The Lincoln Lodge crowd this past Friday night was treated to a super-excellent show, hosted by a sharp-looking Jeb Cadwell, with knock-em-dead performances by 2008 Chicago Comedy Award (CCA) nominee Carrie Callahan, 2007 CCA award-winning comic Jared Logan, and soon-to-be-LA-comic Bradley Fojas. As if that wasn't enough, comedy fans were star-struck by the return of TJ Miller, merely a month out of his Cloverfield premiere craziness. TJ just seemed happy to be back in the mix, telling jokes in front of his Chi-town crew. Eagle-eyed patrons in attendance will also have noticed fellow Carpoolers funnyman Jerry O'Connell in the audience, enjoying the show with his lovely wife Rebecca Romjin.

As intermission broke, the Hollywood couple slipped out front to pay their check, and were promptly "ooohed" and "aaahed" over by the Lincoln Restaurant's wait staff. Rebecca and Jerry autographed their ticket and posed for a couple of pictures. Being as yours truly was standing right there watching the whole affair, I did what anyone with a little liquid courage in his belly would do. Setting aside any reservations about being "That Guy", I stepped right up and introduced myself! Both stars were very pleasant, even after I told Rebecca I liked her in "Pepper Dennis, a show that was canceled all-too-soon". I told Jerry I was a big fan of Sliders and enjoyed him in Buying the Cow, to which Ms. Romjin noted, "Wow, you really like the obscure stuff". I stood by my opinion that it's the good stuff that usually gets canceled and thanked them for the chat. They left through the front shortly after, probably not realizing they were soon to be the target of Steve O'Harvey's man-on-the-street routine.

Their hasty exit, however, caused them to miss variety act The Amazing Tomas and his sometimes-stomach-churning illusions, in which he swallows balloons and reproduces Tic-Tacs from his sinuses. Their loss. Being from LA, I'm sure they have a strong stomach, anyway.

Special contributor c. r. mccubbins

2008 CCA Nominee, Blerds member, and VLR co-host Sean Flannery just informed me that he's been trying to leave a comment for us. Grrr, the comments aren't working right now!!! Here is what he wanted to mention: "Jerry O'Connell was on the Visitors Locker Room that Friday. He told one of the funniest Hollywood stories I've heard, about auditioning for Webster as a kid. You can hear it here (its at the end of the show).

....He was an unbelievably nice guy. Funny too."