By Peter Lindblad
For a good time, call Chelcie Lynn.
Or, better yet, go see the outrageous, unfiltered internet sensation, actress and stand-up comic on her “2 Fingers and a 12 Pack Tour” when it goes on a joy ride through Wisconsin in April.
Lynn is hitting Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater on April 11, Green Bay’s Meyer Theatre on April 12 and Madison’s Barrymore Theatre on April 13, with her earthy, hysterically funny brand of redneck humor and white trash fun.
Listed among Variety’s “2021 Top 10 Comics to Watch,” Lynn made a name for herself with viral vignettes of her “Trailer Trash Tammy” character, which generated hundreds of millions of views. Then came her turn as “Madame Jillian” in the Duplass Brothers’ feature film “Tangerine” and her starring role in Coach Von Pidgeon for “Funny or Die” and Facebook Watch. She also famous for something called “mukbanging,” which are evidently vlogs about eating. Watch her take on Five Guys food here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMm6i9R3ZWQ
Milwaukee Improv – Milwaukee
Vir Das (April 7-8) – Boy, did Vir Das find himself in some hot water in 2021, following his acclaimed “Two Indias” monologue at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. After artfully breaking down the toxic social ambiguities and political strife in his native land with sly, yet brutally honest, humor, Das flew home to Mumbai. After landing, he discovered he’d been brought up on charges, including sedition, defamation and denigrating India on foreign soil, among others. India’s media even called him a terrorist. It’s not often that a comedian can be both educational and hilarious. Nobody walks that fine line like Das, who earned an International Emmy Nomination for his “Vir Das: For India” special while being publicly vilified at home. “Landing” is his latest special for Netflix, and it’s a soul-searching, unvarnished examination of the differences between eastern and western cultures, the costs of being free and globalization. You may have witnessed Das in action on “Conan,” as well as in the Judd Apatow film “The Bubble” or as “Jai Datta” in ABC’s “Whiskey Cavalier.” These shows are going to be special. You might leave thinking about them for days. Here’s some of his thought-provoking commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU-zhajzad4
Skyline Comedy Club – Appleton
Kellen Erskine (April 23) – What a perfect match – Kellen Erskine’s deadpan, dry wit and Dry Bar Comedy, the platform that’s home to a variety of Erskine clips that have amassed 30 million views. His incisive, absurdist humor has led to appearances on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” “Jimmy Kimmel” and “Conan,” as well as the Amazon original series “Inside Jokes.” One TBS’s “Top Ten Comics to Watch” in 2017, Erskine was a finalist at the San Francisco International Comedy Competition and the Great American Comedy Festival. Go see what all the fuss is about in this special event. Here’s a preview: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SdoWHtNOd38
Comedy on State – Madison
Sam Jay (April 13-15) – Remember the iconic “Black Jeopardy” sketch from “Saturday Night Live?” That was co-written by the Emmy-nominated Sam Jay. There’s a lot more satirical insight and funny, off-the-wall stuff where that came from, as Jay draws material from her everyday life and picks out the bits that’ll make you howl with laughter. You can see her on the innovative weekly late-night HBO series “Pause with Sam Jay,” as well as 2020’s hour stand-up special “Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning” on Netflix. Get a taste of the Sam Jay experience here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajci4AJdbOU&list=RDQMHsv0Q7ltJn0&start_radio=1
The Laughing Tap – Milwaukee
Gwen La Roka (April 21) – Let’s get physical with up-and-coming star Gwen La Roka, who’s been known to engage audiences with an energetic, visceral style that’s wonderfully offbeat and utterly charming. From Chicago, she’s performed at famed clubs such as Zanies, The Laugh Factory and The Improv. What’s also notable is that she’s the first Latina from Chicago to debut a comedy special on HBO Max and was the winner of 2021’s New York Latina Film Fest Stand Up battle royale, having also captured first place in HBO Max’s “Entre Nos” Latino comedy competition. Catch her before the rest of the world catches on to how funny she is. Take a gander: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INGH2sTT-ao