By Peter Lindblad
Lewis Black’s bite is as bad as his bark.
Eyes bulging, spittle flying from his mouth, Black is famed for delivering raging diatribes directed at hypocrites and sycophants and whatever nonsense is going on in the news, as seen in the “Back in Black” segments on “The Daily Show.” And when he’s onstage and on a roll, swearing and cussing a blue streak, which is pretty much all the time, crowds roar with nonstop laughter at his diabolically clever, hard-hitting, over-the-top rants.
Black’s tours have gone by such titles as “The Rant is Due.” His latest is called “Off the Rails.” And with his middle finger waving in the air, Black is headed to Wisconsin for shows at The Grand Theater in Wausau on May 18 and the Meyer Theatre in Green Bay on May 20. His anger is rising, and that’s a good thing.
Probably the most high-profile comic scheduled to perform in Wisconsin in May, Black isn’t the only great comic traveling through the state this month. Here are some other standouts:
Milwaukee Improv – Milwaukee
Donnell Rawlings (May 18-20) – Ashy Larry is on his way. With his familiar sandpaper voice, Rawlings is a roasting whirlwind of rip-roaring jokes, big Cheshire cat smiles, raw honesty and outrage and hilarious everyday observations onstage, with fatherhood a recent favorite topic. He made a name for himself on “Chappelle’s Show,” appearing in such iconic sketches as “The Playa Hater’s Ball.” The comic, podcaster and actor had a part on “The Wire” and played Dez in Pixar’s “Soul.” “I’m rich biaaaaatch!” Learn more about Rawlings and his comedy in our recent profile https://www.mirabelsmagazinecentral.com/digitaledition/index.html?id=37173692-234c-457b-8b98-cba40adf96e4. Visit his website https://www.donnellrawlings.com/ and check out his podcast “The Donnell Rawlings Show.” https://youtu.be/k0NAHgjPROA
Time Community Theater – Oshkosh (May 18) | The Laughing Tap – Milwaukee (May 19-20)
Laurie Kilmartin – For more adventures in parenting, get a load of Laurie Kilmartin, one of the authors of the wildly funny book “Sh*tty Mom.” The single mom and Emmy-nominated, WGA award-winning comedy writer, who was on the staff for “CONAN” on TBS for all 11 years, doesn’t just create jokes. She crafts them, honing them for maximum impact, no matter how subtle and unassuming the delivery. Expect cringey dark humor and relatable, droll one-liners that kill, as well as devastating poignancy, as Kilmartin often addresses grief and loss, like she does in her brilliant special “45 Jokes About My Dead Dad” and her bestselling book “Dead People Suck.” Read all about Kilmartin and her upcoming shows in the latest Out & About Wisconsin https://www.mirabelsmagazinecentral.com/digitaledition/index.html?id=ce4d60b9-d8b0-4d9e-9c2a-564eaa490ebe Catch her act here https://youtu.be/6PxzrR7cQhw. And visit her website: http://www.kilmartin.com/
Barrymore Theater – Madison
David Cross (May 10) – A chaos actor in the theater of the absurd, Cross is one of the most innovative comics alive today. His ingenuity was first revealed on “Mr. Show,” the iconic oddball sketch TV comedy act that raised the bar incredibly high for such fare. Fans of the cult TV show “Arrested Development” know him well, but so do those who’ve seen him in cinematic treasures “Men in Black” and “Men in Black II,” “Waiting for Guffman” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” More recently, Cross came out with a special called “David Cross: I’m From the Future,” which finds him going in deep on COVID, the empty promise of wishes and pet euthanasia. Here’s the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SBepW6r8LY. Let’s all go to his website: https://officialdavidcross.com/
Comedy on State – Madison (May 19-20) | Turner Hall – Milwaukee (May 18)
Pete Holmes – Who made it weird? Chances are, it’s Pete Holmes, who hosts the smash hit podcast “You Made it Weird” and created and starred in HBO’s “Crashing.” Coming to Wisconsin on his “Where Were We” tour, Holmes is a likeable, offbeat charmer, a self-deprecating, wonderfully strange human being whose laugh is infectious and whose routines go off on delightful tangents. Things will get awkward. It’s okay. Holmes will reel you back in and make you comfortable again … that is, before he goes off the rails. Visit https://peteholmes.com/ and here’s an episode of his podcast with Out & About favorite Ms. Pat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCXGEVpRnD0&t=4223s