I know we talk up a lot of acts and specials here. A lot of that is because if we don’t think someone’s great we don’t write about them. I don’t bring up mediocrity here. My mission for this blog is to highlight, spotlight, praise and raise up great stand-up comedy of yesterday, today and maybe even tomorrow. That being said, my personal favorite stand-up comedy act right now, my number one best thing to make me laugh hard and be happy is Bumping Mics.

BUMPING MICS

Jeff Ross and Dave Attell are both amazing right now on their own. They’ve each matured in pretty amazing ways and have become a pair of quite unique legends in this business. So much in fact that I don’t know how many dates they have going forward as Bumping Mics but I do have to say there is a magical symbiotic combination that is formed between the two of them that is so much different than the parts, that I just adore.

COMEDY TEAMS

Years ago there were so many comedy teams. Back in the Vaudeville days so many, of course in the movies, Laurel and Hardy and then in TV Abbott and Costello, then the Martin and Lewis Days, and the Smothers Brothers days, when I was a kid my favorite record was TIM and TOM, Tim Reid and Tom Dressen’s album and Cheech and Chong of course. When I got started at the store Roger and Roger and Samuels and Cohen and Rick and Ruby were hot. The Mooney Twins were around for awhile, but sadly none of them really stuck it out and made a major mark. The Sklar brothers are on the scene now and are doing really well and are damn funny I might add, so we’ll see how they do.

A JAZZ ELEMENT

Bumping Mics is in a class of it’s own though. Bumping Mics came together more or less as an idea of Jeff Ross’s. Just a notion he had to have a good time with his best bud. Anyone that is lucky enough to know Jeff knows how much his friends mean to him and he is crazy about Dave Attell. I believe that’s half of what makes Bumping Mic so great. (I actually think there’s a great movie with these two guys walking / traveling around insulting themselves and everyone else they see. Almost a throwback to an old W.C. Fields film) I also get a jazz vibe to the show. They don’t plan much. They just let it take it’s own course and cadence. Free float. It’s gut funny and raucous and you so much feel the connection there.

Last year my family had a loss and I was in a bad place and after the funeral and a lot of tough travel I just needed to laugh. I love to laugh. I flew with Jeff to a Bumping Mic gig in Chicago at a beautiful theatre out in the suburbs because I knew I was going to laugh my ass off. I really did too. It changed my whole energy.

If you ever get a chance to see these guys live do it.