Event Pick: Moontower Spotlights Comedy Luminaries

Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival
April 19 – 22

On any given night, absurdity wafts out of local bars, clubs and theaters as comics sling self-satirizing bits and precisely honed jokes at dependably liberal audiences. It’s no secret that Austin’s anything-goes spirit creates fertile comedic ground year round. But if you haven’t heard, April is humor harvest time as the comedy world’s cream of the crop serves up a smorgasbord of stand-up, sketch, improv and musical entertainment.

From April 19 to 22, Austin’s collective grin will widen while resounding guttural chuckles signal the presence of the Paramount Theatre’s sixth annual Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival. There will be performances by more than 100 comics, including national headliners, such as Ali Wong, Patton Oswalt, Chris Hardwick and Colin Quinn, who will inevitably ignore taboos and toss out punchlines at eight downtown venues.

Live podcast tapings such as My Favorite Murder and Guys We F@#ked, along with events featuring Ralphie May and Jim Gaffigan offer audiences a buffet of all things hilarious. Whether you have a penchant for the irreverent or a hankering for the hysterical, seasoned heavy-hitters, up-and-comers and Austin-based talent will be sure to keep you amused.

_{Read more from the Outdoors Issue | April 2017}