Hosted by Gary Canon
Gary Cannon has been in the comedy business for over 20 years. After arriving in Los Angeles, he quickly became a favorite at all the southern California Improv clubs. Gary’s high energy and ability to jump-start a crowd made him an obvious choice for house emcee at not only the Improv but other clubs, including the Laugh Factory and the world-famous Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach. Many top headliners requested Gary to open their shows, including Ken Jeong (Community/The Masked Singer), Craig Robinson (The Office) and Jimmy O Yang (Silicon Valley/Crazy Rich Asians).
Gary’s high energy and likability led him to do a unique job in television called an audience warm-up comic. Anyone attending a television taping has probably met Gary. He gets the crowd excited before and during production and has worked on some of the biggest shows in entertainment, including The Masked Singer, Conan O’Brien, James Corden, Will & Grace, The Connors and Dr Phil, to name a few.
Blake Bartee
Blake Bartee is a comedian who knows how to bring the funny. Hailing from Long Beach, CA, he spent his childhood performing as a DJ and break dancer. But after serving 7 years in the Air Force as a medic, Blake decided to pursue his true passion– stand-up comedy. Now based in LA, he tours the country, performing at iconic venues like the Hollywood Improv, Comedy Store (Hollywood & La Jolla), and New York Comedy Club. Blake’s material is inspired by his personal experiences, family, and his unique take on life. Blake has proven time and time again that he has the talent entertain audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Whether it’s relatable anecdotes about everyday life, or sharp observations about current events Blake has a style that’s relatable, fresh, and thought-provoking, Blake’s comedy is a must-see for anyone looking for a good laugh.
Jasmine Ellis
Jasmine Ellis is a Stand Up Comedian, ,Entertainment Journalist and podcast host from Arlington, Texas. Jasmine is a nationally touring, headlining comedian. Her Debut comedy Album Trashbaby went #1 on iTunes and has been featured on the " best comedy album by comedians you haven’t heard of " Playlist on Spotify. Jasmine was honored as a Comedian to watch on the Whohaha women in comedy forum and her comedy special Nobody’s Queen was awarded NPR's Bullseye Comedy album of the year is available to watch now on Amazon Prime and the Drybar comedy app.
Featuring Abhay Nadkami
Abhay Nadkarni is a comedian/writer/producer that moved from South India to South Central Los Angeles for grad school. Dodging bullets en route to grad school armed him with plenty of stories and stand-up was his only catharsis for combating culture shock. His act is an eclectic mix of his experience as an immigrant in the US. He's appeared on CBS and Audible's "America from Abroad with Rob Delaney" and has been featured in The Huffington Post and SF Chronicle. He recently completed a 20-show tour of India and is the co-creator of the Desi Comedy Fest: the largest south Asian comedy festival in America. He is also the co-creator of "The Setup," a weekly comedy show featured as one of the best underground comedy shows in San Francisco by Thrillist and Timeout (2016).
Headliner The Always Dangerous: Dougie Almeida
Hailing from Queens, New York, Dougie Almeida spent most of his adult life as a corporate presenter for one of the largest financial planning firms in the country. His specialty was taking lifeless insurance presentations and transforming them into works of comic art. In his spare time, he fought as an ISKA Heavyweight Muay Thai Kick boxer, retiring at 10-0 and earning the title “Always Dangerous”.So, what do you get when you cross an inventive corporate executive with a retired kick boxer? A stand-up comedian, of course!
Winner of Improv’s New Faces of Comedy & participant in various comedy festivals, like; Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, Gilda’s Laugh Fest, SLO Comedy Festival, Laugh Your Asheville Comedy Fest. NOHO Comedy Fest. & Boston Comedy Festival.Semi Finalist in Cleveland Comedy Festival 2013, Laughlin Laughfest 2014 & Finalist in World Series of Comedy Main Event 2015.
Recently, Dougie appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on the segment, “Wall of America”.Prior to taking the stage, Dougie gauges his audience, reaches into his vault and prepares his onslaught of humor.Once on stage, he delivers blow after blow of hilarity, hitting the audience with punch line after punch line.His wit and stage presence is second to none. One thing is always certain – Dougie Almeida will KNOCK YOU OUT!