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.
Doug Key is quickly becoming one of the best new up and coming comics working today, touring and headlining comedy clubs and festivals all over the country. Key’s debut comedy special “Mother of the Year” presented by Mark Normand, recently premiered on Normand’s YouTube channel and has already garnered over 132K views! The audio album version of Key’s “Mother of the Year” debuted at #1 on the iTunes comedy charts and topped Amazon Prime’s Best Sellers List! Doug has also been featured on Comedy Central Digital, SiriusXM radio, MTV, VH1, ABC, and made a cameo in the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Key recently had the honor of being the sole opening act for Mark Normand’s sold out international tour at several legendary theaters and rock clubs all over Europe! In 2019, had the honor of headlining the world famous Caroline’s on Broadway in Times Square after being selected as one of their “Breakout Artists” of the year. Doug has performed in numerous festivals including the Boston Comedy Festival, Cape Fear Comedy Festival, Hell Yes Fest in New Orleans, Whale City Comedy Festival, and three times in the renowned New York Comedy Festival. Key is also the founder of the very first comedy festival in Rhode Island, The Rogue Island Comedy Festival, which takes place annually, every May and October in historic Newport, Rhode Island.
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
Nick Viagas is becoming one of NYC's most talked about up-and-coming comedians. You can see him regularly at The Stand, Stand Up NY, The Tiny Cupboard and more. He headlines across the northeast and can be heard on the GaS Digital podcast network. In 2022, he was named one of the New York Comedy Festival's Comics to Watch.
Seaton Smith is a comedian & actor. In late 2014 Seaton made his television debut as ‘Motif’ on Fox's Mulaney. Soon after in 2015 he had a breakout performance on “late night with seth meyers.” then he got real lucky appearing in Inside Amy Schumer. In the season 5 finale of HBO “Girls.” and Hulu's Difficult People. All while also being a regular guest on the comedy central’s nightly show. Vulture named him one of the 50 comedians you should know in 2015: " he’s bursting with energy in a way that sets him apart in a overcrowded stand-up scene." Chortle.com says Seaton “offers a mesmerizing, livewire performance, full of joy and amazing comic energy”. "A naturally effervescent stage presence. As spirited as he is cerebral…one to watch." Time Out New York In September 2015 under the legendary comedy record comedy new wave Seaton released his debut album bologna meat. Which laugh button reviewed: Smith’s humor is smart, energetic, and refreshingly clever as he fiddles with unique views on the world…continuously brings something new and exciting to stale topics.” He’s performed at over 200 colleges across the country and he has headlined shows across the world, appearing in international comedy festivals the Montreal just for laughs, Melbourne Comedy Festival, and the Iveagh Gardens Comedy Festival in Dublin. I got platinum miles yo! – Seaton Smith once said. Originally starting in Washington DC, he now lives in NYC.
Join comedian Dave Nihill for a night of real Irish comedy. Accent included. Leaving Dublin, Ireland where he was born and raised until the age of 22, Dave got drunk on travel and never quite hit sobriety of it. He has lived and worked in twelve countries and visited over seventy. His shows draw on his wide travels, cultural observations, attempts at language study, (occasional) international drinking session(s) and being a mildly confused immigrant. Dave is the winner of the prestigious annual San Francisco Comedy Competition, (previous finalists include Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and Dana Carvey) and runner up in the Moth’s largest US Grandslam storytelling competition. He recorded his debut special for Dry Bar Comedy in 2019 and has been featured on TED.com, Amazon Prime Video, The Irish Independent, Inc, Sirius XM, NPR, Ireland AM, and the Huffington Post among others. A festival favourite Dave’s videos have also gone viral many times over with over 100 million views and a social following of over one million people.
Colum is an Irish Comedian who has been based in America since 2014. Having started his career in Ireland, Colum’s talents quickly became known on the Irish circuit as he became a finalist in the nationally broadcasted TV show “RTE New Comedy Awards”. More recently Colum performed at the New York Comedy Festival and Skankfest. He is a regular on the popular podcast Legion of Skanks as well as hosting his own podcast The Colum Tyrrell Podcast. Colum performs comedy nightly in clubs and bars in New York City.
Kevin Nealon is an Emmy and SAG-nominated actor and comedian who sets himself apart from other comedic performers with his unique sense of humor, dry wit and likable demeanor. Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s "Saturday Night Live," and received critical acclaim for his role in the hit Showtime series "Weeds." Kevin currently produces and hosts his digital series "Hiking with Kevin," and tours his stand-up globally. He will be releasing his latest book, "I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame (Abrams)," on October 25, 2022. Part art book, part memoir -- the book is full of original full-color caricatures Kevin has created along with funny, endearing personal essays about his famous friends. Nealon’s extensive television credits include the CBS sitcom "Man With a Plan," in which he starred alongside Matt LeBlanc; Showtime’s "Weeds," which ran for eight seasons and was honored at the 2006, 2007 and 2009 Golden Globes with nominations for “Best Television Series Comedy or Musical.” In 2007 and 2009, "Weeds" was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.” Additional television roles include two critically acclaimed stand-up specials for Showtime; and a number of appearances on "Hot In Cleveland," "Franklin & Bash," "Monk," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Still Standing." Nealon’s self-produced, edited, and hosted web series "Hiking with Kevin" is exclusively available on his YouTube channel of the same name. In the series, Kevin interviews his A-list celebrity friends on hikes throughout the country. Past guests include Michael Keaton, Jimmy Kimmel, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Cheryl Hines, Ray Romano, Al Franken, Hilary Swank, Kumail Nanjiani, Kate Beckinsale, Conan O’Brien, Adam Sandler and more. Nealon has found great comedic success in his extensive film career. In "Anger Management," he played opposite Jack Nicholson and fellow SNL comedian "Adam Sandler." He and Sandler also teamed up in "Eight Crazy Nights," "The Wedding Singer," "Happy Gilmore," "Just Go With It," "Blended," and "You Don’t Mess with the Zohan," the latter of which grossed over $200 million worldwide. In "Joe Dirt," Nealon joined another SNL alumnus David Spade. Additional film credits include "Daddy Day Care" with Eddie Murphy, "Good Boy" with Molly Shannon, "Bucky Larsen: Born to be a Star" with Nick Swardson, "Roxanne" with Steve Martin and the cult hit "Grandma’s Boy," also with Nick Swardson and Jonah Hill. As one of the longest running cast members on NBC’s "Saturday Night Live" (1986-1995), Nealon created some of the show’s most memorable characters, including ‘The Subliminal Man’ and ‘Hans and Franz.’ Nealon’s recurring role as an anchor on ‘Weekend Update’ helped make the sketch a show staple. In 1988, he earned an Emmy nomination as part of the SNL writing team. In 2008, Nealon released his first book, "Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me?" -- a comical look at the male perspective of pregnancy. Currently, Kevin resides in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
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.
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."
Julia Hladkowicz is a comedian and actor in LA by way of Canada. You've seen her on Comedy central, HBO, MTV, YTV, PBS, Conan, Laff Tracks, Kevin Hart’s LOL network and on SiriusXM. She is a two time finalist in SiriusXM’s Top Comic, has performed numerous times at JFL in Toronto and is a regular at Just For Laughs in Montreal. She was recently part of Netflix is a Joke Fest, taped a special for Don’t Tell Comedy and LMAOF and released a new comedy album called “This time I’m serious”. This high energy hilarious comedian with muppet vibes puts on a show that's not to be missed!
Paul Virzi is fresh off the release of his critically acclaimed Netflix special, "Nocturnal Admissions," directed by Pete Davidson, which received rave reviews from both his fans and peers alike. Currently, Paul headlines comedy clubs across the globe as well as hosting two popular podcasts, "The Virzi Effect" and "Anything Better?" with co-host Bill Burr. A veteran of the stand-up scene, Paul has performed all over the world, including many of the United State’s most prestigious venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Chicago Theatre, and Carnegie Hall. He is a regular at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and performed at the SXSW Festival in Austin, TX. Paul’s debut hour-long comedy special, Bill Burr Presents Paul Virzi: I’ll Say This, premiered on Comedy Central in November of 2018 and is currently available to stream on CC.com. Comedy Central featured a clip from the special on its official TikTok standup page that has since garnered over 5 million views and 1.3 million likes. His 2015 debut comedy album, Paul Virzi: Night at the Stand, ranked #1 on iTunes and reached #4 on Billboard’s Top 100. Off the stage, Paul has also made appearances on a variety of TV shows, including TruTV's Comedy Knockout, AXS TV's Gotham Comedy Live, and the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. He has also written for ESPN’s highly coveted ESPY Awards. Paul grew up in the suburbs, outside of New York City. He loves his family, cigars, and having pointless arguments about sports with his friends.
Dan Soder is a New York City based comedian and actor who’s best known as ‘Mafee’ on the hit series Billions on Showtime. Dan currently hosts the podcast Soder which is consistently charting in the top 20 of all comedy podcasts on Apple and Spotify. His most recent stand up special, “On The Road”, can be seen on his YouTube channel Dan’s special "Son of a Gary" (directed by Chris Storer) is streaming on HBO, and his previous one The Standups is streaming on Netflix. Other credits include: Netflix's "Paradise PD", MAX's "Fired on Mars" and the film's "Trainwreck" and "Drunk Parents". Prior to "Soder", Dan hosted Sirius XM’s The Bonfire .
Zainab Johnson is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer from Harlem, NY who was recently hailed by Variety as being a Top 10 Comic To Watch. Zainab’s comedy is based on her unique point-of-view, which was shaped growing up as one of thirteen siblings in a Muslim family. Zainab can currently be seen playing the role of Aleesha on the Greg Daniels Amazon series UPLOAD and hosting Netflix’s 100 Humans, a social experiment where 100 individuals take part in interactive experiments exploring sex, happiness, torture and all the other aspects of being human. Zainab is a regular at the Comedy Cellar in NY as well as the Comedy Store and Improv in LA. She's made appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers, HBO's All Def Comedy, MTV's Acting Out, and NBC's Last Comic Standing. She had a breakout performance at The Melbourne Comedy Festival and regularly returns to the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal.
Dan St. Germain has appeared on Conan, Fallon, and Comedy Central.
Known to colleagues and audiences as "Sim," Simeon Goodson is a native son of Brooklyn who's been hitting the city's comedy clubs, bars, and taverns since 2004 in pursuit of a dream. He has performed at a variety of world famous venues including Carolines on Broadway and Stand Up NY. Simeon Goodson has an extensive internet following with well over sixteen twitter followers. He can be seen as an irreverent radio host in the popular web series "D. Lemon in the Morning" (www.DLemonInTheMorning.com). Sim defines his comedic style as a verbal manifestation of his inner conflict. Constantly battling within are opposing forces, one urging him to be an upstanding citizen and the other an intimate desire to punch you in the face. His clever writing and unconventional delivery allow him to do both. Check out Sim online at www.InSimWeTrust.com.
The high-energy, take-no-prisoners, comedy of ALEX PAVONE is not to be missed. A super-honest storyteller, Alex uses his Italian background and colourful acquaintances to weave a laugh-filled web of comic excitement. Born and raised in Woodbridge, Ontario, Pavone has been making crowds laugh since 2007. He has performed at the Montreal Just For Laughs festival and has toured at clubs and colleges all over North America. “Alex Pavone is a young, cocky stand-up in his mid-20s who’s been doing comedy for about five years. Last year, I saw him perform several times in short sets where his impressive, manic delivery burned up the Yuk Yuk’s stage. Often he was so high-strung, he walked out into the crowd – on people’s tables, no less – and continued his act. Guy’s got balls.” (Full Story) – Glenn Sumi, NOW Magazine
Shannon Fiedler is a NYC based comedian, writer and content creator, with over 450k followers across social media. Last year, she was named a comic to watch at the New York Comedy Festival, and her debut hour long special, "Thirty, Flirty and Crying," released on YouTube this fall 2025.
Brittany Brave is a NYC-via-Miami based comedian, actress, writer, producer and host. She's been seen on TBS, MTV, Quibi, The Wendy Williams Show, SiriusXM and featured in The New York Times, ELLE, Ashton Kutcher's A-Plus and more.
Matthew Broussard is a disgraced financial analyst forced into stand up comedy. The byproduct of a Cajun chemist and Jewish microbiologist, he holds a degree in computational mathematics he always manages to bring up (just did it!) and is fully aware of how douchey he looks. His comedy is heady, self-effacing, and weirdly… educational? He's performed on the Tonight Show, Conan, Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle, the Comedy Central Half Hour, and some stuff with MTV2 he doesn’t like to talk about. You can catch him in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The League, The Mindy Project, and alongside Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish in the film Here Today. He is the creator of the webcomic and puzzle app, Monday Punday.
Ali is a queer comedian and actress who was a series regular on the truTV series TOP SECRET VIDEOS. Ali has also performed on THE TONIGHT SHOW, A LITTLE LATE WITH LILLY SINGH, THE TODAY SHOW, TruTV’s COMEDY KNOCKOUT, NBC’s BRING THE FUNNY, and BETCHES COMEDY. She even once impersonated Reese Witherspoon on The Howard Stern Show. Ali has contributed to Above Average and worked as a contributing writer at The Onion. Her clever, provocative stand-up has seen her included in Variety Magazine’s comedy issues and profiled in Forbes 30 Under 30. She performs stand-up comedy nightly in NYC bars and clubs, where she was one of the youngest comics passed at the Comedy Cellar. Ali also performed a comedy special for HBO MAX’s Queer Comedy Showcase for PRIDE 2021.
Nicole Burch went from “The Taylor Swift Of Comedy” where she divulged all her sexual proclivities and romantic entanglements to “Rom Com Mom” where she talks about getting pregnant from a one night stand and marrying a much younger guy. She went from key bump to burp rag and she shares it all!