We've been pretty excited about this possibly-maybe new monthly show, the People Under the Stares, produced by the Empty Bottle and Drag City Records. So excited, in fact, that we ended up catching both the 9:00 p.m. AND the last-minute-added 11:00 p.m. show this past Tuesday. We got a chance to catch up with Rian Murphy of Drag City to get a few of his thoughts on the show and its future: "Tuesday was a great night. We had a lot of fun and the audience seemed to as well. The two shows played to really different crowds with different conceptions of what was funny, which was cool. If future shows turn out as well, it should be a good series. We're almost set for September, with the lineup for October in the works as well."

Good! Because we had a great time, and it was very interesting to take in a stand-up show within a very indie rock vibe. For instance, the question arose, "How crucial is it to SEE a performer?" Where a theatrical style is often employed with many stand-up comics in Chicago, we think that merely being able to hear the set-up/punch is adequate, but not the kill it oftentimes is when an audience gets to see the nuanced body language and facial expressions of many of the top independent stand-up comics in the city. Even headliner Fred Armisen brought two of his characters with him to the stage, complete with costume, but we're not sure that the back of the room even got to see the ridiculousness of Billy Smith, Native American Stand-up, or the over-the-top-but-spot-on 'Jazzologist' character.

Nevertheless, it was a great night, and has the potential to be a great series for independent stand-up in Chicago. Also, John C. Reilly stood next to us for most of the show. He was in town filming Quebec. And, according to Murphy, "has been a fan of Drag City artists over the years." David Angelo was pretty excited he got heckled by John C. Reilly. And TJ Miller commented after the show and while we discussed the fact that John C. Reilly was in the venue, "I think we should tell him we keep referring to him as John C. Reilly."

Poor sightline aside, we managed to get a few good clips with the ol' EasyShare:

We're quite, yes, quite hoping that these clips will convince you, dear readers, to start donating to the Get-The-Bastion-A-Real-Video-Camera-Pronto Fund. Bring your hilariously oversized novelty checks to the corner of Fuzzy and Unfocused. No questions asked. Do it for Chicago comedy.