Life Is Beautiful Fest Sets Comedy Lineup with Joel Kim Booster, ‘RuPaul’ and ‘Hacks’ Stars

Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival is set to return to downtown Las Vegas this September, and in addition to a stacked music lineup that includes Lorde, Arctic Monkeys, and Gorillaz, there’s plenty of comedy on the menu. The festival, which takes place September 16-18, released its comedy lineup today, revealing that some of the biggest names in standup and podcasting will be making their way to Vegas this fall.

Highlights include standup performances from Joel Kim Booster, who’s hot off of his performance in the hit Hulu comedy “Fire Island,” and several stars of HBO’s “Hacks.” Both the Emmy-nominated Hannah Einbinder and Megan Stalter, who plays Kayla, will be performing sets at the festival. Also appearing are “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Latrice Royale, “Love” star Jordan Rock, and “The Eric Andre Show” writer Sarah Sherman.

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On the podcasting side, attendees will be treated to live recordings of Paige DeSorbo and Hannah Berner’s “Giggly Squad,” Chad Kroeger and JT Parr’s “Going Deep With Chad And JT,” and Steven Phillips-Horst and Lily Marotta’s “Celebrity Book Club with Steven and Lily,” among others.

Tickets to the festival are now on sale and can be purchased here. Keep reading for the complete Life is Beautiful 2022 comedy lineup, with descriptions courtesy of the festival.

Editor’s Note: IndieWire’s parent company Penske Media Corporation, along with Rolling Stone, acquired the Life Is Beautiful Festival in 2022.

Comedy Acts

Butterboy

Three chuckle monsters descend on the stage, clutching with them a horde of the freshest, silver-tongued comics and phone sex operators this city has to offer. Legends in their own right, these three friends, Aparna Nancherla, Maeve Higgins and Jo Firestone combine forces to host Butterboy – the funniest and best show in Brooklyn! Accompanied by the musical stylings of Donwill and the sensual silence of a rotating Idris Elba impersonator, the group is bringing the fun to Las Vegas this September. Comedy fans can check them out to find out which parts of this blurb are bold, unapologetic lies!

Joel Kim Booster

Joel Kim Booster is a Chicago-bred, Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian, writer, and actor whose Searchlight rom-com, Fire Island, premiered on June 3 alongside SNL’s Bowen Yang. With a growing fan base, Booster recently shot his first hour-long standup special for Netflix, called “PsychoSexual,” and he will soon appear on the Apple TV+ series “Loot” starring Maya Rudolph. Joel’s other TV and film credits include “Sunnyside,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Shrill,” “Search Party,” “BoJack Horseman,” “Big Mouth,” “The Week Of,” and more.

Latrice Royale

Capturing the hearts of the world and earning the title of Miss Congeniality on Season 4 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Latrice Royale has appeared in other incarnations of the franchise including multiple guest appearances on the show, “RuPaul’s Drag U” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” Seasons 1 and 4, and more. Adding to her sickening resume, she has had two successful runs on London’s West End Stage in “DeathDrop” and appeared at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas as part of the cast of the “RuPaul’s Drag Race LIVE!” show. The Large and in Charge, Chunky Yet Funky, Bold and Beautiful Queen has not only toured the world with her drag sisters, but her autobiographical one-queen-show, Here’s to Life, has seen sold-out audiences in major cities all over the globe.

Hannah Einbinder

An LA-based comedian, writer, and actress, Hannah Einbinder’s performance alongside Jean Smart in HBO Max’s “Hacks” earned her Emmy and Critics’ Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Though the hit show marks Einbinder’s first major television role, she is no stranger to the comedy world; she has owned the stage as a stand-up comedian at venues and festivals around the country and made her network television debut on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in 2020. Hannah was named one of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch for 2021,” a 2019 New Face of Comedy at Montreal’s prestigious Just For Laughs comedy festival, and was highlighted as one of Vulture’s “Comics to Watch of 2019,” cementing herself as one of the wittiest emerging talents in the industry.

Megan Stalter

Appearing as a supporting role in “Hacks,” Megan Stalter is originally from Ohio, where she was first kicked out of an improv show for being “too funny.” After moving to Chicago to practice comedy “for real”, she studied at Second City, iO, and sometimes the library. While living in the windy city, she was a part of Huggable Riot, a progressive comedy collective that creates polished original content while providing guidance and structure for ambitious new talents, in order to learn from each other, learn by doing, and develop shared artistic experiences. These days, she delivers standup performances that are as memorable as they are awkward.

Sarah Sherman

Sarah Sherman, also known professionally as Sarah Squirm, is an American comedian, actress, and screenwriter. In 2019, Sherman opened for fellow standup Eric André on his Legalize Everything tour, and has written for several comedy shows including “The Eric Andre Show,” “Three Busy Debras” and “Magic for Humans.” In 2021, Sherman became a featured player on “Saturday Night Live” starting in October 2021, where she has gained a following for her weird video shorts and quirky on-stage presence.

Ricky Velez

Named one of Variety’s “Ten Comics to Watch,” Ricky Velez’s first comedy special “Here’s Everything” premiered on HBO in 2021. Starring opposite Pete Davidson in Judd Apatow’s “The King of Staten Island,” Velez has also helped write the successful pandemic-themed Netflix feature, “The Bubble.” Delivering a memorable East Coast comedy style, fans may know him from his time as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” or his appearances on the Netflix series “Master of None.”

Jordan Rock

Actor and comedian Jordan Rock is best known for his three seasons as Kevin on Judd Apatow’s Netflix series “Love.” He recently appeared in the Netflix film “The After Party” and “Big Time Adolescence” starring Pete Davidson, which premiered at Sundance in 2019. He also has appeared on FX’s “Totally Biased,” “Gotham Comedy Live,” and NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” These days, he can also be seen in the Netflix feature film “Take The 10,” starring opposite Josh Peck and Tony Revolori, and on the most recent season of HBO Max’s “Love Life.”

Andrew Lopez

Andrew Lopez is a Filipino and Korean writer, director, actor, and stand-up comedian. With multiple projects in the works, Andrew is currently writing a globe-trotting romantic comedy for Amazon Studios called “Slow Burn.” As a comedian, Andrew’s stand up is featured on Netflix’s “Jo Koy: In His Elements,” which he also helped produce. Hot on the heels of the special’s success, he embarked on a worldwide tour opening for Jo Koy performing for thousands of people in arenas and theaters.

Podcast Acts

“Giggly Squad”: Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo

Paige DeSorbo and Hannah Berner bring their top-rated podcast on the road! This live show will make fun of pop culture, fashion, dating, and also get the crowd involved like they’ve never been able to before. Giggles are guaranteed. See you in court.

“Going Deep With Chad And JT”: Chad Kroeger and JT Parr

Chad Kroeger and JT Parr are on a mission to do good. Using their digital platforms, the duo takes action to raise awareness and bring change for some of the most important causes in pop culture and beyond. When they are not at City Hall meetings, Kroeger and Parr host the weekly podcast “Going Deep with Chad & JT,” which sees them discussing major current events, honoring legends, exploring ongoing beefs, and giving solicited advice to callers and fans alike.

“Celebrity Book Club with Steven & Lily”: Steven Phillips-Horst and Lily Marotta

Celebrity Book Club with Steven & Lily is the devious, side-splittingly funny podcast sensation from comedians Steven Phillips-Horst and Lily Marotta. Each week, the long-time best friends rip apart celebrity memoirs with acid wit, incisive cultural analysis and intimate personal anecdotes. Called “the hottest podcast of the year” (Rolling Stone), “unhinged, brilliant” (W Magazine), “drawly, ironic, camp” (Times of London), “riotous” (Dazed), the podcast has garnered fans all across the world in its short time on the air

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