Splitsider

Jimmy Kimmel was born in Brooklyn but chased his Hollywood dreams out west. Now he's planning to come home in triumph, late night show in tow, to tape a week's worth of shows at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in NYC from October 29th through November 2nd. It's actually right across the street from the Barclays Center, which will open as the new home of the rechristened Brooklyn Nets right around that same time. And really, no two celebrities better represent the coolest burough than Jimmy Kimmel and Jay-Z, right? They're like two sides of the same coin. Don't argue with me about this, OK? I've thought it through [...]

16 years ago last Friday, comedian Charlie Barnett's life was cut tragically short, the ends to a drug and doubt-fueled means that had reduced one of the most naturally gifted performers of a generation to an AIDS-stricken, debt-ridden smack addict.

Yet in spite of the sordid details of his demise, it is his Barnett's talent, fearlessness, and generosity — to his audience, his disciples, and his craft — which carry his legacy.

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It took the Village to raise Charlie Barnett.

Born in 1954 to an alcoholic mother and mentally ill father, he lived with his grandmother in the coal mining town of Bluefield, West Virginia [...]

What better way for Conan to prove he belongs in New York City during the first night of his week-long visit than taking a made-up citizenship test administered by Mayor Bloomberg? And then by flipping the script and demanding the mayor invent some NY Post headlines? I think even Bloomberg was surprised by the intensity of the faux-vitriol with which he spits out, "Bring it on, Coco!" They are in New York, after all. Go big or getouttaheeah!

George Carlin's daughter has started a petition to rename the block Carlin grew up on "George Carlin Way." "I know my dad loved his neighborhood deeply and you know, I think it's important that New Yorkers know where he came from," Kelly Carlin says. You can sign the petition here and change the fate of the 500 block of West 121st street forever.

With any luck, this story will set the precedent for other awesomely named geographical areas, like Cosby Court and Pryor Park and Mel Brooks Brook. And they could play classic comedy albums on the corresponding streets! Okay, I just invented the nerdiest theme park ever.

Blackbook had Community's Donald Glover take them around NYC to his favorite places. In short: a boutique hotel, exclusive restaurants, and designer clothing shops. OK, I get it, your life is awesome, blah blah blah. But come on, you don't need to prove anything to us. Quit bullshitting and make the real list: the bowling alley in the Port Authority Bus Terminal, that Ninja restaurant, and the H&M near Union Square, you know, the one that's always pretty picked over.

Over at the Times, comedy critic Jason Zinoman takes a look this week at the flourishing storytelling scene in NYC, talking about stories and shows by Ophira Eisenberg, Dave Hill, Kevin Allison and others. It's worth a read if you're interested in this oft-overlooked form of comedy.

What the hell happened at the Music Hall of Williamsburg last Friday night?

Ostensibly, a sold-out crowd saw something called “Portlandia: The Tour,” but that title doesn’t tell us much. Sure, it starred Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, the creators and stars of IFC’s Portlandia. But it wasn’t a stage adaptation of an episode in the vein of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s “The Nightman Cometh” tour. Nor was it an all-new set of stories like those creepy Glee stadium blowouts. In fact, virtually none of the evening was fictional or in character, at all.

The very existence of the tour is baffling, in a way: what would [...]

It was inevitable that a city so saturated with comedians would stumble onto a storyline so unexpected from their jaded ironies and hipster quips. New York is in the middle of its own romcom and, true to form, the object of its affection is the very thing it always swore it hated: Los Angeles. But if New York is all about the bookish grad-schooly dry wit of, say, Jon Stewart and LA quintessence is the vain bubblegum blather of a Kardashian, then what kind of drama unfolds when the two lock eyes? Turns out: none.

This is not drama. Drama has mystery and tension, and what’s going on with [...]

Eugene Mirman has been raising funds on Kickstarter for the past month in order to make his Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, happening in Brooklyn in September, a crazier and more ambitious affair. The period for fundraising ends this afternoon, and he's currently about $1,300 short of his $18,000 goal. If he doesn't hit $18,000 by 2:06pm EST today, he gets none of the money. That would suck! So go toss him a few bucks if you want to support awesome, funny things. There are some seriously ridiculous incentives in it for you, too! Unless you don't want "a leather jacket covered in swears, culturally and racially insensitive messages [...]

Good news! "Terrorism comedy" Four Lions is finally getting released here in the States. Well, in New York at least, on November 5th. But really, does anyone expect this movie to hit multiplexes in Kansas City? [via]

In case you have yet to drop the $5 necessary to download Aziz Ansari's new standup special Dangerously Delicious, here's a new preview from it in which Aziz talks about sitting near 50 Cent in a restaurant and the things he learned about the man while aggressively eavesdropping. And if that's not enough Aziz for you, here is a video of him mowing Central Park yesterday, because of course he did.

Alec Baldwin has said he's no longer interested in running for NYC mayor. Here's his explanation for why not:

I've lost my appetite. Plus the people that are running for mayor — I know this is terrible — I look at them and I don't see myself in that crowd. They're like a guy on a date that you can tell he just can't wait to get his hand up your blouse before even the lights go out in the theatre. They're all just so horny for it. Horny for their own ascension.

Yeah, those horny mayors, everyone knows that common archetype. Plus, Baldwin's busy enough with 30 [...]