A few nights ago I had the pleasure (mostly) of visiting The Laughing Skull Lounge...and yes, I laughed my skull off.
A small room located in the back of The Vortex in midtown Atlanta, this is the brainchild of actor/comedian Marshall Chiles. An intimate setting at only 74 seats where one can enjoy the best comedy has to offer, Laughing Skull claims the title of the smallest full-time comedy venue in the world.
The downside? One tiny little bar with one (though very entertaining) bartender. As they opened the doors to allow the patrons in, every one of them, at one time, proceeded to this bar to get their cocktails for the show. Though the bartender kept up as best as she could, the show could not start until each person had their drink and was in their seats. This did cause quite a delay.
The show opened with resident host actor/comedian Ben Evans who started the night off with laughs from the get-go. Evans' has regularly been featured on RooftopComedy.com’s webpage, as well as made appearances on TV and in movies.
The next comedian took the stage. His humor was...well let's just say, non-humorous. However, all was redeemed when the hilarious Kevin Saucier took the stage. This kid is going places. Not only was his comedy intelligent and bright, his delivery was perfect. He would easily fit next Seth Rogen or Michael Cera in any comedy.
The headliner of the evening was renowned comedian Todd Glass. Glass is perhaps best known for his appearances as a contestant on the second and third seasons of NBC's Last Comic Standing and has appeared regularly on programs such as Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, The Dennis Miller Show, Politically Incorrect, Louie, Tosh.0, and more. In August 2011, his podcast The Todd Glass Show debuted on The Nerdist network gaining him an even bigger fanbase.
From his first moments on stage spewing his sarcastic "Thank you goodnight!" to dolling out some of his routine he is known for, it was impossible to stop laughing. And to those who thought they would heckle or text or talk or one of the other annoying things the group in the front row did, Glass dished out the punishment much to their displeasure and the rest of the audience's pleasure. That's the best part of the Laughing Skull...it feels intimate. Imagine seeing some of the best and freshest comics in your living room.
If you missed this show, make plans to attend the 4th annual Laughing Skull Comedy Festival which runs March 27 through 31 to provide five days of nonstop laughs. For those not familiar, the citywide comedy festival attracts approximately 4000 attendees each year and the best up-and-coming comedians from across the globe who battle it out for a chance to show their stuff in front of top industry tastemakers, bookers and fans. In the past, the festival has had reps attend from “Chelsea Lately”, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”, the “Late Show with David Letterman” and more. With thousands of submissions each year, only 72 lucky comics get to compete. All the shows are in the $15-20 range and part of the proceeds from the festival go to the Lenny Bruce Foundation. Additionally, they always have surprise special guests, for example, Margaret Cho closed out the festival the past three years.
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