Comedians


Now a massive star in Ireland, native New Yorker, Des moved from Queens to Ireland in his mid-teens in 1990. He first came to prominence with his extraordinary TV series The Des Bishop Work Experience (2004), where he lived on minimum wage in a series of different jobs in Ireland. Mixing this documentary footage with stand-up, the series became one of the most talked-about of the year, and propelled Des into national stardom. In 2006, he embarked on his second critically acclaimed TV series, Joy In The Hood, where he taught stand-up comedy in disadvantaged areas in four major Irish cities. Another hugely successful live tour followed including invitations to the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and the Melbourne Comedy Festival in Australia. Des’s most recent project took him to Beijing, China in 2013 to learn Mandarin and he has been living there for the past 18 months. He is now fluent and the show, Breaking China was another major hit for broadcaster RTE in 2014 and he also made a half hour radio documentary about the rise of Stand Up in China for the BBC World Service called “Stand up for China”. His live show again opened at the Edinburgh Festival where he played to over 5,000 people and included an invitation to perform at the Soho Theatre in London and a return to Barrow Street in New York.
Comedy veteran Steve Byrne has seemingly done it all and continues to push himself to accomplish even more. Starting over 20 years ago and cutting his teeth in all the major clubs in NYC, including the Comedy Cellar, he then ventured off to Los Angeles, began working at the Comedy Store and Hollywood Improv, and his career really took off. After becoming a regular on the late-night talk show circuit and even doing "The Tonight Show" ten times, Steve racked up multiple hour specials on Comedy Central, Netflix, and Showtime. In 2012, he starred in, produced and wrote the TBS hit show "Sullivan & Son", which ran for 3 seasons. Through the show, he cultivated a deep appreciation for storytelling, and in 2019 released his first film, "Always Amazing", a documentary about comic/magician the Amazing Johnathan. In 2020, Steve wrote and directed the indie feature "The Opening Act", his love letter to stand-up comedy, that garnered critic and audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes at 82 and 83% Fresh. In 2022, he released his fifth hour special, "The Last Late Night", on Amazon Prime, his most innovative work to date and rated 5/5 stars – an hour special disguised as a late-night talk show. Steve continues to tour relentlessly, work on material, and is currently casting his next film that he wrote and will direct towards the end of this year.
Beau McDowell is a stand-up comedian and former co-host of the "Losers with a Dream" podcast alongside comedy legend Lisa Lampanelli. Beau performs regularly on the East Coast, and is known for his big personality, big stature, and even bigger sense of humor about his former struggles with substance abuse, family codependency, and his search for self-acceptance. Beau’s ability to approach serious, and sometimes heartbreaking, experiences with levity and warmth differentiate him as a comedian on the rise with something new to say. Find him on Instagram @beaumcdowellcomedy!
Tyler is an actor, stand-up comedian and viral content creator based in NYC. He has performed stand-up on America’s Got Talent, been a guest star on NBC’s Chicago Med, TV Land’s YOUNGER and STARTUP on Netflix. Tyler is known for his viral content with over 200 million views on his online videos. He was named “The Best New Impressionist” by the New York Times and “NY’s Funniest Comedian” at the NY Comedy Festival. He has been on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and co-starred alongside Gina Carano in the movie Terror on the Prairie on The Daily Wire. Tyler is a regular at the Comedy Cellar and is currently touring his stand-up comedy around the country!
Aric Grooms is cofounder and CEO of "Very Good Comedy Show"! He regularly headlines with the show across the country, and has appeared in the NY Comedy Festival. When the 2020 pandemic shut down stand-up stages, Aric shifted focus to creating and starring in festival-winning films "MidLife" and "God's Will", which are currently available on streaming platforms. While he now calls New York City home, Aric will always be a Southern Ohio Boy (S.O.B.) at heart! This shines through on stage as he weaves tales of his simple beginnings into his commentary on the day-to-day rat race that is NYC Trained as an Evangelical minister and married to a Jewish clergywoman, Aric has lots to say about religion and family! His years of ups and downs with relationships and congregations – not to mention raising four energetic, independent children – provides an endless supply of entertaining tales!
Mark Gagnon is an internationally touring comedian opening for Andrew Schulz's "Infamous Tour". He is the Co-Creator of the Netflix Series "Schulz Saves America" and a co-host on the "Flagrant 2" Podcast."
Michael Palascak is a comedian who grew up in Indiana and now lives in LA. He performed on both The Late Late Show with James Corden and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the same year. He has over 1 million views on YouTube. In addition, his resume includes A Little Late with Lilly Singh, The Tonight Show, Letterman, Craig Ferguson, Conan, has a Comedy Central Half Hour special, and was a Top 5 Finalist on Last Comic Standing where one judge claimed, “My first impression of Michael was a great likability. This is a guy that could star in a sitcom.” Michael’s likability allows him to relate to his audiences in a real way which sets up the huge laughs he gets from his sharp, personal material. Consistently writing and performing, this summer Michael released both a new album— The Internet Live through 800 Pound Gorilla and a new stand-up special on the Dry Bar app— 1984. Available for free streaming. Drew Hunt of The Chicago Reader wrote about Michael, “In a lot of ways, he represents the ideal antidote to the sort of unbridled cynicism that pervades much of contemporary stand-up.” Michael’s optimism continues in the new National Lampoon series — The Bright Side where he takes a positive stance on a negative topic streaming on YouTube. www.michaelpalascak.com
Taylor Williamson is a comedian best known for being runner up on America’s Got Talent. He started performing standup while he was a senior in high school in Del Mar, California. Soon after, he moved to LA and became the youngest comic to perform on "The Late Late Show." He’s also appeared on shows like "AGT: All Stars," Comedy Central’s "Live at Gotham," "Last Call With Carson Daly," "The Nick Cannon Show," and he was a semi finalist on "Last Comic Standing." Taylor’s been interviewed on podcasts like “WTF with Marc Maron” and “Bad Friends with Bobby Lee & Andrew Santino.” His comedy can be heard in his debut album titled “Laughter? I Hardly Know Her!” His brand new special, “Live At The Comedy Store”, is now streaming free on YouTube. Taylor is most proud of performing on two USO tours for our troops around the world.
Pranav is a former writer for MAD Magazine and co-host of the popular Mango Bae Podcast. A favorite of festivals and clubs around the country, he was most recently featured in the 10k Laughs Festival (Best of the Fest), Rogue Island Comedy Festival, and headlined the 2018 Milwaukee Comedy Festival alongside Colin Quinn, Gina Yashere, and others. An up-and-coming actor, Pranav also has landed roles in forthcoming episodes of The Marvelous Ms. Maisel and HBO’s The Other Two, and has previously starred in Law & Order: SVU. He is also the writer and co-creator of the upcoming BRIC TV Web Series Problematic. You can find him across platforms @pranahaha
Ophira Eisenberg is a standup comic and host of NPR’s nationally syndicated comedy, trivia show Ask Me Another where she interviews and plays silly games with Sir Patrick Stewart, Terry Crews, Awkwafina, Roxane Gay, Jessica Walter, Nick Kroll, Tony Hawk, Sasha Velour, Julia Stiles, Lewis Black, Uzo Aduba, Ethan Hawke and more. She has appeared on Comedy Central, This Week At The Comedy Cellar, The Late Late Show, The New Yorker Festival, Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, HBO’s Girls, Gotham Live, The Today Show, and VH-1, and more Her comedy special Inside Joke is available on Amazon and iTunes. She also is a regular host and teller with The Moth and her stories have been featured on The Moth Radio Hour and in their best-selling books, including the most recent: Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible. Ophira’s own comedic memoir, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy was optioned for a feature film
Juan is a stand up comedian, writer and occasional nude model. His comedy has been described as "Larry David meets Sofia Vergara", a thing he takes as a big compliment. He is a long time writer and performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and a former on screen talent for FLAMA, Univision's bilingual digital platform where his viral videos were viewed over 20 million times. He has written for McSweeney's and his work was featured in Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Latina Magazine, Time Out NY and The New York Times. He is originally from Uruguay (the other Paraguay).
Angelo Colina es un comediante venezolano que emigró de Colombia a Estados Unidos en el 2018. Empezó a hacer stand up en Wiseguys Comedy Club (Salt Lake City, Utah) y ahora reside en Nueva York, donde fue co-fundador de Español Please (el cual fue parte del New York Comedy Festival 2021) y Gente Funny (el primer showcase en español en Washington DC). En el 2023 hizo su primer tour con su show ‘Solito’ y acaba de debutar como headliner en el New York Comedy Festival 2023 y en el Netflix is a Joke Festival en Los Ángeles en 2024. Angelo va a girar por todo Estados Unidos. En español.
Born and raised in New York, Kevin Herrera is known for his comedic wit. Kevin has always been the “clown” with not only with his friends, but also within his large Hispanic family. Kevin’s unfiltered, raw comedy is inspired by his triumphed life experiences. Life experiences that to most would likely break an individual, Kevin was able to take his humor and flourish. He has always had a love for comedy as it has been his solace and plays an imperative role in the person that he is today. Kevin soon took a more creative approach with his organic comedic trait and animated persona, by expanding his comedy and producing relatable skits on social media for the everyday married couple and parent. Currently at 1.5 million followers on TikTok and 340k on Instagram, Only Raising Kings continues to grow beyond what he could ever imagine. Kevin is also the creator of The Lunchroom, a podcast that gives the uncensored perspectives of how the everyday man thinks in real life situations. Now as a social media influencer, Kevin wanted more, he knew he was ready to not only share his humor but his life story.
Lucas Zelnick is a stand-up comedian born, raised, and based in New York City who challenges his cushy upbringing through punch-heavy material. Lucas has appeared in SF Sketchfest and the New York Comedy Festival. He’s been featured in the New York Times, appeared as a guest on Amazon Prime Video’s Sports Talk, and is a tour opener for Ashley Gavin. In 2022, Lucas began headlining comedy clubs nationally, including the Helium and Zanies in Chicago, where he sold out 8 shows. For no particular reason, he also earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Lucas’ stand-up clips have also exploded online recently and he has received over 100M views and 400K+ followers on Instagram and TikTok combined.
Eric D’Alessandro, a charismatic New Yorker with an unfiltered sense of humor, a camera, and a knack for storytelling, has etched his name into the hearts of comedy lovers across the nation. His unique comedic style, infused with his Italian-American heritage, spins raw, relatable narratives that resonate with the everyday American. From his early beginnings on YouTube, Eric has steadily crafted a diverse portfolio of work that includes engaging sketches, spot-on celebrity impressions, and comedic covers of popular songs. His authentic characters, notably "Maria Marie," have garnered widespread acclaim, demonstrating Eric's ability to create content that both entertains and connects. A viral sensation, Eric's video "where it was" has amassed over 45 million views across platforms, further cementing his status as a digital force. His social media process extends beyond viral videos, with a loyal fanbase that follows his every move. Forbes acknowledged his ability to engage audiences online and onstage, a testament to Eric's multifaceted talent. Eric's onscreen charisma led him to star in the VH1 movie, "Fuhgeddabout Christmas." His versatility also shone through in the 2016 drama/mystery film, "Nerve," alongside Emma Roberts and Dave Franco. Directors, intrigued by his viral videos, included him in the script, underscoring the impact of his online presence. His talent extends to animation as well. Eric is the creator of the popular YouTube animated show "MariaMogi," further showcasing his creative versatility. In the realm of podcasts, Eric has shared his wit and humor on various platforms, making waves on Barstool Sports' KFC Radio, Growing Up Italian, Jeff FM and the Dr. Drew podcast. His engaging presence and relatable anecdotes have also landed him features in PBS and PIX11 TV Interviews. Eric is a dynamic performer on stage. His raw energy and impeccable comedic timing have made him a headline act at top comedy clubs, theaters, and casinos across the United States and Canada. Notable venues include The Borgata in Atlantic City, NJ, New Jersey’s Count Basie Theatre, NYCs Town Hall, the 1,900-seat St. George Theater in Staten Island, NY, and The Paramount in Huntington, NY. Looking forward, Eric shows no signs of slowing down. His first comedy special, which premiered with 800lb Gorilla on December 5, 2023, has been met with enthusiastic responses and is now available for streaming on Hulu. As he continues to break barriers and redefine comedy, Eric D’Alessandro remains an unmissable act, whose journey is as exciting as his performances
Elle is a Chicago native, but started her comedy career in NYC. She is passed at New York Comedy Club, The Stand, BKLYN Comedy club, The Tiny Cupboard, and Broadway Comedy Club, but can be seen performing at other clubs and indie shows all over the city. Elle has made an appearance on The Bonfire on Sirius XM with Dan Soder and Big Jay Oakerson and have featured for comedians such as Rich Voss, Jared Freid, Greg Stone, and Michael Yo. Elle was recently named a 2023 “Creator to Watch” By New York Comedy Festival. Check out her weekly podcast Elle Diablo.
Jake Velazquez is an NYC native and comedian, born and raised in Riverdale. Raised by an East Village artist and renowned musician, his comedy consists of his unconventional upbringing, his divergent ethnicities and edgy observations that could only come from a seasoned New Yorker. He has been featured on New York Comedy Festival's New York's Funniest 2023, NY Comics to Watch 2022, and Red Clay Comedy Festival. Jake has also been the opening act for Jordan Jensen since 2022 and is a regular at New York Comedy Club.
Funny, smart, fresh, magnetic. These are just some words that describe the comedy of Neko White. Born in 1993, Neko has been a professional stand-up comedian since 2007 at the age of 14. In 2014, Neko taped his first one-hour stand-up special, Introducing Me. As a personality, Neko has stolen the show on MTV 2’s Hip Hop Hollywood Squares, and Elite Daily’s wildly popular Gen Why show. As a stand-up comedian, Neko has appeared on Axs Tv's Gotham Comedy Live, Sirus XM's "Sway In the morning Show" FOX’s Laughs, Popcornflix’s Live at New York Comedy Club, and a documentary on his life entitled One Mic. A native of Harlem, Neko began his comedy career the first day of high school when a teacher asked if anyone in the class had a talent. Being a shy kid who never thought he would do stand-up, he felt inspired. “Something just came over me that said ‘Go tell jokes.’ I went up in front of eight people and it worked. It’s been comedy ever since.” Now a professional working comedian there is no stopping this twenty something from chasing his dream of being the best comedian he can be. Following in the footsteps of his favorite comedians Katt Williams, Chris Rock, Bernie Mac and Dave Chappelle. Armed with a well-developed view of the ever changing world around him, quick wit, and very endearing charm. Neko’s material is a mix of social commentary and personal analysis that hits on every target from the most topical controversy to his own self-image. Not to mention a tenacious work ethic that leads White to do more than 500 shows a year. He hones his skills on the comedy club circuit of New York City, a regular at top comedy clubs such as Caroline’s on Broadway, Comic Strip Live, Broadway Comedy Club, and New York Comedy Club. He has performed in the New York Comedy Festival and opened for headliners including Donnell Rawlings and Jay Pharoah. Neko has been described by fans and reviewers as “a breath of fresh air” and “an endearing old soul.” Neko’s biggest supporter was his grandmother who would tell Neko before he left for shows: “Knock ‘em dead, kill ‘em.” After her passing, Neko vowed to make his grandmother proud. It’s safe to say that grandma can rest assured because her baby boy is still knocking them dead and does not show any signs of slowing down.
Jeff Leach is a true Renaissance man. An award-winning actor, comedian, writer and host he has enjoyed global success on stage, film, television and within the gaming community. A multi-faceted performer with an ‘no holds barred’ mentality, his television shows have broken boundaries whilst his live performance questions the very fabric of modern society and all of humanity’s foibles. This young man has become a favourite on the global comedy scene, in just six years on stage he has performed national tours throughout the UK & Europe, three critically acclaimed one hour solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and signed a DVD deal with BBC Worldwide’s 2Entertain. In August 2015 he relocated to the US joining the regulars at the world famous Comedy Cellar in NYC alongside his comedy heroes and is now booked on both coasts at venues including The Stand, Hollywood Improv, Laugh Factory, Comedy Store, Stand Up NY and New York Comedy Club to name but a few. Also an immensely talented actor, Jeff can be seen in features films ‘London Town’ in which he plays warm-hearted punk rocker Ronnie alongside Jonathan Rhys-Meyers’ portrayal of The Clash frontman Joe Strummer. Other films include ‘The Smoke’ and ‘The Dog Wedding’ and tv roles on shows such as ‘Hollyoaks’, ‘Whipped’ and ‘Gutpunch’.
Described by LA Weekly as “a comic who’s got big ideas and big plans to go big places,” Byron Bowers is a stand-up comedian and actor that has toured nationally with Dave Chappelle, Hannibal Buress, John Caparulo, and The Eric Andre Show Live. Byron won the Big Sky International Comedy Competition and was named by LA Weekly as a “Comedy Act to Watch”. He was also featured as a New Face at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. Byron performed on the main stage at the Oddball Comedy Festival, sharing the spotlight with Louis CK, Jim Gaffigan, Sarah Silverman and others. Byron’s appeared on The Eric Andre Show on Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s Adam Devine’s House Party, on the reboot of BET’s Comic View and he made his late night debut on The Pete Holmes Show and followed that with an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He was also featured in the last season of MTV’s Guy Code. In 2016 alone he performed at the Famous Hollywood Bowl to 12,000 people with Flying Lotus, Thundercat, and George Clinton. He is in the film THE 4TH written and directed by Andre Hyland and also appears in KUSO which recently got into Sundance this year. His TV credits include season 3 of The Meltdown on Comedy Central, Funny as Hell in Montreal for Canada HBO, and Vice Land TV. He has also performed at many festivals this year including Montreal Comedy Festival, SXSW, Life is Beautiful, Austin City Limits, RIOT, SF Sketchfest and Blue Whale Comedy Festival. Byron appears regularly at The Comedy Store, The Comedy and Magic Club, The Hollywood Improv, The Nerdist Theater, and various Colleges and Clubs throughout the nation.
Jade Catta-Preta is a Brazilian-born queer comic and actress working in Los Angeles, New York and Brazil. Prior to the pandemic, Jade hosted iconic E! Network show "The Soup" and is now the host of Hulu's brand new hit dating show, Hottie. As a stand-up, Jade performs all over the country both in English and Portuguese and can be seen regularly at comedy clubs in LA and New York for the past 16 years. She was a series regular on "Manhattan Love Story" (ABC) and has recurred on "American Housewife" (ABC), "Future Man" (Hulu), "Those Who Can't" (TruTv), "The Joey Mac Project" (PopTV) and "Californication" (Showtime). She has guest starred in numerous television shows, including "Life in Pieces" (CBS), "Modern Family" (NBC) and "2 Broke Girls" (CBS). On the reality front, Jade was a series regular on "Girl Code" (MTV), "Punk'd" (MTV), "Ladylike" (MTV), "Flashback Friday" (VH1), "Greatest Ever" (TruTV), and competed on "Comedy Knockout" (TruTV) and "The Funny Dance Show" (E!). She has appeared on "@Midnight" (Comedy Central), "Daily Pop" (E!) and has guest judged on "Cooking with Cannabis" (Netflix). Jade has also been in over 40 national commercials, has appeared in numerous podcasts and has over 50 million views on her comedy clips.
Giulio Gallarotti is a New York City-based stand-up comedian, actor, host and podcaster. He made his Netflix stand-up comedy special debut on "Pete Davidson Presents: The Best Friends" in June 2022. His podcast, "Oops," is regularly listed on the iTunes top charts. He has appeared on TV shows such as Peacock’s "Bupkis", Hulu's "Ramy", "AXS Gotham Comedy Live" and MTV's "Totally Clueless/Girl Code", as well as Comedy Central and SiriusXM radio. Giulio is an avid traveler which he has documented in several projects including "Places You Can Go", filmed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and "Standup in Rwanda: It's Not So Different". In Afghanistan, he started a school system in a rural area that now employs seven faculty members and teaches over 400 boys and girls. Giulio performs regularly at comedy clubs in NYC and across the country.
Tocarra Elise is a comedian, writer, and actress based in New York City most known for her work as a writer on the Emmy-nominated show "The Problem with Jon Stewart" on Apple TV+. She was also a correspondent on the show's companion, webby-award winning podcast. Tocarra was a featured performer at the 2022 Limestone Comedy Festival in Bloomington, Indiana, and is a Special Correspondent on the Glamorous Trash Podcast With Chelsea Devantez. She has opened for Irene Tu, James Adomian, Shannon Fiedler, and Blair Socci. You can catch Tocarra performing at comedy clubs and the finest breweries across the US. Follow her on social media @TocarraElise.
Kevin, originally from Philadelphia – now in New York City, is a stand up comic who is on stage every night telling jokes. He is quickly becoming an audience favorite with his easy going yet straight forward point of view. His jokes topics include everything from daily interactions with strangers to how his self esteem is so low that he is no longer in his own dreams. In 2015 Kevin made his television debut on ‘Gotham Comedy Live” on AXS TV and was also selected to participate in the Boston Comedy Festival.