There’s a whole heap of funny happening in Portland this weekend. So when it’s time to take a break from the green beer and pinching cute strangers, check out the people making the laughs all over town.

A Load of Hooey


Bob Odenkirk, of Mr. Show fame and currently on Breaking Bad, is at the Brody. He and the Brody’s Tom Johnson used to do some standup together, and they’re pairing up again for what should be a pretty damn interesting set of shows. Odenkirk’s just getting into town today, when he’ll meet his cast, rehearse with them for the first and only time, and prepare for a show that’ll include the sketches, some solo work, and stand-up from both Odenkirk and Johnson. If you’re a comedy super-fan, there’s also a Q&A with Odenkirk tomorrow afternoon.

If you want to know more, Mercury’s Andrew Tonry wrote about the whole sordid affair here. Shows are tonight at 8:30 and Saturday at 7:30 and 10. The Q&A is Saturday at 1:30. Given the awesomeness of this show and the size of the Brody, there’s no way this won’t sell out. So get those tickets now, here.

Also this weekend, the fabulously dorky Jackie Kashian is at Helium. She’s been on Last Comic Standing, has a Comedy Central Special, and does a podcast that’s actually funny—no small feat in these days when you can’t swing a microphone without hitting a comic starting a damn podcast.

If improv’s what gets you all excited, there’s plenty of that too. Curious Comedy is running their “ripped from the headlines” show Fit to Print on Friday and Saturday at 8. Stick around after the Saturday show for the stand-up showcase at 9:45, featuring every comic in town who’s not on stage somewhere else.

At the relatively new venue Funhouse Lounge, improv troupe The Unscriptables are putting on two different shows this weekend. Tonight is "Avenue PDX," an improvised musical that parodies the puppet masterpiece “Avenue Q” and Portland, all at the same time. Drama geeks and English majors, this one was probably made just for you. Saturday night is “UTV,” in which the team improvises TV shows and commercials. How you can improve on the high comic art of a “Slap-Chop” commercial I’m not sure, but they’ll give it a go.