Skip to main content.jpg?smart=true&auth=__replaceMehttp%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wweek.com%2Fimage-archive%2F18724%2Ffallarts_2014%28broad%29.jpg__&width=800&height=450)
Tim and Eric & Dr. Steve Brule
As deranged as it may seem to the layman, the surrealistic nightmare world inhabited by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim is ultimately a friendly place. How else can one account for the celebrity star power the duo have wrangled time and again to sign off on their kitschy brand of over-the-top malfunctioning cable-access shlock? Between Will Ferrell's "child clown rentals" proprietor and Paul Rudd's inexplicable "Tayne" character, there must be something far more intelligent going on behind the scenes to lend these Adult Swim mainstays the level of cache they've accumulated since the late aughts. With the addition of John C. Reilly's lovable Asperger's-afflicted news anchor, Dr. Steve Brule, the menagerie is a true force to reckon with in a live setting. The glitches and tics that make the television show unique may be impossible live, but the myriad fake music acts and audience call-outs will more than make up for it. Check it out, ya dummy! PETE COTTELL.
Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, 248-4335, portland5.com. 8 pm Wednesday, Sept. 10. $45.50.
Laurie Kilmartin and Dan St. Germain
Last winter, Laurie Kilmartin earned attention for live-tweeting her dad's death in ways simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious. For example: "Every day, I set a new goal of not seeing Dad's genitals when I help him off the toilet." She's not afraid to hit uncomfortable topics in her standup either, whether abortion or what it's like being the single mother of a half-Mexican son (her joke about being his nanny is beautiful). Dan St. Germain, meanwhile, is a self-effacing comic willing to dive into his own depression and alcoholism. The Bridgetown Comedy Festival, which is working to increase year-round programming—good on 'em—brings the two together for what should be a most uplifting evening. REBECCA JACOBSON.
Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside St., 206-7630. 8 pm Friday, Oct. 3. $15. 21+.
All Jane No Dick
It's only 3 years old, but this all-lady festival has already established itself in Portland's crowded comedy calendar. The four-day fest has secured another powerhouse lineup, anchored by headliner Kate Berlant, an inimitable comedian whose digressive, improvisational style tends more toward performance art than straight standup. Other standouts on the bill include the charming Beth Stelling, whose conversational comedy mines everything from her tilted uterus to her stepmother's drinking habits, the offbeat Aparna Nancherla, and hometown heroes Amy Miller and Bri Pruett. REBECCA JACOBSON.
Multiple venues, see alljanenodick.com for details. Oct. 16-19. Tickets and passes $5-$80.
John Oliver
On the very first episode of his new-ish HBO show, Last Week Tonight, John Oliver called Oregonians "stupid fucking idiots." In fairness, his slight was directed more precisely at botched health-insurance exchange Cover Oregon and its "violently adorable ads." Good thing most of us agreed those commercials were the twee-est shit ever, which will likely make tickets tight when Oliver brings his politically tinged standup and tight storytelling to Portland. REBECCA JACOBSON.
Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., 248-4335. 8 pm Saturday, Nov. 22. $45.
Broad City Live
Good luck getting a ticket—both shows have been sold out for ages—but maybe you can sit at home and smoke a bowl while your friend Skypes you in. Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer's Comedy Central show Broad City is one of the smartest and most encouraging things on TV these days, testament to the fact that women can be imperfect without being self-loathing, and that female friendships aren't just about drinking Cosmos while gabbing about penis size. Most importantly, it damns anyone who still insists women have to prove they're funny. REBECCA JACOBSON.
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895. 7 and 10 pm Monday, Nov. 24. Sold out. 21+.
WWeek 2015