Comedy/Spoken Word

All manner of musical and spoken entertainment falls under this umbrella -- from sketch comedy troupes and off-color stand-up material to mock rock bands and more idiosyncratic novelty tunes. You'll also discover poetry (both with and without musical accompaniment), lectures and speeches. Whether you're looking for the jarring wisdom of Noam Chomsky, a reading of a Maya Angelou poem, a performance by storyteller Spalding Gray, Richard Pryor's hilarious bit about his visit to Africa, or the simple genius of Ray Stevens' "The Streak," this is the place to start. This is also where you'll find your favorite holiday tunes sung by beloved crooners such as Bing Crosby right next to updated renditions by everyone from Al Green to U2.