Rush Limbaugh! The Musical begins previews in The Second City e.t.c. Theatre on Sunday, January 31 at 2pm. Brought to you by the team that created Rod Blagojevich Superstar!, Rush Limbaugh! The Musical follows Rush from his humble youth to his meteoric rise to conservative talk radio fame. Tickets are $25 and can be ordered online.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
Chicago Improv Festival Productions is proud to announce the finals for the third annual College Improv Tournament on Saturaday Jan. 23 at 8pm, at pH Productions (3310 N. Sheffield). The tournament is open to the public, tickets are $15 public/$10 students and are available for purchase at pH Productions the day of the competition.
The regional competition, which determines the tournament's finalists, will be held throughout the day at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm, also at pH Productions. Tickets are $10 public/$5 students for the preliminary rounds.
For more information about the College Improv Tournament or Chicago Improv Festival Productions, please visit http://www.chicagoimprovfestival.org.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
There's a lot of great sketch comedy in town over the next few weeks, but what about if you prefer your comedy unscripted?
Opening this Friday, January 8th, Gorilla Tango Theatre presents the $1,000 GTT IMPROV THING, a 36-team improv comedy tournament, with $1,000, a spot at the 2010 Chicago Improv Festival, and a six-pack of 7 pound hot dogs from BigHotDog.com at stake. Think of it as March Madness crossed with a comedy show and a pack of hot dogs.
The show runs every Friday and Saturday night at 8pm until January 30, with additional preliminary rounds on Sunday, January 10 at 5pm and 9pm. Tickets are $12 and available either over the phone (773-598-4549) or at http://www.gorillatango.com.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
When people think iO, they usually think improv, and since iO is consistently giving us the best improv in the city (TJ and Dave, Cook County Social Club, Improvised Shakespeare) this is most definitely warranted. But to simply see iO as an "improv theater" would undercut its reputation for exploring other avenues of the comedic landscape.
Last night I caught the premiere performance of The El Show with Alex Moffat, a talk show that boasts itself as "a mixture of standup, improv, sketch, music, video clips, interviews with local celebrities, magic, poetry, [and] magical poetry." Moffat's host, a sort of cosmopolitan everyman, is accompanied by a rambling, somewhat drunk sidekick (Joey Romaine), a boisterous announcer (Rob Grabowski), and an adorable accompanist (Stephanie McCullough) through a jumbled array of comedic sketches and interviews. Last night's show featured Brian Posen, founder of the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, and while it's got plenty of kinks to work out, it gives neglected Chicago artists a loose and supportive venue to promote themselves and have some fun. Next week's show will feature Craig Uhlir, one-half of Middle-Age Comeback, one of my favorite shows at iO.
The El Show with Alex Moffat runs through February 19, playing every Friday at midnight in iO's Del Close Theatre (3541 N. Clark). Tickets are $5 (free for iO students) and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 773.880.0199.
Be sure to bring your cell phone and crank it up loud. Whoever gets the most calls or text messages during the show wins a prize!
— Randall Colburn / Comments (0)
World War II is going poorly for Hitler and the Nazi party. So the Fueher decides the best way to turn the tide in the war is to kidnap Santa Claus and take control of Christmas and all of Santa's magical secrets. The only thing standing in the way of their evil plot is a misunderstood elf, a misfit toy and a couple of hit men reindeer. Will that be enough to save Christmas? Find out when The Hot Karl presents, "Santa Claus Conquers the Nazis: The Musical."
"People expect us to do a dirty funny show, so that's nothing new. But thanks to musical director Steph McCullough and a cast of thousands -- actually a nine-person chorus -- it's a real holiday musical with real songs," said Hot Karl member Zach Thompson. "You should really come see it." It's only going up five times, every Saturday from Nov. 21 to Dec. 19. Shows start at 11:59pm at Comedy Sportz, 929 West Belmont. Tickets are $10, and you can get 'em here or call 312-559-1212.
— Michelle Peterson / Comments (0)
Part of me hesitated even posting this, for fear that the event would sellout and I'd be left weeping outside the ATC Theatre, but I figured it was my duty to share this crazy exciting event with the culture vultures of Chicago. Oscar Nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) will be playing with Chicago improv group Pudding Thank You, TJ Jagodowski, and more this Friday night as part of the regular ATC Improv series. The show begins at 11:00 pm, and for only eight dollars you get to enjoy a night of improv and free beer.
Michael Shannon at ATC Improv. Friday November 6th at 11 pm. Tickets are available only at the door for $8 and include free beer. ATC is located at 1909 W. Byron.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
A New York Times article features Lisa Leingang, a senior vice president at Comedy Central, saying great things about Chicago's own Improvised Shakespeare Company.
In case you aren't registered on the NYT site, here's how it goes down: The Q&A has turned to what Leingang looks for when she's scouting for talent:
Q. How do you keep from becoming jaded?
A. You just see one performer for every 50 who is just bizarre, irreverent, who has some sort of take that you have never seen. Not to sound Mary Sunshine, but it's rejuvenating. It reaffirms why I do it.
Q. Who was the last person who made you have that reaction?
A. The group Improvised Shakespeare; I brought them to Bumbershoot. They improvise a Shakespeare play based on a suggestion by the audience. It starts with rhyming couplet; it ends with rhyming couplet. The way they worked together is amazing. Every show had a standing ovation. It was one of those things where I'm crying laughing: just, how did they do it? That's the feeling that I like to have, and it's very validating. You can't translate that to TV. But we can try.
— Michelle Peterson / Comments (1)
Robot vs. Dinosaur, a writer-centric improv ensemble that originated in New York and was brought to Chicago in 2007, is enjoying a run of their show: Mrs. Gruber's Ding Dong School, at Gorilla Tango Theatre. A series of sketches loosely based around a preschool classroom, the show opens strong but loses focus. The premise of a school as a reference point seemed unnecessary, and even the best sketches ran too long, losing steam before they ended.
Some genuinely funny moments were had, but if this show were a national holiday it would be Canada Day, not the 4th of July - no fireworks but plenty of sparklers, and a few standout roman candles in the forms of Erin Morrill, Andrew Kraft, and Anthony Ellison, who came across like younger versions of Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell and Bill Murray.
— J.H. Palmer / Comments (0)
With social networking sites penetrating every aspect of our lives, it was only a matter of time until it got to our improv comedy as well. The Playground is currently presenting "The Tweet Life," a long-form improvisational show that utilizes an audience member's Twitter feed to help shape their show.
To choose the subjects of their show, The Playground asks twitterers (tweeters?) to follow @the_playground and @ reply "i want in on #thetweetlife." A random twitterer is selected (though presently the people following The Playground on Twitter tend to be fellow comedy folks), and prior to the show their tweets from the prior week are printed on slips of paper and given to the cast. Instead of asking for a suggestion, like in a traditional improv show, the show starts with someone reading a tweet, and throughout the show new tweets are thrown into the mix.
A show such as this could easily rest on its laurels and allow the conceit of the show to do the work, but "The Tweet Life" is serviced not only by a talented cast of performers, but the show is fortunate not to be overly reliant on the Twitter concept. Instead of recreating Tweets and replaying the minutiae of the twitterer's life, they use the tweets to inform the piece and incorporate them into a coherent whole that ties together recurring themes and characters. It's a surprisingly smart and hilarious night of comedy.
"The Tweet Life" plays Wednesday night at 8 o'clock at The Playground until October 11th, then moves to Friday nights starting October 13th. Reservations can be made at 773-871-3793 or www.the-playground.com. Tickets are $10.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
Chicago has long ago made its mark in the world of improvisational comedy, helping such stars such as John Belushi, Tina Fey, and Steve Carell achieve superstardom.
"What Are They Saying" is another improv troupe whose goal is to produce Chicago's next comedy superstar. The troupe, founded in 2001 and under the umbrella of educational theatre company For Children, By Children (FCBC), was founded and created by Rod Lewis, who also serves as its artistic director and producer.
What makes this improv troupe stand apart is that these family-friendly shows are not only performed by youth; they are also responsible for technical aspects including stage management, light and sound and choreography.
"What Are They Saying" is performing this Thursday, September 17, at 8pm, at the Showtime Comedy Club, 13343 S. Cicero Avenue in Crestwood, Illinois. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. For more information, please contact Rod Lewis, Artistic Director, at 708-769-9880.
— LaShawn Williams / Comments (1)
The Improvised Shakespeare Company -- easily the best improv bet in town -- now goes up twice every Friday night.
Starting Aug. 28, improvising thespians hit the stage Fridays for their regular 8pm show and then dust off, regroup and churn out a brand new show, based on a completely different suggestion, at 10:30pm.
Improvised Shakespeare shows start with a suggestion, which becomes the show's title and inspiration, all done in the language and themes of The Bard. That means lots of mismatched love and dastardly deeds, pickled with pop culture nods and just plain silly fun.
Each show (8pm and 10:30pm) is $14 in the Del Close Theater at iO, 3541 N. Clark St. For tickets, call 773-880-0199 or visit the website.
— Michelle Peterson / Comments (0)
If you've felt like there's been a gaping void in your life since "Perfect Strangers" went off the air, then there may be something out there to fill the emptiness that you've been feeling. At iO, "Guy Friends" is going into the fourth season of their fully improvised sitcom, which has been drawing crowds with their hilarity and series of very special guests. This season the friends move to Paradise Cove to open a beach-side bar, which seems to be a loving wink to sitcoms of past who do their string of "on the beach episodes". Tonight the second episode of the season "airs" at midnight and tickets are $5.
"Guy Friends" at iO, 3541 N. Clark St. midnight. Call 773.880.0199 for tickets.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
Long el rides, MegaBustrips to visit your family in Milwaukee, waiting to see if you'll be called to serve on a jury- these painfully long occasions all require some sort of self-contained entertainment to get you through them, and a clever podcast might be just what you need.
We'll Be Right Back with Ruby Streak is a Second City endeavor, hosted by their mainstage musical director Ruby Streak. It's both entertaining and edutaining, as the show's guests chat about life, comedy, and often their paths that lead them to Second City. They interview local Second City folk, in addition to reaching out to their extended family on the coasts and getting folks like "30 Rock's" Jack McBrayer and Scott Adsit to spill the beans. The show may slant towards comedy nerd-dom, but all should find it a good listen.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
In these tight economic times, it can be easy to just hole up in your apartment with a box of store-brand cookies and the remote control and claim financial distress as the excuse for you not leaving the house. However, local comedy theatres are taking down that excuse, and giving you a reason to leave the house- at least on Wednesday nights.
At iO (3541 N. Clark St.), Wednesday nights at 8 pm have traditionally been the free night, where comedy-loving patrons looking for some free entertainment can spend the night watching various groups perform the theatre's long-form piece, The Harold. The theatre puts some of its most seasoned teams on display, and generous drink specials make the night even more appealing.
At ComedySportz, they are returning with their second season of the Free Night of Comedy, also Wednesday nights at 8 pm. The Free Night of Comedy features a rotating roster of Comedy Sportz acts, ranging from newer teams to signature ComedySportz performers, and there's even a shot to get up onstage during the improv open mic.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
This Thursday at iO (3541 N. Clark St), local improv group 1,2,3, Fag! begins their run of Qweirdo, a totally gay, totally hilarious showcase that features homosexual performers from Chicago's comedy scene. The men of 1,2,3, Fag! are Kellen Alexander, Seth Dodson, and John Hartman, who met at The Playground and began improvising together this spring. Though the members of 1, 2, 3, Fag! are all gay, they do not set out to promote any type of political agenda when they perform. "1, 2, 3, Fag! sets out to entertain the audience and make them laugh, just like any other comedy group," says Dodson. "However, being three young gay men in a scene where we are a minority, our own viewpoints, opinions and feelings are undoubtedly going to be expressed."
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
With Mother Nature repeatedly delaying the true advent of warm weather, it's no wonder that Chicago comedians are looking to head out west. The Los Angeles Comedy Festival has been running since April 30 and will come to a finish this upcoming weekend, but not before two Chicago acts hit their stage this week. "Sex ed. with Sex Ed Vincent" (better known as Paul Brittain) and "Teenager of the Year" (Joe Avella and Tim Racine) both perform this week before the festival's close. "Sex ed" has enjoyed a successful run at iO, and "Teenager of the Year" performs regularly at the Playground, in addition to having a film accepted to the SXSW festival. I'll be sure to give you a heads-up when these folks perform, but in the meantime let's wish them luck in LA!
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
"Taking the stage as Denny Bender and The Denny Bender Four, White Jazz present an unpredictable, quirky improv show that satirically riffs on the white band leaders of the 1940s who turned the vibrant, fringe sounds of jazz into a form more popular with mainstream audiences."
The show is at 9:30 and tickets are $10 and can be purchased online, over the phone (773-561-HONK), or at the Annoyance (4830 N. Broadway).
Here's a clip of "White Jazz":
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
Colbert Report head writer and executive producer Allison Silverman is interviewed by Stephen Colbert in this month's Elle. Silverman was a Chicago comedy kid, performing at iO and Amsterdam's Boom Chicago, then she moved up the ranks and wrote for both The Daily Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien before moving to the Colbert Report. (It's worth reminding everyone that Stephen Colbert started out as a Chicago comedy kid himself.) Allison Silverman has done a lot of comedic ass-kicking, winning both Emmy and Peabody Awards for her work on these shows, and in this month's Elle Stephen Colbert sings her praises as part of a series of interviews with smart women.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
Wait, that's not right. Take a look at Long Pork's Soda -- yes, that's better.
Sketch comedy troupe Long Pork is mounting their new show Soda on Saturdays through May 23 at the Apollo Studio Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave. The show is described by co-producers (along with Player's Ring West) Grandma June's Sewing Circle as "a hyper-reality that bleeds Saturday morning cartoons. From shock collars, to science inspired dances, to robotic auditions, to renegade cops with a little girl to save, Soda is a sketch show that is a roaring ode to fun."
No clips available of the show, but here's a peek backstage:
— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)
The episode of "The Cosby Show" where Cliff finds a joint in Theo's geography book is perhaps one of the best known "very special episodes" of an 80s sitcom, and a member of Chicago's improv community actually played a part in this piece of pop culture history. If you've ever seen "The Armando Diaz Experience" or "The Improvised Movie" at iO, you may know Jason Chin, who in addition to being a terrific improviser, also made a guest appearance on "The Cosby Show" as Wickers, the guy who Theo first confronts about the joint in his geography book. Check out this YouTube clip of Jason's appearance, and relive all the greatness of this seminal piece of tv nostalgia:
Jason Chin on "The Cosby Show"
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
Imagine this:
You get a call from your Uncle Larry. He's in town for a conference out at O'Hare. He calls and asks what he can do for kicks without straying too far from his hotel. You doubt he wants to see Britney Spears at AllState Arena, and Jesus Christ Superstar at the Rosemont Theatre isn't really his bag either. Uncle Larry is a pretty funny guy, so you think he might like to check out a comedy show, but there aren't any good ones out by O'Hare...or are there?
In a partnership with the Hotel InterContinental Chicago O'Hare, local improv comedy theatres The Annoyance and Comedy Sportz are providing weekly shows out for audiences by O'Hare.
The Annoyance performs "Un-Tied" Fridays at 8:00 pm while ComedySportz performs their main stage show Saturdays at 8:00 pm.
The Hotel InterContinental Chicago is located at 5300 N. River Road in Rosemont.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (1)
Over at the WBEZ Chicago Public Radio Blog, local radio host and improv superstar Jimmy Carrane interviews Andy Dick on his show "Studio 312."
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
In an effort to compare apples and oranges, NBC 5 had a showdown between Zanies and iO Theater where Chicagoans could vote on the "Best Laughs" in the city. Zanies was triumphant, winning by a staggering 51% to iO's meager 49%. What's funnier than either comedy club, however, is the comments on the debate page. My personal favorites are "you suck, improv is not comedy and you need to realize that," and the claims that the competition is rigged. People apparently get pretty worked up when there's a human trophy at stake.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
If the crowds of over-served, over-festive St. Patrick's Day revelers haven't forced you to hole up in your apartment until the holiday is over, I recommend you check out Cook County Social Club's "Unplugged" show this Tuesday at 8:00 pm at the iO Theater (3541 N. Clark St.). According to the group they'll be improvising while their musical pals Butterscotch "pump out the Irish jams". The CCSC is always sharp and hilarious, so let them take your mind off the green madness in the streets with some laughs and tunes. More details here.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (13)
Chicago improvisers Joe Bill, Jon Barinholtz, Rob Belushi and pH Productions perform at this weekend's Spontaneous Combustion festival of improvisation in Atlanta, March 12-15.
This is the first year for Spontaneous, hosted by Atlanta's Basement Theatre and co-produced by yours truly. The festival snagged 313 as major headliners for the weekend, which includes Second City alumni Larry Joe Campbell ("According to Jim"), Keegan-Michael Key ("MAD-TV") and Nyima Funk (MTV's "Wild 'n Out"). Incidentally 313 will also be headlining the Chicago Improv Festival (April 13-19).
— Becky Brett
The late Del Close, co-founder and guru of the iO (formerly Improv Olympic), would've celebrated his 75th birthday this year, and in honor of the improv legend, the iO is hosting Del Week, a week-long series of shows, discussions, and special events. One of the highlights of this week, and an event that would surely have Del Close rolling over in his grave, is Women Aren't Funny. Del Close was firmly of the belief that women cannot be funny, and much to his horror, the women of Children of a Lesser God (Emily Candini, Kate Duffy, Rachael Mason, and Susan Messing) will be taking the stage with some special lady guests, attempting to improvise in spite of their gender deficiencies. Will these women be able to bring the funny even though they have ovaries? Come see for yourself this Sunday at 10:30 pm at the iO theatre (3541 N. Clark). More details here.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
I don't want to tell you what to do, but you would be wise to check out Michael Pizza, playing tonight at The Playground (3209 N. Halsted) at Midnight. Michael Pizza is Ben Kass, Eric Christensen, Josh Logan and Brett Elam. They're a fairly new group, but they play like they've been together for years and years. They bring the funny, and they bring a lot of it. There are three shows left in their run at The Playground, so if you can't catch them tonight, you have two more chances. Tickets are $5 and The Playground is BYOB.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
Each week Seth Weitberg (iO, Second City) sits down with one of his comedy friends and records two installments of "The Chicago Sessions", one of the hippest new podcasts around. "The Chicago Sessions" offers listeners the chance to catch both an improvised scene and also a casual conversation between Weitberg and his guest.
Although the show is only a couple months old, Weitberg has already built up an impressive archive of funny. His guests are a venerable "Who's Who" of Chicago improv rockstars, and each week they sit down to craft a hilarious scene (think "The Jack Benny Show" or Nichols and May) which is followed up by a chat about a topic of interest to the guest. It's like going to see a particularly hilarious improv show and then ending up on the same L car as the performers and eavesdropping on their conversation...only much less voyeuristic.
Though "The Chicago Sessions" podcast lends itself most easily to on-the-go listening, the website also features a nifty photo shoot with each of the show's guests. You can check out "The Chicago Sessions" here or you can subscribe via the iTunes Store here.
— Dyan Flores / Comments (0)
The Chicago Improv Rebellion is back and performing at ComedySportz. This is "punk rock improv" and not the usual family-friendly CSz fare. However, this lineup is about as close as improv gets to a guaranteed good time. Guests for this first show will be fantastic iO ensemble, The Reckoning, and one of my personal favorites, Pimprov (pimps who unwittingly took a class at the Playas Workshop of Second City).
The house ensemble, Hodge Podge, will feature (time around): Jon Barinholtz, Tyler Barkley, Allison Bills, Colleen Breen, Sean Ellis, Nick Hausman, Nathan Jansen, Peter Kremidas, John Langen, Ray Mees, Katie Nunn, Conner O'Malley, Matt Owens, Andrew Peyton, Eric Rutherford, Jake Schneider, Sam Weiner and Thomas Whittington. The whole hootenany is hosted by musician Nathan Cotter.
The show starts at 8 pm and the tickets are $10.
— Becky Brett / Comments (0)
The Chicago Improv Festival (CIF) announced their first main stage headliners for the 2009 festival (April 13-19). Frangela consists of Frances Callier and Angela Shelton--best friends from Chicago who now live in LA. According to the CIF website, the two can be seen on VH1's "The Greatest Week Ever" and Frances is also a cast member on "Hannah Montana." Frances and Angela will will also play themselves as guest stars in the upcoming movie He's Just Not That Into You.
Jonathan Pitts, CIF executive director, said, "Frances is also the co-founder of the Chicago Improv Festival, so we are looking forward to having her return to CIF's stages. Plus, this funny duo is a great example of the kind of thematic programming we're doing for the 2009 festival."
— Becky Brett / Comments (1)
Chicago stand-up showcase stalwart The Lincoln Lodge is all atwitter over a strong lineup for tonight and Friday night.
Lodge alumni Kumail, who is currently making it big in New York, recently made his debut on Saturday Night Live with a speaking part in a media-related sketch, and is back in town to make all his old pals at the Lodge laugh again. Also scheduled to perform are local favorites Dan Telfer and Allison Leber.
Still feeling political? Well, you can catch Chicago Tribune opinion page illustrator Joe Fournier giving a quick lesson in silly sketching at the Lodge as well. Audience members are invited to compete in a contest to sketch President-Elect Obama and his VP-Elect Joe Biden.
So brave the drizzle and boogie on over to the Lincoln Restaurant (4008 N. Lincoln Avenue, at the intersection of Lincoln, Damen and Irving Park), tonight at 9:00, part with a paltry $10, and enjoy a night of top-notch stand-up comedy, Chicago style.
— Elizabeth McQuern / Comments (0)
Sad news for the comedy and improv community: The Bastion is closing down due to the overwhelming schedules of its primary writers, Elizabeth McQuern and Kristy Mangel. McQuern shares more of the backstory as to why it's shutting down rather than switching to a new editor here.
Here at A/C, we'll do what we can to cover the scene, but it will pale, at least in the short term, in comparison to what the Bastion has done. It will certainly be missed.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)
The prodigal daughters return, hometown favorites who came back to step their game up. The comics and regulars who file into the Beat Kitchen on Belmont stop to welcome back Brooke Van Poppelen and Joselyn Hughes. The greetings are warm, congratulations and curiosity instead of envy, or spite. The two are here to take the stage for Chicago Underground Comedy, one of the most innovative stand-up shows in the city. Hughes and Van Poppelen both moved to New York City in 2006, and their return visit, they insist, is not a defeat but a strategic retreat before launching a new offensive.
"We just refuse to surrender," Joselyn tells me in between sips of Amstel, her light eyes fixed and sincere, looking through me. "New York City does try to beat you down. I hate to admit it, but it does."
"Everybody has a breaking point," Brooke breaks in. You know they are natural comedy partners, because Joselyn doesn't take issue with the interruption; rare for a stand-up. "But our reaction to the challenge was to put this show together, and to keep creating and refining."
The show they have created ("Macho"), is an ambitious two-woman sketch show directed by beloved Second City alumna and member of the improvised musical Baby Wants Candy Deb Downing-Grosz. Van Poppelen and Hughes will premiere the show this Thursday and Friday at the Lincoln Lodge at Lincoln, Damen and Irving Park. The Thursday show is at 8pm and the Friday show is at 7:30 with another at 9:30 (both $10). The highly wonderful Fay Canale opens on Thursday; and Nick Vatterott, one of the most unique stand-ups still local, opens on Friday.
— Ramsin Canon / Comments (0)
Centerstage has posted a list of five funny Chicago ladies to keep an eye on. What’s cool about the list is that they profile performers who are making their own opportunities outside of the improv establishment. Whether performing in one-woman shows or as part of an ensemble, the article gives the impression that these ladies work within a tightly knit community that’s not afraid to do their own thing in a traditionally male-dominated scene.
Thanks, Centerstage, for alerting me to the existence of the Spitfire Comedy Broad Squad. Without you I could not have spent the morning considering the absurdity of rape whistles and cats as domestic abusers.
— Jamie Smith / Comments (0)
Jared Logan, 2007's Best Comedian at the Chicago Comedy Awards, is going to be famous, and then you can be one of those annoying people who says, "That guy? Man, I saw him back in the day, when he used to perform in the back of this bar on Belmont." You can talk about how you "like his old stuff better." Don't you want to be one of those annoying people?
Jared is performing a 45-minute set tonight at the Beat Kitchen -- for free -- at 9:30. For stand-ups, a 45-minute set is something like an artist getting their own gallery show, except it is considerably less annoying, and about two-thirds drunker. How about another clever metaphor -- a 45-minute set for a comic is like bragging to all your friends that you're going to bowl a perfect game. So when you come to the Beat Kitchen to support one of Chicago's funniest humans, hold him to the standard of bowling a perfect game. Not really.
The set is presented by my heroes at Chicago Underground Comedy. Jared is a member of the fearsome Blerds. Come, drink, laugh, and flirt with the comics at the bar.
— Ramsin Canon / Comments (0)
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Tue Feb 9 2010
Funny Ha-Ha @ Hideout
Tue Feb 9 2010
Classic Candy @ Chicago History Museum
Wed Feb 10 2010
Colt Noble & the Megalords Launch Party @ Challengers Comics
Thu Feb 11 2010
Women's Caucus for Art @ CAA Conference
Thu Feb 11 2010
Sweet Tooth Bake Sale/Art Show for Chicago Art
Thu Feb 11 2010
Blowing Kisses @ EP Theatre
Fri Feb 12 2010
Power of Suggestion Listening Party @ Gene Siskel Film Center
Fri Feb 12 2010
Photographs by Jeff Harvey @ Strange Beauty Show
Fri Feb 12 2010
ANTEXPAGNA and 4x4 @ EBERSMOORE Gallery
Fri Feb 12 2010
The Disasterists present American Hipstery Text
Sat Feb 13 2010
Strange Tales Saturday @ Challengers Comics
Sat Feb 13 2010
Damian Abraham's X420X @ Concertina Gallery
Sat Feb 13 2010
Jacques Tati Double Feature @ Film Center
Sat Feb 13 2010
Painting Panel Discussion & Gallery Openings
Sat Feb 13 2010
Torn Pages @ OhNo!Doom
Sat Feb 13 2010
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Sun Feb 14 2010
Anvil! The Story of Anvil @ Empty Bottle
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