Victory Lap

It's variety to pop your top: comedy, music, cocktails, shenanigans and a giant prize wheel. Every third Tuesday of the month at The Virgil, in sunny Los Angeles, California.

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WE ARE BACK FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!

10/30! @ The Virgil! FREE! Candy! Costumes! 

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ONE NIGHT ONLY PREPARE YOURSELF FOLKS!

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What’s up Victory Lappers? It’s been waaaaaaaay too long since we’ve last seen you. And while we’ve done a few shows here and there over the past few months we finally have a BRAND NEW SHOW we’re announcing right here, right now. 

It’s The Comedy ‘N Wrestling Connection hosted by Victory Lap favorite Matt McCarthy. Matt’s been on our show tons of times, and we’re pumped to be collaborating with him on this brand new production. Luckily, we have the help of our friends over at the Silver Lake Independent Jewish Community Center (SLIJCC), who have been gracious enough to provide the space for this killer show.

Even better, we have a host of new and returning performers on board like Aparna Nancherla, Johnny Pemberton, Brandie Posey, Josh Fadem, Joe Cobden, Ithamar Enriquez, Vince Averill, Tom Sibley and our very own Stu Jenkins. We assume they’ll be funny as hell, and are hoping they don’t hurt each other with any wrestling hijinks. 

Come check out The Comedy ‘N Wrestling Connection on January 19 at the SLIJCC -- 1110 Bates Avenue in Silver Lake. The show starts at 7:30pm and tickets are only $10. SEE YOU GUYS THERE!!!

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What’s going on Victory Lappers? We’re deep in the dog days of summer, but lucky for you we’ve got another show coming up for you all TOMORROW NIGHT! 

Thankfully we have one of our favorites, Nancy Friedrich, leading the charge this time around. She’s been on the show plenty of times before, and if you’ve ever seen her perform you know it’s something new and different every time -- in other words, it’s gonna be dope. 

Luckily, she’s got Dana Gould, Michael Palasack, Erica Rhodes, Mark Vannier, Hans Holsen and Mort Burke all on board. It’s gonna be a packed night full of laughs. 

Also, did I mention there’s HAPPY HOUR ALL NIGHT?! Pretty good deal considering the show is free. 

So, come through Tomorrow Night to The Virgil at 8pm for another sweeeeeeeeet Victory Lap. After all, you guys deserve it.

Head over to our Facebook Event and let us know you’re coming to the show! 

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WHAT’S UP, VICTORY LAPPERS? 

We’re gearing up for another killer show this month, and guess who’s coming through to run the night? Yes, it’s none other than Victory Lap favorite David Huntsberger. And we’re lucky enough to have David bring an awesome line-up that includes Ryan Cownie, Jon Dore, Doug Mellard and plenty more! 

You won’t want to miss this show. Come visit The Virgil on Tuesday, July 19 at 8pm for the festivities. And be sure to check out our Facebook event for more show info. SEE YOU GUYS THERE! 

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AYYYYYYY WHAT’S UP VICTORY LAPPERS?! 

Are you guys ready for our show NEXT TUESDAY? It’s gonna be a special evening with Victory Lap favorite Lizzy Cooperman and her awesome friends! Those friends happen to include Katie Crown & Davey Johnson, Nikki Glaser, Karen Kilgariff, Ian Abramson and Raj Desai -- so, it’s a show you won’t want to miss. 

Be sure to check us out FOR FREE on Tuesday, June 21 at The Virgil. As always, show starts at 8pm with HAPPY HOUR ALL NIGHT. So, we expect to see you there. 

Let us know you’re coming by hitting up our Facebook Event. And be sure to follow Victory Lap on Facebook for more good shit.

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Yoooooooo we’re gearing up for another awesome show, this time with Ithamar Enriquez heading up the festivities! 

Luckily, he’s bringing along Andy Kindler, Cass Bugge, Drennon Davis and Mike O’Brien for the fun. Apparently he’s bringing some Puppet Friends along too. We haven’t met them before, but assume they’re dope. 

Come check out the show at The Virgil on May 17 @ 8pm. For more info check out the Facebook event.

! ! ! ! ! ! SEE YOU GUYS THERE ! ! ! ! ! !

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VICTORY LAP FIELD GUIDE APRIL 2016: WARP DRIVE & FRIENDS!

Yooooooooo what’s up Victory Lappers? Did you think we had forgotten about you? That we were gonna leave you high and dry with no more comedy? Well, if so you were 100% wrong, because we’re COMING BACK after a brief hiatus to bring you more of the best comedy in Los Angeles. 

Thankfully, we have the WARP DRIVE boys (Stu & Alex) at the helm this month, leading the charge with some pitch perfect music. If you’ve been to our show before you’ve probably heard them play, and we’re finally giving them a chance to go all out. 

And in case you forgot, the show is THIS TUESDAY, APRIL 19 @ 8PM at THE VIRGIL. 

So, without further ado, here’s the shit you actually care about .... 

SPECIAL GUESTS:  (In the Order I Typed Them)

Joe DeRosa -- We’ve had Joe on our show a few times before, and are super glad he’s coming back for another round. Joe performs stand-up, writes, acts, and is all-around awesome. Hang around LA long enough and you’re bound to see him pop in on a local show and kill.

Jon Daly -- Jon is a hilarious writer, stand-up and actor who you’ve probably heard on podcasts like Comedy Bang Bang or Improv4Humans or seen in shows like Drunk History, Kroll Show and plenty more. Most recently you can catch him playing golf in The Adult Swim Golf Classic. When he’s not doing cool shit, he usually just hangs out with his best friend Fabio.

Megan Koester -- If you’ve ever been to Megan’s show Blessed, you already know she’s super funny. But if that didn’t convince you, you might like to know that she’s been performing comedy all over town for years, in addition to contributing work to Vice, Broadly and more websites you check every single day. Needless to say, we’re pumped she’s coming to the show.

Nick Paul -- We really felt like this show needed something magical, which is why we called up Nick. His act combines comedy and magic for an awesome, one-of-a-kind experience. We just hope he doesn’t make the whole audience disappear. 

Maria Bamford -- And rounding out our line-up is the one and only Maria Bamford. We’re glad she has the time to swing by Victory Lap, considering she’s been pretty busy with Lady Dynamite, her upcoming Netflix series due out May 20. Thankfully, she has plenty of interesting stories to share. 

THEMATICS: 

Coachella -- When are they gonna get Warp Drive on the bill? 

4/20 -- We’re celebrating a day early. Get lit.

Trippy Sci-Fi Shit -- That’s what’s on the poster, so it must be part of the show.

THIS ONE GOES OUT TO: This Cannibal Alligator

This is just another reason not to go to Florida. 

SEE YOU GOONS ON APRIL 19! 8PM @ THE VIRGIL! WARP DRIVE! MUSIC! COMEDY! FREE! FUN! BE THERE! 

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VICTORY LAP FIELD GUIDE FEBRUARY 2016: CHILLIN’ WITH NOAH GARDENSWARTZ

What’s up Victory Lappers?! If you thought we were gone, you were sorely mistaken -- because we’re coming back with another edition of Victory Lap Presents, where we hand over the Victory Lap stage to one of our best friends for a show all their own.

This time, our buddy Noah Gardenswartz is running the show, and we couldn’t be happier. Noah’s usually out in New York City, bringing his signature style of stand-up all around town. Luckily, he just so happened to be out in L.A. for our show, so naturally we’re taking advantage of the opportunity to have him as our host! 

By the way, the show’s on February 16 at 8PM -- and as always, we’ll be at The Virgil. 

Thankfully, Noah’s bringing a killer line-up featuring some of the best comedians L.A. has to offer. AND it’s full of fresh faces to the Victory Lap stage, so if you’ve been to our show before we can all but guarantee you’re gonna see something totally different! So without further ado, here’s the nitty gritty details ... 

SPECIAL GUESTS: (In the Order They’re Written on the Poster) 

Jake Weisman -- If you go to as many comedy shows as we do, chances are you’ve seen Jake performing stand-up around L.A. And if you prefer sitting around your apartment all alone, there’s a good chance you’ve seen his sketch comedy work with WOMEN. We’re really hoping Jake has an easy drive over to the show. 

Matt Ingebretson --  We’re big fans of Good Heroin, the weekly show Matt runs with Dave Ross and Olivia Doud, so we’re super pumped to have him on the show this month. That said, I did have some trouble spelling his name and had to reference the video below multiple times. 

David Gborie -- Another fresh face to the Victory Lap stage, David’s set to bring his unique brand of stand-up to our fans for the first time ever. Well, obviously it’s not his first time doing comedy, it’s just his first time on our show. You get it.

Barbara Gray -- If you’re unfamiliar with Barbara’s podcast/live show Lady to Lady you’re seriously missing out. She (and co-hosts Brandie Posey and Tess Barker) kill it on a weekly basis. When she’s not doing that, Barbara’s practicing her singing and accepting awards from John Travolta.

Jak Knight -- And rounding out the line-up is none other than Jak Knight. You might be familiar with Jak from his recent appearance on Comedy Central’s The Meltdown, or from him just being a generally hilarious dude. You’re gonna love him. 

THEMATICS: 

Weed -- I mean, just look at the poster. 

Tacos -- The perfect complement to the above. Luckily, there’s a killer taco truck outside of The Virgil.

Lent -- We’re giving up not producing comedy shows this season. 

Kanye West -- Are we allowed to like his new album even though he thinks Bill Cosby is innocent?

THIS ONE GOES OUT TO: 

KING TUT

On February 16, 1923 a bunch of archeologists unsealed the burial chamber of King Tut’s tomb. With that in mind, we’d like to extend a warm invitation to Los Angeles’ mummy community. Just because you’ve been dead for thousands of years doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy comedy. 

SEE YOU GOONS ON FEBRUARY 16 @ 8PM AT THE VIRGIL! NOAH GARDENSWARTZ! CHILLIN’! FREE COMEDY! BE THERE!

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Thanks to everyone who came out to our January 19th show at The Virgil! Luckily we had Shereen Younes on hand to photograph the action for all of you that couldn’t make it (but really what the Hell were you doing last Tuesday that you couldn’t make it out !?) 

Be sure to stay tuned for more on our upcoming show -- we’ll be back at The Virgil next month with another brand spankin’ new production. Oh BABY it’s gonna be good. 

Keep up with the latest from the Victory Lap team by checking us out on Facebook.

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JANUARY 19! Victory Lap returns to The Virgil with a brand new show from our dear pal Johnny Pemberton! Get ready for a killer line-up featuring Lizzy Cooperman, Claire Titelman, Chris Crofton, Solomon Georgio and plenty more. Even better, we have world class DJ and certified Class B trucker Dicker Troy on hosting duties! 

SEE YOU JOKERS THERE! FREE! FUNNY! COMEDY! Keep your eyes peeled for more info, and check us out on Facebook for the latest Victory Lap news.

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What’s up, Victory Lappers?! Hope you didn’t miss us too much -- but if you did fear not, because we’re coming back to the Virgil January 19 for Victory Lap Presents: Johnny Pemberton & Friends! 

In the meantime, check out these sweet pics from our December show! For more info, be sure to check us out on Facebook -- and stay tuned to the Tumblr for more Victory Lap goodness! 

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Victory Lap December 2015 Field Guide: The Last Lap!

It’s the last month of 2015 and we here at VICTORY LAP are ready to give you one more show that will blow your mind before the New Year. This one’s the perfect Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Non-Denominational Holiday present for all you guys, and you’ll definitely want to make it out -- because we’re taking a little break in 2016. Don’t worry, we’ll be back, but after 3 years of consecutive shows you can’t blame us for wanting a little downtime, right? 

But we’re working full-blast up until our next show on DECEMBER 15 at 8pm at THE VIRGIL. 

Luckily, hosts Seth W. Owen and Stu Jenkins are once again on hand to bring you a festive show full of holiday merriment. We even have word that good ol’ Santa Claus is rolling through (assuming he doesn’t get stuck in L.A. traffic). 

Without further ado, here’s our line-up for the evening ... 

SPECIAL GUESTS:  (In No Particular Order)

Rory Scovel -- Rory’s been on the show a couple times before, and we’re happy he could come back for our Last Lap. Thankfully, he has the time to come by, seeing as he’s everywhere all at once and makes us all feel a little worse that we’re not as hardworking. You’ve probably seen him on Conan, or on The Late Late Show, or on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, or just out and around LA being funny as Hell. In addition to being hilarious, he’s also a great climber. 

Jackie Kashian -- Jackie’s been doing stand-up for 20-plus years, and you don’t do something that long without getting pretty damn good at it. You might be familiar with her from appearances on Conan, @midnight, or Last Comic Standing among others. Or maybe you’ve heard her geek-centric podcast The Dork Forest. Either way, one thing’s for sure -- you’re going to like her.

Johnny Pemberton -- Johnny’s another returning guest, and needless to say we’re jazzed he’s back. Seriously, last time he was on the show he totally killed, so you guys are in for a treat. When Johnny’s not out and about doing comedy, he’s usually hitting the streets with his sweet skateboard tricks. 

Nancy Friedrich -- If you’ve been to Victory Lap before, chances are you’ve seen Nancy around. She’s always doing something different, so we’re not positive what exactly she has in store this month. But we know one thing -- it’s gonna be funny. She’s clearly very excited to be back. 

Dave Ross -- And rounding out our line-up is none other than Dave Ross. Dave’s a stand-up and writer who you might know from his sketch group WOMEN or his podcast Terrified. He’s also a killer storyteller, who won a MOTH Grand Slam and told a story on Comedy Central’s Drunk History. He is also a very skilled television host, as seen in the video below. 

THEMATICS: 

Christmas Trees -- Nothing beats the smell of fresh pine needles.

Menorahs --  Get Lit.

Sleigh Bells -- The greatest auxiliary percussion instrument of all time (band geeks know what I’m talking about).

Star Wars -- THE NEW MOVIE IS OUT THREE DAYS AFTER OUR SHOW GUYS HOLY SHIT WHAT A GREAT TIME TO BE ALIVE ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

This One Goes Out To: Ralphie 

You’ll shoot your eye out, kid. 

SEE YOU ON DECEMBER 15 FOR ONE LAST LAP! 8PM! THE VIRGIL! SETH! STU! SANTA! KONKO! FREE! COMEDY! PRIZES! FUN!

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Thanks so much for coming out to our November show, Victory Lappers! We’re truly honored you’d come out to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with us. This one easily ranked up there as one of our best from the past year! 

Hope to see you at The Virgil on December 15 for the FINAL VICTORY LAP EVER ! ! ! Well, we’re going on hiatus in the new year, but will be back eventually. You get it. COME TO THE SHOW!

All Photos Courtesy Dustin Nguyen Photography.

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VICTORY LAP NOVEMBER 2015 FIELD GUIDE: IT’S A VICTORY THANKSGIVING!

What’s up, Turkeys? We’re almost three weeks into November and that can only mean one thing -- another round of VICTORY LAP ready for you to all gobble up.  

Luckily, the whole gang’s coming to Thanksgiving dinner for this one. We have Seth W. Owen and Stu Jenkins ready to lead the festivities and dish out some cranberry sauce, with Warp Drive on hand to provide some traditional Thanksgiving tunes (like the ones your drunk uncle used to sing), so you know it’s gonna be a good time.

Of course, it’d be smart to remind you guys that the show’s on NOVEMBER 17 at 8PM at THE VIRGIL.

And now, our line-up for this Thanksgiving Feast of Comedy ... 

SPECIAL GUESTS: (We’re Thankful for All of Them)

Mary Lynn Rajskub -- First up is none other than Mary Lynn Rajskub. You might recognize her from starring role as Chloe O’Brian on 24 and 24: Live Another Day, or in more comedic roles on shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 2 Broke Girls and more. But she’s also an awesome stand-up comedian you’re definitely gonna love. It’s pretty fitting she’s coming to our November show, as she also happens to be a Thanksgiving expert. 

Katie & Davey -- If you’re looking for a powerful comedic combo, look no further than Katie Crown and Davey Johnson. They’ve been at Victory Lap before, and needless to say we’re jazzed to have them back. We don’t know exactly what Katie & Davey are bringing to our Thanksgiving dinner, but we do know one thing – it’ll be great. 

Beth Stelling -- We’re super excited to have Beth Stelling visit the show this month. Chances are you’ve seen her perform around LA, and if you haven’t seen her weekly show CHURCH at UCB Sunset on Sundays you’re missing out. She’s had tons of TV appearances, and with a new Comedy Central Half-Hour premiering at the end of last month. When not doing comedy, Beth likes to get her hair brushed.

Gabe Delahaye -- Next up is none other than writer/comedian extraordinaire Gabe Delahaye. You might recognize him from Gabe & Max Need Help, the webseries he co-starred in with fellow comedian Max Silvestri. We’re really hoping Gabe’s mended their friendship. 

Joe Cobden -- And last but not least we have Joe Cobden. This guy does it all -- he writes, he directs, he acts and of course he does killer comedy. Joe’s originally from the Great White North of Canada, but we’re glad he’s come down to LA to grace us with his magnificent talent. 

THEMATICS: 

Mashed Potatoes -- Why even bother eating turkey when you could eat a whole plate of mashed potatoes?

Booze -- The only way we can make it through and entire day with our distant relatives.

The Victory Lappers  -- Shoutout to those loyal fans who check out the show every month! We’re super thankful for you, and we’re not just saying that because it’s Thanksgiving. 

Leftover Halloween Candy -- The perfect Thanksgiving dessert for the ill-prepared. 

THIS ONE GOES OUT TO: Turkie from ThanksKilling

We’ll be watching this holiday classic on endless repeat this year. 

SEE YOU GUYS ON NOVEMBER 17 @ 8PM AT THE VIRGIL! SETH! STU! WARP DRIVE! FREE! COMEDY! PRIZES! CRANBERRY SAUCE! PUMPKIN PIE! KONKO! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUN ! ! !

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VICTORY LAP OCTOBER 2015 FIELD GUIDE: THE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

The pumpkins are out, the candy's in sight, and ghost 'n goblins are running rampant. Or maybe they're just Silver Lake hipsters. In any case, it's Halloween in L.A. and we're bringing you guys some tricks and treats with another awesome VICTORY LAP variety show!

We've got comedy, music and more this month, and things are a little different. Regular host Seth W. Owen's out in Eastern Europe hunting down vampires, and we didn't really want to leave Stu Jenkins on stage all alone, so we've got Alex Dezen on co-hosting duties. If you've come to Victory Lap before, you've seen Alex on stage with Stu as 1/2 of our house band Warp Drive, but you won't want to miss what happens when these boys take the reins for the entire night! You'll either be entertained or terrified, but we're kinda cool with either option. 

Oh yeah, before I forget, we're gonna be at THE VIRGIL on OCTOBER 20 at 8pm. 

You'll definitely want to come, as we'll be giving out some special Halloween prizes this month. For example, you could win two tickets to THE MUSEUM OF DEATH in Hollywood. They have a severed head from like, 1900 preserved in a jar! That's awesome! 

Here's the rest of the good stuff ...

SPECIAL GUESTS: (In Order of Spookiness)

Dana Gould -- Dana's one of our favorites, so we're pretty jazzed to have him back for our Halloween spooktacular. You probably recognize him from Tinkle Twins, the hilarious monthly variety show he hosts at Nerdmelt with Arden Myri, or maybe you’ve heard his voice on his podcast, The Dana Gould Hour. And if you don't know him from those things, you've probably seen an episode of The Simpsons that he wrote, considering he worked on the show for 6 years. He's hilarious, and if you don't like him you're a mindless zombie that's not welcome at our show.

Nina Daniels -- We like to feature both comedy and music on our show, so it's fitting that we have Nina Daniels stopping by. You might be familiar with her from appearances on IFC's MARON, but this comedian/actress is also a skilled cellist. Thankfully she knows how to combine all those talents perfectly for some killer comedy. If you don't like her, you're a slimy sea monster that's not welcome at our show.

The Fringe Riders -- Need a taste of the Old West? Look no further than The Fringe Riders. This old school trio's bringing their distinct brand of Cowboy-tinged comedy to Victory Lap this month, and we couldn't be more pleased. After all, we could use a break from modern 21st century life. If you don't like them, you're an old-timey prospector ghost that's not welcome at our show.

Lizzy Cooperman -- Returning to the show is none other than Lizzy Cooperman. You might not recognize Lizzy, but you’ve probably enjoyed something she’s written. She’s worked on The Eric Andre Show, The Soup, and a bunch of other hilarious projects. Her Instagram’s full of avant-garde nightmare fuel, which is very fitting for this time of year. But don't worry, she's also putting some POSITIVE ENERGY into the universe. If you don't like her, you're a grotesque goblin that's not welcome at our show.

Ithamar Enriquez -- And rounding out our line-up is the hilarious Ithamar Enriquez. He's a master of physical comedy, clearly evidenced by his hilarious show Ithamar Has Nothing to Say. It started off as a live performance, but this past summer was adapted as a killer web-series executive produced by Key & Peele. While we aren't totally sure what Ithamar's got in store for us this month, we can guarantee it's gonna be good. If you don't like him, you're a raggedy mummy that's not welcome at our show.

THEMATICS:

The Devil – He does not wear Prada. The Devil wears a little leather cape and THAT'S IT! 

Mischief Night – Anyone trying to tee-pee some houses in Beverly Hills this year?

Witch's Brew – You guys know The Virgil has an awesome bar, right? Buy some drinks so they'll let us keep doing this show. 

Ghouls – They're grossly underrepresented in the monster community, so here's a shout-out to all those OG ghouls straight-up scaring the shit out of people all night. THIS ONE GOES OUT TO: Tod Browning's FREAKS

It's great when you can get all your friends together for a nice dinner.

SEE YOU ON 10/20! THE VIRGIL! 8PM! FREE COMEDY! MUSIC! PRIZES! MUSEUM OF DEATH! SPOOKS! SCARES! SETH & ALEX! KONKO!!!!!

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Yes, it’s all true - Victory Lap is tonight, and it now has 100% more Nikki Glaser!