No gimmick, Children of a Lesser God is just really fucking talented improv. We've gone both weeks and been amazed both times. The form is non-existent, because each scene is entirely self-contained. The jokes are squeezed out of every unique situation and then tossed away, because isn't that what improv is supposed to be? There are no forced callbacks, no strict rules, and no lulls (Note: There are very many LOLs). Every character is tackled with full force; figuratively, in most cases, though the group is clearly comfortable with themselves and each other.
Let's be clear; expect to see at least a little groping. The scene transitions are smooth like Cook County Social Club (<3), but there is always some link to the previous scene. So even though there is not exactly a form, everything truly springs from one audience suggestion.
This is a spectacular show, with its biggest flaw being that it is scheduled opposite fan-favorite 3033. It almost seems silly to mention, by the way, that is an all-woman show. With the amount of blowjob, masturbation, and spousal abuse we've seen in the past two performances, they (Emily Candini, Kate Duffy, Bastion contributor Rachael Mason, and Susan Messing) can play a man better than most men can. And look at that picture; these ladies are FINE.
The point is, if you like good improv, you were probably going to go see 3033; check out Children of a Lesser God instead (no offense, 3033 - we still love you). And, again, while it hardly seems worth mentioning, feel free to check out this show if you still believe women aren't funny. Just don't feel bad when they say "we told you so."
Children of a Lesser God @ iO @ 10:35pm Sundays - $5
The Montrose Hole has a MySpace, and Ken Barnard, of the "Pro Hole Action Committee," misses the hole so much he's staging a protest to have it re-dug. And, of course, he's going to make a comedy video about it.
"There will be a Pro-Hole rally at the site of the Montrose Hole outside of the Brown Line station on Tuesday January 29, 2008 at 4:45. We will be protesting the filling-in of the Montrose Hole. Come and support with signs, chants, etc. This will officially be the Hole's first day filled, so a media presence is entirely possible. If we do our job well, they could be digging it up by Wednesday morning with golden shovels. We'll probably be there until 5:30 or so, so stop by. Hot cocoa at Ken's after."
This would be a good chance for those of you hipster-types who think of yourselves as progressive, but aren't actually registered to vote, to do something that feels like fulfilling civic responsibility.
Metblogs Chicago informed us that our fair city's Ambre (who needs last names?), who was featured in the Blewt!-produced Timekeeper Willis Fitness DVD (currently in rotation at WGN), is also a contestant on this season's "Rock of Love." Yeah, that means the same chick who did liver squeezes with Earl LaRue and Kelly Paynes also likely did liver-soaking exercises with Poison's Bret Michaels. It would sort of make sense, if she were traveling backwards through time.
The deadlines for the Chicago Short Comedy Video & Film Festival entries are coming up, and if you get it together, you can show off your cinematic genius. The deadline for The 2008 Chicago Short Comedy Video and Film Festival is March 14, and the deadline for The 2008 Chicago Comedy TV Pilot Competition is March 7. The two events will be held in July of 2008. The TV Pilot event features a $5,000 prize (wow!). Chicago-area residents and Chicago area-based production companies may enter. More information available at witsendshorts.com.
You can check out the Lincoln Lodge's Comcast "Open Mic Comedy" clips on the idiot box. Check out Chicago stand-ups mugging for the camera by going to Comcast OnDemand, choosing "Get Local" and then choosing "Comedy Open Mic".
Chicago sketch duo kevInda were invited to perform at NBC's 2008 Nationwide Sketch Showdown. We don't know if this involved Wild West style shootouts for the love of saloon prostitutes with hearts of gold, or what, but we're glad kevInda gets to go somewhere warm and sunny for awhile.
Big Dog Eat Child's "Boozelegger's Ball" got a write-up in the Sun-Times today. The show, at the Gorilla Tango Theater, is described as "not Second City...not by a long shot," and is praised for its high energy, whereby "unbridled obnoxiousness becomes a minor art form."
And hey, while we're at it, TJ Miller on Letterman!:
Have you been whining about a lack of variety among good open mics? We've heard good buzz about Fay Canale's open mic Thursday nights at Sheffield's. Signups are from 8:30 to 9:00, and the show starts at 9:00. Starting in March, every third Thursday there will also a showcase followed by an open mic at around 10:00. Fay is the primary host, with Brendan McGowan taking over when she can't.
Reputable comics (I know, kind of an oxymoron) say the room is great fun but needs more regular support, so put on your slushie boots and stomp on down to Sheffield's, at 3258 N. Sheffield, (just one block north of the Belmont El, and three blocks south of Wrigley Field) and show some love. You might catch a set by Jared Logan, Hannibal, Brady Novak, Mike Stanley, or any of your other favorites.
Fay promises a good night of comedy and adds "They have $2 bad beer every day and awesome high end beer on tap, around thirty in bottles too. And they serve yummy food all night."
And while you're at it, go vote for Fay in the Reader's Digest "Chicago's Funniest Person" contest!
The Millville Fire Department in New Jersey created a video mash-up using the audio of Hannibal Buress's "Fire Dept SUV" bit. What!? Seriously! Check it:
The February issue of Chicago Magazine has named The Bastion one of Chicago's best web sites.
"Seekers of a good laugh should know TheBastion.org, the news site that covers Chicago comedy with posts, news, and videos, as well as a long list of links to Chicago comics, venues, and groups."
Click here for a full-sized scan of the mention, which has your editor blushing.
Wasn't it just last year that TJ Miller was treading the boards at iO and Second City and hanging out in dank Chicago watering holes sharpening his stand-up? Yes. All the more amazing then, that now he's big stuff...and getting bigger.Thanks to Katie Moore for the screengrab of T.J. Miller hitting the airwaves to plug his big-screen debut in the monster smash Cloverfield.
Here he is in New York Magazine, where he explains that at least of few of his funniest lines in the movie were, indeed, improvised: "I had some great lines to work with, but I improvised a lot on set. My character’s awkward; he’s the friend that everyone loves but finds kind of annoying. My thought process was, everyone’s going to react to this incident differently and my character would react in a funny, believable way. They really let me run with that. I was lucky."
Discussions have exploded on the Chichahahago message board with critiques of the movie, and that's also where Miller has confirmed: "Gentlemen, and ladies, I will be a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, Thursday, January 24, 2008. This will be my first, and if it does not go well possibly last appearance on National Television as myself. Please tune in, and critique vigorously."
Oh, and there's going to be a sequel. Cloverfield II: Electric Boogaloo, or something like that. "What’s certain is that plans are under way to do another Cloverfield after the $30-million picture set a January box office record on the weekend."
We live in a funny world, surrounded here in Chicago by a plethora of stand-up/improv/sketch options. However, we also live in a funny world, if you pay any attention to current events. Big News takes the latter idea to create an entirely new scripted show each and every week, featuring sketches and Weekend Update style news two-liners.
Additionally, the founder and producer of this show in LA for its 258 weeks (yes, with a different scripted show each week), is Michael McCarthy, former SNL writer and current head of the iO writing program.
While improvising a new show each week has become the standard, can a scripted show, complete with lines, costumes, and songs, be any good? Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: Well, it's better than you would expect. The only version we've seen of the show was the LA cast and script brought to Chicago. It was a little heavy-handed, both telling Californians what they should know and how they should feel about it. Presumably, a Chicago cast, writing staff, and audience would demand a higher thought-process. However, even in the relatively dumbed down version, the sketches were well rehearsed, there were multiple choreographed original songs, and the "Weekend Update" style portion was downright hilarious.
That all being said, the only thing being kept from the LA iteration is the esteemed Michael McCarthy and the format. In that vein, topical sketches and bits allow for truthful (and funny) glimpses at our society and non-stop writing potential. If nothing else, it'll fill the void until the Daily Show comes back, but we hope it finds a strong, smart foothold in Chicago.
Recently we got a chance to catch up with improv phenom and recent Chicago transplant Amanda Rountree. We first were introduced to Amanda during the second cycle of Impress These Apes this past August, and fell in love immediately with her quirky, smart, and adorable demeanor. We hope she's having a great time in Chicago and taking everything she can from this fair city. We know it's better because she's here now!
You came to Chicago from Seattle in June and jumped directly into cycle two of Impress These Apes. Did you know anything about the show before you auditioned? Can you reflect some on that experience, as both an improvisor and a new Chicagoan?
I had never heard of the show until a friend of mine here told me about the auditions. She thought it might be something I'd like, and she was right! I'm not even sure I had fully grasped what it was I had gotten myself into until the first performance. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. Looking back, I think I was just so overwhelmed and over-stimulated from having just moved across the country. It was wonderfully surreal to be so quickly surrounded by lots of creative people, doing such a weird, fun show. There were even a few times where I'd be out on the stage, watching the intro and honestly thinking, "Wow. I live in Chicago now. I'm watching three dudes in ape-masks dance. How did this all happen?" How has your time in Chicago been enhanced by your past work with Unexpected Productions and Playback Theater Northwest in Seattle? Can you speak briefly about your work in those places?
My work and study with both UP and PTN were so rich. Those companies (and the people) affected not just who I am as a performer, a teacher, and a director, but also as a person. I'm very grateful to have learned from and worked with UP's Director, Randy Dixon. He was very good about having us work with many schools of improv -- not just Spolin, Close, and Johnstone -- but even integrating philosophies and elements of dance, performance art, music, and so on into our work. My time with Playback really instilled in me the passion I have for utilizing personal story in performance. So much of what I learned, developed, and practiced with my Playback company (and others as far away as Japan) has become infused in my philosophy of improv and theatre as a whole.
Speaking of, why DID you move to Chicago? what have you been doing (both comically and personally) in the last 6-7 months?
I was really very happy in Seattle. But there was a part of me that knew I needed to be in a bigger city to grow. Chicago just seemed right.
Ever since I arrived, I feel like I've been drunk on all of the opportunities here. I hadn't yet returned my moving truck when I auditioned for an improv team at the Playground (Damascus Steel). It was so great to get with those fun people right away. While Impress These Apes was going on, I was also doing solo-pieces in Beast Women, an all-female performance cabaret. I've been interning and taking classes at both iO and Second City. I'm also teaching and directing around town. It's funny. Answering this question makes me realize how busy I've been since I moved here. Usually I'm thinking, "Ack! There's so much more I want to do!"
Chicago is great. I love the people here; everyone is so friendly! I have met so many amazing people. I'm very grateful for the friends I'm making here. Knowing that it took coming out here to meet them reminds me that moving to Chicago was the right decision. I'm not above validation.
I feel like I've only seen a fraction of the city. I still haven't seen most of the museums. Getting lost is a skill I've been honing. I've gotten really good at it. Having the water on the east still kind of messes with my head sometimes.
You've traveled pretty extensively with UP, including overseas. Where have you been and what were the shows like? Can you tell us a story about your favorite and least favorite experiences during your travels?
I was really fortunate to have been on three different European tours with UP. We performed many different long-form improv shows (with the occasional short-form show) in cities in Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Switzerland. We did a show outside of Bern (southwest of Zurich) that was in the most amazing space. It was this tiny theatre inside a fat, round tower. The building was easily over 500 years old and was absolutely beautiful. A room upstairs served as our greenroom. To get down to the stage, we had to climb down a stone, spiral, candlelit staircase. I remember we performed the long-form "Thread" there. It was a lovely show and the audience received us with such warmth. Overall, European audiences are extremely generous with their applause. It becomes commonplace to do one or two encores for every show! In Gottingen, our audience members were provided with roses and sponges. If they liked something they saw, they'd throw a rose on stage. If they didn't like something, they'd throw a sponge. After one of our shows in Vienna, an audience member approached us and said she was so touched during the last scene that she cried. It's a lovely thing to have people laugh and cry in the same show.
If I had to name something, I suppose my least favorite things were maybe sometimes sharing a room with a snorer or the occasional lack of amazing vegan options. But even then, I was touring around Europe, so life was still pretty frickin' awesome.
You're also teaching improv courses. What's this all about? How's it going so far?
I love teaching improv -- absolutely love it! I also teach straight-up acting classes sometimes. (One of my favorites is teaching Shakespeare to teens). I started teaching back in 1998. I was simultaneously drawn to it and a bit scared of it. I think I was worried that I wasn't doing it right because I always felt like I was learning more from my students than they were from me. It seemed so unfair -- like I was cheating or something. Definitely, one of my favorite bits about teaching is when I'm witnessing a person "getting it." It's also cool to create the space for them to do something awesome and then point it out to them: "Did you see that cool thing that happened in that scene?! You just did that!" I was teaching quite a bit in Seattle, so it's really nice to be doing more and more of it here. I've been teaching through a couple of theaters in the area, but have recently started offering classes/workshops on my own. One of my favorite workshops to teach to experienced improvisors is, "Keepin' It Real," a class on using one's own truths to create more sincere and dynamic scenes. Our own lives and stories are so rich. Why not use 'em? Anyhoodle, I'm teaching that workshop on February 2nd. Can I plug that here? If I can, I'll just say that interested folks can email me at playback_amanda@yahoo.com. Thanks! So, a ZOMBIE eh??? Tell us about it!!!
Oh, wow! You are very good at research! That was a music video for a local band in Seattle. It was a really fun shoot. I actually played another zombie in a short film for the same production company.
I can play the living -- but not in the morning.
What can audiences expect from the Cornservatory shows on January 19 and February 2?
My piece is part of a new variety show called, "The Final Countdown" hosted by the Accountants of Homeland Security. On 1/19 and 2/2, I'll be performing my original scene, "Amanda & Chicago," with the audience. I ask for volunteers. (Don't worry. I don't force anyone to do a scene with me. Although if you don't want to, I might take it personally). On February 9, I'll be there to perform a fully improvised soliloquy in the style of Shakespeare. All of the shows start at 11 p.m.
"Amanda & Chicago", performed for the final week of Apes.
Photos, from top to bottom: Amanda Rountree, ganked from her MySpace page.
Amanda doing a scene with Ryan Stiles.
The Playground team, Damascus Steel.
Production still from "Terry", a "zombie love story set to music".
Chicago-turned-L.A. boy John Roy, who's been visiting his old haunts and working his stand-up magic at Chicago Underground Comedy, Your Sunday Best at Schubas, and other local shows over the past few weeks, will be on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Show tonight, so set your TiVo or start chugging espresso.
Speaking of Schubas, have we mentioned lately that Your Sunday Best is getting hot, hot, hot, and is so popular now that the "standing room only" area in the back is taking over the whole place? Newbies and established favorites alike work out new material and polish the old favorites as well. The last few Sundays it's been packed with the city's brightest comics, and an appreciative crowd of civilians has been enthusiastic and very receptive.
Fun bar? Check. Free stand-up? Check. Hilarious free stand-up? Check.
It's almost like the geniuses behind Comedy House knew exactly what people wanted, then gave it to them. The ten member group allows for constant rotation of performers and sets, making a different show every time. These guys also sneak in guest performers to mix up the funk. At the last show, these generous young men even pulled in a street performer called "Sax" to play saxophone as an opener and make some money indoors.
So it's worth your money, being a free show, but is it worth your time? The members of Comedy House who performed December 13th, Dean Carlson, Joe Kilgallon, and Brendan McGowan, covered such topics as time travel, daddy issues, your girlfriend's ugly friends, and those damn witty felons. While that is undeniably hilarious, it may seem a bit short. That's because Comedy House brought in stand-up ringers and Chicago favorites Nick Vatterott and Prescott Tolk. Nick's set was largely from his incredible one-man show, while Prescott's covered new year's "suggestions," truly excellent customer service, and promiscuous gummy bears.
Granted, we've only seen three of ten actual members of Comedy House, but these guys know how to put on a show. We would certainly pay upwards of $0 for it, but it's even better because we don't have to!
Free Stand-up Show presented by Comedy House Thursday, January 31st, 9:30 pm @ Timothy O'Toole's 622 N Fairbanks (at Ontario).
We'll be covering more of Sketchfest as we review more, but for those of you who aren't heading down that way, you can still catch "There's Plenty of Fish in the Sea: and They're All Judging You" at Donny's Skybox TONIGHT, as it only runs through next week. This show is the third creation of Monkey Don't Productions, centering on sketches based on perceptions of themselves and others.
There are also only three shows left of "Mom, Close the Door," from the level five Second City writing students. This sketch show, Fridays at 9pm (through February 1st) and directed by Mary Scruggs (head of the SC writing program), is a review ranging from historical meetings, sexual antics, and a son catching his father smoking marijuana (what are the cool kids calling it these days? Weed? Pot? Ganja? Dope? Mary Jane? Reefer? Is reefer cool again?). Anyways, be sure to catch these shows, because they're clearly good enough for a Second City stage, and if you know of a better show, let us know and we'll check it out!
Head to the Lakeshore Theater NEXT weekend for Biker VS Babe, featuring Illinois native Natasha Leggero, who we saw opening for Todd Barry not long ago. She has recently enjoyed spots on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, and Comedy Central’s Reno 911. The cute and hilarious Leggero will share the stage with the closest thing to her polar opposite, burly biker-type and Emmy award winning writer Wild Willy Parsons, whose credits include Last Comic Standing and Tracy Takes On. The pair will be at the Lakeshore Friday, January 18th and Saturday, January 19th at 8 & 10:30 PM and Sunday, January 20 at 8 PM.
J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield is preparing for its 1-18-08 release, and several set stills featuring Chicago comedy expat TJ MillerareonlineatHollywoodChicago.com. The trailer can be seen here.
Our friends at the Apiary are advising us that a don't-miss group at Sketchfest this weekend is The Apple Sisters, playing tonight at 9. They made this special commercial just for their Sketchfest performance:
P.S. Just for fun, terrible Olan Mills family photography through the years. Thanks to our friend Shannon for the link.
(EDIT: Yes indeed, the Leggero/Parsons show is next weekend at the Lakeshore Theater, not this weekend. The Bastion regrets the error, and apologizes for occasionally being dumb.)
Breaking news, just for Bastion readers: David Sedaris is funny. You heard it here first, people. Kicking off Steppenwolf's 2008 Traffic Series, the Grammy Award-nominated humorist and NPR contributor extraordinaire takes to the stage with new material, proving just how hilarious bunions and chafed butt cheeks can be (as if we didn't know that already).
Treating audiences to a hearty helping of selections from his upcoming book, Indefinite Leave to Remain (June 2008), Sedaris describes in guffaw-inducing detail his adventures in Tokyo and his recent experience with kicking the nicotine habit, recalling stays in motel smoking rooms permeated by a smell reminiscent of a "burning mummy."
The post-show Q&A delivered as many laughs as the performance, with Sedaris sharing some of his favorite tricks for beating writers' block, such as dutifully working through the brain-numbingly banal homework exercises following the essays--sometimes his own--in college literature textbooks. "Using examples from the reading to support your argument, discuss how Sedaris effectively blah blah..." Yes--who could forget those fun little creativity springboards?
Not surprisingly, the January 8-13 performance run is sold out, but if you're brazen enough to wrestle a ticket away from some poor, hapless theatergoer, you shan't be disappointed. If not, you'll just have to wait for the new collection of essays to find out which body part Sedaris describes as his "rusted coin slot." (If you simply can't wait, substantial cash bribes are being accepted Monday through Friday during regular business hours.)
Sketchfest '08 is in full swing, and masterminds Brian Posen and Jill Valentine have done it again.
The Bastion popped into Sketchfest last Friday night and caught two Chicago sketch duos working their magic: Team Submarine and Sandy Takes a Break. Both duos packed the house (or the West Theater, at least) and kept the crowds giggling and bouncing around in their seats as they wove little vignettes into broader themes.
Team Submarine's Steve O'Brien and Nate Fernald, who seem to be constantly working on new material and then polishing it to a high sheen, included some unexpected special guests in their sketches, including Steve's very uptight "fiancee," who was less than pleased to find Steve smashed inside an ever-growing contingent of male strippers after warning him not to be caught doing anything gay. When it was revealed that she too, swung a little to the other side, a large and energetic bunch of dancing "gaybies" took the stage, in adult-sized diapers and tight sexy tees.
Sandy Takes A Break, the team of Chris Lee and Ben Seeder (who has been described as a protege of Chicago improv legend David Pasquesi), put some great details into their character work and proved once again that they're worth the hype that took them to the L.A. Comedy Festival last year. Highlights included uncomfortably funny familial discord between a recently-fired newscaster and his college age daughter, and a weird and hilarious car ride with a boy and his girlfriend's father.
Thanks to Bryan Bowden for the photos. A ton more Team Submarine pix can be seen here, and lots of Sandy Takes a Break can be gawked at here.
Here's a funny video from last year's Sketchfest, about the history of the fest itself:
Pimprov will be performing at Chemically Imbalanced Comedy's new theater space (1420 W. Irving Park Rd.) this Saturday, January 5, at 10:30, for a show that will be taped for NBC and and the Chicago Improv Festival.
Speaking of CIC, as of January 13, they're reviving Bad Review, the show that gives comics a chance to improvise a previously critically savaged comedy show in the way the performers imagine the worst critics would like to see it. Bad Review has been performed at the Toronto Improv Festival, LA Improv Festival, Chicago’s Looptopia at the Chase Auditorium, Second City’s Donny Skybox, and Lakeshore Theater. Catch the new season of Bad Review on Sundays at 8:00 PM starting on January 13.
Blewt!'s Don't Spit The Water is returning to Chicago after a series of shows in the wild badlands of the Chicago suburbs. They will launch season four of Chicago's wettest, spittiest game show on January 12 at 10:00 PM at the Playground Theater. Sasha and the Noob (pictured, in cartoon form, at left) will be on WGN's morning news program on January 8 to see what they can squeeze out of the morning news anchors. Earl LaRue, Sasha and Timekeeper Willis were also featured in this morning's Red Eye, in the "five on five" section, contributing wit to a discussion about sports.
In other Blewt! news, if any of you comedy kids out there are looking for a way to support your Second City, iO, and Annoyance habit (improv classes are expensive!), why not look the new Box Office Manager position? Make an extra $100 a month by manning the ticket booth, screening contestants, booking wacky bachelorette parties, and more. Send them an e-mail. Beats flipping burgers.
And, on a heartwarming note, Bastion contributor Rachael Mason is using her iO blog to tell the story of why aspiring stand-up comic Robert Brown, whose only income comes from selling Streetwise Magazine, is now taking classes free at iO. A few weeks ago, iO received an anonymous letter:
"I recently inherited $4,000 from a friend’s Mother who died of breast cancer. She was a wonderful woman and great philanthropist, and she requested that I donate the money to a performing arts organization(s) of my choice. I wanted to give a portion of the money to the iO Theater, so I have enclosed a money order for $1,000. I spent 10 years performing at iO Theater, and have a great deal of respect for it as an organization and a great deal of affection for the people there. I hope the theater continues to grow and thrive forever...I know Rachael Mason’s Mom died of the same illness as my friend’s Mom, so perhaps a portion of the money can be used for some event in Rachael’s Mom’s name."
Chicago comedy community, you continue to surprise and inspire us with the depth of your compassion. Have a great weekend, everyone!
What's up in this gloriously bright (but freezing) week of Chicago comedy? Well, of course, Sketchfest 2008 kicks off today, running through the 13th. Head on over to the Theater Building (1225 W. Belmont) for over 100 performances, workshops and discussions. We hear that video will be used more this year than any previous year, which pleases our nerdly little hearts.
When we ask around about what Chicago groups people are eager to see, we hear buzz about local favorites including Heavyweight, Sandy Takes a Break, Don Hall and Joe Janes, Hey You Millionaires, Mike and Duane, The Money Kids, Grandma June's Sewing Circle, The Cupid Players, Goldibear, and the unmistakably ronkin' Oprah Frampton.
Local boys Team Submarine are also featured in a self-penned article in Time Out this week, describing the rigors of creating comedy for such a festival. "We like to draw from real-life experiences when we initially write sketches. Like the time Steve failed his driver’s test because he just had his wisdom teeth out. Or the time Nate met Gay Dracula." Team Submarine were also featured on The Sound of Young America's comedy broadcast when the show popped into Second City Chicago about a month ago. Other Chicago guests on that show (which you can hear here) included Second City's Tourco players, Hannibal Buress, and sketch legends Schadenfreude.
Check out the full schedule of Sketchfest players here, and take a peep at Time Out Chicago comedy editor Steve Heisler's guide to the hilarity here.
Speaking of Time Out Chicago, they have published a list of favorite funnies of 2007. Top pics include the Lakeshore Theater (not the building, but the shows contained therein), Impress These Apes (with a separate mention of season one winner Jamie Buell), Boom Chicago, improv goddess Susan Messing, improv up-and-comer Thomas Middleditch, Ross Bryant, the Edge Comedy shows, and prodigal son John Mulaney.
No gimmick, 
The Montrose Hole has a 
You can check out the 
Have you been whining about a lack of variety among good open mics? We've heard good buzz about Fay Canale's open mic Thursday nights at Sheffield's. Signups are from 8:30 to 9:00, and the show starts at 9:00. Starting in March, every third Thursday there will also a showcase followed by an open mic at around 10:00. Fay is the primary host, with Brendan McGowan taking over when she can't. 
The February issue of 
Wasn't it just last year that TJ Miller was treading the boards at iO and Second City and hanging out in dank Chicago watering holes sharpening his stand-up? Yes. All the more amazing then, that now he's big stuff...and getting bigger.Thanks to 
We live in a funny world, surrounded here in Chicago by a plethora of stand-up/improv/sketch options. However, we also live in a funny world, if you pay any attention to current events. 
Yes, we are lazy today. Our one post is simply a link, to John Roy's performance on Jay Leno last night.
Chicago-turned-L.A. boy 
Fun bar? Check. Free stand-up? Check. Hilarious free stand-up? Check.
We'll be covering more of Sketchfest as we review more, but for those of you who aren't heading down that way, you can still catch "
Head to the 
Breaking news, just for Bastion readers: 
Sandy Takes A Break, the team of Chris Lee and Ben Seeder (who has been described as a protege of Chicago improv legend David Pasquesi), put some great details into their character work and proved once again that they're worth the hype that took them to the 
Speaking of 
Blewt!'s 
And, on a heartwarming note, Bastion contributor 
What's up in this gloriously bright (but freezing) week of Chicago comedy? Well, of course, 
