Grief Is A Funny Thing, Wouldn’t You Agree?

This is not a comedy show. They say laughter is the best medicine. Research from Oxford found that watching just 15 minutes of comedy with others increased pain threshold by an average of ten percent — laughing in a group triggers the release of endorphins, the same chemicals that relieve pain and produce feelings of wellbeing. Laughter, it turns out, may have evolved specifically as a bonding mechanism; a way for humans to maintain social connections that physical contact alone couldn't sustain. Which explains why a room full of strangers laughs together at something genuinely dark. But what's the difference between something said that makes people uncomfortable versus relieved? Daniel Yazbek has spent years working that problem out. His stand-up includes material about his parents' heroin addiction, some of it written with his father's help, some of it not yet ready to be written at all. The difference between what lands and what doesn't isn't how difficult the material is. It's whether the comedian has actually processed it, or is performing it before they have. An audience can hear the difference. This lecture is a forensic look at how that process works: from the first draft of a joke that doesn't yet function, through the craft decisions that make difficult material land, to the specific thing a live room does that no other format can replicate. The format Doors open at 19:00 — come early, grab a drink, mingle before it starts. The talk begins at 19:30: 45 minutes, followed by an open Q&A. No official end — the bar stays open after, so stick around to keep talking with Daniel. The talk is in English. About Lecture Lounge A bi-monthly series of expert-led talks, held in bars — never a lecture hall. One subject, one speaker, intimate enough size to ask anything. Somewhere between a bar and a classroom. Every event so far has sold out. FAQ: Why does my card show as charged when I join the waitlist? If you've joined the waitlist for a sold-out ticket type and noticed your bank app showing a deduction, don't worry — no money has actually left your account. When you join a waitlist, we place an authorization hold on your card rather than charging it. Most banks reduce your available balance immediately for a pending hold, so it can look identical to a completed payment in your banking app — but it isn't. The funds haven't been captured, and they're only captured if and when you're approved off the waitlist. If you're not approved (or you cancel), the hold is released right away on our end, though it can take your bank a few extra days to clear it from your statement — that timing is on their side, not ours. If you have any questions about this, feel free to reach out to us directly.