Looking to break up with your girlfriend? For $20 Brian can make it happen.
Dylan Gadino drops by the show today to talk about the world of punchlinemagazine.com, what albums comedy nerds will be standing in line to buy and whether the cancellation of Last Comic Standing is a blessing or a curse. Who’s ready for the 431st comic of the night?
Email: brianmcomedy@gmail.com and give us a call on 206-203-4692
I agree about the length of the show. 90 minutes is about the longest you want a comedy show, especially an Open Mic to last. Since by it’s very nature, an Open Mic doesn’t have much quality control, 1 1/2 hours can seem very long at times. I used to run an open mic and even the comedians were getting bored by that point and would start having conversations in the back of the bar.
Having said that, I did have an experience of the fabled “awesome marathon Open Mic”. The place that we had been holding the Open Mic for about 5 years, Billy Joe’s Pitcher Show in Des Moines, recently closed. The last night of comedy there we had one final show to say goodbye. It was about a 3 1/2 hour show (including a video montage produced by fellow BTBer Joel Fry and another comedian Travis Cherniss) and the live show featured 23 comedians. Except for a period in the middle where the crowd seemed to get bored, they were in it for the whole show. I was amazed, but realized that was more of an aberration than anything else. I wouldn’t want to do that every week. Plus, I was completely hoarse the next day and could barely talk.
I’m putting the final touches on the two LA shows that Brian is going to be featured in next week.
We’ve had quite a bit of interest in pre-purchasing tickets for the March 31st show at the Ice House. We’re about 1/3 sold-out, which is unheard of for a Tuesday in the Annex. It’s usually just whoever shows up at the door that night. If you’re interested in coming to see Brian perform, I posted the last batch of tickets on eBay at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Comedy-Showcase-at-the-Ice-House-March-31st-2009_W0QQitemZ230332643176QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Tickets_all_in_one?hash=item230332643176&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
The next night at Smiles (April 1st, or April fool’s day) I’ve got several comics who listen to the podcast who have expressed an interest in performing. If you want to check out the show, it starts at 8:00PM at:
Smiles Restaurant and Nightclub
13615 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
(Ventura @ Woodman)
http://www.smilesnightclub.com
If you would like to perform, email me at Dennis@Laganiere.net and I’ll get you on the list. I’ll be finalizing the initial list this week so I can create the flyers, and I’ll post it where everyone can see it.
Thanks BtB friends, and I hope to shake hands with a bunch of you next week.
— Dennis
Who’s at the top of stand-up just for stand-up: Gaffigan, sure. Louis CK, yep. I’d say Patton Oswalt and the Comedians of Comedy folk, too.
Depending on the criteria, you could just as easily argue the case for Stanhope. He doesn’t even need comedy clubs anymore. He’ll do a show in any 200 capacity shit hole bar in any market and fill it.
I’m putting the final touches on the two LA shows that Brian is going to be featured in next week.
We’ve had quite a bit of interest in pre-purchasing tickets for the March 31st show at the Ice House. We’re about 1/3 sold-out, which is unheard of for a Tuesday in the Annex. If you’re interested in coming to see Brian perform, I posted the last batch of tickets on eBay at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Comedy-Showcase-at-the-Ice-House-March-31st-2009_W0QQitemZ230332643176QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Tickets_all_in_one?hash=item230332643176&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
The next night at Smiles (April 1st, or April fool’s day) I’ve got several comics who listen to the podcast who have expressed an interest in performing. If you want to check out the show, it starts at 8:00PM at:
Smiles Restaurant and Nightclub
13615 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
(Ventura @ Woodman)
http://www.smilesnightclub.com
If you would like to perform, email me at Dennis@Laganiere.net and I’ll get you on the list. I’ll be finalizing the initial list this week so I can create the flyers, and I’ll post it where everyone can see it.
Thanks BtB friends and I hope to shake hands with a bunch of you next week.
— Dennis
I’m putting the final touches on the two LA shows that Brian is going to be featured in next week.
We’ve had quite a bit of interest in pre-purchasing tickets for the March 31st show at the Ice House. We’re about 1/3 sold-out, which is unheard of for a Tuesday in the Annex. If you’re interested in coming to see Brian perform, I posted the last batch of tickets on eBay at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Comedy-Showcase-at-the-Ice-House-March-31st-2009_W0QQitemZ230332643176QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Tickets_all_in_one?hash=item230332643176&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
The next night at Smiles (April 1st, or April fool’s day) I’ve got several comics who listen to the podcast who have expressed an interest in performing. If you want to check out the show, it starts at 8:00PM at:
Smiles Restaurant and Nightclub
13615 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
(Ventura @ Woodman)
http://www.smilesnightclub.com
If you would like to perform, email me at Dennis@Laganiere.net and I’ll get you on the list. I’ll be finalizing the initial list this week so I can create the flyers, and I’ll post it where everyone can see it.
Thanks BtB friends and I hope to shake hands with a bunch of you next week.
— Dennis
Awesome Dennis. Thanks. I cant wait. Oh by the way, sorry I didn’t get you that new pic I promised. I’m sure you realized I flaked and just went with the one from the site which is fine. Anything that highlights my double chin can’t be all bad.
Aside from Seinfeld, Louis CK, Oswalt, Gaffigan, and Brian Regan, I can’t think of anyone who really is in stand-up JUST for stand-up. Which is too bad.
Aziz Ansari is someone I’d like to call out right now as somebody who was in stand-up solely to further his movie career, and he sucks at both.
Birbiglia’s still doing stage performance, but I feel like he’s more of a stand-up’s stand-up than he gets credit for. Doing a one-man show in the style he does it is still stand-up, and I don’t think he’s in stand-up to get a three picture deal or a sitcom.
OK, so I just lurk these days, and I realize my political outlook is a lead weight to this community. I realize Brian May’s comments were in fun but I SO cannotstand Republicans being called racist-homophobe-xenophobe-islamophobe-sexist. That is not to say that no Republicans are racist, of course there are. There are also racist Dems. Brian looked up the stats…I assume that means Republicans are white primarily. 9 out of 10 blacks vote Democrat- is that racist?
I truly feel deep to my core that liberal policies are the true racist policies. Equal Opportunity policies seem to me to say that our society assumes a minority cannot perform on the same level as a white and needs a leg up. What astounds me is that blacks continue to vote Democrat after decades of Democrat government in places like Detroit, DC, Chicago, Philly. A conservative policy, school choice, is saving the DC education system but got no funding at all in Obama’s trilion dollar budget. Thousands of black kids attend schools they could not otherwise attend with this program.
There are 2 parties, one dangerous and one stupid. Mine is the stupid party, we need to reach out to organizations like NAACP and not shun them. Until then, we will be seen as racist old white folk. That’s what our public universities are teaching us, after all.
In case we need a history lesson, you show know this is by design… it originated with Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” to co-opt conservative Southern Democrats using key phrases like “State’s Rights” to mean “we’ll keep the federal government out of the race issue”…
The Republicans use race, gay-baiting and anti-abortion rhetoric to get poor whites to vote against their class and financial interests in order to wield power for their rich corporate clients… and Fox News waves the banner in people’s face to draw attention away from the real issues… if you need proof just look at last year when they were saying that Bush inhearted the “Cliton recession” seven years after the fact, but then switched to “Obama’s Financial Meltdown” two weeks into the new administration.
Dude… I like Republicans… I have republican friends… I have dinner with republicans… I’ve even had sex with republicans (despite the stereotype, they actually do fuck occationally, although only missionary)… but their leadership is evil and needs to be kept from power.
That said… two republicans walked into a bar… and said “ouch”…
— Dennis, the last white liberal guy without a ponytail
Okay, let’s veer from politics:
There is one consistently good (occasionally bordering on brilliant) marathon open mic in Chicago. And it happens every Sunday night at Schubas (Belmont & Southport). A quick disclaimer: I don’t know how it is in other cities, but in Chicago, there are a pile of open mics, and most of them just have comedians in the audience waiting to go up. So no one is really worried about how long these go or if “real people” are there. Most bars just want money, and fortunately, most comics are raging alcoholics.
On Sunday night, however, there is only one open mic: Your Sunday Best at Schubas. And because there’s only one, and because it’s run by 3 of the best comics in Chicago (Prescott Tolk, James Fritz, and Bob Palos), every comic in Chicago who’s not doing a show is there (and because of that- a decent audience does show up). This show is a knock-down drag-out war lasting over 3 hours, which is kind of it’s charm. But the quality of comedy (as well as the comraderie of the room) makes it absolutely fantastic. I’ve never seen this replicated, so credit to the 3 who run this show… it’s great.
I gotta tell you all that I’m really excited about next week… Emcee at the Ice House on Tuesday, and I’ve got a bunch of good comics coming out to see Brian at Smiles on Wednesday… it’s gonna rock.
“The Republicans use race, gay-baiting and anti-abortion rhetoric to get poor whites to vote against their class and financial interests in order to wield power for their rich corporate clients.”
Dennis, what would be an example of this? Please don’t say the gay marriage issue. Every thoughtful conservative I know is in favor of civil unions with the same rights as a married couple, we oppose redefining what “marriage” means. We believe marriage is an ideal to be held up. We legislate health ideals, in some places you can’t smoke in your own home. A man-woamn married relationship is our vision of an ideal situation in which to raise children. Neither Ten men nor ten women can give a child what one mom and one dad can. I respectfully disagree with the notion of race-baiting as a conservative tool and think the race baiting comes from the left. Or did Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson speak out against the guy that just killed 4 cops and I just don’t know about it? Maybe you didn’t hear of the threats from black talk radio of riots should Obama have lost?
Two last points, then I will return to my slumber.
1. The Democrat Party received far more corporate money in this most recent election cycle, in leaps and bounds. This notion that the GOP is a tool of big business is false. In addition, that sliver of America’s wealthiest individuals lean left, not right. You will recall Obama’s reference to “limosine liberals” during the campaign. Yes, we favor a free unregulated market and less regulation.
2. If I had a gun put to my head and had to state who do I trust more, the State or Corporations, I would choose corporations. We have been fortunate in the US, but the State has generated far far far more evil in this world. Mao, Castro/Guevara, Hitler, Lennon/Stalin, Pol Pot, Hussein, add up these body counts and you arrive near 100 million.
We agree on so much, including that every thoughtful person we know believes that some form of civil union is appropriate for gay couples. You also will realize that every time there’s an important election the republican manipulators put an anti-gay marriage item on the agenda (such as our own California Prop 8 last year) so they can make the round of the churches to stomp against it so they can end the rhetoric with “oh… by the way… while you’re at the poll how about voting for our guy?”. The issue keeps getting raised by the right as a “get out the vote” tool. I live in California and the gay people I know don’t protest FOR gay marriage, they protest AGAINST these repeated efforts put the vocabulary of “marriage” on the ballet.
As for race bating… as I said before, this it is a well document and accepted part of 2000th century political history that the republicans used the racial fear of poor whites in the Southern states to break the Democratic party’s hold on Congress. It’s specifically called “The Southern Strategy” for heavens sake. Here’s a quote from Wikipedia that says it more succinctly then I can: “In American politics, the Southern strategy refers to a Republican method of winning Southern states in the latter decades of the 20th century and first decade of the 21st century by exploiting racism among white voters.” I’m sure you’ll say that Wikipedia is part of the “Liberal Media”, but that goes right up there with Fox saying they’re “Fair and balanced”.
Finally, here are the specific things you apparently heard on Rush Limbaugh this morning and felt the need to regurgitate here:
“We legislate health ideals, in some places you can’t smoke in your own home.” – I’m a liberal and I don’t care if you smoke at your home. This is a simple case of slippery slope thinking… I’m sure you can cite some minor case where some idiot actually proposed this somewhere, but it doesn’t represent mainstream liberal thought. Liberals want a kid who’s can’t breathe because their having an asthma attack to be able to see a doctor. We want women to have cheap pre-natal care so kids are born healthy and can have a productive life… using your same logic against you I’d have to say you apparently hate children.
“A man-woamn married relationship is our vision of an ideal situation in which to raise children.” – Ideal? How many “ideal” couples do you know? I don’t see gay couples having spikes in spousal abuse after the Super Bowl. I don’t see a huge number of gay pregnant teenage guys entering the welfare roles. I don’t see many deadbeat gay Dads… Are you actually so homophobic that you think ANY gay couple is less maternal or paternal then ANY straight couple? Manson Family Member Charles Tex Watson has had three kids from jail… he’s a better role model then a pair of sober, hardworking lesbians who just want to share their love with a child? Wow… what an ass you must be.
“I respectfully disagree with the notion of race-baiting as a conservative tool and think the race baiting comes from the left. Or did Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson speak out against the guy that just killed 4 cops and I just don’t know about it? Maybe you didn’t hear of the threats from black talk radio of riots should Obama have lost?” – This is just the old argument that because a few people on one side of the political divide do something the other side must be innocent. For every example of a political opportunist on the left using race, I can give you 10 examples of Republican Senators, Governors, State Legislators and others with REAL POWER who leverage race to further their own evil agenda.
Finally… this is a forum for comedy… I’m sure you’re a funny guy, and I hope you share some jokes… but I’ll continue to answer your ridiculous political crap one-for-one just to convince you to watch something beside Fox and listen to something besides AM Talk Radio. Why don’t you relax your political sphincter and support live comedy by writing a joke and going to a club instead of continuing this crap?
I’ll answer your last two, then you can return to your mental slumber.
“1. The Democrat Party received far more corporate money in this most recent election cycle”. So what? We’re talking about the Republican leadership creating the current economic situation by their fetish with deregulation, pitting the world against us with their political issolationism and destorying the American dream for American familes… and you’re upset because the Democrats got some money from a teacher’s union or the “Ben and Jerry’s” guys?
“2. If I had a gun put to my head and had to state who do I trust more, the State or Corporations” – If you had a gun to your head I’d respect your right to choose… because we liberals are all about free choice… and besides, who’s going to be holding the gun to your head now that Guantanimo is closing?
Thank you… I’ll be here all week… don’t forget to tip your wait staff.
This has always bothered me… Why does Rush Limbaugh get millions of dollars in oxycotton money to spout crap to idiots, but I get nothing for helping his abused weak willed zombie loser listeners to see that their political philosophy is hollow, their lives empty and their thinking weak and flawed? Well, I’m just glad to help my fellow man, because that’s what liberals do… ?
Rush is awful! I can’t stand “Tom Sawyer”!
As far as the top of Stand-Up for Just stand-ups, are you referring to the best or the most popular? Because if you’re talking about most popular, you’d probably have to include Jeff Dunham.
As for the best, I’d definitely have to say Gaffigan. It’s weird how many people still have no idea who he is. But I saw his last tour as he was preparing for the “King Baby” special and it was hilarious. And the thing is, I also appreciate it on a technical level. If there’s a guy who could rest on his laurels, it’s Gaffigan, but you can see the work he puts into his set. Even, the Hot Pocket bit, which I believe he’s now obligated to do under penalty of law, still has the energy put into it like he just wrote the joke. That was a nice thing to see. Too many comedians, when they perform the stuff that they have became known for and know they have to (because that’s what the people came for) just kind of sleep walk through it and you can tell they don’t even want to do it.
I hope you all have a great show this weekend. I hope you record it all and post it.
Leonardo Lugnut I could not agree with you more I hate hackey and not funny political filler. Keep it funny and I do not care what side it’s on. The question is what is funny? Tons of people laugh if someone says “Fuck Bush he is an idiot” so what the hell do I know?
Dez Bishop was very funny. The immersion heater bit was great but Ireland has the last laugh the new homes there now have tankless instant hot water that comes out like molten lava.
Dennis your zombie comment reminded me of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a6YdNmK77k
Rfig, I think you’ll find that is thanks to the Bish that we now have hot water in Ireland. He singlehandedly raised awareness of the issue.
Brian’s Ice House deflowering is tomorrow… I’m getting really excited!… wow… taken together those two phrases are a little umcomfortable… ummm… paging Awkward party of 1, your table is ready.
— Dennis the Emcee
Tonight’s the night… We’re rockin’ the Ice House… Woo Hoo… I love bein’ an Emcee…
– D
Oh man, I’m so jealous. I just got rejected from my schools variety show, because “it doesn’t fit with the flow of the program” and also rejected from a talent show, because I wouldn’t fit in a category. Damn it, I don’t want the money, I just want a chance to perform.
Anyone heard of Jon Lajoie? The guy is pretty darn funny, Canadian too. I almost pissed myself on the rapist glasses bit.
http://www.jonlajoie.com/
I just came back from the Ice House and Brian ripped the roof off that bitch! Excellent night!
Excellent news. Sorry I couldn’t fly out for it this time. Had a gig myself last night and it was ridiculously good. Paying off the crowd works a treat!
If anybody is in LA tonight, we having Brian perform at our club this evening. The show starts at 8:00PM, and here’s the address:
Smiles Restaurant and Nightclub
13615 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
( Ventura @ Woodman)
http://www.smilesnightclub.com
Email dennis@laganiere.net with any questions, or if you want to perform.
Thanks…
–D
Any tapes of the sets? Would like to hear brian do more standup. Hope tonight went well.
Talking of taping, any advice on how best to tape yourself in a packed club? Presumably if I park a cam at the back I’ll get poor audio. How close should I plant my cameraman?
@Mike NR: yes there were multiple recordings of the two nights. Speaking for myself, I forgot my audio recorder the first night, but I was able to get an OK recording with my phone (thanks iTunes App Store!) I’d give it a B- recording, but it’s way better than nothing. The next night, I had my recorder and the quality is outstanding, A, the only way it would have been better is a direct feed into the soundboard, which we will try next time. Dennis had 1 or 2 video camera rolling both nights, so hopefully the audio quality for the first night from his recordings are better than mine (which will not be that hard).
@Kandiman: First off, I’d ask the club owner if it is possible to get a recording straight from the soundboard, that would be your best bet for a great recording (may lack audience unless the room has crowd mics, which is not likely). At Smiles last night, while in the crowd, I looked for the speaker sweet spot, the place in the club where most, if not all, of the speakers are pointed at. If you can sit at that location and have a nice audio recorder and the sound levels are good, you will have a great recording. This will be different if you are recording your own set and do not have anyone in the crowd to watch your recorder. If it’s just you on the stag, if there are monitors that point back at you so you can hear yourself, just place the recorder on the stool (poop heh) next to you. Even if there isn’t a monitor, that’s going to be the second best option, again, with a soundboard plugin being option 1.
—-
And ooh look.. I started a BTB political flame fest!
@Leonardo Lugnut: Around these parts, the majority are white, republican and over 40 and voted against prop 8, gay marriage. So the stereotype of republicans being “racist-homophobe-xenophobe-islamophobe-sexist.” fits. By no means do I mean EVERY. Single. One. fits that mold, but the majority does.
I can’t stand it here. Not because of the 40+ white republican factor, there’s just not a whole lot of stuff to do here unless I drive 30+ minutes away. That and the job market sucks balls right now. I’m not going to walk from my killer job unless I have a really good reason…
Thank Brian, appreciated
Hey y’all…
We had a couple of cameras setup for the Ice House show. Mine caught the second half (including the critically important Brian set), and my partner should have what I missed. She’s having a little trouble getting the file off her Mac, but once she does I’m merge everything together and hopefully we’ll have a complete video and audio record of the last two days. I can only post what the comics give me permission to share, but I’ll certainly put up everything I can.
I really appreciate Brian(1) coming all the way to LA to play with us, and Brian(2) for being our audio technician. It’s been two really great evenings of comedy; but I’m glad I get to go to bed early tonight.
Brian(2) took at look at our board at Smiles and he had some ideas about how we could set things up for regular recording and I really think there are some interesting possibilities for fun there.
I’ll post links for video as I get time to put them together…
Thank you again Brian for spending your time with us… it was very much appreciated.
—Dennis
Thanks to Dennis and all of the fine people I met in LA. I had a blast and it’s nice to see someone produce a show that is truly a fan of stand up. If Dennis has one flaw it’s that he cares too much. And he’s unnecessarily hairy.
Brian mentions how hairy I am… but doesn’t talk about what a good cuddler I am… (sigh)…
—D
AAARRRRGGGGG!!!
I’m editing the video footage from the Ice House show and for some reason the camera only started to record during the first comic’s set, which means I’ve got everybody’s set recorded… BUT MINE!!!
My whole opening set is lost to history… (sigh)… well… I guess I’m happy that I got everybody else… but… shit… I’m a little pissed…
— Dennis the slightly depressed
No show this week as well?
Hope to have something out later in the week. Sorry all. In the meantime, please discuss hilarious differences between men and women.
Or blacks and normal people?
Or how all mexicans own a lawn mower and are illegal immigrants?
I’ve got this great one about the time I had an argument with my girlfriend because I left the toilet seat up.
You hacks……just because like me you don’t look like the offsrping of Lionel Richie and Hulk Hogan – and aren’t priests a bit rapey?
Did the claw go see another rugby match?
So what’s the deal with that Monica Lewinski?!
The early eighties called… they want their hacky fucked-out premises back…
So who’s afraid of this goddamn Sputnik thing? And anybody got some good tips on how to please the Sun?
Hey, I don’t come down to your job and knock the burger out of your dick. Or something.
My gift to the board… Good but hacky heckler responses:
Look man, I grew up in the ghetto. I’ve been through your wallet, I know where you live, shut up, sit down.
I’m not really good with hecklers, but a friend who is
wrote something down for me. (read paper) Oh, yeah, “Fuck off!”
It’s alright, I remember the first time I had a beer.
Here’s an alcoholic who doesn’t want to remain anonymous.
I’m sorry, I don’t speak alcoholic.
You’re ugly, you’ve got a tiny dick, your mother’s a lousy fuck and nobody likes you – so shut the fuck up.
There’s only one way to find out if I’m gay – suck my dick and see if I come.
You couldn’t get laid in a whorehouse with a fistful of twenties.
(To a man who has just said “Fuck you!): “Fuck me and you’ll never go back to women.
Sorry, that was a low blow – Speaking of low blows, how’s your wife?
To a heckler who has failed to respond to an insult: “What’s the matter? Got your tongue caught in a zipper?”
This is my job. I don’t go to your work and knock the dick out of your mouth.
…also don’t forget :
” Sir – why don’t you wear a condom on your head? You’re acting like a dick, so you may as well dress like one”
” This is what happens when the foetus doesn’t get enough oxygen, folks”
“Hey – if I want any shit from you, I’ll squeeze you head”
.