A Classy Comedy Night on the Cheap

What: The Super Serious Show

When: May 17th, 8:00 PM (Free)
Where: Cafe Club Fais Do-Do
5253 W. Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
How Much: $15 (pre-order) or $20 (At the door)

We keep a lot of comedy shows on our calendar here at LA Lookout. With Los Angeles being what it is--basically a 450 square mile holding pen for America’s top entertainers--there’s an abundance of opportunities to sit down and take in quality jokes at bars, clubs, and theatres across town. When the events come so fast and furious, it’s easy to get a little jaded. But one comedy night that deserves your earnest attention is The Super Serious Show, which goes up on the third Thursday of every month at Cafe Club Fais Do-Do, just south of the city’s center. A quick glance at the event’s name might have you believe that a generous helping of tongue-into-cheek thrusting awaits you, but don't be fooled! The team behind this show really do take it seriously. Super seriously. How do I know this? Consider the evidence...

While they could just set up a microphone, schedule some comics and hope for the best (sadly, the norm), the crew behind The Super Serious Show choose to go the extra 10 miles when it comes to the preparation and execution of their event.

Exhibit A: You’d have to be blind not to appreciate the top notch website at SuperSeriousShow.com with its sleek dark design, frequently updated blog section of articles on past and upcoming guests, and professionally produced video clips from previous performances. You can tell they have taste, and they’re big fans of the comedians they choose to feature. At just $15 a ticket, one show a month, somebody is clearly putting in a lot more work than anybody is getting paid big bucks for. Passion is a good place to start.

Exhibit B: Then there’s the event itself, which takes place not at some overcrowded comedy pit with a two-overpriced-drink minimum, but the psychic opposite of that particular nightmare. When you get to the show, you’ll find yourself at Cafe Club Fais Do-Do, a historic Art Deco bank-turned-underground-jazz-club-turned-trendy-modern-lounge with free beer from Eagle Rock Brewery and free wine from La Brea’s Cube Cafe. Showtime is at 8:00pm, but you’re encouraged to get there as early as 7:00pm. Hang out, get started on that free beer, and maybe grab a bite from one of LA’s delicious gourmet food trucks parked outside the club.  It’s a pretty damn sophisticated experience, considering that we haven’t even gotten to the fun part yet; this photo gallery from past shows should let you know a bit more about what you’re in for.

Exhibit C: All full up on wine, homemade cookies, and crepes from a truck? Then you can finally sit back and enjoy the show, which always comes with a stellar lineup. This month will feature Jerrod Carmichael, Brett Gelman, Kumail Nanjiani, Rory Scovel, Sean Patton, JC Coccoli, and a multimedia portion with videos from Peter Atencio. Hot off of the SXSW festival, there is a lot of buzz around this group of comedians, half of which you may have seen doing sets on Conan, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show With David Letterman, or anywhere else that they point cameras at buzzed about comics. And this lineup isn’t an aberration; check out the show’s history, as represented by this array of stylish portraits by photog Mandee Johnson, who is just one member of the talented crew that makes this show such a classy experience from start to finish.

By Alexei Bochenek