LA comedy calendar: Upcoming stand-up and comedy shows in LA

Every Saturday and Sunday, the UCB franchise's longest-running, most beloved showcase starts when a base cast of the theater's current top-brass—including founding UCB members Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts—takes the stage. Then they introduce the surprise celebrity alumnae and friends who will be joining them (think Horatio Sanz, Ben Schwartz, Adam Pally). And finally, another special guest takes the stage, a non-improviser (think Flea, Cat Power, Rebel Wilson, Lena Dunham) who opens the show with a personal story, that's deftly mined for laughs by the players. But you have to go to find out who's there—that's part of the fun. Looking for a cheap night out? Sunday shows are free, but seating is first-come, first-served, so be sure to arrive early.

Long before he was Hollywood's go-to comedy director, he was a kid from Long Island trying to make it in stand-up. Look out for his pop-in appearances at the Comedy Store, or grab tickets for one of his “Judd Apatow & Friends” shows at Largo.

"America's Funnyman," Neil Hamburger, is not just a hack who slings some of the worst jokes imaginable, he's a character—literally. Prankster Gregg Turkington has been playing the drunken, bitter, morose Tony Clifton type for years. Nowadays, hipster audiences can't stop congratulating themselves for getting the joke, but underneath the artifice, Turkington is a strangely good writer and compelling performer. Catch him the last Sunday of each month at the Satellite.

Join original MST3K creator Joel Hodgson, revival host Jonah Ray and their robotic sidekicks for a live show and screening of The Brain.