Catch a cab to the Hideout at 7:30 tonight for another People Under the Stares show, this one featuring Paul F. Tompkins. The Bastion recently spoke with Rian Murphy, emcee and funny dude in his own right, about the mission statement of the shows and the interesting things that happen when you mix local talent with bigger names.
How did the People Under The Stares series start? Whose idea was it, and what was the overall plan?
The series started when a brag-fest between Pete at the Empty Bottle and Dan K of Drag City escalated into a business model - same way most things start. So, they came up with it. The plan was to mine the local comedy territory while at the same time bringing in nationally-known wild-cards to mix it up a little. In this heady brew, I play a character called the MC - occasionally singing a song, sometimes throwing a spanner in the works, but mainly just pushing show night forward with a mixture of apathy and rage.
Did the crowd change at all with the venue switch (from Weeds to the Hideout)?
Yeah, the crowd did change a little. We lost a few greybeards, but in getting younger, we gained a few more people still new and optimistic about the world of habitual, excessive drinking.
How have you managed to nab such cool "bigger" names like Zach Galifianakis and Morgan Murphy? Any hot news on similar upcoming special guests?
We've got people, it's that simple. And they know people. And then those people directed us to "myspace" and "Google" and next thing we knew, we were emailing these people! Aside from Paul F. Tompkins this month, and Brent Weinbach next month, we're looking at some alarmingly heavy hitters for June and July, but nothing we can confirm yet....
Local comics like Kumail have gotten some cool opportunities to open for people like Galifianakis after meeting at People Under The Stares shows. Can you tell us a little about that?
Well, it hasn't worked quite as I'd planned - I thought those opportunities would be coming to me! But seriously, when comics get together, it makes sense for them to work together, in whatever capacity. Everyone's always looking for some talent to glom onto, you know? I know we sure are. In that sense, by mixing seasoned locals with exotic out-of-towners, we're fulfilling our potential of presenting the same thing is such a subtly different context that it appears as an entirely new thing!
What are some of the notable moments onstage that you've particularly enjoyed or that the crowd really seemed to like?
Among the locals, they've loved Hannibal, David Angelo, Brady Novak, Vanessa Fraction, Dwayne Kennedy. They dig AZITA and her group, the Ass Shivers. Let's see...they really enjoyed being called hipsters by Mike Bridenstine. And what else? Fred Armisen, Zach Galifianakis, Morgan Murphy, Neil Hamburger all made noticeable indentations of the collective skull, definitely.
Have any of the visiting comics shared their impressions of Chicago comedy with you?
No - they're always glad to be here, but good manners, you know? Most are unaware of it, and for many it was actually their first club appearance in the city ever....
The April 30 show sounds like a good lineup - how did it work out that Paul F. Tompkins will be there?
Hopefully he doesn't ask that same question himself at the end of the night. Ah, the price was right, I guess? That price, of course, being the price of HOPE.
What are your hopes or goals for the shows over the next year or so?
For the run to come to a blazing end and be remembered well by everyone in the new comedy scene it helped bring together back in the day. Chicago will always be what you make of it, the only things it will ever really offer its citizens are affordable housing and the apathy that may induce!
Give Me Comedy or Give Me Death: a Report from the D.C. Comedy Fest
All plans to cover the D.C. Comedy Fest from location fell through two weekends ago, when it was realized that the after-parties would stretch into dawn and the days would be filled with recovery and monument-gazing. Now a full two weeks later, we're left with our cloudy memories and a slight chest cold -- and the sense that the third annual D.C. Comedy Fest was a success for all involved.
We here at the Bastion tend to take a "set down and settle in" approach to all things comedic, so could be found at the rickety HR-57 for most of the weekend and not so much at the hipster artspace Warehouse, due to their proximity to each other and a tight schedule. Luckily, Chicago improviser Mark Raterman (playing with Cook County Social Club), gave us a brief summary of the fest from his (much more industrious) view:
"Overall, I had a great time. I love going back to DC because I grew up close by in northern Virginia, so I have a lot of friends and family in the area. I stayed at my mom's place with a couple friends: Bill Cochran, who's in Cook Co. Social Club with me, Micah Sherman who's in Boston doing stand-up and is in Chuckle Sandwich, and his friend Myq Kaplan [winner of the college/club audition] who apparently had some pretty good sets which I didn't see. In any event, the four of us had a good time eating my mom's food and hanging out into the wee hours on her balcony doing things that we're not allowed to do by law.
"Other than that, I enjoyed the after parties somewhat, but mostly because anywhere I turned it seemed like I knew a large group of people, whether it was the Blerds guys or people from Washington Improv Theater or random chicago improvisers, so that was a lot of fun for me. The only thing that sucked was having less time in the bars because shows went so late into the night. Spoken like a true alcoholic. I didn't get out of a couple of shows until 12:30 which severely cut into drinking time. But hey, maybe scheduling shows that late was was Blaire [Postman, the festival's executive producer]'s way of watching out for our well-being.
Sean Flannery performs at the Blerds Friday night showcase.
"Surprisingly, I didn't catch a lot of shows. I was in two on Friday night (Biscuitville and Cook County Social Club) and saw bits of the shows that followed, Bassprov and Big Black Car, but not enough to get a good impression of what the show as a whole was like. I saw some stand-up at HR-57, but not a ton. I caught Mike Bridenstine's set which I enjoyed. I had a good time laughing with him on the plane to the festival. It turns out he's a really funny guy. I also got to see Rory Scovel host the pro night on Saturday. Rory is an old friend of mine from DC and he makes me laugh, too, so I was glad I could catch at least one of his sets. Truth be told, I was a little bummed that my show times didn't line up better. Because of when I was performing, I had to miss a lot of shows that I would have liked to have seen. So it goes, though, at these bigger festivals.
"I thought the different venues were well suited for the particular shows they were housing, at least the ones I saw. I wished a couple times--as I was shuttling between HR-57 and the Warehouse--that they were a little closer together. There's something very cool about a festival like, say, the Del Close Marathon at UCB where everything is in the same building. It makes you feel like you're in the center of the universe for that weekend. Short of that, buildings on the same block can approximate that feeling. But in a city like DC, I'm not sure how much the producers can control something like that.
"So, overall, I had a blast. I love the city and the people and I enjoyed the shows I was in and the ones that I saw. Next year you and I will have to get a drink together well before last call, which seemed to come with alarming abruptness."
Kyle Kinane and Allison Leber relax at a post-show gathering at Hotel Helix.
One of the Bastion's favorite things about the weekend was seeing our ex-pat buddies reconvene en masse on the capitol, and spending time with them seeing the sights, or drinking tea in Chinatown, or crashing a Georgetown University party at 2 a.m. One of our now-coastal friends, stand-up comedian Renee Gauthier, gave us her thoughts on the weekend:
"I thought the D.C. Comedy Festival was a blast. I loved the tight-knit group of Chicago comics and I also loved meeting comics I had never seen before. I noticed that along with supporting our own, Chicago (whether based or once were) are very supportive people when it comes down to it. Every comic there was funny and original, that was unique and amazing to see. You would see comics running from show to show just to catch their people doing stand up. My only wish was that the stand up shows and improv/sketch shows could have been in the same venue, so that all forms of comedy could check the others out. The staff was great and I genuinely enjoyed D.C.."
Producer Blaire Postman chimed in with some official business information after having some time to reflect (and enjoying some sunny days out in L.A.): "We don’t have super 'official' numbers since we use the open pass and “cram as many people in as possible” systems. I’d guesstimate that we sold about 1,000+ passes to the festival (could be more by 200) – that doesn’t include industry, etc. who come in under different passes. The Saturday shows and most of the Friday shows at the mainstages were sold out. The stand up mainstage held about 175-200 people, the sketch mainstage about 150+ (they had people literally sitting in the rafters so I can only guess). The other stages seat 80-100 seats and were full to overflowing most of the time. We also had to turn people away from many shows since we were so full. Suffice it to say that we’re already looking for larger venues for next year. It was a very, very, very full fest."
Jordan Vogt-Roberts, TJ Miller, and Tucker Voorhees, 3Arts, hanging at RFD, the festival's designated post-show bar.
Chicago was well-represented at the festival, in stand-up, improv/sketch, and film. With the Chicago voice united in such a prominent way, one could hope that, perhaps, a spectator (like, say, one of the industry people milling about), could see a show fraught with Chicago, and start putting together a picture of the scene and make a note to keep Chicago on their radar, even though we don't have those oh-so-crucial studios and scouts to evaluate and record talent on a regular basis.
Does Improv Work on TV?, MADtv at Second City Tomorrow Night, Edge Comedy
Can the wild animal that is improv make it in the heavily structured tv environment? Some say "maybe not." Improv elite including Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh made a good go of it with "ASSSSCAT: Improv" on Bravo not long ago, and even called on very special special guests like Tina Fey, Andy Richter, Rachel Dratch and Horatio Sanz but even the best of improv, it seems, suffers on television precisely because of the lack of immediacy that a live performance provides. Even though the popularity of the Drew Carey-hosted "Whose Line Is It Anyway," which ran from 1998 to 2004, broadened interest in improv, spoiled a wider audience's expectation of what improv "really is," according to some.
Nevertheless, NBC and a couple of talented Second City main stage vets are putting their all into network improv these days with "Thank God You're Here," an adaptation of an Australian improv tv show of the same name. How is the show going? According to Chicagoist: "There’s no denying that the show would be a thousand times more enjoyable if the core cast (including Nyima Funk and Maribeth Monroe from Second City) improvised with the guests instead of trying to hit certain beats and spit out fabricated lines...we actually laughed out loud a few times." But Dan Kois of Slate goes so far as to say the show isn't really improv at all: "...the supporting performers in the show clearly have seen a script, or at least a list of setups, gags, and plot points to stick to. Which means 'Thank God You're Here' isn't improv, not in any true sense."
Students and alum of the Second City Training Center can call 312-475-3564 to make reservations for a MADtv panel event tomorrow night, April 27, from 5-6 PM at 1608 North Wells. "Meet and hear from cast members of FOX's hit sketch comedy show MADtv at this free event for students and alumni of The Second City Training Center. Panelists include Ike Barinholtz, Crista Flanigan, Arden Myrin, Nicole Parker, Jordan Peele and possibly more. Topics will range from the process of creating and producing their shows, differences between writing and performing sketch for stage and television, working with guest stars, as well as a chance for audience members to ask questions. Patrick Brennan will host and moderate." Hm. "Possibly more." Does that mean that visiting MADtv performers are having too much fun in and around the Chicago Improv Festival this week? We hope so.
Edge Comedy is putting up its "Best of New Faces" show at SEVENS @ The Chicago Center for the Performing Arts (777 N. Green Street) tomorrow, Friday the 27th, at 8 PM. The new faces show will feature Cindy Cornelson, Brendan McGowan, Aaron Eikenberry, and more. The 8 PM "Best of Edge Comedy" show on Saturday the 28th (at the same location) has lined up Hannibal, Cameron Esposito, Fay Canale, Dustin White, Jeff Hansen, and others. Both shows are hosted by Edge producer Dave Odd.
We got a chance to trek out to Goodbar last night for the second night of the Chicago Improv Festival, featuring the video and film portion of the program. The stars of the night were members of Sports Action Team, an improv-based television show filmed entirely in Chicago with Chicago comedians; the show has been renewed with NBC for a second season. Cast members Al Samuels and Kevin Fleming were on hand to introduce two episodes, explain some of the methodology of creating the show, and answer audience questions.
Al Samuels and Kevin Fleming.
In addition, festival executive producer Jonathan Pitts introduced several video shorts from Chicago improv alums, including "The Vagina Monologues Monologues", written by Rachel Dratch and starring Dratch, Tiny Fey, and Amy Poehler; "Dutch Puck Disease", the short that launched Lorne Michaels back in the '70s; five digital shorts by Adam McKay (one starring Will Ferrell and an infant, possibly the same child in the now super-famous "Landlord" short?); and a great Onion Network montage of clips, our favorite being, "The Human Cost of Mexicans".
Tonight's shows includes MADtv's Nicole Parker in a one-act show on Second City's e.t.c. stage, and Chicago Night, hosted by pH Productions and featuring Chewties!, Stubs, Pimprov, Duchess, pHamily, and Dirty Water, at Stage Left Theatre.
The Bastion would like to congratulate Blewt! producer Steve Gadlin and wife Becky on the birth of their daughter, Isabella Jane Gadlin. Welcome aboard, Isabella!
Stand-up comedians Tony Blanco and James Fritz caught the Saturday night Doug Stanhope revue at the Lakeshore Theater this past weekend, and wrote in to tell us about it. Local legend Brian Potrafka opened for Stanhope.
Notes in italics are Fritz's remarks; roman is Blanco.
(twas fun.)
Very strange. (Nah. Blanco's strange.) The intro five or six comedians were mostly people I'm unfamiliar with but it was curious to see so many Virginia Tech jokes one right after another. One standout included Brian Potrafka totally taking turns weirding out the crowd and then blowing them away. One minute it's a very dark, purposefully banal and generic take on being a stand up comedian, then come the perhaps too soon V.T. stabs (Too soon? Oh look everybody! Katrina made Tony sensitive!) but he brings it all back to a place where everyone can feel safe and smart (I felt stupid and threatened) , telling silly riddles with obvious punchlines. He ended the set with one of my favorite closers in Chicago comedy so i don't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it. Also bleeding through among the endless train of opening acts (Sounds like you had a good time) , Scary Monster, an old school boogeyman comedian laden with jokes about being "in the closet."
Stanhope comes out and does a weird bit about the way some guy pronounces his name and I didn't get it. Neither did most of the rest of the audience. (Lies! He was talking about Bears kicker Robbie Gould. Tony hates sports because he's an "intellectual.") Stanhope acknowledged his poor opener with a quip (Quip? Really?) about never opening well and a mention of how he needs to be more drunk before he can be funny. (My brain says that to me every day.) Later in his act, the concept of being funny when drunk becomes a great source for several minutes of meta-humor about the nature of comedy and recovery in between shots from a well positioned gigantic bottle of Yeag. He talked about all sorts of things, hating Jews, Don Imus, having ugly children and especially how our freedoms are being taken away. Did i mention he is a Libertarian Candidate for President? (Hillary nomination = instant vote for Doug from me) He's very funny and open, and I can totally see his appeal among the room full of my jaded peers laughing with Doug at the world that's falling apart all around us. (Tony, a born-again ex-smoker, failed to mention that Doug made a smoking section onstage, 4 chairs and an ashtray, so smokers in the audience wouldn't have to watch him chain-smoke for an hour and a half in pain. It was a noble gesture, indicative of his inclusive nature. I thought it was a damn cool thing to do. As great as Saturday's show was, I wish I could've seen Friday's. At one point Stanhope was onstage, in a trash can, wrapped in a urine-soaked American flag, announcing his candidacy. Also, management at the Lakeshore Theatre seems awesome. Like they actually enjoy stand-up comedy. Novel concept.)
Fifteen Dollars Well Spent. (Damn straight. Stanhope's the best comedian alive and working right now. Go see him every chance you get.)
Doug Stanhope will return to the Lakeshore Theater with his Unbookable miscreants May 18 and June 22.
This is a retrospective On the Scene report, because this event happened nearly a full month ago. Where has the spring gone from us? It's almost May, and we haven't had a chance to realize we shouldn't be wearing our winter coats still (well, in Chicago it's possible it's still required). We thought we'd take the chance to highlight last month's show with some delightful photos, while alerting you to the fact that the monthly variety showcase is happening AGAIN this month, in just mere days (April 25 to be exact!).
Members of Duchess.
Stand-up comedian Kumail Nanjiani.
The intimate studio space of the Apollo Theater is literally rife with comedic performances as of late. It's cozy yet comfortable, and we imagine that even if the 50-seater wasn't full it would still feel well-attended... the night we attended the Comedy Series was the same night a group of high school kids from North Carolina were attending, too. Judging from their uproarious laughter and squeals, we're pretty sure they'll be taking tales of Chicago's Great Comedy back home with them to friends and family -- and the Chicago Comedy Series was one of the best shows they could have experienced in the city.
Warhammer reunited to perform this evening, and commandeer the theatre's bar for a scene.
You can see the show yourself the last Wednesday of every month, up until September (as scheduled currently). This month performers featured will be Andy Ross, Ben Seeder, Fried Green Durbins and Fox Force 5, with host Jared Logan.
All photos by Krystle Gemnich. Click here to see the full, amazing set.
--Well clearly, sometimes even we don't get the joke. Jena Friedman was actually kidding when she MySpaced about raising $7800. Darn our gullible little hearts. So what about that family in Bolivia that was going to eat for a year? Well, there's always Save the Children. Tell 'em The Bastion sent you.
-- Last night the Bastion caught Bootlegger's Ball in the Del Close Theater at i.O. and enjoyed the spirited improvised commentary from the (fake, of course) filmmakers (AKA improv team Quincy) behind the 1989 Patrick Swayze masterpiece Roadhouse. Patrick Swayze's mullet may have actually been exhuding more charisma than he was, and Kelly Lynch, well, let's just say she's lucky she's tall, blonde, and pretty, because the words "blank" and "vapid" are the only ones legally allowed to describe her performance. Abominable acting and ridiculously overchoreographed fight scenes aside, one thing we can heartily recommend is the macaroni and cheese wedges at the Salt & Pepper Diner next door. Those things rock. Oh, yeah, back to the show. According to their MySpace, next week Quincy plans to take on Full House. We don't know if that means the tv show or the movie, but either way it should be good for a chuckle.
--Doug Stanhope will be performing at the Lakeshore Theater this weekend. Stanhope has a reputation for being irreverent and rather glib. Exactly how mischievous is Stanhope? He's published a book called Fun With Pedophiles: the Best of Baiting, all about internet pranksterism at its very darkest. Sort of like "To Catch a Predator," but even more mean spirited toward the creeps.
--Hey, did you know that the Chicago Improv Festival is soon to delight audiences in venues across the city from April 23-29 with local and returning big name performers? Well, it's true. And when we say big names, we mean Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers, Tim Kazurinsky, Ike Barinholtz (and tons of other MadTV cast members), and other Upright Citizens Brigaders, including Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh. It's going to rock, and you should be there.
--Mosey on down to the Stage Left Theater at 3408 N. Sheffield this weekend for a pH Productions show described as "highly-interactive late night improv comedy." Take your pick of the 11 PM "pHamily" show or the 12:30 AM "pHrenzy pHucked" show, which is the R-rated version of their Friday night show.
--Feel like watching hapless contestants try to hold in a mouthful of water while comedians dance and sing and otherwise humiliate themselves in the name of comedy? Of course you do! Head on down to the Playground Theater Saturday at 10:30 for Don't Spit the Water! Special guest host will be - drumroll, please - Game Show Host, who you know and love from Blewt!'s Impress These Apes shows. But please don't stare at the bandage around his head, he's still a little self-conscious about his unwanted lobotomy. Also enjoy the comedy stylings of longtime show favorites Super Teen, Mildred Funderbunk, and the always lovely Pretty Olga.
Comedy Fundraising Success, Science Decodes Stand-up, Chicago Through a Visiting Comic's Eyes
--Jena Friedman netted an amazing $7800 with the fundraiser she threw this week in connection with her upcoming musical spoof, Refugee Girls. As she said on her grateful MySpace bulletin, "That's equivalent to a years' worth of food for a family of six in Bolivia...or a couple nights of space at a dope ass theater in Chicago." Anyone who thinks Chicago comedy doesn't have a big generous heart hasn't seen the phrase "$15 all-you-can-drink open bar" in their inbox lately. (Edit: the $7800 was a joke, which we were a bit too thick and optimistic to get. See here.)
--In an exciting new scientific development reported by Discovery News, the formula for successful stand-up comedy has been broken down into a Unified Field Theory of all that makes us go "ha ha ha."
"Stand-up comedy routines, which often only involve a lone comedian on a stage with a microphone, appear to be simple performances, but a new study reveals many acts follow a complex formula strengthened by multiple linguistic techniques. If done incorrectly or with malice, such routines can lead to serious problems, as recently illustrated by comics Don Imus and Michael Richards. The techniques, however, also help to explain the success of entertainers like Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle and Eddie Izzard, two of whose routines were analyzed for the study."
--On a related note, according to late author Robert Benchley, "Defining and analyzing humor is a pastime of humorless people." Chew on that one for awhile.
--Comic VinceAverill recently blew through town, hitting the comedy stages at the Lincoln Lodge and Chicago Underground Comedy, and enjoying a little Windy City culture as well. He leaves us with a postcard of sorts:
"Hey Chicago,
Just wanted to write a quick thank you note to an entire metropolitan area. You guys really poured it on heavy and made it my best first week of April ever. It wasn't all eating burgers at Muskie's, buying limited sneakers at St. Alfred's, and snatching up puffy stickers and whoopie cushions at Uncle Fun, but thanks to my tour guide Dave for that.
Tuesday brought the underground show. Tony and his co-producer Tony "the puppet" run a cool room, sorry if there are other producers but Tony booked me and the puppet handed out drink tickets so.... Anytime a venue has a monitor I can prop a foot up on and cock my elbow so as to feel like Glenn Danzig, the laughs become a bonus.
Thursday and Friday found me at the Lincoln Lodge. I had a really great time both nights. The show is managed so well, and features massive beers that don't seem to get warm, that being the catch 22 of the huge beer, a warming effect...ok, back on track.
Anyhew, I got the chance to meet, watch, and or reconnect with many funny folks. Funny, and for the most part decent folks, some were just funny, and some were just good people.
Chicago Improv Festival Beginning Soon, Second City Vets on NBC, Blerds in LA
Catch legendary Chicago improvisers Susan Messing (pictured at right) and Mark Sutton on "Chicago Tonight" on WTTW at 7:00 p.m., discussing the Chicago Improv Festival, which kicks off all over the damn city on April 23, delighting Chicago with special celebrity guests and international improv through the 29th.
Chicagoist is also warning us that Oprah will be hosting the cast of NBC's Thank God You're Here, which features two Second City veterans, Maribeth Monroe and Nyima Funk. Tune in if you dare.
Our marginally cooler, slightly better-tanned California brothers at The Coming are touting The Blerds' swing through the Golden State. The Blerds show is at the Improv in Irvine and features special guest Doug Benson. The following night, the Blerds will be tearing it up again at at the UCB.
Are Chicago comedy shorts taking over the internet? First Blerds are all over the place, and then, Misled's video "Chinese Mark" is on the front page of MySpace:
A highlight reel of the first episode of Globe Gong Idol, featuring the almost familiar judging panel featuring Randibal Jackson, the slightly dazed Hannah Abdullah, and the critical and sometimes nasty Limey Cow:
Mort Burke and Forest Thynes, formally of Let Them Ho's Fight and now of Two Rude Dudes and Improv, among others, have opinions on what to wear, and what not to wear.
The Spectacular Show is reopening, with shows starting again tomorrow night, April 18, at the Gorilla Tango Theater. Be there at 9:30 for producer and host Cameron Esposito's homemade cupcakes. BYOB for even more fun, and prepare for the comedy stylings of new co-host Jeff Hansen. Tomorrow night's show will be extra wacky, featuring "a live interview with the owner of the world’s most thorough coupon collection and a card trick pulling soothsayer."
Next week's show, on the 25th, is Mustache Night. You heard us. "Half price admission (that's half off the already reasonable $10!) if you have a mustache. Mustaches will be sold at the door for 5 dollars."
The following week's show, on May 2, is Corporate Appreciation Night: "Every audience member will be given a report to complete and turn in at the end of the show, or else risk being fired from the audience." Esposito promises more silliness in the weeks to come, including dance routines, audience sing-a-longs, and special celebrity guests. Plus, you know, cupcakes.
The latest incarnation of the improv/sketch variety show, Overstock, is now housed in the upstairs theater space at the Spot, Monday nights at 11 p.m. Three bucks gets you in, and includes one drink ticket and three or four groups who play for about 2 hours. Last night hosted groups Fort, Improv, Attila, and Betty Pringle, with host Robert Buscemi.
--Wednesday, April 18th, give a little something back and have a good time and a few drinks at the same time. Jena Friedman is throwing a Refugee Girls Revue Fundraiser at The Spot (4437 N Broadway and Melrose) in anticipation of her dark comedy musical spoof of The American Girls, The Refugee Girls. Tickle your liver with the all you can drink open bar from 8-10 PM ($15) and jam with some karaoke until 2 AM while crossing your fingers for those hot raffle prizes.
--The Bastion caught Mike Birbiglia's show at the Lakeshore Theater Saturday night. Birbiglia had the crowd guffawing and his opening act was Chicago boy turned New Yorker John Mulaney, who was equally as smooth and masterful with his absurd storytelling style of real events you can't quite believe. (Sassy review and great pictures of that show forthcoming.)
--Tonight is the last installation of the Monday night Birds Nest stand-up showcase. Began more than a year ago, this room was instrumental in hosting longer sets by several upcoming comedians, many now being seen regularly on bigger undergroundstages throughout the city. The crop of comics proved that Monday night didn't have to be a drag, and welcomed everyone to their party in the back of the Lincoln Park sports pub. We'll look forward to seeing what happens with the regular cast of the Birds Nest showcase in the near future, and keep you posted on where they can be seen throughout the city. In the meantime, celebrate one last hurrah with the gang at 9 p.m. tonight, 2500 N. Southport.
Dave Odd is a Chicago-based stand-up comic and the producer of The Edge Comedy Shows. He does a lot of road work, which he believes is important for a comic's development in many ways, and is starting a new series of Edge Comedy classes as a way to help new performers learn the ropes.
When did you start playing around in the Chicago comedy scene? What prompted you to begin?
At the tail end of 1997 I had dropped out of community college the year before and was waiting tables. The only class I ever really liked was creative writing, so I decided at some point that I would like to be a screenwriter. I saw that a lot of big names in Hollywood came from a comedy background, Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Adam Sandler etc. etc. I decided that comedy would be a good start, I was always a funny guy, why not? So I went to Io's late night Improv Jam, where any old jackass could get up and perform in the games. I began to lose my stage fright quickly and would just burst into outlandishly loud and obnoxious characters within sketches, which made the audience laugh, but pissed off all the other improvisers on stage. It was shortly thereafter I decided to try my hand at stand-up, it was the week before Christmas 1997 and I went up at The Morseland Music Room open mic. That first time wasn't so great, but after a few weeks I was hooked and abandoned and hopes of ever being a screenwriter to do stand-up. Now, 9 1/2 years later I am a full time working comic and produce 25-35 comedy shows a month in Chicago and the Midwest.
You've seen a lot of comedy talent evolve over the past few years. Any observations of patterns, missteps, or good strategies that you'd like to share?
Well one thing I have noticed for sure is that if comics are good off the bat, and they completely sidestep the boys club mentality of the Chicago scene (hanging out in the back of rooms, schmoozing, getting too cozy within a particular group or room, etc.) they seem to make huge leaps and bounds within just a couple years. A majority of the touring feature comics I know have only been doing stand-up for a couple years, some have already acquired TV credits, and none of them ever stuck around long enough to be noticed or even care about the local showcase rooms. On the other hand, some of the funniest people I have ever seen, seemed to have performing in the same rooms for years without ever doing much more. Even when they are doing bigger and better things they are still doing it within a group, it a very pack mentality, like high school cheerleaders. I know a a lot of people are going to read this and get upset, but it's the absolute truth, thats part of the reason I take so much flack from the Chicago scene, I am very vocal about the problems I see in it. I am very passionate about comedy, it is my life's work and I want to see other people go as far as they can go with it, and take it seriously.
One of the principles I will be teaching in my class on day one is NEVER get too comfortable with where you are at, because no matter how you feel or how many pats you get on the back, the ceiling is nearly unlimited in this business. There is always room for advancement and improvement, no matter how good you, your audience, or your comedy buddies think you are. It is important to have your friends in comedy, and your favorite rooms, but don't make that your entire existence or you are only shooting yourself in the foot. I encourage new comics to seek out rooms and open mics where nobody knows them, even poetry and music open mics, after all the business of comedy is about making strangers laugh, not your buddies. If you want to do stand-up as more than just a hobby, you have to get comfortable, with being uncomfortable. 9 out of 10 paid comedy gigs you get, you are going to have no idea what to expect on the other side of that door when you walk in 30 minutes before you are supposed to get up on stage.
The Edge Comedy Classes sound very comprehensive for someone wanting to learn a lot about the art and business of stand-up. How did that idea evolve, and what can participants hope to gain from the experience?
Well I have been giving new comics advice and stages for years and years now. It has always been my passion to help out other people and get them on the right track, frankly because no other producer or comic in Chicago will and it is something I find rewarding. So I almost feel like I am a necessary part of the framework in Chicago stand-up.
Quite frankly I am tired of seeing a new comic show up in town, kick ass in my rooms for 8 or 10 months, and then settle into the same comfort zone everyone else does and never have the drive to go beyond that. I am running a full time stand-up comedy agency, and I book at least 20 local showcase rooms and at least 5-6 road gigs, private gigs, and bigger shows a month. The amount of shows, and consequently the amount of money I am paying out for shows is growing exponentially every week and there are legally binding contracts that come along with those that I am responsible for. But because many of the better comics in Chicago don't seem to look at comedy as an actual career, they are very likely to drop out of shows last minute, show up late, forget about shows, or not even show or call at all.
So what I am doing with my class is guiding people into looking at stand-up as a viable career choice, not just a weekend hobby you do when you are filing papers at a law firm or an insurance company. I want people to stop treating stand-up like a hobby, and start treating it like a career and be professional. I want to build a literal army of solid performers that I can send all over the Midwest to wow audiences at shows I set up not to mention countless other shows they will be able to do.
I want to help mold comics that speak from their hearts and are absolutely true to themselves when they are on that stage, I want them to have passion and conviction behind everything they say, I want every audience member walking away from their shows saying "Man, that comic was hilarious....and he made an excellent point." Comedy like it or not, is an art form, and in any kind of art, it should be an expression of the artist, and I don't think enough performers realize that.
I hear the scenester comics complaining about mainstream comedy all the time and how trite and hack it is, which they also site as a reason why they don't want to do the road (along with excuses like no car, day job, etc. etc.) But I keep telling people, the only way to change the public perception of stand-up comedy is by getting out there and bumping all the hack road dogs out of the rotation.
These ideas and about a thousand more are what I want to convey to my students. It's actually called Stand-Up Boot Camp, and there is a reason for that.
How is the The Edge $3500 Comedy Competition going?
It's going really well, I have about half of the comics in place for the semi-finals from all corners of the Chicago comedy scene and we still have 8 prelims left. Last week a woman came up from Cincinnati with a busload of 41 friends to be in the competition. The semi finals start on Sundays at 7:30 at the Garv Inn 6546 Windsor Avenue in Berwyn. I can't say for 100% certain, but I believe this is the largest cash comedy competition that Chicagoland has ever seen.
Did you grow up in a funny family? Where did your sense of humor come from?
I grew up in a very casual Jewish family in Skokie IL (Passover and Hanukkah, that was about it). I guess both of my parents have a pretty good sense of humor. I came home from school one day and my Dad told me there was a pie in the microwave, when I opened it up there was a puppy in it. A live, non-cooked puppy. That probbaly explains a lot for people who know me.
I realize much of my humor comes from a dark place, I attribute that to watching way too much Tom and Jerry as a kid, the rough psychologically volley I was constantly in with my father, and the fact that I was always kind of runty and getting picked on. I think originally my humor came to me as a survival mechanism, when bullies would pick on me, the only thing I could do was make them laugh. For instance if I saw one of my antagonists coming down the hall, I would turn and run into a locker head first (which if you hit it in the center doesn't really hurt, but makes a loud noise). I guess I was a weird kid, I opted to go to the pond and catch frogs instead of going to the park to shoot hoops.
I read somewhere that you were considering a move to one of the coasts. Are you still thinking about that? What is the ultimate destination for you, careerwise?
I think that is basically in inevitability. One of the goals I have set is that I want to be headlining before I decide to move anywhere (probably LA). I rather have people know who I am before I go to a bigger scene, I know for a lot of people that move it's sometimes months before they can even get on an open mic. I feel like if I have some solid street cred it will be a lot easier for me. Thats at least a couple years down the road for me, plus I just incorporated Dave Odd Productions Entertainment, so I have an official licensed Illinois comedy agency now.
Ultimately I think I'd like to achieve some level of comedy success (like at a Paul F. Tompkins, or a Greg Fitzsimmons type of level) and then come back to Chicago and open a full time club. I don't think I will ever stop performing though. That's part of the beauty of doing the type of comedy I do, I am always trying to get a point or an opinion across, and I never get tired of trying to get an opinion across.
We're jealous that you got to meet Todd Barry. What's it like to meet and work with some of your favorite comics? Any fun stories you'd like to share?
Todd is a very cool and laid back guy, he said I was one of his favorite emcees, because I don't bullshit around and talk to the audience, I just launch into my material. He said he hates it when the emcee talks to the audience, because then they think they can talk to him, and he isn't the interactive type. I hung out with him for a couple hours after the show, just talking shop, he was very down to earth. A lot of comics are a lot more normal and un-intimidating when you meet them than you would think.
I worked with Mitch Hedberg a few weeks before he died and when I went up to close out the show on the Friday night, Mitch kept me up on stage and did a "joke off" with me. It was a lot of fun.
Kevin Meaney asked me and Robert Buscemi if we had any pot when we worked with him at Zanies in Vernon Hills. Dave Chappelle told me to "Keep on doing my thing." Doug Stanhope told me to stop trying to guilt people into buying my book after they bought his CD. Emo Philips recorded my outgoing voicemail message for me, twice.
This is one of the main reasons I think everyone should try to get in with the clubs and do roadwork. You meet some awesome people and have some great stories to tell. Comedy is one of the few professions where you actually get to meet and hang out with your heroes.
You spend a lot of time on the road. What are some of the pros and cons of roadwork?
I would say 80% of it is truly positive, in just the experience of sizing up and audience and figuring them out, not to mention going to some ridiculous town you've never heard of. I for one love traveling, roadtripping, seeing new places, meeting new people, and seeing what kind of snakes and beasties I can find in those places (I'm a wildlife buff). Even if the show itself is a total bust, you still get a pay check and a place to sleep at the end of the night. I've always said I'd be happiest in life if I could just travel the country and see places I have never seen. Of course Burlington Iowa, Portage Wisconsin, Wolcottville Indiana (where I had one of the bets roadshows ever at a place called Coody Brown's), and Mankato Minnesota were never on the top of the list of places I wanted to visit, but sometimes you have to compromise.
Regardless of all of that, roadshows are a necessity to anyone who wants to do stand-up professionally. There is no better example of out of the frying pan and into the fire than performing for a room full of truckers and born again Christians in Kansas. When I started doing the road it was like learning how to do stand-up all over again. You have to size up and read your audience, cut out huge chunks of your act, and change profane words to something more benign. You cannot truly achieve greatness as a comic until you have mastered the art of bringing your viewpoints and humor to the level of the most unlikely crowds. If you are saying "I don't want to have to come down to the level of those people.", then who do you want to perform for? 32 twentysomethings in the back room of a bar for the rest of your life? Hope you enjoy waiting tables.
When you tell people you're a stand-up comedian, what are the top three annoying things they respond with?
"Oh with Second City?" (request the Second City/Al Queda bit next time you see me.)
"Tell me a joke." (Yeah I know, hack response to this question but it's true)
"Oh like Jerry Seinfeld." (Yeah, exactly like Jerry Seinfeld)
Do you think we're heading into the era of a new comedy boom? What do you foresee happening in the next five years or so, for yourself, and for comedy in general?
I am fairly certain that comedy will never again reach the level it was at in the late 80's and early 90's. There are too many forms of competing entertainment out there, and clubs like Zanies and The Improv are constantly giving out free tickets to fill seats. I do believe however stand-up comedy is moving in a new direction. A few comedy clubs out there realize that and are embracing the younger generation of comics and audiences, but far too many clubs are set in their ways (the ways of the 80's and early 90's).
In the next five years I see many more young comics breaking into the club and national scene and the old road dogs that all the young punks like to complain about retiring and making room. I see the old club owners slowly but surely catching on to new trends and embracing them. I see puppies, and flowers, and rainbows, and hugs.
Dane Cook is the biggest comic in the US right now, not because he is the best comic or even the funniest comic, but because he saw a demographic that was being completely ignored by the mainstream comedy scene and attacked it.
For me, I will continue to do the road, and my own shows, and hopefully get the shows at the Chicago Center for The Performing Arts kick started to be running like an actual full time comedy club. I will start headlining, doing colleges, and of course my Blue Stater Tour with Tom Simmons and Steve Hofstetter (debuting on October 18th 8pm at The Chicago Center for the Performing Arts). I am also working with an agent to get on Live at Gotham and I have a few other things in the pipeline. So long as I can continue performing, and make a decent living at it, I'll be happy. For every day that goes by, every gig I do, every headliner I work with, every show I headline, every interview I do, I am one step closer to the next rung on the ladder. And if you keep focusing on the next rung, you shouldn't have to worry about where that ladder leads, because it can only go up.
Edge Comedy Classes will be starting Wednesday May 9th 2007 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm and will be held at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts at Halsted and Chicago Ave. in downtown Chicago.
The always entertaining and informative i.O. blogs are celebrating their one year blogiversary. They enjoyed a little shout out on the Comedy Central Insider blog, which mentions this post by Baz, who offers a nice summary of his favorite posts from his fellow improv bloggers over the past year.
While we're talking about i.O., let's check in with Crago's careful instructions on how to handle a tipsy Cubs fan who's stumbled into the Del Close theater looking for...whatever it is they're looking for: "When a drunk Cub fan finds their way into the theatre. Don’t approach them. Treat them like a sleepwalking victim, because in most instances, that’s what they are. They’re so loaded up on Jagerbombs and Old Style, that they walk in a haze. Just let them come into the theatre and eventually they’ll figure out that Dane Cook isn’t in there doing standup."
Bill Arnett offers a special memorial blog post to author Kurt Vonnegut, who passed away this week. He recalls how Vonnegut's “Breakfast of Champions” taught him about an author's control of the story, and how to manage the "what next" question that improv deals with on its feet: "In improv the question 'what next' can be absolutely paralyzing. You just finished the first beat of a Harold. You have three story lines, six characters and innumerable themes. What do you do now? It’s easy to feel that you have an obligation to some story that’s slowly developing. It’s easy to let your characters become driven by the plot instead of letting them drive the action. Take a page from Kurt Vonnegut (page 14, please) and do something really stupid. Try to ruin your show. Try really hard to ruin what your doing. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that you can’t."
Baz also offers a tip of the hat to Vonnegut, by posting a picture of something the cantankerous genius apparently scribbled to a fan a few years ago, answering the question "Where do you get your ideas from?" Vonnegut explained: "I was goofing around like everyone else in Indiana, and all of a sudden stuff came gushing out. It was disgust with civilization." Why did this man never try stand-up comedy?
Hey, want to head out for some fun and free entertainment? Sure you do. April 11 and 12 (that's tomorrow night and the following night), the Lakeshore Theater is staging "The Idiots," and you can sneak in under the radar, if you feel like getting in on The Bastion Idiots Giveaway.
What's the show about?
"Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you know everything. The Idiots is a brilliant comedy, featuring the sons of two of the world’s most famous scientists, Watson and Crick, credited for discovering DNA. Separated childhood pals who were bound together because of their fathers, these two grown men agree to work together in an apartment that once was their father’s lab. They are challenged to discover something new with hopes of out-doing their fathers and earning their own rightful place in science. What results however is a series of absurd events that could happen to grown men who are smart in science but children when it comes to everything else. Experiments. Heroin. A bumbling stage crew. Paper cuts."
Blerds Continue To Invade Internet, Coasts, Universe
Those bloggy Blerds have been at it again. These days they are doing shows in LA at the UCB theater, taking trips to NYC to hit comedy stages there, and packing bags to join other Chicago comedians at the upcoming DC Comedy Fest (from where The Bastion will be reporting). They're also continuing to overrun the internet with their succinct and sharp videos, which are directed by this Friday's Bastion interview subject, Jordan Vogt-Roberts.
Breakout Blerd TJ Miller, who popped into the Bad Dog open mic last Sunday in professionally done werewolf makeup and prosthetics (not for that occasion, but boy did it come in handy for those throat-ripping jokes) is featured in Gothamist, where he talks about his ABC sitcom pilot, studying drama in an Oxford summer program, and shares this bit of motivation for aspiring comedians: "That's how you get bitches, that's how you smoke weed. Believe that." As you may remember from history class, that's also what prompted Lincoln to pursue the presidency.
Is it possible for someone to get tired of seeing their own face? MikeBridenstine might be pushing it. Mike and other Blerds have seen an amazing viral spinout of their videos in just the past few days. Blerds videos have been featured recently on the front pages of MySpace, MySpace UK, SuperDeluxe, Best Week Ever TV, iFilm, Yahoo's "The 9," webjunk.tv, and many other places.
Bridenstine had these comments on the recent viral explosion, and the Blerd gameplan:
"Well, we've gotten a lot of help. We have a manager and we have producers who push our stuff or build relationships with certain websites. We wouldn't have had that recent traffic without that help. Pat Brice's 'Rent or Own' video and the '8 Mile' video that Mike Holmes and I wrote have been online for almost a year. But they were only on Blerds.com. We just recently starting putting stuff on MySpace and YouTube and SuperDeluxe. And iFilm shortly after that. Some sites have contacted us. Some sites have just reposed from other sites. It's been pretty interesting.
"Viral videos interest me because I have no real concrete idea why one thing would spread and why another wouldn't. Like, 'Dick in a Box' was funny, but I don't necessarily understand the appeal of the guys from Smosh. The Blerds' Eminem video topped out at about 4,000 views on every site we put it on. Then it gets 115,000 views in one day when eBaum's world reposted it. I really have no clue how these things work, but I'd like to know.
"We're not getting paid by any of those sites for things we've already made. And that wasn't the goal, anyway. I don't really think there was a goal. But the exposure from those videos have put us into a position where people are offering to pay us for things. We have a great combination of comics and Jordan, who is super talented. Plus our manager and producers are pushing hard for us. So that's a pretty good combination, I guess.
"The exposure has opened a few more doors for us as comics. We've booked certain shows as a collective, where we might not have easily gotten that done as individuals. Again, the manager and producers have certainly helped with that. We've been filming stuff for an ad campaign that will launch next month. We also have a few online episodics to flesh out. Plus we have some pretty great videos we shot for Vivid Entertainment. But every Monday you should see some new material released from us. But other than that, everyone is pretty much going about their days like normal. No major life-altering things have happened because of this yet."
Who are those nerdy but wise girls who have been prodding Chicago comedians to shoot and upload their hilarity onto that newfangled internet thing, because it might even lead to amazing things like being cast on MadTV? Oh, that's right, it's us, The Bastion! With each new bit of news like this, we're happier and happier to say "I told you so."
Robert Buscemi is enjoying a month of gorgeous LA sunshine and a whirlwind of stand-up. He sent us this dispatch of details on his and other Chicago comics exploits in Cali.
"The Blerds.com show (April 5) at the UCB West Theatre (the epicenter of hipster comedy in LA) was SO freaking good. Some of my favorite comics on the planet: Kyle Kinane, Pat Brice, CJ Sullivan, Prescott Tolk, Sean Flannery. They just rocked it out to a crowd that included Blerds friends Matt Braunger, John Roy, Ryan Ridley, and Henry Scott.
"I've seen a TON of new (to me) comics out here this year. I've performed at the UCB (twice on 'See You Next Tuesday'), The Ice House, The Comedy Store, Lucky Strike, Tokio, Room 5, World Cafe, the Ramada, the Saloon, and elsewhere, and here are two of the best: Erik Charles Nielson and Eric Andre (from NYC), both of whom just did Aspen. Fresh and original as all hell. Also seen Maria Bamford twice now--she's wonderful and charming and wildly creative.
"Oh, and after performing at the Comedy Store on a bill with Kyle Kinane about a week ago, Chris Rock showed up and did a set. Very laid back and conversational, working off notes, so fun as could be. Great to see an acknowledged master's process like that.
"Here's a sketch from my one-man show, filmed live at the Chicago Comedy Awards. The funniest part is at the end, so grab a Tab and prepare for 6.5 minutes for pure viewing joy."
Meatwad Loves You, Dollar Store Tonight, Doug Benson This Weekend
--Wanna win some awesome Aqua Teen Hunger Force swag? (And when we say awesome, we mean any combination of beach balls, koozies, stickers, posters, post cards, SOCKS, and CD samplers. Yeah, SOCKS.) Well, you can, if you send us a Photoshopped picture of yourself as your favorite ATHF character. We'll pick our favorite entry and bestow said prizes upon the winner, like copyrighted manna from heaven. This contest will end on April 13, the day that the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie opens in theaters.
--And if you're too cool to compete for a bucket o' cool prizes, at least send your girlfriend a Meatmail. Nothing melts a girl's heart faster than a greasy meatball delivering a customized message including her name and a mention of her favorite hobby.
--Tonight, the monthly Dollar Store series will say goodbye to co-host Jeremy Sosenko, who is moving away from us. They've lined up some of their all-time favorites, including writer James Kennedy, Second City TourCo member Sarah Haskins, and Neo-Futurist Diana Slickman, to bid Jeremy a fond adieu.
--Fresh off the very recent Marijuana-Logues run, Doug Benson reappears on the Lakeshore Theater stage tonight and tomorrow, along with Graham Elwood and our own TJ Miller, who's been seen out and about all over town this last week, home for a short stint from his recent pilot shoot.
Sitcom Cliches, Miracle Whoops, Teenage Alcoholics, More
Fasten your seatbelts, readers. It's time for the Thursday spin through the Chicago comedy blogosphere! Nobody can cut and paste like we do, baby.
One of our favorite new bloggers, i.O.'s Hans Holsen, continues on with his detailed adventures into comedy writing and pitching for tv. This week, he lists the five most popular sitcom plotlines. Someone really should make a drinking game of this: "New Boyfriend/Girlfriend Disrupts the Family/Social Unit," "Important Restaurant Outing Imperiled by Serving of Blowfish," "Character is Asked to Give Eulogy at Wrong Funeral," "On Vacation, a Family Member Gets Lost and Eats SnackWell’s," and the classic "The Electricity Goes Out, and the Group Bonds."
Kyle Kinane has always had a gift for the snappy pun: "This girl at work dropped her sandwich in the lunch room. I immediately said 'What kind of sandwich was that–Fumblebee Tuna?' It got me thinking. Wow, Kyle, you’re pretty goddamn hilarious with food jokes and/or puns. As I was even thinking that, I blurted out 'Did you use mayonnaise or Miracle Whoops?' I was so good I started to get scared."
Hey, teenyboppers who think you can covertly send friends to the bar at i.O. for your drinks? Crago is on to you.
Chris Burns reconsiders the limits of social leverage of a cool MySpace page: "Don't tell somebody, 'You should check out my MySpace page' to show them how far you've come since college. Because what it does is, show them exactly how far you've come since college. I've pretended to be the bartender inside of a Mexican painting and imitated a little black kid from a health insurance commercial."
Improv newbie Angela Manginelli gently reminds you that occasionally feeling stupid and uninspired is part of the process, like when she and fellow i.O. students were given an exercise: "We were told to go in and deliberately do the worst improv we could. We had blatant denials, tons of questions, horrible object work, people leaving stage to sit down and in most cases no character relationships or plots to follow. It was amazing…(because) despite our best efforts to do truly horrible work we were not able to totally disregard what we had learned. We still were unconsciously creating patterns, games and still committing to the work. In other words, we are growing as improvisers and performers."
Catch a cab to the Hideout at 7:30 tonight for another People Under the Stares show, this one featuring Paul F. Tompkins. The Bastion recently spoke with Rian Murphy, emcee and funny dude in his own right, about the mission statement of the shows and the interesting things that happen when you mix local talent with bigger names.
How have you managed to nab such cool "bigger" names like Zach Galifianakis and Morgan Murphy? Any hot news on similar upcoming special guests?
Improv
