Comedy

LOL WITH IT: Philly's showbiz export, stand-up comics (pt. 1)

POSTED: Friday, January 14, 2011, 9:00 PM

Filed Under: Comedy | LOL With It Stand-up

Every Friday Ryan Carey takes a look at who and what's giving Philly the giggles ... While Philadelphia is still burgeoning as a serious comedy market, our local funnymen have been cutting their teeth for decades in Philly's farm league before zipping off to the majors, and appearing on your favorite late night shows. I spoke with a handful of once-Septa-riding comedians who have ventured elsewhere to make a living in stand-up — but still call Philly home. They were asked: WHEN did they start comedy & when did they leave Philly? WHY did they relocate? HOW has it been going? WHO were their favorite Philly comics or bookers in the Philly scene when they left? WHERE can we find them performing should we happen to be in their town? Paul F. Tompkins

prestigecomedians.com

Paul F. Tompkins

WHEN? I started in 1986, right after graduating high school. My first open mic was at the Comedy Works, above the Middle Eastern Restaurant at Second & Chestnut. I left Philadelphia in 1994 and moved to Los Angeles. WHY? After eight years of doing stand-up, I wanted to pursue opportunities in television and film. I got my first big break in 1996, when I was hired to write and perform on an HBO sketch show called "Mr. Show with Bob & David." HOW? In addition to continuing stand-up comedy, I've gotten to work on a variety of projects, got nominated for an Emmy for writing, even acted in a small role opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood. WHO? Philadelphia was a great place to start stand-up, and one of my favorite comics was Todd Glass. And what I love about the comedy scene in Los Angeles is that great comics like Todd journey from their various hometowns to work here in this city. It's the best of performers from all over, all in one place. WHERE? My two favorite places to perform in Los Angeles are Largo at The Coronet, a theater where I do a variety show on the third Saturday of every month, and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, where I get to perform alongside some of the most creative and inspiring men and women working today. See what TuRae and Jimmy Shubert have to say after the jump ... TuRae

laffhouse.com

TuRae

WHEN? I started doing comedy in 1991 at Temple University. It was an"Open Mike Night." I got to do 10 minutes, and I was funny enough to win $50. I left Philadelphia in 2007. And I currently reside in Union, N.J. Why? I had truly done all I could d in Philadelphia. New York — or the NY area — provides endless opportunities for comedy in all of its forms (stand-up, writing, acting, etc ...) It's all here for the taking. How? Well, my career has improved tenfold. By 2008 I was on television three times, HBO, Starz, & NBC. I also attended the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal as a "New Face" (after damn near 20 years in the biz). In 2008, I taped another show for BET, and signed with McDonald Murray Management. In 2009 I appeared on Comedy Central's live at Gotham, and landed my first national commercial for Microsoft. Through various appearances around the city, I'm able to work in most, if not all, of the clubs in New York, which led to me being selected as host for the national Royal Comedy Tour starring Sommore & D.L. Hughley. In 2010, I have continued to work as much as possible, and great opportunities always present themselves here. Who? My favorite venue is of course my home club, the Laff House, where I started. The current comedy scene in Philly is great. Lots of work, lots of shows I only have a problem with what seems to be an oversaturated market. Open mic comedians starting "rooms" and charging the people top dollar when the quality isn't there yet. It doesn't seem to matter, but down the road, it will kill the interest in live comedy if all of the comedy is considered the same level. But I appreciate the new energy that seems to be driving Philly's comedy scene right now. It's a great city to start comedy in; Philly will prepare you for the hard job you gotta be ready for. Where? I work at Comix in NYC, Jokes and Notes in Chicago, The Miami Improv — actually, any improv — and of course, my monthly comedy show Soul Comedy. Jimmy Shubert

jimmyshubert.com

Jimmy Shubert

When? After being an accomplished magician at 15 and attending the Philadelphia High school for Creative and Performing Arts, I started doing comedy in 1984. I did it for a few years and then left for Los Angeles in 1986. WHY? I wanted bigger things I knew I couldn't get in Philly. Some of the comedians were doing material specific to Philly and Jersey and I wanted to find a national audience. HOW? I have done television and movies — I have a career acting as well as doing stand-up. I have a Comedy Central special; I just produced and wrote an hour special that will be on I-Tunes shortly; and because I have these credits I get paid more money when I do personal appearances. I am a national headliner as opposed to a regional headliner. WHERE? I work at the improv and comedy store in LA. The scene in LA is great if you are established. If you're not it's really tough. It's weird, stand-up is still considered a step child to the arts.

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INTERVIEW: Stand-up comedian Marc Maron

POSTED: Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 2:00 PM

Filed Under: Comedy

Marc Maron plays Helium tonight through Saturday.

Wait till these aliens land, because they've got some stand-ups in outer space that no one knows that are fucking geniuses. Very hard to understand, 'cause their references are all outer space references. But I'm looking forward to them coming down soon. The iTunes store is lousy with comedy podcasts. Most of them are free, some of them are funny and more than a few of them concern themselves with The Life Of The Stand-Up Comic. But none of them dig deeper more often than comedy veteran Marc Maron's WTF. A biweekly show that started in 2009, WTF has a strange countercultural vibe, opening with the host rifling through a laundry list of grievances and observations barely connected, but always knotted up nicely at the end. Then comes the interview, usually just him and some other comic sitting across from each other in his garage. The conversation is always driven by Maron's caffeinated curiosity. The man makes no bones about his ego and neuroses when it comes to stand-up, but as an interviewer he's actually pretty generous in sharing the mic with his guests. He's had lots of big names on the show — Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Eugene Mirman, Janeane Garofalo, Maria Bamford, Paul Scheer — and a ton of up-and-comers, but his two-parter with Carlos Mencia in May of 2010 is probably WTF's signature moment so far. Mencia, of course, is not popular among his fellow comics and is often accused of joke-stealing. Non-confrontational but journalistically persistent, Maron pins him down in an uncomfortable, mesmerizing interview that had the comedy world buzzing for a while. Mostly, though, WTF walks the funny/interesting line, just two people shooting the shit. Tonight Maron starts a four-night run at Helium. When I got him on the phone, he'd just finished recording the intro for his interview with Scott Carter, executive producer of Real Time with Bill Maher, and was just about to take his vitamins. Lots of them. City Paper: What vitamins are they? Marc Maron: You don't even want to know. My dad is a vitamin freak, and I fought it for as long as I could and now he's got me on it. I take so many. I take three handfuls. The thing about vitamins is you have no idea if they work but once you start taking them you feel like something horrible is going to happen to you if you don't. it's sort of like religion, you know? CP: Is it an immediate affect, or a cumulative thing? MM: I don't know if I feel any affect whatsoever. But I don't feel bad. I mean, I do have a little cold right now so they didn't stop that so what good are they? Maybe they're doing something. CP: How do you feel about homeopathy? MM: I don't know. It doesn't seem to work. Doesn't seem to have much of a kick. I mean I'll do it, but it always seems like candy to me. I don't know. Sometimes you can beat the cold. Sometimes you can't. CP: So you've been doing two podcasts a week for a year and a half. That's nuts. MM: It's my job. But it's also a great pleasure to get to hang out with people. It's not very often you get to talk to people. It definitely takes a lot out of me, but it's been well received and people dig it so I keep going. We're figuring out a way to make money off it. I'm really just going for a conversation. I don't really have a plan. I don't do a lot of research. If I can get people to do an authentic conversation where we lose kinda ourselves in it then that's all I'm really looking for. And we can go as deep as we can go. If it feels like it's gonna go deep, we'll go deep. If not, we won't. CP: Sometimes it seems like you're a shrink for your guests. MM: I've always felt that — being in this brotherhood of gypsies and rejects for as long as I have — we're all pretty candid and we're pretty free to express ourselves however we want to express ourselves. All of us have spent a lot of time thinking, one way or the other, because we have more time that most people, because of our profession. I just find that a lot of comics are pretty philosophical and have a lot to say about a lot of things. They're relatively willing to talk about stuff in a really deep way. CP: It's not much insider baseball talk. MM: No, it's human shit. CP: People don't come on and just do their acts. MM: Never, really. And if they do, they usually paraphrase it. I guess it has something to do with me. I'm a pretty open wound myself. If I share a little bit about me, and listen, then people share a little bit about themselves. It's very emotionally rewarding for me to talk to people and to do it twice a week, or more. Gets me out of my own head. And we all work through a bunch of stuff, you know: people on the show, me, people listening. It's good. It's a good thing to do in life. CP: Do you feel like you're the same comedian you were 10 years ago? MM: No. definitely not. I used to be a very angry, people would say, provocative [comedian]. I think I'm still provocative but I don't go for the— I'm not as defensive or shocking as I used to be. Or angry. I think I've pulled away from politics a bit. I want to try to have the same type of experience with my audience as I do with my friends, in a way. I'm still myself but I don't have any fear or any grandiosity from that fear. CP: From an outsider's perspective: You don't give a too much of a shit any more. It's a weird mix of confidence and neuroses. MM: My exasperation that comes from trying to find your place in show business — I think that's faded a bit. And also the panic of not getting over on a crowd, that seems to have gone away. I'm definitely more relaxed and open about things. I think that's a good observation. I think I've grown up a little bit. CP: Are you the Art Bell of comedy? MM: Oh sure, wait till these aliens land, because they've got some stand-ups in outer space that no one knows that are fucking geniuses. Very hard to understand 'cause their references are all outer space references. But I'm looking forward to them coming down soon, and coming to the garage. I'm waiting for that. I've got a beacon on top of the garage. CP: Do you know what I mean, though? He could take anything and make it out to be a sign of the apocalypse. MM: See, I feel like I'm less cynical and less dreading. I think if there's a darkness to it all, it's just you know underneath the surface of every person there's some sort of potential apocalypse. There's something being fought back for the sake of someone's families and the security of their jobs. You have to keep a lot inside.

CP: For some comedians, their act is an escape. MM: Yeah. I can't escape. I have a hard time with that. Unless I'm gonna sit down and eat ice cream with the crowd, or watch a movie. No, I'm not just about entertainment for entertainment's sake. I'm not saying I'm against that, I'd like to be more of that, but I do seem to place myself at the center of things. I seem to want to think about things and figure things out. CP: Art Bell would do his show alone in the desert in his doublewide trailer. You're similar in that way, in your opening monologues on the show, a guy alone with his thoughts. MM: As we speak I'm that guy sitting alone in my garage. Surrounded by books that mostly are unread, or only 20 pages in. A lot of art work around, lot of bits and pieces I've picked up over the years of my life, all kinds of shit in here. I've got to get rid of it. I think I'm a hoarder. I can't tell if I'm a hoarder or nostalgic. That's my take on it. CP: Well, the second might lead to the first. MM: Yeah, but why does everything have to be a sickness? Why can't a guy just feel safe in his stacks of books protected and insulated and somewhat more intelligent just for owning the books? CP: Why do you think you're so good at making doom and gloom enjoyable? MM: I guess it's doom and gloom, I don't know. I assume that much of our life is spent trying to come to peace with the fact that it doesn't really end well for any of us but it does end. And either you can avoid it or you can somehow acknowledge it. And I think acknowledging it with a little bit of a sense of humor is probably a pretty good thing. It's gotta be better than living in denial completely. I don't know why I'm so good at it. I come from a sort of cynical weird worrying negative father. And I think most of my life I've had to make him feel better. So I think I owe him credit for that. CP: I know he's been on the show a couple times... MM: He doesn't know he's been on the show. I don't want him to know. He can't figure out how to do it, so I leave it at that. I don't' tell him that I record it. CP: So, why does your IMDB page say you were on Patty Duke when you were like two years old? MM: I don't know. I wrote them about that. I don't know why they didn't take it off. CP: So it's definitely not true? MM: If it is I have no recollection of it. Maybe I should ask my parents. But I think they would have told me that. CP: So WTF's most famous moment so far must be your two-parter with Carlos Mencia, where you talk to him about the accusations that he steals jokes. MM: I didn't set out to tear him down. The first interview was to make some sense of— I didn't know how big the accusations were, or how horrible, or how hated he was, I just knew that we had done these comedy half hours in '95 together for HBO. But I'm not a big gossip. I don't hang around and get all the dirt on everybody, you know. I just wanted him to come in and try to explain a little bit why he thought he was in that place. I was sympathetic. But then I felt like he bullshitted me. And then I went out and interviewed a couple guys that knew him, and I had to call him back and say: Look, you know, I need you to answer these questions. It was never my agenda to persecute the guy or crucify him. CP: Do you feel like he felt that way? MM: No. I just talked to him the other day. I didn't know how he felt but he lives in sort of a bubble, that guy. It takes a lot for him I would think to just get out of bed sometimes, with that much hate coming at him and also that he's got some serious psychological issues, I don't know what it is, I'm not a professional, but. CP: Do you get the feeling he doesn't Google himself? MM: To what end? I would think that what he's doing is trying to live with what's being said about him and also to live with whatever his personal truth is. The second episode — he was clearly at war with himself somehow. He's got a lot on his plate, to deal with his own inner battles. CP: So, what's up with all these birds dying? MM: There's no doubt there's a disruption in the force. I didn't hear about it. I was talking to somebody last night about bedbugs. You know, why now? I was like well there's a disturbance in the force. What are you gonna do? The bees are dying, the bedbugs are out of control, the birds are dying. We're in a closed system, here. It can only take so many toxins before the system starts to fuckin' die. But anyway, I'm gonna be at Helium and it's gonna be funny. STARTING TONIGHT: Marc Maron does stand-up comedy, Wed.-Sat., Jan. 12-15, $10-$15, Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., 215-496-9001, heliumcomedy.com.

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LOL WITH IT: Ryan Stout weaves a tapestry of multidimensional wrongness

POSTED: Friday, January 7, 2011, 7:00 PM

Filed Under: Comedy LOL With It

Photo | Shannon Casey

Visit Stout on Youtube

Ryan Stout — performing tonight and tomorrow at Helium Comedy Club — is charming, charismatic, diplomatic, intellectual, and good at covering up a clear lack of morals — a bit like what I imagine the anti-Christ would be. Despite knowing his words would end up in a blog column, he confides in me that he hates the internet, because the aggregation of world knowledge ruins the possibility for the non-existent to exist ... "I wanna be a legend ... The internet is a legend killer." With that in mind, I'm going to crack the Ryan Stout mythos, which has gained traction steadily over the past ten years — thanks to a global touring schedule and regular appearances on E!'s Chelsea Lately. If you see him at Helium this weekend, he'll have you believe that the jokes he's telling — despite sounding plain evil — are essentially wholesome at the core. He'll actually spend a significant portion of his stage time explaining this, and even longer if you happen to spend an hour on the phone with him. But the fact of the matter is that he's a salesman, using logical-sounding double talk to sell your soul back to you — after you've laughed at the mentally handicapped, child molestation and microwaved little-people — or, if you didn't laugh, he's selling you the idea that you can still call yourself a good person if you'd like to chuckle at the next one. But he's lying to you. And I'm not sure what it says about me as a person, that this lie adds fervor to my swoon over him as one of the most brilliant working comics in the country. (It probably says that I've watched There Will Be Blood one too many times.) A master wordsmith, Stout can weave a tapestry of multidimensional wrongness that really does the heart good, especially if you genuinely love the craft of comedy. The phrase "shock comic" will usually be a turn-off so I don't want to give you the wrong idea. Stout never utters the F-word once, never shows a hint of anger, and — for all I can tell — never shares any genuine feelings about ... anything. But where a "shock" comic would make you say, "I can't believe he just said that," Ryan Stout will make you say, "I can't believe I just laughed at that."

Photo | Shannon Casey

To vote for Stout in Comedy Central's Standup Showdown, text "stout" to 44696

So I exaggerated earlier with implications that enjoying Stout's comedy makes you a bad person. It only makes you a bad person in the puritanical sense, in the reactionary sense. The truth is that laughing at something — or even joking about something — can't really make you a bad person. Or, if it can, it should be noted that Stout isn't doing crowd work at a highschool, permanently lowering self-esteems. He isn't slinging one-liners at a funeral home, magnifying the grief of recent widows. He's at a nightclub, highlighting inconsistencies and poorly worded cliches. The fact that he challenges even the most liberal-minded conversational mores at the very same time is part of what makes him a visionary comic. He's like Neo seeing the meta-verbal matrix and flexing your sensibilities for a more nuanced journey through post-modernity. Growing up in El Paso, Texas Stout found being a straight white male made him a minority. Like many comics, a sharp tongue became a necessary utility during his formative years. "I was defending myself a lot when I was a kid. Physically I wasn't going to be able to take people on, especially in groups — I had to use my wit." It was during these years that Stout figured out how to inflame his opponents without ever actually being vulgar. "I had to learn to win the verbal battles in a way that could be done in front of the teachers." More after the jump — including a video and details about his performance schedule. So far, I admit I'm making him sound pretty confrontational, but as an intelligent audience member, Stout is on your side. He insists he doesn't design his comedy to piss anyone off. It's based on things that "seem" (read: are) wrong morally, but logically they make sense. He claims that people let a lot of things fly because the jokes works in context, but certain people have no sense of logic, only needless empathy ... and the squares come in all sizes. Stout says that, perhaps counter-intuitively, one particular demographic of people who enjoy his act enough to approach him with kind words after shows are rich older people. "I have a couple theories on that. Older people haven't had their attention span ruined by the internet, so they can remember a call-back from 45 minutes ago. Also, I think wealthy older folks are comfortable with life in a certain way, that when they're going to a show they're going to appreciate a good show. Others might be going to a show just to drink excessively." There is a subtle difference between people who are going out to "have a good time" vs. going out to "appreciate a good show." It makes you think about the difference between the people who attend the theater vs. people who lose their shit over a hockey fight. Now the stark contrast between Stout and a "shock comic" really begins to sublimate. Unfortunately, Ryan reports that the wealthy elderly (henceforth to be referred to as the wealtherly) only really go out to Tower Theatre-esque shows (places where he might be opening for Bob Saget). They don't watch Comedy Central and they don't go out to night clubs. So that leaves the general public to get most of the laughs from what he's doing. And when it comes to a random sample of the American cross section, Stout is likely to be a love-or-hate type of comic (for either good or bad, people will surely write letters). What with the wealtherly unreliable to turn out at Helium in large volume, Stout is basically relying on the intelligent younger folks of Philly to enjoy some truly vibrant comedy that not all Americans have the high-powered effectiveness to appreciate. "I always loved performing in Philly because it's one of those places where poeple are forced to interact with strangers on a daily basis. It's not like Des Moines where they get in their car and go to work, and never see someone they haven't met. But when you're on the subway, you see strange people doing strange things on a regular basis. If I'm on stage and I talk about one of those girls who cut themsevles, people here can relate. But people in Des Moines hear that and they can't relate at all, they're like 'oh my god!'' So, it may or may not be a match made in heaven that Stout will be headlining Philly's top comedy room. When you combine our city's strong presence of intellectually minded culture-junkies with our notorious battery-throwing lust for pure evil, Philly should be Darth Stout's home away from home. I half-kid, of course. To a comedy savvy mind, Stout is actually a Jedi Knight, restoring ballance to a comedy landscape which has succomed at times to lowest-common-denominator material and style-over-substance. "I took a strange interest in comedy since I was very little. I had notepads where i would write down my jokes. I knew from very young that I would do it some day. The naÃ¯veté which that produces was that everybody on the planet respects stand-up as much as I do. So the first few years at shows, when people would heckle, I'd be in the back of the room going, 'Wait, what's happening here? They're doing work! What kind of psychopath would interrupt?' But it's a job where I deal with the general public, and [as we learned from Carlin] the public sucks." There is certainly a strong element of elitism to Stout's material (not to mention his general appearance and demeanor). "I always thought jokes were funnier when you're in the position to get the joke, and people around you don't get the joke. I think you enjoy the joke more, you feel like it's an inside joke. I craft jokes that you have to do some of the work on, because I want to leave some of you behind. I hate the comics who get onstage and want everybody to like them. I'm like, what world are you living in! As long as the majority get it, that's fine..." Stout touts consumer responsibility, and despises that about crowds come out to shows and don't know what they're gonna get, and then they get upset when it's something they don't like. He frequently compares it to the movies. "You wouldn't go out to the movies and say, any movie will do, I just like movies!" For what it's worth at this point, Stout is remarkably classy. Even though he must clearly know how prodigous his comedy is, he's pretty humble, without the slightest hint of diva. He credits this to having an incrementally advancing career. Where as some comics receive a huge break and get white hot (which can over-inflate the ego), Stout says he had to step on every wrung of the ladder, which makes him appreciative of... pretty much everything: his openers, the clubs that book him, the big names he's worked with. He's a very generous professional, and seems all-around good-natured. This is all part of what makes it so exhilarating that he's willing to publicly unravel the ubiquitous moral treadmill we're all running on. He very well may be the anti-Christ, and it's a very exciting thing. "It's fine for people to understand human empathy, but they also have to have some smarts. Someone saw my half-hour and hated it. He wrote, 'I saw Ryan Stout's special twice and i think it's garbage. This guy's being willfully sociopathic.' ...well I AM doing that... and I wonder why you can't get on board..."

Fri., Jan. 7 and Sat., Jan. 8, 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m., $20-$25, Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St., 215-496-9001,heliumcomedy.com.

Nerd Patrol

Posted 2011-01-07 14:26:24

ready for a written venn diagram?

(Myq Kaplan()Ryan Stout()Anthony Jeselnik)

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 7:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

LOL WITH IT: Tonight's yuletide variety show, brought to you by Secret Pants

POSTED: Thursday, December 23, 2010, 5:45 PM

Filed Under: Comedy | Critical Mass LOL With It

Photo | Zia Hiltey

Would you be OK with missing this?

Look, I know you have plans tonight. People are in from out of town, and the old gang is having a cocktail party or pub crawl. Not a soul in Philly gets Friday off from work without salivating about the Thursday night that comes before it. Hell, for the average 28-year-old, tonight is the real holiday. I'm not trying to discourage you from the same old festivity. Certainly pregame at the pow-wow or end up there for a night-cap. But at 8:30, grab as many of your jolly-ass chuckleheads as you can, and head over to Johnny Brenda's for Nobody Ever Dies on Christmas (Except Toshiro Mifune). Who's on the show tonight: Animosity Pierre: Brilliant Philly weirdos behind the Previously on Lost meme. Meg & Rob: Philly sketch-smiths who recently worked with Gamervision on the Invention of Pong. Bare Hug: One of the up-and-coming sketch groups in Philly right now formed out of Philadelphia Improv Theater's sketch-writing class taught by Kevin Allison (of MTV's The State). Chip Chantry & Johnny Goodtimes; Philadelphia's fourth- or fifth-best standup comic/quizzo DJ duo (as of 2008). Jon Goff: Armed with Google Image Search and a razor-sharp wit, John is a master of PowerPoint comedy (which is a lot funnier than it sounds). Emily & Micah McGraw: This married couple have lived all over the country and put their experiences and observations into well-crafted, funny songs. Randi Warhol: Brings her special blend of burlesque and satire to the stage, mixing the ha-has with the hubba-hubbas in a way that leaves audiences respectfully requesting more. (Or, y'know, catcalling.)

Photo | Zia Hiltey

Christmas + Death = Yes!

I got to chat with Secret Pants' Brian Craig and Bryce Remsburg about their big holiday sketchtacular. Jump on to read the interview, and in the meantime, jot down this very important information about tonight's show. Nobody Ever Dies on Christmas (Except Toshiro Mifune), Thu., Dec. 23, 9 p.m., $10, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., secretpants.net. Critical Mass: Do you guys perform regularly at Johnny Brenda's? Secret Pants: Our relationship with Johnny Brenda's has blossomed over the past couple of years. They originally tapped us to open for standup comedian Neil Hamburger. That show went really well and they asked us to move our big annual sketch show, "Welcome to the Terrordome" (where we gather the best sketch groups in Philly together for one big night) to JB's. After two successful "Terrordome" shows there, they asked us if we wanted to make it biannual and offered us the date of December 23. Rather than over-saturating our audience with the all-sketch "Terrordome" idea twice in a year, we thought it'd be fun to put together a holiday-themed variety show. CM: How long have you guys been preparing for tonight's show? SP: We've been kicking around Christmas ideas for sketches ever since the December 23 date was offered to us in the early summer, but we didn't kick it into high gear until this fall. We had a lot of ideas that included big productions and props and special effects. Some of the ideas were just impossible for us to do, production-wise, so we had to scrap them (though, if any Hollywood special effects people are reading this and want to work cheap, give us a call). We were able to realize a lot of the big ideas we thought up, specifically our new videos "Two Reindeer Get Into A Car Accident" and "Christmas of the Living Dead." CM: Is this your first variety-show style show, or have you done others? SP: This is the first time we've put together a full-blown variety show. There's a couple of shows in the city that have a variety flavor to them, including "Bedtime Stories," "Chip Chantry's One Man Show (w/ Special Guests)" and the late "Die Actor Die." So, we've performed with a lot of these varied acts, but we've never consciously gone out of our way to put together a show like this, which is really exciting. The audience is in for a treat. CM: Where do you think we are in the life-cycle of the variety show? SP: In terms of television, I'd say that the variety show is dead. The idea of this show certainly came from the classic Dean Martin or Bing Crosby-style "Hey, look who just showed up!" TV Christmas specials, which were largely a 1970s thing. In today's television landscape, there's just no place for it. However, I think the format is perfect for the comedy community. It was two to three years ago that things really blossomed with the advent of Bedtime Stories and Die Actor Die. We, as a local community, are stronger than the sum of all of our parts. Being able to mix disparate audiences and expose them to new groups is invaluable for the community to thrive. I never would have considered going to a burlesque show before I saw Randi Warhol at "Bedtime Stories." CM: What are your favorite venues? SP: Easily, the best "venue where bands usually play" is Johnny Brenda's. They very rarely have comedy acts, so it makes it a little special the one or two times a year we perform there. We just recently performed at a great theater in the city, the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater, which is like a hidden gem, tucked away above some church on Sansom. It's a really nice open space that got us excited about performing again. And our favorite blackbox theater is the Shubin, where the Philadelphia Improv Theater has a monthly residence. So many of our close friendships with other performers were formed in the basement green room of the Shubin.

Greg

Posted 2010-12-23 16:34:29

Secret Pants are great. They're the only group that consistently books gigs in music venues - and that has been really good for getting music fans to crossover and become comedy fans too. This show is going to fantastic!

anonymouse

Posted 2010-12-24 19:31:23

Are they aware that Mifune actually died on Dec 24th? Just asking...

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 5:45 PM Permalink | Post a comment

LOL WITH IT: Q&A with Chip Chantry

POSTED: Friday, December 17, 2010, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass LOL With It

For my inaugural weekly examination of the Philadelphia comedy scene, I decided to talk to the source. The man whose name is practically synonymous with "Philadelphia Comedy Scene." The man who — if you've been to an open-mike, showcase, or even marquee comedy show in the last seven years in Philly — you basically know his life story (and you sympathize). Unfortunately, J Creed Cat Credo never returned my fax, so I had to settle for Chip Chantry ...

Photo by Dave Walk

Perhaps Philadelphia's most notorious jokester, Chip Chantry

Critical Mass: What is Philly comedy like in 2010 compared to when you started in 2003? Chip Chantry: Comedy in Philly is amazing in 2010. There are TONS of really talented people in town right now. And just as importantly, it's a fun, supportive comedy community, which helps everyone to grow. The major difference from when I started is that there are not only more comics and venues, but there is a comedy crowd in town. Years ago, we'd put on shows and NO ONE would come. Now there is a growing, enthusiastic comedy fan base, which is still a novelty to me, and something that I (and all the other comics) are so grateful for. CM: Who are the most awesome people you've met through doing comedy? CC: Almost every comic (standup, sketch, improv, etc) I meet is incredible. When I walk into a room full of comics, I'm like a kid in a candy store. My best friends are comedians. There is a real bond among people who do what we do. Let's say you and another person kill a man in Vegas one night, and dispose of the body; you'll always have that bond. I'd have to assume it's the same feeling among comics. It's a sacred bond--more legal than manslaughter, but about the same amount of shame. Plus, places like Helium have given me the opportunity to meet (and work with) some of the best comics in the world (Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Todd Glass, Paul F. Tompkins to name a few) which is such a valuable experience. CM: What is the importance of the spoken-joke as we flail through post-modernity? CC: There is NOTHING like being at a live comedy show. When it goes well, there is an energy in the room that can't be duplicated on TV, radio, or youtube. Not by a long shot. I mentioned a bond between comics, but to be in a tiny room, packed with 200 people, all laughing at the same thing, there is nothing technology can do to come close to that. It sounds ridiculous, but comedy is about bringing people together to share in the absurdity of the human experience. Youtube and twitter can't do that like a live show can. CM: What role will those virtual platforms play? CC: Outlets like twitter, facebook and youtube are extremely important. They enable people to get themselves out there on a much larger scale. It's amazing to write a snarky comment about Sarah Palin on your lunch break, and realize that a stranger in New Zealand thinks it's funny. I've always enjoyed trying to write concise, punchy jokes, and platforms like twitter force you to do just that. It's such a fun, practical writing exercise. Plus, we are all so fast-paced these days; it used to be that if something newsworthy happened on Tuesday, you could tell a joke about it on the following weekend. Now people are writing jokes in REAL TIME, and getting them out there. Now, if you try to do Tuesday's joke, by Saturday night, it's old news. CM: What sort of lush guffaw-metropolis will Philadelphia be in 2020, perhaps relative to other cities you've performed in? CC: I can only hope that it keeps moving in this direction. We always joked about making Philly the "Seattle of Comedy" (grunge reference). But I think it could really happen. It will be interesting to see how comedy itself evolves. I sometimes worry that in another ten years, the average person won't have the attention span to sit through a 90-minute show. Comedy might have to adapt to keep up with the technological age. But as for Philly, it keeps getting better every year. CM: Any words about your wildly popular Chip Chantry's One Man Show (w/ Special Guests)? CC: We're back! We are now at the Shubin Theatre (407 Bainbridge) on the first Monday of the month, at 8pm. Now that we have a theater at our disposal, expect a lot more video, audio, special effects, and the like. This last show kept people on their toes, not knowing what is coming next. I'd like to keep people guessing if I could. But Johnny Goodtimes and I are excited to be working with Philly Improv Theatre at the Shubin. CM: Your Cabin-mate Bing Supernova is known for his love of a fine baked brie. Entering into the holiday season what other treats will he enjoy? CC: Bing loves his Christmas whiskey. It keeps him warm and angry. CM: Got any dates to plug? CC: My next one man show will be on MONDAY, FEB 7th at the Shubin (407 Bainbridge St). You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook for other updates.

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Critical Mass

POSTED: Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 12:00 PM

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IN MEMORIAM: Greg Giraldo's dead and that sucks

POSTED: Thursday, September 30, 2010, 2:00 PM

Filed Under: Comedy | In Memoriam Stand-up

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Moment of Zen - Our Moment of Greg Giraldo

www.thedailyshow.com

You might've heard by now: Stand-up comedian Greg Giraldo — probably best known for his smart, angry, spraygunning performances at Comedy Central Roasts (or his maybe his work as a judge on Last Comic Standing) — died yesterday of a complications following a prescription drug overdose. Fans and some of his fellow comedians are mourning the loss on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit. Below are some choice clips; even the bleeped ones can be pretty NSFW.

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 2:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

HAIKU CONTEST WINNERS: Sarah Palin-themed poetry!

POSTED: Monday, September 6, 2010, 9:00 PM

Filed Under: Comedy

Sorry to make you look at Jay Leno. Anyway, As you may recall, last week — inspired by Louis CK's drunktweets about Sarah Palin — we decided to host a Sarah Palin Haiku Contest. Top poets get tickets to this Wednesday's screening of Hilarious, the Louis CK movie. We weren't into the ones just calling Palin a slut or a whore, because settle the hell down. Also, ones that completely disregarded the syllabic constraints of the form (5-7-5) were frowned upon (though we did let one guy call Palin a moron while using the wrong your/you're, because how funny is that?). And now, your winners:

Abstinence only?

Your knocked up kid is single

Some Sex Ed. plan, huh?

by Gary Lime

Sad, silly Sarah

You are the worst example

of us four eyed girls

by Sandra

When you winked at us

It made my vagina hurt.

Less sense than an egg.

by Al

You are a moron.

You're accent is annoying.

I would still hit it.

by Crane Kick

I'm from Wasilla,

in middle America!

It's right near Russia.

by Ben

Hilarious starring Louis CK screens Wednesday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m. at Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., 215-569-9700, princemusictheater.org.

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 9:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

HAIKU CONTEST: Win tickets to the Louis CK movie! [NSFW]

POSTED: Thursday, September 2, 2010, 7:00 PM

Filed Under: Comedy | Movies | Stand-up screening

from louisck.com

Yesterday, stand-up comedian/FX TV star Louis CK was drunk tweeting from an airplane. "people think that sarah Paalin is really mean but she has a family of chinese poor people living in her cunt hole. sorry," he said. "@SarahPalinUSA kudos to your dirty hole, you fucking jackoff cunt-face jazzy wondergirl." he added. Anyway, yes, let's give away some tickets to Hilarious starring Louis CK. The screening is Wednesday, Sept. 8, 7:30 p.m. at Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., 215-569-9700, princemusictheater.org. THE CONTEST: In the comments below, write a haiku to or about Sarah Palin. I've got five pairs of tickets to give away. Lots of chances to win. We'll accept entries all weekend long. Have fun out there.

kyle crayton

Posted 2010-09-02 14:04:18

Sarah Palin, smiles. looks like a deer in headlights.smiles like a bobblehead. weeble wobble.

Shayne

Posted 2010-09-02 14:49:08

An anagram for
Sarah Palin's name could be
"attention whore." wait...

Crane Kick

Posted 2010-09-02 14:50:45

You are a moron.
You're accent is annoying.
I would still hit it.

Joseph Rose

Posted 2010-09-02 14:56:30

I love you Louis,
Sarah said with a smile.
I love that shiny red dome.

Ben

Posted 2010-09-02 15:26:59

I'm from Wasilla,
in middle America!
It's right near Russia.

James

Posted 2010-09-02 16:56:39

MILF,Politician,Dope,
our next President?
one can only HOPE....NOT.

GARY LIME

Posted 2010-09-03 12:16:16

Abstinence only?
Your knocked up kid is single
Some Sex Ed. plan, huh?

Phil Jackson

Posted 2010-09-03 14:48:24

Sarah, you hairy cunt,
I can only pray,
you are not in the presidential hunt....unless it's a moose hunt

Sam Calhoun

Posted 2010-09-03 16:23:45

I'm from Wasilla
You are my embarrasment
Sarah Palin sucks

MJM

Posted 2010-09-03 19:48:09

beware of palin  
dangerous as ignorant 
dumb teabagging slut

CPJ

Posted 2010-09-04 17:42:12

How oh how I ask,
Did a boob get such limelight?
Stop the attention!

Posted 2010-09-04 21:23:43

THE BLUE MOON CHANTS A LULLABYE TO SARAH PALIN BUTTERFLY NOW GONE

Sandra

Posted 2010-09-05 12:42:14

Sad, silly Sarah
You are the worst example
of us four eyed girls

Jay Gambit

Posted 2010-09-05 17:59:21

To Sarah Palin:
Nobody likes you. No one.
Shut your whore mouth now.

Tashamaria Tromer

Posted 2010-09-06 09:52:50

Sarah, capture your
wonderfulness (in) 17 
syllables? Silence.

Posted 2010-09-06 10:27:08

When you winked at us
It made my vagina hurt.
Less sense than an egg.

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 7:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Let's have a Paul F. Tompkins comedy festival!

POSTED: Thursday, August 19, 2010, 5:30 PM

Filed Under: Comedy Stand-up

That's famous comedian Paul F. Tompkins on our cover. You can find him here or on Twitter or the most recent episode of the Comedy Death Ray podcast. No video for this, but funny as hell:

Best Week Ever:

Mr. Show:

Some vintage PFT:

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 5:30 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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About this blog

Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

Follow Critical Mass editors Patrick Rapa and Emily Guendelsberger on Twitter:

@mission2denmark | @emilygee

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