The Conglomerate!

Briefly, frienemies: I will be writing pseudo-irregularly about comedy in Chicago, and sometimes about CHI kids in LA, for the newly configured Apiary. The Apiary has made the move to go "national", and is looking for pieces on various scenes in the country. Since the Bastion folded in late '08, I've been wondering what to do w/ myself. 5DM seemed the obvious choice, but it was getting weird for me to continue a fan blog about people I now considered friends and associates. It felt a bit creepy, actually. I mean, I'm 31, right?

Anyway, a chance to do some "real" writing about a community of folks I hold very near to my heart is exciting, and I hope I can continue to do the scene some kinda justice.

Also, I'm on Twitter (again!), but mostly so I can write to the Interwebs during open mics, b/c reading the updates later is amusing to me. Otherwise Twitter is pretty stupid. If you are also on there, befriendify me @kristyrock. I use Twitter to also stalk comedians.

Don't Spit!

As promised, Elizabeth got her Don't Spit the Water photo set up on Flickr for your visual pleasure! Check out the full set here. The reprised show, specially staged for the Just for Laughs Chicago festival, featured former ex-pat cast members TJ Miller, Jared Logan, Robert Buscemi, and Nick Vatterott, and brought back regular players Fuzzy Gerdes, Erica Reid, Paul Luikart, Steve Gadlin, Tyler Lansdown, and Bryan Bowden. It looks like a super good time was missed by this guy right here, who opted to hang out on a beach for eight hours with a cute boy that day instead. OH WELL.

*It should be noted that I am actually super upset with one of those ex-pat cast members in particular, for NOT EVEN MENTIONING HE WAS GOING TO BE IN TOWN AND DOING COMEDY. I actually might have forgone the beach, had I known. Whatever.

Photo by Elizabeth McQuern.

MJ

First of all, this is for me:



As if you asked, this is my favorite MJ song (bonus: this is one of the 'short film' music videos. Totally awesome.)

She's threatening to pull it down, but I don't think Cameron was wrong with the blog she wrote last evening. I watched all the zingers and one-liners roll over my Feedbook friends' feed, too; the examples she cites barely even scratch the surface of how comics were responding in real time to the news of Michael Jackson's passing. For better or worse, we are now living in a society where we can react and interact almost immediately with one another -- for me, this is comforting. I'm okay with that level of communication. I like knowing that I'm not alone, especially when I'm drinking whisky and hanging out w/ a cat while housesitting in an apt on the 14th floor and watching an MJ video marathon for hours. And, like someone mentioned (on Facebook? Twitter? can't remember), maybe the fact that comics are able to get all of these short quips off of their chests immediately means they won't be trying to develop them into jokes and will not then take them out to the open mic circuit. Maybe. Are there any reports from any open mics last night? How did we all do as humans?

Did we make it out okay?

JFL Week came and went, and I don't think there were any casualties... I know that I myself took it really easy, considering the 1,392 things I *could* have done. I'm not going to pretend I did any kind of "coverage" or anything like that -- I saw a bunch of good friends, got and gave a bunch of hugs, and drank a lot of liquor. For some excellent national act coverage, check in on the Time Out Comedy Blog, and the Comic's Comic (aka Sean McCarthy from NYC, who was in town for the fest). As for local show coverage, I know Cameron Esposito dropped some stuff in her new Tribune-affiliated blog, Chilarious, and Elizabeth McQuern, as always, took at least one million photos and five dozen short films over the weekend. Stay tuned to her blog for a full visual report soon!

Photo of Angel holding a JFL logo-emblazoned napkin, and Mary, the Greatest Bartender Alive, hustling behind the counter, as the entire drinking crew of 2006 descends upon her for the Thursday night Homecoming Show at the Lodge. John Mulaney was a very-last-minute addition to an already insane line-up.

The Madness is Upon Us.

Ohhh, hey guys. So, it's JFL Week here in CHI!! The energy is palpable. Last night I giggled madly for 3+ hours, at the Your Sunday Best open mic. People who have been estranged for far too long kept appearing -- Brido, Kyle, Emily... I kept trying to will the universe to bring me more and more wayward friends, but I think the universe wants to test my patience for a few more days. I am hoping that it delivers to me more folks tomorrow night, for the first ex-pat showcase this week. I wasn't going to go out to ChUC, as I have my tix all set and ready for the Thursday night Homecoming Show at the Lodge, but screw that. If I can't be here over the weekend, I will make the most of this week w/ my old school soul crew.

As a super awesome added bonus: my girl Blanda came out w/ me last night, as she was visiting CHI while on sabbatical this summer in OH, and you know everything's always better w/ a partner-in-crime, and on Thursday Angel will be in CHI, so she and I get to kick 2006-style that afternoon/evening. We are taking bets now on if survival is in the cards for us...

As an aside: I am sorry if my live tweeting last night was bothersome for anyone, and I'm also sorry I took a phone call from Angel and then proceeded to hold the phone up so she could listen in on the show. We are getting really weird this week.

Hello!?

How did I not give shouts to the kids going to the Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival this week!? Cameron Esposito put some her thoughts about it down in Chilarious, a relatively new blog from Chicago Now. Cameron -- this week will be incredible, and we WILL laugh the next time we see you at a local open mic!!

Photo by Elizabeth McQuern.

March in Chicago is just so lovely, don't you think!?

I do! But only when it is ACTUALLY MARCH. Here is CHI, we are submerged in about 47 ft. of rain. No exaggeration! I haven't left my house too much the last couple weeks (but this is mostly due to lack of $$$ flow and palling around w/ a new friend). I still wanted to update the ol' blog and send out some linky love, so here it be:

TONIGHT! Catch little Joselyn Hughes on Tosh.0, Daniel Tosh's new Comedy Central/multimedia program. Joselyn is also a regular blogger on the multimedia portion of the program, and now will be showing her beautiful face on the tee-vee!

Shouts to Kumail Nanjiani, currently killing it at Bonnaroo, and writing for the new show, Michael & Michael Have Issues, scheduled to premiere July 15 on Comedy Central.

Big ups to Dan Telfer, who was recently on the syndicated Bob & Tom radio show, which was then aired on WGN this past Tuesday, and on top of that, he got big comedy nerd street cred by showing up on A Special Thing!

Those wacky kids at Blewt! super-nerded out and created a "competitor" to TinyURL: FartURL. I think next time the boss needs a URL shortened, I'm going to be playing a little prank...

I missed the CD Release Party this past Saturday, but that don't mean I love Lola Balatro any less. The CD is now avail for purchase, and its release coincides with their new video, "Questionable Beef":

Questionable Beef from Lola Balatro on Vimeo.

Oh, did you guys catch Zach Galifianakis on Talk of the Nation the other day? When are we gonna see The Hangover?

I've been outta the loop! Drop some linkies in the comments section and I'll go ahead and get those posted up, too. How is everyone today?

MELANCOMEDY

Sweet write-up in the Apiary today for our boy Andy Ross, blowing it up in the NYC! Congrats on a great opening, Andy!

Catch the show June 11, 18, or 25!

Speaking of ex-pats, do be sure to get your tix for next Thursday's Homecoming Show at the Lincoln Lodge. You can get tix for Wednesday instead, if you'd like. And then there's the Chicago Stand-Up Run-Down shows Friday and Saturday, also at the Lodge. And lots of other shows that week, too. I'll be at the Lodge Thursday, reunited with our Angel, returned home to us.

AFTER HOURS REUNION

WHY IN HELL AM I GOING TO BALTIMORE JUNE 19-21? Quite possibly the worst decision I have ever made.

I'm back online, Internet buddies. Almost totally unpacked and settled in. Have officially balanced the checkbook, and let's just say, my Birthday Week next week is probably going to be a lot of me sitting in front of my computer watching downloaded eps of the Wire over one tall boy. BROKE. I am broke. As evidence: I just finished lunch, made from things I have in the apt. Specifically, plain pasta "tossed" w/ a can of black olives and some salt, pepper, cumin, and red pepper (yes, it was as weird as it sounds). I don't want to spend any money on groceries, but it's inevitable.

That being said, I am unopposed to having $6 pitchers of Old Style down at the Two Way Lounge this afternoon. You should come by. You being that one reader in the Netherlands.