Montreal’s Just for Laughs and Austin’s Moontower Comedy are known for their expertly curated comedy festivals that deliver huge stars, fan favorites, comics to watch, and beloved local talent. When they announced in 2021, they would be joining comedic forces to launch Moontower Just for Laughs Austin, the event was instantly marked by industry and audiences as the “must attend” event of the Spring. The initial 4-day festival has now transformed into a colossal comedy experience spanning two weeks this April 13-24, 2022.
The Moontower Just For Laughs Austin lineup does not disappoint, as the initial round of talent includes more than 20 Paramount and Stateside headlining shows, with more still to come.
Dan Soder of Showtime’s hit series Billions and co-host of SiriusXM’s The Bonfire makes his Paramount debut, as well as Emmy-nominated Nicole Byer, host of Netflix’ hit show Nailed It! and Why Won’t You Date Me?, her comedy and relationship podcast, which can also be seen live at the Stateside during the festival. Deon Cole of ABC’s hit show black-ish and its spinoff Grown-ish, as well as the new feature film, The Harder They Fall, and Michelle Buteau, host of the newest season of the popular Netflix series The Circle and star of BET’s The First Wives Club will also be hitting the Paramount stage for the first time. Rounding out the Paramount headliners in this announce are Marc Maron, a fest favorite with four hit specials and host of his landmark podcast WTF with Marc Maron; Nikki Glaser, one of the funniest female voices in comedy seen on Netflix, Comedy Central Roasts, and The Nikki Glaser Podcast; Mark Normand, a New York comedian featured in Netflix’ The Standups and co-host of the Tuesdays with Stories podcast; and the Not Another Dungeons and Dragons Podcast, hosted by Dungeon Master Brian Murphy, Emily Axford, Jake Hurwitz, and Caldwell Tanner.
Kicking off the fest at Stateside is Christina P, whose stand up has been featured on Netflix in addition to her co-hosting the hit podcast Your Mom’s House. Fans can also catch Saturday Night Live favorites at Stateside, including Chris Redd, James Austin Johnson, and sketch group Please Don’t Destroy, featuring members Ben Marshall, Martin Herlihy, and John Higgins. Donnell Rawlings will headline three shows, known best from Comedy Central’s Chappelle’s Show and Netflix’s The Degenerates. The Stateside lineup also includes Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher who will co-headline two shows in addition to their live podcast, Endless Honeymoon; Sasheer Zamata, who can be seen on ABC’s Home Economics and Hulu’s Woke; and Rachel Feinstein and Jessica Kirson, two of the most formidable, national headliners will team up in a rare comedy tour de force for the Moontower Just For Laughs Austin audience.
As longtime fest-goers know, the most magic happens in the clubs, where intimate venues feature national headliners like Andy Kindler, Big Jay Oakerson, Catherine Cohen, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, Janelle James, Nathan Macintosh, Orlando Leyba, and Anthony Devito’s My Dad Isn’t Danny DeVito, a one-man show about an unraveling family secret. Additionally, Moontower Just For Laughs Austin continues to welcome a number of stellar live podcasts and broadcasts to the festival stages. The 2022 program will include fest-favorite SiriusXM’s The Bonfire with Dan Soder and Big Jay Oakerson, Dumb People Town with The Sklar Brothers and Daniel Van Kirk, and Disgusting Hawk with Jessica Kirson, as well as the debuts of Bananas with Kurt Braunohler and Scotty Landes, Find Your Beach with Rosebud Baker and Andy Haynes, Soccer Comic Rant with Ian Edwards, Seek Treatment with Cat and Pat, hosted by Catherine Cohen and Pat Regan, and many, many more.
This year’s festival will also feature for the very first time an audition showcase for Just for Laughs’ signature New Faces series. Austin audiences will be the first to see some of the new rising stars vying for a spot to perform at the iconic New Faces showcase that takes place every July at the Just For Laughs MONTREAL festival. This series is the marquee JFL discovery stand-up showcase that has served as a launching pad for up-and-coming talent like Jimmy Fallon, Gabriel Iglesias, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Ali Wong and Pete Davidson to name a few.
“Partnering with comedy titan Just For Laughs has opened doors to new and exciting opportunities,” says Lietza Brass, Moontower Just for Laughs Austin Festival Director. “Knowing where we are and what we have planned for future announcements leads me to believe that the 2022 Moontower JFL festival will be a cavalcade of comedy for fans and industry.”
“We’re excited to share that Moontower Just For Laughs Austin will be growing this year” says Bruce Hills, President of Just For Laughs. “Our programming team has been working tirelessly to curate an outstanding lineup of performers, and the names we’ve revealed today is just the beginning. We are so excited for what’s to come, and are looking forward to reuniting with all of our industry friends and comedy fans this April.”
Additional performers and events will be added to the Moontower 2022 lineup in the coming months, including more headliners, podcasts, and a variety of comics playing club shows at Moontower Just For Laughs Austin venues throughout the city.
Moontower Just For Laughs Austin Comedy Festival badges are on sale now and available for purchase at moontowercomedyfest.com. You can also purchase badges at the Paramount Theatre box office or by calling 512-474-1221.
Courtesy of Giant Noise
Featured Image Credit: Bells and Whistles Productions