Mornin. We thought we'd get a jumpstart on the day by giving you the low-down on a few things. Tonight you can catch the 11:30 p.m. Pressure Cafe stand-up comedy show, "Crowd Work," wherein the audience is openly encouraged to heckle and interact with the comics on stage. Basically boot camp for comics, according to producer Dave Odd. But the audience must adhere to the "Ethics of Heckling" or risk being booted by the referee. Tonight, CLTV program Metromix will be dropping in to see what transpires at this unique showcase.

The January 2007 issue of Chicago Social dropped a few days ago; in it is a quaint little article on Chicago's burgeoning underground stand-up scene, with some real nice photos of a few local performers. We can't seem to find the link to the article online, but CS is available for free on the corner of Grand Ave. and State St. in River North, if that helps. We had been seeing reporter Adam Burke out and about at several rooms over the past couple months, and even saw him try his hand at tellin' jokes in a couple rooms, so kudos go out to him, and let's hope he keeps his comedy dreams alive!

Anyone go to Sketchfest last night? How was it? Anyone get into post-show shenanigans?

Oh, and: vote for the Bastion and the Apiary for the 2007 Bloggies!. We're thinking the "Topical" category is most appropriate. And of course, Best New Weblog of the Year. =)

- Kristy Mangel