STAND-UP TUESDAYS: Rachel Feinstein

November 29th, 2011

Angie Frissore

Stand-Up Tuesdays is a weekly comedy spotlight written by the wonderfully talented Angie Frissore. Covering both known and unknown comics, Stand-up Tuesdays is your new source for all things funny.

This week, Angie puts a spotlight on Rachel Feinstein and his latest release, Thug Tears. If you or your comedy troupe would like to be featured on Stand-Up Tuesdays, please email utgjames@gmail.com.

After months of recovering from my not-so-pleasant Natasha Leggero experience, it was time to restore my faith in female comics – which I’ve done with Rachel Feinstein’s Thug Tears, which was released today by Comedy Central Records and was recorded in Cincinnati at Go Bananas Comedy Club.

Feinstein grew up as the daughter of a civil rights lawyer and a blues musician, and naturally developed a sharp eye for the absurd and unjust. With her debut release Thug Tears, Feinstein delivers a whopping dose of in-your-face, not-so-dainty hilarity. Spoofing on women in 1940s movies, her own mother, promiscuous friends (as well as herself), Feinstein proves she can more than hold her own on stage.

Feinstein was a finalist on season seven of “Last Comic Standing” and was also featured on “Russell Simmons Presents Stand-up at the El Ray,” TBS’s “Just For Laughs” series, “Comics Unleashed” and her own half hour special, “COMEDY CENTRAL Presents Rachel Feinstein.” Her writing credits include The Onion and Heeb Magazine, and she’s also voiced various characters on Adult Swim’s “Venture Brothers,” the animated COMEDY CENTRAL Web series, “Samurai Love God,” and Spike TV’s web series, “Battle Pope.” Feinstein has also appeared on VH1’s “Jewtastic” and CNN’s “Not Just Another Cable News Show.”

Perhaps it was the setting for the recording that lent itself easily to Feinstein’s hilarious vocal impressions of her mother and grandmother – it’s certainly hard to believe her fake, finely-tuned Minnesota accent stemmed from her Washington D.C. upbringing. Some may find such impressions dated (as she brings to mind memories of SNL’s Church Lady), but I can’t help but laugh my derriere off whenever she launches into character – particularly as she imagines her mother’s commentary as she attempts dirty talking during sex.

“I told you we shouldn’t have gotten her ears pierced, Howard, look at her – now she’s on her hands and knees screaming ‘Ram me harder!’”

Feinstein possesses none of the traits that usually turn me off from a female comic, and is in no way the type to rely on her looks or her ‘cuteness’ to win audiences over (an easy trap for female comics to fall into). She’s sassy, quick-witted and could more than likely beat any dude in a game of hot hands with a quick sneak upper cut.

While I religiously watched season seven of Last Comic Standing, I have to admit Feinstein was a performer that barely stuck out in my mind, despite her talent – but how much that had to do with my allegiance to Boston comedy and fellow LCS finalist Myq Kaplan is up for debate. One thing I’d like to see more of with Feinstein is better timed call-backs in her set – often she’ll make a hilarious reference to a previous joke, but it’s one she’s only told about sixty seconds ago. Her set also seems to be a little stacked topically (toeing the line of petering out towards the end), but I’m looking forward to hearing more of what she’s got to say as we certainly have not seen the last of her.

You can pick up Rachel Feinstein’s Thug Tears at Amazon.com today – which you should, as I’m sure we’re going to see a lot more from this comedic talent. And with the holidays upon us, don’t forget that comedy albums make hilarious gifts!