This year the fans can vote for the category “Breakout Performer of The Year” and decide amongst Zooey Deschanel  (New Girl), Josh Gad (The Book of Mormon), Donald Glover (Stand-up), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) or Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses).

The rest of the nominees were selected by the Board of Directors. Famous participants include Carol Burnett, Conan O’Brien, Joan Rivers, and Lily Tomlin. The winners will be selected by an invitation-only body of comedy writers, producers and directors.

The most unique categories for this awards night will be the ones that do not appear in the Oscars, Emmy’s or Grammy’s. In the most difficult category of “CLUB COMIC” we have Ted Alexandro, Hannibal Buress, Pete Holmes, Anthony Jeselnik, Moshe Kasher, John Mulaney, Kumail Nanjiani, Chelsea Peretti, Amy Schumer and Rory Scovel. Other unique categories include “COMEDY SPECIAL OF THE YEAR” and “STAND-UP TOUR.”

It will be a great night for all comedy lovers. Here are the trailers for the movies nominated in the category “COMEDY FILM” courtesy of You Tube:

“The Artist”

“Bridesmaids”

“Crazy, Stupid, Love.”

“Horrible Bosses”

“Midnight in Paris”

“One would never expect Louis Katz would be the guy that offers you opium after a show but it’s certainly an effective way of marketing yourself. Katz is funny to the point that Hitler would have given him a sleeper car on the train. I’ve re-told his menage a trois joke to people so many times I feel like it’s mine. Just buy the fucking CD and shut up.” – Doug Stanhope

“I relate to Louis Katz. He’s a sensitive, thoughtful, filthy, funny Jew. What’s not to like? His CD is hilarious. I hope he keeps what’s left of his hair long enough to enjoy the type of success he wants. If not, he can always write. Enjoy him now! While he still has hair.”- Marc Maron

If These Balls Could Talk was released in conjunction with the premiere of Katz’ Comedy Central Presents special, debuting March 11 at 11:00pm ET/PT. Katz discusses why he hates hippies, how he lands women and exactly what street chocolate is.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Katz’s comedy career began at the incredibly early age of 9 when, as part of a school project, he submitted several jokes to The Tonight Show, two of which were read on air by Johnny Carson.

Katz went on to performing at clubs and colleges across the country. He has appeared in the Montreal Comedy Festival, the Amsterdam “Toomler International” Comedy Festival, the Vancouver Comedy Festival and Atlanta’s Laffapalooza Comedy Festival.

Katz’ credits also include appearances on “Last Call with Carson Daly,” COMEDY CENTRAL’s “Live at Gotham,” Jamie Foxx’s “America’s Funniest Comics” and HBO’s “Down and Dirty with Jim Norton” In addition, he has produced a series of short films for Adult Swim.

Enjoy listening to a few of the tracks from Katz new CD:

A SacramentoComedy.Com Interview

For most of us, after school meant coming home to do chores and homework. For Don Barnhart, it was running to the studio to watch his father, Don Barnhart Sr., direct Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters in the TV show “Mork & Mindy.”

“Every Friday, from 6 in the evening until usually 1 in the morning, they [the cast] would get fired up and just go all night. It was during the time when, uh, you know, cocaine wasn’t considered addicting. But watching them was amazing and it just rocked my world.”

One day, Winters grabbed Barnhart Jr. during a break in taping and asked him what he wanted to do with himself. “I told him that I wanted to do what you do, Jonathan, I want to be a comic and an actor.” Barnhart said that, “Jonathan sat me down and for 20 minutes basically told me his version of the secret of success. I was so happy that I ran over to my dad and enthusiastically told him of my encounter. My dad simply replied, ‘Turn around,’ and there was Winters, talking to an empty table.”

Barnhart always has been a man of passion. When he was 18, he rode his bike on Memorial Day to the recruiting office to enlist. Luckily, it was closed for the holiday. Shortly after that, he skateboarded past the world-famous Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, where he saw a ‘help wanted’ sign for a doorman. He got the job and from there went on to wash dishes, cook, scrub bathrooms and do odd jobs. He quickly rose to manager, talent coordinator and then, one fateful night, house MC.

“One night the MC got sick and they knew I had a little acting experience so they asked me if I wanted to MC. I quickly replied ‘Yeah, of course!’ and the first person I opened for was Dana Carvey. The second was Dennis Miller. That was just before they got on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ During those times, comics were very supportive of each other. Carvey took me aside and told me to relax and explained how he wanted to be brought up on stage.”

Over the next few years, Barnhart perfected his act and opened for comedy legends such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Judd Apatow, Drew Carey, Louie Anderson and Tim Allen.

Asked about the state of comedy today, Barnhart talked about how comedy rooms have proliferated and the plethora of comics that he calls the “same acts, different face.”

“They are talking about the same things everyone else is talking about. It’s just not personal and in-depth. One of the biggest compliments that I get are from people who ask, ‘Did you spy on us?’ because the people relate to what I am saying. My act is so personal that people identify with it. Crowds feel like they know me when they watch my show.”

Five years ago, Barnhart and his wife left Southern California for Las Vegas. There is plenty of work and it was removed from the negativity of the entertainment industry, he said. “We were able to channel more of our money into producing our own projects. One of them is a syndicated television show, ‘The Freedom of Speech Comedy Show.’ We keep it switched up; we have a clean comic, a black comic, a Hispanic comic, a dirty comic, a juggler and an improv audience participation performer. I am just a fan of the art.”

Barnhart also is a certified hypnotist, an interest that dates back to when he was 18. The comic said hypnotism helped overcome some of the negative thinking he grew up with. One of the things Barnhart said he enjoys is to incorporate hypnosis into the act on the last night of his run. “I don’t make people do crazy, embarrassing things,” he said. “I help them unlock some of their potential and reduce their fear and engage them in some improvisation games.”

Barnhart has performed a one-man show called “The De-Evolution of Man” and has shot “The Click Click Club,” a DVD that talks about how men have lost their spine  and don’t know who they are. “We used to be construction workers and laborers and used to be strong and manly, and now we have become house husbands stooped over our desks doing Facebook de-evolving until it makes us hunch over and drag our knuckles as we walk,” he said.

Barnhart also has wrote, co-starred and directed the full-length motion picture “China Dolls.” Co-starring his wife, Linda Vu, it is a fictional account of human trafficking that Barnhart witnessed when he did shows overseas. “It’s an action thriller,” said Barnhart. “It is like the ‘Lethal Weapon’ of human trafficking.”

With one other film in preproduction, 10 weeks a year or so performing on cruise ships, and more than 20 weeks at clubs, colleges and corporate events, Barnhart said he is living his dream. We wonder, is he following the advice of Jonathan Winters?

Barnhart is spending one of those weeks with Sacramento when he appears March 17 – 21 at Laughs Unlimited, 1207 Front Street, Old Sacramento, CA 95814. Contact Laughs Unlimited for your tickets.

Headlines October 16 Th For One Night Only!

From Comedy Central and “Chelsea Lately”

Jo Koy has been filling clubs across the nation and has is seen weekly as a regular guest on Chelsea Lately. Jo Koy has come a long way from his modest start performing at a Las Vegas coffee house. His infectiously explosive energy on stage, insightful jokes and family inspired humor cross all boundaries and led Daily Variety to name him one of the “10 Comics to Watch”.

Born in Tacoma, Washington, Jo credits his mother for his comedic and acting talents. Growing up, his mother constantly encouraged him to take part in school talent shows or present impromptu performances for his family and friends. This encouragement led to the Las Vegas coffee house, then a move to Los Angeles, and finally a performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2005. He became one of a select
few to ever receive a standing ovation on the show.

Since his Tonight Show performance, Jo was part of Carlos Mencia’s “Punisher Tour” in 2006. He has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Call with Carson Daly, BET’s Comic View, Jamie Foxx Presents: Laffapalooza, and appeared in various VH1 I Love the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s episodes. His Comedy Central special “Don’t Make Him Angry” aired in January, 2009 and is now available on DVD. He is a regular featured comedian at the world famous Improv, tours the college circuit nationwide and performs in comedy clubs both in the US and internationally.

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Headlines October 7 – 9

Ever since Chicago native Aries Spears was 14 years old, he has been a force to be reckoned with in the comedy scene throughout America. His quick wit, charisma and ferociously aggressive style of comedy have earned him critical acclaim, high accolades, and above all, a busy schedule. From being a regular on Fox’s Mad TV, starring in feature films, appearing on a number of national talk shows, and continually touring the country with his stand-up, Aries’s talents are becoming recognized and appreciated throughout the entertainment industry.

As a principal cast member on Fox’s hit sketch comedy show Mad TV, Aries brought a fresh, hip style to the already-edgy program from the third through the tenth season. The producers made full use of many of Aries’s talents by calling on him frequently to create new hilarious characters and write sketches. Some of the many recurring characters that Aries is famous for on the show include: Belma Buttons, Bill Cosby, Jesse Jackson, Mike Tyson, Walter (Crackheads), Reggie (Erascist), Dollar Bill Montgomery, Shaquille O’Neal, The Klumps, Michael Jackson, Sisqo, Evander Holyfield, El Diablo Negro and more. Aries also boasts a number of uproarious impersonations on the show that include James Brown, Al Pacino, and his childhood idol Eddie Murphy. The Aries-branded sketch “Talkin’ American” was Mad TV’s most popular bit, keeping fans tuned in and boosting Mad’s ratings impressively on Saturday night.

Aries has also found great success in the world of feature films. At the age of 17, after being spotted in a comedy club, Aries landed a part in the movie Home of Angels, which also starred Abe Vigoda and Sherman Helmsley, but never saw a theatrical release. He then appeared in Out-of-Sync, and portrayed Red Foxx in Warner Bros.’s Why Do Fools Fall In Love. In addition, Aries starred alongside John Leguizamo in TriStar’s The Pest and delivered his most notable performance to date as Cuba Gooding, Jr.’s brother in Columbia’s blockbuster hit Jerry Maguire.

Aries was born on April 3, 1975 in Chicago but grew up in New Jersey. He remembers at the young age of six being the funnyman of the household and impersonating family members at the dinner table during holidays. By age 14, Aries was belting out his fresh stylings in front of paying audiences at local clubs around his hometown. Shortly thereafter, he appeared on Russell Simmons’s Def Comedy Jam on HBO and Showtime at the Apollo. The word was out about the prodigal superstar from then on, and in 1992, Aries moved to Los Angeles. He quickly landed a recurring role on NBC’s A Different World, and was signed to a huge development deal at one of the major television studios. The following year, Aries found himself starring in the short-lived CBS series South of Sunset with former Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey. Although the series didn’t last long, it did not discourage other networks from tapping Aries’s talents for their projects, as he soon appeared in Crosstown Traffic and Brisco County, Jr. for Fox. Ultimately, Aries’s fierce momentum landed him on Mad TV as a series regular, where he thrived for eight seasons.

Aries continues to spread his comedic wings with the development of feature film projects, which he is currently involved in writing. He is presently developing a feature project based on an original character that he created on Mad TV, as well as a thriller about a young black man immersed in hip-hop culture. Additionally, Aries has made appearances on many talk shows including: Loveline, Vibe, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Soul Train, and Late Friday. He has also lent his voice to an animated character on C-Bear and Jamal and had a recurring stint on Fox’s The Best Damn Sports Show Period, where he created some of the show’s funniest characters during his short time there.

Aries maintains a strong connection to his African roots and is involved in many charitable events, including a number of organizations that help abused women. He feels blessed to have been able to achieve everything that he has, but he in no way intends on stopping there. Given the extreme growing success rate of action comedies coming out of Hollywood, it’s safe to say that Aries Spears will be in demand for quite some time.

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Click Here To See Aries Video on YouTube!

Headlines October 29 – 30

Also Appearing: David Huntsberger and Nato Green

Brent Weinbach’s stand-up comedy is weird. He does a lot of characters, he’s physical, and his humor is absurd. Brent will be headlining one show in Sacramento as part of his Night Shift Tour, promoting the release of his brand new album, “The Night Shift,” out on Talent Moat Records. With special guests Keith Lowell Jensen, Steve Ferris, and Ray Molina.

Here are some other words to describe Weinbach: deadpan, silly, obscure, unconventional, smart, stupid, post-modern, grass roots, Berlin, 1980′s, tennis, bike riding, Virgo, Rygar, etc. The list goes on and on.

Brent began his comedy career in the underground San Francisco scene, but now tours all over the United States at clubs, colleges, festivals, theaters, music venues, living rooms, tennis, bike riding, Virgo, etc. In fact, you may have noticed someone wearing the increasingly fashionable “Weinbach” t-shirt!

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Headlines October 22 ND For One Night Only!

Johnny began performing comedy in 1984 after quitting graduate school in a move his parents named: Operation $40K Down The Drain. But Johnny quickly got the hang of the craft and was soon performing – and drinking for free! – at the nation’s top clubs.

During the next decade Johnny went on to perform at comedy festivals, win comedy competitions, log over 20 national TV appearances, and did we mention drink for free?

In 1997 Johnny left the comedy scene to host San Francisco’s Live 105 Morning Radio Show. Guests ranged from Carol O’Conner to David Bowie to city supervisors, and both the S.F. Weekly’s annual readers’ poll and the S.F. Publicity Club picked it the city’s best show. The Chronicle called it the ‘best morning chatter show’ and also dubbed it ‘clean and smart.’ Therefore, it was cancelled in the summer of ’98 to make room for the Howard Stern Poop and Wiener Hour.

In 1999 Johnny’s career took another turn when he became co-host of KRON/Bay TV’s THE SHOW. For three years Johnny’s informal interview style and outrageous ad-lib comments kept everyone laughing. The irrepressible Johnny once told feminist photographer Annie Lebovitz that he bought her book Women because he thought it was a directory. Well, he kept almost everybody laughing.

Johnny is currently performing comedy as well as working on a number of web, radio, and TV projects, one of which is bound to take off due to, if nothing else, pure dumb luck. He is also working on a humorous solo show about his journey to find peace in a WalMart America gone mad with mindless consumption, endless sprawl, and bone jarring stupidity. And really, aren’t we all? ***

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Headlines September 29 For One Night Only!

Big Al’s Big Ass Comedy Show originated in The Bay Area and is produced by the likeably funny Big Al Gonzales, and features the best in Latino/Alternative comedy. Big Al’s Big Ass Comedy Show has become an event that hundreds of people rush to see every month!

Big Al Gonzales has been doing comedy for 7 years. He has become a well know fixture in the Northern California comedy scene. He has appeared in commercials and local television. Big Al started out his comedy career doing improvisational comedy where his troupe (Big City Improv) was noted as Best Of The Bay 2002, after which he broke away and went solo, doing stand-up comedy. Now he performs monthly in shows from S.J. to Sacramento, Big Al’s Big Ass Comedy Show. Don’t miss this special performance featuring regulars Big Al Gonzales, plus special guests…

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Headlines September 29 – October 3

Dennis Gaxiola traveled around the world while he was in the U.S. Air Force. Now, he travels the world doing a job that’s really dangerous: stand-up comedy in front of a live audience. A Sacramento-native of Mexican heritage, Gaxiola is a veteran performer with shows around the nation and overseas.

He has taken the stage at The Punchline, The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, The Ice House, The Improv and even the legendary Apollo Theater in New York City. “Showtime at the Apollo in 1999 was the highlight of my career. I was shaking like a leaf. It was amazing to be at the Apollo thinking about all the people who had performed there before me” says Gaxiola.

Dennis has been able to perform with some of the best comedians in the business. Guys like Jamie Foxx, Damon Wayons and Paul Rodriquez. When describing Gaxiola, Rodriguez compares him to comedian Dennis Miller. “Dennis Gaxiola does the more political stuff,” said Rodriguez. “He does a lot of bits that are very timely right now about immigration and the choices America has to make.”

“Dennis reminds me of Carlos Mencia, except that Dennis is actually funny” said one of the staff writers at Cringe Humor. “He does racial stuff, covering almost every race in a way that’s funny but not blatantly hurtful. I really enjoyed his set and hope to see him again.” Gaxiola says, “I am from a multicultural family. I have one brother-in-law that is black, another who is Jewish and a son that is half-black. I am Mexican, my wife is Filipino and some of the in-laws are white. That means I can tell stories that everyone can relate to.” Dennis Gaxiola’s goal is to make the entire audience laugh, no matter whom they are or where they are from.

Gaxiola has performed on television on NBC’s Friday Night Videos, the Apollo Comedy Hour, Black Entertainment Television’s Comic View and Galavision’s Que Locos. “I was on Comic View seven or eight times and they continue to replay the shows, so sometimes people recognize me,” he said.

Click Here To Watch Dennis’ Video on YouTube!

Headlines October 1 – 2

Also Appearing: Shawn Halpin and Mal Hall

From the “Mind of Mencia”
Comedian Steve Trevino resides on the West Coast in Hollywood, California living the dream that he has had since childhood…being a stand up comedian. His professional career began in 1998 in Corpus Christi, Texas with none other than Carlos Mencia. Soon after that, Steve was off to Dallas with star in his eyes. It was there that his first big road tour came about with the Three Amigos Comedy Tour.

Since moving to California, Steve has been on the road headlining Improv Comedy Clubs across the country. When at home you can catch him at the Hollywood Improv, The Comedy Store, John Lovitz Comedy Club & The Laugh Factory to name a few. Steve was also involved and on screen in Season One of Mind of Mencia. One of Steve’s biggest gigs was The Doghouse Comedy Jam in San Francisco with names like Carlos Mencia, Dave Attel, Dave Chappel and Jamie Foxx.

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Click Here To Watch Steve Trevino’s Video!