Kumail Nanjiani to Host the 19th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards™ Show

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, announced Kumail Nanjiani will host the 19th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards™ Show on November 30th in New York City. Kumail will be in some pretty good company as confirmed presenters include Meryl Streep, Ellen Burstyn, Brooke Shields, and Willem Dafoe, among others. Kumail performed on The Late Show with David Letterman last week -great stuff- check it out here!

RIGHT ON PR AUGUST NEWS !

There is simply no stopping MATT & KIM ! The Brooklyn duo are up for an MTV VMA for "Lessons Learned" so everybody please GET TO THE VOTING !! And tune in AUGUST 26 when they will be performing on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE !! You'll also catch the Matt & Kim track "Don't Slow Down" in the first episode of Gossip Girl and "Good Old Fashioned Nightmare" on the new Joel McHale "Community" tv teasers! Did we mention ANOTHER TOUR coming up, too? YES! whew!

MARK MALLMAN is just off his pre-INVINCIBLE CRIMINAL release tour and boy were the audiences out there impressed with this "One of a kind showman"!! Thanks for the praise and we'll see you on the SEPT-OCT TOUR!! If you haven't checked out the new video for the Invincible Criminal title track, SEE IT HERE!

WALLPAPER have announced summer shows in advance of their DOODOO FACE' lp release and next week's video debut of album single "I Got Soul (So Wasted)". Be sure to check out their tour dates and watch here as Ricky Reed schools you on the "Doodoo Face"

After being hailed for his newly released 'Wilderness' LP and playing an amazing release show in NYC, JOSH MEASE has a few new shows lined up for this month. You can check out this "One To Watch" in Burlington, VT this weekend, and at Rockwood Music Hall in the LES on Aug 27 when he will be playing songs from what NPR calls "one of the strongest debuts I've heard this year."

In support of their hilarious forthcoming book "WHAT WOULD GOD'S POTTERY DO?", the good gents of GOD'S POTTERY have announced live performances including a big book release show at COMIX in NYC on SEPTEMBER 8 ! Watch this space for more dates and videos!

The incomparable ADIRA AMRAM is set to open all dates across North America on the upcoming KID KOALA curated THE SLEW: LIVE tour. Adira's “Madonna meets Biz Markie” onstage talents will be accompanied by her backup dancers The Experience for an unforgettable blast of spectacular entertainment. The tour is a one-off so make sure you catch it when it hits your city!

KUMAIL NANJIANI will be headlining Comix on Tues August 11 so if you are in NY, you won't want to miss it! In addition to his TWO ECNY AWARDS, Kumail was recently named in Variety's Ten Comics To Watch feature and profiled in the Hollywood Reporter's Top Ten Comedians Worldwide and you can currently see him on Michael and Michael Have Issues!

As the creator and star of video cult favorites like the Jackie & Debra series and East Coast every-mom Margie, NY comedian JOHN ROBERTS has gained quite a following through his hilarious portrayals. This Fall, John will be hitting the stage bringing his comedy to life with a number of shows including a tour with Margaret Cho and a residency at Comix in NYC August-December! Check out his brand new video featuring Paulie P & Dawn !

RIGHT ON PR JULY NEWS !

JOSH MEASE has announced a record release show set for Monday, July 27 @ Mercury Lounge in NYC! It's going to be a great coming out show for the Brooklyn songwriter who has established himself as One To Watch as a great young artist whose music is refreshingly imaginative and beautiful! ' The first album single is the charming "White Diamonds" which was just made available for digital sale exclusively through Frog Stand Records who will release Josh's debut lp 'Wilderness' 7/21. Stay tuned for the video, too!

As you likely already know this is MATT & KIM's year and this summer is their summer! The Brooklyn duo continue to soar in the wake of the release of 'GRAND' and have a load of US shows coming up: festival dates mixed in with Bacardi B-LIVE shows, and a FREE hometown headlining show in NYC at Pier 54! All dates are below along with ticket links so hit em up and get out to see the twosome who the National Post says “you must, must, must see them live” !! And check out NPR where Matt & Kim's hot single "Daylight" was featured Song Of The Day!

07/01/09 - Asheville, NC - Emerald Lounge - No Advance Tickets
07/02/09 - Charlotte, SC - The Forum*
07/03/09 - Atlanta, GA - Opera*
07/04/09 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues- Lake Buena*
07/07/09 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
07/09/09 - New York, NY - Pier 54 - FREE SHOW!
07/10/09 - Austin, TX - Austin Music Hall
07/11/09 - Dallas, TX- House Of Blues
07/18/09 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival
08/27/09 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre+
08/28/09 - San Diego, CA - Street Scene 2009
08/29/09 - Visalia, CA - Howie & Sons Pizza & Beer Parlor+
08/30/09 - San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival
09/01/09 - Arcata, CA - Depot+ Not on sale until August
09/02/09 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater+
09/03/09 - Vancouver, BC - Richards On Richards+
09/04/09 - Victoria, BC - Sugar+
09/05/09 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot
09/07/09 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue+
09/08/09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater+
09/10/09 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club+
09/11/09 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre+
09/12/09 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge+
09/14/09 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick+
09/16/09 - Washington D.C. - Black Cat+
09/29/09 - S. Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Showcase Lounge
09/30/09 - Montreal - Pop Montreal
10/02/09 - Buffalo, NY - Soundlab

In advance of the August release of 'INVINCIBLE CRIMINAL', the incomparable MARK MALLMAN set out on a handful of dates showcasing songs from the new album. At one sold out show, the prolific rocker's show was hailed as "Kaufmaneasque" by one reviewer. We can tell you there was keyboarding riding, life sized rats watching the Wizard of Oz, and an appearance by the Mallwolf. The one-of-a-kind showman has more dates coming up and this tour promises more legendary performances!
7/9 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
7/11 – Austin, TX @ Beauty Bar
7/13 – Albuquerque, NM @ Atomic Cantina
7/15 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
7/16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Three of Clubs
7/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
7/21 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
7/22 – Portland, OR @ Berbatis Pan
7/25 – Denver, CO @ The Skylark Lounge, 11pm
7/25 – Denver, CO @ Cartoys’s Outside stage, 6pm
7/25 – Ft Collins, CO @ Road 34
8/14 – Marquette, MI @ Upfront and Company
8/15 – Marquette, MI @ Upfront and Company
8/22 – Minneapolis, MN @ Red Stag Block Party
8/27 – St Cloud, MN @ Electric Fetus *instore
9/11– Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
9/12 – St Cloud, MN @ The Rox

There is no stopping the riotously funny EUGENE MIRMAN. The Hot Twitterer (thanks, Rolling Stone and Paste!) who delivered the graduation speech of the millennium, has a show at Mass MoCa in North Adams on Friday July 3rd - see you there!

If you have been wondering WHAT WOULD GOD'S POTTERY DO? you need wonder no more! The Last Comic Standing finalists have penned The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Your Teens and/or Being Successful! Through a combination of essays, diagrams, photo-journals, flow-charts, illustrations and choose-your-own-adventure, Gideon and Jeremiah expound on the sound words laid out in "The Pants Come Off, When the Ring Goes On" and "Jesus, I Need a Drink” with a hilarious book. Stay tuned for lots of video fun leading up to the book's release this September!

NYC funnyman JOHN ROBERTS will be performing two shows at Comix in NYC on July 9 , performances at 7:30 and 9:30. He will be joined by a special guest ( a fellow comedian) but we cannot yet announce who that is! By now, everyone around the world knows John Roberts through his hilarious videos and recent appearance on Jimmy Fallon. At these special one night performances, you can count on John's stand up to include his outrageous original characters!

KUMAIL NANJIANI brings his ECNY Award Winning One Man Show 'Unpronounceable' to iO West in LA on July 8.  Based on his upbringing in Pakistan and transition to Iowa where he attended Grinnell College, 'Unpronounceable' is a hilarious chronicle written and performed by one of today's top comedians and directed by Paul Provenza (director of The Aristocrats). Kumail also won the 2009 ECNY Award for Best Male Stand Up Comedian, was recently featured in New York Magazine's "Ten Funny People That Funny People Find Funny", on Jimmy Kimmel Live and in his recurring role as Homer, the suspected Greek terrorist on The Colbert Report.

On the heels of a sweeping tour of Australia, the unbelievable REGGIE WATTS is currently making his way across Europe where he is touring with Regina Spektor and he has lined up a great run in London near the end of the month. The Soho Theater will host the groundbreaking comedic freestyle beatboxing genius July 27 - August 8 for 10pm performances nightly. Absolutely not to be missed!

RIGHT ON PR JUNE NEWS !

Happy Release Day, BRASSTRONAUT!! At last the Vancouver four piece's outstanding, genre-defying OLD WORLD LIES EP is available in the US through Unfamiliar Records (Japandroids)! Next week Brasstronaut will be bringing their captivating show to Seattle, Portland and Kennewick and later this month will be playing the Sled Island Festival in Calgary. Be sure to check out the TOUR PAGE!

Brooklyn's JOSH MEASE just wrapped up a sweet little East Coast minitour showcasing songs from his fully charming upcoming lp WILDERNESS due out this summer on FROG STAND RECORDS. We'll have lots more shows to announce, but New Yorkers mark your calendars for June 24 when Josh plays Le Poisson Rouge with Christina Courtin!

Prolific piano rocker MARK MALLMAN has announced a whole bunch of shows in advance of his forthcoming INVINCIBLE CRIMINAL full length. Anyone who has seen Mark play live can attest that he's got the chops and the talent onstage, too! I mean, this is an artist who has toured the US 22+ times, sells out 800 seat venues and who once armed himself with hundreds of pages of sheet music for a solo performance that lasted over 52 hours straight -Marathon2 check it here!! THE MALLMAN = A MUST SEE!

MATT & KIM are soon to return from their overseas tour in support of GRAND and have a whole summer full of shows lined up (many of them free!!) and festivals including NXNE, Pitchfork, Street Scene and Bumbershoot. Be sure to check the TOUR PAGE! And if you haven't yet seen their newest video for the single "LESSONS LEARNED", you must check it out! Oh yes, as well as "DAYLIGHT" featured in the new Bacardi Mojito national spot!

Check out this awesome show review of THE INTERIORS just up today on POPMATTERS! Next up, the Chicago band will be playing a hometown show June 30 at Schubas !

This weekend EUGENE MIRMAN returns to his alma mater, Lexington High School, to deliver the commencement speech at this year's graduation. He will, I'm sure, cull from his vast wisdom just as he did in writing THE WILL TO WHATEVS, to set the Class of 2009 on their path to success. From special ed to graduation speaker, Eugene, you done good!

The brilliant TOM SHILLUE will be part of the 826NYC Benefit happening June 19 @ Bar Matchless in Brooklyn. The theme for the night is "vacation" so you can look forward to one of the city's finest and funniest storytellers presenting an original piece alongside a talented line up.

With countless credits between them, top notch comedians and longtime friends LIZZ WINSTEAD AND DANA GOULD will share the stage for four shows on June 26th and 27th at Comix in New York. These two comedy legends are amazing separately, but as they co-headline Comix for the first time ever it will make for shows to remember! Showtimes: 8pm & 10:30 both nights

GRACE PERRA, the very brave and very funny lady that she is, recently hit the 2009 Cupcake Challenge in LA and risked instantaneous diabetes to make THIS VIDEO

And sure, we'll remind you again next month, but you ought to go ahead and mark your calendar for July 13 when KUMAIL NANJIANI will be on The Late Show with David Letterman! The hugely talented comedian/actor who regularly appears on The Colbert Report as Homer can also be seen in Michael and Michael Have Issues on Comedy Central.

KUMAIL NANJIANI FREED FROM COLBERT'S PRISON !

Last night Stephen Colbert freed comedian Kumail Nanjiani from his secret under-desk prison.  As the orange jumpsuited Omar, er, Homer, Kumail was let go after serving 4 years time after being mistaken for an Arab when he was delivering Colbert's Greek take-out.  The comedian who is also known for his outstanding one man show 'Unpronounceable' which recently made its West Coast debut, is back tonight as part of Colbert Nation -don't miss it!