Lost Moon Radio is a comedy troupe for the new millennium. Founded in 2009 by Ryan Harrison, Rich Ramberg, Dylan Ris, and Frank Smith, it has grown to a 15-member coalition of writers, performers, artists, and musicians who spread their anarchic humor through video, audio tracks, and live performances. The show is a modern interpretation of an old-time serialized radio program, with songs, commercial parodies, and sketches performed live and on the spot. So far, they've created 11 "episodes."
Last Wednesday night, they brought their All-Request Hour to King King in Hollywood. Hosted by universe-trotting DJ Jupiter Jack (Will Greenberg), the All-Request Hour features fan-selected material from the troupe's archives.
The quality of the material is first-rate, as are the performances. None of the sketches is a clinker, but the standouts include a Dionysian intervention; parents planning a Bar Mitzvah for a sociopathic kid; a bright country duet about a drug-fueled cross-country spree; and a commercial delivered by a panicked salesperson at a mattress superstore who's obviously ordered far too much inventory.
The cast includes Smith, Harrison, Lauren Flans, Dan Oster, Martha Marion, and Jen Burton, all talented performers and singers. They're accompanied by a solid five-piece band consisting of Dylan Ris on guitar, Mikey Wells on drums, Rich Ramberg on keyboards, Brenton Kossak on bass, and Ross Craton on woodwinds.
Like A Prairie Home Companion filtered through the warped sensibilities of the Firesign Theatre, Lost Moon Radio skewers contemporary social and cultural mores, but does so with an appealingly cheerful demeanor that makes it even funnier.
The Lost Moon Radio All-Request Hour is being reprised by popular request at 8:30 p.m. this Saturday, April 28, at Café Club Fais Do-Do, 5257 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets can be obtained here.
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