Mike Bridenstine is tuning into Channel B. We threw down the challenge, he rose to the occasion.
(Imagine your video here, too. It could happen. Send us a link to your short comedy video, and we'll put it up. Well, as long as it's, you know, funny, and not pervy, or whatever.)
And, finally, from i.O.'s online goodies, a bit from the Cupid Players, who would like to let you know, ever so gently, that she "likes you" but she doesn't "like you like you":
Kara Buller takes New York! Comedian, Spitfire girl and stager of one-woman showsKara Buller is packing her bags and heading for New York to pursue her comedy ambitions on a larger scale. She chatted a bit with the Bastion about her upcoming move and plans for the future.
What do you plan to do once you get to New York City?
I want to go vintage clothes shopping with Brooke Van Poppelen. I think she can help rectify my current sartorial crisis. No offense, but being in Chicago comedy and a deep depression resulted in a surplus of jeans and hoodies. I'm not a 16 year old lesbian or a 25 year old male comic and have no business dressing like one. Time to clean it up. I'm also going to try to get some comics to sit zazen with me. Really going to be looking for the Buddhist comics in NY. You know they exist. Hot six foot three Scandinavian buddhist comics. You know they're there. Then we're going to get down to the dirty business of making hot tall Scandinavian Buddhist babies. Mama's pushing 30. We got to act quick before the eggs go all tardo. Oh career-wise? I hope to write a new joke. I think that would be really exciting. I'm still talking about a 2002 road trip and magazine articles I read last summer. Time to get to work.
Will you be doing your solo show with the characters?
Sure. Who doesn't enjoy a lesbian in a mullet with a temper problem and zip-up moccasins? I'll cook that show up again. Not sure how. I won't have my corporate job and cheap theaters like the Cornservatory soo...I'm going to have to use people I guess. Flirt my way to some theater space. I will no longer have the "crippling handicap of affluence" as AJ Liebling called it. I read that shit in the Times on Sunday. See. It's like I'm already there.
What are you most looking forward to?
My bike, the parks, going to the Adirondacks, seeing the first house I lived in upstate, where my sister and I sang along to Olivia Newton John and cooked up eating disorders...I've got all sorts of fun stuff planned. I also want to go to a cafe and write my heart out. I'm hoping to get really, really peaceful so my skin gets good. Stress is terrible for the skin! I'm really convinced life is better for people with good skin. Good skin seriously helps your comedy career. Men are stupid like that. I'm not angry. I'm just saying men are visual beings and bad skin will close doors. Mama knows.
Are you scared of anything?
The U-Haul. It's a big one. Hard to maneuver. Might break down. And I have to hold the ghetto blaster the whole time. That could get old. Oh, and we don't have a lease yet. Just driving out there and meeting with a Chinese dude who says he has a brand new apt in Brooklyn for us. We'll see. Also, my shrink and I are going to be doing phone sessions. Could be awkward. I can't wait to have my shrink on speaker phone. Hellloo...so New York.
Who's us?
Me and the gay Puerto Rican friend-miracle I'm going out there with. He's a musician and has got a personality as big as his you-know-what, which is as big as his heart.
What will you miss about Chicago comedy?
I really liked hearing CJ Sullivan say "business papers." "I've got my business papers in it!" I love that bit. Nick Vatterot made me cry with joy one night at the Lyon's Den. He attached balloons to his body and popped them as he sang about football stars. I was going through some really insane personal shit that had to do with AIDS and losing a best friend to drugs and not being able to do anything about it--real bad stuff--then Nick is up singing about Kansas City football coaches or some shit. I cried. Anybody would have in that situation. I'm going to miss seeing Nick bounce-walk into a room. I'm going to miss Tony Sam indirectly attacking me or me thinking that's what it is and he and I talking about it a lot. I'm going to miss, most of all, my friend and comedy partner, Jeremy. I go to his "studio pad" as we call it and cook up characters--after he plays episodes of Lisa Kudrow's okay show The Comeback.
Very Bad Porn Launched in NYC, Heading Our Way Soon
Two of Chicago's up-and-comers, Thomas Middleditch and TJ Miller, launched their latest project, Very Bad Porn, last week in New York with a big show at the UCB.
The official website is here. The MySpace is here. The Chicago launch? October 17. More details on that as the time approaches.
Tonight at 8 at The Mix (2843 N. Halsted), join Brady Novak (i.O.), Becky Garcia (Spitfire), Josh Cheney (The Demon Who Never Appeared), Steve O. Harvey (Lincoln Lodge), Leon Rogers (The Destined), and lovely and talented host Allison Leber for the Comics For Change Benefit Party for New Orleans Common Ground Collective. Loosen your wallets and help raise enough money to send a busload of volunteers to the Big Easy to help with reconstruction efforts. Call 773-505-1198 for more information.
Sex + Guns + Vietnamese Go-Go Dancer = Smart Satire
The Bastion took a trip to The Cornservatory Theater recently to peep “The Vietnamization of New Jersey” by Christopher Durang, presented by Chemically Imbalanced Theater. This satirical comedy about the United States' war-like tendencies is certainly as relevant today as it was in the just-post-Nam era. Of course, that’s bad for the countries that are getting war in their faces, but great for audiences!
Durang represents the hypocrisy and blind ignorance of American society with broadly painted characters who are brought to life by a great cast. Matt Hendricks, Matt Roberson, and Dale Caba all bring the writer’s quick-witted prose to the stage with great energy and presence, while Angela McMahon, Nicole Cobb-Oliver and Laura Mahler provide standout comic performances.
Unfortunately, all the great writing and acting are hindered by the small, 45-ish seat Cornservatory Theater. Don’t misunderstand – The Cornservatory’s coziness is probably great for certain shows. But for “The Vietnamization” — an ensemble play with loud physical humor, violence, gunplay and often multiple dramatic focal points — the intimate confines are a poor fit.
In the end, one can’t help but wonder what the show would be like in a bigger theater. But until Chemically Imbalanced Theater finds somewhere else to show the show, this is the place to go for socially smart, well-acted satirical comedy.
“The Vietnamization of New Jersey” by Christopher Durang, is presented by Chemically Imbalanced Theater on Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. through October 8th. For tickets call 773-865-7731.
Written by Jonathan Richman. The Jonathan Richman who wrote this also writes commercials and sketch comedy. The Jonathan Richman who did not write this is an American proto-punk icon.
We finally got a chance to chit-chat with Emily Dorezas, Executive Awesome, at the Mix Monday open mic night before last. Albeit a fairly brief conversation, it was a better one than we've had thus far, as our usual meetings happen at parties or afterhours bars where nothing but nonsense ever gets accomplished.
Emily caught us up to speed on what her group, Baby Wants Candy, is up to, including a stint in NYC as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, which they're leaving for tomorrow. They're also planning to hit up the UCBT while they're out there, taking full advantage of their time in the Apple. There's another fairly big thing in the works for the group, but we've been sworn to secrecy (for now), but Em promised us a scoop-tastic chance in the near future, so we'll take it.
She also updated us on how Sports Action Team is going (well, with a primetime slot on the West Coast and a very good reception by audience and critics) and chatted with us about some potential new collaborative projects.
For your amusement, some Tubeage of an old i.O. skit with Jason Fever, Shawn Cole, and friends.
The Apiary's side of the "Apiary and Bastion Trip the Light Fantastic In Chicago Together" thing. Pretty much the same story, but told through less lipgloss.
We got Ireland on the phone yesterday, so look forward to an interview with Tommy Tiernan soon. In the meantime, here's a direct link to an MP3 interview with him.
We talked about Schadenfreude, they talked about us. Oh, and here's a video clip from Adam Witt's roast. It's full of those four-letter words that your Mom would love to overhear you listening to. Beware!
Tonight - Chicago Underground Comedy Presents: SpitFire
Catch a cab tonight to Gunther Murphy's tonight (1638 W. Belmont) at 8:30 p.m. for a very special Chicago Underground Comedy Presents: SpitFire.
The girls are bidding farewell to founding members Renee Gauthier and Kara Buller, who are both moving (to LA and NYC, respectively) to follow their dreams. Be there to share free pizza as well as some going-away cake from Dinkels (not to mention laughs) with Chicago Comedy's Broad Squad.
The Pilgrim Baptist Church of South Chicago, known as the Triple Rock Church in the classic comedy Blues Brothers, has been damaged in a fire, after churchmembers put $165,000 of their own money into renovations and repairs. The building, over one hundred years old, is insured, but the board of trustees worry that insurance may not cover all necessary repairs.
Coincidentally, in January of this year, another (totally unrelated) Chicago church called Pilgrim Baptist (at 3301 S. Indiana), which was widely considered the birthplace of gospel music, burned to the ground.
Donations can be made to the Pilgrim Baptist Church of South Chicago Fire Relief Fund, c/o Charter One Bank, 9200 S. Commercial, Chicago 60617. Call (773) 374-3888. (Hear that, Ackroyd?)
Apiary and Bastion Fail To Spit Water, Succeed in Drinking Beer
Last Saturday night worlds collided when the Apiary and the Bastion sat together in the audience at the Playground Theater and watched Sasha and the Noob (with assistance from Tony Sam, Jared Logan, and Erica Reid) prod laughs and Aquafina from the mouths of three good-spirited contestants at Don't Spit the Water.Lauren Bishop also provided some bee-colored, Italian-flavored comedy in the form of knock-knock jokes. A bee doing jokes for the Apiary? Coincidence? Hmm... (A ton of photos from the show here.)
Sasha and the Noob entertained with their awkward, indeterminately Eastern European charm, and were kind enough to host a small horde of Apiary and Bastion-related folks, and the show was hilarious.
Our Big Poppa was in town for one night only, so we were sure to treat him to some of Chicago's best (or at least, most geographically convenient). We started with dinner at Clarke's, moving on to a drink at the L and L, followed by a delightful Don't Spit the Water, and then piled into several cabs (along with Tony Sam and Jared Logan) to Bill Cruz's birthday party at Seven Ten (where we bumped into dozens of Chicago stand-ups, including Pat Brice, David Angelo, Allison Leber, and Bradley Fojas, as well as Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Mike D.), and wrapped up with more fraternizing right nearby at CJ Sullivan's notorious garden apartment.
There was quaffing of cheap beer, snacking on suspiciously decorated birthday cupcakes, in-depth discussions of comedy bloggery, a comparison and contrast of life and creativity between Chicago and New York, speculation on future comedy projects, and much more.
Thanks, Sasha and the Noob! Happy Birthday, Billy! And see ya later, Apiary. Big smooches all around.
(Take a peek at a selection from the YouTube archive of Talkin' Funny, in which Sasha and the Noob fill the airwaves with Chicago comedy chat, crunchy foods, charisma and...slide whistles.)
Friday before last was Schadenfreude's Rent Party, at which lots of Chicago comedy notables paid tribute to the troupe's departing member, Adam Witt. That is to say, they ambushed him with a roast, rather than treating him to the schmoopy, sentimental going-away party he was expecting.
Schad's Justin Kaufmann offered the Bastion an exclusive, semi-official statement: "Schadenfreude founding member Adam Witt is dead. Oh shit, wait...he is moving to LA. Sorry about that. He is leaving Chicago this week. We roasted him this month at our rent party with the help of Robert Buscemi, Tony Sam, Mike and Duane, and Kara Buller (just to name a few). Best joke from the roast that was not used: 'Adam is leaving Chicago to fulfill his dream in LA...of being a data entry specialist at a temp agency.' It was a great night and we raised a ton of money for charity. Schadenfreude will still be working together on all our writing projects, but Adam won't be screwing around with the ladies at our Chicago shows for a while. While Adam is enjoying his new town, he will be shopping our finished screenplay 'Alderman'. "
Justin was also very happy to hear that old friend Seth Meyers will be sitting behind the anchor desk on Saturday Night Live this season: "When he was in Chicago we used to tour/party with his show Piccups and Hiccups. If he's Dinosaur Jr., we are the Flaming Lips. I have a great picture of all of Schad getting together in town to watch his first SNL." (That would be at right, from their Flickr album here.)
Irish stand-up whirlwind Tommy Tiernan, who had a spot on Letterman in June, is preparing for shows at the Mercury Theater (3745 North Southport) September 28- 30.
"Tommy Tiernan Live in Chicago" will be on DVD and cable next year. Thursday and Friday's shows are at 8 p.m., and Saturday he'll be onstage at 7 and 10 p.m.
Tiernan is a huge favorite on the international festival circuit, employing the kind of effusive irreverence that so oftens seems to spring from a traditional Catholic childhood, as he comments on sex, religion, drinking, and Irish as well as American culture.
Clips can be found here, including this one, from the Montreal Comedy Festival, where Tommy expounds on his theory that Christmas was meant to be a commercial enterprise from the very beginning:
In Chicago comedy alum news, Horatio Sanz is out at Saturday Night Live. Seth Meyers, head writer, will sit behind the anchor desk with Amy Poehler. That's a lot of Chicago behind that desk. Who's the "second city" now, huh?
Speaking of, amuse yourself with Second City's radio and video clip archive here. You can find everything from last year's mainstage show clips, to amazing black and white footage from shows in the 1960's. (For you whippersnappers out there, that was when Paul McCartney's old band was still together.)
For all of you video game fans out there, check out The History of Breast Physics In Video Games, a close cousin of that long-ago webpage dedicated to an oh-so-scientific exploration of Pamela Anderson's Breasts as a Function of Time (which, alas, is now nowhere to be found):
Why do we lie? "Because it's easy and it makes us feel good." This point is made again and again as a nicely-sharpened stick is poked in the eyes of homophobia, overt as well as subtle racism, and, of course, that whole riduculous war thing. Lies in the family room, lies in a military recuiting office, lies on an online dating profile - they all spring from the same motivations.
There's a broad range of Chicago comedy experience behind writers and performers Joe Canale, Molly Erdman (a co-founder of Sirens Improv), Ithamar Enriquez, Brian Gallivan, Robyn Norris (filling in for Maribeth Monroe), and Claudia Michelle Wallace. (Almost all of them can be heard as guests on Second City musical director Ruby Streak's "We'll Be Right Back.") Collectively they've trained and performed at several Second City theaters, i.O., The Annoyance, and ComedySportz, as well as being able to claim a wide range of tv and movie credits.
Particularly funny moments included Claudia Michelle Wallace doing an "Oprah parts the Dan Ryan" bit in a sketch about the Almighty O, a musical number about the ban on gay marriage, a few well-delivered points about the debate on immigration, and several sharp blackouts.
In Second City gossip, mainstage performer Maribeth Monroe (who spoke on Ruby Streak's show about her audition for Saturday Night Live) is currently packing her bags for LA, with several years of mainstage and touring company experience to her credit, as well as theater credits including national tours of "My Cousin's Wedding" and "Sex and The Second City," which she co-wrote with current Second City producer Kirk Hanley.
And while we're gossiping, can someone please clarify whether the guy Second City students saw lurking suspiciously around Piper's Alley earlier this week is the real Mike Myers or that Mike Myers lookalike-with-a-Russian-accent we hear is taking improv classes there? Just when we think we know for sure, someone steps forward with another confusing bit of information. If we missed our chance to approach a real live celebrity with the eight millionth bad Austin Powers impression he's had to suffer, we're going to be ticked off.
Lundquist Entertainment (with roots in Chicago) is crossing the border for some shows in Toronto this week. Catch Caleb Hodgekiss before he gets superfamous and and starts dating Lindsay Lohan.
Chicago-based comic Matt Wayne recently shared his thoughts with Shecky Magazine about How Not To Talk To a Comic. Among his tips? Don't assume everything that comes out of a comic's mouth is intended to be funny. Sometimes he is actually just asking for you to pass the salt.
The New Q101 Morning Show has kicked off. Check out the interview with Chicago comedy alum Stephen Colbert (MP3 here).
Chicago stand-up Brady Novak finally stopped dragging his feet on this whole "internet fad" and got a damned MySpace page. Yeah, MySpace...well, it's better than nothing.
Bringing you all the deets from the past week/weekend from our new home away from home, Gio's on Damen Ave. Why? Because the Bastion is OFFLINE at home, but still dedicated to keeping you up to speed on the latest and greatest in Chicago comedy. We'll be doing this round-up of misadventures Memento-style, starting with Friday, Saturday, and Sunday today and revisiting Wednesday and Thursday in a couple of days.
Friday night was a rousing success of a show to see Renee Gauthier off to the mystical land of Los Angeles. The line-up was a showcase of who's who in Chicago underground stand-up comedy, with appearances by Allison Leber, Brady Novak, Becky Garcia, CJ Sullivan, Mike Holmes, Lauren Bishop, Kumail, Mike Bridenstine, Prescott Tolk, and girlfriend herself, Renee Gauthier. Everyone was on their total A-game, bringing raucous laughter with new material, touching epitaphs, and slight roasting. The night stretched on with post-Lodge favorite Resi's Bierstube around the corner, including way too many 'mystery' beers and lots of revelry. Noticably absent from the festivities was filmmaker/auteur Jordan Vogt-Roberts; we found out later it was because he was in Ohio filming Sean Flannery's wedding (congrats again Sean and Jessica!).
The night gave all who participated a taste of the upcoming seventh season of the Lincoln Lodge, a much-awaited room after their summer hiatus. Speaking of, it was officially announced to the Bastion that new Lodge cast members for the season have been added: Chicago beloveds Brady Novak and Allison Leber! Congrats to both!
Saturday night the Bastion decided to check out the third and final night of the Chicago Cheap Drunkard Comedy Fest, a three-day long festival in three different venues, produced by Chuck Roth, who some would call the leader of the newest batch of comics emerging on the scene (fondly nicknamed the Chuck Roth Crescendos, or the Crescendos for short). Saturday night the show was held at the Underground Lounge in Wrigleyville (neighborhood of i.O., Wrigley Field, and the Metro, quite the dichotomy of venues in our opinion), and while both the turn-out and the management in this basement bar were not 100 percent on board for the show, the comics certainly were, and included Dean Carlson, Brendan McGowan, Victor Marinier, Jeb Cadwell, Chad Briggs, and of course, Chuck Roth.
After the show, we followed the crew to a party hosted by stand-up comic Mike Lee and roomie Leo. Not just a party, though, a THEMED party -- a MySpace themed party.
While MySpace is the new hack of this generation's comedy, this party was anything but, and included polaroids for the "profile" pictures, walls covered in white paper suitable for "leaving comments", Sharpie markers a-plenty, and lots, and LOTS, of beer. Sufficed to say, the hosts probably awoke the next day to a haze of graffitied walls in varying degrees of legibility and wondered what the hell happened the night before.
Sunday the Bastion was snatched from sleep for a full morning of moving into the abode of comedy groupie superstar, Angel Busque, and after approximately seven hours of unpacking, decided to relax with Bad Dog's Sunday night showcase, Your Sunday Best. The showcase was packed with the heavies of Mike Bridenstine, Renee Gauthier, Robert Buscemi, and host James Fritz, with first-time showcaser Elena opening the show. The Bastion was looking forward most to the open mic portion of the evening, however. Mike D. of Red Bar Radio was going up for his very first time, and we were literally on edge to see it go down. He did pretty well for a first-timer, with an unsurprising comfortableness on stage. We do have to say that our favorite part of the evening was sitting with Mike at the bar during the showcase and watching his nerves get worse and worse, to the point that he couldn't eat his order of fries because of the butterflies in his stomach. It was rather cute.
Photos by Krystle Gemnich. From top to bottom: Renee is surrounded by friends; Brendan McGowan schools his audience; a room becomes an interactive version of MySpace.
Over the next several weekends, i.O. will be previewing the new Let Them Ho's Fight show, in which the players approach longform improv with what we hear is a lot of crazy energy. We're trying to clear a space on our calendar to see this show - Saturdays at midnight - maybe you should, too.
Also this week at i.O., a new show called "The Promise Keepers" starts Wednesdays at 11 PM, opposite the benchmark TJ and Dave show. It features Ben Johnson and Tim Baltz, is directed by The Reckoning's Holly Lauren, and is something of a new form of a modified Harold. (Which reminds us, darn, we need to get a clearer explanation of what exactly constitutes a Harold. Hm. Perhaps a field trip is in order.)
Chicago stand-up comics Ricky Carmona, Joey V, Mikey O, and others will be featured on HBO's Habla Mas throughout September. Check it out.
Second City writing instructor Nancy Beckett has completed Volume One in her series of "Writing With Nancy - Listenables," writing lessons on CD. "Each 45-minute lesson entertains writers of all ages and abilities with Nancy's wit and her realistic treatment of many aspects of creative writing." Click here for info and samples.
Also this week, Chicago-trained comedy supernova Amy Poehler is profiled in Bust magazine.
And Irish comic Tommy Tiernan will be doing a series of shows at the Mercury Theater in September.
Chicago stand-up Hannibal just got an offer for a ticket to Europe to shoot a segment of a comedy show in November. If that plan proceeds, Hannibal will play in a 650 seat theater in Rotterdam and be rewarded with a six minute segment on the air.
This opportunity came his way after Hannibal was noticed on this year's Montreal Comedy Festival New Faces Showcase (a positive mention of his performance in Time Out New York here).
Hannibal has been kind enough to consent to chat about this, his new management deal with 3Arts, and other exciting developments later today when he sits down in an undisclosed Northside diner with us to shoot The Bastion's first video interview. Keep your eyes peeled.
Inside With: Thomas Middleditch, Comedian and Actor
Thomas Middleditch has been in Chicago for just about a year, and has already earned a reputation as a sharp and energetic comedic performer. The people who know him best say they expect big things from him in the near future, and when we told him that our recent attendance at some of his shows proved to us that he lived up the hype, he was very modest in his receipt of the compliment.
You can still see the shy, polite Canadian kid he was not so long ago when you first meet him, but onstage you can't miss the charisma, the quick thinking, and the unrestrained happiness he feels while performing. While he has performed drama and stand-up, Middleditch professes that nothing quite matches the challenges and joys of the group give-and-take of improv, which gives him a palpable buzz that he misses every minute he's not onstage.
The Bastion recently braved a post-Cubs-game crowd in busy Wrigleyville to share tater tots and chitchat at the Salt and Pepper Diner, conveniently located near i.O., where Middleditch spends a lot of quality time onstage, developing his skills and providing great fun for audiences. Our conversation digressed into discussions about video game mastermind Will Wright's latest opus, Spore, the delights of professional dog walking, and Chicago's great museums.
Middleditch grew up in Canada with British parents, who, despite strongly valuing education (Dad is a principal, Mom and older brother are both teachers), supported his decision to leave a university theater program to come to Chicago and pursue comedy and acting. He's a busy fellow, performing in six or seven shows per week, but believes in taking time off to recharge his creative energy and enjoy life's other pleasures, including movies (most recently, he enjoyed Little Miss Sunshine), museums, and perspective-checking vacations whenever possible.
He's been spending more time in New York lately, performing with various groups, and working on several projects, including a pseudo-documentary comedy project called Very Bad Porn, and developing a soon-to-be-fruitful relationship with managers at Brillstein and Grey, who obviously know bright talent when they see it.
Catch Thomas Middleditch at shows at i.O. before he leaves our fair city to become a superstar. You might not have much time.
Can you tell us about childhood experiences that shaped your appreciation for comedy, such as humor in your family, and shows/movies/performers that you enjoyed or were inspired by when you were little?
I grew up pretty shy. I played with a lot of action figures and got teased a bunch. My name could be easily made fun of, and since I was really into the environment and picked up litter, other boys thought it was a good idea to relentlessly tease me. No surprise, that's the story for just about every comedian ever, so it's no big deal.
But in Grade 8 (we say Grade 8 in Canada), I was introduced to acting by my drama teacher. I realized that when I acted funny, people laughed, and there was a profound realization of the direct effect of my actions on people, which to this day is a feeling I live for.
My parents are very supportive and have a good, British sense of humor. I attribute my knack with accents to my parents, with my mom and dad both putting on various sorts of voices. My dad called me Bogey or Super Tom.
Influences through media, as a Canadian, will surely include Kids In The Hall to a great degree. We've also got Monty Python. But what's most evident, I would say, are the non-comedic influences. I was really into The Dark Crystal and The Labyrinth. Fantasy and action movies, especially things that dealt in stop motion and puppets, were my bread and butter. Army Of Darkness and a random movie that no one I talk to has seen called The Blood Of Heroes are great examples.
What are some of your favorite Kids in the Hall and Monty Python memories?
As for Kids...hmmm..there are so many. I always loved "These Are The Daves I Know". The Gavin character is great. "Screw You, Taxpayer!" and...dammit, I don't know the title of it but it's that "slipped my mind..." sketch where Dave's trying to get Kevin to return his video tape. Also, the one where it's a brief documentary of "Shirling" which is just men chained together circling a spitting cobra. Absolutely brilliant. They are just so timeless. I'll look at a show like SCTV and honestly, maybe I'm an idiot or something and I don't get that it's so bad it's good, but it's really hambones and lame to me. I understand that back in the day that was the bee's knees, but now it just seems dated. Kids, however, still makes me bust guts and I've seen all the episodes. Oh, and Monty Python stuff is great. I love their movies. I am a huge fan of Terry Gilliam, and the way they weave adventurous tales with absurd comedy, a feat I hope to accomplish someday.
Can you share with us some memories of favorite moments that have taken place onstage, where you and fellow improvisers have really been in a groove, and been able to surprise yourselves with something you collectively created on the spot?
A great example of a moment onstage is actually a Baby Wants Candy show. There are lots of great moments, but this one happened recently. We were in D.C. at a comedy festival. Our title for our improvised musical was "Joseph Stalin Is My Milkman". I was Mr. Stalin, and the show had been going great - we were at full steam, doing bits and songs at the top of our game. Well, the space we were performing at, at the back, had this 12 foot rise. At the end, I came out on the rise and, you know, declared what I had learned that day, wrapping up my story in a pleasant manner as is the case for most musicals. Then, out of nowhere my castmate, Mary McCain, shouted, "If you really love us, you'll do a trust fall off that ledge!" There was a moment where all of us onstage, and everyone in the audience was like, "What?!! Oh man...ok...sure! YEAH!" Then the audience started chanting and going crazy, and my castmates got below me and prepared themselves, and then I leapt off Superfly Snuka style into their arms. The stage manager was pissed. We sang the final chorus to the closing number as the audience went ballistic. That's just a really great memory of trust and guts, from everyone involved. They're a great bunch to play with.
When you were doing improv and theater work in Toronto and wanted to go somewhere with broader opportunities, why did you choose Chicago over, say, New York? Also, what are some of your favorite things about Chicago?
Honestly, the main reason for Chicago was because at the time I wanted to work at Second City, and I figured the best place to go would be to where it all started. At that time, I didn't know of "longform" or i.O. I thought about New York, and almost went to L.A. and enrolled in The Groundlings school, but I chose Chicago because of Second City. Now I'm hardly there at all.
I love Chicago because here, they treat improvisation as an artform. Really, it's a craft. Everyone's trying to challenge themselves and take it further, and since everyone's been trained to some degree, we're all playing with the same rules and understand what's been done a bit better.
I also like $1 double cheeseburgers.
Can you tell us a little about your ongoing discussions with Brillstein and Grey?
With the B & G guys it's still in the early stages. I can say that I'm with them and right now we're generating ideas on where we'd like to go. I'm putting together a character reel and I'll be sending it soon, and when that gets to a point where we're satisfied with it, we'll show it to people who would be interested. I've currently got a bunch of projects going so I'm trying to get them involved with those. One of those is Very Bad Porn with TJ Miller. I don't know where it'll go in the end, but I'm very excited and honored to be a part of their roster.
What would you like to be doing in five years?
In five years, and in life, I'd like to be at a point where I'm living off my earnings as an actor/comedian. Of course, TV and film would be a great destination, and that's currently my goal. Shows like SNL and MadTV are an interest in that they can launch you to a crazy status, and to me they look like a really fun thing to be a part of. The real satisfaction would come from a successful, original idea that I conceived or helped create. I'd like to be known as not only "the funny guy," but also someone with integrity and vision. The artists' dream, really. I also want a girlfriend and a miniature dachshund. And the ability to speak any language I want.
Tonight at 8:00 at the Lincoln Lodge is a stand-up showcase and going away party for Renee Gauthier, who is blowing this popsicle stand for the bright lights of LA, from where we hope she keeps us posted on her exploits. $6 gets you in to what's sure to be a fun night of rollicking performances, and, of course, those giganto mugs of beer.
Smarty-pants NYC comedian and writer Susie Felber, who thinks she's soooo cool, trash talks us when she discovers her blog is tied with us as the 30th most popular comedy blog, according to Mo. Says Susie: "Regan, Bastion and Vaughn: Everyone know you only got where you are today because your names end in 'n'." Susie probably thinks we're too classy to pick a fight with a pregnant woman. She's wrong.
K-Roll says she has us to thank for the crush she's currently developing on Aziz Ansari. Like it takes us to point out how crushable Aziz is.
Don't forget the Chicago Cheap Drunkard Comedy Fest tonight at 8:00, featuring Kyle Lane, Haji Outlaw, Bradley Fojas, Eric Pennell, and Mike Stanley. That's at the Cork Lounge, 1822 West Addison. Don't let the stigma of $2 beers keep you away. There's a difference between a cheap drunk and a frugal drunk.
Pimprov continues their run in Donny's Skybox tonight at 7:30, with special guests Fool For Thought. The next few shows will include Salsation, Liquid and Bassprov.
Tomorrow, September 16th, at 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM, TV ONE will be taping at the Harold Washington Cultural Center. Performers will include Summer Neville, Lil Rel, George Wilborn, and Leon Rogers. Free tix available from Ticketmaster.
And, just for fun, the latest DIY comedy video that has been cracking us up, from Barats and Bareta.
See how much funny you can cram into two minutes? Maybe the Bastion should issue a challenge like the Apiary has. Okay, actually, now we are. Attention Chicago comedians! Make funny short videos, send us a link, and we'll post them. Trust us, you don't need an $800 camera, or fancy editing software. It can be simple and still hilarious. Do it!
Principal Onyx Blackman, also known as Greg Hollimon, recently joined Ruby Streak's Second City podcast roster. Here's the MP3, where he chats about his long-term rollerskating habit, which must be quite a sight to see when you consider the man is roughly twelve feet tall.
A new Blerds video, Dick Joke, is up on their site. It's NSFW, and it features TJ Miller, for those of you with such concerns. Also, there's some code wonkery, but we're sure they'll get it sorted out soon.
A felt incarnation (and creepily accurate version) of Chicago Underground Comedy co-founder Tony Sam has kicked off a new blog, Ask Dr. Tony, in which he addresses your most pressing and embarrassing medical concerns. Got a rash or an itch? Dr. Tony can help. Sort of.
The Bastion is entertaining several interesting date offers from Craigslist, who will be rewarded with our charming company and the delights offered by the Star and Garter girls at FIZZ on Thursday nights. Hope they know what they're getting themselves into.
"WEREWLF," Newly Released Inmates, Poorly Stenciled Garden Apts., and Other Topics Not Mentioned in Following Story about Another Weekend of Misadventures
Another ridiculous weekend is behind us here at the Bastion. What was supposed to be a weekend full of a rock and roll outdoor music festival turned into a water-soaked, grey, end-of-summer melancholy of days, all ending in incredulous hilarity.
Saturday had us early on deciding not to go down to Touch and Go for lack of a festival buddy. Instead, we called up TJ Miller to see if we could hitch a ride in the Ford Focus and catch his feature set at the Improv out in Schaumburg. Friend of the Bastion Lauren Bishop was on emcee duties (we hear she is the only female to be hired by the club thus far), and SNLer Darrell Hammond was headlining. This would be the second day of a double-show stint; the first show billed as the "dinner show" at 7 p.m. and the second beginning at 9:45 p.m., with about an hour downtime in between. The Bastion ran into Mike Holmes and had a few beers with him during Darrell's second set, where we got down to some serious discussion on the state of comedy in Chicago and the future of current collaborations.
Lauren, Darrell, and TJ 'chillaxing'.
It was a real treat for us to see our friends in front of 300+ audience members in the biggest comedy club in the country, and to be able to meet with Darrell between performances and chat a few minutes with him about the shows. Lauren told us that she, TJ, and Darrell had some really amazing conversations backstage about the business, and we're jealous we couldn't be a fly on the wall for that one.
Speaking of the business of comedy, some things were overheard in the Focus regarding the future of TJ's ever-escalating career. Certain senior partners of a certain huge entertainment talent agency have been in talks with TJ about flying out to meet with him -- flying OUT to meet with HIM. He's being a bit nonchalant about it, but still called up his friend Zegan to go over all the particulars and get his professional advice. Apparently, huge entertainment talent agency got a tip from someone who caught TJ and Prescott Tolk's Bombast show at UCBT this summer, then told aforementioned senior partners to look at TJ; in turn they requested a tape, he obliged, and they were calling the next day. Hot stuff! The Bastion wants a copy of that seller.
The night wasn't done yet, however...
After the fun in the suburbs was had, we were jonesing to get back to the city, we so said goodbye to Lauren and Mike and met up with VLR/Blerds boys CJ Sullivan and Pat Brice, along with Sports Action Teamer Emily Dorezas and Chicago comedy heavyhitter Brady Novak, for some drinks and nonsense at Raw Bar in Wrigleyville, former home of the Sunday Night Blitz. As per usual, the night went on way too late and the Bastion left in the early morning hours, thoroughly sapped but very happy.
Sunday we opted to stay in bed for a good part of the morning, what with the utterly terrible and miserable day outside and the pounding in our head. It just occurred to us that we keep writing "we" and "our". That's funny. Anyway. We bothered our good friend Miss Angel to force us to get out of the apartment and find food, which led us to the fabled Latitude, where 5DM has spent many a weekend. This, in turn, led us to begin workshopping story ideas, getting deep and thick into discussions on comedy and other forms of art, the general psyche of artists, and other topics of the like. It was at about 7:30 p.m. that we once again bothered TJ to point us in the direction of entertainment. He goaded us into visiting Fundajo for the first time, which was an otherworldly experience entirely. Room runner Almando Big opened the show and introduced host Marcus Comb to the scattered audience, breaking up the impromptu dance party we were having in our booths due to the poppin' beats being spun by DJ Trilogy. The host brought up the very white, very Northside comic David Angelo, who handled the room as best as he was capable, but it was true: no energy of this sort is typical for the Northside scene, and it was a bit rough to see a comedian and an audience being openly hostile to each other. Taking cue from a heckle, TJ came storming onto the stage and flattened everyone. He said afterward, "I have forced myself to do these rooms for so long, I know what to expect and what they want and need from me. I don't go in with material, ever. Every show is totally made up from the environment of the room." He got everyone on his side while completely annihilating a previous heckler, who got on board even with all the harassment. It was magical, truth be told.
It was after this set that we had to roll out of there. It was a great experience, and the Bastion will continue to check out the room -- being able to see 'urban' comedy a $5 taxi ride away is an opportunity not to miss.
However, as has been the case for Sundays for a very long time now, 11 p.m. was when the fun was just beginning. We hopped into a taxi (we call these stints 'chasing the comedy') and headed over to i.O. for a set by improv troupe Super Happy Fun Time. It was here we ran into Thomas Middleditch and Nick Vatterott, and new friends Seth Weitberg, Joe Canale, and Allison Bills. A reliable troupe with a rotating cast of solid players, a great little room, a free raffle (we won five passes for any i.O. show!), and super cheap beer -- perfect way to end Sunday, especially now that Overstock at Playground has been cancelled (booo).
We'll say it before you do: yeah, we mention TJ a lot. You know he's good. Why do we keep talking about him? a) he is literally every-damn-where lately, and b) he might be leaving sooner than any of us would like, so we're trying to get optimal TJ time in before that happens, as he is not only a local talent but a good friend. So there. But seriously, he IS everywhere. Read for yourself.
Heeb Magazine's Storytelling Series at Second City Tonight
Heeb Magazine ("The New Jew Review") is making a stop at Second City's e.t.c. theater in Chicago tonight with their storytelling series Streit's Presents: Heeb Storytelling.
How fortuitous that just this morning the Bastion was on the treadmill at the gym watching The Blues Brothers on Comedy Central (not so funny with no sound and just closed captioning, by the way) and thinking about Chicago comedy alum, and possible future contributions by their offspring.
Second-generation Chicago funnyman Rob Belushi (son of Jim, nephew of John) is Second City musical director Ruby Streak's subject in her 20th podcast. (Archive of her podcasts here.) Listen to the clip here, wherein Streak, who's been with Second City since 1977, chats with young Belushi about "punctuality, travels through the comedy circuit and Mel Gibson's mug shot."
EDIT: More on Belushi. "The Adventure Club," every Tuesday at 10:30 at the Playground Theater (until October 10), will feature a rotating guest cast of stand-ups, improv performers, and sketch troupes, including Rob Belushi, Thomas Middleditch, Jon Barinholtz, Jason Hodge, Brendan McGowan, and Dean Carlson.
Of course, you should read all of these items with an "...allegedly" at the end. Who are we, Ted Casablanca?
What's the buzz lately? Well, we've heard a big new comedy venue is going to discontinue its Chicago comedian showcase efforts (okay, that's not exactly a blind item...anyway, more details on that to follow).
There's talk that a local alternative showcase is looking to jazz up its weekly shows with comedy short films and other creative experiments.
Some say a local up-and-comer is looking to focus almost all of his energy on his stand-up efforts to accelerate his creative and professional progress.
We're also still in the know about recent Blerds development, including details about the latest lamb to be folded into the Blerds flock (although, as Mike Holmes points out, everything's a big fat lie anyway).
While MySpace is the new hack of this generation's comedy, this party was anything but, and included polaroids for the "profile" pictures, walls covered in white paper suitable for "leaving comments", Sharpie markers a-plenty, and lots, and LOTS, of beer. Sufficed to say, the hosts probably awoke the next day to a haze of graffitied walls in varying degrees of legibility and wondered what the hell happened the night before.
