Kari Assad (Twt: @kariassad; IG: @assadkarirocks) came back to help me wrap up the year and talk about some of our favorite moments from the year standup returned from quarantine. We talk a LOT about Pen15's final season just cause I like it a lot. We talk about new live booked shows we liked, specials/albums that stood out, and finish it all up with new year's resolutions for our experience of standup in 2022.
Happy New Year!
1. Always punch up
2. Keep swinging
I racked my brain thinking of a Christmas-related standup special or album to talk about and the closest thing I could come up with is David Sedaris's reading of "Santaland Diaries," a humorous essay about his time working as a mall Santa's elf (link below). I talked to my friend Michael back in WI about it and a little about fun standup things just on the horizon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5XLjG_S6eE
1. Always punch up
2. Keep swinging
I talked to my friend Victoria (@nureonjongi) who is an encyclopedia of current British standup. We talked about Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Korean standup comedy and its potential, and a bit about Ahir Shah's "Dots" (HBO Max).
Here is a list Victoria provided of comedians she saw at the 2018 Fringe Festival, many of whom are now putting out specials and the like:
Kiri Pritchard-McLean — twitter: @kiripritchardmc | Instagram: @kiri_pritchard_mclean | podcast + twitter: All Killa No Filla @killnofillpod
Suzi Ruffell — twitter: @suziruffell | Instagram: @suziruffellcomedy
Sindhu Vee — twitter: @sindhuvfunny | Instagram: @sindhuvee
Mawaan Rizwan — twitter: @MawaanR | Instagram: @mawaanr
Nish Kumar — twitter: @MrNishKumar | Instagram: @mrnishkumar
Graham Dickson — twitter: @GDogged | Instagram: @grahamdickson
Abigoliah Shamaun — twitter: @abigoliah | Instagram: @abigoliah
Steen Raskopoulos — twitter: @steenrasko | Instagram: @steenrasko
Athena Kugblenu — twitter: @athenakugblenu | Instagram: @athenakugblenu
Nina Conti — twitter: @athenakugblenu | Instagram: @theninaconti
Special Mention: Sofie Hagen — twitter: @SofieHagen | Instagram: @sofiehagendk
Ahir Shah — twitter: @AhirShah
A couple weeks ago I ran into Katie Novotny (IG: @kathnovotny) at a comedy show and we chatted about being from the midwest and why we like LA. We talked about comedy and then I invited her on the show and here we are! She's great! We talked about standup vs. sketch and improv, Chicago and NY vs. LA, all kinds of comedy nerd stuff. It was fun!
Check out her set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mydFbq4LeGw&t=2s
I talked to Monique Moreau (Twt: @bigbadbutt, IG: @moniqueandjiminy) about standup, taking a break and coming back to it, neuro diversity, getting out of rural hometowns and how standup is and isn't like being a concert pianist.
Monique has a show coming up at the small room at Largo that we should watch out for and also a show coming up at the Glendale Room on Dec 9th at 8pm.
1. Always punch up
2. Keep swinging
I had my good friend Ed back on the pod to talk about more representations of standup with a 1998 episode of the Simpsons, "The Last Temptation of Krust." Krusty the Clown performs discovers that his offensive material is out of date and becomes a Carlin-esque rant comic but ultimately sells out. It's a nice time capsule of 1998 with some connections to be made about the current kerfuffle with cancel culture.
Happy Halloween! Pow and I watched an episode of Ghost Adventures about the Comedy Store and talked about our own ghost near-sightings.
I talked to Joe Raines (@joemfraines) about his old outdoor show, Yellahammered, I asked him the questions I ask every comic, and we both watched Eddie Izzard's "Dress to Kill" (1999). Joe had some new insights to updating the club vs. alt distinction and good stories from doing the road some years back. Thanks to everyone who listens and look out for a very special Don't Sit in the Front Halloween episode next week!
I convinced Kari Assad (IG: @assadkarirocks, Twt: @kariassad) to watch this little-known movie about standup, This Is My Life (1992). The movie is directed by Nora Ephron and stars Julie Kavner as standup comic Dottie Ingels. It's a weird little time capsule of 90s notions of what a standup career is like for working moms.
We didn't hate it! Kari also talks about her standup show, This is Different. I love this show because it has amazing lineups, outdoor setup and cheap tickets. The last one of the year is Nov. 7 with Dana Gould, Sheng Wang, Teresa Lee, and Monique Moreau!
Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/this-is-different-a-comedy-show-tickets-189903806397
Pow moved back to LA so they came over and helped me work through listeners' questions. We take two steps forward and three steps back in figuring out the alt vs. club distinction, make some predictions for comics that will be big in the coming year, and dig a bit more into my origins of liking standup. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions! Follow @dontsitinthefront on Instagram to submit questions and reach out to me.
1. Always punch up
2. Keep swinging
I talked to Mike Mulloy (IG: @fakemikemulloy; Tw: @niceonlineboy) who runs my favorite comedy show in LA, Faded (@fadedcomedyla). We talked about his storied career on social media platforms, smart-assery, and a whole lot about the recent history of Faded.
fadedcomedyla.com for tickets.
fadedcomedydenver.com for CO friends.
I had a delightful conversation with Anna Valenzuela (@annavisfun) about being honest with bummer topics, straight edge vs. sobriety, standup and antiquated terminology, and a whole lot else even before getting into the questions I ask every comic. You can check out Anna's podcast 12 Questions (@12Qpod) for more discussion about recovery and applying the recovery perspective to just about anything. Hope everyone's doing well!
1. Always punch up
2. Keep swinging
I had a really fun chat with Christine Medrano (IG: @chrissymeds) looking back at the horrors of zoom, the bright spots of comedy outside, growing up in America and Canada's respective Midwests, and the questions I ask every comic with some new ones sprinkled in. Hope everyone's doing well. Check out Christine on social media, stay safe, take care of each other.
Please rate and subscribe, share the podcast with friends who like comedy. Send me a message if you like the show: @dontsitinthefront on IG.
1. Always punch up
2. Keep swinging
I hopped on Zoom with my good friend Michael Egly for another Labor Day Weekend installment of Thicc WI Accent (that's what I'm calling the episodes when I talk about a new special, show, what-have-you in the standup world with a non-comic friend). We talked about Tig Notaro's "Drawn" (HBO), a collection of her bits set to animation. Hope everyone's doing well!
1. Always punch up
2. Keep swinging
I nerded out about comedy at Nathan Lund (@nathanlundcomedy on IG, @nathanlund on Twitter). Nathan is a Colorado-based comic and cohost of the Chubby Behemoth podcast with Sam Tallent. I told him ahead of time I want an oral history of the Denver comedy scene and he delivered!
Check out his recent set from the Jokechella festival in Fort Collins, CO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUNDehzUvq0
...............
1. Always punch up
2. Keep swinging
Pow and I talked about the end of Hacks Season 1, the state of the pod, and broke down the whole first season of PAUSE with Sam Jay (HBO Max).
The live standup shows I shouted out in the intro are This Is Different! (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/this-is-different-a-comedy-show-tickets-167501486455?aff=erelexpmlt) and Salty AF (@saltyafshow on IG for tix and info on upcoming shows)
1. Alway punch up
2. Keep swinging
I had a blast talking with Candy Lawrence (@comedylawrence) about coming back to standup after a hiatus and why comedy should be at 9am. Her pug, Buster also showed up on the Zoom call and I love him. Go look at Buster on her IG and meet Beverly while you're at it.
Candy's opening for Maria Bamford at Comedy on State in Madison, WI in September. Wisconsin listeners get these tickets:
https://www.madisoncomedy.com/events/47023
1. Always punch up
2. Keep swinging