Andrew J. Lederer

it was like a modern version of the copa at the new york green room the other night.

the place was standing room only, with some 150 people enthusiastically watching a line-up that included arrested development's david cross, if.comeddie best newcomer nominees god's pottery and reggie watts, and the audience was filled with luminaries including eugene mirman, todd barry, the trachtenburg family slideshow players and manager/producer olivia wingate.

you might find the same people hangin' out somewhere like rififi any night of the week, but the expansiveness and theatricality of the venue, the size of the crowd, and, frankly, the higher ticket price made it feel more like an "important" nightclub of yesteryear than a back-of-the-bar comedy hang of today.

also, the relationship with the edinburgh green room was pretty clear as watts, the trachtenburgs, jessica delfino (also in the audience), and i are all doing shows at the scottish location. (and god's pottery will be at the pleasance. plus olivia has shows at the assembly.)

i guess the experience was presaged last week, when janey godley (who did 2 shows the week before) was hangin' with god's pottery, olivia and others.

additionally, the regular monday act, chris "shockwave" sullivan of freestyle love supreme, is an edinburgh veteran.

some kind of nouveau, big-time, transatlantic, showbiz axis seems to be forming.