From L to R: Jessi Klein, Jonathan Ames, Catie Lazarus, David Rakoff, Annabelle Gurwitch, Elizabeth Spiers [pic by Brian Van]

The other night, when The Senator and I were talking about why we’ve been to more comedy shows in the two months since we moved to New York (8) than I have been to in my entire life (maybe 4), she made a very prescient observation. Namely, that comedy is the new indie rock. And you know what? She’s right. Let me explain.

Now, your Uncle Grambo isn’t exactly breaking any new journalistic ground when I tell you that shit is EXPENSIVE here in NYC. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it’s impossible to leave the apartment without dropping a Hamilton. Considering that I’m just an Average Joe making an Average Salary, let’s just say that I’ve been forced to become WAY more fiscally responsible over the last few months. At the same time, this city presents you with a bazillion amazing things to do every single night of the week, most of which cost money. Irresistable force, meet immovable object. This is where comedy comes into play.

Much like indie rock in the late 90s, where you could hit The Shelter or St. Andrews or The Blind Pig and catch a killer three-band bill for like $12, the same thing exists in NYC today with comedy. Not only is the talent top-notch, but the bang-for-yer-buck ratio is off the charts. For instance, last night I caught all of the talented comedians/humourists pictured above for the low, low price of $10! When The Grizz was in town back in November, we saw Amy Poehler, Jack McBrayer, Rob Huebel and a handful of others improv at the UCB for eight American dollars! Even with a couple of drinks (PBRs are like $2 at UCB) thrown into the mix, there’s no competition when it comes to getting the most out of your disposable income.

RELATED: Gawker has a good review of the show. And, for the record, Spiers KILLED!

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