SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/211359
DIY Comedy Festivals Gain Prestige and Popularity by John Wenzel CASSIE WRIGHT att Braunger gets a little sentimental whenever he thinks about festival virgins. "I get such a kick out of people who have never done one finally being able to do it," he says. "Just feeling this state of belonging and camaraderie." The Los Angeles-based comedian is talking about comedy festivals, not music festivals — although the two have certainly become intertwined over the last decade. From South by Southwest to Coachella and Bonnaroo, comedy is a familiar offering at large-scale music shindigs. But comedy-only fests tend to be a rarer breed, requiring either an industry component or a brand name to which audiences can flock. Or at least they used to be. Over the last couple of years, some of the most memorable comedy events have not been the big-name blowouts. Smaller events — usually just long weekends with a few dozen out-oftown headliners — are becoming as infamous as industry behemoths like Montreal's Just for Laughs. Think Portland, Oregon's Bridgetown Comedy Festival, New York's Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, or newcomers like L.A.'s Podcast Festival and Denver's High Plains Comedy Festival. Often produced by the stand-ups themselves, these small-scale events are tapping into the DIY spirit of underground art and feeding the comedy diehards while cultivating new fans. And central to their success is the balance of logistical concerns with a desire to elevate the art form. And, of course, have fun. "It was a joke, basically," Mirman said of his eponymous metacomedy fest, which entered its sixth year in September with a roster featuring Jim Gaffigan, Ira Glass, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Kristen Schaal and others. "It's really just friends doing something together, so as a result we don't need any significantly weird sponsors like sadshoes.com or something. Sub Pop (Mirman's label) gives us money, but we're not trying to run a business here. We're trying to put on this fun thing." CASSIE WRIGHT M Matt Braunger 26 SXSWORLD / NOVEMBER 2013 Adam Cayton-Holland Mirman's event includes a showcase titled "Comedians Marc Maron Will Probably Resent in the Next Couple of Years" and an "awkward party bus," on which Mirman hires an actress to sit in a corner and cry while Harry Chapin songs alternate with dance hits. "If we do have money coming in, we spend more on fun and ridiculous stuff," said Julie Smith, a New York comedy producer and co-founder of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival. "This year "If we do have money coming in, we spend more on fun and ridiculous stuff ... a bouncy castle with a therapist inside of it. We like working with companies that think providing therapy in a bouncy castle is a worthwhile investment."