Tomorrow night, 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. 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.
, 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.
Brandon Wetherbee's formerly Chicago-based podcast, You, Me, Them, Everybody was one of my first experiences with Chicago's comedy and arts scene when I moved here in 2010. Now it's 2013, Brandon lives in Washington D.C. and mostly records the show there, with occasional trips back to Chicago.
What I like most about YMTE was the show's amorphous format. In a live setting, it assumes the form of a late night talk show, and while recordings of these live shows are the most frequently released episodes, there are occasional one-on-one interviews and themed episodes like the recently released Best of 2012 collections.
The Best of Comedy episode features the 11 best stand up sets from YMTE Live in 2012, hosted by Wetherbee and his new friend Adam Friedland. Friedland is a very funny D.C.-based comic who's become such a regular on the show that there's an entire Best of 2012: Adam Friedland episode devoted to the weird characters and bits he's done for the show.
A solid bunch of Chicago standup regulars like Katie McVay and Liza Treyger appear on the countdown, plus some D.C. talent that I'm not familiar with but mostly enjoyed. The #1 spot goes to a ridiculous character bit from Joe McAdam, which, when replayed here, made me laugh as much as the first time I heard it a few months ago.
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.
I like game shows. Now, honestly, I don’t watch many these days, but I definitely like the idea of them. My favorites are the panel-style shows (Hollywood Squares, Match Game, etc.), where the game itself takes a back seat to the banter from the celebrity guests.
That's why I’m very excited to be involved with . I help produce events at saki , a record store in Logan Square, and next Thursday, October 18th, we’re presenting the show in the luxurious Schubas Upstairs Lounge. It's a game show inspired by a series of events we've had at the store in the past called Predictive Gaming for Substandard Films, but has been tweaked to the point that a name change was in order.
The gist of the game is this: we’re screening a terrible rock’n’roll themed movie (it is presented by a record store, after all), and several times throughout the screening, we’re going to pause the movie and pose a multiple choice question to our two contestants about what’s about to happen onscreen. A panel will offer their advice to the contestants, who will then give their answer, along with a point wager. The answer will then present itself onscreen, to the delight/despair of everyone. This process will repeat itself several times.
IMBG is hosted by Joe McAdam, a frequent collaborator with saki (he also hosts and produces the store’s monthly variety show, ), and features a panel of local funny people, including , , , and .
The show is at 7pm next Thursday, October 18th, in the Schubas Upstairs Lounge, and is totally free.
If you’re interested in being a contestant, write us at .
Yell You Better is an insane video series by Katie McVay and Anthony McBrien. The show's advice column format is a perfect venue for McVay's hyperkinetic, maniacally friendly persona. The Steamroller is happy to be premiering the fourth episode in the series, which you can see below.
Check the show's for past episodes and email them at yellyoubetter @ gmail.com if you're in need of advice.
