Pullout

Laugh a Minute

by Keith Bacon

All Laughingstock Comedy Festival shows take place on the Charlotte Martin Theatre.

Fred Armisen, Hard 'n' Phirm, Zach GaliFIanakis (Fri-2:30 pm; Sat-7 pm; Sun-5:30 pm; Mon-4 pm)

The manly musical-comedy duo Hard 'n' Phirm consists of comedian Chris Hardwick (whom you might recognize from hosting guilty-pleasure TV shows Shipmates and Singled Out) and musician Mike Phirman, who have plowed their way into our hearts with "Rodeohead," a hilarious send-up of Radiohead songs reinterpreted in the bluegrass style. Meanwhile, Zach Galifianakis honed his standup career in a variety of unconventional spots: a Times Square burger joint, on top of a barstool, and aboard a cruise ship. Clearly, he's ready for Bumbershoot, where attendees should bug him for dirt on his Tru Calling costar Eliza Dushku. As for the heee-larious Fred Armisen, Jennifer Maerz ably praises his talents to your left.

Tim Young, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Demetri Martin (Fri-4 pm; Sat-2:30 pm; Sun-7 pm; Mon-5:30 pm)

Asked to describe his style, Tim Young has stated, "I just need the attention." As for Mary Lynn Rajskub, TV Guide recently added the comedian/actress to their Dream Emmy Ballot, describing the "permascowl" worn by her character Chloe on 24 as causing her Counter Terrorist Unit coworkers to "shudder--and had viewers howling." Expect more howling than shuddering here. Meanwhile, Demetri Martin has been known to do entire performances without saying a single word-without being a mime. How does he pull this off? Mad props.

Jessi Klein, Wayne Federman, the Sklar Brothers (Fri-5:30 pm; Sat-4 pm; Sun-2:30 pm; Mon-7 pm)

Time Out NY named Jessi Klein one of their "Top 10 Comics We Never Get Tired Of," a titled she's defended as a regularly hilarious regular on VH1's regurgitive Best Week Ever. Wayne Federman is frequently seen on The Tonight Show, but earned our eternal admiration for his portrayal of a talking ham & cheese sandwich in a long-running Florida orange juice campaign. As for the Sklar Brothers, twins Randy and Jason ditched law school to pursue their comedic dreams, resulting in MTV's cult classic series Apartment 2F, and their latest effort, ESPN's Cheap Seats Without Ron Parker.

Chris Fairbanks, Andy Blitz, Marc Maron (Fri-7 pm; Sat-5:30 pm; Sun-4 pm; Mon-2:30 pm)

What up-and-coming comic Chris Fairbanks has planned for Bumbershoot is anyone's guess, but it's the dance moves he busts out in two "Dance Club" clips on his website (www.chrisfairbanks. com) that really shouldn't be missed. As for Andy Blitz: When not obsessing over all things related to the Karate Kid movies, Andy writes and performs for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, often appearing as himself. Finally, hilarious Marc Maron has appeared on just about every TV show that will allow comics, and currently co-hosts Morning Sedition on the lefty-lovin' Air America radio network.