2008 Woodie Awards
Barker and Klocek bring laughs to SSU
Michael DiGrande
Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: Arts and Entertainment
Stand-up comedy seems to be a lost art in today's age.
Sure, there are the big names of cross-over stars like Dane Cook or Pablo Francisco, but rarely does anyone make a big deal about shows solely focused on one of the most basic comedy staples.
In fact, aside from the big super stars, it seems like stand-up has been relegated smoke-filled bars and late night talk shows.
Luckily, there are those out there still determined to indulge in this incredibly essential and fundamental comedy form.
On Feb. 21, Arj Barker and Joe Klocek will put on a joint performance at Sonoma State University. The Associated Students Productions event will start at 8 p.m. and be held in the SSU Commons.
The event's focus is to display the solid talent that's still thriving within today's contemporary stand-up circuit.
Barker is probably most well known for his role as Dave on the HBO series "Flight of the Conchords."
However, he's also been a featured guest on numerous late night talk shows alongside such big stars like Conan O' Brien, Jay Leno, and David Letterman.
He's earned a sizable audience with his live comedy album, "Issue Were Here: Arj Barker Live in Sydney" and has been one of stand-ups up and coming stars for quite a while.
His delivery up on stage is playful, but aims for surprising twists and unpredictable punch lines to round out his jokes.
Many of Barker's performances show him luring the audience into carefully constructed sets of circumstances before he dashes them away with punchy one-liners and derisive satire.
Performing alongside Barker will be Joe Klocek, a local San Francisco based comic that already has a host of accomplishments underneath his belt.
Klocek returns to SSU after landing a performance on Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham" as well as being the runner up at San Francisco's International Comedy Competition in 2003 and a finalist in the 2004 Seattle Comedy Competition.
Sure, there are the big names of cross-over stars like Dane Cook or Pablo Francisco, but rarely does anyone make a big deal about shows solely focused on one of the most basic comedy staples.
In fact, aside from the big super stars, it seems like stand-up has been relegated smoke-filled bars and late night talk shows.
Luckily, there are those out there still determined to indulge in this incredibly essential and fundamental comedy form.
On Feb. 21, Arj Barker and Joe Klocek will put on a joint performance at Sonoma State University. The Associated Students Productions event will start at 8 p.m. and be held in the SSU Commons.
The event's focus is to display the solid talent that's still thriving within today's contemporary stand-up circuit.
Barker is probably most well known for his role as Dave on the HBO series "Flight of the Conchords."
However, he's also been a featured guest on numerous late night talk shows alongside such big stars like Conan O' Brien, Jay Leno, and David Letterman.
He's earned a sizable audience with his live comedy album, "Issue Were Here: Arj Barker Live in Sydney" and has been one of stand-ups up and coming stars for quite a while.
His delivery up on stage is playful, but aims for surprising twists and unpredictable punch lines to round out his jokes.
Many of Barker's performances show him luring the audience into carefully constructed sets of circumstances before he dashes them away with punchy one-liners and derisive satire.
Performing alongside Barker will be Joe Klocek, a local San Francisco based comic that already has a host of accomplishments underneath his belt.
Klocek returns to SSU after landing a performance on Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham" as well as being the runner up at San Francisco's International Comedy Competition in 2003 and a finalist in the 2004 Seattle Comedy Competition.