Todd Barry is coming to the Lakeshore Theater on April 19 at 7:30. Tickets are $20.
You may have seen him recently as the "unwanted bongo player" on Flight of the Conchords. Barry explained how he got that gig in a recent Onion interview:
"I know those guys—I met them in 2004, I think, when I did a festival in Australia. We sort of crossed paths a number of times in different festivals, and when they came to New York and when I went to L.A. We just became friends. I auditioned for another role a while ago. I didn't get that, or they cut that part out, or whatever. Then they said, 'We have something better for you,' and they wrote this thing. I said, 'Wow, that's a pretty big part.' A pretty big, annoying part."
Happy Monday, Chicago. If you're like us, the sunshine makes you want to ditch work and head out on your bike to a park or the beach. In fact, we're going to do just that, so here's a brief post. And no whining: we were super-posting overachievers on Friday.
"I got a fortune cookie today. It said I should invest in something fun on four wheels. I don't know if that meant I should get a new car, or a prostitute on one roller skate."
The article puts him in good company: other comedians quoted include Lewis Black, Jon Stewart, Ricky Gervais, and Chris Rock.
Head on down to the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts to see a mishmash of themed shows produced by Edge Comedy.
Friday April 4th (that's tonight!) - Ha-Ha-Hotties Comedy Showcase - hosted by Kat, with Tiffany Puterbaugh, Leah Eva, Beth Stelling, Katie Canavan, Christine Parisi, Michelle Thompson, Carrie Callahan, Cameron Esposito, Lauren Vino and Fay Canale.
Saturday April 5th - Handsome Bastards of Comedy - hosted by Adam Guerino, with Dean Carlson, Mike Lee, Bryan Bowden, Mark Vana, Drew Michael, Alex Orozco, Eric Lutz, and Joe Fernandez.
Next weekend: April 11th - Losing My Religion - comics discuss their religion, or lack thereof, with Adam Guerino, Drew Michael, Ron Harlow, Matt Jones, John Barry, Dave Odd, and Dan Kaufman.
April 12th - Alter Egos - comics perform as characters, with Mike Lee, Eliot Rahal, Phil Biedron, Jeb Cadwell, Charlie Gadd, and more.
"Comedians You Should Know" is an up-and-coming stand-up show every Wednesday night at 9:00 at Fizz (3220 North Lincoln).
This week's host, Jeb Cadwell, will set up four features: Mike Cody, Brady Novak, Dan Polydoris, and Mike Sheehan, and a headliner, Nick Vatterott.
The show is produced by Marty DeRosa, Danny Kallas, Michael Sanchez, Mike Sheehan, and Junior Stopka, and the lineup through April, highlighted on the show's MySpace, is pretty impressive.
So scrounge around the couch cushions for $8, because over the next few weeks, "Comedians You Should Know" will include Chicago favorites including Jared Logan, CJ Sullivan, Carrie Callahan, Dave Odd, Prescott Tolk, Rudy Ascott, Team Submarine, Sean Flannery, and much more.
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!
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).
Highlights from the December 16, 2007 (that's last Sunday) edition of "Your Sunday Best" showcase at Schubas, with host Prescott Tolk, John Roy, Fay Canale, Dan Telfer, Tony Blanco, Brady Novak, Joe Kilgallon, Bradley Fojas, and Joe Fernandez.
That crazy backroom competition wherein everyone puts on a costume or gets naked happens again tonight! 9 o’clock, at the Globe Pub, 1935 Irving Park Rd. This evening will be hosted by Jason Fever, judged by CJ Sullivan, James Fritz’s Coach, and Amie Clarke, and gonged by Tony Blanco.
What you missed if you stayed home the last time:
Ken Barnard, who had not yet earned the title of Second Funniest Person in Chicago, kicked off the show with some jingoistic dancing. Judge CJ Sullivan spit vitriol all night, at one point cursing the memory of Gilda Radner. Judge Sarah King as “Mama Truth” as God alternately offered withering criticism or sexual contact to the contestants. James Fritz’s Coach brought a down-home southern pedophilic charm to the affair.
But try as they might, the judges could not rise to the level of creepiness displayed by the contestants. Costumes were favored, from Dionysus to an American Eagle. The comedians who attempted straight-forward non-costumed were gonged pretty quickly. (Tip for tonight: if you attempt this, don’t get angry at the audience for heckling you. Heckling is the whole POINT of being in the audience at this.) There were two contestants who got naked. Danielle put on a burlesque show that involved obscene acts with a blow up doll. Danielle’s short stature may have been her defining physical feature in the audience’s eyes until she revealed her pasties. She ended up winning the top prize. The audience was less appreciative of Kyle Parris stripping down to a gym sock. Other notable performances included Tap-Man, who tapped and read poems from kindergarten, and comedy heartthrobs Team Submarine, who berated the audience and got lots of love in return.
From the Bastion’s observation of the last Globe Gong, here are the guidelines for not getting gonged:
- put on a costume
- if you’re a woman take off your clothes
- if you’re a man keep them on
- don’t get angry at the audience
- unless you can make it funny
- dance
But you can’t win it if you don’t show up, so put on your Halloween costume, ready your jazz hands, and come to the Globe Pub tonight for your chance at infamy!
New York-based Chicago native stand-up comic John Mulaney will be performing at Chicago Underground Comedy at 9:00 pm this Tuesday, October 23 before being a special guest when the Comedians of Comedy rolls through Chicago November 1.
He's also touring with national headliners (including Mike Birbiglia at Chicago's Lakeshore Theater), and performing on Comedy Central's "I Love the 30's," and VH1's "Best Week Ever."
Mulaney was interviewed in September by The Apiary, where he discussed being on Conan O'Brien twice (clips below), and joining the writing staff for Michael Ian Black's upcoming pilot while still being in his 20's. I guess when you start doing sketch at the age of seven, you're a seasoned pro much earlier than most.
From the Apiary interview:
What was doing Conan like?
It was the best thing in the world. That show has loomed so large in my mind since I was 13 that to appear on it was pretty unbelievable. When I did it in February I got to the studio too late to see anyone before the show, so the first time I met Conan O'Brien was when he walked over at the end of my set. It was absolutely surreal.
The Bastion was on hand (okay, it was a few weeks ago, sometimes we get busy with work) for the Lincoln Lodge's Season Eight opening party, replete with the introduction to, and heartfelt acceptance speeches from, each of the new castmembers: Cameron Esposito, Carrie Callahan, CJ Toledano, and Jeb Cadwell.
Ken Barnard and Allison Leber were also on hand to officiate, and field questions from the press, including some guy with a shoddy microphone, who alternately claimed to be from "Men on Men" magazine and a few other unlikely titles.
Steve O. Harvey (pictured) slipped smoothly into his emcee role and the evening was punctuated with stage performances and "man on the street" prankery. Head to the Lodge tonight at 9 to see Esposito, Toledano, Leber, Jared Logan, and Chicago Underground Comedy co-creator Tony Sam, who has packed his bags and is heading for California for glitz, glamor, and a comedy gig or two.
Dave Odd, Tom Simmons, and Steve Hofstetter will be on hand tonight at 8 pm at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts to launch the Blue Stater Comedy Tour, "The Blue Collar Tour for People Who Can Read".
Performers promise that "The Blue Stater Comedy Tour is guaranteed to take on and tackle all the subjects that are on the minds of the well read people who are wondering what the hell happened to our country, and rile and ruffle the feathers of all those who don't think there is a problem."
Special guest John Behan will be there, as well as host Prescott Tolk. Odd and company plan to take the show on the road in '08, but you can catch them now, giving the current administration a little hell for the recent mess we're finding ourselves in. Larry the Cable Guy, presumably, is not invited.
Tom Simmons Live at Gotham:
Blue Stater Comedy Tour, Chicago Center for the Performing Arts,
777 N. Green Street, Chicago, 312-733-6000
Chemically Imbalanced Comedy: A Well-Balanced Show
This is another of those shows that is constantly changing every week, so we can't guarantee it'll be an awesome time. We CAN guarantee that we had an awesome time. Chemically Imbalanced Comedy takes place at the Cornservatory, a BYOB stadium-seating theater with a Jewel next door. Mmmmmm, cheap beer and comfy seats, the venue is great before we even mention the show.
Every Saturday at 10:30pm (Does "pm" need to be said? Who wakes up before noon on Saturday?), one stand-up comedian hosts three different sketch/improv acts. Last week Cameron Esposito hosted Pronounced, Angerstein Street, and Cyclops Baby (pictured). Highlights of the night included "You remind me of the lead robot in this science fiction book I got for you," "This is how I masturbate in the office, "That girl said you raped her," and an impressive knowledge of Wonder Woman facts. Strangely, we were most disturbed by the guy who knew way too much about Wonder Woman.
So while we can't similar hilarity ever week, we can promise this Saturday a line-up including Yeti, Basic Eight, and 21st Century Men, hosted by one of our favorite stand-ups, Bill Cruz. Drinking cheap beer alone is sad; doing it at CIC is just economical. Chemically Imbalanced Comedy. Saturdays at 10:30pm. $10. The Cornservatory: 4210 N Lincoln. CIC Box Office: 773-865-7731. -Chris Singel
Lincoln Lodge Season Kicks Off Thursday and Friday
Lodge-A-Mania! After a summer hiatus, Chicago's longest running independent comedy and variety showcase, The Lincoln Lodge begins its new season this Thursday and Friday, October 4th and 5th, with doors opening at 7:30.
The season's opening shows will feature a press conference, during which 2007-2008's new cast members and featured players will be announced, free buffet, drink specials, and a season-opening performance by all your old favorites, and new faces, too.
Several months ago there was a comedy showcase at Pressure Cafe on a Saturday night. The bill had Jeff Hansen, Bradley Fojas and Prescott Tolk. Jeff had brought a contingent of his friends from whatever suburb he comes from and one of them started heckling Prescott. Prescott started a standard heckler rebuttal about this guy's mom and suddenly the room is doubling over in laughter. Prescott wants to know the joke so the kid says "My mom's in jail and she has cancer." The kid tells this story about how his dad ran out and left his mom taking care of three kids (including one who is disabled) and when her household falls apart because she is working three jobs she gets sent to jail for criminal neglect. Following this is a long silence.
Prescott says "You just totally ruined my closer. I had ten minutes all about how life is fair."
So naturally I was excited when I got the opportunity to go see "Everybody Kills," the new comedy showcase at the Gorilla Tango Theater from comedian/producer Jeff Hansen, especially when the aforementioned kid with the mom in prison was ushering me to my seat. It looked and felt as if Jeff was trying to run an honest to goodness comedy show, except his people are doing everything they can to ruin it. For example, the first act was this scientist guy trying to tell these jokes that were terrible, and when nobody would laugh he would start insulting the audience. Jeff gives the cue to bring up the music and when he approaches the scientist to shake his hand, the lab coat guy goes crazy and punches Jeff square in the mouth (and i was sitting 10 feet away, square in the mouth.) The stage erupts in chaos with seven people all suddenly struggling with the scientist (played by Ed Hansen), and Jeff introducing Bradley Fojas to do ten minutes of Fojas-a-riffic comedy.
So it is a comedy show, but it's also a soap opera/sitcom with all of Jeff's friends playing characters in this ongoing saga addressing such themes as love, anger, betrayal plus great performances by awesome Chicago comedians including Robert Buscemi and Tony Sam. There's only one more show this season and it is tonight, Wednesday, September 26 at the Gorilla Tango theater on Milwaukee in Chicago. The show starts at 9:30. I hear there's going to be a season two later this winter so be ready the next time this comes around.
-Tony Blanco
This Tuesday (that's tomorrow night) will be the final Chicago Underground Comedy show for both Kumail and Becky Garcia. Becky is heading to Los Angeles while Kumail is packing up for New York. Be there for the fun at the Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, at 9:30. Also taking the stage will be Jared Logan, Mike & Duane, CJ Sullivan, Jim Fath, and, visiting from New York, Ross Hyzer.
Kumail will also knock out a few more shows with Mike Sheehan at the Edge Comedy Club at 777 N. Green Street this Friday and Saturday, at both the 8:15 and 10:30 shows. Be there so when he's huge and famous you can pretend like you and he were BFF's. That's our plan.
A promo video for Kumail's one-man show at the Lakeshore Theater, "Unpronounceable," which he will hopefully be finding a home for on a New York stage sometime in the near future:
The red hot stand-up girls of SpitFire Comedy have a new home at the Apollo Theater, and will be celebrating their first show there tonight, Tuesday, September 11, at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.). Greg Mills will host and Team Submarine will also be performing. This show is also sort of a going-away party for Becky Garcia and Hannah Gansen, who are moving to Los Angeles in the very near future. But don't show up unless you want to be gigantically famous - cameras will be there gathering footage for some short film segments.
$10. 8 p.m. Doors at 7. Apollo Theater Studio, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave.
With more and more Chicago comedy veterans skipping town for bright lights and bigger cities, more opportunities are opening up for the up-and-comers. Case in point:The Lincoln Lodge is currently accepting applications to join the cast for the upcoming eighth season, which launches on October 4th.
Prospective cast members must be minimally committed to the full 8 month season and must be willing to put in a minimum of eighteen hours a month for production and other duties in return for which they would receive quality stage time and invaluable training in aspects of the biz. A fully documented "cast agreement" outlines benefits and commitments involved in cast membership and the Lodge is glad to consider all applicants, although spaces are limited.
Interested parties should email thelincolnlodge@yahoo.com for more details and should include a link to their website and/or on-line clips of a recent performance.
The Kewanee Star Courier is all abuzz. "Friday, a dart was thrown at a map by a group of aspiring young comedians in Chicago to determine where they would perform that night. Guess where it hit? The Off the Cuff Comedy Project came to Kewanee Friday, with less than one day to book, promote and perform a comedy show which will be pitched to TV networks as a new reality series. Each day they toss a dart and find out where they’re going that day."
Kewanee will be the first to tell you that it's the hog capitol of the world, and the calendar on their chamber of commerce website indicates that most important events that happen in this town are hog-related. Hell, let's face it, people in this town are probably going to be talking about this for years.
Who were those brave young comedians? A bunch of ragtag kids from the Windy Apple itself -- Chicago. Edge Comedy kids, led by Dave Odd. "The rules of the dart throwing were: we couldn't land on a big city (Rockford, Joliet, etc.). We couldn't land on a place where we already knew other comedy shows existed or I had already done Edge shows at (Bloomington, Gardner, etc.), and we couldn't land withing a 25 mile radius of the city. Fortunately, on the first try, the dart landed in the most perfect spot imaginable, Kewanee (Hog Capitol of the World). Awesomeness."
"So off we went, armed with nothing more than a sound system, a mic stand, a spotlight, 900 flyers with the venue spot blank, and a stamp with interchangeable letters. Our goal was to find a venue, promote and perform in a show by 9:00pm that night. We called it 'The Off the Cuff Comedy Experiment.' September 1st is our next one and I'm kind of hoping it will go disastrously, just so we can show some extremes in the pilot episodes we put together."
"This of course, is one of those small Midwestern towns that got a Wal-Mart not too long ago, and 75% of the businesses were shuttered, except the KFCs, Menards, McDonalds, Walgreens, CVSs, Subways, and other corporate bullshit that took over the main strip into town. Proving once again, that mainstreet communities are being destroyed by the Shaumburgization of America. On the way out of town, I got pulled over by a cop. I rolled through a stop sign I guess and he pulled me over. Dean Carlson did not stop or even slow down to make sure we weren't getting arrested -- thanks, Dean."
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Eyewitness accounts from surviving comedians:
From Dean Carlson: "The Off the Cuff Comedy Project perfectly captured the extreme highs and lows of stand-up all in one day. When we first rolled into Kewanee, IL I thought that we were in trouble. Tattooed, bearded, drunken locals came screaming out of Misty's (the first dive bar we stopped at) when they saw us filming in their parking lot. After an explanation from Dave Odd, they allowed us to film and even take the cameras inside. Luckily for our crew I'm also tattooed, bearded, and frequently drunk so I gave our group some unspoken street cred when I rolled up my sleeves, plopped down at the bar, and ordered a dollar beer. It would have been a physical impossibility for the bartender to have any more scars on her face. Welcome to the Meth Belt!"
"During the show these two gargantuan men walked in and it was obvious that they had just come from and amateur pro wrestling event (and participated). One of the dudes was still wearing his wrestling boots. At one point during my set I asked the crowd if anyone was celebrating anything tonight. Some attractive young girl shouts out that it's her birthday, I respond by saying, 'That's great you know? This young lady is celebrating her birthday... (gesturing towards the wrestlers) these two guys just won the tag-team championship, it's a good night!' The crowd roared with laughter. I thought it was a great line too until after the show I find out that they LITERALLY ARE THE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS OF THEIR WRESTLING ORGANIZATION!! The two wrestlers were great sports and actually offered me a job as their pro wrestling manager. I'm really not kidding."
"When we were all driving out of town I followed Dave Odd, who ended up rolling the first stop sign we come to. All of sudden headlights appear out of nowhere directly behind me and the Kewanee 5-0 roll up next to me, make intimidating eye contact, then blow past me and pull over Dave. Not knowing what just happened, but also realizing that I'm not currently insured, nor have I made I a car payment in the last month and a half, I do what any normal human being would do...I got the fuck out of there. I get a call from Dave 20 minutes later asking me why I left him there to deal with Kewanee PD. What was I supposed to do? T-bone the cop in the middle of the intersection and wave Dave to safety? Nothing says sawed off shotgun blast to the chest like pulling behind a cop car and getting out to inquire why they pulled over my friend. I just expect rash, vigilante action like that in Smalltown, USA. I've seen Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
According to a recent press release, the tour "will be made into a feature-length concert film that will showcase the comics' on-stage performances and shine a spotlight on their lives, announced Dave Chappelle, the project's executive producer." Chappelle said this show is "one of the funniest and most important comedy shows in America today. These guys are pioneers in the world of Muslim comedy and I am proud to be attached to this project."
The Bastion snagged a little Q&A with Chicago's own Azhar Usman about how he left a career in law to make people laugh, why he loves his home city of Chicago, the Chappelle-produced film project, and more.
You're about 32 (?), and you're a lawyer-turned stand-up comedian? How did that transition come about, and have you left the law behind for good?
I am actually 31. I am not quite sure how the transition came about --- it just sort of happened. I was practicing law (badly), and I was doing standup for fun (also badly). Eventually, I began to get better at standup and even worse at practicing law, so it made sense at some point to quit the law. The moment I saw that I could make a living as a comic, I knew I would give up the law altogether. I stopped practicing law full-time in early 2004 and never really looked back. However, I am always amazed at how much of my legal training I end up using as I continue to build my career as a professional entertainer. It’s partly why I don’t feel the need to have a manager or an agent (so far), because so much of the value-add of such handlers is because most entertainers don’t know anything about law or business. My background in both law and business has helped me tremendously, I believe, and continues to be a source of ongoing benefit.
Where and how did you get involved in comedy in Chicago? What prompted you to want to start, and had you always had an interest in comedy?
I had always loved comedy, even as a kid. I was inspired by standup comedians. I did a fair amount of improv and sketch type of comedy, even as a kid, at summer camps and school and whatnot, but I was always super-intimidated by standup. It just seemed so daunting --- a guy with a mic just standing there in front of a room full of strangers, sharing his own ideas and making everyone laugh. Wow, even just writing that down right now sends shivers up my spine. I think standup is tough, and standup comedians don’t really get the respect they deserve in the entertainment business, in my opinion.
As for how I got started, it’s the same story as just about any other Chicago comic: open mics. After years of wanting to try it, I finally got up the courage to go to an open mic. It was a really crappy one held inside of a Barnes & Noble (coffee shop area) on the south side. I was living in Hyde Park at the time, and it seemed like a good idea. I did well at my first open mic, actually, which shocked me. I had been writing jokes for nearly 9 months at that point, so I guess I had a decent amount of material relative to your average first time open micer. In any case, I then started to get more interested in the local scene and that’s when I started asking around and I heard about the (now legendary) Lyon’s Den. I went. I watched. I watched comics get murdered on stage, and I watch some (only a few) comics kill up there. I wanted so badly to try it, but it took me several months of periodic visits to finally work up the courage to get up there. When I finally did, I actually did okay, which, I think, caused some of the more senior comics on the local scene to actually take notice of my act and give me encouragement. About that time I also signed up for the Chichahahago message board and began posting regularly and trading jabs with fellow comics. That was all the encouragement I needed to keep at it.
What rooms did you start off in, and who are the people you learned from and came up with on the scene here?
I started at around the same time (within months) of some of the guys who have already moved on from Chicago or are now considered the rising stars, people like Pete Holmes, Kyle Kinane, Kumail Nanjiani, Robert Buscemi, TJ Miller, and tons of others. I did Dave Odd rooms and contests. I even did a couple of shows with the (infamous?) Andy Lurie, which I actually fondly recall. I made several appearances at The Lincoln Lodge, and Mark Geary was always supportive and friendly. At the same time that I was continuing to do Chicago rooms, open mics and showcases, I was getting actual paid work to perform my brand of standup at Muslim-sponsored events --- places like conventions, conferences, parochial school programs, mosque fundraisers, professional association meetings, private parties, etc. It was really great because, in retrospect, I realize now that I was basically getting paid to learn how to do standup. I was getting up regularly in front of friendly (and forgiving) crowds, being given 30 and 40 minutes on stage, and getting paid to show up. It was unbelievable. I could never have developed as a comedian, I think, as quickly as I believe I did, had it not been for all that stage time. And even then, I know that I have a LONG way to go in my development as a comedian.
I read that you grew up an Indian Muslim kid in a mostly Jewish neighborhood. How has Chicago's cultural diversity shaped you as a person?
I am a child of this city. I LOVE Chicago. To me, it is really the heart of America –- a HUGE, cosmopolitan megacity with down home Midwestern personality, the perfect balance. I actually grew up in Skokie, which I really enjoyed. Sure, I was among a religious and ethnic minority, but my schools were fairly diverse, both grade school and high school. And even most of the white kids were children of open-minded liberals, maybe even former hippies, so there was very little overt racism or discrimination growing up. Of course, there was always enough to remind you that this was still America, but it was never really horrible as in, like, civil rights era horrible. I went to college at the UIC Honors College and I lived with roommates on the west side of campus off Taylor Street, so that was really a great time in my life. I wish I would have enjoyed the city even more back then, but I spent most of college asleep. No, seriously, I was literally asleep for most of that part of my life. Nonetheless, the cultural diversity of the city definitely shaped me as a person. I would sometimes have dreams in foreign languages.
The show came together in about 2004, what's the story of how that came to be? How did all the comedians meet, and what was the overall common goal you wanted to aim for?
Preacher Moss, who is the founder of the “Allah Made Me Funny—Official Muslim Comedy Tour” had been doing standup for nearly 20 years at that time. He had been a Muslim for nearly as long. He had this idea to put together a touring showcase of Muslim standup comedians. As he started poking around the Muslim community and the functions of Muslim organizations to see if there were any comedians working in that “circuit,” he kept hearing my name. Eventually, someone gave him my number and my website. He checked me out and I guess he saw some potential. He called me and introduced himself. I had actually heard of him and I told him that. I was flattered that he would call me to invite me onto Allah Made Me Funny. It just so happened that Preach was going to be in Chicago a couple of days later so we agreed to meet. We totally hit it off and the rest, as they say, is history. We later brought on a brother called Azeem Muhammad who toured with AMMF until the summer of 2006, and when Azeem left we brought on the newest member of AMMF, Mohammed Amer, in the fall of 2006. Preach and I met Mohammed in basically the same way, through the mainstream comedy club circuit as well as the emerging alternative “Muslim circuit.”
The overall common goal of our show is very simple: to make people laugh. The bottom line about any comedy project is that it has to be funny. And because funny is funny is funny, people will turn up if you can consistently deliver quality comedy. In the final analysis, I think that’s what AMMF is all about. However, if we are able to make people not just laugh, but also think, then I would say that we come out two steps ahead of the pack. And that’s certainly a goal as well. Ironically, though he is considered so controversial, it was actually Lenny Bruce who said that a comedian who can consistently make audiences laugh has mastered his craft, but if he can also simultaneously raise the morals of his community, then he is a skilled craftsmen. I find that incredibly inspiring.
You'll be shooting in LA on August 24 and 25. How will you decide what material you've developed with the tour will go into the concert film?
Actually, we’ve already begun filming. We shot four smaller club dates in Washington DC on August 17 and 18, as well as lots of goofy B-roll footage of the comics going on various excursions around the city. The camera crew is also flying around the country getting some good background footage on each comedian since the film will ultimately be a concert-documentary film --- that is, it will feature predominantly standup footage from the LA show on August 25th, but it will also have some interstitial footage of the comedians and their backstories.
As for material, that’s a tough one. I am keenly aware of the fact that I already have a core audience, one that is mostly Muslim, so I don’t want to alienate or lose that crowd, but I also want to include mostly material that is accessible to people who are not Muslim and therefore may not have that shared experience or understanding, or set of cultural assumptions. So keeping the material “mainstream” (for lack of a better word) is of paramount concern. Additionally, I believe that the film may ultimately find a global audience, so I want to be sensitive to that as well. We have been extremely blessed to perform all over the world, in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and in every major city of the US and Canada. I am trying to make sure to include material that will not just be understood by people all over the world but will actually resonate with them. It’s a tall order, I know. That’s why I can’t sleep right now.
How did Dave Chappelle get involved, and what's his level of interaction with you comedians?
Preacher Moss is an old Washington DC cat, and so is Dave Chappelle. They basically came up the exact same circuit, at almost the exact same time, and they know so many of the same people --- it’s really a wonder to me that they didn’t cross paths much sooner. Anyway, the story is that we were trying to connect with Dave throughout 2005 because we had heard through the grapevine that he had said some nice things about our show. These were rumors of course, and we were skeptical, but we wanted to talk to Dave ourselves to be sure. Finally, in late 2005, Preach and Dave met up at the DC Improv, where Dave was performing and Preach was a regular staple. They really connected and later Preach introduced me to Dave when he was in Chicago performing at Zanies in early 2006. Since then, Dave has been a very dear friend, an insightful mentor, and most importantly, a soulful brother. He is just as down-to-earth and un-Hollywood as he comes across on TV. Anyway, as we got to know one another, Dave offered to help us out with the film project since he has always felt that “Allah Made Me Funny” is doing something that is important and socially conscious.
What do you hope to get out of the concert film experience, and what would you like to be doing, say, five years from now?
My goals for the film are modest, though I would not be surprised if it took on a life of its own. Everything since we started “Allah Made Me Funny” has been blessed and inspired. I am not so arrogant as to think it has anything at all to do with me, but it has been incredibly fulfilling and rewarding to be along for the ride. Truthfully, being involved in the concert film experience --- as both performer and producer --- I am really using this as a learning experience. I am learning what goes into film production and distribution. I am learning about the business of filmmaking. I am learning about the creative process required to pull off such an ambitious project. As for the future, I see myself continuing to perform live standup for a while, continuing to build the “Allah Made Me Funny” brand into new markets, developing a TV show idea of my own (already in development with a production team in NYC), and hopefully continuing to produce film and TV projects that present fresh perspectives and tell captivating stories.
In fact, I have already begun getting into producing a bit, and I am proud to be involved with my friend Julius Onah’s short film entitled “The Boundary,” which is in pre-production in NYC right now. I am one of the executive producers along with my friend, Zarqa Nawaz, who is the creator of that Muslim-themed sitcom in Canada, “Little Mosque on the Prairie,” and we are proud to announce that Alexander Siddig (Syriana, Kingdom of Heaven, 24) is attached to star in the lead role. So be on the lookout for that!
And as for “Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert!” … it is (hopefully) coming in 2008, to a theater (or at least a DVD player … or computer?) near you!
The Edge Comedy Club Grandstravaganza Opening This Saturday
Edge Comedy, headed by producer and comic Dave Odd, is opening a full time stand-up club at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts (777 N. Green Street.) This Saturday night at 9:30 PM, doors will open at the Edge Comedy Club for a big show featuring headliner Mark "The Knife" Faje (America's Got Talent), along with host Dave Odd, and performers Mike Cody, Adam Burke, Kumail, John Markham, and Matt Wayne. A Chicago funk outfit called Big Kitchen will provide the groove.
Odd is excited about the new series of shows. "I just booked Greg Fitzsimmons for the opening weekend late show. He's was a writer on Lucky Louie, been on Letterman, The Tonight Show, Comedy Central, and is all over Best Week Ever."
The club in the Sevens Cabaret will officially start Sept. 5. Wednesdays will be an open mic at 8:30. Thursdays will be a $500 comedy competition at 8:30. Fridays and Saturdays will be a host, feature, headliner format showcase at 8:15 and 10:30. All shows are ages 16 and up, and Odd says that as a general rule 8:15 shows will be PG13 and 10:30 shows will be unrestricted. There is, however, a full bar, so you can get your drink on while explaining the dirty jokes to your nephew.
Where else are you going to go this Saturday night where the headlining act's signature works include "balancing a running lawnmower on his face, kicking a flaming bowling ball inserted with knives into the side of his head, juggling a buzz-saw and a flaming chainsaw, and performing card tricks with a live scorpion?" Besides St. Gertrude's Bingo Night?
Punchline Giving Away Todd Barry Lakeshore Tickets
Our friends at Punchline Magazine are giving away tickets to the upcoming Todd Barry show at the Lakeshore Theater. Barry, as many cartoon geeks may know, has done voice work for "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," "Freak Show," "Squidbillies," "Home Movies," and "Dr. Katz," in addition to his considerable contributions to stand-up comedy.
Picture yourself in a seat at the Lakeshore on September 8, do a magical clicky-clicky, and make your comedy dream a reality. Barry's opening act that night is Illinois native Natasha Leggero. Five pairs of tickets are up for grabs, so get a move on!
Michael Palascak Advances in Comedy Central's Open Mic Fight
Michael Palascak is moving up the ranks in Comedy Central's Open Mic Fight. He sucker-punched the competition in Chicago and will continue his battle in LA. Here's his profile on the Comedy Central website. Michael checked in with the Bastion and gave us the scoop:
I was made aware of the contest via Comedy Central's website and various emails from comedians. The contest has a couple rounds. First, everyone submits a 7 minute clip, then they pick 8 people from each region to compete, then they pick one person to move on from each of the 9 regions to go to LA and 3 second place people (voted on via internet) and then in LA they pick 3 finalists who are voted on by internet people. The winner gets a spot on a Comedy Central Stand-up show, a tour date, and $10,000 dollars. The other two get $5,000. All of this is probably explained better on their website. Go there and vote for Hannibal in August!
I have limited computer capability so I had my friend help me download my clip to Comedy Central's website to submit. Unfortunately, instead of downloading my stand-up he downloaded 10 seconds of moon footage from his independent film. It was just footage of the moon--not very representative of my stand-up comedy... so I put a package together and sent it out via regular mail to them. I was afraid they wouldn't watch it, so I attached a cover letter saying how I really enjoyed their television channel, especially the Colbert Report and that movie where the kid waits outside of that girl from Felicity's house all summer, I think it's called "8 Days a Week."
In regards to the material I chose...I really wasn't exactly sure how to approach it. One of my friends, Tommy Johnagin, said to just try and put together as set with as many laughs as possible. So i went to a lot of open mics and just tried out my set different ways in front of as many different crowds as possible. And then I went back and listened to my sets, and picked the jokes that I seemed to really enjoy doing and my stuff about living at home.
The whole chicago region was a lot of fun. There were so many really good comedians in it. Hannibal, Sean Flannery, Kumail, Reggie Reg and some from out of state, Sherif Hedayat, Ryan Singer--from Dayton, had a really good set, also Demetrius Nicodemus. and it was really cool meeting them. And a lot of my family were able to come see it, so that was pretty cool.
The next step is to go to LA and try and do really well.
What do I hope this will do for me? Focus a lot on something I like to do. Like I think it's really easy for me to get distracted and work on other things. Having the contest date will allow me to focus even more on stand-up and that should be fun.
Thanks to Jessica Joy for the tip: TJ Miller is making the press rounds on behalf of his ABC show "Carpoolers." Here he is on BuzzSugar, which says "His character, Marmaduke, steals scenes left and right in the pilot, including one where he's interviewing for a job sans pants."
TJ goes on to explain his Chicago comedy roots and says "I obviously love (Carpoolers' executive producer) Bruce McCulloch because of "Kids in the Hall" ... that's one of my comic idols. His show was in my sketch comedy education. So I came to it there and got the pilot out of Chicago and then the pilot got picked up and I got another film out of Chicago and so now I'm in LA, but yeah. I hope to be the rookie of the year this year for network television."
Visitors Locker Room To Continue, More From the Brice Family
What's going to happen to comedy/sports radio extravaganza Visitors Locker Room after the loss of co-host Pat Brice? Sean Flannery let us know. "After much deliberation, CJ Sullivan and I have decided to start broadcasting the Visitors Locker Room again this week. We weren't sure what to do about the show, until Adam Kroshus provided five straight days worth of vintage quotes on the shortcomings of his hosts, random facts about the White House lawn, and plans for his next relationship- all unsolicited. At that point, we finally knew the answer to the question every one asked all week - 'what would Pat want me to do?' The answer is - start the show back up by making fun of Kro with fresh stories. We hope to make Pat proud by continuing the show. As you know, CJ and I loved him very much and were so proud to work with a person of his talent."
Chicago comedy did us proud last week by showing up to Pat's services in huge, huge numbers. The line of people waiting to visit with Pat's family wound around the block, and the service began about an hour and a half late to accommodate all of people who showed up to pay their respects. Nativity of Our Lord pastor Father Dan Brandt read Pat's Blerds comedy essay "It's All in the Name," and may have created Chicago Catholic history and/or shocked God himself by saying the word "peckerhead" aloud in the 138-year old church, which was a beautiful, beautiful moment.
Also this week, Pat's dad Bernie reached out to us again, and asked us to pass along these sentiments: "I hope you'll allow me to thank all the people from the comedy community who attended Pat's visitation and funeral mass and burial ceremony. I cannot tell you how much my family was overwhelmed by the love and support shown to Pat and our family. I would like to thank every single member of your community who gave us strength at this time, from comics, writers, bookers, website editors, and all those who posted on the various blogs. We are also grateful to all the people at Fearless Radio, VLR, Chicago Underground Comedy, and The Bastion. Without your help, we wouldn't be able to reach out to the comedy community. My family will be eternally grateful. Pat loved his fellow comics, and we do also. We wish all of you success in your chosen field but, more important, we wish all of you good health and happiness. -The Brice Family."
Edit: also today, Pat's brother Dan Brice e-mailed us: "I first would like to thank you all for the kind words and support that you've shared over the past week for Pat and my family. I can't tell you how much it's meant to us and how therapeutic it's been to read your comments. It's making the loss of Pat a bit easier knowing that he touched so many of you in the same way he has moved us over the past 29 years. Your love has been overwhelming and I thank you.
"Pat was my best friend, as he was to many of you on this forum. I was lucky enough to have spent 29 incredible years of sharing in his laughter, joy, pain and love. He was passionate about everything he did in life, accomplishing whatever he wanted to. That's why there are no regrets about his passing. He lived a full life and he already made it a long time ago in our eyes.
"My mom, dad and I consider ourselves so fortunate to have spent the last moments of Pat's life together with him as a family. We danced, we drank, we laughed, we took photos, we hugged, we laughed more all the way until the end. And that's what I want to leave everyone with...that Pat was genuinely happy with his life and you all are a big part of his inner peace. I hugged him goodbye at 3:30AM on Sunday morning. It's a hug that I'm sure many of you have experienced. Hang on to that feeling forever...I am.
"Thanks for keeping Pat's laughter and spirit alive. Continue to share stories and remember to live your lives to the fullest. Take a leap of faith, be relentless, pursue your dreams, call a friend in need, tell your family you love them, travel and make someone laugh, because Pat will be right there with you.
I love you Pat. You were just too good for us."
Pat Brice's re-mastered "Lunar Measurements" Blerds video:
Special Bastion correspondent Robert Buscemi hit the Lakeshore Theater over the weekend to catch the stand-up magic of Arj Barker. He's a little tough on himself as a reviewer, but the show was great.
Maybe I'm not the guy to review Arj Barker, since everything he says almost knocks me off my chair. And the guy who sat right behind me at the show was right there with me, practically crying laughing without stop. The two of us would be laughing two minutes later at some sub-joke Arj had made in the most passing of fashions. (About, for example, an analog watch hiding away in the "egg-shaped vibrator" it was originally sold in.) In my opinion, Barker is just a freaking phenom.
But watching him perform is almost like a social experiment. I've seen him, oh, five times now maybe. And he's just an absolute demon of subtlety and understatement. It's like watching Lou Reed play the flute or something. It's a whole other genre, and you have to listen underneath his preternaturally placid surface for the insanely wicked material below. He's so detached he could be walking on hot coals up there.
He's the king of the stare-down. He plays chicken or high-stakes poker with a crowd. He never tips his hand, so it's like he's playing a Zen trick somehow. It's hard to describe, but the guy DEMANDS that you meet him on his terms. So I think people who don't get into him might feel like they're not being catered to in the way they're used to by an entertainer.
But I felt catered to plenty. His material is blazing. Some of the best I've ever heard.
One time a couple years ago I heard him at the Comedy Cellar in Manhattan get an insufficient laugh on a joke, so he said "Hey, you don't have to laugh at every joke. We're not human LAUGHINGS, we're human BEINGS." Just killed me.
And apparently he's like one of the biggest stars in Australia. I'm not even kidding. Who knew? Them Aussies know a thing or two, I guess. Maybe we should put them in charge of something.
Otherwise, our man Kumail opened, riffing away delightfully about the brand-new billion-dollar lighting at the Lakeshore Theater and killing them with fantastic bits as per usual. And middle-act Tony Camin was very, very funny and likable as well, a real goofy and enjoyable performer who stuck around to riff at the midnight show as well, where for my money was even funnier. His arms are rangy and his mind is sound.
Oh, and The Lakeshore Theater (can we just call it the LST?) just got voted "best place to see live comedy in Chicago" by Chicago magazine, so huge congrats to them for being so aggressive at booking marquis alt-comedy shows. God knows LST has shaken things up in these waters.
Anyhow, all hail Arj Barker. I'm not even kidding.
I think I'm the worst comedy reviewer ever.
Buscemi hopes to sell out a second smash week in a row at the Annoyance Theater for his "Buscemi and Friends DVD-Release Party" this Sunday, July 29, at 8 PM. Email rbuscemi@gmail.com to request your half-price discount. His DVD, "Robert Buscemi, (t)wit, a concert film by Jordan Vogt-Roberts" can be bought at the bar.
Robert Buscemi's DVD release party last night at the Annoyance was good fun. We talked to him last year shortly after the filming of the DVD, which was shot by filmmakers Landon Kirksey and Jordan Vogt-Roberts at the Subterranean, and we have been eagerly awaiting the project ever since. Produced with a DIY-spirit that seems to be taking over more and more Chicago comedians, the Buscemi DVD is more proof that if you want to showcase your skills, you don't have to sit around and wait to get your own HBO special.
The Annoyance soiree included film clips and performances by an unexpectedly mayo-loving Buscemi, plus Jared Logan, Kumail, Jenni Lamb, Mike Sheehan, and more. Andy Ross also took the stage in a reporter's trenchcoat, doing a faux-news bit that may or may not have been a tip of the fedora to the fact that he recently nabbed a gig writing for the Onion News Network.
Matt Braunger,who got started with comedy in Chicago, now lives in LA, and popped into the Blerds one year anniversary party a few weeks ago, got into the Montreal Comedy Festival.
We bugged him via e-mail for some scoop, and he shared this: "Brian Baldinger, a very funny comic who works for Just For Laughs, booked me for a showcase show. I then got a callback at the Improv, and was asked to be in the fest about a month ago. Thing is, I wasn't allowed to tell anybody, because it's the 25th anniversary and they wanted to keep the 'industry types' guessing. That, or they were ashamed of me. If anyone found out I was in, there was a possibility I'd be removed from the line-up. I told only my mom and dad. Yep, not even (Kyle) Kinane.
"As far as the material I did to get in, I basically did the stuff I like and was myself. Simple as that. Starting out, I got a lot of bad advice along the lines of, 'It's funny, but would it make a good sitcom.' So, I think the point is to just do stuff that reflects who you are. The rules have not only changed, I think they've improved. Doing what you think is funny is the best way to go, I think. There's no mold to set yourself in. Wait, why am I giving advice. It's all pretty new to me, as I haven't been in a festival since sweet, sweet Chicago back in 2002 or so. But it's great. I did the first of two sets last night and, from what they tell me, killed. I'm still too in shock that I'm here to know.
"But I know I owe my being here to being in Chicago and they comics I came up with there. I got offstage last night and thought about how if Pat Brice were here, he'd punch me in the gut and dance around laughing. It's not just me here, I guess is my point."
Todd Barry is coming to the Lakeshore Theater on April 19 at 7:30. Tickets are $20. 
Happy Monday, Chicago. If you're like us, the sunshine makes you want to ditch work and head out on your bike to a park or the beach. In fact, we're going to do just that, so here's a brief post. And no whining: we were super-posting overachievers on Friday. 
Head on down to the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts to see a mishmash of themed shows produced by 
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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. 
Fun bar? Check. Free stand-up? Check. Hilarious free stand-up? Check.
That crazy backroom competition wherein everyone puts on a costume or gets naked happens again tonight! 9 o’clock, at the Globe Pub, 1935 Irving Park Rd. This evening will be hosted by Jason Fever, judged by CJ Sullivan, James Fritz’s Coach, and Amie Clarke, and gonged by Tony Blanco.
New York-based Chicago native stand-up comic 
The Bastion was on hand (okay, it was a few weeks ago, sometimes we get busy with work) for the 
Dave Odd, Tom Simmons, and Steve Hofstetter will be on hand tonight at 8 pm at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts to launch the 
This is another of those shows that is constantly changing every week, so we can't guarantee it'll be an awesome time. We CAN guarantee that we had an awesome time. 
Lodge-A-Mania! After a summer hiatus, Chicago's longest running independent comedy and variety showcase, 
Several months ago there was a comedy showcase at Pressure Cafe on a Saturday night. The bill had Jeff Hansen, Bradley Fojas and Prescott Tolk. Jeff had brought a contingent of his friends from whatever suburb he comes from and one of them started heckling Prescott. Prescott started a standard heckler rebuttal about this guy's mom and suddenly the room is doubling over in laughter. Prescott wants to know the joke so the kid says "My mom's in jail and she has cancer." The kid tells this story about how his dad ran out and left his mom taking care of three kids (including one who is disabled) and when her household falls apart because she is working three jobs she gets sent to jail for criminal neglect. Following this is a long silence.
The red hot stand-up girls of 
With more and more Chicago comedy veterans skipping town for bright lights and bigger cities, more opportunities are opening up for the up-and-comers. Case in point:
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The Bastion snagged a little Q&A with Chicago's own Azhar Usman about how he left a career in law to make people laugh, why he loves his home city of Chicago, the Chappelle-produced film project, and more.
Edge Comedy, headed by producer and comic Dave Odd, is opening a full time stand-up club at the 
Our friends at Punchline Magazine are 
Thanks to Jessica Joy for the tip: TJ Miller is making the press rounds on behalf of his ABC show "Carpoolers." Here he is on 
What's going to happen to comedy/sports radio extravaganza Visitors Locker Room after the loss of co-host Pat Brice? 
Chicago comedy did us proud last week by showing up to Pat's services in huge, huge numbers. The line of people waiting to visit with Pat's family wound around the block, and the service began about an hour and a half late to accommodate all of people who showed up to pay their respects. 
Special Bastion correspondent Robert Buscemi hit the 
