Interview: John Eisenrich

​Podcasting is a relatively new, but hugely expanding, platform for comedians, musicians, and everyday folks ​looking to share their unique viewpoint with the world. I talked to one such individual, John Eisenrich, a local comedian and writer who has recently gotten into the podcasting game.

John was kind enough to share not only his thoughts and opinions on what makes this scene special, but also gave The Steamroller the chance to premiere THREE new episodes of his show. As a primer, I've included the first three episodes, as well (don't worry, they're all bite-sized clips!). You can see more of John's work as a writer at The Late Live Show, Saturdays at Midnight at iO.

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Poor Choices Presents: Seasick

I began listening to Mark Colomb's Poor Choices podcast almost immediately after moving to Chicago in 2010. His interviews with local performers were a great way of finding out about shows and learning more about the scene. Colomb retired the show after releasing its 200th episode, an incredibly engaging conversation with The Annoyance's Mick Napier, in the Fall of last year.

Seasick, Colomb's newest project, features a variety of segments, like interviews, reviews, and sketches all based around a single theme. The first episode explores the difficulties, limitations, and volatility of following a dream. The show's most prominent and thought-provoking component is a conversation with Beth Melewski, whose career priorities have shifted over time to something more unique and nuanced than the pie-in-the-sky aspirations of many other performers. Other segments include a pair of Scharpling and Wurster-inspired phone conversations and a short discussion about Scorsese's oddly predictive film The King of Comedy. 

There's no set release schedule for upcoming episodes of Seasick, but I look forward any more that are produced. Click here to subscribe to the show (and download past episodes of Poor Choices) on iTunes.

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Three questions for The Lincoln Lodge

The cast of The Lincoln Lodge ​heads north to Rogers Park for a special standup showcase at Mayne Stage tomorrow night (Wednesday March 27th). Tickets can be purchased by clicking here, be sure to use the code word LODGE when checking out for $5 off your order. In advance of the show, I sent over three questions to be answered by all nine Lodge members.

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Interview: Two Bunnies Eating Flowers

I hit rock bottom on the fifth day of Chicago Sketch Fest. I was covering the festival for Time Out Chicago and because of my own bad judgement and general unawareness, I ended up subjecting myself to a marathon of some of the weakest sketch shows I'd seen in my life. At the end of the night, when catching up with some friends I'd ran into in the lobby, they were all incredibly enthusiastic about the show they had just saw from the relatively new Chicago-based team Two Bunnies Eating Flowers. My brain nearly imploded, knowing that there was something genuinely unique and cool happening while I sat through another underprepared improv troupe do another scene set in Wrigleyville.

Thankfully, Two Bunnies Eating Flowers are back at Stage 773 to perform their well-loved sketch revue Horses Aren’t People, Fishes Aren’t Dogs​, tomorrow night, (Saturday March 23rd), at 10:30pm. In advance of the show, I interviewed all three of Two Bunnies, Alex Hanpeter, Kyle Reinhard, and Jude Tedmori. Tickets to Horses Aren’t People, Fishes Aren’t Dogs​ are available here.

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Interview: Dan Friesen

As host and producer of The Comedy Evening at Ace Bar, Dan Friesen, proved himself to be an important asset to the Chicago stand up scene. His hard work and knack for booking strong, varied lineups, has helped make TCE a new scene favorite. Friesen recently launched his new project, The Nicest Guys In Town, with the hopes that it'll become a multimedia hub for online content from Chicago-based comedians. I talked to Friesen about the new site, as well as their IndieGoGo fundraising campaign, which you can (and should) donate to by clicking here.

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Go see Rory Scovel this weekend

Though it only happens a few times a year, The Lincoln Lodge has a great track record of booking solid touring standup comics. In the last few years, they've hosted Chelsea Peretti, Kyle Kinane, Pete Holmes, Moshe Kasher, and a several more I can't remember off the top of my head. The latest in the parade of innovative, nationally rising performers to take the stage at the Lodge is Rory Scovel. 

I first saw Scovel live a few years ago at Just For Laughs, as a part of Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal's Hot Tub standup showcase, he performed much of his set in a fake southern accent, with the mic stand slung threateningly over his shoulder. I was very into it. Since then, he's performed on Conan a handful of times, often with the similarly boundary-pushing Jon Dore, and he's become a regular guest on Todd Glass' reliably silly podcast. I'm very excited to see Scovel's return to Chicago, especially at a venue as intimate and unique as the Lincoln Lodge.

Check out a few of my favorite clips of Rory Scovel below, and be sure to check out one of his four shows this weekend at The Lincoln Lodge. He'll be performing with some of my favorite locals (the current Lodge cast is full of ringers), and there will be giant mugs of Moosehead beer for not much money.

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Interview: Facemelt

Every Thursday this month, two two-person sketch teams from the Kill All Comedy collective, TV Screams and Dumbface, will perform their new conjoined sketch show, Facemelt at iO. All four performers involved with the show, Steph Cook and Joey Dundale from TV Screams, and Devin Bockrath and Brian McGovern from Dumbface, were nice enough to talk to me about their background and the process behind putting up Facemelt.

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