Interview: Bubble Boys' Steve Nelson & Andrew Tisher

About a month ago, a friend recommended I check out ​Andrew Tisher and Steve Nelson's improvised podcast Bubble Boys, which features a slew of local improvisors working within the confines of a really silly conceit.

Bubble Boys pays tribute to the style of old-timey radio programming, telling the tale of two renegade inventors who, after inventing a shoddy voice-changing gum, go on the run from the law. The show chronicles their misadventures and the many ridiculous characters they encounter as they flee Westward across the country.

I spoke with Steve and Andrew about the show, which recently wrapped up its first season, which I thoroughly enjoyed! Click here to subscribe to the show on iTunes. Read More

A list of 42 things that take two hours by Katie McVay

Tomorrow night, Two Hour Comedy Hour at the Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown will trot out over 50 comedians in under two hours, 42 of whom will each be given under one minute of stage time apiece. 42x42 3 is the third edition of their fabulously gimmicky comedy parade, which is capped off with longer sets from CJ Sulllivan, Liza Treyger, Chad Briggs, and Mike Sheehan.

Katie McVay, one of Two Hour's producers, is here to plug the show with a list of 42 other things that share the show's 120 minute time frame.


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An Open Letter to Comedy by A Comedian

Dear Reader,

This isn’t going to be easy for a lot of people to hear, but I need to get this off my chest so we can move forward.  I’m hearing a lot of things in the comedy world that are negative, downright offensive and borderline hate speech.  Mostly directed at me, a real comedian.


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Brian McGovern's top five Cheers teasers!

DRUGSEX Incorporated is a monthly sketch show at the Public House Theatre, a recently opened written comedy oasis. Each month’s show tackles an insanely high concept in the goofiest way possible; tomorrow night’s show, The Cheers Show, consists entirely of original scenes written in the style of the classic cold open scenes that kick off every episode of Cheers. Brian McGovern, the producer of DRUGSEX, is here with a list of classic Cheers cold opens to prime you for tomorrow night’s show. The Cheers Show is at 11pm tomorrow night (Saturday, May 11th) at the Public House Theatre.

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A Letter from Apple CEO Tim Cook by Mark Colomb

Good Day Consumers,

It's Tim Cook here. I hope this letter finds you well. Are you working hard and saving your money for a new iPhone 5S or the next iPad Maxi that we plan to release this summer? Our manufacturing partners are working day and night to bring you the the slightest of upgrades on all your favorite devices. Figured I would just drop you a line about some market research we have been doing about our Apple end users.

You know all those cameras on your phones, iPads, and computers? We had them set up to send us pictures of you every two minutes for the last five years. That's right, we know exactly what you've been doing and who you've been doing it with almost every minute of every day for the last five years. It's been a fascinating project for us. Trillions of terabytes of data on how you use your phones and what you do while you use your computers. Let me share some of it with you.


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Think Tank presents Celebrity Intervention

The Chicago-based independent sketch collective Think Tank recently released Celebrity Intervention, an absurd, moody short film that explores horrors of identity. It features several Think Tank members, as well as the delightfully silly Chad Briggs. Think Tank will be performing their new sketch show every Sunday in June at the Den Theatre in Wicker Park. Check their website for more information as the shows approach!