Last Night: Comedy Is Dead featuring Sarah Silverman @ Hollywood Forever

Comedy in a cemetery. A novel concept, inspired, even; what's going to stand any chance of waking the dead more than a really good joke?  Kind of gives "rolling in his grave" a whole new meaning.  One problem - where do you put the spot?  Not a problem at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, with its lovely refurbished Masonic temple right on the grounds, spruced up with vintage film posters, DVD projectors and a whole lot of cocaine for the "Comedy is Dead" revue, headlined by Sarah Silverman.  Okay, the coke was totally fake and smelled faintly of cinnamon (WTF?)... a key sight gag, though, provided by emcees DJ Douggpound & Johnny Pemberton.  Further warm-up came courtesy of Derek Waters' excellent "Drunk History" shorts, featuring the likes of Jack Black, Danny McBride and Michael Cera.

WATCH: Jack Black IS Ben Franklin in "Drunk History Vol. 2" (Warning: gratuitous vomiting!)



The lineup for the night, besides Silverman (bang-on with her usual flawless delivery, despite a shortfall of new material; the Obama-Kanye joke was a killer, though) included A.D. Myles, bemoaning having recently turned 40 whilst wearing a cardigan without a trace of irony; Eric Charles Nielson's brand of tightly-wound, spitting nerdism that is hard to take from the front row; and the always spectacular Natasha Leggero, who impressively pulled off her zonked Paula Abdul impression in heels and a white satin mini without any ass-over-elbows incident.  It's true, no one knows how to be a drug addict anymore, not like Judy Garland. ("She'd have 29 scotches and then take the pills... to sparkle!")


The previously announced Howard Kremer was a no-show; no Dragon Boy Suede tonight, kids. But filling in was the superb Duncan Trussell, possibly the most underrated standup on the scene at the moment, whose twisted routine on suicide slayed the room. (Why would you put a net under the Golden Gate Bridge, when you can give them diving boards?!)  Bostonian brother act Chris and Dave Walsh rocked an uproarious routine about stumbling onto an obscene public act on the way home from drunken revelry, and penultimate on the roster was the triumphant return of Mary Lynn Rajskub; motherhood suits the comedian-turned-telly star like a glove, as she not only looks fab but has a shit-ton of great new material thanks to her nine-week-old son.  Best breastfeeding impression you have ever seen.  The Dark Matters closed out the show with an acoustic set.