Music
Press
The New York Times: “Quite possibly the best political satirist working in the country today.”
The Boston Globe: “A modern day Will Rogers.”
The San Francisco Examiner: ”Heir apparent to Mort Sahl and Dick Gregory.”
The Los Angeles Times: “He’s an equal opportunity offender with a restless mind and delicious
sense of language. Where most comedians give us attitude, Durst brings style and has one
thing in common with the best: a sense of moral outrage.”
The San Francisco Chronicle: “Will Durst has gotten so good, its scary.“
The Independent (London): “Durst’s set was brilliant, among the most clever and inventivestandup comedy routines I’ve ever heard. An urbane guerilla with a keen eye for the
ridiculous.”
The Washington Post: “The Dark Prince of Doubt.”
Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Enter Will Durst who just happens to be this country’s best political satirist. A dapper chap with just the right sense of whimsy, Durst is an equal
opportunity slayer of bloated political dragons, making him a solid choice for folks who enjoy
witty and thought provoking comedy. Simply in a league of his own.”
The Oregonian: “Regardless of your political affiliation, Durst delivers. If you’re fed up with
politics, you’ll suddenly love it again after an earful of Will Durst.”
The Chicago Tribune: “A new wave hysterical hybrid of Hunter S. Thompson and Charles
Osgood.”
The Seattle Times: “A cross between a living editorial cartoon and a stand- up journalist.”
The St. Paul Pioneer Press- Dispatch: “Acerbic wit, wicked glee, and verbal brilliance. Uses his
storehouse of knowledge on a variety of subjects as inventively as the best writers.”
The Oakland Tribune: “Will Durst is the thinking man’s comic.”
The Milwaukee Journal- Sentinel: “Will Durst may well be the most brilliant political satirist
operating in America today.”
The Scotsman: “Five Stars! A delightfully acerbic performance by a consummate cartoonist of
words.”
Time Out London: “The man’s talent as a comedian shines through every line he delivers.” - Various
September 28, 2007
To Whom It May Concern:
If you’re feeling blue and you don’t trust the pharmaceutical companies and their little purple pills, may I suggest to you The Anti-War Comedy Tour?
Perhaps, like myself, you’ve been working within the peace movement and wondering to yourself, “Where is the peace?”
Well, we are only human and there is nobody better suited to remind us of this inconvenient truth than a comedian! After some good belly laughs, you and your war-weary colleagues will be rolling up your sleeves and getting back to work.
Check it out: http://www.antiwarcomedytour.com/index.html
Kitty Joyner
Two-time audience member of The Tour
- Two-time audience member of The Tour
Anti-War Comedy Tour says ‘Make Laugh, Not War’
Opened in 1960, The Ice House Comedy Club is America’s oldest, continuously-operating comedy club. While folk music/comedy characterized the club’s early days, stand-up took over in the 1970s and the club has been a leader in the entertainment industry ever since. During its 46 years, The Ice House has featured stand-up comedy acts including George Carlin, Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, David Letterman, Ellen DeGenres, Carlos Mencia and Tim Allen, while helping to launch the A-list careers of artists such as George Lopez, Dana Carvey, Lily Tomlin and Billie Crystal.
H2F Comedy Productions, Inc. has been producing live comedy events for nearly a decade. H2F is a full service comedy management and production company, owned and operated by seasoned comedians Barbara Holliday and Dave Reinitz. Founded in 1997, H2F began producing the American Comedy Festival’s Comedy Contest at the Hollywood Athletic Club at Universal Studios City Walk, Los Angeles. Generating rave reviews, the contest evolved into its current incarnation, (Uncle Clyde’s Comedy Contest) and has since become the longest-running and most successful comedy competition in Southern California. Housed at the Ice House for the past five years, the show is sponsored by The Ice House, Boston Comedy Festival, The Riviera Comedy Club in Las Vegas, Comedy Central, Islands Restaurants, Pepsi, The Laugh Factory and Louise’s Trattoria, Enspot.com and Holdon Log. Currently H2F manages live appearances for an exclusive roster of performers including Josh Blue and Rebecca Corry of Last Comic Standing, Alycia Cooper, Edwin San Juan, Throwing Toasters, Michael Rayner and Moira Quirk of Nickelodeon Guts fame.
As it gears up to begin its second year, The Anti War Comedy Tour promises to be louder than ever.
Produced by H2F Comedy Productions Inc, the tour features a collection of dedicated comedians who support organizations that are committed to peace and social justice. The group’s mission: to use humor to inspire non-violence. And their message is clear: Make Laugh Not War!
Given the current political climate, The Anti-War Comedy Tour is attracting a broader and more diverse audience.
“Audience members are socially-aware people,” says Barbara Holliday, producer of H2F Productions. “They understand how powerful comedy can be in questioning and disarming the status-quo.”
Dave Reinitz, initiator and headline act of the group (as seen on NBC, ABC, and heard on NPR’s This American Life) is known for his edgy political comedy.
“Anthrax got fifteen people sick. There’s a Denny’s in Hollywood that does that every day. I’m more afraid of the moon over my hammy than I am of weapons of mass destruction,” says Reinitz.
Other performers include Lamont Ferguson (as seen on Politically Incorrect, winner of the 2005 Seattle International Comedy Contest), Erin Ashby, Spencer Dobson, David Schendlinger. Michael Rayner (as seen on the David Letterman show), Native American funnyman Jim Ruel and from the Midwest comes squeaky band teacher, Mary Mack (winner of the 2005 California’s Funniest Female Competition), who lampoons the absurdity of torture by tying up a teddy bear in duct tape.
The group has several performances planned for the first quarter of the year at the Ice House Annex located at 24 N. Mentor, Pasadena. Show dates are Jan. 30, Feb. 27 and March 27. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $10 or at www.MakeLaughNotWar.net, or by calling (818) 754-2663.
http://www.coremg.net/newspapers.php?paper=sierramadreweekly&storyid=128
- The Sierra Madre Weekly
About to start its second year the Anti War Comedy Tour voice is coming out louder than ever. Produced by H2F Comedy Productions Inc, this show features a collection of finely tuned comedians that are dedicated to supporting organizations and human beings who are committed to peace and social justice. The mission of the group is to use humor to inspire non-violence. Their message is clear: Make Laugh Not War! Due to the current political mess, The Anti-War Comedy Tour is attracting a broader and more diverse audience then ever.
Dave Reinitz, the inspiration, instigator and headliner of the group, as seen on NBC, ABC, and heard on “This American Life” on NPR, has consistently held a strong political point of view in his comedy. Dave’s unique perspective and sarcasm gives us a hilarious set of stand-up comedy that won’t soon be forgotten. Dave will make you laugh and think! He finds the humor wherever common sense is in jeopardy, such as in the White House, the prescription drug industry, the lies of advertisers in his girlfriend’s incomprehensible view of the world. Dave’s says the justification for war all boils down to manufactured fear “Anthrax, got fifteen people sick, there’s a Denny’s in Hollywood that does that everyday. I’m more afraid of the moon over my hammies then I am of weapons of mass destruction.”
Dave Reinitz
This eclectic group of performers, includes Lamont Ferguson, as seen on Politically Incorrect, winner of the 2005 Seattle International Comedy Contest, whom after watching, one can’t help but see the influences of such great comedians as Bill Cosby, Mort Sahl, and Richard Pryor. From family relationships to social commentary, Lamont’s material strikes a common chord with all audience members.
From the Midwest comes squeaky band teacher Mary Mack, winner of the 2005 California’s Funniest Female Competition, who highlights the absurdity and immorality of torture by tying up a teddy bear in duct tape.
The youngest member of the group, Erin Ashby, points out that the CIA is advertising “Adventure and Ambiguity.”
Then there is Spencer Dobson, the upbeat pessimist, who points out that there’s nothing more bittersweet then a pessimist proved right.
David Schendlinger, the comic who looks like your high school math teacher, has a slightly older perspective and a belief that “Homeland security’s monitoring of the internet is more likely to lead them to ballplayer, Al Kaline then Al-Qaeda.”
Michael Rayner, as seen on the David Letterman show, is the outspoken representative for the Christian-Left, who is not afraid to say that “He and his wife make sweet Christian love not war!”
Native American Jim Ruel hopes that we “Enjoy his act and the LAND…! He’s STILL waiting for the troops to leave, and the occupation to end.
The group has several performances planned for the first of the year at the Ice House Annex located at 24 N. Mentor, Pasadena, CA. The Ice House stages have launched the careers of George Lopez, Dana Carvey, Lily Tomlin and Billie Crystal. Current show dates are Jan 30th, 2007, February 27th, 2007 and March 27th 2007. Showtime’s: 8:00pm. Tickets available for $10.00 at the door or on the website www.MakeLaughNotWar.net. Or by Calling 818-754-2663.
© Copyright 2006 by Pasadena Now.com
Top of Page
- Pasadena Now
Discography
Anti War Comedy Tour DVD 2007
Photos
Bio
Founded by Dave Reinitz in 2006. The Anti War Comedy Tour consists of a group of comedians who are dedicating their craft to help end the war. These comedians truly believe that the Microphone is more powerful than the Cruise Missile. The show features 4-7 comedians, performing Stand-up comedy, Improv and a reading of the News similar in style to The Daily Show. The Mission and goals of the group are stated clearly at the opening of every show. At the end of the show all audience members are asked to sign a petition called the People's Peace Treaty.
BIOS
DAVE REINITZ
Some say that the Anti-War Comedy Tour is destined to preach to the choir. I say hallelujah. One day I was walking on the beach in Santa Monica, I came upon the Arlington West Memorial. It is a display of crosses spread across the beach memorializing the fallen soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was overwhelmed with emotion. When I pulled myself together I spent some time with the Veterans for Peace who worked so diligently every Sunday creating the display, hard working dedicated people, I reflected on how emotionally draining and difficult it must be to recreate a cemetery every Sunday morning, a cemetery that grows each and every week. We turned our second show into a fundraiser for this great organization. The success of the event could never be measured by the dollars raised, instead I measure it by the fact that these hard working activists were appreciated and celebrated and made to feel like the heroes they are. The fact that some of the audience members became volunteers and that we were able to point some press coverage toward their work was just icing on the cake. Dave Reinitz comes from a politically aware family. His Father was a history professor and his mother is a nationally known Muralist, who was one of the original Freedom Riders. Dave knew we were in trouble when G.W. Bush was appointed President based on the principle of dont count the votes. His comedy first took a more radical bend after September 11th. That morning his mother was on her way to a meeting at #7 world trade center. It was the longest day of his life until he heard from her late that evening. Daves long standing mentor and friend is Jon Randolph Floyd who is the bomber pilot interviewed in the ground breaking 1973 documentary Hearts and Minds. In 2005 Dave was a passenger on Jet Blue Flight 292, which had faulty landing gear and was forced to make an emergency landing. The jet was in the air flying around for 3 hours, and was a media sensation. During those long 3 hours, Dave began wondering if he would live or die, then he made an emotional connection to the war in Iraq and what is must be like for the soldiers in a war zone who must struggle with that feeling all the time. It was after that experience that he created the Anti-War Comedy Tour. A way for him and others to stand up for peace through laughter, You cant hate when your laughing .
JIMMY DORE
Jimmy Dore was born into a Catholic family of twelve in a very blue-collar neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. Tagged a rebel for occasionally reading a book and thinking for himself, Jimmy quickly turned to comedy to ease the pain of the beatings. In 1995, Jimmy moved to Los Angeles to get on television and it actually worked. He has appeared on every major network multiple times. The high point of Jimmy's stand-up career came last September when he taped his own 1/2 hour Comedy Special for Comedy Central which began airing in 2004. Jimmy played the hilarious neighbor on AMCs Movies at My House, and was invited to perform at the 2003 HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen Colorado. The Hollywood reporter said jimmy was among the five comics at the festival that generated the most "buzz". (Whatever the fuck that means.) Jimmy also is a writer/performer for the critically acclaimed, Off Broadway hit, The Marijuana-logues which is currently running at the Actor's Playhouse in New York. It was a role Jimmy first played at the Melbourne Comedy festival in April of 2003. He first appeared on Comedy Centrals Make Me Laugh, fulfilling a life long dream of turning an art form into a cheesy, basic-cable game show. Unfortunately it went well and he was booked to do four more, an experience that Jimmy warmly refers to as embarrassing and "tough to watch." Then, in 1997, he was invited to Montreal Canada to perform at the Just For Laughs international comedy festival. He caught the eye of NBC talent scouts and producers (okay, it was only one guy, but he was impressed enough for three) and was given a spot on NBCs Friday Night! He quickly became a show favorite (true) and was signed to make five return appearances. From there Jimmy has gone on to make multiple stand-out appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (thats on CBS motherfuckers), and two winning performances on NBCs Late Friday. (Winning performance, how do you like that adjective?) Then Jimmy flew to New York
Links
