Funny U. Opens Wednesday 11/2 !

What's Funny U.? It's a two-month Occupation of the Weekly Recurring Humor Night.

FU is an evening of comedy, in three parts. It's a comedy writers' workshop, facilitated by MSD, open to the public, intended for comedians and those who wish to become comedians. It's also an hour-long live comedy podcast taping by the Mental State Department. It's even an open mic that gives preferential treatment to comedians who write and attend. FU is five fun weeks between 11/2 and 12/28, every other calendar week, where you can see comedians of every level honing their craft.

At 8:00: Homeroom! - Participants will help each other write jokes, perform them in front of each other, and will receive preferential spots at the open mic later on in the evening. Wanna do a little extra time? Want to bump someone? Come to Homeroom and work on your craft and maybe you'll get your wish.

At 9:30: Study Hall! - Live podcast taping. The Executive Committee of the Mental State Department deliver hilarious special reports on the week in problem-solving. Guest comedians perform. It's a crazy fun time, with a live audience, and it all ends up on the internet so you can listen to it and think about it long afterward.

At 10:45: Recess Open Mic - Homeroom participants and other locals perform in the medium of comedy. A great mic to try out new material in front of a warm and friendly crowd! A better place to bring your A-game and impress comedians, bookers and agents. A perfect room to spot up-and-coming talent.

Tonic Lounge - 3100 NE Sandy - FREE - 21+

11/10/11 - PSIXASS - Six Month Anniversary Show

Problems abound in Portland! We have an Occupation in our downtown parks, making it very hard for people to sell drugs and drink beer there. Our Mayor just went to Asia for ten days and basically told them not to burn the house down. The weather just changed and everyone got depressed at the same time. The Mental State Department has declared an emergency PSICKASS (which happens to co-incide with our 6-month anniversary show) to solve these problems before they get TOO BIG TO SOLVE.

Auggie Smith is a Portland legend. In person or on stage his candor and gentle demeanor, combined with his total willingness to fly off the handle, have made stories of Auggie's jokes into epics, memorable yarns where the comic suddenly stops using the microphone, and starts screaming so loudly as he leaves the stage that the entire already-captive audience grows even more hushed, to hear his every word. He is relevant, biting and he is right, even when he proves you wrong, from your left.

Ron Funches just lit up America via television recently. Conan O'Brien, kid. What TV show were you on? "Nickelodeon GUTS?" Sit down, kid. This is Ron Funches. Portland is graced by his presence but every so often, and the magic rains like gold from the sky. He will float in on a cloud of mystery, drop incredible amounts of levity in what seems like just an instant, and he will glide away to do it to someone else. His majesty will enlighten the audience for centuries.

Gabe Dinger is a familiar face to anyone who has attended a Portland comedy show. He's memorable. Some might say the memories he leaves you with are the somewhat-depraved, hilarious bits he gets away with delivering through his shit-eating grin. But the longer you listen, the more you realize that he's not as terrible a person as he seems. He's a really smart guy, playing stupid-who-is-actually-smart. The joke is on you for laughing, not him for making you laugh.

Our special musical guests are The Band Currently Known As The Band Formerly Known As Too Big To Fail. One problem is the band's name, which the audience will solve during the show, while the comedians solve everyone else's problems.

If you miss this show, you will suffer for it.

11/10/11 - PSIXASS - Six Month Anniversary! 7:30pm Doors - 8pm Show - All Ages Welcome - Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 at the door.