It’s bigger, stronger and funnier than the average comedy show.
The DVE Comedy Festival - 50th Anniversary Edition
PERFORMING: Bill Burr • Roy Wood Jr. • Jessica Kirkson • Ian Bagg • Bill Crawford
HOSTED BY: Billy Gardell
DATE: JUNE 29, 2019 • PPG PAINTS ARENA
Doors at 7pm. Show Starts at 8pm.
TICKETS: $55
About The Comedians:
Bill Burr
Bill Burr is one of the top comedic voices of his generation achieving success in TV and film as well as the live stage.Bill sells out theaters internationally and his Monday Morning Podcast is one of the most downloaded comedy podcasts on iTunes.The fourth season of his hit animated Netflix series, F Is For Family, will be released in 2020 featuring Bill, Laura Dern and Justin Long as the Murphy family.On January 31, 2017, Bill premiered his fifth hour-long comedy special, Walk Your Way Out, on Netflix and his vinyl album, Live At Andrew’s House, is a recording of his 2011 Carnegie Hall performance.Bill can be seen in the Hugh Jackman film, The Front Runner; and in the Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell film, Daddy’s Home; he co-stars opposite Kevin Costner in the indie film, Black or White; was seen in the Paul Feig film, The Heat, alongside Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy and in the Al Pacino and Christopher Walken film Stand Up Guys.Bill received raves for his recurring role as “Kuby” on the hit AMC-TV show, Breaking Bad.
Billy Gardell
Emmy nominated actor and comedian Billy Gardell starred in the CBS Hit television series, MIKE & MOLLY as Officer Mike Biggs from 2010-2016. MIKE & MOLLY continues to air in syndication to this day. Billy currently has a recurring role on another CBS hit series, Young Sheldon.
In 2016 he received a Daytime Emmy nomination as Best Gameshow Host for Monopoly Millionaires Club.
Before Mike and Molly, Gardell co-starred in the critically acclaimed television series Lucky. His other television credits include Yes Dear and Judging Amy, on the Network, My Name is Earl, The Practice, Monk and Gary the Rat.
He made his major motion picture debut alongside Anthony Quinn and Sylvester Stallone in Avenging Angelo, and had a memorable scene with Billy Bob Thornton in the Cohen Brother’s film Bad Santa. He also appeared in You, Me & Dupree.
As a standup, Gardell took the long road to Hollywood, stopping at every small town lounge, military base and comedy club along the way. His comedy act took him to Los Angeles where his dedication to acting, along with touring as a stand-up comedian, allowed him to grow consistently in both arenas. His stand-up show is a powerhouse. His grounded, down-to-earth point of view strikes a strong chord with American audiences. Stories about his rough childhood, wild adolescence and new family life are executed with the skill of a master craftsman.
As a standup comic, his comedy specials, Billy Gardell: Halftime, premiered on Comedy Central and Billy Gardell Presents Road Dogs premiered on Showtime.
A native of Pittsburgh who currently lives in Los Angeles,
Gardell loves Steeler football, stand-up comedy and his wife Patty, and son Will.
Roy Wood Jr.
Roy Wood Jr.’s comedy has entertained millions across stage, television and radio. Roy joined “The World’s Fakest News Team” in 2015 as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s Emmy-winning hit series, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” In 2017, he was named the new host of Comedy Central’s storytelling series, “This is Not Happening,” which returned with new episodes on February 1st. His first Comedy Central one-hour stand-up special, “Father Figure,” premiered in 2017 along with an extended uncensored album of the same name released by Comedy Central Records. Roy’s second Comedy Central one-hour stand-up special, “Roy Wood Jr.: No One Loves You,” premiered on January 25th.
Entertainment Weekly has described the thought-provoking comedy of Roy Wood Jr. as “charismatic crankiness.” Prior to “The Daily Show,” Wood co-starred for two seasons on TBS’ “Sullivan & Son,” playing the loving drinking buddy of star Steve Byrne, who has returned to Pittsburgh to run the family bar.
Wood, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, began his comedy career in 1999 at the age of 19 while attending Florida A&M University. In October 2006, Wood made his network television debut on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” In 2008, he appeared on HBO’s historic “Def Comedy Jam” and was later selected by America as one of the top three finalists on “Last Comic Standing” on NBC. Wood has appeared on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” TBS’ “Conan,” “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” He has also performed for the troops on numerous USO tours in the Middle East and the Pacific Islands.
Wood appeared at the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in the New Faces Showcase, an appearance that led The Hollywood Reporter to highlight Roy a "standout." His first full comedy CD, Things I Think, I Think was released in 2013.
Jessica Kirson
Jessica Kirson is a powerhouse on stage. Jessica’s act is a hilariously relatable performance of sheer silliness, vulnerability and ridiculous characters. Her countless comedic character videos have racked up over 30 million views on social media. Her audience is multigenerational creating an excuse for large groups of friends and families to spend a night out together.
In an era where only 10% of all touring comedians are female, Jessica stands out as one of the strongest comedians regardless of gender. As her friend Dave Attell says, "I'd hate to follow her."
This year, Jessica will be featured playing herself on the HBO series Crashing with Pete Holmes. She recently served as a consultant, producer and writer as well as acted in the Robert De Niro's film "The Comedian." She has appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon”, "The View, and "Kevin Can Wait.”
She was recently awarded "Best Female Comic" by the MAC association in New York City and received the prestigious Nightlife Award for "Best Stand-up Comedian." And in her spare time, Jessica is a regular contributor to the “Howard Stern Show, where she produces and stars in prank calls for the program.
Ian Bagg
Ian Bagg started his comedy career in his native country, Canada. He proceeded to do all the show business things that every successful Canadian entertainer does. He went to a “Hockey Night in Canada” game on a Saturday night, performed at the “Montreal Comedy Festival,” kissed a fish in Newfoundland and shot a “Comedy Now” special on CTV. So what does a Canadian do when he has done it all? He boards a train to New York City, lives in a youth hostel and ends up on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”, “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He also appeared on “Make Me Laugh,” “Showcase Comics with Louie Anderson,” “Fridays” on NBC and “The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.”
Baggwas featured in several films including, Tim Robbins’ “The Cradle will Rock,” “MVP 2,” and “MXP.” Fun fact: he’s the only known comic to have worked for Judd Apatow and NOT become a multi-billionaire. Life has been amazing for Baggbeing featured on such diverse networks as the History Channel, the Food Network, the Biography Channel and being the first ever Canadian to meet three US presidents -- Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and George Bush…although only one was in the White House at the time, he met one on a plane and the other at a hockey practice.
Ian went to school to be an explosives engineer, but a lucky chance at an open mic made him the volatile one. He may be in your area sooner than you think, because this man child does over 100,000 air miles a year. He has had 2 half-hour specials, “Comedy Central Presents” and HBO’s “A Comics Climb” and has been featured in 2 seasons of “Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-Up Revolution” on Comedy Central. His latest one-hour special, “Ian Bagg: Getting to F**king Know You” aired on Showtime and can now be found on HULU for all you cable cutters. In 2015, Ian was a fan favorite and placed in the Top 5 on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” Additional, he did a 75 date national tour with the Last Comic Standing, performed with Gabriel Iglesias on an extensive European tour, and is currently headlining around the country.
Billy Crawford
A Pittsburgh native, Bill Crawford has quickly become one of the country’s most promising young acts. With comedy revolving around perspective and sarcasm, he blends intelligence with the ridiculous, taking on a variety of topics and turning them inside out. His sharp wit and comedic style create obscure and humorous observations from the everyday life of a young guy with two kids, trying to figure it all out. Bill has worked with and opened for comics including Bryan Callen, Steve Byrne, Billy Gardell, andJim Breuer, and he is a popular member and on-air personality with Pittsburgh’s WDVE Morning Show.