Tour Began:
2004
Members:
Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford, Zach Galifianakis, Eugene Mirman
Background:
Started in 2004 by comedian Patton Oswalt, The Comedians of Comedy is a stand-up tour showcasing edgier, "alternative" comics. Rather than playing traditional comedy clubs or huge, expensive venues, Oswalt wanted to create a tour that could showcase his favorite comics while keeping the cost down for fans.
Booking themselves in non-traditional venues like rock clubs and smaller theaters, the Comedians offer a welcome alternative to the usual stand-up comedy experience. Oswalt is joined on tour by Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford, Zach Galifianakis and later Eugene Mirman, after Galifianakis left the tour).
Different Styles:
One strength of the Comedians of Comedy tour is that each comic has a unique style; unlike some other tours where the comedians are somewhat interchangeable, The Comedians of Comedy offer four (or more) distinct voices. Oswalt, the defacto leader, is the only comic to work politically; Bamford does primarily characters and voices; Posehn (and Mirman, who joined later) delivers deadpan observations; Galifianakis works in absurd experimentations. All four styles help compliment one another, giving audience members a well-rounded comedy experience.
Documenting the Comedians:
The Comedians of Comedy tour was filmed in 2004 for a documentary released in 2005. The film combines stand-up footage of each comic combined with backstage and tour sequences, showing the comics on the road, promoting the tour and interacting with each other.
The film, also called The Comedians of Comedy, is available on DVD.
Also in 2005, a six-episode "reality" series documenting The Comedians of Comedy aired on Comedy Central. The show, which followed the same format as the documentary, has not been released on DVD. A similar format was later used for comedian Dane Cook's tour series Tourgasm.
A second concert DVD, The Comedians of Comedy: Live at the Troubador, was released in 2007.
Guest Stars
In addition to the regular tour lineup, a number of guest comedians often appear at shows with the Comedians of Comedy. Guest comics at past shows have included David Cross, Sarah Silverman, John Mulaney, Doug Benson and Bob Odenkirk.
Photo courtesy of Ryan Russell.