SeriesFest Season 9 Event Spotlight: A Night of Comedy

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(L-R) Jay Pharoh, Adam Ray, Chelsea Handler, and Joel McHale Prepare to Perform at SeriesFest Season 9’s ‘A Night of Comedy’ at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Photo by Marc Biscotty for SeriesFest.

There are few concert venues in this world as well-known or as well renowned as Red Rocks Amphitheater. Simply because this unique concert venue, one tucked away in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Morrison, Colorado, is in fact… the perfect place to hear bands play. For the incredible rock formations in this place, provide perfect acoustics. And that allows for any band that hits the stage there to offer up a flawless concert, one that stays with you long after it has come to an end and that in turn, has attracted many big-name bands to the venue, so they can hear their music sound as it was intended, such as Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and U2. 
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But what’s amazing about Red Rocks, is that it is a venue that allows for so much more. For there are plenty of seats to fill, and that’s why there are often movies played there during the summer, and recently, a very special event took place. Because the good people at SeriesFest, really wanted to end Season 9 on a fun high note, one that was unique and engaging and entertaining, and what better way to do that, than with ‘A Night of Comedy’. Wherein four comics would take the stage and tell jokes and send everyone home with smiles on their faces. But not just any comics, oh no… to close out this event, SeriesFest pulled together a true who’s who of comedy. By having Adam Ray, Jay Pharoh, Joel McHale, and Chelsea Handler, bring down the house. 

Which they did by way of what turned out to be a supremely unique and memorable show. In part, because of the fact that the weather didn’t offer a model evening for outdoor stand-up comedy. For it was a whopping forty-five degrees by the time the show got underway, and it was raining quite hard, to the point where the venue was glimmering via the sea of ponchos and slickers present in the stands. But truly… that didn’t stop this venue form being filled up with eager fans, ready to laugh. Nor did it stop this crew of comics from just letting loose and keeping the audience in stitches. Which they did, courtesy of the right balance of low brow jokes, which are a wonderful thing by the way, and impressions and life stories… and there was even a touch of drama to be found at the event as well, thanks to some audience dissatisfaction. 

For this evening of comedy also (mostly) featured a screening of Joel McHale’s show, Animal Control, and well… Denver didn’t exactly put its best foot forward during that screening. For there were boos and jeers, and a beer bottle tossed at the screen. Which ended the screening early in an embarrassing manner, but… it did lead quite the pivot on Mister McHale’s part. Who came out and used that moment as fine material for laughs and that put the evening back on track and humbled the audience and set the stage for one incredible set from Chelsea Handler. Who headlined the event and just offered up laughs as only she can and well… in the end, and that one speed bump aside, this really was quite the incredible way to close out SeriesFest Season 9.

Because it made for a memorable evening, one that was filled to the brim with special moments and quite the experience, but that’s the stuff that great memories are made of and that’s what everyone walked out of Red Rocks with that night, and they were also part of history. Because while comedy shows have happened at Red Rocks before, they are suddenly happening with more frequency at the venue. Meaning that everyone there, was part of the early days of what is likely going to become a standard. Since there is something quite incredible about having nearly ten thousand people laughing together in harmony, and leave it to SeriesFest, a pioneering television festival, to blaze a trail when closing out another successful year of celebrating all that television has to offer.

Check out our interviews with Joel McHale, and Adam Ray, to learn more about what comedy means to each of them.  

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A Robust Crowd Enjoys Jay Pharoh’s Set at SeriesFest Season 9’s ‘A Night of Comedy’ at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Photo by Nathen Lane for SeriesFest.