A familiar face on Comedy Central tomorrow night! Tune in to @midnight at 11 p.m. to see Dan Telfer, formerly of Chicago Underground Comedy (ChUC). He was one of Chicago’s most popular stand-ups before he moved to L.A. a couple of years back. He is recognized around the world for his “Best Dinosaur” viral video […]
Your Chicago comedy calendar for December 7-December 13 Read More »
My two favorite things are Chicago comedy and books. Combine the two and you’ve got the perfect gift. Here are my front-runner ideas for the Chicago comedy biblioholic in your life. (Add pie, hot chocolate, a comfortable reading light, peace and quiet and you’ll have given them nirvana.) Which books would you add?
Gift guide: best books for the Chicago comedy fan Read More »
It’s the holiday season. (Yay! Ohhhh, shit!) You can find a comedy holiday show to meet every mood incarnation of the season, from traditional Charlie Brown to non-traditional Charlie Brown to Second City’s take on the horror of office parties and every variation in between. Visitors to Chicago this week include Bridget Everett (who changed my
Your Chicago comedy calendar November 30-December 6 Read More »
“Some of you may not know me, but you will not fucking forget me!” When Bridget Everett took the stage like a nuclear explosion in a shoebox at the “Funny or Die Oddball Comedy Festival” in Tinley Park this summer, those were her words, words which would end up some of the truest I’ve ever
Talking with Bridget Everett, who changed my life Read More »
Thanksgiving is no exception to the Chicago rule of great comedy every night of the year. Snow, sleet, ice, insufferable temps, holidays and faux holidays. None stand in the way. Comedy, as always, is a refuge and celebration in its own right. Escape the Thanksgiving table when the conversation turns twitchy. The next day you
Your Chicago comedy calendar November 23-29 Read More »
Another week with THREE comedy festivals: Laughingstock, The Mary Scruggs Works by Women Festival at Second City and Corn Comedy Palooza. Some all-time greats in town this week: Elayne Boosler at the Comedy Shrine! Steve Martin and Martin Short at Rosemont Theater! Also hometown favorite Kyle Kinane! Outstanding list of out-of-towners this week continues with
Your Chicago comedy calendar for November 16-22 Read More »
An adventure in comedy is about to kick off and you’ll have thirteen chances to be a part of it starting Thursday night. That’s when the Second Annual Chicago Open-Mic Festival begins. Over the next three nights, the Festival will sponsor twelve open mics at venues throughout Chicagoland. Comedians are challenged to bring their best
Three only-in-Chicago comedy festivals this week: Laughingstock: The Chicago Comedy Music Festival Corn Comedy Palooza. Chicago Open-Mic Festival. Interview with producer David Gavri here. It’s a good week if you love comedy and books. This week, Chicago is a book-tour stop for Issa Rae, Rainn Wilson and Greg Schwem. Later this week, The Kates visit
Your Chicago comedy calendar for November 9-15 Read More »
This week begins and ends with stand up, sketch, improv and film programs you can only see here. Visitors this week include Ray Chao, John Cleese, Patton Oswalt, Jake Johannsen, Tony Rock, Frank Caliendo, Paul Hooper, Alingon Mitra, Fortune Feimster, Kevin Williams and New Yorker cartoon guru Bob Mankoff. Paula Poundstone and Bill Maher
Your Chicago comedy calendar for November 2-November 8 Read More »
You know Ray Chao. You may know him from growing up in Morton Grove or from high school at Niles West or from the Game of Thrones trailer that preceded Jurassic World in theaters nationwide last summer. He currently appears in commercials for Ford Motor Co., HP and in a Doritos commercial he created, hopefully
From courtroom to comedy: the unique career of Chicago Comedy Film Festival’s Ray Chao Read More »
The best national entertainment news is all about Chicago comedians. Last week, NBC announced the creation of seeso.com, a web-based comedy subscription service for “comedy super fans” to debut in January. The original content will include a stand-up series, Take My Wife, created and produced by Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher. The partners in both
Your Chicago comedy calendar for October 26-November 1 Read More »
My favorite recent tweets from comedians and comedy writers.
The best comedy tweets of the week Read More »
Especially noted: Evanston comedian Peter-john Byrnes records his album Ghost Story at ComedySportz tonight. He has his own memorable brand of smart, relatable, very, very funny comedy. Highly recommend. In more album news, Mikey Manker invites you to celebrate his album release with a party later this week. Congratulations to The Defiant Thomas Brothers! Their
Your Chicago comedy calendar for October 19-25 Read More »
Here are my favorite tweets this week from comedians and comedy writers. Did you catch my favorite funniest from the #DemDebate? They’re over here.
The best comedy tweets of the week Read More »
