RIVERSIDE–KUCR 88.3fm’s Comedy Apocalypse, UCR’s long-running live comedy series, returns Wednesday February 25th to the UCR Barn with Comedy Apocalypse 12, featuring a line-up of cutting-edge stand-up comics. After years of shows at UCR, the series continues its established tradition of featuring unique original comic talent: professional touring comics withsolid experience, recognition, and industry buzz. Comedy Apocalypse 12 stars headliner Matt Braunger, whose one-hour special Big Dumb Animal has just premiered and is currently airing on Comedy Central. Braunger shares the bill with critically acclaimed comics Baron Vaughn and Ramin Nazer and the show is emceed by UCR’s “Action” Flores.

MATT BRAUNGER

Comedy Apocalypse 12 headliner Matt Braunger was raised in Portland, Oregon. A headlining comedian since 2007 and an actor since childhood, Matt studied theatre in New York and improvisation in Chicago under such luminaries as Susan Messing and Del Close. Braunger’s television credits include a recurring role on NBC’s UP ALL NIGHT, a series regular role on MADtv, and as well as appearances on Garfunkel and Oates, Maron, Family Tree, The Michael J Fox, Happy Endings, HBO’s Family Tree, CONAN, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Pete Holmes Show, United States of Tara, Pushing Daisies, Carpoolers, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Acceptable TV, and Live At Gotham.  He is also a regular guest onthe Chelsea Lately roundtable and @midnight. In 2009, he was named to Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch and Comedy Central’s Hot 9 in ’09 list, his debut album Soak Up The Night was released by Comedy Central Records and named to the iTunes REWIND Top 20 Albums of 2009 In 2010, he recorded a half hour Comedy Central Presents special and in 2012 released his debut hour-long special entitled Shovel Fighter, also released as an album.  Matt’s new hour-long comedy special, Big, Dumb Animal is currently running on Comedy Central.

Along with touring comedy clubs across the country, Matt is also a regular at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, and he headlined the Old Milwaukee Comedy Tour for Funny Or Die in 2013.  Matt has also performed at a variety of prestigious comedy festivals including the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and Chicago, The TBS Comedy Festival Las Vegas, South By Southwest. Matt won the 2008 “Best Of The Fest” at the inaugural Rooftop Comedy Festival in Aspen and he co-founded the popular Bridgetown Comedy Festival that takes place annually in Portland.

BARON VAUGHN

Comedy Apocalypse 12 is pleased to present in his area debut theoutstanding and original comic talents of Baron Vaughn.  Baron’s performed stand-up on CONAN (twice), Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and has had numerous appearances on Comedy Central most recently in the form of his own Half Hour comedy special. He’s performed in the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival (Aspen), The Just for Laughs Comedy Festival (Montreal), The South Beach Comedy Festival (Miami), Moontower Comedy Festival (Austin), San Francisco Sketchfest, Bridgetown Comedy Festival (Portland), Vancouver Comedy Festival, All Points West Music Festival (New Jersey), FYF Music Festival (Los Angeles), Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival (TN), and Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival (Seattle). He has also appeared in many shows on VH1, MTV, FUSE as well as the films Black Dynamite, Cloverfield, The Other Guys , and was a series regular on USA’s Fairly Legal (2010-2012).  His first comedy recording, Raised By Cable, is available at Amazon (mp3 and CD), and iTunes.

RAMIN NAZER

In his first Inland Empire appearance, Ramin Nazer brings a breadth of comic and performing talent.  He is a talented stand-up comedian, actor, cartoonist, animator and writer.  Currently based in Los Angeles, he has performed on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal. Ramin is also a published cartoonist, with his Strippy Comics having been in The Daily Texan among others. He also co-created the Austin based sketch comedy site Humordy and has a weekly podcast with fellow Austin comedian Maggie Maye called The Sweetcast.  The Austin Chronicle cited Nazer as Austin’s Funniest Person in 2012.

The Comedy Apocalypse was conceived several years ago at KUCR as a break for students from the tension and pressure of the end of the academic quarter – a show where students could forget papers and finals and just laugh at great jokes done by great comics.  KUCR 88.3fm produces the shows in conjunction with The Barn (UCR Housing and Dining).

Tickets are $5 for UCR students, faculty and staff IF PURCHASED IN ADVANCE AT THE UCR FINE ARTS THEATER TICKET OFFICE.  (Advance sales close at 3pm Wed 2/25) $12 for non-UCR, with ID purchased in advance of the show via the UCR Theater Ticket Office or via Ticketmaster.  All tickets are $12 at the door the night of the show.  Doors open at 7pm and the show begins at 8pm.  Parking is $5 in Lot 6.  More information at http://rside.ucr.edu/barnseries/ or KUCR.org.

This show is intended for mature audiences.

Please note: no alcohol is sold or permitted at The Barn.

KUCR 88.3fm (http://www.kucr.org) is UCR’s broadcast voice of student expression, on the air continuously since 1966.  KUCR is in the Student Affairs Division at UCR.

UCR Housing, also in UCR Student Affairs, provides high-quality housing, dining and other services for thousands of UCR students each year.   For more information, see http://housing.ucr.edu/

The UCR Barn is the campus’ historic music andperformance venue.  Built in 1917 and actually used as a Barn for manyyears, it became a music and performance destination in the 1960’s, presenting hundreds of memorable rock, folk and, since the Comedy Apocalypse, comedy performances.

Nazer/Ferguson set:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7LUoOX3mhM

Nazer/New set 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG6IPq9d1i4

Vaughn/Ferguson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyPnf8vE_Dk

Vaughn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip_C8WFfi9I

Braunger/BIG DUMB ANIMAL, as a side note: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJT6qack6Ew

Clip from BIG DUMB ANIMAL (Harnessing Gay Power) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJIX2eoZCv0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJT6qack6Ew

Some Comedy Apocalypse Alums: Shane Maus, Willie Barcena, Ian Edwards, Zack Selwyn, Al Madrigal, Jesse Joyce, Rod Man, Billy Randolf, Dean Edwards, Brent Weinbach, Greg Fitzsimmons, Jimmy Dore, Paul Gilmartin, Bobby Miyamoto, Omar Nava, Jade Catta-Preta, Kevin Shea, Dan Levy, Sidney Castillo, Gene Pompa, Dwayne Perkins, Robert Yasumura, Rory Scovel, Nate Bargatze, Alice Wetterlund, Jerrod Carmichael, Beth Stelling, Hampton Yount, Ron Funches, John Roberts, Emily Heller, Byron Bowers and more.