After barely surviving the long holiday weekend, fraught with pub crawling, a Saturday night showcase at Bird's Nest followed by a monthly midnight show at the Playground Theater (with obligatory post-show nightcaps), goodbye parties followed by 4 a.m. karaoke bars, Labor Day BBQs followed by open mics (and the last night of Brian the Bartender), the Bastion joined a lively crowd at Gunther Murphy's this past Tuesday for some varied and energetic stand-up at the Chicago Underground Comedy showcase. Host Sean Flannery talked about the mix of excitement and incredulity with which he is anticipating his upcoming wedding vows, and has considered using the new Monday Night Football theme song to help add a little overwrought drama to the ceremony.

Lauren Bishop mused a bit on being a waitress/actress with a $100,000 education, and Kyle Kinane gave his first Chicago performance since returning from a four year odyssey into LA's comedy scene. David Angelo shared his puzzlement over modern advertising stupidity by way of a Power Point presentation, which, even when it wasn't working, was working. Brad Steuernagel brought Chris the Robot in from his usual NYC haunts, and Robert Buscemi teased the crowd with some off-the-cuff fun and weirdness.

We also did a bit of laughing, chatting, and schmoozing with the usual suspects, including Chicago Underground Comedy founder Tony Sam, comics Andy Ross, Kumail, as well as the Mikes Bridenstine and Holmes. Also 'scene' out were Jordan Vogt-Roberts, local filmmaker and great friend to Chicago comedy, Mike D. of Red Bar Radio (we hear he was up to his old shenanigans on the August 28 after-show episode, in which he takes issue with the Bastion, so we're pretty excited to catch up on that one... personal vendettas aside, Mike D. is becoming a champion of Chicago comedians, and in addition to having a regular rotating schedule of comedian co-hosts, has started podcasting ChUC shows every Tuesday, when his equipment is working [it wasn't this past week]. Okay, sorry Mike, you started it), and Online Personality Rob Johnson, a.k.a. the mastermind behind Blerds.com.