UK-by-way-of-Vancouver comedian Glenn Wool will be coming to the Lakeshore Theater November 20th and 21st. A popular name among the up and coming English comedy circuit, Wool is doing a rare US tour after a string of overseas engagements, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow.
Wool will be playing the Lakeshore Theater (3175 N. Broadway) on Nov 20 & 21, showtimes 7:30 & 10:30 each night. Tickets are $15 and available online or at the door.
Here is a clip of Wool, musing on the ineffectiveness of swearing.
Comedian Brent Weinbach's latest album, "The Night Shift", is what one might expect from an Andy Kaufman Award-winner. It's odd, very odd, but funny, and it goes all over the place. Stand-up bits are interspersed with cracked anecdotes told in a gravely NPR-esque voice, a few phone conversations are thrown in and to top it off there are some Cole Porter type piano tunes as well. The album is a grab bag of crassness, creepiness, sincerity, and foreign language lessons (I'm going to say "pinatas" and hope that at some point you will know what I'm talking about, and come back and laugh at this reference.), which is a lot to digest while listening to on your iPod, and might just be better served live.
Fortunately for Chicagoans, Brent Weinbach will be in town this evening kicking off the tenth season of comedy at the Lincoln Lodge. The Lincoln Lodge is a premier showcase for local comedians and variety acts, and to celebrate their tenth season they're bringing in headliners and Lincoln Lodge alumni. The show is tonight at 9:00 pm at the Lincoln Lodge (4008 N. Lincoln Ave), and tickets can be purchased for $10 here or by calling (773) 251-1539.
When a comedian's intro involves lugging a suitcase full of props on stage, most stand-up enthusiasts may shrug cynically -- until he whips out flaming chainsaws and knife-strapped bowling balls to juggle on his face. Well, then it gets interesting.
"The World's Most Dangerous Comic" or Mark "the Knife" Faje isn't exactly a one-trick switch-blade-emblazoned-flaming pony either. He's got jokes, and has performed or opened for numerous bands from Pearl Jam and Marilyn Manson to Nelly and John Mayer, to name a few. Aside from his appearance on "America's Got Talent," Faje has also been seen on "Late Night with David Letterman" and "Ripley's Believe It or Not."
Luckily for Chicago, Faje is not only performing two of his gasp-inducing acts, but it's "free" with a $10 returnable deposit. The shows are on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7pm and 10pm at Aloft Loft, 2041 W. Carroll Ave. Tickets and further information available at their Brown Paper Tickets site.
What could be more fun than Hebrew school? How about a bunch of naughty Jewish girls displaying a heck of a lot of chutzpah?
"Nice Jewish Girls Gone Bad," a humorous mix of comedy, music, and burlesque, is playing at Lakeshore Theater this weekend. The show includes a rotating cast of women who have been featured on Comedy Central, HBO, and MTV, and have been wowing crowds everywhere with this over-the-top performance.
The show follows the "badass chosen chicks" as they deconstruct years of tradition, rebeling against the expectations of their religion. These are the girls who smoked at Hebrew school, got drunk at BatMitzvahs, and prefer schtuppa rather than the chupah. And if that is not enough to entice a crowd, their rendition of "L'chaim" will certainly do it.
The show begins Friday, September 4 at 7:30 p.m. There will be two performances on Saturday, September 5, 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. These girls have been selling out shows everywhere, so get your tickets quick! Lakeshore Theater: 3175 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657, 773-472-3492
First it was Pat O'Brien, now we find out that Chicago stand-up Hannibal Buress has also been hired to write for the newest season of Saturday Night Live. Buress has been living and performing in New York City, having recently appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and he recently announced on his Twitter page that he would be joining the SNL cast on the 17th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
"hey. i found out that ill be writing on this season of SNL. lots of elaborate poop sketches will be pitched this season:"
Tune in to the season premiere of the 35th season of SNL on September 26th on NBC!
Winner of the Jury Award for Best Stand-Up Comedian at the 2004 HBO Aspen Comedy Festival, Al Madrigal is a fast-rising comedic star. The New York Times has praised him as "dynamic" and his spontaneous, fresh personality shines through in his knack for humorous storytelling. He has landed numerous television spots, including his own Comedy Central Presents Special. Recently, he starred as "Jesus" in the CBS show Welcome to the Captain, and he is expected to star in another CBS production called Project Gary. Now he is coming to Chicago.
This weekend, Al will be performing at Lakeshore Theatre on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1. There are two shows per night, one at 7 p.m. and the other at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are only $15. Contact Lakeshore Theatre for more details and ticket purchases. 773-472-3492. 3175 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657.
Anyone who has popped onto jezebel.com or a similar lady-centric site in the past few months is probably familiar with Sarah Haskins. Haskins is the genius behind Target Women, a hilarious snark-heavy Current TV series that tackles the most infuriating types of female-centric advertising and broadcasting. This weekend Haskins will be bringing some of that hilarity back to Chicago (she's a Second City and iO alum) as part of the Just for Laughs festival.
Haskins will be performing with improv group American Dream on Friday night at 10 pm at the Playground, and again with beloved late night sketch show The Late Night Late Show on Saturday at Midnight at iO.
Tickets can be purchased on the Just For Laughs website here.
And here's one of my favorite Target Women pieces, where Sarah Haskins worries about the safety of Ann Curry:
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."
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.
Well, not exactly, but his Rescue Me Comedy Tour is coming to the Chicago Theater April 11, and tickets are on sale now.
Readers of GB's Party Line newsletter got a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show last week, but you've got another chance over at Chicagoist. Otherwise, tickets are on sale now.
I'm bored! It's f'ing freezing out there. I've been working 16 hour days. Life's got me down--sometimes, it's just too much gherkins, as the ancient saying goes.
Luckily, one of the funniest people in the country (Maria Bamford), joined by one of the funniest people in the city (Dan Telfer), are going to be performing at one of the best venues in the city (Lakeshore Theater) for only $20 (uh...10+10) this Friday and Saturday, and what's more, you can "vote with your feet" against Christopher Hitchens' once-infamous, always-asinine contention that women aren't funny because evolutionary sexual selection makes it unnecessary, and making a woman laugh is proof that you can make her "surrender" (his creepy word). Anyway.
Hannibal Buress is a genuine Chicago local and one of the featured stand-ups in the new stand-up feature documentary The Awkward Kings of Comedy, which aims to show another side of the so-called "black comic." Hannibal is hilarious. Watch the trailer, then watch Hannibal.
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.
From Blewt!, the folks who brought you four years of the brilliant comedy game show Don't Spit the Water and Impress These Apes (season three starts tonight at the Lakeshore Theater, oh yes it does) comes Blewtenanny, the stand-up showcase that's evolving into a sort of "quirky playful post-modern" variety show, according to producer and host Bryan Bowden. Though it began as strictly a stand-up showcase, the format now includes two stand-ups, a musical comedy act, and a "crazy weird-ass wild card" act. Local faves Robert Buscemi and Chad Briggs are booked for the stand-up slots for the next show, on October 3.
Bryan Bowden:
"The new format is a chance to bring in a variety of audiences as well as performers," Bowden explained. "That last slot especially is for some of the amazing performers who are engaging and entertaining but hard to book in a normal comedy/music setting. I've seen some really cool acts that are really difficult to classify, and I'm hoping to give those performers a chance at Blewtenanny."
Blewtenanny has been going strong since March, and beginning October 3 will be settling into its new home at The Strawdog Theater (3829 N. Broadway), and its new schedule of the first Friday of every month at 11pm. Admission is $5 and anything you buy at the bar benefits Strawdog itself, which is a non-profit artistic enterprise.
Blewtenanny is a great night of raucous fun for audiences partly because it's one of the comedians' favorite shows to perform at. The earliest shows were at midnight at the BYOB Playground Theater, and caught the leftover audience members from the previous show, the now-retired Don't Spit the Water. That meant a warmed-up, tipsy crowd sometimes ready to get loud and interact with the performers. Bowden, a CPS 8th grade teacher by day, applied a gently authoritative hand, keeping the rowdy crowds engaged but under control.
Alyson Lyon and Sarah King:
SarahKing, fresh off her well-received one woman show "Good Crazy/Bad Crazy," has performed at Bowden's show twice and said "I think Bryan's room is very welcoming because he's such a nice guy and he makes the comics and audience feel comfortable. He runs it in a casual but professional way that encourages performers to take more chances with their material, so you never know what you're going to see, which I love."
Neil Arsenty, a seasoned improv and sketch vet who recently began exploring stand-up, said "Bryan's show is a great experience. I'm totally grateful to him for giving me a shot as the very first comic in the very first Blewtenanny. I had never done stand-up before but I felt very comfortable. We had drunk people right in the front row who talked to me during my set, and they were the nicest drunk people you could ask for."
Andrew DeWitt, another sketch and comedy video vet who began doing stand-up earlier this year after joining the circle of friends in Bowden's stand-up writing workshop, went from open mics to headlining slots in a scant few months, and openly credits Bowden and other friends for his rapid ascent. DeWitt, who is moving to Los Angeles this week to delve into comedy there, said "I love performing at Blewtenanny. It's always a great time and has a relaxed, laid-back vibe. We get to hang out with all of our comedy friends and stick around afterwards for a while and booze it up with the audience and our pals. Things can get out of hand but only in a good way."
Lincoln Lodge cast member and Fourth Fridays producer Cameron Esposito agrees. "Blewtenanny is one of only a few shows in the city where I feel I can test out really strange and outlandish material," she said. "The crowd may be rowdy and they may be drunk, but it's that rare brand of smart drunk that digs my weirdest comedic thoughts."
More pictures and a video highlight reel of a recent Blewtenanny after the jump.
(*This post's author co-produces Chicago Underground Comedy.)
Every Tuesday at 9:30pm, the Beat Kitchen (2100 W. Belmont) takes a break from the rock and punk bands that grace the stage every other night of the week to host Chicago Underground Comedy, an independent artist-produced stand-up showcase featuring Chicago's best and brightest alternative stand-up comedy talent. It's a lot of smart funny for only $5.
The show began several years ago with 16 core cast members, but few of those original comedians remain. The group is constantly refreshed with up-and-coming new talent, as every few months, another comedian leaves the training ground of Chicago for New York or L.A.
Among the show's current cast members, favorite guests, and returning ex-pats are an impressive tally of credits: new writers for Saturday Night Live, new cast members on MADtv, and performances on Comedy Death Ray, Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Live at Gotham, the Craig Ferguson Show, Last Call With Carson Daly, and more.
Highlight video from May and more photos from last Tuesday's Chicago Underground Comedy show after the jump!
Sunday nights at 8pm, Town Hall Pub (3340 N. Halsted) opens its doors for "Entertaining Julia," a free comedy variety show currently produced by local comedians Beth Stelling, and sisters Danielle and Tiffany Puterbaugh. (Yes, Julia is the lass behind the bar.)
Chicago's small but thriving stand-up scene, long overshadowed by Chicago's legendary improv influence, is vital partly because of its "put on your own show" mindset, and this show has all the charming DIY hallmarks: a flexible start time, cheap beer specials, a nice mix of stand-up and music, and hosts in silly wigs and costumes who hug you the minute you come in the door.
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.
The F Yeah Tour, featuring musical acts like Monotonix and Team Robespierre, will have a comedy contingent when it comes to Chicago. The very hilarious Nick Flanagan and native Chicagoan Hannibal Buress will anchor the show. Hannibal is the funniest man in Chicago, if TimeOut Chicago is to be trusted (in this case, yes, they are), and if you've heard his bit about text messaging at parties about parties, and if you're me, then you would agree. Hannibal is on the rise; he's been touring his act and has popped up on the late night circuit, on the Craig Ferguson show. Hannibal once told me that the thing he liked most about doing stand-up was making people laugh, and that sums him up: he's really, really funny, no matter what genre of comedy you enjoy, whether comedy nerd or bachelorette party.
(NSfW)
Hannibal is going to appearing tomorrow night at Stan Mansion at 2408 N. Kedzie starting at 7p.m. It's all ages, only $12. Laugh and laugh and laugh.
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.
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