Buns & Puns Comedy Show

Buns & Puns, the popular comedy show produced and hosted by the very fun and funny Jonathan Powley, is back! Previously every week at Arlo & Esme, which is sadly now closed, I enjoyed this free show immensely. We were always provided with free jello shots, buns and performances by top notch comedians that were sometimes better than a paid show.

Now, this past Friday, Buns & Puns made its debut after over a year at the Long Island City location, Creek & Cave which is a restaurant, bar and theater venue all in one with two levels and an outdoor patio. Nice spot, close to Manhattan, fairly easy to get to with an intimate feel.

Jonathan was a charming and welcoming host who made sure we got our orange and cherry jello shots, huge sugared cinnamon buns and even hooking up the front row with drinks and food. (Note to self: Next time, I’m all over that front row!) To warm us up, Jonathan showed us a hilarious video of him and his break dancing team around NYC. I enjoyed seeing the crazy moves the group got themselves into and had a good laugh. For me, the video prefaced a great show ahead, and I wasn’t disappointed.

First up was Joe Machi, who was not my favorite. He was just all right.. The cool thing about him was that he was unapologetic about who he is and he made some decent jokes.

The next comedians more than made up for Machi’s mediocre performance: Thomas Dale has been on MTVs New Years Eve Bash 2011, Comics Come Home,  NY’s Funniest Competition in New York Comedy Festival 3 yrs in a row, Sirius Radio, Comical Radio and WOR’s Joey Reynolds Show. It’s safe to say I had a secret crush on Thomas (not so secret anymore) even though he’s clearly gay. Or at least clearly after he announced it to the audience and used that as his platform. He was edgy, truthful, direct and it was definitely interesting to hear from his unique viewpoint.

Ophira Eisenberg was the only female comedian, and shined. She has appeared on Comedy Central, VH-1, Fox, E! Channel, CNN, Oxygen Network, and the Discovery Channel. I’m usually not a big fan of female comedians, but Ophira was easy to relate to and understand, giving us a glimpse into her interesting life.

Chris Laker was next, and while okay, wasn’t all that memorable for me.

I enjoyed the next performer, special guest Seaton Smith. This guy had me in stitches. As described on his website, Seaton applies smooth charisma to a layer of explosive energy, topped off with unforgettable characters sure to permanently reside in your brain, and leaves his audience in a state of comedic euphoria. This is high praise, but completely true. And I just loved how articulate and cool Seaton was.

The headliner of the show was Yannis Pappas was kind of crazy. He went off about men, women, relationships, cheating and how it’s a natural instinct for men, continuing with his rant by describing in detail how women are hypocrites. The men were completely into it, hooting and hollering while we women just shook our heads – It was controversial and completely off base but that was the point I suppose. I was somewhat amused but at the same time, totally not. But I do have to hand it to Yannis… He sure knows how to rile up a crowd.

Overall, a very fun, engaging show with a great lineup and no one can beat the price: Free! My thanks to Jonathan and here’s hoping Buns & Puns will happen again soon.

Location: Creek & Cave at 10-93 Jackson Avenue  Long Island City, NY