Best Denver shows from 12/21 to 12/27

Louis C.K. skewing Ticketmaster and the truth behind money in stand-up comedy

Denver comedian Josh Blue will premiere his first hour-long Showtime special on April 18, marking a high point for the former “Last Comic Standing” winner.

As the “Mom of Denver Comedy,” Lori Callahan is a veteran comedian and booker who’s still proudly plugged into the Mile High City’s stand-up scene. We catch up with Callahan in advance of her pair of headlining dates at Comedy Works.

Talk Talk: The UMS film fest, stream a Fray concert, a new Rose Hill Drive vid, behind the scenes at Titwrench and more local music news

We catch up with Iliza Shlesinger, winner of Season 6 of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” Like Denver favorite Josh Blue, Schlesinger got a significant bump from winning that program — though she has worked hard to maintain her growing audience, going out of her way to perform multiple times every night of the week.

The Denver comedy scene is stronger than ever — and “The Grawlix” will add more fuel to the fire. Plus: A show-by-show look at some of Denver’s best nights for stand-up, sketch and more.