This Sunday at 9 p.m. the Blue Moose will play host to a Funny or Die Comedy Showcase featuring up-and-coming stand-up funnyman Mike Lawrence.
You might recognize Lawrence from his TV appearances on “John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show,” “Conan,” and “Totally Biased.”
Lawrence’s first comedy album, “Sadamantium,” was released last May along with his own episode of Comedy Central’s stand-up show, “The Half Hour.” Sadamantium has received praise from critics like Steve Heisler at the A.V. Club for his ability to combine lighthearted pop culture lampoonery with self-deprecatory bits that riff on his difficult Florida childhood or “rapey” present-day appearance.
“Many of Lawrence’s jokes follow this formula—couching stories about an absentee father and all-too-present childhood bullies in comparisons to his beloved pop touchstones,” Heisler said. “This makes the sting more palatable, shoving the pain behind his inherent playfulness.”
Opening the show will be Northeast Iowa native Daniel Frana. Frana frequently performs at the Yacht Club’s weekly Catacombs of Comedy open mic events and is also the host of the Mill’s monthly stand-up shows. In addition, he has performed at the Establishment Theater in Rock Island, and the Wonder Bar in Chicago, and was a finalist in the Funniest Iowan competition.
Ticket information can be found here.
