly-anticipated WTF Live with Marc Maron. Fans packed The Wilbur to be a part of Boston comedy history, as Maron taped his live podcast with special guests Kenny Rogerson, Tony V, Jimmy Tingle, Mike Donovan and Frank Santorelli. Of course, adding to the night’s excitement was feature act and Comedy Studio owner Rick Jenkins, who clearly relished the opportunity to warm up the home town crowd for Maron’s stand up show that night.
Louis C.K. surprises Boston with a super secret benefit at The Wilbur
Back in February, Louis C.K. decided to perform at the Wilbur Theater to raise money for the New England Center For Children, whose mission is “to transform the lives of children with autism worldwide through education, research, and technology.” The organization has been long-supported by C.K.’s friend, Robert Smigel, famous comedy writer and creator and voice of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Smigel and his wife Michelle, who have an autistic son, have also been integral in the production of Comedy Central’s every-other-year Night Of Too Many Stars, which also raises money for autism awareness. Joining C.K. was comedic heavyweight Jim Gaffigan, who was fresh off of a string of headlining shows himself in Boston and returned to help his friend out.
Emerson College crowned 2012 Funniest College Comedy Team by Rooftop Comedy, Nick Peine takes home contest MVP
Thirty-two schools from across the country competed in Rooftop Comedy’s National College Comedy Competition presented by TBS. Hoping to snag a spot at the network’s Just for Laughs, Chicago, the teams turned up the heat and brought on the laughs. In the end, it was Emerson College who proved to be the funniest of them all. The team is comprised of Tesha Kondrat, Andrew Coalson, Misha Han and Griff O’Brian, all of whom pummeled through the East Coast rounds, beating Tufts, Boston University and Temple University. From there, they went joke-to-joke with students from the University of California, Santa Cruz, the University of Maryland and Illinois’ Northwestern – and came out on top, making Boston proud. Peine won a VIP trip to Chicago to perform at the TBS Presents Just for Laughs, Chicago.
Boston bids farewell to a favorite live comedy spot
On February 6, the owners of Mottley’s Comedy Club sadly announced to its fans that it would be closing its doors forever – leaving a gaping hole in the comedy scene that still remains wide open to this day:
It has been a tremendous ride, and we are proud to have helped produce so many amazing shows. It's been our honor to see so many young comics climb to the next level, to see established comics make some inroads with the industry, and to see Boston comedy continue to set the standard.
Gary Gulman records live special at The Wilbur
Boston’s own Gary Gulman returned to his home turf in May to record a set of shows for an upcoming live special he’ll be releasing later in October. Always a crowd favorite, the larger-than-life veteran comedian performed a mix of new material both for the special as well as from his then-not-yet-released CD, No Can Defend, which hit stores in June. With packed crowds coming out for both shows, Gulman performed a hilarious set, touching upon everything from the Walkman to his obsession with Netflix. Look for the special later this year.
What are some of your favorite memories in Boston comedy so far in 2012? Let us know by following us on Twitter.
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