Who doesn't love Kelly MacFarland? I've never met a person that doesn't. She emerged from the woods of Maine and made it all the way to Gotham Live and Last Comic Standing. One of the best things about watching Kelly is that she's always going to surprise you and this week she surprised me with a bomb that delighted me far more than the audiences of New England. Middle aged male cheerleaders, you're on warning.
I got a chance to talk to Dan Soder just after the release of his first hour long special Not Special. He was fresh off a five hour drive, starving, and still entertaining as hell. We got to talk about his evolution as a comic and what changed between his half hour special and hour special, how he feels about retiring jokes, and carrying on the proud Arizona comedy tradition of Garry Shandling.
Ever wondered what it's really like to showcase for the most important people in the entertainment industry? Eddie Pence pulls back the curtain and tells us what it feels like to play the Montreal Comedy Festival. I could talk about his late night appearances all day but I have to admit my favorite thing is to talk Star Wars and Super Hero geek jokes for hours on end with Eddie. Do we manage to cover 9/11 too? You better believe it!
Rick Jenkins never meant to be a comedy club owner. He moved from Buffalo to Boston to take part in the comedy boom and then, when the bubble burst, he found himself lamenting it's passing in the bar of a Chinese food restaurant. That night, a club was born. The Comedy Studio in Harvard Square just defied all odds by celebrating it's 20th anniversary. For most of that time it's been known as one of the smartest and coolest rooms in the country. How does he balance being an owner while still being a standup? How does playing one room 99% of the time affect your joke writing? How does it feels when everyone looks to you for advice, laughs, and a joke about whoever happened to die this week? Let's find out...