by Frankie Tease
Eddie Rivkin creator of Comics Under the Influence
Eddie Rivkin creator of Comics Under the Influence
Eddie is a 20 year Las Vegas veteran, who looks like a cross between a Groucho Marx and Tony Soprano making cameos in the wings of the show. His show is in it's second year and second location due to the closure of the Black Door where C.U.I. spent its first year plus. The new spot is the Bikini Bar. The venue and local bar is suited to hold at least 200 people, 100 of which can sit near the stage. The first weekly show of "Comics Under the Influence" kicked off May of 2010. Rivkin wanted to create a Comedy show with a Rat Pack, a Rock N Roll touch, and definately an uncensored agenda. "C.U.I. is the brand like Oceans Eleven" Rivkin states. Eddie is originally from Detroit MI. and spent several years as a Casino Executive until becoming a comedy show producer. "The Comics Under the Influence Show gives people the comedy show and jokes that comics tell each other to make each other laugh" says Rivkin "to transport the audience into the green room to hear the jokes they tell each other. There is no other place in Vegas to perform completely uncensored. There are no rules, anything goes. The show is by comedians, for comedians." Rivkin originally from Detroit Michigan has a swagger, a cigar and a suit on. He rounds up all the up-and-coming comedians including a roster of Vegas comedy 'heavy hitters' to top off the six man line-up. Eddie has a name in Vegas for good entertainment, and it has continued here. Let's see who's on the roster at the November 10, 2011 show.
Mike Simpson
Originally from Colorado, Mike has been in Vegas since '98. He loves the underground feeling of C.U.I.and has been involved for about a year. There are no restrictions. He starts his set with 'You know that you're in Las Vegas in an interesting neighborhood when there is an adult super-store on one corner, a zombie apocalypse store on another corner, and a gentlemen's club that's only on the second story.... 'don't make too much noise or the ladies' knitting group below will get mad" he riffs. He goes onto explain how he tore his ACL playing a game called 'what is gravity?' He starts with the running joke about the fog machine that goes off behind the comedians, a prop that provided endless funny throughout the show. Mike could make anyone laugh with simple observations and self-deprecating humor. He ads some physical comedy using the mic as a penis to demonstrate how an old man may warm up his penis to have sex. He proceeds to introduce the next comedian in the line-up after a great set. Check out Mike's Twitter @mikesimpsonhaha.
Skratch With-A-K
Skratch approaches the stage like a man who's about to fuck someone really hard, but stops and looks smilingly right before he does it. The audience loves it. Skratch notices a few seats are still empty in the front row and gets a couple people to come up to fill the seats. He asks the crowd "Who loves weed?" and the crowd roars. Then he says "Who's stoned right now? a few 'woos' ring out, and he observes "I guess I'm not the only one out of weed tonight" which made people laugh-cry. Skratch proceeds by asking "Is it against a restraining order if you follow your ex-girlfriend on Twitter? No seriously, I really need to know." He tells a few more jokes and then bears down into the audience to get those deep belly laughs and continuous knee-slaps. The man works the crowd with ease. His appearance is easy to remember... he's the guy with the blonde curly locks shoulder length, you know the white 'stoner' looking dude. He's done well with his move from Florida to Vegas anyone can see. For his closer, he said he's creating a reality TV show like The Bachellorette, but "my Bachellorette has AIDS. I'm going to call it the 'Deadliest Snatch' ". His time ends and it's time to meet someone new. Check Skratch out at facebook.com/comedyfromskratch
Gabe Nolasco
Gabe is a hispanic handsome man with a certain style. Originally from Richmond, CA. here in Vegas three years, he's been in C.U.I. a month. "I love it because it keeps me fresh" he said about being in the weekly show. Gabe opens with "They just cut off my cable this week, and that sucks. Not because I didn't pay, but because my neighbors moved." He then moves on to Latin jokes saying "A Latina girl once broke up with me because I couldn't draw her eyebrows on right. She was angry, but she wasn't really angry, that's just how I drew her eyebrows. She had everything I wanted, but that's because she stole all my stuff when we broke up." A bachellorette party started being loud, drunk, and obnoxious during his set. Gabe handled it without being head-on. He simply did his set. One time acknowledging a heckler who shouted something out "that' shit's funny". The audience laughed, knowing that she really wasn't funny and they'd rather hear what Gabe has to say. He isn't the kind of guy to get into a verbal battle, he's mild-mannered, and definately funny. He draws you in, and it's worth it. He continues with "I'm hungry as hell. All I had today was a Cuban sandwhich. I took one bite, it fell into the water and it tried to swim to Miami. I hope there are no Cubans here tonight." It was time for the middle of the show. Check Gabe out on Twitter @gabnolasco.
Booya
Booya is hilarious, fast and funny and chompin' at the bit to get into it with the audience. Booya is a tall statured good-looking black man From Detroit, MI, a resident of Las Vegas for six years now and he's been in the C.U.I. show for a month. His favorite place to perform is 'Legends Casino'. Booya was a performer in their one year Anniversary event, Mike & Mark's Legends Comedy Show. Booya has toured through Arizona, Utah, California, and Michigan. His favorite topic? Sex. "I love to make people laugh." Booya says. "I talk about experiences I don't know if people have had, and yet they will relate to it." Booya has a lot of style and he dove right into the audience tearing up the look of two men in the front row. The fog machine went off and he says "ladies what if he went off on you like that?" The crowd roared. He went on to give white women advice if they ever want to... "beat a black woman's ass, all you have to do is to listen to the black woman to say that one word. Every black woman says one word before they throw a punch... BITCH. Just listen for that. I'm a blonde whore? Whatever I don't care. Wait for the word... Bitch (womp womp), start kickin' her ass." The origin of his name isn't known, but it is a descriptive verb used by the whole crew after the show when someone hits a verbal zinger, "Booya"!. A roast of Booya was also planned the week following. Booya is like a rabid boxer that needs the next fight. He's on top of his game and ready for anything, and the crowd gets the benefit of his sharp wit and hilarity. The feature entertainer is about to come to the stage. Check out Booya on Twitter @comedianbooya for a good time.
Gooch
'Gooch' aka Brandon Hahn is a radio personality and host on 92.3 FM KOMP Monday through Friday 3-7pm in Las Vegas and a host on "Awkward Silence 2.1" on vegasvideonetwork.com, which produces daily and weekly. Gooch recently interviewed Gilbert Gottfried, Andrew Dice Clay, and has Chelsey Lately on the horizon for the online show. This is a busy guy. He swaggers on stage appearing drunk, but his sharpness let's you know that it's an act. Gooch starts off asking "Did you guys know there is a link between Cancer and beastiality? The other day after I read the article on it I realized I had a reason not to fuck a chicken." Gooch continues by asking a female in the audience 'Ma'am have you ever had a premature ejaculation ?" to which she answered Yes. "What the fuck?" he answered "You're supposed to say we can't have a premature orgasm. Ladies you don't know what it is. That's like me telling you I know what it's like to have a baby because I took a big shit one time." Gooch's humor is raunchy and funny. He goes from Kung Fu Panda to genetalia in 3.2 seconds. He let's the audience know the roast of Booya is coming by saying Booya looks like Wanda Sykes and continues with "Booya has lost a lot of weight recently. If you had seen some of the skanks that he fucked, you'd know a lot of that weight he lost is self-respect". It's time for tonight's headliner to be brought up now. Check Gooch out on Twitter @yourbuddygooch.
Diaz Mackie aka the Golden Child
Diaz hosts the New Rio Comedy Room Show Fri. and Sat. with nationally touring headling comedians, and also plays the Royal Resort locally. He loves the C.U.I. show because it allows him "to come up with new material each week". He gave a shout-out to Bonkers Comedy Club in Michigan, and also plays Grand Rapids, Chicago, and Los Angeles at the L.A. Comedy Store to name a few of his favorite touring haunts. "I know I'm getting older because I use the toilet differently... I wipe my ass after I pee, just in case" he starts out. He challenges a man in the front row that he 'can't be all black. "You have to have some Indian in you or something. Your hair goes back in a pony tail real nice, you can't be all black. You should never go to jail, brothers will be braidin' your hair for you". He continues with addressing skinny jeans. "I don't get the skinny jean movement, niggas be having yeast infections and shit. That's what started 'kick-push, kick-push' he says referring to Lupe Fiasco lyrics. Diaz Mackie paces across the entire stage while he delivers and that's what he does, delivers. A mixture of self-depricating humor referring to his lisp as a 'handicap' and racial jokes. No topic is off limits. Check Diaz out on Twitter which he updates often @diazmackie.
The Bikini Bar
The show wraps up and the DJ and lights kick in for the post show dance party. Everyone is mingling after the action-packed 'no-cover' show, and lingering around to speak with the comedians. The bartender comes out from the bar and she is in a slinky bikini. The 'Laugh Pack' forms around the pool table with her in the center for some photo shoots. It's a tough job, but somebody has got to do it. The bikini bar has tons of games, a stripper pole, and hot bartenders. Here is a little recommendation, if it's Thursday, you need to be at the Bikini Bar for Comics Under the Influence a free and fun show. Check out the calendar at the bikinibarlv.com.
