The Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival is well remembered in Hartford for its 2013 edition, when headliner Dave Chappelle walked offstage mid-set.
Oddball 2015 showcases the current excitements in contemporary comedy. Aziz Ansari, the “Parks and Recreation” co-star who won Variety magazine’s Power of Comedy Award last year, has just published a best-selling book titled “Modern Romance.”
Amy Schumer, whose TV sketch show “Inside Amy Schumer” and hit movie “Trainwreck” have explored feminism, gender issues and modern dating rituals in hilarious new ways, couldn’t be more of-the-moment. How top-tier is she? Last week, it was announced that Schumer will be one of the first guests to appear on the new Stephen Colbert “Late Show.”
But comedy being what it is, and summer festivals being what they are, if you’re not amused by the headliners, just gander at the undercard of this endlessly funny festival: stand-up stalwarts Dave Attell, Todd Barry, Jeff Ross and Jim Norton; Jay Pharoah and Michael Che from “Saturday Night Live”; Tim Minchin, the British musical comedian who wrote the songs for Broadway’s “Matilda”; newer faces such as Rachel Feinstein, Rory Scovel, Sebastian Maniscalco, John Mulaney, and T.J. Miller; and three people named Nick (Nick Kroll, Nick Thune and Nikki Glaser).
The Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival starts 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Xfinity Theatre, 61 Savitt Way, Hartford. $40 to $185. Information: 203-265-1501, www.livenation.com.
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