Tearing the Veil of Maya
Union Hall, 702 Union St., nr. Fifth Ave., Park Slope; 718-638-4400
Every Sunday at 8 p.m., perennially almost-huge local talents Eugene Mirman and Michael Showalter draw a standing-room-only crowd to the basement of Union Hall, where the pair host their favorite stand-up performers in what’s quickly become the city’s hottest alt-comedy ticket. Local scene favorites (Aziz Ansari, Dave Hill, Greg Johnson, Chelsea Peretti) take the stage alongside bigger names (David Cross, Sarah Silverman), though you might not know it beforehand: They’re most often billed only as the week’s “special guests.” Luckily, the hosts’ finely tuned funny bones are unbeatable insurance that you won’t go home disappointed; and with a modest $7 entrance fee, the hour-and-a-half affair will cost you less than a cocktail at one of the city’s overblown big-box clubs.