Join us for a night of offbeat brilliance as Emo Philips, one of the most uniquely hilarious comedians of all time, takes the stage in Somerville! Described by Jay Leno as “the best joke writer in America” and praised by “Weird Al” Yankovic as one of the funniest people on the planet, Emo’s legendary career spans over 6,000 performances worldwide. With his unmistakable delivery, razor-sharp wit, and surreal storytelling, he has captivated audiences for decades through award-winning comedy albums, HBO specials, and memorable TV and film appearances—including his cult-favorite role in UHF.

Get ready to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Boston Comedy Festival with a bang! 72 comics from across the country will battle it out for a shot at the semi-finals, the championship title, and a $7,000 grand prize. Past winners have gone on to major success—TV, film, and beyond—so this is your chance to witness comedy history and discover the next big star before they take off

Michael Kosta is an Emmy winning co-Host and Senior Correspondent The Daily Show for Comedy Central. He is well known for his numerous late-night appearances on The Tonight Show, Conan, Seth Meyers, and @midnight. His one-hour Comedy Central stand-up special: Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA. is now streaming on Paramount + and YouTube. Previous to his career in television and comedy, Kosta was a professional tennis player (ranked #864 in the world) and is still a contributor to the Tennis Channel.  He also hosts the podcast Tennis Anyone, which can be found on any podcast platform. Michael’s first book, a memoir entitled Lucky Loser will be released March 2025 from Harper Collins.

Get ready to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Boston Comedy Festival with a bang! 72 comics from across the country will battle it out for a shot at the semi-finals, the championship title, and a $7,000 grand prize. Past winners have gone on to major success—TV, film, and beyond—so this is your chance to witness comedy history and discover the next big star before they take off

Experience the future of stand-up comedy at The Spotlight Series, a dynamic showcase featuring the most exciting up-and-coming comedians from around the world. The Boston Comedy Festival is dedicated to fostering an inclusive space where diverse voices thrive. Join us in celebrating the talent and perspectives of minority, LGBTQ+, and immigrant comedians—performers whose voices are more essential than ever.

Get ready to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Boston Comedy Festival with a bang! 72 comics from across the country will battle it out for a shot at the semi-finals, the championship title, and a $7,000 grand prize. Past winners have gone on to major success—TV, film, and beyond—so this is your chance to witness comedy history and discover the next big star before they take off

They call him the Bitter Buddha, comedian Eddie Pepitone is a master of the dark art of comedy. Hailed as a modern day cross between Jackie Gleason, Don Rickles and Eckart Tolle. Eddie is a force of nature on stage, switching between social rage and self-doubt. His shows are an energetic combo of calm and chaos, blue-collar angst and sardonic enlightenment. Few comedians working today channel the power of the rant better than Eddie Pepitone.

His most recent stand-up special For the Masses was released in June 2020, which the New York Times listed as one of the best stand-up specials of 2020. In 2014, Eddie released In Ruins, his first stand-up that was shot at The Bell House in Brooklyn, NY.

In addition to his regular stand-up shows, Eddie is a stand-out comic/character actor. Beginning in New York City’s improv/sketch scene (where he quickly became a regular face), and continuing on to recurring roles on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and appearances on WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. Most recently, Eddie can be seen in Max's Haley Quinn spin-off Kite Man, Hell Yea! and Hulu's Ramy. Eddie has also appeared on numerous comedy TV shows, including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rick and Morty, Reno 911!, 10 Year Old Tom, The Life and Times of Tim, Will & Grace, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Love, The Sarah Silverman Program, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Comic Standing, Chappelle’s Show, appearances on Bob’s Burgers, and he’s a regular on Adult Swim’s Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell. Fans also might recognize Pepitone from his role in the hit comedy Old School, where he plays the role of 'Archer', one of the recruiting pledges.

Eddie is the host of the podcast "Apocalypse Soon", which includes an assortment of original characters, ranting, raving and all the things you come to love from Eddie Pepitone.

“Wheelan is a considerable talent with a unique voice and perspective.” – AV Club

Get ready to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Boston Comedy Festival with a bang! 72 comics from across the country will battle it out for a shot at the semi-finals, the championship title, and a $7,000 grand prize. Past winners have gone on to major success—TV, film, and beyond—so this is your chance to witness comedy history and discover the next big star before they take off

The Funny Together offers clean, high-quality comedy featuring nationally

touring comedians. Gather your friends for a night of hilarious, cringe-free comedy!

Get ready to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Boston Comedy Festival with a bang! 72 comics from across the country will battle it out for a shot at the semi-finals, the championship title, and a $7,000 grand prize. Past winners have gone on to major success—TV, film, and beyond—so this is your chance to witness comedy history and discover the next big star before they take off

Get ready to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Boston Comedy Festival with a bang! 72 comics from across the country will battle it out for a shot at the semi-finals, the championship title, and a $7,000 grand prize. Past winners have gone on to major success—TV, film, and beyond—so this is your chance to witness comedy history and discover the next big star before they take off

Get ready to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Boston Comedy Festival with a bang! 72 comics from across the country will battle it out for a shot at the semi-finals, the championship title, and a $7,000 grand prize. Past winners have gone on to major success—TV, film, and beyond—so this is your chance to witness comedy history and discover the next big star before they take off

Get ready to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Boston Comedy Festival with a bang! 72 comics from across the country will battle it out for a shot at the semi-finals, the championship title, and a $7,000 grand prize. Past winners have gone on to major success—TV, film, and beyond—so this is your chance to witness comedy history and discover the next big star before they take off

Get ready to kick off the 25th anniversary of the Boston Comedy Festival with a bang! 72 comics from across the country will battle it out for a shot at the semi-finals, the championship title, and a $7,000 grand prize. Past winners have gone on to major success—TV, film, and beyond—so this is your chance to witness comedy history and discover the next big star before they take off

Brooks originally hails from Iowa where he attended the University of Iowa. In 2015, he released his debut album This Is Cool, Right?, which hit #1 on the iTunes charts and was included on PASTE Magazine’s 10 Best Comedy Albums of 2015 list. His television credits include HBO’s Girls, Comedy Central’s The Half Hour, @Midnight, Adam Devine’s House Party, NBC’s Late Night with Seth Myers, MTV’s Ridiculousness and TBS’ CONAN. He was a writer and cast member on Season 39 of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Rolling Stone named Brooks as one the Top 45 Acts of Bonnaroo 2014. In 2012 he hit the comedy scene in stride when he was invited to perform at the New York Comedy Festival as a part of Comedy Central’s Top 10 Comics to Watch, and was a breakout performer as a new face at the prestigious Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. Other festival appearances include SXSW, Sasquatch, Austin’s Moontower Comedy Festival, Portland’s Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Comedy Central South Beach Comedy Festival. Brooks currently lives in Los Angeles and can be seen headlining colleges and clubs throughout the US.

“Wheelan is a considerable talent with a unique voice and perspective.” – AV Club