Itâ€s been said that doing stand-up stands out as one of the toughest show biz paths to take, a lonely venture of telling jokes to a boozy crowd with the intention of getting them to laugh at your hilarious observations.

Even Jerry Seinfeld started that way.

The difficult life of a stand-up comic hasnâ€t deterred Jersey Cityâ€s Brett Druck, a funny man who has taken his observational humor to comedy clubs in New York and New Jersey, Sirius XM Radio and TV. He plays comedy festivals and just began performing at colleges – his first will be Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, and heâ€s working on his first comedy album.

Druckâ€s jokes go something like this:

“I made out with a ‘cougarâ€.

But then in the middle of it she stopped.

She said, ‘I canâ€t do this, I have kids.â€

I was like, ‘Itâ€s okay; I have parentsâ€.”

 Hereâ€s another

“People say the children are our future.

That terrifies me.

Iâ€ve been around 12 year-olds.

Iâ€ve heard the way they speak.

Fifty years from now youâ€ll hear some girl like ‘OMG srsly. I canâ€t even, bye.â€

And youâ€ll be like, that was a terrible State of the Union Address.”

 Dreck holds a BA in Communications from William Paterson University in Wayne and performed his first paying gig at Just for Laughs in Chicago. Since then, heâ€s been a finalist in The Andy Kaufman Awards, and in 2012, Dreck was featured on NBCs AMERICA’S GOT TALENT. Heâ€s played the Jersey City and Hoboken Comedy Festivals and New York Stand-Up 360; and he tweets jokes and performance dates to his 19,000 followers on Twitter.

RVO: Are you originally from New Jersey?

BD: I grew up in South Orange, in the suburbs. Iâ€m the youngest of three; I have an older brother and sister. My parents experimented with the first two – ‘Heâ€s not going to do anything crazy,†– and figured Iâ€d be alright.  Their biggest fear was that Iâ€d eat a bunch of candy.

RVO:  How did you get into stand-up comedy?

BD: I went to William Paterson University which was great. Itâ€s the reason Iâ€m doing stand-up. They offered stand-up comedy by the American Comedy Institute, as a free elective, so I took it. I enjoyed the writing and performing aspect. At the end of the class the final was a performance at Carolineâ€s in the City. It was great. My professor really encouraged me. He told me I had a knack for it. From then on, I could have signed up for a second class, but I did it on my own, which was dumb. I went in blind. I had this idea you are just funny or youâ€re not. You get lucky and famous and thatâ€s how you get your career – or you donâ€t. I didnâ€t realize how long it takes to become a good comic.

 RVO:  How long does it take?

BD:  Iâ€d say it takes five to ten years. Making people laugh and the intricacies of what comedy is are only learned by an extensive amount of stage time and analyzing life from a comedic stand point. There are a whole lot of aspects.

 RVO:  What do you think the state of comedy is these days?

BD:  Comedy fluctuates. The root of it was the Catskills comedians. That will never change:  set up, punchline, set up, punchline.

 RVO: Who are the comics that you enjoy watching; who inspires you?

BD: I love watching Jim Gaffigan ‘cause heâ€s punch, punch, punch.

RVO:  Do you remember the first time you made someone laugh?

BD: Itâ€s a very vivid memory. I was at Friendlyâ€s with my family, I said something weird and my whole family was laughing, one of those good laughs.

RVO:  Do you enjoy standing up on a stage alone telling jokes?

BD: Itâ€s the best feeling in the world. Thereâ€s an expression; ‘The second best feeling in the world is laughing and the first is making people laugh.” You gotta earn your chops doing stand-up exclusively. Itâ€s a refined art.

RVO:  What does it take to be good at stand up?

BD: Doing stand-up, a big part of it is getting comfortable on stage and getting centered emotionally and mentally. The hardest part is each crowd is different, you have good shows and bad shows. You canâ€t let the bad shows affect you emotionally. You figure out what worked, what didnâ€t and you donâ€t let it affect your confidence. Get on stage, get those 10,000 hours to be good at anything.

Another aspect is developing your material. Itâ€s scientific whittling. Stuff that works with 80 percent of crowds, you stick with that material. If it keeps working almost all the time, thereâ€s something there. You can hear it in the laughter. It gets that huge laugh, that pop. Keep at it. Thatâ€s how you get a successful act.  It could take me two years to get one joke right.

 If you go:

Brett Druck will be performing at the following clubs. Check his website, www.brettdruck.com for info.

Wed, Thurs, Fri, Apr. 15, 16 & 17: Marcus Monroe Show at TBA

Sat, Apr. 18: Comedy Cabaret; Marcus Monroe Show at TBA

Tues, Apr. 21: Fancy Show, Brooklyn, NY

The post Stand-Up Comic Brett Druck Hones his Laughs Being Funny is Serious Business first appeared on River View Observer.

  Jersey City, New Jersey -National talent and recent controversial joke maker Gilbert Gottfried  headlines  Thursday, April 14^th, 2011 at Michael Anthony’s dazzling Waterfront Restaurant in Jersey City, New Jersey.  Host John “Nutsy” Fagan, another Jersey City Resident, will be on hand to warm up the evening.

After spending several years mastering the art of stand-up comedy, producers of the legendary NBC late night comedy show Saturday Night Live became aware of Gottfried and, in 1980, hired him as a cast member. It wasn’t until a few years later when his true notoriety would begin when MTV hired him for a series of improvised and hilarious promos for the newly formed channel. This led to several television appearances on “The Cosby Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman.”

Gottfried’s many credits include “Beverly Hills Cop II”. Other film credits include “Look Who’s Talking II” and “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.” He was also the host of the very popular late night movie series “USA Up All Night,” “Aladdin.” Gottfried is the voice of DIGIT in Cyberchase.” He is a regular on the new “Hollywood Squares”, “The Tonight Show ” and “The Howard Stern Show.” Gottfried recently appeared in the documentary “The Aristocrats,” with Entertainment Weekly quoting “out of the 101 comedians who appear on screen, no one is funnier – or more disgusting – than Gilbert Gottfried.”

“Gilbert Gottfried Dirty Jokes” was recently released on both DVD and CD, featuring 50 non-stop minutes of Gottfried telling the funniest and filthiest jokes ever. At the end of the show, Gottfried tells what is known among comedians as the “Dirtiest Joke of All Time,” which is also the basis for “The Aristocrats.”

Michael Anthony’s offers a central location between Jersey City, Hoboken and New York City, is completely accessible by car, PATH or LightRail, and has the breathtaking New York City Skyline as a backdrop for all performances.  The menu is casual Italian cuisine, and the chic atmosphere is perfect for a night out for friends or couples.

Lifelong Jersey City resident and Producer of the show, Suzy Yengo, is the President and Partner
of Catch a Rising Star Comedy Clubs and Productions.  She  said: “we are thrilled to bring comedy to Jersey City.  Our goal is to keep travelers and residents in downtown Jersey City instead of losing them to New York City.  After traveling around the country for a few years managing our other clubs, I had my eye on placing a club in Jersey City in my own backyard.  A beautiful location with parking and the most beautiful view of the New York Skyline !”, quoted Yengo.

The Show is at Michael Anthony’s on the Jersey City Waterfront,  located at 502 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City – across from the Westin Hotel.  Doors 6:30pm, Show at 7:30pm. Free parking is available on location. For inquiries, catchmichaelanthonys@catcharisingstar.com .Ages 16 and older admitted.  Advanced reservations are required. Phone 609-987-8018 or buy tickets online at catcharisingstar.com.  Press information:  suzyroseesq@aol.com or 201-433-6705. Press passes available.

Catch a Rising Star – the Original New York Comedy Club that launched the careers of Jerry Seinfeld, Dane Cook, Chris Rock and many others – has been providing Comedy of Legendary Proportions since 1972. www.catcharisingstar.com.

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Hoboken police  have confirmed that Lange apparently stabbed himself nine times last Saturday morning leaving knife wounds to his stomach at his luxury condo in Hoboken, New Jersey. A reason has not been given for Mr. Lange stabbing himself, but according to neighbors; Lange, has had some problems that has resulted in some stays at Rehab clinics.

Mr. Lange has also spoken about many of his demons in his best selling book “Too Fat to Fish” which was released in November of last year. In Chapter 8, called “Pig in Shit” -Mr. Lange states in detail his experiences with drugs for many years and how it all began.

Bleeding, unconscious but alive; Lange, was found by his own mother who called 911 last Saturday morning, when  paramedics did arrive they found the comedian / actor star of the hijinx movie “Beer League” conscious and rushed him to Jersey City’s Medical Center.

Hoboken resident Nara Desmond who said  she often sees Lange in Hoboken said “I think he is very funny, and yet I see that connection with other comedians like John Belushi, and Chris Farley, and  I hope that Artie Lange doesn’t wind up the same way as they did. It would be another terrible loss of talent.”

Hudson County has been Lange’s home for some time, and many of his neighbors have a tremendous amount of love and respect for Howard Stern’s morning sidekick and  wish him well.

We  too wish him well.

photo source wikipedia

The post Hudson County’s Artie Lange Stabs Self According to Hoboken Police Department first appeared on River View Observer.

The New Jersey Comedy Festival, which has been holding preliminary events at college campuses through the state this fall, encourages the state’s most comical college students to compete for the title of the “New Jersey King or Queen of Campus Comedy.” This year, the NJCF will visit nine college campuses on its search, with the Stress Factory added as an additional venue for all students who missed their school’s event or whose school is not a host campus.

“Our partnership with Vinnie Brand and the Stress Factory Comedy Club allows us to invite each and every New Jersey college student who dreams of becoming a comedian, to perform on a stage that has been graced by some of the biggest and best names in comedy, something we’d otherwise be unable to do,” said Dennis Hedlund, founder and executive producer of the NJCF.

The comedians are judged based upon originality, stage presence, material and audience reaction. As with each of the campus preliminary events, three students from the Stress Factory event will be chosen to compete at the Championship Finals on Saturday, January 30, 2010 in the Rutgers Student Center on Rutgers University’s College Avenue Campus in New Brunswick. In addition to being crowned the “New Jersey King or Queen of Campus Comedy,” the winner will receive the Good Humor Award, a scholarship from the Manhattan Comedy School, the opportunity to perform at The Stress Factory Comedy Club in New Brunswick and a $1,000 cash prize.

According to Vinnie Brand, owner of the Stress Factory Comedy Club, “New Jersey has an amazing number of talented young comedians and the Stress Factory has a history of shining a light on the newest up-and-coming comics. We look forward to working with NJCF and helping young comics to showcase their talents.”

 The public is invited to attend the NJCF performance at the Stress Factory Comedy Club, located at 90 Church Street in New Brunswick, for an admission fee of $6.  For a complete schedule or event registration visit www.newjerseycomedyfestival.com <http://www.newjerseycomedyfestival.com/>.

The post The New Jersey Comedy Festival Brings Student Comedians to The Stress Factory Comedy Club first appeared on River View Observer.

The third annual New Jersey Comedy Festival will be held at college campuses throughout the state starting this fall.  During this fun-filled event, the most comical college students from many New Jersey colleges and universities will compete for the title of “New Jersey King or Queen of Campus Comedy.”

Registered contestants participate in a preliminary event at their own school or a local host college. The comedians are judged based upon originality, stage presence, material and audience reaction. The season-long competition concludes at the Championship Finals on Saturday, January 30, 2010 in the Rutgers Student Center on Rutgers Universityâ€s College Avenue Campus in New Brunswick. Prizes will include the Good Humor Award, a scholarship from the Manhattan Comedy School, the opportunity to perform at The Stress Factory Comedy Club in New Brunswick and a $1,000 cash prize.

Last year, students from 40 New Jersey colleges performed their stand-up routines and 27 finalists were chosen to compete in the Finals. The 2009 winner, Kevin “Vegas” Lancaster from The College of New Jersey, received a scholarship to a renowned comedy school, the opportunity to perform an opening act at one of New Yorkâ€s leading comedy clubs, and a cash grand prize.

According to Dennis Hedlund, founder and executive producer of the New Jersey Comedy Festival, “We encourage students from every college in the state to get involved with the 2009-2010 Comedy Festival.   New Jersey has an amazing number of talented young comedians and we are looking forward to another successful season.”

For information on sponsorships, a complete schedule and list of colleges competing visit www.newjerseycomedyfestival.com or call Dennis Hedlund, executive producer of the Festival at 732-728-0111.

The post College Students to Participate in Third Annual New Jersey Comedy Festival first appeared on River View Observer.

Mike Marino -New Jersey’s Bad Boy of Comedy will  be performing  three shows August 20,21 and 22. at Uncle Vinnies Comedy Club

This is Marino’s last shore appearance this summer

For more information click

Uncle Vinnies 

The post Mike Marino at Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club in Point Pleasant This Month first appeared on River View Observer.