Music / Nightlife

Comedian Billy Anderson will host a two-day talent showcase at 8 p.m. on Sunday and Monday at Jai Thai on Broadway for comedians seeking a chance to perform at the Washington Comedy Festival. Each night 16 local comedians will perform five minutes of material for…

The Spits headline Chop Suey Friday. Photo by Kealan Shilling.

If your New Year’s Eve disappointed — or you’re looking to continue partying into the weekend — consider The Spits and Wimps at Chop Suey for your Friday entertainment.

Characterized by an oddball sense of humor and an appetite for substance-fueled hijinks, the Seattle-via-Michigan foursome, led by brothers Sean and Erin Wood, has been an underground favorite since the 1990s, releasing a half-dozen albums’ worth of mutant New Wave noise-punk — like a synth-driven Ramones, or perhaps a distorted Devo.

Comedian Zoltan Kaszas, winner of the 34th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition (photo by Peter Greyy).

Before winning the the 34th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition, Zoltan Kaszas was an injured wannabe professional wrestler performing in a converted warehouse doubling as a comedy club.

Now, the 26-year-old from San Marcos, Calif. is meeting with an agent and a talent coordinator for Fox Television.

On stage Kaszas, who once coached a youth soccer team, uses observational humor and anecdotal jokes from his personal life to get laughs.

“I wouldn’t have signed up to coach if they had told me that all their games are on Saturday mornings at 7,” he said. “I like to drink. I’m not teaching these kids anything except what a whiskey hangover smells like.”

Kaszas spoke over the phone to us about his big win and the plans he has for the future.

How long have you been performing?

I’ve been doing stand up for 7 years now. I was 19 when I got started. Doing comedy wasn’t my original dream. I wanted to be a professional wrestler, but I have bad shoulders. I was going to get surgery and I was like well I have to do something while I’m in a cast for six months. I always loved stand up and I was always the one cracking jokes, making people laugh, but I never thought I could do it.

Deck the Hall Ball will feature Vampire Weekend, Phoenix, The Head and The Heart, Alt J, Arctic Monkeys, Lorde, Foals and Tame Impala. The annual holiday show put on by Seattle’s 107.7 the End takes place at KeyArena on Dec. 3. Tickets, which cost $47.70-$77.70, will go…

Long lines, legal weed and inappropriate humor for children emerged as consistent themes throughout Sunday’s comedy performances at Bumbershoot. Here’s a look at a few of the showcases: Comedy at the Playhouse:  Doug Benson, Kyle Dunnigan, Tony Camin Comedian Doug Benson opened Sunday’s show with the joke that seemed to already be on every attendee’s mind. “What did…

Photo by Drew Gurian/Invision/AP

Pearl Jam is set to play 24 shows across North America, finishing with a homecoming show on Dec. 6 at KeyArena in Seattle. The tour kicks off Oct. 11 in Pittsburgh and finishes with a handful of Northwest shows, including Nov. 29 (Portland), Nov. 30 (Spokane) and Dec. 4 (Vancouver, BC).

Tickets for Pearl Jam’s North American dates go on-sale Saturday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. local time.  A special ticket pre-sale for current Pearl Jam Ten Club members (as of July 7, 2013) begins today. Visit www.pearljam.com for full details.

Full schedule below.

Missed your chance to get tickets for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ KeyArena show on Dec. 12? Good news, the duo announced a second date after the first sold out in record time. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis will also play KeyArena on Dec. 11. Tickets for the Dec. 11 show will go on sale at 10…

Comedian Eugene Mirman will host Sub Pop Records’ Silver Jubil-Eve Comedy Thing (For Charity!) with performances by David Cross, Jon Benjamin, Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler. The all-ages performance is at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 12 at the Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave., Seattle. Tickets are $22.50. Proceeds and donations collected will benefit local…

KEXP’s Summer Concerts at the Mural Amphitheatre will feature headliners JD McPherson, Cloudcult, Mudhoney and a Decible night with Lusine. The popular summer concerts take place at 5 p.m. every Friday in August at the Seattle Center. Admission to the all-ages concerts is free and seating is on the lawn. Bring…