42 x 42 #2

The folks behind the , a weekly showcase at the Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown, are hosting a second round of their insane 42 x 42 showcase, which offers 42 comics the chance at 42 seconds of stage time. I love this idea, it's like a handpicked open mic night that puts the performers in a really strange position, forcing them to adapt or completely reinvent their sets to fit into this narrow time frame.

The full lineup is far too long to list here (), but includes some Steamroller favorites, including Anthony McBrien and Katie McVay from Yell You Better, Joe McAdam and Charlie Bury from The Late Live Show, and Caitlin Bergh from The Funny Story Show.

The count will be bumped up to an even 50 by the evening's hosts and co-producers, Emily Lake and Andy Fleming, and the five headliners, Chad Briggs, Danny Kallas, The Puterbaugh Sisters (they count as two) and Katie McVay, each performing for a less ADD-friendly amount of time.

The show is next Saturday, November 3rd at 7pm and has a $5 suggested donation.

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Here's 5 shows worth checking out

There's a lot of great shows coming up in the next handful of days. These are just a few of them:

Tonight (Wednesday October 10th)


Timothy O’Tooles. 9pm. $5 advance/$10 doors.
CYSK is probably the most professionally run and consistent weekly standup show there is. This is Fritz’s last week in town before moving to Los Angeles to become a very famous standup comedian (Kallas, the evening’s host, had a solid point about this phenomenon) and the promise of a special guest is not to be ignored, they’re known for rolling out surprise national acts on the regular.

Tomorrow night (Thursday October 11th)


Looseleaf Lounge. 7:30pm. $5 suggested donation.
Produced by Caitlin Bergh, The Funny Story Show is a place for folks from the storytelling and standup comedy scenes can come together to share true, personal stories. Bergh’s an aggressively honest comic, whose storytelling chops are unmatched on the standup scene, which makes her the perfect person to run this sort of show. Cason, the evening's headliner, is a Moth GrandSLAM champion and a staff writer for WBEZ's Paper Machete show


The Lincoln Lodge. 8:30pm. $5.
This is what it’d be like if open mics were more like showcases. 17 very funny people will perform a hot 5 minutes for a room full of agency scouts and regular folks. Consider this local comedy speed dating, it’s a perfect way to get exposed to a lot of personalities at once, a few of whom will probably get some very good news as a result of this show!

Friday night (October 12th)


Stage 773. 8pm. $15.
Two-man sketch troupe Urlakis & Cusick returns to Stage 773 after last year’s self-titled revue, which was praised for its relentless, cerebral dark humor. Both dudes have a strong sketch background, having worked, directed, and taught at The Annoyance, Second City, ComedySportz, and WCIU-TV. The show runs weekly through November 16th.


ComedySportz. Midnight. $10.
As mentioned before, James Fritz is moving to LA next week, and this show serves as a final farewell to the best comedian and podcaster on the scene. Produced by ComedyofChicago.com, this late night show has one of those lineups that will look INSANE to a specific type of nerd in three to five years.

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