Ryan Singer joins me on the show this week.  Ryan has been on WTF with Marc Maron.  He has two albums out Comedy Wonder Town and How to Get High Without Drugs.  He’s also been heard on Bob and Tom.  We talk baseball, sabermetrics and his comedy web series.

Here’s more on Ryan:

Ryan Singer is the rarest of breeds: A comic’s comic who electrifies mainstream audiences with material that is both uncompromising and unpretentious. He recently released his 2nd album COMEDY WONDER TOWN, which was selected by Under The Gun as a Top 10 album of 2012.  LaughSpin says, “With his high-energy delivery and unpretentious leanings, there’s not a lot to dislike about comedian Ryan Singer. And it’s not just us saying it: In the last few years, he’s won over audiences headlining the nation’s finer comedy clubs and was hailed by Marc Maron in Rolling Stone as a comedian “who should be big.”

His debut album, HOW TO GET HIGH WITHOUT DRUGS, is an intense exercise in wordplay, improvisation, and storytelling recorded at Go Bananas Comedy Club in Cincinnati, OH. Those who enter Singer’s world will be rewarded with knowledge of the connections between dimwitted hunters and Tyra Banks, cookies and racial tension, and even gay marriage and dragons, courtesy of a comedian who expertly connects insanity and brilliance.

Ryan was recently mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Marc Maron as a comedian “Who Should Be Big” and both his debut album and sophomore release were selected as Top 10 Comedy CD’s of the year.  He was mentioned in NY Magazine as a “Comic to Watch,” he was one of 4 finalist in CMT’s Next Big Comic Contest, is a frequent guest on the WTF Podcast w/Marc Maron, been heard on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio, has appeared on the nationally syndicated radio show Bob & Tom, and was a regional finalist in Comedy Central’s Open Mic Fight.  He was the winner of the Golden Shingle Award at the Rooftop Comedy Festival, an award given to the next rising star in comedy.

Click here to visit Ryan’s website.

Dan St. Germain joins me on the show this week.  Dan can be seen on VH1’s Best Week Ever.  We talk about what his week is like with balancing stand-up and working on the show.  He’s also been on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and John Oliver’s Stand-Up New York.  He has a Comedy Central Half-Hour Comedy Special premiering in May.

Here’s more on Dan:

Dan’s a regular on Best Week Ever and has a Half Hour Comedy Central standup special coming out this spring. He’s been seen on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver’s NY Standup Show, The Electric Company, and a bunch of other basic and not so basic cable shows… Don’t watch his drunken racist rant on Logo. He was going through a hard time. He’s the creator and star of the web series Kicking Dan Out featured on My Damn Channel and has his own podcast called My Dumb Friends co-hosted by friend and lover Sean Donnelly which will be launching on Comedy Central Sirius this spring. He’s appeared as a guest on WTF with Marc Maron and The Artie Lange Show, as a “New Face” at The Montreal Comedy Festival, and in a Super Bowl commercial with Howard Stern. His “Cat Guy” joke was selected as one of the twenty best jokes about NY, a list which included Woody Allen. He’s currently developing a script for Comedy Central called Hell Hole as well as a web series for Comedy Central Studios about over night security guards called In Security. Dan’s album Bad at The Good Times comes out on A Special Thing Records this year. Buy it so he doesn’t have to return to a life of crime.

Click here to go to Dan’s website.

Tim Wilson returns to the show this week. Find out why a comedian should never leave the stage.  Tim was just on the Showtime special Road Dogs of Comedy and he can be heard on Bob & Tom.

Here’s more on Tim:

Forty five years is hard to squeeze into a web page so here are the basics.

Born August 5, 1961 in Columbus Georgia. Parents were school teachers so Tim Wilson grew up on mustard sandwiches, playing Little League baseball and Pop Warner football and making straight A’s in School.

“I grew up listening to a ton of AM radio during the commute back and forth to games and I memorized most of the records that played on two jukeboxes at a Tom’s Foods employee swimming camp where my father and older brother were lifeguards for about sixteen years. That was my musical training.”

A born ham, he developed a talent for doing impressions of teachers and anybody he saw on television which got him involved in numerous talent shows.

“My mother would take me to her school sometimes and I would entertain her classes with this act I had put together. I actually did my first pro show when I was about 11 at some soldier at Fort Bennings’ birthday party and I got paid 15 dollars for it, which was double what we would all later get paid at The Improv in New York.”

By high school, his grades had gone to hell and Tim started writing songs about all the girls who wouldn’t go out with him. There were a lot of songs! Tim decided he wanted to be in the music business.

“I was playing football and running track and dragging around a guitar and listening to every record I could get my hands on. Eventually I became a huge fan of Clapton and a bunch of Southern Rock groups: mainly Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Atlanta Rhythm Section.”

Tim finagled a part time job as a sports writer a the local paper and would later moonlight as a concert reviewer.

“I was kinda like the kid in Almost Famous except instead of working for Rolling Stone, I was at the Ledger Enquirer in Columbus.” “Short version, I went to review an Atlanta Rhythm Section concert and met the drummer Roy Yeager. I told him I was a songwriter and I’d heard he was a producer and I wanted to send him some stuff. I mailed it to him and about three months later he called me and brought me up to Studio One in Doraville where they recorded and we made some demos. That is where I got close to real show business. I always tell people I got in show business going to the Waffle House and getting the Atlanta Rhythm Sections orders right!”

Somewhere in there he graduated college.

So I’m renting this bullshit apartment in Atlanta, but mostly sleeping on Dean Daughtry of ARS’s couch,working a job at a one hour eye wear store that Roy’s wife Laine had found for me and I drive this girl I work with home one day and pass something I’d never heard of: A COMEDY CLUB. I show up on open mic night and am informed that you can make more money telling jokes than you can selling glasses. So I go up and do three jokes I’d written and my impression of Richard Pryor’s MudBone. I meet my manager Chris DiPetta the same night and here we go. Suddenly Songwriter Boy is a Comedy Man.

The rest of it is a long story.

For more on Tim, click here.

Auggie Smith returns to the show this week to talk about floods, the dark side of Portland, and acts of cowardice.  Auggie has a new podcast called Motivationally Speaking and a new CD called Smell the Thunder.  He’s been heard on Bob and Tom and seen on Comedy Central.

Here’s more on Auggie:

Danny Kallas, one of Chicago’s Comedians You Should Know, joins me on the show this week.  Danny has performed at the Just for Laughs Festival and Laughing Skull Festival.  We talk about people’s perceptions of Chicago comedy and how to get to gigs without a car.

Here’s more on Danny:

The blue-collar Chicago accent of Danny Kallas has been described as “so thick, you don’t even know what hit you.” Raised in Elmwood Park, a tightly-knit community bordering Chicago’s Northwest side, Danny enjoys blending all sorts of comedy. From absurd silliness to intelligent satire, if it’s funny, it’s in his act.

Danny has been named on Comedy.com’s list of funniest comedians in Chicago. He was the winner of Snubfest 2009 and has participated in numerous comedy festivals including Just For Laughs in Chicago and the Laughing Skull Festival in Atlanta.

For more on Danny and the rest of the Comedians You Should Know, check out this site.

Chicago comic Sydney Adeniyi joins me on the show this week.  Sydney is Nigerian-American and we talk about the time he’s spent in Nigeria.  Sydney won the Best of the Best Chicago Comedy Contest and teaches comedy at McKay Arts Theater.

Here’s more on Sydney -

Sydney Adeniyi is a Nigerian-American comedian from Belleville IL, a small city near St. Louis MO. At an early age, Sydney found a knack for making people laugh by improvising jokes for friends and family. He took his talent to stage a few years after graduating college. Now, he startles audience’s funny bone with satirical and curious material with a touch of mischief. Sydney’s likable, relaxed and engaging comedy breaks the mold while being uniquely original and fun.

Sydney appeared on the TV show “Laugh Out Loud St. Louis”, the movie “Sad Café”, He is the winner of “The Best of The Best” Chicago comedy contest and a featured performer in “Eddison Park Comedy Fest”. Sydney writes and produces content for sydneyadeniyi.com and teaches comedy at McKay Arts Theater.

Click here to check out his website.

Here’s more on Jamison:

Jamison is an up and coming comic that started doing in Bloomington, IN and is beginning to heat up in his comedy career. His self effacing “nerd” comedy coupled with smug observations make him a truly unique comedian to watch. Audiences are charmed into laughing at his ridiculous anecdotes and solutions to all the worlds problems. If crowds don’t laugh, he spins into a dark depression that lingers for weeks, making even the most menial tasks nearly impossible for him. So, when you see him, please laugh, for his sake… and the children. 

Jamison is the winner of the Bloomington Comedy Festival as well a semi-finalist in the Funniest Person in Cincinnati competition. He also likes video-games and using hyphens as often as possible.

Find him on Twitter @JJRayGun

Andy Beningo joins me on the show this week.  Andy has been on Bob and Tom and performed at comedy festivals all over the country.  We’ll talk about working clean and the Michigan comedy scene.

Here’s more on Andy:

Andy Beningo, named “Best Comedian” by the Detroit Metro Times, has been heard on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show, XM Sirius Radio and on the American Forces Network. He was a finalist on CMT’s ‘Next Big Comic,’ and has appeared on the NBC affiliate show, ‘Night Shift with Kevin Ferguson.’ He was the warm up act for Betty White at the Gilda Laugh Festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan and has performed at the Johnny Carson Theater at the Great American Comedy Festival and Detroit Comedy Festival. In addition, he’s appeared on the Comedy Time Network, on Comcast Cable and on MavTV. He became a favorite on Rooftop Comedy, where his material was highlighted on three different series, including Comedy Cut Outs- an animated series. In 2012, he was tapped to host the National College Competition presented by TBS at both Michigan State and the University of Michigan.

The Duluth Tribune raved about Beningo’s act, saying “he prides himself in clean material, and is extremely funny.” His energetic act centers around growing up as the middle child, technology,  life as a college student, fast food restaurants, and a short lived career as a middle school teacher.

Now, Beningo continues to be a touring work horse, performing in some 250 shows a year in corporate events, colleges, theaters, churches and casinos. He works some of the top comedy clubs in the country, including Dangerfield’s in New York City, Zanies in Chicago, the Improv and Funny Bone Comedy Club chain. He has been the opening act for his childhood hero Dave Coulier (Full House), as well as the late great Greg Giraldo, Saturday Night Live’s Jim Breuer, MAD-TV star Frank Caliendo, Comedy Central’s Carlos Mencia and Maria Bamford, Last Comic Standing winners John Heffron and Jon Reep, and comedy legends Gilbert Gottfried, Jimmy Brogan, Emo Philips and many more!

Click here to check out Andy’s website.

This week on show find out what happens when you invite comedians to your wedding with my guest Dean Edwards.  We also talk about his first day working for SNL, which was September 11, 2001.  Dean has not only been on SNL but also MTV2’s Guy Code, TV One’s Vidiots, and BET’s Don’t Sleep. He’s also peformed all over the world from Montreal to South Africa to Egypt.

Here’s more on Dean:

With a dynamic energy and an almost tangible onstage presence, Dean Edwards remains one of the comedy worlds most in demand performers across the globe. Armed with a razor sharp wit, an arsenal of characters and spot on impressions, it’s no wonder that he’s become such a favorite, garnering media attention as well as a legion of fans. As one of the stars of MTV2’s hit show, GUY CODE, Dean has helped the show become the networks most successful show in its history. He also just completed hosting TV One’s clip show, VIDIOTS and serves as a correspondent on BET’s new program, DON’T SLEEP, hosted by TJ Holmes.

A talented Actor/Comedian, Dean Edwards has been making his mark in comedy following two successful seasons as a cast member on “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE With such memorable impressions as Don Cheadle, Michael Jackson and Denzel Washington, as well as such original characters as “Man in Elevator” and “Cop#2″, Dean always pushed himself to the limits of creativity and exhaustion. Always the multi-tasker, Dean found the momentum to juggle his SNL career, his numerous standup appearances and multiple television appearances.

Born in the Bronx and raised throughout New York, Dean’s travels made it easy for him to communicate with all walks of life. After dividing his college career between classes and a 6-year term in the U.S. Army Reserves, Dean ultimately made the choice to devote his career to comedy. Although his fellow soldiers loved his impressions of their drill sergeant, Dean spent many an afternoon doing push-ups to pay for his comedic talent. That talent paid off and Dean found his career after participating in a college talent show. Armed with a degree in communications, Dean became an in-demand comic, and landed his first big break on Russell Simmons’ “DEF COMEDY JAM.” Though the show is renown for it’s blue humor, Dean found a way to break the traditional mold with his mainstream appeal. Subsequently, he was a featured comedian on “SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO” a few years later. Dean followed his TV appearances by starring in numerous television commercials, and also worked with Spike Lee on the hit feature film “THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY”.

Edwards has since earned a reputation as a headlining favorite at comedy clubs and colleges across the country. An international sensation, Dean has attended Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival twice and was chosen to perform at the Jozi, Cape Town and Durban Comedy Festival’s in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban South Africa, as well as Saudi Arabia in late, 2009. More recently, Dean completed a tour of the Middle East, performing in front of more than 10,000 comedy fans: beginning in Cairo, Egypt and ending in Kuwait. Dean has made several late night appearances, including “The Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and “Last Call with Carson Daly.” He is also a favorite and frequent guest on Byron Allen’s “Comic Unleashed,” and is frequently providing comedic commentary on various VH1 highlight shows. Director Malcolm Lee also chose Dean to finish Bernie Mac’s voice/ADR work on “Soul Men” after the comedian’s untimely death. He spent 2 years creating and workshopping the character of Donkey, leading up to Dreamworks’ SHREK THE MUSICAL on Broadway. Jeffrey Katzenberg was so impressed by Dean’s vocal talents that he invited Dean to step into Eddie Murphy’s shoes to reprise the role of Donkey in Dreamworks’ new Halloween classic, “SCARED SHREKLESS”. Some of his feature credits include “SPIDERMAN 3”, “TONY –N- TINA’S WEDDING” and “UNIVERSAL REMOTE”.

Click here to check out Dean’s website.

Brent Terhune joins me on the show this week to discuss prisons, flea markets and haunted hotels.  Brent, an Indianapolis comic, is a writer for the Bob and Tom radio show.  He’s also performed at the Iowa Comedy Festival, Cleveland Comedy Festival, and Gilda’s Laugh Fest.

Here’s more on Brent:

Characters, voices, one liners, and time-tested monologues-comedian Brent Terhune is the embodiment of all these things and more. Not many comics can pull off Brent’s laid-back style of comedy and still remain just as absurd and funny, but equally relevant and relatable at the same time. Currently, Brent is a writer for the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show (he’s been on the show, too) as well as the co-host of the immensely popular podcast that is enjoyed by dozens of listeners, The Interweb Podshow. He’s also performed at the Iowa Comedy Festival, Gilda’s Laugh Fest, and the Cleveland Comedy Festival where he took 2nd place (2012).

Click here to check out Brent’s website.

My guest this week is the Emmy Award winning host of Cash Cab and longtime stand-up comic Ben Bailey.  We talk about Iron Man competitions, Black Sabbath, and what he learned about people from hosting Cash Cab.

Here’s more on Ben:

Acclaimed stand-up comedian, Ben Bailey is the most desired cabbie in New York.    He is the host of the highly successful shows “Cash Cab” and “Cash Cab: After Dark” on the Discovery Channel.  He was singled out by publications such as Entertainment Weekly, who put Ben on their MUST LIST in 2006, People magazine who said “All Hail Cash Cab,” and the New York Post. As a stand-up he has also been profiled in publications such as the New York Times, Maxim, the Associated Press and other reputable publications as well. In fact, “Cash Cab”    has gained such a following that he received a Daytime Emmy nomination last year for “Outstanding Game Show Host.”

As far back as Ben can remember, he was always delivering something. Whether it was flowers, sandwiches, pizza or people, he had over 68 odd jobs prior to and during his stint as an up and coming stand up comic. He recalls driving passengers in his limo, dropping them off, and then hitting the comedy clubs before coming back to pick them up and take them home. In fact, some of his passengers were so enamored with him that they even came to watch him perform! So, when Ben was offered the job as the host of “Cash Cab,” driving was a no brainer. And when he was told that he had to successfully pass real taxi school to become a licensed cab driver in New York City to take the job, Ben passed with flying colors.

Ben got his unlikely start as a stand-up comedian when he was mistaken for a comic in the green room of The Comedy Store in Los Angeles where he was hired to answer the phones. The booker seeing that the other comics in the room could not get enough of Ben’s humor booked him on the spot. After a few years of performing in Los Angeles,        Ben moved back to New York and for two years consistently went to open-mic nights to hone his craft and he hasn’t stopped making people laugh since. Now with over 10 years under his belt as a successful stand-up comedian, Ben continues to perform all over New York City and has achieved international acclaim for both the show “Cash Cab” and performing stand-up comedy all over the world.

He has appeared at the Aspen Comedy Arts Festival in 2002 and again in 2004 while promoting the movie “Bad Meat.” He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2000 and again in 2004 as well as the Masters show at the Montreal Just for Laughs festival in 2005. Ben was also a “Star Search” semi-finalist in 2003 and was an audience favorite where 16.2 million people saw him perform. Ben has also guest starred on numerous television comedies and dramas such as: ABC’s    “The Knights of Prosperity” & “Hope & Faith”,  NBC’s “Law and Order SVU,” and Fox’s “Mad TV,” as well as a recurring role on “One Life To Live.”    His upcoming special “YouSpoof 2.0″ will debut on the Discovery Channel later in 2008.

Some television highlights of Ben’s career include his own Comedy Central Presents Special, and performances and interviews on shows such as: “The Tonight show w/Jay Leno,” the “Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn,” “Last Call with Carson Daly”, “Comedy Central’s Premium Blend,” “The World Stands Up,” and “Tough Crowd w/Colin Quinn.” Film roles include a featured role in “Spiderman 2,” and the independent comedies; “Bad Meat,” “Don’t Shoot The Pharmacist” “They’re Made Out of Meat ” , “Meet Me at Rays,” (also co-wrote/directed).

In addition to being the host of “Cash Cab,” Ben is also a trained tri-athlete, preparing for a ½ Iron Man competition in October of 2008. This triathlon includes a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike trek and a 13.1 mile run.

Ben Bailey is from New Jersey.

“Cash Cab” is in its third year and new episodes began airing on March 3, 2008.

Check out Ben’s website here.

This week on the show we talk to Wayne Manigo about the tricky transition from the corporate world to the comedy world and we find out what’s happening in the Washington D.C. comedy scene.   Wayne performs all over the East Coast and leads the DC Comedy Writers Group.

Here’s more on Wayne:

What does an IT professional with 20 years of experience in Corporate America do when he’d laid off?

Become a comedian, of course!

Wayne Manigo (aka “WayneMan”) began his comedy career with only one goal in mind: make people laugh.  However, as Wayne soon discovered, there was an even greater need than even his jokes could meet.

Wayne made his stand-up debut in April 2008 at a Palace of  Wonders open-mic night, and continued to perform at every venue available.  What he soon discovered was that there were far too few opportunities available for aspiring stand-up comics to perform in front of a live audience, or for veteran comics to try out new material.

That’s when Wayne decided: He would host his own comedy showcases - and WayneMan Comedy was born.

Jodi White is my guest this week.  She plays clubs throughout the country and will soon be seen on NickMom Night Out on the Nick Jr. Channel.  We talk about her time in Toastmasters, her YouTube series Jodi’s Journals, and her comedy wedding.

Here’s more on Jodi:

NEVER THE BRIDESMAID, ALWAYS THE BRIDE, and she’s got four dresses to prove it.

Now on husband number four, with three kids and three ex-husbands, Jodi doesn’t hold back on stage or in life. Trust us, this is No Desperate Housewife. She’s ballsy, bold and brazen. The wild friend you call for parties or the crazy ex you’re still trying to hide from. Her kids, her mother, the young guys she’s dated…Nothing is safe, She tells it like it is!

“You’ll love her from the moment she takes the mic! ” - some drunk in Dubuque

Remembering 20 something and finding her way around 40 something, everyone can identify.

“Very funny and original comic who’s entertaining to men and women 18 to 80”  Michael Alfano - Owner of The Comedy Catch

In addition to comedy festivals across the US and Canada, Jodi’s been featured in Today’s Woman Magazine and just taped her first TV Spot for the Nick Jr. Channel - NickMom Night Out.

Check out Jodi’s website here.

Marc Hershon, the host of the comedy podcast Succotash, joins me this week.  Marc is a writer, improviser, and former comedy club booker.  We’ll talk about his various roles in the comedy business and writing screenplays versus authoring books.

Here’s more on Marc:

Marc Hershon is a branding expert and creative associate with Lexicon Branding in Sausalito, CA, who helped to create the names for BlackBerry, Swiffer, nüvi and many other hit products. Hershon also co-authored the business book, I Hate People! Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job (Little, Brown and Company). He’s also the host/executive producer of Succotash, the Comedy Podcast Podcast.

Here’s more on his podcast: Succotash, the Comedy Podcast Podcast is a show that features other comedy podcasts and in an effort to not only expose audiences to the wide range of comedy offerings available, but also to broaden the appeal of podcasts in general. Hosted by Marc Hershon, whose background in the worlds of comedy, writing and product naming gives him the chops necessary to come off sounding like a blustering know-it-all. The show is produced and engineered by Joe Paulino out of Sausalito’s Studio P, “The Home Of The Hit.”

Check out Marc’s website and the website for Succotash:

http://succotash.libsyn.com/

http://www.marchershon.com/

Fellow podcaster and comedian Dave Nelson joins me on the show this week.  Dave hosts the Comedy A-Go-Go podcast.  We ask why the podcast bubble hasn’t burst and we find out about the Northern Florida comedy scene.

Comedy A-Go-Go is the podcast for the comedy nerd.  Comedy A-Go-Go tries to provide insight into the art of stand-up comedy by providing a weekly discussion with comics, bookers, and club owners.

Listen to Comedy A Go Go here.

St. Louis comic Andrew Frank and Chicago comic Ben Banach join me on the show this week to discuss making ends meet while doing comedy in a big city.

Pat Dixon joins me on the show this week to talk weirdest fan encounters and telling New York-centric bits in the Midwest.  Pat has been on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Red Eye.  You can hear him on his podcast The New York City Crime Report.  You’ll soon see him on VH1’s Best Week Ever.

Here’s more on Pat:

Originally from Tennessee, NYC-based comedian Pat Dixon has been seen performing standup on his own half-hour special (”Comedy Central Presents Pat Dixon”), “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson” even BBC America (”The World Stands Up”) and more shows, as well as headlining at comedy clubs, casinos and colleges across the U.S. More than a stand up, Dixon has also been seen as a regular correspondent/commentator on Vh1 as well as Headline News, “Red Eye” with Greg Gutfeld and tons more stuff. Pat’s groundbreaking comedy/news podcast “The New York City Crime Report with Pat Dixon” (”New and Noteworthy” on iTunes) is the only all-crime, all-NYC comedy podcast, and has attracted a devoted following of fans who appreciate the show’s one-of-a-kind combination of grim crime news, bizarre court activity and hard laughs. Every week (or so) Pat’s “Ripped from the Headlines” segment can be heard on the nationally syndicated “Bob & Tom Radio Show.”

Check out his website - patdixonnyc.com

Kenny Kinds is a St. Louis comic and filmmaker.  He won the Jukebox amateur comedy competition this past September.  We chat about the current state of the St. Louis comedy scene, ProStars versus Space Jam, and confrontations with Bob Costas.

For more on Kenny, check out his website.

Mike Toomey joins me on the show this week to discuss morning news, sleep, and how the Chicago stand-up scene has changed over the last 30 years.  Mike can be seen regularly on WGN Morning News.  He’s also been on A&E and MTV.  He has a one-man show called TV & Me.

Here’s more on Mike: With his Sharp Delivery, quick wit, and unique style, Mike Toomey has been a favorite at comedy clubs and special events since 1982. Mike has appeared in concert with such names as Wayne Newton, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Reba McIntyre. He has performed on numerous television programs including; HBO’s U.S. comedy Arts Festival in Aspen Colorado; MTV’s Half Hour Comedy Hour; and A&E’s Comedy on the Road.

The Chicago Tribune calls Mike, “One of the funniest and most talented performers to ever work in Chicago.” For an evening of uncontrollable laughs, Mike Toomey is a sure choice!

Check out Mike’s website here.

My guest this week is Dave Coulier.  You know Dave from Full House but he’s also done a ton of animation work.  We discuss his appearance on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show and working in animation.

Here’s more on Dave: Dave is perhaps best known for his work on the long-running hit ABC television series, Full House, which aired for eight seasons (1987-1995, with 192 episodes produced) and can now be seen as part of the popular Nick At Nite and ABC Family network lineups. Additionally, the show is currently in worldwide syndication in over 100 countries. Dave followed this success by hosting his second prime-time hit series, America’s Funniest People, which ran on ABC for four seasons.

Dave also handled the hosting chores for ABC’s The World’s Funniest Videos, and hosted his own series, Out of Control for Nickelodeon. Dave hosted the multiple-award winning TV series, Animal Kidding, on the Animal Planet Network.

Dave also appeared on VH1’s #1 rated series The Surreal Life. Dave hosted two seasons of America’s Most Talented Kids for the i Network. He also stars as the voices of Felix The Cat, The Professor and Rock Bottom in several Felix The Cat animated feature films on DVD.

Dave also partnered with Nancy Kerrigan in the Skating With Celebrities series on the Fox Network. Dave starred in two movies; Shredderman for Nickelodeon and The Family Holiday which aired on the Lifetime Network.

Check out his website - davecoulier.tv

Johnny Beehner is my guest this week.  We talk about the Ricky Gervais Just Sayin’ contest, working with Jim Gaffigan, and getting ready to be a new dad.  Johnny was a finalist in the recent Ricky Gervais Just Sayin’ contest.  He can be heard on Sirius/XM radio and Bob and Tom.

Here’s more on Johnny:

Johnny Beehner puts on a very funny show.  That’s all there is to it.  He has been performing stand up comedy since 1999.  He can be heard on XM/ Sirius Satellite radio, he’s been on the Bob and Tom nationally syndicated radio show multiple times, and he is constantly traveling from city to city across the country making people laugh.

Johnny started his comedy career putting on his own shows in Milwaukee during his college years.  He spent the summers between school years pounding the pavement in the comedy world of New York City, then Los Angeles.

With a strong background in improvisational theater throughout all of college, including training at Chicago’s prestigious Second City, Johnny brings a very unique show to the stage.  His shows have been described as “silly,” “smart,” “fun,” and “hilarious.”  Johnny centers himself as the butt of most of his jokes with tales of growing up an awkward, tall, skinny middle child in a huge family.  Whether it’s at a college, a private event, or a comedy club, Johnny’s clean and clever style of comedy is sure to keep the audience laughing.

Other Credits include:

Top 5 in Ricky Gervais JustSayin Stand up Contest.

Finalist in the 2012 Great American Comedy Festival.

Took 2^nd place in the Carnival Cruise Comedy Challenge.

Semi-finalist in the 2012 Laughing Skull Comedy Festival in Atlanta, GA.

Performed at the 2011 Boston Comedy Festival.

Performed at Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival.

DJ Dangler joins me on the show this week.  DJ is an Indianapolis comic who plays clubs throughout the country.  DJ and I discuss the Indianapolis comedy scene, why his second time doing comedy was memorable, and the Walking Dead.

You can find him on Twitter @DJDangler and Facebook.

Joe Roderick joins me on the show this week.  Joe won the Jukebox Comedy Club Amateur Comedy Competition in 2011.  Joe is now branching out and playing more clubs and one-niters throughout the Midwest.  We talk about his theater experience and driving comics around.

Phil Palisoul joins me on the show this week.  Phil has been on the Tonight Show, Premium Blend, and Last Comic Standing.  We discuss the Denver comedy scene and working on sitcoms.

Here’s more on Phil:

Phil Palisoul is a rapidly rising, hard-working, and very funny young comedian bound for great success. Phil began his comedy career in Denver and quickly became one of the top acts in the city. Soon he was headlining comedy clubs across the country and in 1994 he moved to Los Angeles where he became a regular at the World Famous Hollywood Improv and the legendary Pasadena Ice House and started a successful career as a television writer.

In addition to landing a spot at the prestigious HBO U.S Comedy Arts Festival where he received rave reviews for his performances, Phil has continued to perform his stand-up routine on such shows as “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” NBC’s “Friday Night!,” Louie Andersons “Comedy Showcase,” VH1’s “Stand-Up Spotlight” and “Fools For Love,” and A&E’s “Caroline’s Comedy Hour.” Although Phil is a regular television performer, his first love is still performing for live audiences.

Once you’ve seen Phil’s act, the reason for his popularity is obvious–he’s hilarious! Building his show with a playful and silly mixture of life experiences, Palisoul has made a name for himself touching on childhood memories (growing up in a typical suburban neighborhood in a typical suburban family) and the married life, making him a favorite in television, corporate shows, comedy clubs, and colleges.

Check out his website - www.philpalisoul.com

Roy Wood Jr. is my guest this week.  The last time we talked to him was on the eve of the Last Comic Standing finale.  Since then he’s been on Conan, the Last Comic Standing comedy tour, and is on the TBS sitcom Sullivan and Son.  Comedian Ben Moore also makes a quick appearance on this week’s show.

Here’s more on Roy:

Though he can currently be seen on the TBS sitcom ‘Sullivan & Son’ Roy’s journey did not start there. Named by Entertainment Weekly as one of 12 comics to watch in 2009, Roy has been featured on the new season of CBS’ THE LATE SHOW  w/ David Letterman, HBO’s DEF COMEDY JAM, TV One’s ‘The Funny Spot w/ Tony Rock’,  BBC’s THE WORLD STANDS UP- LONDON, , CBS’ LATE LATE SHOW w/ Craig Ferguson, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and Comedy Central’s BOB & TOM COMEDY TOUR. He’s also showcased at the prestigious  MONTREAL COMEDY FESTIVAL and is a regular guest on the E! Network’s ‘CHELSEA LATELY’.

Hailing from Birmingham, AL, Roy’s creative writing and dedicated work ethic has since earned him the right to perform his comedy in front of millions of people coast to coast.

The Montreal Gazette called Roy’s 2006 festival performance on the ‘New Faces’ show “tremendous” and the Hollywood Reporter called Roy a “standout”. Roy has also appeared on ‘COMEDY CENTRAL’S PREMIUM BLEND’, BET’s COMIC VIEW, CBS’ STAR SEARCH (2003) , ‘IT’S SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO’ and LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD w/ KIKI SHEPPARD’.

Steering clear of predictable topics and premises, Roy delivers comedy that gives an honest look at not only his life, but the world in which we live. The universal appeal of his comedy crosses all race and cultural lines which is why he has opened for an array of comedians ranging from D.L. Hughley, Ron White, Monique, Tommy Davidson, Bill Engvall and Katt Williams.

A two-time nominee for APCA’s title of ‘Comedian of the Year’ Roy works numerous college and university appearances into his schedule every year as well.

Roy has also carved a niche for himself in the world of radio. After graduating from Florida A&M University in 2001 he served as head writer and producer of the Buckwilde Morning Show WBHJ 95.7 JAMZ– Birmingham, AL until 2007. He has since returned to that very same station to host his own morning show ‘The Roy Wood Jr Show: Good Morning’ He is also a regular guest on the ‘Bob & Tom Radio Show, a syndicated morning show heard by more than six million people every morning. His hilarious prank phone calls are also carried in almost 50 different radio markets including stations in Canada and England.

In addition to terrestrial radio, his prank calls are a main stay on Jaime Foxx’s ‘Foxxhole Station’ on SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

These same prank calls have been compiled into three nationally released CD’s. 2003′s ‘MY MOMMA MADE ME WEAR THIS’ , 2005′s ‘CONFESSIONS OF A HIGH SCHOOL BENCH WARMER’ and his newest CD, “I’LL SLAP YOU TO SLEEP”

Click here to check out his website.

Follow Ben Moore on twitter @comedysbenmoore

Tom Simmons returns to the show this week to talk about the current state of Comedy Central, Kickstarter, his podcast Bully the Bullies, and pewtweets.  Tom Simmons won the 2009 San Francisco International Comedy Competition.  He’s been seen on Comedy Central and heard on Bob and Tom.  There’s also a special appearance by Jamison Raymond, Tom’s feature for the weekend.  You can find Jamison on Twitter @jjraygun

Quick correction - At the end of the show, I mentioned that the clip I played came from Tom’s CD End the Fed.  It actually came from Tom’s CD Keep Up.  End the Fed is the name of one of the tracks on Keep Up.  Sorry for any confusion.

Here’s more on Tom:

Tom Simmons was born in New York and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He is married to the love of his life, Serena, for more than a decade. Together, they have a son named Owen. “We figured, that’s what we would be doing for the rest of our lives.” Before Owen’s birth in 2004, Tom and Serena toured the continent in their RV, devoted to perfecting Tom’s stage act and putting their relationship to the test.

The Simmons now live in Greensboro, North Carolina, the “epicenter of comedy”, as Tom describes it with a huge grin. “We bought a house from the seventies, and there’s lots of work to do. All I need now is a husband.”

Winner 2009 San Francisco International Comedy Competition

Two time finalist at Boston Comedy Festival

Montreal Just for Laughs International Comedy Festival.

Comedy Central- Live at Gotham

Showtime- White Boyz in the Hood (pilot episode)

BET- Comic View (multiple seasons)

Bob and Tom radio show regular.

Comics on Duty Iraq and Afghanistan.

… and constantly on tour.

For more on Tom, check out his website - tomsimmonscomedy.com

For more on Travis, follow him on Twitter - twitter.com/TravisLipski

Jeremy Essig joins me on the show this week to talk about small town jerks, zombie runs and DC Comics.  Jeremy can be heard on NPR, Pandora, Sirius/XM radio and Bob and Tom.

Here’s more on Jeremy:

Jeremy Essig is the former bass player and guitarist for late-90’s (way) underground bands Box of Rocks and The Flaming Moes.

To many, however, Jeremy is best known as a stand-up comedian and writer. His comedy, described in NUVO magazine as “Intelligent Cynicism,” walks the line between “smart” comedy and mindless indulgence. In a matter of minutes, Essig can move seamlessly between current events and kitchen appliances, weaving the two together with a nod to his love of pop culture.

Essig has released three comedy albums that have appeared on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio as well as on his own Pandora Channel. He has also appeared over fifteen times on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom radio show as well as multiple times on National Public Radio. An accomplished writer, Essig has also had pieces appear in the Columbia Missourian, Riverfront Times and Louisville’s Leo.

A graduate of Wake Forest University and Ohio native, Essig moved to St. Louis in 2004 where he became a fixture in the city’s thriving comedy scene. St. Louis Magazine dubbed him a “comic to watch” and KDHX’s “Slip of the Disc” radio show featured his segment “Six Degrees of Tommy Stinson,” a celebration of Essig’s love of music and trivia.

Check out Jeremy’s website - http://jeremyessig.com/wp/

This week on the show we take a tour of the Farmington Road Entertainment District with Christina Pazsitzky.  We also find out why Oxford University turned her green.  Christina hosts the podcast Your Mom’s House with comedian Tom Segura.  She’s been a writer and regular on Chelsea Lately.  She’s also been on VH1, FX, and Showtime.

Here’s more on Christina: Christina Pazsitzky (pronounced Puh-jshit-ski ) has been a Round Table Regular and Writer on the popular E! show “Chelsea Lately”, and is in the upcoming Showtime stand up special “Red Light Comedy” filmed in Amsterdam as well as TV Guide Channel’s “Stand Up in Stilettos”. She’s also performed at the Aspen Comedy Festival, Lucy Fest, and Gilda’s Laugh Fest. Pazsitzky headlines comedy clubs nationwide and has performed for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, South Korea, UAE and Africa.

A long-time veteran of television, you can see Pazsitzky on several Vh1 countdown shows,TV Guide Channel, SyFy Channel’s “Insane or Inspired”, Tru TV’s “World’s Dumbest” and E! Television’s Wildest TV Moments. She hosted the FX series “Hitchiker Chronicles”, was a cast member on MTV’s “Road Rules” Australia and was a regional finalist on Season 6 and 7 of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”. With a background in animation, Christina has written on and lent her voice to several animated projects, like the feature film TV: The Movie with the boys from MTV’s Jackass and the television series, Trolls. In 2006 she won Animation Magazine’s “Up and Coming Writer” Award and most recently wrote on the feature film Underground Comedy Movie.

Christina Pazsitzky is a comedian with spunk. What you can expect from her is the unexpected. Please don’t call her a “girl comic” – Pazsitzky’s comedy ignores easy labels and covers all sorts of topics. Her comedy effortlessly coasts from topic to topic, always with a heavy dose of wit and charm.

You can hear her weekly on her podcast with husband and comedian Tom Segura on “Your Mom’s House” downloadable on iTunes and streaming on Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/your-mom-s-house-podcast and on www.yourmomshousepodcast.com Bonus points for knowing before becoming a Comedian, Pazsitzky studied Philosophy at Oxford University and attended Law School for two entire weeks. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles and spent her formative years as a Goth in the food court of the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Smart, irreverent and funny – all in one spunky Pazsitzky package.

Find out which animal she would marry here.

Check out her website - christinacomedy.com

Chris Schlichting returns to the show this week to talk half-marathons, busy schedules, twitter feuds with Hulk Hogan, and we find out whether or not I’m a stud in Iowa.  Chris won the Jukebox amateur comedy competition several years ago and now tours all over the Midwest.

Here’s more on Chris: Growing up on the mean streets of Iowa, Chris Schlichting knew that he either had to take up stand-up comedy or join the notorious Midwest gang known as “The Farmers.”

Described as “hilarious” by his mom and as “not having a real job” by his dad, Chris takes pride in his immature, yet sincere stand-up style.   This unique comic is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best comics on the planet, and by “planet” we mean “his street.”

With the confidence of a lion, the agility of a puma, and the intelligence of a really smart house cat, Chris is sure to leave you laughing, and wanting more.

Check out his website - schlickcomedy.com

Things get sexy on The Stand-Up Chronicles this week with Susanna Lee (Lucky Deluxe) who mixes the art of burlesque with stand-up comedy. She’s been on Last Comic Standing and can be heard on Sirius/XM Radio.  We’ll talk about burlesque, stand-up, and some of the odd jobs she’s had in-between.

Here’s more on Susanna:

Susanna Lee (Lucky DeLuxe) is a modern-day Mae West, clearly speaking her mind, tickling her audience with a combination of sharp-wit and teasing sensuality. Successfully integrating burlesque routines into her stand-up comedy shows, introducing burlesque into mainstream comedy clubs, and self-producing tours of her one-person show “Getting Lucky”, leaves this saucy gal way too busy for long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, or anything outside of work, beyond talking to her cats and cutting herself in tender, inconspicuous spots. Her original spoken-word striptease routines have been compared to the legendary works of Gypsy Rose Lee.

Susanna Lee (Lucky DeLuxe) has been heard on Sirius XM’s Rawdogs Comedy channel, and seen on such television shows as “Last Comic Standing”, “Beverly Hills Brides”, “Girls Behaving Badly” and “America’s Court”. She has performed in several festivals, including the New York, New Orleans, Colorado, Kansas City, Best of the Midwest, Southern Fried, and Show-Me Burlesque Festivals, the Chicago and Ventura Comedy Festivals, and the Coney Island Rockabilly Festival. Her second one-person show, “Getting Lucky” won a “Best Of Fringe” award at the 2011 and 2012 KC Fringe Festivals, and is currently making it’s way across America. Her burlesque variety show, “Giggle-n-Grind”, delights audiences, and makes a homebase at the Improv Comedy Club in Hollywood.

For more check out her website:  www.getluckydeluxe.com

I’m back with a new guest this week.  Wendy Liebman joins me to discuss the Boston comedy scene in the 80’s, doing the Carson Tonight Show, and her new Showtime special Taller on TV.  Wendy has been on everything from Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist and Letterman to Craig Ferguson and The Aristocrats.

For Wendy’s full bio and to download her recent special, check out her website - wendyliebman.com

Jimmy Pardo returns to the show this week.  He’s the host of the award winning podcast Never Not Funny.  He’s been seen on Conan, The Tonight Show, Craig Ferguson, and Comedy Central.  We’ll discuss smoking in clubs, working for Conan, and hecklers getting the upper hand.

Here’s more on Jimmy:

Jimmy Pardo is as funny talking to a stranger in an elevator as he is talking to a crowd from the comic stage. That’s because everything he observes or thinks, he immediately scans to find the funny. And he always finds the funny. After Jimmy was told for like the thousandth time that he was even funnier offstage than he was onstage, he dropped most of the jokes from his act. Now he spends nearly his entire set interacting with, and making fun of, his audience. And they love it.

Jimmy stands at the very center of the comedy world. That’s not only because he’s the ultimate “comic’s comic,” (as he’s often called), but also because he represents where comedy is going, and everybody wants to come along.

Jimmy’s raucous-but-smart weekly podcast, “Never Not Funny,” has revolutionized the way comedians use the internet to connect with their audiences. It’s the No. 2 paid podcast hosted by a comedian, after Ricky Gervais’s. His guest list reads like a Who’s Who of comedy: Conan O’Brien, Adam Carolla, Kevin Pollack, and Sarah Silverman have all been guests. Actors Jon Hamm, Ty Burrell and Craig Bierko have appeared on several of the funniest episodes.

“Never Not Funny” was voted by both iTunes and USA Today as one of the top podcasts of 2006 and 2007. It was an Editor’s Pick in the September 2009 issue of Esquire magazine. In 2010, GQ magazine called the show “The Number 1 Relatively Obscure Thing You Need to Be Paying Attention To.” The show, which started in Jimmy’s dining room in 2006, now regularly hits the road with live tapings at festivals like SF Sketchfest, MaxFunCon, the Vancouver Comedy Festival and Bumbershoot. Twice, Jimmy and Co. have presented the “Pardcast-A-Thon,” taping for up to 12 hours to raise money for The Smile Train.

Besides the podcast, Jimmy continues to headline at some of America’s top comedy clubs and currently works as Conan O’Brien’s opening act on “Conan,” getting the studio audience into a laughing mood before the show tapes (he did the same for Conan on “The Tonight Show”).

A true multimedia talent, Jimmy has frequently appeared on television and in movies. He has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” He had his own half-hour special, “Comedy Central Presents Jimmy Pardo.” He hosted “National Lampoon’s Funny Money” on the Game Show Network, and was the co-host of AMC’s “Movies at Our House” for four seasons. He has hosted episodes of VH1’s “The Surreal Life” and “Love Lounge” and NBC’s “Late Friday.” He’s appeared on popular shows such as “Monk,” “That 70s Show,” and “Becker.” And he has acted in independent films such as “Relative Strangers” and “The Godfather of Green Bay.”

Jimmy was the co-writer and star of the critically-acclaimed one-man show subtly titled “Attention Must Be Paid: The Jimmy Pardo Story” and a live pilot presentation, “Jimmy Pardo’s Dance Party.” He hosts monthly shows at the famed Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles. He has recorded two comedy albums, “Uno” and “Pompous Clown.”

For more on Jimmy, check out his website - http://jimmypardo.com/

Danny Bevins joins me on the show this week.  He’s been on Comedy Central and Craig Ferguson.  We’ll discuss why he’s in Peoria this week and why some U.S. comics are more successful in Europe.

Here’s more on Danny:

Danny Bevins has been called many things: juvenile delinquent, soldier, flight attendant, patient, husband and lately “disturbingly hilarious”. 
The term that describes him best though is …SMARTASS!

His mouth has gotten him arrested, fined and fired from every job he’s ever had, but for the last ten years it’s propelled him to tour the world and perform on some of the most prestigious stages in comedy.

The son of a Jesus freak and a Green Beret, Bevins straddles the line between temptation and authority. He’s loud, audacious, opinionated, cocky, animated, charming, irreverent, sarcastic, facetious, ridiculous and dangerous.

He is THE AMERICAN SMARTASS!

For more on Danny, head to his website - http://www.thedannybevins.com/

Brett Erickson joins me on the show this week to talk open mics, drugs and his upcoming tour with Doug Stanhope.  Brett is the house emcee at the Jukebox Comedy Club.  He’s worked with Doug Stanhope and Dave Attell and he was featured in the movie The Unbookables.

Rex Havens is my guest this week. Rex has been on Comedy Central and Showtime. He’s also been heard on Bob and Tom.  We’ll find out what he’s been up to lately and we’ll also find out what comedians and truckers have in common.

Here’s more on Rex:

Rex Havens is my guest this week. Rex has been on Comedy Central and Showtime. He’s also been heard on Bob and Tom. Rex was a corporate lawyer and making a six-figure income for 14 years before quitting to pursue a career in comedy. We’ll talk about how he came to that decisions and the emotions behind it this week on the show.

Check out his website - www.rexhavens.com

Jeff Havens joins me on the show this week.  Jeff is a stand-up comic and corporate speaker.  He’s appeared on CNBC and Fox Business Channel.  He’s also written four books.  We’ll talk about his dad, Rex Havens, who’s also a stand-up.  We’ll also find out what the corporate speaking circuit is like.

Here’s more on Jeff:

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vanderbilt University, Jeff began his career as a high school English teacher before following his father Rex Havens (RexHavens.com) into the world of stand-up comedy, where he worked with some of the brightest lights in American comedy and honed the art of engaging audiences through laughter. But his impulse to teach never faded, and soon he began looking for an avenue to combine both of his passions into entertaining and meaningful presentations.

The results are Uncrapify Your Life!, How to Get Fired!, Unleash Your Inner Tyrant! and Becoming a More Annoying You!, and since their introduction Jeff has brought his unique, side-splitting, message-based presentations to General Electric, Ford Motor Company, USBank, McDonald’s, and hundreds of other corporations in the United States and Canada. Original, informative, hilarious and powerful, Jeff’s ability to help people achieve success in leadership, customer service, communication, generational issues, corporate culture and more by talking about what they should and shouldn’t do guarantees that his audiences manage to laugh and learn at the same time.  His stated goal?  To provide all the content of a traditional presentation with all the entertainment value of a comedy show.  Because improving your business doesn’t have to be boring.

Jeff is also a regular guest on Fox Business News and has been featured in Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, AOL, and dozens of other regional and national media outlets. His latest book, Unleash Your Inner Tyrant!: Proven Strategies to Help You Become a More Horrible Boss is available in stores now, and there will be many more to come.  Trust us: Jeff is just getting started.

Head to www.jeffhavens.com for more information

Donate to Aurora shooting victim Caleb Medley - http://calebmedley.com/help

In the first half of the show, I’ve got an interview with April Macie.  April has been on Howard Stern, Bob and Tom, and Last Comic Standing.  We discuss her recent travels and the brilliant-but-cancelled TV show Freaks and Geeks.

In the second half of the show, Joe Roderick takes over as guest host and interviews me.

Here’s more on April:

Things get political this week on the Stand-Up Chronicles with my guest Will Durst.  Will has made over 400 television appearances.  You’ve seen him on MSNBC and Fox News.  You’ve also seen him on Letterman and Comedy Central.  He was nominated 7 times for Stand-Up of the Year from the American Comedy Awards.

Here’s more on Will:

A Midwestern baby boomer with a media- induced identity crisis, Will Durst, according to the New York Times is “quite possibly the best political satirist working in the country today.” This equal opportunity offender is exceptionally adept at swatting both partisan political piñatas upside their heads.

Although a prolific writer, he professes little need for material, having it regularly delivered at 7:00 a.m. every morning in the five papers he reads daily. Busier than a blind squirrel neck deep in an almond sorting warehouse, Durst is a regular commentator for audible.com, Air America, CNN and NPR, writes a nationally syndicated op- ed column, daily website jokes—yet still finds time to perform hundredss of comedy shows every year—at clubs, corporate events, theaters and benefits…not to mention the occasional acting and voice-over role.

Reigning as C-SPAN’s favorite comic (8 appearances,) Durst is a 5-time Emmy nominee and recipient of 7 consecutive nominations for the American Comedy Awards Stand Up of the Year. He is the first comic invited to perform at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the first American to be nominated for the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the show “Myth America.” He has racked up more than 400 television appearances in 14 different countries while slinging jokes around the globe in his one man crusade to make people laugh out loud on purpose against their will. Hobbies include the never-ending quest for the perfect cheeseburger, while his heroes remain the same as when he was twelve—Thomas Jefferson and Bugs Bunny.

Will Durst’s performances are made possible by the First Amendment.

Check out his website - www.willdurst.com

Jon Huck returns to the show this week to talk about buying and selling jokes, telling jokes at a nursing home, and Van Halen.  Jon has been seen on Live at Gotham and Punk’d.

Here’s more on Jon:

Jon Huck was born and raised in Warrenville, IL. Jon Huck went to high school at Wheaton Warrenville South in unincorporated Wheaton, IL. Jon Huck went to College at Northland College in Ashland, WI. Jon Huck got testicular cancer his second semester of college. Jon Huck had his right testicle removed when he was 19 years old. Jon Huck then had to undergo four months of Chemo. Jon Huck beat cancer like he was Ralph Macchio in the “Karate Kid” and cancer was Johnny. Jon Huck went to Europe for a month or so after college. Jon Huck is lucky he is not in a German prison to this day. Jon Huck lived in Washington, D.C. when he got back from Europe. Jon Huck lived there for three months. Jon Huck moved back to Illinois to live on his friend’s apartment floor. Jon Huck moved to California in November of 1999. Jon Huck worked a bunch of shitty temp jobs until 2001. Jon Huck started doing stand-up in 2001. Jon Huck sucked when he started. Jon Huck eventually got better. Jon Huck is now good enough to perform for your whole family. Jon Huck likes your family. Jon Huck loves his family. Jon Huck’s comedy is heavily influenced by his family. Jon Huck’s mother had to put up with Jon Huck, his younger brother Jeff and his father. Jon Huck’s mother is a saint. Jon Huck and his younger brother Jeff are insane. Jon Huck and his brother Jeff got the insanity gene from their father. Jon Huck has performed all over the country. Jon Huck loves doing stand-up. Jon Huck is still performing all over the country. Jon Huck would do stand up for three homeless guys in a downtown alley if that was the only stage time he could get. Jon Huck has performed in comedy clubs, dive bars and windowless vans all over America. Jon Huck thinks it would be in your best interest to see him as soon as you can. Jon Huck says thanks for reading this gibberish.

For more on Jon - you can find him on twitter @jon_huck

It’s our 150th episode!  Michael Palascak and I discuss the Bozo Show and mispronouncing his last name.  Michael has been on Letterman, Ferguson, and Leno.  His firs half-hour special on Comedy Central just premiered just last month.

Here’s more on Michael:

After moving around the Midwest during his early years, Michael Palascak (Pal-a-sack) ended up in Wabash, Indiana–“The First Electrically Lighted City in the World.” He spent his formative years there, and then, after college, moved to Chicago pursue a career in comedy and living at home with his parents.

In the last two years, Michael debuted on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He also performed at The TBS LOL Lounge in the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Chicago. He also has performed at Caesar’s Palace in The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas and was the winner of HBO’s Lucky 21 Stand-up Contest. He won the Chicago region of Comedy Central’s Open Mic Fight and went on to make his Comedy Central debut on Live at Gotham Season 3.

Desiring to perform all forms of comedy, Michael took sketch and improv classes at The Second City in Chicago, iO, and Annoyance. In Chicago, Michael debuted his one-person sketch show–Pursuing Happiness: A bunch of scenes about people that moved out of their parents’ house, got a real job, and got married. Performed by a guy who didn’t.

Michael connects to the youthful innocence in everyone as he relates his stories onstage. From growing up in a small town to buying his first car Michael’s stories allow everyone to laugh a lot. Audience members quotes: “Really good job,” “…funnier than Cosby or Seinfeld…,” and, “You’re just like my son.”

Michael made his television debut on WGN—The Bozo Show, Age 9, Large Boot Relay Team Blue (Runner-up).

For more on Michael, check out his website - http://www.michaelpalascak.com/

Steve Simeone returns to the show this week to talk about his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, changing his comedic style, and Comedy Store ghost stories.

Here’s more on Steve:

Steve Simeone grew up in Suburban Philadelphia, the middle of three brothers. He developed his unique high energy style of storytelling around the family dinner table competing for laughs on a nightly basis. Whether in the classroom or at home, Steve always seemed happiest making people laugh, even if it meant he sometimes got into trouble.

After graduating from Loyola College in Maryland as a member of the National Marketing Honor Society, Steve accepted a job in banking. This was not a good fit and didn’t last long. His brief stint of being a real grown up, gave way to a dream job with the Philadelphia Eagles. Now this was way more fun than banking. But those who are destined for the stage, are destined for the stage. After a few Open Mics, came the title of “Funniest Comic in Philly”. Some things are simply meant to be. Celebrity judge Pauly Shore invited Steve to Hollywood and The World Famous Comedy Store. He was now making $25 a night working the door. Steve always seemed happiest making people laugh, even if it meant he sometimes starved.

Steve has spent the last ten years slowly honing the craft of Stand Up Comedy. He is a regular performer at Hollywood’s most prestigious Comedy Clubs, The Comedy Store, The Improv, and The Laugh Factory. When he’s not headlining clubs on his own he can be seen on the road with The Playboy Comedy Tour, Pauly Shore, and Andrew Dice Clay. A proud member of “Comics On Duty”, Steve has entertained our troops around the globe on four continents. And yes, Steve has been on television (NBC’s “Spy TV”, on Current TV’s “The Schmoes Know” and TBS’s “Minding The Store”) but as they say, the best is yet to come. Steve always seemed happiest making people laugh, even if it meant he got to tour with his childhood hero “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Be on the lookout for Steve and this professional wrestling Icon at a Comedy Club near you.

For more on Steve, check out his website - http://awesomesteve.com/

Drew Michael joins me on the show this week.  Drew is a Chicago comic and one of the Comedians You Should Know.  Drew headlines and features all throughout the Midwest and recently performed at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival.

Here’s more on Drew:

Woe-begotten cosmic traveler. Societal spectator. Lover of all. Human. I am a stand-up comedian out of Chicago. You, most likely, are not. On stage, I talk about all of the things I think and talk about off-stage: life. The goal is to be honest. (Right?) People often don’t like honesty. They say they do, but they don’t. They lie to themselves daily so honesty tends to offend them. A lot of honesty is mean. That’s why I hate when people say, “Honesty is the best policy” but then also say, “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything.” What the fuck? So you’re basically saying, “Be honest, but never actually say anything to anyone unless they’re awesome.” Maybe that is the best policy. The only way I know how to interact is to speak to people the way I would like to be spoken to: without limitations. I’m not trying to shock anyone; I’m trying to find answers in the dark recess of my own consciousness. In fact, I don’t even know what “dark” is. How can something be dark or offensive if it’s true? I honestly don’t get it. Maybe that’s some weird form of autism. Anyway, I think we should find those spots inside ourselves and laugh at them while we are still not dead. It’s so fun. I also like to talk about fucking. Sophomoric or not, I think it’s utterly hilarious. If I were writing a third-person bio (to make you think I have someone who writes things like this for me!), at this point I would write something like, “His incessant inner monologue rattles and explodes from the stage in a hilarious rush of refreshing honesty and dark, cerebral insight.” Unfortunately, that’s nothing but a very pretentious series of hyperboles. The problem is that everyone lies in their bios. They all make themselves sound like innovative miracles that happened to choose to pour their plethora of talent into the art of stand-up comedy. Everyone won some dumb fucking award; everyone has opened for someone better than them; everyone has been called “hilarious” or “clever” or “the next Orny Adams”; everyone can be high-energy or subtle or deadpan. It’s all a marketing tool to make you think you’re about to see someone professional. Thus, these things are meaningless. (Just like life!) Is there anything that could be written here that would entice you to see me perform? Watch a clip. Or, better yet, take the risk and come out to a live show. Life should be spent, well, in life. LIVE shows. Let’s make that the thing. As a stand-up, I am on stage as much as humanly possible, performing in over 400 shows per year. I work every single night to find something new or interesting. Sometimes that results in me screaming obscenities to 4 people at a dive bar; other times I’m sharing intimate parts of my life with 400 people at a sold-out theater. Such is the life. In Chicago, I perform anywhere that will allow me. I’m always writing material so you will see something new every time you come to my shows. That’s it. I hope I didn’t waste as much of your time as I did mine. Check out his website - http://www.drewmichaelcomedy.com/

Nick Vatterott returns to the show this week to talk about birthdays, monkeys, and Turkish baths.  Nick has a new half-hour special on Comedy Central.  He’s also been seen on Conan and Fallon.  I also sit down with Bob Jay for a short discussion about being in a comedy duo for 12 years and what it’s like to hit the road again by yourself.  Bob is a 20-year veteran of the stand-up circuit.

Here’s more on Nick:

In 2010 Nick Vatterott performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and The Hollywood Reporter named Nick one of the “break-outs” of the New Faces showcase at Montreal’s Just  for Laughs Comedy Festival. Nick has performed all over the world, from Caroline’s in NYC’s Times Square to Old City Comedy Club in Istanbul’s Taksim Square. He has toured with Chicago’s storied Second City comedy theater and his sketch group ‘Heavyweight’ has performed at Second City’s Unhinged and the Toronto Just for Laughs Festival. Vatterott’s portrayal of “Don” in The Annoyance Theater’s production of the necrophiliac musical “Love is Dead” earned him an After Dark Award for Outstanding Performance in a Play. The Chicago/LA/NYC run of his one man show NO OUTLET received AMAZING reviews. His jokes have been published in Time Out Chicago, Time Out New York, Dig This, and Reader’s Digest. And before heading off to NYC in 2008, Chicago Magazine listed Nick “The Funniest Man in Chicago”.

http://www.oodlesofpun.com/

Here’s more on Bob:

Chicago based impressionist Bob Jay’s show is full of energy and keeps you on the edge of your seat. He brings dozens of celebrities and cartoon characters to life, and puts them in different comical scenarios. Bob’s sound effects range from a jet fighter plane to a locomotive train crashing through the walls in a club. He has been told his show has been compared to Billy Crystal and to Rich Little. He was voted best up and coming comedians in Vegas 2002.

Some of his dead-on impressions include Robert DeNiro, Homer Simpson, Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone and many, many others. Sometimes, broadcasting legend Harry Caray even makes an appearance.

You can find Bob on Facebook.

The Beards of Comedy join me on the show this week.  The Beards is made up of comedians TJ Young, Joe Zimmerman, Andy Sandford and Dave Stone.  They’ve got two CD’s out: Comedy for People and Cardio Mix.  We discuss how they came together, what it’s like to travel together, and the time Brian Regan did a guest set for them.

Here’s more on the Beards:

The BEARDS OF COMEDY Tour is quickly becoming one of the hottest shows in the U.S, with four of the funniest, freshest (and yes, bearded) faces in comedy. Not your typical ‘southern’ comedians, the “Beards” deliver an original brand of humor that’s deeply rooted in stand-up, and lightly blended with avant-garde elements of music, sketch, and improv. The Beards are comprised of; Andy Sandford (voted “Best Atlanta Comedian” by Creative Loafing, CMT’s “Next Big Comic” Top 12 Finalist), Joe Zimmerman (nominated by Rooftop Comedy for the Golden Shingle Award – given to the most outstanding rising star in comedy), TJ Young (winner of multiple festival awards, Comedy Death Ray), and Dave Stone (Rooftopcomedy.com’s 2010 “Silver Nail Award” winner, voice actor for “Squidbillies”).

Contrary to popular assumption, The Beards of Comedy Tour is not a comedy tour focused on facial hair humor. The name is more a parody of a “hook,” or label. It means nothing in itself to have a beard, but four coincidentally bearded comedians offering their own refreshing twist on the traditional stand up comedy show; that’s something worth labeling. It’s labeled The Beards of Comedy Tour, and their work has not gone unnoticed, selling out shows in numerous national markets. In July of 2009, The Beards recorded their debut album, “Comedy for People” for Rooftop Comedy Records. They are often featured on the nationally syndicated radio show “The Regular Guys” and can be heard in regular rotation on Sirius XM Radio.  Individually, the Beards have worked with…Aziz Ansari, Maria Bamford, Todd Barry, Doug Benson, Greg Giraldo, Todd Glass, Andy Kindler, Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Marc Maron, Greg Proops, and many more. One thing is for certain: The Beards of Comedy Tour is a fiercely follicled foursome of hilarity to be reckoned with…with laughter, not violence.

For more on the Beards, check out their website - http://beardsofcomedy.com/

Shane Mauss joins me on the show for the first time this week.  Shane has been seen on Conan and Comedy Central.  He’s got a CD out called Jokes To Make My Parents Proud.  We get all science-y this week as we discuss quantum physics, mirror neurons, and time travel.

Here’s more on Shane:

Shane Mauss was just back with Team Coco in March for his fourth appearance (first appearance on the new show). You can also hear him regularly on The Bob and Tom Show. In 2010, Shane had his first TV special Comedy Central Presents: Shane Mauss and released his first CD Jokes To Make My Parents Proud with Comedy Central Records, which was named in the Top 10 Albums of 2010 by Punchline Magazine.

Originally from La Crosse, WI, Shane Mauss moved to Boston in 2004 (at the supple, tender age of 23) to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a standup comedian. In less than three years, Shane caught his big break when he was awarded Best Standup Comic at HBO’s US Comedy Arts Festival in 2007.

Shane’s TV credits include three appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Showtime’s Comics Without Borders, Two appearances on BBC’s The World Stands Up, and in what is easily his strangest television appearance to date: Playboy TV’s Night Calls.

Shane has been in several comedy festivals around the world including The Montreal Just For Laughs Festival, The Comedy Central South Beach Comedy Festival, The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland, The Sydney Comedy Festival, and The Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival.

For more on Shane, check out his website - http://shanemauss.com/

Liza Treyger joins me on the show this week.  Liza is a Chicago comic who recently performed at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland.  We discuss pro wrestling, chatting contests, and not being a comedy nerd.

Here’s more on Liza:

Liza Treyger was born in the former Soviet Union and came to America to pursue her dreams of performing comedy and being the best dressed woman in Skokie, Il. She enjoys glitter, Maker’s Mark Manhattans, stiletto heels, avocados. She can’t decide if her favorite thing to do is make out or boss people around. She would like to be friends with Britney Spears and marry a man that looks like Christopher Meloni, Aaron Eckhart, or John Malkovich with the personality of her father (but funny).

Follow Liza on Twitter @glittercheese

Tom Segura joins me this week to talk about working the grave yard shift, morning TV, and podcasting.  Tom has been on Conan and Comedy Central.  His album Thrilled is available on iTunes and through Amazon.com.

Here’s more on Tom:

Tom Segura is a comedian originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, though he was raised in too many places to list. His television credits include Conan, Comedy Central Presents (half-hour special), Showtimes’ Russell Peters Presents, and Live at Gotham! When he’s not on tour Tom continues to perform at the top comedy festivals in the world, including Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, The Comedy Festival – Las Vegas, The South Beach Comedy Festival, and The Global Comedy Festival in Vancouver. Tom also regularly appears on syndicated radio shows The Bob and Tom Show and The Jim Rome show. Additionally, his noted podcast, Your Mom’s House can be heard weekly at YourMomsHousePodcast.com. Tom’s debut album Thrilled is available on iTunes and Amazon.com

For more on Tom, check out his website:  www.tomsegura.com

Brandt Tobler returns to the show this week to discuss his recent move to LA, setting up your own bar shows, and why you shouldn’t gamble.  Brandt has worked with Doug Benson and Doug Stanhope. He’s got a CD on iTunes called Token White Boy.

Here’s more on Brandt:

Brandt David Tobler was born September 23, 1977 in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  When he was 1, he pooped his pants often and everybody laughed at him.

At the age of 5, he stopped shitting his pants and began getting his education at Deming-Miller elementary school. There he met most of his friends, many of whom he remains close to even today. On the playground, lots of kids were drawn to him because he could throw a Nerf Turbo Football really, really far.

Girls did not like him at all.

At the age of 13, he went to McCormick Jr. high school, where he began to make people laugh. He also excelled at basketball and water fights. Brandt was voted Class Clown in ninth grade; he has a picture proving this claim in a yearbook on a shelf in his mother’s garage, if you don’t believe him. Girls still could not stand him.

At the age of 16, Brandt went to high school at Central High, where he was a two-sport star, playing basketball and soccer. He was often compared to Bo Jackson because he liked to wear Nikes and Umbro shorts. He was once again voted Class Clown because he “…knew people that could make that sort of thing happen.”

At the age of 19, Brandt entered a junior college in Wyoming. After about a month he dropped out.

At 20, he went to junior college again, but proceeded to drop out after one month. AGAIN.

At 21, he decided to give it the “Old College Try” once more, this time in Arizona. However, as usual, he dropped out. (This go-round lasted seven whole months.)

College girls didn’t really like him either.

Once he turned 22, Brandt finally came to the conclusion that secondary education was not for him, and he decided to move to Las Vegas with hopes of getting a job as a pirate at Treasure Island. Unfortunately, after his first day on the job, Brandt realized that he was allergic to parrots — and 9-to-5 employment — thus forcing him to retire from Pirate Life forever. He began doing stand-up in the Las Vegas open-mic scene and quickly became a crowd favorite all over town. Brandt is also much-loved among other comedians, partly because he always buys them beer, but mostly because he is a loyal and encouraging friend.

After two years of comedy in Las Vegas he began to travel the country, performing all across the 50 states. He has since returned to Las Vegas and founded the legendary Backyard Comedy Show. In the Backyard Show, Brandt created an independent, grass-roots, censor- and clique-free forum for comics to do what they love to do, which is perform, without having to deal with the confines of typical Vegas-casino red tape. Some of America’s funniest stand-up comedians have come to town to perform with Brandt.

That’s where the story begins… You will be hearing a lot more from Brandt Tobler in the near future. For now you can find Brandt performing nightly all over Los Angeles and beyond. He always delivers a laid-back, offbeat, hilarious brand of comedy you are sure to enjoy.

For more on Brandt - check out his website- brandttobler.com

Jeff Caldwell returns to the show this week.  Jeff has been on Letterman, Ferguson, and Live at Gotham.  We talk about signs that you’re in a good comedy club, why he doesn’t do political jokes, and Fawlty Towers.

Here’s more about Jeff:

“Funny and smart.” That’s what George Carlin had to say about Jeff Caldwell after a show at Caroline’s in New York. “This guy is incredible,” said Dennis Miller. CBS showed that they agreed with George and Dennis by giving Jeff a deal to develop his own sitcom, and CBS employees David Letterman and Craig Ferguson just had to have Jeff on their shows.

Jeff Caldwell’s quick wit, good taste, and clever material have made him a favorite nationwide. Jeff has shown his comic wares on TV, as a performer and a writer, for corporate clients across America, in colleges (traveling with Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart), and in comedy clubs from the Improv in Hollywood to Big Ben’s Rib Crib in Baltimore. Jeff moved to New York in 1999 and has since become a favorite at the Gotham Comedy Club and the Comic Strip.

Jeff prepared for greatness at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, graduating in civil engineering, not traditionally considered a “funny” major. After a shockingly undistinguished nine-month stint with an engineering firm, Jeff decided he was unsatisfied with his student loan debt-load and returned to Johns Hopkins for a Ph.D. program. After two years of pretending to read texts he leapt fully into the hurly-burly of professional stand-up comedy, and ushered in America’s brief love affair with “Engineering Humor.”

Since then Jeff has toured nationally as a comic, building a body of clean and funny material and a warm, witty stage presence. At one Washington, D.C. show, Al and Tipper Gore raved “very funny, very funny” before jealous Secret Service agents rudely swept them away. Jeff is a rare comic who can make the audience double over with laughter without resorting to sleazy, stupid material. It may be his scientific background that enables Jeff to avoid the four-letter words, constructing his show exclusively of five- and eight-letter ones and the occasional semi-colon.

Check out Jeff’s website - www.standupguy.com

Bobcat Goldthwait and Cameron Esposito are my guests this week.  We chat about the South by Southwest Festival, Bobcat’s new movie God Bless America, and the differences between writing a joke and writing a movie.

Here’s more on Cameron:

Cameron Esposito has appeared at TBS’ Just for Laughs Chicago, SXSW, and the Aspen Rooftop and Bridgetown Comedy Festivals, on LOGO, and NPR’s The Sound of Young America.  Her hour solo show, SIDE MULLET NATION, debuted as a production of TBS’ Just for Laughs Chicago Festival (Best of the Fest, The Onion’s AV Club). SIDE MULLET NATION has been featured in Time Out Chicago (Critics’ Pick), Chicago Reader, and Gapers Block.

Known for her “effervescent storytelling” (AV Club), Cameron acts as ringmaster for Chicago-based touring circus company El Circo Cheapo Cabaret, and created and teaches the world’s only all-female standup course, The Feminine Comique.

Cameron released her debut standup album, Grab Them Aghast, on Rooftop Comedy Records in 2010.

Check out her website - http://therealcameronesposito.com/

We wrap up Gilda’s LaughFest and discuss how comedy can work as therapy with Detroit comic Mike Bobbitt.  Mike can be heard on SiriusXM satellite radio.  He’s recently performed with Louis CK and Marc Maron.  He’s also got a new CD on iTunes called Full Frontal Nerdity.

Here’s more on Mike:

Mike Bobbitt brings a punk rock edge to his nerd comedy by embracing his obsessions and taking the piss out of them at the same time.  With the charm and candor of a smart aleck kid who’s ‘just too smart for his own good’, Mike’s been making audiences laugh for years.  He brings the audience on a humorous journey through the fumbles and foibles of his everyday life.  Mike speaks to a very specific group while maintaining accessibility to the masses.

Mike Bobbitt is the founding member of the Desperate Houseguys comedy show, a contributing writer to the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Jokes, and has been part of many comedy festivals including the Detroit International Comedy Festival, Calgary Funnyfest, Las Vegas World Series of Comedy and Gilda’s Laugh Fest.  His two comedy albums “Mikey Pooh” and “Full Frontal Nerdity” can be heard regularly on XM/Sirius satellite radio.   Recently Mike spent time in Los Angeles where he was part of the prestigious Comedy Bang Bang show sharing the stage with Louis CK, Marc Maron and more!

When not saying funny things into microphones, Mike played small roles in movies with Hilary Swank and Kim Cattrall.  He can also be seen in the national ad campaign for 5 Hour Energy Drink.  Mike is a crap ton of voices in the “Arsenic Lullaby” cartoon based on the Eisner Award winning comic book and starred in the pilot for the supernatural television show “Deadpan”.   He’s won a lot of comedy competitions and even has a trophy on his mantel saying he’s funny.   Mike has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with many of the nation’s best comedians and feels lucky that he can count the times he’s had to work with the nation’s worst comedians on one hand.

Mike Bobbitt lives outside of Detroit with his two cats and thousands of action figures.  He also looks good in blue.

Check out his website  - www.offthemike.com

My guest this week is Vilmos Branyik, the host of The Green Room podcast.  He also hosts several other podcasts which we talk about.  Vilmos has been a stand-up for 20 years.  We’ll discuss the origins of his name, podcasting, and the rules of the road.

Here’s more on Vilmos:

Vilmos was born and raised in the farming community of Dunlap, Illinois (population 550). In 1968 his family moved to Chicago just in time for the riots. He lived in the Chicagoland area until 1986 and now reside in a small community of 3,500 in Colorado.

These days Vilmos is a nationally touring stand up comedian, radio personality, blogger and contributor to Life & Style Weekly Magazine. With a style describe as “Steven Wright on steroids” he delivers his satirical view of life to audiences leaving them gasping for air.

He also the host of the popular online radio show The Green Room. The Green Room gives the listener an inside look at the world of comedy and how comedians view the world.

For more on Vilmos and his podcasts, check out www.vilmos.com

My guest this week is Dan Conlin.  Dan is the owner and operator of the Jukebox Comedy Club in Peoria, IL.  We discuss the economy, how to get booked at the club, and we read reviews of the club from the Yelp! website.

Check out the website - www.jukeboxcomedy.com

Michael Kosta and Jeff Bodart join me on the show this week.  We talk tennis, Jeremy Lin, and Australia.  Michael has been on Conan, the Tonight Show, and Comedy Central Presents.  Jeff has a podcast called Sticky Candy.  He’s also been heard on Bob and Tom.

Here’s more on Michael:

Michael Kosta is a former professional tennis player turned comedian turned lovemaker.

Kosta regularly appears on The Tonight Show, and this year he performed in his first stand-up special, Comedy Central Presents: Michael Kosta. Michael was also chosen to host the backstage live show for the 63rd Annual Emmy Awards. He also made his Conan debut in the fall of 2011.

You may also recognize Michael’s sarcastic banter from his appearances on Chelsea Lately on the E! Channel, TruTV’s Smoking Gun Presents, Yahoo!’s OMG411, and Showtime’s Live Nude Comedy. He has also hosted pilots for MTV, NBC, and Comedy Central.

Kosta has performed at the HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen as well as the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal; at the latter, he was invited to perform at a Gala where he (somehow) followed Pamela Anderson.

Not just a pretty face, Michael can also be heard on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show and on The Playboy Comedy Channel on XM/ Sirius Satellite radio. For two seasons Michael hosted CCHA All Access on the Fox Sports Network, where he won a Michigan Emmy as a performer/host.

Michael lives in Los Angeles where he hopes to soon become famous and forget all the little people. You should sleep with him.

Check out his website - www.michaelkosta.com/

Here’s more on Jeff:

Since starting stand up in 2001, Jeff Bodart has been making a name for himself performing in comedy clubs across the country. He has appeared multiple times on the nationally syndicated radio show, The Bob & Tom Show. You may have seen Jeff on the Comcast Cable network as well as The WB.

Jeff’s style is so relatable you will feel you know him. Being the youngest in his family has prepared him for a life of comedy. His animated and goofy demeanor combined with edgy quips covering his dating life, working out, his favorite food of cheese sticks, and the fact that he could never be on “Survivor” makes for some great laughs for anyone watching his show.

Jeff has been fortunate to be able to bring is comedy stylings to the comedy festivals: The World Series of Comedy, Laugh Your Asheville Off and was also invited to perform at the Cape Fear Comedy Festival.

Jeff has worked with a lot of the top comedians in the country such as; Greg Behrendt, Ron White, Bobcat Goldthwait, Harland Williams, Tommy Chong and Caroline Rhea. Be prepared to love and become a fan of Jeff’s once you have experienced the fun.

Check out his website - jeffbodart.com/

This week special guest host Joe Roderick interviews Jon Huck.  Jon has been seen on Live at Gotham and Punk’d.  He’s got a CD you can pick up on iTunes called Fantasticular Hilaritation  Our guest host Joe Roderick won the 2011 Jukebox Amateur Comedy Competition.

Here’s more on Jon:

Jon Huck was born and raised in Warrenville, IL. Jon Huck went to high school at Wheaton Warrenville South in unincorporated Wheaton, IL. Jon Huck went to College at Northland College in Ashland, WI. Jon Huck got testicular cancer his second semester of college. Jon Huck had his right testicle removed when he was 19 years old. Jon Huck then had to undergo four months of Chemo. Jon Huck beat cancer like he was Ralph Macchio in the “Karate Kid” and cancer was Johnny. Jon Huck went to Europe for a month or so after college. Jon Huck is lucky he is not in a German prison to this day. Jon Huck lived in Washington, D.C. when he got back from Europe. Jon Huck lived there for three months. Jon Huck moved back to Illinois to live on his friend’s apartment floor. Jon Huck moved to California in November of 1999. Jon Huck worked a bunch of shitty temp jobs until 2001. Jon Huck started doing stand-up in 2001. Jon Huck sucked when he started. Jon Huck eventually got better. Jon Huck is now good enough to perform for your whole family. Jon Huck likes your family. Jon Huck loves his family. Jon Huck’s comedy is heavily influenced by his family. Jon Huck’s mother had to put up with Jon Huck, his younger brother Jeff and his father. Jon Huck’s mother is a saint. Jon Huck and his younger brother Jeff are insane. Jon Huck and his brother Jeff got the insanity gene from their father. Jon Huck has performed all over the country. Jon Huck loves doing stand-up. Jon Huck is still performing all over the country. Jon Huck would do stand up for three homeless guys in a downtown alley if that was the only stage time he could get. Jon Huck has performed in comedy clubs, dive bars and windowless vans all over America. Jon Huck thinks it would be in your best interest to see him as soon as you can. Jon Huck says thanks for reading this gibberish.

For more on Jon - you can find him on twitter @jon_huck

For more on Joe - check out www.joeroderick.wordpress.com

My guest this week is Jeff Pearson.  He’s the director of the new stand-up documentary The Unbookables.  The documentary has just come out on DVD and is now hitting the film festival circuit.  The Unbookables is a narrative documentary about stand-up comics who have spent their careers pushing limits–on stage and off. Relegated to small venues and touring in a crappy van through the Midwest they careen between the desire to succeed and the reality that there may be nothing left to lose. Road life is far from glamorous: comics come and go and cruel pranks and hard drinking punctuate their obsidian dark comedy on stage. They succeed and fail-spectacularly. When they face being fired for going too far on stage, the conflict culminates in a showdown: compromise or double down?

For more on the documentary - check out the website -

http://www.theunbookablesmovie.com/

Dale Jones joins me on the show this week.  Disney Cruises - Magic or Misery?  Rest Stops - Are they safe?  Celebrity Encounters - Fun or Awkward?  Dale has been on Last Comic Standing and the Very Funny Show on TBS.  He’s got a new webseries on YouTube called Life with Dale.

Here’s more on Dale:

Since 1993 Dale Jones has been perfecting his craft and has become one of the funniest and most energetic comics in the country. He has entertained audiences and our troops throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. His zany on-stage character always sends club patrons to the exits with lots of questions but no disappointments.

His machine gun style of delivery and animated facial contortions combined with quick improvisations and non-stop physical comedy leave the audience wishing they had his energy. Forget “high energy”– this is frantic! His shows are always a night you won’t soon forget. Club owners and managers have gotten used to fielding questions about when Dale will be returning.

Dale started his career in Nashville, Tennessee. While working (mostly wasting) his days away in a factory, his co-workers dared him to try his hand at his life long dream, making people laugh. He stepped on stage for the first time at a Zanies Comedy Club’s open mike night. Two years later, Dale turned a dream into a reality and started doing stand-up full time.

Dale has worked hard to develop an act that’s truly original and non- stop funny. He reminds his audience of the great comedians that have influenced him: Abbott and Costello, Buster Keaton, Jerry Lewis, Tim Conway and Don Knotts.

In addition to his training at the world renowned Second City Dale has had numerous television appearances including TBS - The Very Funny Show, NBC - Last Comic Standing Season Six, Fox - 30 seconds to Fame and The Comedy Network in Canada. If you don’t blink you might see him in the 2003 MGM movie “Out Of Time” with Denzel Washington. He has also been on 2 nationally syndicated radio shows, THE BOB AND TOM SHOW and The BOB AND SHERI SHOW. He was one of 8 finalists in “The Great Canadian Laugh Off and he was invited to perform at THE BOSTON COMEDY FESTIVAL and THE TBS “JUST FOR LAUGHS” FESTIVAL.

Here’s his website:  www.dalejonescomic.com/

Auggie Smith and Patrick Keane are my guests this week.  Auggie won the 2010 San Francisco and Seattle Comedy Competitions.  He’s been seen on Live at Gotham.  He’s got a new CD out called Smell the Thunder available on iTunes.  We’ll talk about winning those competitions, stock picking, and how Metta World Peace bumped him off Lopez Tonight.  Patrick Keane has been on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Comics Unleashed.  We’ll discuss Gene Wilder, comedy in Japan and the improv scene in LA.

Here’s more on Auggie:

At the age of 19, Auggie Smith moved from Billings, Montana to Portland, Oregon to pursue a carreer in stand up comedy. After a few years of toil and struggle, he first achieved acclaim by winning the 1994 Sam Adams Comedy Contest, who’s prizes earned him his first national exposure on the television show Evening At the Improv. Auggie truly found his comedy voice in 1997, when he placed second in the Seattle Comedy Competition to legendary comic Mitch Hedberg. This earned him an invitation to the 1998 Montreal Comedy Festival, where he performed a remarkable 12 shows, including New Faces, Danger Zone and The Nasty Show.

Keeping a continuous road schedule of clubs across the nation, Auggie introduced himself to a new legion of fans in January of 2004, with a now legendary appearance on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show. The morning was a mix of signature rants and brilliant improv highlighting his sharp point-of-view. His outstanding debut has become one their most replayed treasures.

This led to performing in theaters acroos the country on the very popular Bob & Tom Comedy Tour, where audiences quickly became aware that the only thing better then listening to Auggie on the radio was sharing the energy he creates in his live performance.

In 2006, Auggie shot national TV performances for Comedy Centrals Bob & Tom All Stars, and Live at Gotham, where he was put in the honored status of headlining the first episode.

In 2007, Auggie made a brief but very memorable appearance on Last Comic Standing.

In 2008, Auggie was invited to perform at the Rooftop Aspen Comedy Festival, where he was voted Club Comic of the Year by club owners.

Auggie is the star of his own CD and DVD titled Cult Following. His comedy rants are on heavy rotation on both XM and Sirius satellite radio, and can be seen on several popular youtube videos, but none of these compare with seeing his live performance.

In 2009, Auggie was invited to and made the finals of the prestigious Boston Comedy Festival.

In 2010, this was a very busy year, beginning with making the finals of The Great American Comedy Festival, then winning both the Seattle and San Fransisco International Comedy Competitions. (The first comic to do so in the 30 year history of the competitions). Auggie finished out 2010 with the release of his new CD “Smell the Thunder” which has been on iTunes top comedy albums several times since.

When Auggie takes the stage, audiences across the country quickly realize that they’re in for an evening of riveting, take-no-prisoners stand-up comedy. During Auggie’s set, pop culture and political targets are dissected piece by piece into intelligently written manic rants. His seamless rapid fire style has developed a loyal following across the country. He has spent most of the last two decades keeping a constant road schedule honing his craft and creating a truly memorable, relevant, and constantly evolving live experience.

www.auggiesmith.com

Here’s more on Patrick:

Originally from the Midwest, raised in Orange County, college in Montana and a three year stint in Asia make Patrick Keane a comedian with a background. Why college in Montana? Football scholarship.Since moving to Los Angeles in 2000, Patrick has appeared on Comedy Central’s ‘Live At Gotham’, the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, the Bob and Tom show, Comics Unleashed, the Montreal Comedy Festival and is a regular at the Improv and Comedy Store in Hollywood. He was also a cast member on My TV Network’s “Tony Rock Project”. (the white guy).

When not headlining himself, Patrick is the opening act for comedians such as: Nick Swardson, Joel McHale, Kevin Nealon, Kevin Pollok, Bobby Lee, Henry Phillips, Eddie Gossling and Bil Dwyer. While at home in Los Angeles he studies at the UCB theatre and Lesley Kahn institute. Asked what the key is to comedy, this writer/actor/comedian says, “I try not to be funny and it usually works.”With multiple appearances on the Late Late show with Craig Ferguson, his record setting viewer ship on Comedy Central, and his ability to tell the difference between people from Ireland and people from Northern Ireland, Patrick is the obvious choice to be the next host of the Oprah Winfrey show.

His dry self-deprecating style originates from influences Bill Murray and Gene Wilder and his favorite stand up comedians are Chris Rock, Lewis Black, Gary Shandling, Jerry Seinfeld and many other female comics not from New York.

www.citizenkeane.com

Joe DeRosa is my guest this week.  He can be heard on the Opie and Anthony Show and seen on Fox News Channel’s Red Eye.  This week we discuss directing, Bill Burr, and Bonnaroo.

For more on Joe - joederosacomedy.com

Tommy Johnagin and Alex Stone join me on the show this week.  Tommy finished second on the most recent season of Last Comic Standing.  You’ve seen him on Conan, Letterman, and Comedy Central.  Alex has been named “Funniest Person in Cincinnati” and “Funniest Person in Columbus”.  He’s got his own web series called “The I’m So Bored Show”.  This week we discuss Tommy’s time on TV, how Bob Saget may have saved his life, and the comedy scene in Ohio.

Here’s more on Tommy:

Tommy is an autobiographical story telling comedian who is a favorite at comedy clubs all across the country. In 2007 Tommy was invited to the prestigious “Just For Laughs” comedy festival in Montreal, Canada where he was the highest reviewed “New Face.” He has also appeared at Comedy Central’s “South Beach Comedy Festival”

TV credits include: Four appearances on “The Late Show” with David Letterman. His own half-hour special on Comedy Central, Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham” and, “John Oliver’s New York Stand-up Show”. In 2010 he finished 2nd on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. He’s also appeared on CMT’s “Comedy Stage” and TBS’s “Very Funny Stand Up Show”

He has also been a guest numerous times on the nationally syndicated radio programs “The Bob and Tom Show” and the “The Ron and Fez Show”.

www.tommyjcomedy.com

Here’s more on Alex:

Beneath the ever-present diamond top hat of comedian Alex Stone is a mind constantly in motion. His hard work and determination have led him from his early days as an absurdist joke writer to his current role as one of the most impressive young storytellers in comedy. In addition to the deeply personal material that has become the cornerstone of his act, Alex has written jokes for nationally touring comedians and recently created a successful web series called “The I’m So Bored Show.” His prolific nature and originality have earned him the attention of respected veterans like Drew Hastings, who invited Alex to open for him on his “Irked and Miffed” theatre tour, as well as the management of Rooftop Comedy, who named him one of their featured comedians. Alex’s other accolades include having been named “Funniest Person in Cincinnati” and “Funniest Person in Columbus.” His flourishing sketch comedy career began with his work as one of the original cast members of Underbelly, which Cincinnati Magazine declared the “Best Comedy Show of 2009.” He works as both a writer and performer on the show. As he persists to mine everyday life for big laughs, Alex Stone will no doubt continue to wear many hats.

alexstonecomedy.com

Nick Griffin and Jeff Bodart join me on the show this week.  Nick has been on Comedy Central, Conan, Letterman, and Craig Ferguson. Jeff has been heard on Bob and Tom and has a new podcast called Sticky Candy.  We talk about the Comedy Cellar, quitting comedy, and his recent appearance on Craig Ferguson.

Here’s more on Nick:

Look.

Nick Griffin has been doing stand up for a long time. He’s really good at it. You want proof?

He has appeared on the The Late Show with David Letterman seven times, as well as Conan O’Brien and the The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

He also had his own half hour special on Comedy Central.

Nick has been invited to the Industry’s most prestigious festivals, including the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, The HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Las Vegas and the Cat Laughs Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland.

He currently lives in New York City and when not headlining a club or theater can be found in his bedroom napping.

nickgriffin.net

Here’s more on Jeff:

Since starting stand up in 2001, Jeff Bodart has been making a name for himself performing in comedy clubs across the country. He has appeared multiple times on the nationally syndicated radio show, The Bob & Tom Show.  You may have seen Jeff on the Comcast Cable network as well as The WB.

Jeff’s style is so relatable you will feel you know him. Being the youngest in his family has prepared him for a life of comedy. His animated and goofy demeanor combined with edgy quips covering his dating life, working out, his favorite food of cheese sticks, and the fact that he could never be on “Survivor” makes for some great laughs for anyone watching his show.

Jeff has been fortunate to be able to bring is comedy stylings to the comedy festivals: The World Series of Comedy, Laugh Your Asheville Off and was also invited to perform at the Cape Fear Comedy Festival.

Jeff has worked with a lot of the top comedians in the country such as; Greg Behrendt, Ron White, Bobcat Goldthwait, Harland Williams, Tommy Chong and Caroline Rhea. Be prepared to love and become a fan of Jeff’s once you have experienced the fun.

www.jeffbodart.com

Nick Vatterott is my guest this week.  Nick has appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Conan.  We’ll talk about his recent appearance on Conan and his time at Second City in Chicago.

Here’s more on Nick:

In 2010 Nick Vatterott performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and The Hollywood  Reporter named Nick one of the “break-outs” of the New Faces showcase at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. Nick has performed all over the world, from Caroline’s in NYC’s Times Square to Old City Comedy Club in Istanbul’s Taksim Square. He has toured with Chicago’s storied Second City comedy theater and his sketch group ‘Heavyweight’ has performed at Second City’s Unhinged and the Toronto Just for Laughs Festival. Vatterott’s portrayal of “Don” in The Annoyance Theater’s production of the necrophiliac musical “Love is Dead” earned him an After Dark Award for Outstanding Performance in a Play. The Chicago/LA/NYC run of his one man show NO OUTLET received AMAZING reviews. His jokes have been published in Time Out Chicago, Time Out New York, Dig This, and Reader’s Digest. And before heading off to NYC in 2008, Chicago Magazine listed Nick “The Funniest Man in Chicago”.

Visit Nick’s website - http://www.oodlesofpun.com/

Geoff Tate and Drift Roberts are my guests this week.  Geoff has been seen on Live at Gotham and heard on Doug Loves Movies.  We discuss YouTube, the NBA, and the Walking Dead.  Drift Roberts joins me to recap his Walking for Smile Train.

Here’s more on Geoff:

Geoff fell in love with comedy at a young age and knew early on that stand up was what he wanted to pursue. As most of his peers headed off to college, Geoff took to the stage and took his lumps as he refined his observational and sometimes self deprecating humor. Based in Cincinnati, he tours the country performing at clubs and colleges. He has appeared on the nationally syndicated morning radio program The Bob and Tom Show and can currently be seen on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham.” In addition to performing he has also enjoys success as a free lance joke writer. Geoff Tate is living his dream of sleeping late, eating sandwiches and watching TV by day and performing stand up comedy by night.

Caroline Rhea is my guest on the show this week.  We discuss her recent appearances on the Green Room with Paul Provenza and the final episode of Live with Regis and Kelly.  We also talk about her upcoming projects, over analyzing comedy, and the Edinburgh Festival.

Here’s more on Caroline:

Caroline Rhea, stand-up comedian and actress, brings a fresh, smart and spontaneous approach to all of her work.

In 1989, Caroline ventured to New York to start her career in stand-up comedy. She studied in the stand-up program at the New School of Social Research and trained at the comedy club, Catch a Rising Star. With nightly gigs at New York’s venerable clubs, Caroline’s status quickly grew and she became an integral part of the city’s comedy scene. Her career was further boosted by numerous appearances on “MTV’s Half-Hour Comedy Hour,” “Comic Strip Live” and “Caroline’s Comedy Hour.” For the last seventeen years, Caroline has continued to perform to sold-out audiences in top comedy clubs all over the country and in Canada.

Her feature credits include, “The Perfect Man,” with Heather Locklear, a supporting role in “Man on the Moon,” the story of the late comedian Andy Kaufman, co-starring Jim Carrey, “Christmas With the Kranks,” opposite Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, and the wrestling film, “Ready to Rumble,” opposite Oliver Platt, David Arquette and Scott Caan. Caroline’s television career has taken off since she first starred as Aunt Hilda on The WB’s sitcom “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.” She will next be seen in Lifetime’s made for television movie “Fat Like Me,” airing on January 8th, 2007. She was last seen in a one hour stand up special, part of Bravo’s “Funny Girls,” entitled “Rhea’s Anatomy,” which aired on Halloween 2006. Other credits include; host of “The Caroline Rhea Show,” regular guest on Whoopi Goldberg’s “Hollywood Squares,” Drew’s girlfriend on “The Drew Carey Show,” the made for television movie “Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire,” “Pride and Joy” on NBC, Host of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”, Comedy Central’s “Pulp Comic,” “Comic Relief 8″ and “HBO’s One Night Stand 2005.” She also appeared in the pilot of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” written by Larry David.

A Montreal native, Caroline currently resides in New York and Los Angeles.

Check out her website: www.carolinerhea.com

Kansas comic Brad Ellis is my guest this week. We talk about his time as a police officer, what led him to be a comic, and the difference between Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.

Here’s more on Brad:

Lawrence, Kansas native Brad Ellis has been making a name for himself as one of the hottest new comics in the Midwest.  His background as a U.S. Marine and former law enforcement officer creates a solid foundation for his professionalism.  Years of work experiences continue to shape his unique view on daily situations, while also being a major influence in his on and off stage charisma.

Brad, is a prominent feature on the Kansas City scene, and works regularly at both Stanford & Sons Comedy Club and the Improv circuit.  He is a reguler feature at Stanford’s Comedy Club as well as hosts their open mic night every tuesday.  Brad has also done shows for colleges like the University of Kansas, Northwest University and more.  He has shared the stage with nationally touring comics like Doug Stanhope, Jon Reep,  Michael Mack, Dante, Sean Kent, Robert Kelly, Karen Rontowski, Iliza Schlesinger, Mike Lukas, Brian Dunkleman, John Heffron, Steve Kramer, Susana Lee, and Steve Byrn.  Recently, he was hand picked to perform for the high profile 2011 Hyatt Regency New Year’s Eve Bash with J Chris Newberg.  Brad’s constant schedule has earned him the title “Hardest Working Comic in Kansas City” from many of his peers.

Check out Brad’s website - http://www.bradelliscomedy.com/

My guest was a full-time comic for 13 years before settling down with a family and day job.  He still hits the road from time to time and he was at the Jukebox this past Wednesday.  We discuss his nickname, touring with Weird Al, and getting his start in Madison, Wisconsin.

Here’s more information on Chris:

CHRIS “Boom Boom” JOHNSON is one of the most energetic comics performing in the college market today. His fast paced delivery and improvisational skills has made him a favorite at College & Universities throughout the country. Crazy childhood stories and hilarious college experiences retold by CHRIS, makes every college student feel right at home. CHRIS may be the only comic working today that was almost killed by an ostrich, that’s right, an ostrich… (Ask him!) If you’re looking for someone the college students can relate to… look no further… CHRIS “Boom Boom” JOHNSON is the comic for your next event!

St. Louis comics Greg Warren and Matt Conty are my guests this week.  Greg has been on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Comedy Central Presents and has a new CD called One Star People.   Matt has a new blog about fatherhood which can be found at www.wtfatherhood.com.  We discuss sports talk radio and Greg’s video One Star People.

Here’s more on Greg:

Greg Warren, most recently seen on “Comedy Central Presents”, “The Late Late Show” and “Last Comic Standing”, has been building a strong fan base around the country with his act inspired by stories from his Midwestern upbringing. His newly released CD “One Star Wonder” (Comedy Central Records) hit the ground running as #6 in iTunes TOP Comedy Albums (June 2009) and together with Greg’s colorful perspective and amazing characters, is destined to be a favorite. Greg attracts a diverse audience spectrum, performing on networks such as BET (as a finalist on “Coming to the Stage”)Country Music Television’s “Comedy Stage”. and Greg is also a favorite on the nationally syndicated “Bob and Tom” radio show, which led him to tour theatres across the country with the “Friends of Bob and Tom Comedy Tour”.

Greg Warren hails from St. Louis, MO, where his father was a high school wrestling coach and his mother made him play clarinet in the band. Greg has captivated audiences with anecdotes about the conflict inherent in meshing two high school identities—varsity wrestler and band geek. Greg’s “Flute Man” bit is a perfect capsulation of the insecurities of high school and the ongoing quest to be cool, and is one of the most requested bits in the history of the “Bob and Tom” radio show. Greg was also a West Point Cadet, where he distinguished himself by amassing an impressive tally of demerits and endless hours of pointless marching. After moving on to the University of Missouri, he studied journalism and was named an All-American college wrestler.

While in college, Greg won a comedy contest and was invited to perform at a local club in Columbia, MO, Déjà Vu. After a stint selling Jif and Pringles for corporate giant Procter & Gamble, Greg made the decision to become a full time comedian. This bold move led to an invitation to the prestigious “Just for Laughs Festival” in Montreal in 2002, where Greg performed as one of their featured “New Faces of Comedy”. He has also been seen on the Comedy Central show, “Premium Blend”. Greg has an arsenal of characters that he brings to life in his act. He also highlights his current life struggles with the service industry, moderation, and “One Star People”.

In addition to his television and festival appearances, Greg can currently be seen on Comedy Central Presents, heard on Sirius/XM Comedy and will continue to tour across the country with “Bob and Tom’s All Stars” in addition to performing his act at Improvs and Funny Bones. Greg’s background recently resulted in a gig doing color commentary on college wrestling for Fox Sports Midwest. Greg’s Midwestern upbringing and his ability to provide humorous social commentary gives him a wealth of material that continues to gain him fans throughout the country.

Check out Greg’s website - www.gregwarrencomedy.com

Here’s more on Matt:

Originally from the east coast, Matt Conty started his comedy career in Denver, CO. Although he has a headlining set worth of material to draw from, Matt’s true skill is improvising onstage and creating a dynamic show experience. His comfortable, laid-back attitude onstage establishes an atmosphere that compliments his delivery.

Matt was chosen to represent Colorado at the Las Vegas comedy festival, and shortly after that became a regular performer on the coveted Comedy Works roster. In addition to winning countless crowds over, Matt has won the respect of his comedy peers, opening for Billy Gardell, Norm McDonald, and Greg Warren, to name a few.

Costaki Economopolous, a Bob and Tom favorite, recently described Matt as”the best feature act he has worked with in years.” Matt earned the distinguished “Editor’s Choice Award” on the Crackle.com Comedy Channel. With a unique comedic voice and creative material, people across the industry expect a great future for Matt.

Check out Matt’s twitter feed - @mattconty … You can also read his blog on fatherhood - www.wtfatherhood.com

Rich Pinder and Saad Ahmed join me on the show this week.  Rich is a New York stand-up and co-host of the Anti-Semantic Show.  Saad plays colleges and comedy clubs throughout the Midwest.  With Rich, we talk about the podcast and the New York comedy scene.  With Saad, we talk about being Muslim in Central Illinois and living in LA for 6 months.

Here’s more on Rich Pinder:

Raised on the outskirts of the New York City suburbs, “Pinder”, as he is affectionately called, brings an outside of Staten Island perspective to the panel of hosts.  Pinder is an aspiring stand-up comedian as well as being the producer and editor for the show and making him responsible for ninety percent of the work and one hundred percent of the blame when the show is posted late or things go wrong.  He enjoys whiskey, dick jokes and the scent of skunk.

http://antisemanticshow.com/index.html

Here’s more on Saad: Competitions: National: NBC Stand-up for Diversity quarter-finalist (New York, NY; San Antonio, TX; San Francisco, CA; Chicago, IL)

The World Series of Comedy quarter-finalist at Zanies satellite round (St. Charles, IL)

Local: Several 1st place finishes, including Flappers Comedy Club Soup-Or-Bowl Comedy Contest in Burbank, CA (50+ comedians)

Comedy Clubs: Zanies (Chicago, IL; St. Charles, IL) Improv (Chicago, IL) New York Comedy Club (New York, NY) Gotham (New York, NY) Comix (New York, NY) Laugh Factory (Los Angeles, CA) The Ice House (Pasadena, CA) Punchline (San Francisco, CA) Flappers (Burbank, CA; Claremont, CA) Jukebox (Peoria, IL) Donnie B’s (Springfield, IL) Mason City Limits (Mason City, IL) Funny Bone (St. Louis, MO; Bloomington, IL) Laugh (Bloomington, IL) Laugh Out Loud (San Antonio, TX) Glass Full of Laughs (O’Fallon, MO)

Colleges: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL) (Headliner) Bradley University (Peoria, IL) (Headliner) University of Missouri - St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) (Headliner) Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago, IL) Western Illinois University (Macomb, IL)

Charity/Corporate: Animal Protective League (Springfield, IL) Children’s Miracle Network (Springfield, IL) Central Illinois Foodbank (Springfield, IL) ACLU (St. Louis, MO) Women’s Crisis Center (Jacksonville, IL) Elks Lodge Champaign-Urbana, IL No. 2497 (Savoy, IL) The American Legion Post 211 (Paris, IL)

Other: Gaslight Theater (St. Louis, MO) (Headliner) Memphis on Main (Champaign, IL) (Headliner) Red Barn (Peoria, IL)

Film: World of Wargames (Independent film; 2010)

You can find Saad on Facebook.

My guest this week has played Jackson Montgomery on ABC’s All My Children for nearly 25 years.  He has also been a stand-up comic for nearly 20 years.  We talk about his days at Southern Illinois University, his time on All My Children and more with special guest interviewer Billi Casey.

Check out Walt’s website - www.willeyworld.com/

Jerrod Carmichael and Ben Moore join me on the show this week.  Jerrod was just named to Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch list.  This past weekend was the first time he’s ever headlined.

Ben Moore features at clubs across the country.  His home club is The Comedy Attic in Bloomington, Indiana.

You can find Jerrod on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook.

You can find Ben on Facebook.

Marge Tackes and Susan Smith are the comedy duo The Untamed Shrews.  We talk about crowd work, why dick jokes don’t age, and I get a good piece of advice.

Here’s more on Marge and Susan:

Marge Tackes spent her formative years in Chicago, developing her Yankee bitch approach to life. She has a biting, head-on style that results in wild, unabashed comedy. Marge has a wide variety of entertainment experience. For the past ten years she has made a living in comedy, music and acting. Her television credits include Comedy Central, Wake Up Chicago and “Puttin’ On The Laffs”

A former female wrestler, Susan Smith represents the sweet southern belle gone bad. Her act has all the energy you’d expect from this red-headed Amazon. She does impressions, sings and involves the audience with hilarious results. Susan is a seasoned performer and has graced stages throughout the country. She has also appeared on the Disney channel, USA Network and The Nashville Network.

Kevin Williams and Ted Denson are my guests this week.  Kevin Williams has been seen on BET’s Comic View and heard on Bob and Tom.  Ted is a Midwest comic who plays clubs throughout the Midwest.  With Kevin, we’ll discuss P90X, Floyd Mayweather, and different types of writing.  With Ted, we’ll talk about this Cerebral Palsy and how he came to laugh about it.

Here’s more on Ted:

Ted Denson first started comedy five years ago on a dare. Being a security guard with Cerebral Palsy and one testicle made Ted a natural for comedy. Ted’s humorous insights on being a Christian, living with Cerebral Palsy, dating and marriage plus other topics will inspire you and tickle your funny bone.

Check out his website - www.teddenson.com

One of my favorite guests, Chris Schlichting, returns to the show this week.  We talk  aliens, mothmen, wrestlers, and Ralph Macchio on the show this week.  Chris plays comedy clubs all throughout the Midwest.

Check out his website - www.schlickcomedy.com

Here’s more on Chris: Growing up on the mean streets of Iowa, Chris Schlichting knew that he either had to take up stand-up comedy or join the notorious Midwest gang known as “The Farmers.” Described as “hilarious” by his mom and as “not having a real job” by his dad, Chris takes pride in his immature, yet sincere stand-up style.   This unique comic is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best comics on the planet, and by “planet” we mean “his street.”

With the confidence of a lion, the agility of a puma, and the intelligence of a really smart house cat, Chris is sure to leave you laughing, and wanting more.

I take the show on the road this week to Mason City Limits where I sit down with Dan Chopin.  “Dr. Gonzo” John Means and Chris Speyrer join Dan and I in the conversation.  We talk about 80’s comedy and leaving comedy.  Dan has been on Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV, and A&E.

Here’s more on Dan:

Comedian Dan Chopin delivers a fast-paced comedy show driven by a steady barrage of topical jokes, clever comedy songs, hot guitar licks and spit-your-drink funny observations. Dan will keep you laughing and whistling along with his infectious sense of humor, his crazy songs and his hysterical rants about the world around us. Ready to laugh? Dan Chopin brings the funny!

Dan has appeared on MTV’s Half-Hour Comedy Hour, The Bob and Tom Show, A&E’s Evening at the Improv, SHOWTIME’s Comedy Club Network, The Dr. Demento Show and PBS’s Comedy Tonight. Dan’s work in film includes HBO’s The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom with Holly Hunter and Alice Upside Down with Luke Perry. He also has over 20 years’ experience headlining comedy clubs, college shows and corporate events coast to coast.

Dan started stand-up in St. Louis while studying acting and advertising at the University of Missouri. He moved to LA in the late 80s and landed a regular spot at the Improv in Hollywood. These days, Dan stays busy working clubs, playing music, performing for corporate events and acting in television and film. Dan travels out of St. Louis, Mo. where he lives with the wife and kids.

Check out his website -  http://danchopin.com/

I talk politics and polo with my guest Drew Hastings this week.  Drew has been on The Tonight Show and Comedy Central.  He’s currently running for mayor of Hillsboro, Ohio.  We’ll discuss his first foray into the political arena.  We’ll wrap things up with a discussion of his past polo playing days.

Here’s more on Drew:

“Isn’t it ironic that the finest coffees in the world come from countries where no one has a reason to get up in the morning”?

This is a typical observation from Drew Hastings as he surveys the crowd and begins his show in a recent stand-up performance. At 6′6″ tall, clad in a tailored black suit and trademark black horn-rimmed glasses, Hastings is a commanding presence onstage as he launches into a study of the human condition that is both hilarious and self-deprecating. Though his angst can be easily sensed, he is obviously at home onstage.

Raised in Ohio by a British mother, Drew brings to every performance a down-to-earth Mid-western sensibility tempered – or, rather, contradicted with typical British aloofness and condescension.

Drew Hastings is a raconteur with a lot of stories to tell. Before becoming a comedian at age thirty-one, Drew’s escapades included owning a trucking business (his story “Homo Truck” is a must-hear), running a document shredding company that never actually shredded any documents, leading archaeological expeditions (some would call him “looter”) to South America, and playing polo with stolen horses at polo clubs in Washington, DC and Cincinnati, OH.

And, his foray into psychedelic drug dealing in the early Seventies using a pyramid marketing scheme modeled after Mary Kay Cosmetics is hilarious, though like most of his stories, one never knows when he’ll tell it again.

Drew moved from Ohio to Los Angeles in the early 1990’s, where he was quickly noticed by the entertainment industry. His acting talent landed him a number of guest-starring roles and he has done television pilots for some of the big networks including Fox, NBC, and HBO. He has also made many stand-up appearances on television and is one of a very elite group of comedians to have received a standing ovation on “The Tonight Show.”

His storied and colorful life has been the subject of three different one-person shows, “Commencement Speech,” “Life & Other Short Stories” and “The Business of Living,” a satire of the success/motivational industry. His character from that show, Jack Freeman, found an immediate cult following in Los Angeles, and in 2001 caught the attention of the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show, where the hilarious Freeman was introduced to a much wider national audience. Drew’s initial appearances on the Bob and Tom Show were so well received that he soon became a regular guest, regaling listeners with his stories, questioning his life and everyone else’s, and giving his comedic opinions on just about any topic that comes up. Drew spends much of his time headlining with “The Friends of the Bob and Tom Show” which has played over 70 cities thus far.

“The Bob and Tom Show has been a perfect outlet for me,” says Drew. “I tend to have a no-nonsense Mid-western attitude and their show is a Midwest-based show with a huge National reach.” He adds, “Hollywood has never figured out what to do with me, so I’m just doing it myself.”

When he’s not touring he can be found on his farm in Ohio.

Check out www.drewhastings.com for more information

I’ve got two guest this week.  My first guest is Joe Roderick, the winner of the 10th Annual Jukebox Comedy Competition.  My other guest is Chicago comic Collin Bullock.  Collin hosts the Awkward Moments Podcast.

Here’s more on Collin:

Collin A. Bullock is an engaging, dynamic, corpulent, energetic, tall, attractive, groundswell of a human. He was born on the 29th of Febuary in the year 1984, making him a leap year baby. Due to this fact he is now the only 8 year old with a drinking problem. Collin is a vegetarian, but only because when he was 3 his village was destroyed by a marauding band of carrots. He is also, on his better days, a comedian. His comedy, which originates from Chicago and then wafts all over the world, is both challenging and comforting in addition to other adjectives. In addition to performing at such famed venues as The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, Second City, he also once ate an entire pie on a bet. When not slaying audiences at clubs and colleges everywhere, Collin can be seen displaying his bright plumage to attract females of his species. His podcast, “Awkward Moments with Collin A. Bullock”, is your favorite thing ever, you just don’t know it yet. So search for it on iTunes, or visit awkwardmoments.podbean.com, to catch up to your destiny. Collin likes you, and wants to be your friend.

For more information on Collin and his podcast, check out http://awkwardmomentspod.com/index.htm

We discuss popcorn, death, and aliens this week on the show with Greg Hahn, Chris Speyrer and a couple other special guests.  Greg has been on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Comedy Central and Bob and Tom.  Chris runs one of the smallest comedy clubs in the country Mason City Limits.  When he’s not running the club, he’s playing comedy clubs across the country.

Here’s more on Greg:

A favorite on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show. He has appeared on Late Night with Conan Obrien, Comedy Central, CBS, ABC, FOX, MTV and CMT.

Greg Hahn has parlayed his absurdly energetic, all out style of physical humor, one liners and crowd work, into an act with no waiting for the funny, just immediate pandemonium and panic. His massive likeable and wild stylings have led to numerous television, club, corporate and now theater appearances throughout the country.

Developmentally arrested, Greg was raised in South Florida where in high school he amused the Catholic nuns by poking holes in his pockets enabling pens and pencils to shoot out of his pant leg.

As a college basketball player his tendency for half court shots got him benched.

As a Captain in the Marines Corps, Greg kept his men highly motivated and could not overemphasize that camouflage is continuous.

While a buyer for Lockheed Corporation, he thought “Why make $200 a day, when I can be a comedian and make that in a week!”

After several serious jobs where he refused to be serious, Greg turned pro as a stand up comedian and landed the absurd gig as emcee for a lumberjack show at Six Flags Great America. This show supplied him with a microphone, four huge audiences a day, drunk ax swinging lumberjacks, and a log rolling dog.

Soon afterwards, he worked as an actor in the Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show at Universal Studios. For $20 an hour, he’d run out, fall down a few times and get hit in the head with a stick.

He continually honed his unique style of comedy and headed to New York City.

While in New York, Greg developed into a touring headliner and costarred in the independent film Tomorrow Night which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Then, after successful shows at the Montreal and Chicago Comedy Festivals, Greg enjoyed hit television appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC), Premium Blend (Comedy Central), Make Me Laugh (5 episodes, Comedy Central), Louis CK’s Pulp Comics (Comedy Central), 30 Seconds to Fame (Fox), Cedric the Entertainer Presents (Fox) and Star Search (CBS).

When appearing on Star Search, Greg was spotted by Tom Griswold of the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show. Greg has since established himself as a favorite guest on the show and starred on the Bob and Tom Comedy Central Special. He also headlines the Friends of The Bob & Tom Theater Tour, which included a stop at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. Country Music Televisions’ “Comedy Stage” and insane appearances on “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” have also added to Greg’s popularity across the country.

Continuing to advance his career in film and television, Greg now lives in Los Angeles where in between shows and acting classes he goes ballistic on the drums and destroys his pathetic fellow comics in ping pong.

Check out Greg’s website: www.greghahn.com

Here’s more on Chris:

Chris has been a comedian since 1989 and comedy club owner since 2006.  He runs Mason City Limits in Mason City, IL.

Check out Mason City Limits website:  http://www.mclimits.com/

Here’s more on Clinton:

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Cinton Jackson is the youngest of 3 and the only son. An imaginative child inclined to perform, Clinton stood empty handed at “Show & Tell”, told his jokes and officially claimed his identity as a stand-up comic at the age of 9.

After graduating from high school Clinton began to hone his craft in San Francisco’s thriving comedy scene, quickly moving up the ranks to become one of the youngest headliners around. He has appeared on many stand-up comedy television shows including his own half hour special on Comedy Central and most recently The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. When not headlining his own shows Clinton has been the opening act for such notable artist as Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer, Dennis Miller, Chris Rock, and Steven Wright. Clinton has also recorded and released two full length comedy CDs, both of which are regularly featured on satellite radio comedy channels.

Following an acclaimed showing at HBO’s prestigious Aspen Comedy Festival, Clinton was cast to co-star as affable science teacher “Mezz Crosby” on the WB’s “Nick Freno: Licenced Teacher”. Subsequent roles as teachers on shows such as the Disney  Chanel’s “That’s So Raven” and Nickelodeon’s “Taina” further showcase Clinton’s trademark guy-next-door appeal. Additional guest appearances on other sitcoms including recent roles on Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” and Nickolodeon’s “iCarly”, have shown that Clinton’s talents definitely reach beyond the stand-up stage.

Upon signing with the Commercials Unlimited agency Clinton began to work in television commercials. With what one casting director called “a natural ability to connect” Clinton was cast to star in numerous national commercials including Subway, Mitsubishi, JEEP, Circuit City, Nissan, Century 21, Old Navy, Circuit City, AMD as well as AC Delco.

Stand-up remains Clinton Jackson’s first love and greatest passion. In addition to comedy clubs he is very popular on the corporate event circuit, doing shows in which he often incorporates his keen ability to improvise with his audience. The San Francisco Chronicle says, “on stage Clinton Jackson moves as if he were in a boxing match delivering material that is not only hilarious to hear but brilliantly visual as well. He’s good natured, clever, and engaging with a unique point of view, earning him the respect of his peers and giving him a broad cross-over appeal. “

Check out his website - http://clintonjackson.com/

Here’s more on Brian:

Brian is one of Chicago’s premier stand-up comics, performing at comedy clubs and concert venues all across the country. With his fresh upbeat style, Brian has astonished the comedy world with his thought-provoking views of what people find funny. He uses his act as a conduit to explore some of life’s less discussed topics and has been honing his craft for the past 12 years. He has the unique ability that combines his quick wit, audience interaction and clever material, which he delivers seamlessly. Brian has incredible instincts and an undeniable talent to make audiences laugh.

Check out his website - http://www.funnybrian.com/

Here’s more on Dr. Gonzo from his Wikipedia entry:

John Means, a former community college English instructor living in his hometown Mason City, Illinois, who had gained fame in the 1980s as a stand-up comedian. Based out of San Francisco, he performed under the stage name “Dr. Gonzo.” His act was a combination of standard observational humor and humorous songs, self-accompanied on electric guitar.

The songs were generally parodies of popular tunes of the day; however, in contrast to contemporary musical parodists such as “Weird Al” Yankovic, whose songs were performed comically, Means’ musical accompaniments were largely faithful to the original artists’. His musical sensibilities caught the attention of some of the popular musicians of the day, and he was soon performing on the same bills as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Los Lobos, and other straight musical acts.

His most successful collaboration was with famed 80’s rock group, Huey Lewis and the News. He performed in several of their popular music videos, and traveled with them as the warm-up act on their 1984-1985 world tour. “Dr. Gonzo” can be seen on DVD on the 2 disc Back to the Future set in a special music video made for the movie, featuring “Doc Brown” Christopher Lloyd. By the mid-1980s, he was one of the most successful local acts in the San Francisco area. In 1989, he joined 45 other performers, including Los Lobos, Santana, Aaron Neville, and Crosby, Stills & Nash at a benefit concert in Watsonville, California for victims of the Loma Prieta earthquake.

By the early 1990s, the stand-up craze that had fueled the success of “Dr. Gonzo” had started to subside. He retired from performing and moved back to Mason City, where he took a position as an English professor at a nearby college and served on the city council. In 2002 he opened two restaurants in Mason City with his wife Peggy. An Italian pizza and pasta house named “PJ’s” and a steakhouse named “Jack & Jo’s” after his parents. For more info visit PjsFeaturingJackandJos.com. He devotes his spare time to beautification projects in his hometown.

Check out his website - http://drgonzocomedy.wordpress.com/

It’s fight talk with Sean Rouse this week.  We talk real fights, fake fights, getting into and watching fights.  Sean has been seen on Down and Dirty with Jim Norton and he was part of the Insomniac Tour with Dave Attell.

Here’s more on Sean:

Sean Rouse is a stand up comic hailing from Katy, Texas. He is a graduate of Katy High School, class of 1993. He has rheumatoid arthritis. He played an MIB agent in Men in Black II. Rouse has appeared at New Faces at the US Comedy Arts Festival 2001, Melrose Improv, The Comedy Store, The Punchline, Houston’s Laff Stop, Funny Bone, Comic Strip Live, Capitol City Comedy Club, Uncle Funny’s, Comedy Corner, Go Banana’s, Joker’s, Easy Street Cafe, Barrel of Laughs, Wileys, and LakeShore Theater.

He was a contestant on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. and performed on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend.

It’s Midwest comedy talk this week with Andy Woodhull.  Andy has performed at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal.  He’s also been seen on Live at Gotham on Comedy Central.

Here’s more on Andy:

Andy made his television debut on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham. This came the same year that he was invited to perform at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, and The Great American Comedy Festival. He has also been featured on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom radio show, and was a semi- finalist in CMT’s “Next Big Comic”. Most recently he won the Best of the Midwest Competition at Gilda’s Laugh Fest earlier this year.

In 2004 Andy won the St. Louis leg of the Laugh Across America Contest and was invited to perform at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. In 2005 Andy’s unique sense of humor won him the Carnival Comedy Challenge in Chicago. In 2008 Andy won the Butterfinger Comedy Showdown, an online joke-writing contest that ended with a live show final round at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles.

Andy has a residence in Chicago, where he was named one of four comedians to watch by the Chicago Tribune. Andy prides himself on his writing, and always delivers with great new material so if you have seen him once come again and see what is new.

Check out his website - http://andywoodhull.com/

Jeremy Essig sits down with me this week to discuss getting a master’s degree as a non-traditional student, the underrated St. Louis comedy scene, and the new DC Universe starting in September.

Here’s more on Jeremy:

Over-educated and under-employed, Jeremy Essig has been developing a loyal comedy following across the country over the last decade.  Upon graduating from Wake Forest University in the spring of 2000, Essig chose open-mic nights over graduate school, a perhaps likely outcome for a Midwesterner who came of age during the slacker revolution of the early 90’s.

A decade later, Jeremy Essig has developed an act that was described by Nuvo Magazine as “Intelligent Cynicism.”  The act is a mixture of stories stemming from Essig’s real-life experiences mixed with social and pop culture commentary.  Essig has appeared multiple times on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Show as well as released three CD’s which have received airplay on XM/Sirius Radio.  He also appeared in the 2003 Boston Comedy Festival and was featured in St. Louis Magazine as a comic to watch.

A native of Zanesville, OH, Essig now resides in St. Louis where he has been a fixture on the city’s thriving comedy scene since 2004.  Essig has also begun tying up loose ends, completing his long delayed Master’s Degree at the University of Missouri while still doing over 200 shows a year. An accomplished writer, his opinion pieces have been featured in the Columbia Missourian, The Riverfront Times and Velocity magazine.

For more on Jeremy, visit www.jeremyessig.com

My guest this week is New York comedian Ken Schultz.  We discuss old school comedy, baseball, and what happens when another entertainer has your name.

Here’s more on Ken:

Several years ago, Ken Schultz was born. He now gets paid to say weird things into a microphone. People seem to be OK with this.

Find him on Twitter - @kenthinguy

I sit down with Drift Roberts and Billi Casey this week. Drift and Billi are two Central Illinois comics.  They started at the Jukebox Comedy Club in Peoria and are now branching out to other clubs and venues throughout the Midwest.  We discuss age and comedy, hitchhiking to Chicago, and much, much more.

The second half of the show is a short interview I did with Last Comic Standing winner Josh Blue. We talk about winning Last Comic Standing, speaking engagements, and soccer.

Here’s more on Josh:

Perhaps best known as the comedian who puts the cerebral in Cerebral Palsy, Josh Blue exploded onto the national comedy scene by capturing the attention and endearment of the country as the winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Having already established himself as one of the most sought after comedians on the college circuit, his weekly appearances on Last Comic in the summer of 2006 expanded his fan base exponentially. Most recently, Josh debuted a new special, Comedy Central Presents: Josh Blue, which received rave reviews from fans and critics alike.

Possessed with an undeniable likeability and comedic timing that belies his youthfulness; Josh continues to break down stereotypes of people with disabilities one laugh at a time. His stand-up routine is in a constant state of evolution and his off-the-cuff improvisational skills guarantee that no two shows are exactly alike.

Josh has appeared as a regular guest star on Comedy Central’s Mind of Mencia and his story has been featured on Fox, CBS, ABC, and MSNBC. He was the first comedian to perform stand-up on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, was named Best Winning Reality Show Guest for his appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly, and made a standout guest appearance on Comics Unleashed. He became the first comic to debut a stand-up special on the big screen when 7 More Days in the Tank was shown in theatres across the country. Portions of the performance also aired on Bravo Network as a half-hour comedy special. Josh is a repeat guest on such nationally syndicated radio programs as NPR’s Talk of the Nation and The Mancow Show and has been featured in numerous print publications including People Magazine and The New York Times. Josh has also performed at the prestigious HBO-Aspen Comedy Festival, Comedy Central’s South Beach Comedy Festival, and The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. Josh has even become quite an Internet sensation with his top two YouTube videos approaching 2 million plays.

Despite his extensive schedule of stand-up tour dates, Josh maintains an active role on the US Paralympic Soccer Team and competed in Athens at the Paralympic Games, the world’s second largest sporting event.

Josh resides in Denver with his wife, Yuko, their son, Simon, and daughter, Seika.

Check out his website - www.joshblue.com

It’s the pancakes and thrift stores edition of the Stand-Up Chronicles this week with John Evans and Emily Galati.  John has been seen on Last Comic Standing, heard on Bob and Tom, and opened for George Carlin.  Emily is a Chicago comic who was named one of the Best of the Midwest at the Iowa Comedy Festival.

John Evans’ comedy career began in Tulsa in 1996, where he quickly earned emcee status at the Tulsa Comedy Club. He then moved to Minneapolis turning into a club favorite at the ACME Comedy Club. After moving to Los Angeles & many road dates later, John has opened for such comedic legends as George Carlin, Dave Chapelle, Mitch Hedberg and Lewis Black. A role in the move “Chillocothe” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival soon followed. In 2002, John was chosen to perform at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival - soon to follow were appearances on ‘Live at Gotham’ on Comedy Central and ‘Last Comic Standing’ on NBC. John can be seen headlining comedy clubs across the country and is a regular guest on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom radio show.

Check out John’s website - www.johnevanscomedy.com

Emily Galati was raised in Phoenix, Arizona where she enjoyed sunny days and lounging by her pool in December.  Emily’s offbeat observations about growing up, American History, and pop culture have earned her a “rising star” label within the world of stand up comedy. In 2010, Emily was a “Best of the Midwest” selection in the Iowa Comedy Festival and was the Runner-Up in the “Funniest Person in Milwaukee Comedy Contest.”  She performs regularly at the legendary Zanies Comedy Club in Chicago and has traveled all over the country to work with national acts such as Jeffery Ross, Gilbert Gottfried, Dwayne Perkins, Jimmy Dore, Jeff Richards, Kyle Kinane, and Matt Braunger.  You can also catch her on your television set performing on shows like “The Comedy Thrift Store” and “Funny Sundaes.” She currently resides in Chicago, IL and misses her pool.

For more on Emily, visit www.emilygalati.com

Tammy Pescatelli joins me on the show this week to discuss her influences, her new reality show, and Wonder Woman.  Tammy has been seen on The Tonight Show and Last Comic Standing.  She also has her own reality show on WE TV called “A Stand-Up Mother”.

Here’s more on Tammy:

Growing up with all brothers will give a girl from Cleveland two things: a great sense of security and an even greater sense of humor. Indeed, comedienne Tammy Pescatelli got her fair share of both, but her sense of humor is what has made her one of America’s funniest—and hardest working—women of comedy.

Beating out thousands for the enviable spot as part of the Final Five on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing 2 ,” catapulted Tammy’s career and won her a slew of new fans, solidifying her as one of the sharpest women in the comedy world. Tammy has appeared twice as a guest on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and “Dennis Miller” and has been a featured comic on PAX’s “Balderdash” National Lampoon’s “Funny Money”, NBC’s “Last Comic Standing: The Best of the Best” and Comedy Central’s “The World Stands Up!” Tammy also recently appeared in her own half-hour special for Comedy Central, “Comedy Central Presents: Tammy Pescatelli”. She has also performed on the “Jerry Lewis Telethon” several times. More recently, she has performed on “TBS’s Evening at the Laugh Factory,” “Last Call with Carson Daly,” and has been a guest a number of times on the syndicated show “Comics Unleashed”, and chosen for their “Best of the Best” world wide top selling DVD!

Tammy’s current schedule is jam-packed with headlining appearances at top comedy clubs and venues across the country, as well as adding her comedic observations to specials on VH1, E!, G4, A&E, Country Music Television and TV Land. She also was featured weekly as part of the “Fashion Police” panel for US Weekly. And giving pros a run for their money in the poker department, Tammy recently participated in the GSN poker series “Poker Royale: Comedians vs. Pros,” making it all the way to the finals. Tammy also co-stars in the upcoming indie films Everybody Wants to Be Italian, Single: The Documentary and Made in Brooklyn.

Most recently, she has been writing for TBS and performing all over the country. Currently, she finished #1 on Comedy Central’s 2010 Stand-Up Showdown!

Tammy’s new material comes from her recent marriage, living around family and giving birth to a boisterous baby boy. When people ask her- “Where do you get your material?” Tammy famously replies, “I wake up!”

Check out her website - www.pescatelli.com

Nikki Glaser has been on The Tonight Show and Last Comic Standing.  You can hear her on the podcast You Had To Be There.  We’ll talk about that podcast, being an English teacher, fainting on stage and having to follow a very famous comedian.

Here’s more on Nikki:

Nikki Glaser is a comedian. She became one after she text messaged “JOKE” to 7738 on her cellphone. She also became a hit at the office!

But if you must know more, Nikki started performing stand-up comedy when she was only 18 and still attending college at the University of Kansas. Two years later, she auditioned for the fourth season of Last Comic Standing and was advanced to the semi-finals in Los Angeles. Although the show only took three days to shoot, she lied to her professors and was subsequently excused from four weeks of class.

After graduating from college with a worthless degree in English, Nikki moved to Los Angeles and began touring clubs and colleges across the country. In the summer of 2007, she was invited to perform at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada. There, she met and performed with her comedy idols, drank alcoholic beverages, and thus lost her phone upwards of three times.

In 2009, Nikki made her first late night appearance as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. There, she had fun and stole a beer from The Office’s Rainn Wilson’s dressing room, but not before calling him “Dwight” on live television when she sat down on the couch next to Leno’s desk.

In addition, she was just named one of the Top 10 Emerging Comics by Askmen.com. Currently, Nikki is performing in clubs all over the country and attempting to write the biography for her website.

Check out her website: www.nikkiglasercomedy.com

Dwight Slade has been seen on Premium Blend and heard on Bob and Tom.  He’s got a new DVD out called Right and Raunch.  He’s also in the documentary American: The Bill Hicks story.  We’ll talk about why he didn’t want to participate in the documentary at first, living in an RV with his family while he toured, and his writing process.

Here’s more on Dwight:

Part man, part ageless boy; comedian Dwight Slade has the privilege of being a comedy legend in American stand up.  The winner of this year’s Boston Comedy Festival, Slade combines an intelligent, raging voice of justice with the snickering attitude of a high school prankster. He gives the impression of a man on a journey. Who enjoys nothing more than making fun of everything along the way. Born in Seattle, Dwight moved often in his early years, living in San Mateo, California; Wilton, Connecticut; Marietta, Georgia and Houston, Texas.

It was while in middle school in Houston that Dwight became friends with Bill Hicks, an intense young man with a secret dream of becoming a stand-up comedian.  The two quickly developed a partnership that has lasted a lifetime.  The two became enamored by comedians on The Tonight Show and began writing jokes to try out on friends.  At age 14 they were sneaking of their parent’s suburban homes and riding their bikes to auditions and open mikes.

Throughout his high school and college years, Dwight continued to focus on stand-up. At 18, Slade finished 3rd in the Euphoria Comedy Contest, and full of ambition, moved to Hollywood. He became one of the youngest performers to ever perform at the famous Comedy Store.

In the 1980’s, the comedy boom was underway and Dwight found he could garner more precious stage time in Portland, Oregon than in Los Angeles. “Why should I live in Los Angeles when I can be just as miserable and unknown in Portland?”  Slade soon established himself as the premier stand-up in the Northwest opening concerts for Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Jeff Beck and Dave Chappelle.

Now married with children, the young family faced an interesting dilemma:  how do you travel on the road as a working comedian and stay together as a family?  The solution took the form of a 36 foot fifth wheel travel trailer that the young family toured and lived in for four years while Dwight headlined comedy clubs across the US and Canada.   “My second child was born in the RV,” says Slade, “We were pulled over at the time.” Slade decided to hang up the nomadic lifestyle and settle down in Portland.  It proved to be a good decision.

While grounded in Portland, Slade was able to explore more personal aspects to his stand up comedy.  Putting together the critically praised, one man political primer, “Do People Really Think Like That?”  Dwight was not only funny, but also thought provoking.  The San Antonio Express wrote, “Slade restores one’s faith in comedy as the great equalizer.  At his cerebral best he becomes the voice of the little man looking for a little justice – and just maybe a little pay back – for life’s daily mundane humiliations.”

The 90’s found Dwight moving into new arenas of creativity.  Radio station KXL-AM billed him as “The Northwest’s Most Dangerous Mind” as he became a noted talk radio personality who used humor instead of rage to engage listeners.  He released two comedy CD’s on Humor Ink recordings, “Weird State,” and “Shut-up.”

Slade’s feature film debut came in 2000 in the movie “Inconceivable,” which enjoyed a run on Showtime and Lifetime.  Slade also co-starred in the gritty family drama, “My Way Home” which won the Platinum Award at the 2001 Houston International Film Festival. Since then, Slade has made appearances in three feature films including the soon to be released James Westby film, “Rid Of Me.”

In 2002, Slade became the first stand-up to make appearances at the three major North American Comedy Festivals: Aspen, Chicago and Montreal.  On the heels of his performances, Slade signed a development deal with Warner Brothers Television.   Slade was chosen to appear on HBO’s “Best of the US Comedy Arts Festival” and made an appearance on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend.

Slade’s stand-up has gained international stature after earning a five star review from Scotland’s Minister of Culture at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival and appearances at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival.   He followed this with a tour in Afghanistan performing for US Troops, a tour of Israel.

After a stellar performance at the 2008 Comedy Festival in Las Vegas, Slade was chosen to appear on a Tonight Show feature. 

Slade’s Hi-Def Comedy Special, “Right & Raunch” is now available on DVD.

Dwight is a single father with two children.

And, yes, he is an Aries…

Check out his website - www.dwightslade.com

Chelsea Peretti has been seen on Louie and The Sarah Silverman Program.  She’s also a writer for Parks and Rec.  We’ll discuss playing clubs in the Midwest, working with Jonathan Winters, and writing for Parks and Rec.

Here’s more on Chelsea:

Chelsea Peretti is a comedian who has performed at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival, the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival, The Las Vegas Comedy Festival, D.C’s Bentzen Ball, Austin’s “Fun, Fun, Fun, Fest”, SXSW, Bonnaroo and Bumbershoot. She was one of four comedians invited to participate in the 10-city Axe Twisted Humor Tour in conjunction with Funny or Die. This year Chelsea was named one of the top 10 comics to watch by Variety.

Chelsea appeared in a role opposite Louis CK on his show Louie on FX, appeared on The Sarah Silverman Program, was featured in a spotlight on Last Call with Carson Daly, and as a correspondent on Lopez Tonight. She is a regular on Tru TV’s The Smoking Gun Presents and performed stand-up on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham. Her voice can be heard in Grand Theft Auto IV.

Currently, Chelsea is writing on the hit NBC show Parks and Recreation. Previously, she was a writer for The Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central. She has contributed to various television projects for Adult Swim, IFC, VH1, and MTV, including the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. Her writing has also appeared in Details, Playgirl, and the Village Voice.

Comedic web projects include the satirical website BlackPeopleLoveUs.com, the New York City Rejection Line (rejectionline.com), and original web videos for Super Deluxe, Variety Shac, and others. These projects have been featured on Good Morning America, the New York Times, and CNN. Peretti’s “All My Exes” series was in the top 10 of New York Magazine’s “Top 20 Funniest Web Videos of 2007.”

Check out her website - www.chelseaperetti.com

Greg Behrendt is my guest for the 100th episode of the podcast.  He was just on John Oliver’s Stand-Up New York, he’s the co-host of the podcast Walking the Room, and he’s the co-author of He’s Just Not That Into You.  We talk podcasts, Oprah, and the San Francisco comedy scene.

Here’s more on Greg:

Greg Behrendt should be known for may things. He’s a brilliant lifelong comedian who accidentally became the best selling co author of the inescapable He’s Just Not That Into You. He was the host of the weirdly named Greg Behrendt Show and he’s the musical force behind America’s instrumental surf and ska combo the Reigning Monarchs and the foremost collector of small glass pig figurines or (”pigurines”). It is because of all these unique, memorable accomplishments that he is singularly recognized world wide as That Guy From That Thing! Enjoy him in person or at a great distance but enjoy him just the same!

Check out his website - www.gregbehrendt.com

And his podcast - http://walkingtheroom.libsyn.com/

Dan Cummins is my guest on the show this week.  He’s been seen on Conan, Last Comic Standing, and The Late, Late Show.  He also has his own Comedy Central special, “Crazy With A Capital F.” This week we discuss Gonzaga, computer science, therapy, and how to get off an island after you’ve bombed.

Here’s more on Dan:

In the last five years, Dan has released two critically and commercially successful CDs on Warner Brothers Records, Revenge is Near, and Crazy with Capital F, both debuting in the top 10 of the Billboard Comedy Charts, and both making numerous year end top 10 lists, including Itunes Rewind’s Best Comedy CDs of 2010. He’s also toured relentlessly, bringing his jokes to over 200 colleges, clubs, theaters, and the world’s most prestigious comedy festivals, including two trips to the Montreal Comedy Festival. In addition to headlining live shows from Maine to Alaska, Dan’s also made numerous televised stand-up appearances, including performances on The Tonight Show, The Late, Late Show, Last Comic Standing, and numerous Comedy Central programs, including both a half-hour special, Comedy Central Presents Dan Cummins, and an hour-long comedy special, Crazy with a Capital F. One of the most prolific writers on the national scene, Dan continues to craft new jokes and stories, and bring them to countless audiences in his quest to build a fan base large enough to pack clubs and theaters in whatever town he chooses to travel to, just to hear whatever he has to say. So do yourself a favor, and start listening.

Check out his website: www.dancummins.tv

Check out Dave’s website:  http://dvnelson.podbean.com/

Indianapolis comic Brent Terhune is my guest this week.  He can be heard on the Interweb Podshow and he can be seen on The Matt Clemens Show on YouTube.  We discuss interning for Bob and Tom, whether it’s better to listen to stand-up or watch it on TV, and the creation of his podcast.

Here’s more on Brent:

Characters, voices, one liners, and time-tested monologues-comedian Brent Terhune is the embodiment of all these things and more. Not many comics can pull off Brent’s laid-back style of comedy and still remain just as absurd and funny, but equally relevant and relatable at the same time. He got his start in comedy in Indianapolis, Indiana and is currently studying Communication at the University of Indianapolis. He is also the co-host of the immensely popular podcast that is enjoyed by dozens of listeners, The Interweb Podshow. Whether talking about the everyday struggles of being a redhead, life as a college student and radio DJ, or his off-the-wall Uncle Frank and family, Brent is sure to keep you laughing well after he’s left the stage.

Check out his website: http://brentcomedy.com/

Mike Bobbitt is my guest this week.  He can be heard on SiriusXM satellite radio.  Mike also has a CD out called “Mikey Pooh”.  He just shot a sitcom pilot called “Deadpan”.  We discuss featuring for Marc Maron, nerd stuff, and the Detroit comedy scene.

Here’s more on Mike:

I love making people laugh.  There’s no better feeling than that.   It doesn’t matter who it is.  There’s something hugely intoxicating about making an entire room full of strangers belly laugh, but equally as important is making my wife, my family or comedian friends laugh…that’s big time!

Stand up comedy has been good to me.  I’ve been doing it for a few years and I’ve already been a part of a few comedy festivals in Detroit and Calgary.  Last year I was in the preliminaries of the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival too.   My CD “Mikey Pooh” gets played very regularly on Raw Dog on Satellite Radio.  Early on I was asked to contribute material to the book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Jokes”.  Strangely enough, they took a joke that never worked that well on stage!  I was the brains behind the Desperate Houseguys, which was a show about married guys talking about their lives.  That was an awesome way for me to travel the country with a rotating line up of my favorite comedian friends!   The 501st Stormtrooper Legion invited me to Las Vegas in 2009 to perform at the very first Trooperfest where I was made an honorary member and  got to rub elbows with Lucasfilm employees and the stars of the orginal Star Wars trilogy!  And most recently, I did voices for the Arsenic Lullaby cartoon pilot, which is huge since I was an Arsenic Lullaby fan long before I was a comedian!

I live outside of Detroit with my one wife, four cats and thousands of action figures.  I’m an international man of comedy and perform at many of the premiere comedy clubs, colleges and theatres in the United States and Canada!  I also look good in blue.

For more on Mike check out his blog - www.offthemike.com

Dan Tessitore is my guest on the show this week.  He has played clubs, colleges, and bars all over the Midwest.  He’s worked with Tom Simmons, Larry Reeb, and Drew Hastings.

Here’s more about Dan:

Dan Tessitore was born in Florida (on Homestead Air Force Base, where Nixon showed Jackie Gleason the alien bodies), and raised in Maryland. When his dream of becoming a writer became a decade teaching university freshmen how to write complete sentences, Dan set his sights on the comedy stage in early 2005. Intelligent without being pretentious, Dan is an all around smart dude who’s not above a good dick joke. Dan currently lives in Illinois and has featured around the Midwest with Nick Gaza, Larry Reeb, Drew Hastings, and many others. In 2008, he performed as part of Kerry White’s Thought Criminals Comedy Tour.

My guest this week is the winner of the 2009 San Francisco Comedy Competition Tom Simmons.  Tom can be heard on Bob and Tom and SiriusXM.  He’s got a new CD out called Keep Up which you can download through iTunes.  This week we talk about making the Federal Reserve funny, booking a comedy festival, and we analyze his set list.

Here’s more on Tom:

Tom Simmons does an unbelievable job of blending comedy and philosophy into one of the best all around comedy shows that you can see. A true comedian in every sense of the word. He has toured practically non-stop for ten years developing his act and himself.

This is truly a great comedian who has a unique ability to make you think differently, question cultural and personal beliefs- all while being incredibly funny. Seriously spit-take funny. Tom’s goal as a comedian is not just to be funny and make you laugh, but to genuinely be one of the best- to be mentioned in the same sentence with greats like Chappelle, Rock, Carlin, Seinfeld.

Come see this show and see what constant work and dedication means. Tom’s comedy takes chances that most comedians won’t take all while embracing the audience and genuinely caring that they laugh and enjoy themselves. The show will entertain with subjects from being a new father and relationships, to socially relevant issues like violence, war, racism, and frustrations we all have with the world and one another. It is easily relatable and seriously funny… Like a Blue Collar Tour for people that read.

He has appeared on Comedy Central, Showtime, BET, NBC, and has written for numerous comedians. Tracks from all four of his comedy CD’s can be heard daily on both XM and Sirius radio. He has appeared on Bob and Tom, at the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, The Boston Comedy Festival, as well as performing with Comics on Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jimmy Pardo and Matt Fugate join me on the show this week.  Jimmy can be heard each week on his award-winning podcast Never Not Funny.  Jimmy has also been on The Tonight Show and he’s a Bob and Tom All-Star.  Matt can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio.  He’s also appeared on Bob and Tom.  We talk about The Bozo Show, the new Conan show, and comedians who’ve come out of Minneapolis.

Here’s more on Jimmy:

Jimmy Pardo is as funny talking to a stranger in an elevator as he is talking to a crowd from the comic stage. That’s because everything he observes or thinks, he immediately scans to find the funny. And he always finds the funny. After Jimmy was told for like the thousandth time that he was even funnier offstage than he was onstage, he dropped most of the jokes from his act. Now he spends nearly his entire set interacting with, and making fun of, his audiences. And they love it.

Jimmy stands at the very center of the comedy world. That’s not only because he’s the ultimate “comic’s comic,” (as he’s often called), but also because he represents where comedy is going, and everybody wants to come along.

Jimmy’s raucous-but-smart weekly podcast, “Never Not Funny,” has revolutionized the way comedians use the Internet to connect with their audiences. It’s the No. 2 paid podcast hosted by a comedian, after Ricky Gervais’. His guest list reads like a Who’s Who of comedy: Conan O’Brien, Adam Carolla, Kevin Pollack, and Sarah Silverman have all been guests. Actors Jon Hamm, Ty Burrell and Rich Sommer have appeared on several of the funniest episodes.

“Never Not Funny” was voted by both iTunes and USA Today as one of the top podcasts of 2006 and 2007. It was an “Editor’s Pick” in the September 2009 issue of Esquire magazine. In 2010, GQ magazine called the show “The Number 1 Relatively Obscure Thing You Need to be Paying Attention To.” The show, which started in Jimmy’s dining room in 2006, now regularly hits the road with live tapings at festivals like SF Sketchfest, MaxFunCon, the Vancouver Comedy Festival and Bumbershoot. Twice, Jimmy and Co. have presented the “Pardcast-A-Thon,” taping for up to 12 hours to raise money for The Smile Train.

Besides the podcast, Jimmy continues to headline at some of America’s top comedy clubs and currently works as Conan O’Brien’s opening act on “Conan”, getting the studio audience into a laughing mood before the show tapes (he did the same for Conan on “The Tonight Show”).

A true multimedia talent, Jimmy has frequently appeared on television and in movies. He has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and “The Late Late Show with Craig FergusonѮ He had his own half-hour special, “Comedy Central Presents Jimmy Pardo.” He hosted “National Lampoon’s Funny Money” on the Game Show Network, and was the co-host of AMC’s “Movies at Our House” for four seasons. He has hosted episodes of VH1’s “The Surreal Life,” and “Love Lounge” and NBC’s “Late Friday.” He’s appeared on popular shows such as “Monk,” “That ’70s Show” and “Becker.” And he has acted in independent films such as “Relative Strangers” and “The Godfather of Green Bay.”

Jimmy was the co-writer and star of a critically acclaimed one-man show subtly titled “Attention Must Be Paid: The Jimmy Pardo Story,” and a live pilot presentation, “Jimmy Pardo’s Dance Party.” He hosts monthly shows at the famed Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles. He has recorded two comedy albums, “Uno” and “Pompous Clown.”

Check out his website - www.jimmypardo.com

Here’s more on Matt:

From his start as a third-grader reciting Bill Cosby routines at recess, to performing today at comedy clubs around the nation, Matt Fugate excels at delighting audiences with his original, real and above all, funny comedy. In addition to laying out the tales of his life in unflinching and hilarious detail, Matt also takes time to explore the humor in everything from how eggs are graded to the meaning of life. Matt’s talents extend to writing and performing a one-man show for the Twin Cities Fringe Festival, co-creating the spoof Web site AlliedChemical.com, and writing a humor column for EFFECT Magazine. Matt has appeared on the Bob and Tom radio show, and cuts from his CD, Big World of Me, have been added to the playlists of both Sirius Satellite Radio and KHAHA.com.

Check out Matt’s website - www.mattfugate.com

Brendon Walsh joins me on the show this week.  We talk about the Austin comedy scene, working with Doug Stanhope, and his early days emceeing.  Brendon has been on Conan, Premium Blend, and Last Comic Standing.

Here’s more on Brendon:

Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Brendon Walsh established himself in comedy in Austin, TX. In 2004 he won the “Funniest Person In Austin” contest and that same year also appeared on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” as his original character, “Scary Monster” (a terrible monster stand up comedian). In 2005 and 2006 he was voted “Best Stand-Up Comedian” in the Austin Chronicle’s “Readers Poll”. In 2006 he appeared on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” and on season 4 of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.”

In 2007 he won the $10,000 grand prize on the comedy stage in an internet contest at Famecast.com, beating out hundreds or maybe even thousands of other people for the prize money and title of “Famecast Comedy Fenom”. He was featured in the “New Faces” Showcase at the 2008 Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal where he was recognized as one of the breakout performances and returned to the festival in 2010 to tape a special for HBO called “Funny As Hell”. On Thanksgiving of 2010, he appeared on CONAN on TBS.

In 2009, Brendon sold a scripted comedy, “Crowded Apartment” to Spike. You can also see Brendon regularly on “The World’s Dumbest” on TruTV

Brendon currently lives in Los Angeles with your mom.

Check out Brendon’s website - www.brendonwalsh.com

Rex Havens is my guest this week. Rex has been on Comedy Central and Showtime. He’s also been heard on Bob and Tom. Rex was a corporate lawyer and making a six-figure income for 14 years before quitting to pursue a career in comedy. We’ll talk about how he came to that decisions and the emotions behind it this week on the show.

Check out his website - www.rexhavens.com

Matt Holt is my guest this week.  He’s got a brand new CD out called “I’m in Show Business!”.  You can find it on iTunes.  Matt is also on the Interweb Podshow podcast.  We talk about his favorite comics to work with, putting together his new CD, and Bruce Springsteen.

Here’s more on Matt: Matt Holt is the youngest of eight kids. No, his family is not Catholic. They do drink, swear and gamble…they just don’t believe in repenting for it! The story of his life begins with the good fortune of being raised by humorous parents and being surrounded with a wonderful cast of misfits, felons and fugitives who just happen to be related to him. Who could ask for more? The next chapter of Matt’s life sees him working for a major telecommunications company. He survived fifteen years in Corporate America before throwing his hands up to surrender. Some people are bad with remembering people’s names or with fractions, Matt is bad with marriages and relationships. At a young age, in need of various small appliances and an assortment of picture frames, Matt entered into the blissful institution of marriage. The bliss lasted for a few months, the marriage lasted nine years. It ended with the division of everything he owned and the addition of a beautiful daughter. Since the first marriage went so well, Matt figured; “Why not give it another shot?”. STRIKE TWO! This time around, the marriage train lasted 5 years before it pulled into the station. Now, with what would appear to be one quarter of the possessions he once owned, Matt embarks on the next step in his quest for relationship happiness. The scars, shadows and memories of his past have not been forgotten. It is from this grounded but chaotic life history that Matt has developed and honed his comedic sensibility. He bases his humor on these experiences and never misses an opportunity to laugh at himself and the world around him. Audiences appreciate Matt’s quick, razor-sharp wit and his relaxed style.

Check out his website - www.mattholtcomedy.com

April Macie has appeared on Howard Stern and Last Comic Standing.  She can also be seen in the comedy documentary I Am Comic.  We discuss her appearance on Howard Stern.  We talk Twitter and getting paid to do comedy.

Here’s more on April:

Do you remember the girl in your high school who had a horrible rumor spread about her? It might have involved a football team, a dog and some peanut butter or processed meat. Well, that girl in Easton, Pennsylvania was April Macie. So, where did she turn for comfort? While some might turn to the Lord, April turned to promiscuity. Promiscuity and then comedy. With her irreverent brand of overtly sexual humor she attempts to break down double-standards and lend her voice to sexually dissatisfied women everywhere. April would like to add that she doesn’t really know what irreverent means, but she’s heard a lot of other comics use it and thought it sounded kinda’ cool.

Shitty childhood. Great adulthood. That’s how life worked for April Macie. April Macie travels the world collecting stories and experiences, which she then translates into humorous, relatable tales in front of audiences worldwide. April has been to over 23 countries, 9 of those performing stand-up comedy (not fellatio) for the troops, was a finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, has appeared on E! Entertainment, Sirius and XM radio, Access Hollywood, Talk Soup and was labeled an “emerging talent to watch” by the Hollywood Reporter at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival. April is a regular guest on the Howard Stern show, where she was voted the “Funniest and Hottest” comedian in America. She is currently being featured in the documentary, “I Am Comic” premiering at the 2010 Slamdance Film Festival and she now spends most of her time traveling the United States as a headlining stand-up comedian.

April has slapped a man on the toilet for renting out their home for porn shoots, stood on the N. Korean border, entertained troops next to the detainee camp in Guantanamo Bay, imported a young Englishman for the summer, only to see him turned away at the border months later for overstaying his visa, has had numerous crappy jobs-including: a nanny, Hooter’s waitress, clowns assistant, telemarketer-fired from all of them, occasionally smokes weed out of an apple and goes to Chucky Cheese with her friends, LOVES her friends, thinks double standards are bullshit, and would like to change the world by empowering women, “one dick joke at a time.” She loves to perform and her favorite role to play is victim. For April, comedy isn’t a career, comedy isn’t even a choice. Comedy is a calling!! She totally stole that quote from Bernie Mac… but it’s soooo great and she truly believes it is her calling.

Check out her website: www.aprilmacieishilarious.com

It’s the strangest episode we’ve ever done.  Jeff Oskay and special guests join me to discuss the Indianapolis comedy scene, quitting comedy, and getting too personal.  Jeff has been heard on Bob and Tom and the Interweb Podshow.  He can also be seen on The Matt Clemens Show on YouTube.  The interview portion is completely unedited.

Brett Erickson returns to the Stand-Up Chronicles this week.  He’s worked with Doug Stanhope and Dave Attell.  He’s also one of the Unbookable comics.  This week we discuss the media business, his favorite comedy shows, and we find out who is the king of the douche bags.

Jeff Caldwell returns to the show this week.  You’ve seen him on Letterman, Ferguson and Live at Gotham on Comedy Central.  We talk about Bill Hicks, comparing his Letterman appearances, and the Padres.

The Amazing Kreskin is my guest this week.  We discuss his early work in therapy and psychology, his influences, performing in Saudi Arabia, and thinking in color.  Kreskin was the inspiration for the 2009 movie “The Great Buck Howard” starring Colin Hanks and John Malkovich.  He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Letterman, Conan, and Fallon.

Here’s more on Kreskin:

With a showman’s flair, a comedian’s wit, and the capacities of a bona fide Mentalist or thought reader, The Amazing Kreskin has, for some six decades, dramatized the unique facets of the human mind…his own.  His very name has become an integral part of pop culture throughout the world, invoked in comedy clubs, comic strips, print stories, and TV shows from sitcoms on through national magazines.

Born in Montclair, New Jersey, it was during the childhood game “hot and cold” that Kreskin’s remarkable ability to find hidden objects emerged. His ability to read thoughts expanded, and by his teens he also became nationally recognized in the United States as “The World’s Youngest Hypnotist”, resulting in his collaborating in psychological clinical studies extending into the realm of Parapsychology and the Power of Suggestion. By his late teens, this icon of thought transference developed a mental test that has become the highlight of his performances all over the world.  This signature piece has Kreskin requesting that his check be hidden somewhere within the venue he is appearing.  If he fails to find it, he will forfeit his fee.

Through the decades, audiences of all ages have been drawn to this legendary figure.  How many other celebrities can boast their own television series, their own board game, over some sixteen books, their own theme song arranged by the renowned Skitch Henderson at Carnegie Hall, let alone hundreds of appearances on almost every talk/variety show to be had.  His performances have been seen all over the world, and he has flown over 3 million miles.

The Amazing Kreskin has also become a training consultant to law enforcement and security personnel throughout the western world in the development in their own powers of observation and intuitive skills. Kreskin continues to offer “$50,000 to anybody that can prove that he employs paid secret assistants or confederates in any phase of his program”.  It is an offer that he has held for many, many years.

Finally, through the years, Kreskin has received international recognition for extraordinary predictions often dealing with world affairs.  Regarding the US Presidential Election in 2008, he logged the results with a written statement made 11 months earlier, on December 6, 2007.  In the year 2008 on FOX Business News, he predicted the results of the Super Bowl three days before the game.

A few years earlier in Canada, one month before a national election, he predicted the re-election of Prime Minister Martin, and named the exact amount of seats he would carry.  On the day after the election, on National Canadian Television, he reflected that the government could collapse in 14 months.  He was off by 5 days.  He has been called by many the Nostradamus of the twentieth century.

Check out his website - www.amazingkreskin.com

Chris Schlichting returns to the show this week to discuss teaching high school speech, negotiating the cost of comedy, and Teddy Ruxpin.  Chris plays comedy clubs all throughout the Midwest.  He’s featured for Jim Gaffigan, Caroline Rhea, and Tommy Johnagin.

Check out his website - www.schlickcomedy.com

We kick off 2011 with Jimmy Shubert.  Jimmy has been on Comedy Central Presents, ER, Entourage, and King of Queens.  He’s also been in several movies including Go, Coyote Ugly, and One Hour Photo.  He’s got a new DVD out called Alive & Kickin’.  This week we discuss New Year’s Eve shows, what he learned being a house emcee, and meeting Richard Pryor.

Here’s more on Jimmy:

Jimmy Shubert has built an impressive resume as an actor, both in film and on television. As a comedian, he is recognized as one of the most successful comedians working today, headlining comedy clubs, casinos and theaters across the country. Now Jimmy is adding another title to his resume of producer. This past year was a labor of love for the actor a short film, “Alive N’ Kickin,” which is a companion piece to his new hour-long stand-up comedy special which just won top ten comedy DVD’s for 2009 by Punchline Magazine, which he wrote and produced.

It was Jimmy’s scene-stealing performance as the lollipop-sucking strip club bouncer in Columbia Pictures’ “Go”, directed by Doug Liman, that jump started his film career in 1999. In 2001, he starred in a short film, “Velocity Rules,” for producer Brett Ratner and director Patty Jenkins (“Monster”) which premiered at the 2001 AFI Film Fest as well as the Telluride Film Festival. He has since landed roles in numerous other films such as Jerry Bruckheimer’s “Coyote Ugly,” Fox Searchlight Pictures’ “One Hour Photo”, starring Robin Williams, “The Italian Job” starring Charlize Theron, Ed Norton, and Mark Walhberg, and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. He recently starred in a short film entitled “Wedding Jimmy” which is currently making its rounds on the festival circuit, as well as a feature entitled “Cutoff” starring Amanda Brooks, Faye Dunaway and Malcolm McDowell.

On the small screen, He  completed filming on the untitled “Cedric the Entertainer” pilot. He also has been seen in a recurring role (17 episodes), his character appropriately named Jimmy, on CBS’s “King of Queens” for five seasons. He has also made appearances on such shows as “Entourage,” “Heist,” “ER,” “Monk,” “Reno 911,” “Rude Awakenings,” “Angel,” “Once and Again,” “Lucky,” “New Car Smell,” “Secret Service Guy,” “The Loop ” and “Youth In Revolt,” to name a few.

In September 2006, Jimmy recorded his first half-hour special for Comedy Central at the Hudson Theater in New York City, which received rave reviews from critics and a standing ovation from the discerning New York audience. In addition, he has released two comedy albums, “Animal Instincts” and “Pandemonium,” produced by Grammy-winning producer Dan Schlissel. He donates a portion of the proceeds to “The Joe Casey Jr. Scholarship Fund,” in memory of his deceased cousin. He has performed in Canada, Ireland, Korea and in 2006, he along with Drew Carey, performed for the troops in the Middle East  and Afghanistan as part of the “America Supports You” program for the Defense Department and Armed Forces Entertainment.

Growing up as the son of a Philadelphia Detective wasn’t easy for Jimmy, as he and his band of six brothers were always getting into trouble. Since Jimmy was the middle child, most of his childhood days were spent wearing bloodstained hand-me downs from his older brothers. He attended the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, majoring in Drama. It was from those experiences in acting class that Jimmy knew he wanted to be an entertainer. Always the class clown and performer, Jimmy performed magic tricks for his friends and family at 9 years of age. By the age of 15, he had become an accomplished professional magician. He later channeled that energy into stand-up comedy.

Jimmy started performing right out of high school in comedy clubs around the Philly area. He later moved to Los Angeles and started working at the Comedy Store, performing and writing material for acts like Yakov Smirnoff, Jimmy Walker, Louie Anderson and Andrew “Dice” Clay. It was the Comedy Store where he later met Sam Kinison and they became friends. Kinison liked Shubert’s cockeyed chutzpah and included him as one of the original “Outlaws of Comedy” which he toured with for five years, playing major casinos in Las Vegas and other venues like the Universal Amphitheater in front of audiences as large as 6,500 people. In 1997, after a well recognized performance at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal , he was spotted by the late Brandon Tartikoff , who signed Jimmy to a holding deal to develop a pilot sitcom for him to star in at 20th Century Fox.

Jimmy’s comedy routine is usually performed with an observational point of view, in short-story form, and typically focuses on poking fun at current events. He describes himself as a cross between Denis Leary and Dennis Miller., “his confidence and lucid delivery enhances his humor, making even his most perverse moments hilarious.” (AllMusic.com, 2004)

Check out Jimmy’s website - www.jimmyshubert.com

Henry Phillips joins me this week to talk about his new movie Punching the Clown.  We talk casting, editing, and getting people to see it.

Here’s more on Punching the Clown:

Winner of the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival, this uproarious and smart new comedy tells the story of Henry Phillips, a hapless modern day troubadour who grinds his way through the heartland, living out of his car and singing his twisted satirical songs to anyone who will listen. After a booking mishap involving a Christian fundraiser, he decides he’s hit rock bottom. Seeking to shake things up, he moves to L.A. where his luck changes overnight. Thanks less to his inept manager than to a wild case of mistaken identity, he falls backwards into a string of packed gigs, a record deal and even the promise of love. But he who lives by the whimsy of show business dies by it, and reality hits him like a fist in the face: an innocent miscommunication over a bagel brands him a neo-Nazi in the world of tabloid journalism. Luckily, somewhere between rock bottom and nowhere lies the perfect terrain for his dark and hilarious songs.

You can purchase the movie through Amazon.

For more on the movie - www.punchingtheclownmovie.com

Kevin Williams has been seen on BET’s Comic View and heard on Bob and Tom.  We discuss bad shows, odd jobs, and writing screenplays.  You can find Kevin on Facebook by searching for Kevin D. Williams.

Pauly Shore is my second guest.  We’ve got a really short interview with him.  We talk about partying with Sam Kinison and the Comedy Store in the 70’s.

This week I talk about Philadelphia comedians and the comedy scene there with my guest Steve Simeone.  We also talk about 80’s pro wrestling and we get interrupted by some surprise guests.  Steve’s performed for the troops on four continents.  He’s also been heard on Bob and Tom and can be seen at the Comedy Store in LA.

Here’s more on Steve:

Spend an evening with Steve is like catching up with your best high school friend. The honesty that comes from his story telling won’t just have you laughing, it will hurt. Most can’t help feeling like Steve is their new best friend.

Childhood is the central theme to Steve’s comedy and he often says never he wanted to be a Grown-Up. The competition for laughs at his family dinner table between brothers, molded Steve into a natural on stage. His high energy approach to story telling has made him a favorite at comedy clubs across the country. Steve is a headlining veteran across the country and is regularly featured at the world famous Comedy Store. Steve has toured with Andrew Dice Clay, Pauly Shore, The Playboy Comedy Tour, and entertained our troops on four continents.

Check out Steve’s webpage - www.stevesimeone.com

Here’s more on Dale:

Since 1993 Dale Jones has been perfecting his craft and has become one of the funniest and most energetic comics in the country. He has entertained audiences and our troops throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. His zany on-stage character always sends club patrons to the exits with lots of questions but no disappointments.

His machine gun style of delivery and animated facial contortions combined with quick improvisations and non-stop physical comedy leave the audience wishing they had his energy. Forget “high energy”– this is frantic! His shows are always a night you won’t soon forget. Club owners and managers have gotten used to fielding questions about when Dale will be returning.

Dale started his career in Nashville, Tennessee. While working (mostly wasting) his days away in a factory, his co-workers dared him to try his hand at his life long dream, making people laugh. He stepped on stage for the first time at a Zanies Comedy Club’s open mike night. Two years later, Dale turned a dream into a reality and started doing stand-up full time.

In addition to his training at the world renowned Second City Dale has had numerous television appearances including TBS - The Very Funny Show, NBC - Last Comic Standing Season Six, Fox - 30 seconds to Fame and The Comedy Network in Canada. If you don’t blink you might see him in the 2003 MGM movie “Out Of Time” with Denzel Washington. He has also been on 2 nationally syndicated radio shows, THE BOB AND TOM SHOW and The BOB AND SHERI SHOW. He was one of 8 finalists in “The Great Canadian Laugh Off and he was invited to perform at THE BOSTON COMEDY FESTIVAL and THE TBS “JUST FOR LAUGHS” FESTIVAL.

Check out his website - www.dalejonescomic.com

Here’s more on Chris:

Chris Williamson became a student of stand-up at an early age. His parents were comedy fans and introduced him to The Smothers Brothers, Bill Cosby, Steve Martin and classic Saturday Night Live. It was these influences that gave Chris the inspiration to become a comedy writer and performer. His animated expressions and likability convince the audience to see things from his unique perspective.

Chris started his comedy career in the mid-nineties, working on his material on open mic nights in Nashville, TN with Dale Jones (Last Comic Standing) and Keith Alberstadt (Writer, SNL Weekend Update). He featured for comics such as Yakov Smirnoff, Rodney Carrington, and Mitch Hedberg. Chris then put stand-up on hold to focus his attention on acting and writing.

Chris spent seven years filming commercials and working in live theater with leading roles in more than twenty plays. Chris won several awards for his acting roles and taught acting and comedy classes to kids and adults.

Chris has now returned to stand-up and is quickly climbing the ladder, having featured for comedians, Ron Shock, Tim Wilson, Killer Beaz and Bob Nelson. Chris has also written material for several nationally touring comedians.

After you see his show, you will understand why response to Chris’s performances has been immensely positive and leaves the audience wanting more.

Check out his website - www.chrisinformation.com

Here’s more on Brian:

From the depths of Chicago’s South side comes a comedian so creative, so irreverent, and so hilarious, he must be seen to be believed! Brian Hicks has spent the last eight years performing and writing stand up comedy at The Improv, Zanies, Riddles, Barrel of Laughs, Funny Bone, Penguins, Dr. Grins, Wiley’s and other comedy clubs throughout the country.

He has shared the stage with such notable comics as Kevin Nealon, Louie Anderson, Gilbert Gottfried, Craig Ferguson, Tommy Chong, Emo Phillips, Wendy Liebman, and many others. Brian’s stage act has a unique style which will have you rolling with laughter!

Check out his website - www.funnybrian.com

Here’s more on “Chinaman” Mark Britten:

“He’s a rockstar trapped in a comic’s body, and watching him try to get out will make your little belly hurt from laughter! –Austin Chronicle

Fresh off of his one man show at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, KiDWoK’s show is a mixture of stand-up comedy packed with an explosion of dead-on celebrity and music impressions.

KiDWoK has had several national television appearances including “Last Comic Standing”, A&E’s “Evening At The Improv”, and VH1’s “Rock N Roll Celebrity Poker Tournament”.  KiDWoK’s voice can be heard as seven characters on the cartoon “Dragon Ball Z”.  And most recently POKERSTARS.NET “Million Dollar Challenge”airing October 10, 2010.

Check out his website - www.mesofunny.com

The Stand-Up Chronicles is on location this week in Mason City, IL. I’m talking to comedian and comedy club owner Chris Speyrer. Chris has been a comedian since 1989 and comedy club owner since 2006. We discuss opening a comedy club in a small town, his time on the road and the worst weather he’s had to drive through.

Bobcat Goldthwait returns to the show this week. We discuss his movie World’s Greatest Dad, giving a commencement speech at his daughter’s college, and why quitting isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I’m joined by Costaki Economopoulos and Matt Conty this week.  Costaki can be heard on Bob and Tom delivering the Economonologue and you’ll soon see him on an upcoming Showtime special.  St. Louis comic Matt Conty has featured for Jake Johannsen and Greg Warren.  We’ll discuss the Edinburgh Festival and the comedy scene in Costa Rica.

Check out their websites:  www.costaki.com and www.mattconty.com

Johnny Beehner has been seen on Last Comic Standing and heard on Bob and Tom.  He joins me this week to discuss his recent marriage, his upcoming move to Nashville, and getting booed off stage.

Here’s more on Johnny:

Johnny Beehner puts on a very funny show. That’s all there is to it. He has been performing stand up comedy since 1999. He has been seen on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, he can be heard on XM/ Sirius Satellite radio, and he is constantly traveling from city to city across the country making people laugh.  He recently appeared on the nationally syndicated radio program, The Bob and Tom show, as well as the same television show on WGN.

Johnny started his comedy career putting on his own shows during his college years. He spent the summers between the school years pounding the pavement in the comedy world in New York, and then Los Angeles. He is currently traveling the country proudly telling thousands of complete strangers what an idiot he is and explaining exactly why that is.

With a stong background in improvisational theater throughout all of college, including training at Chicago’s prestigious Second City, Johnny brings a very unique show to the stage. His shows have been described as “silly,” “smart,” “fun,” and “hilarious.” Johnny centers himself as the butt of most of his jokes with tales of growing up an awkward, tall, skinny middle child in a huge family. Whether its at a college, a private event, or a comedy club, Johnny’s clean and clever style of comedy is sure to keep the audience laughing.

Johnny has shared the stage with Robert Klein, Ron White, Nick DiPaolo, David Alan Grier, Dane Cook, Andy Kindler, Frank Caliendo, Doug Stanhope, Carl LaBove, Emo Philips, Will Durst, and many more.

Johnny is also a founding member of the sketch comedy troupe, The Gentlemen’s Hour.

Check out his website - www.johnnybeehner.com

Jim Breuer is my guest this week. He was on Saturday Night Live for four years. He co-starred with Dave Chappelle in Half Baked. More recently, he’s had 2 one-hour Comedy Central stand-up specials and he’s been touring colleges all across the country. In October, he has a new book coming out called I’m Not High (But I’ve Got a Lot of Crazy Stories about Life as a Goat Boy, a Dad, and a Spiritual Warrior). We discuss his SNL audition, his new book, and the beginnings of his stand-up career.

Here’s more on Jim:

With over 20 years of stand-up comedy experience, Jim Breuer remains one of today’s top entertainers and continues to win over audiences with his off-the-wall humor and lovable personality. Named one of Comedy Central’s “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time,” Breuer has found success in various facets of the entertainment industry, and is one of the most recognizable comedians in the business. In addition to keeping busy on his current comedy tour “Cheaper Than Therapy,” Breuer has written his first book I’m Not High (But I’ve Got a Lot of Crazy Stories about Life as a Goat Boy, a Dad, and a Spiritual Warrior), which is set to release October 5, 2010. In the memoir, Breuer sheds light on his early struggles, his rise to fame and the many lessons he’s learned along in an extremely funny, yet personal and touching way fans have never seen before.

Breuer’s big break came in 1995 when he joined the cast of NBC’s legendary hit show, Saturday Night Live. During his four years on SNL, Breuer quickly became a fan-favorite for his original character “Goat Boy” and his dead-on impressions of actor Joe Pesci. Following his success on SNL, Breuer starred alongside Dave Chappelle in the cult favorite film Half Baked. He has since appeared in the popular films Dick, Titan A.E. and Beer League. His most recent film is the animated comedy, The Zookeeper, featuring Kevin James, which is set for a theatrical release in summer 2011. On the small screen, Breuer hosted MTV’s popular Beach House and VH1’s Web Junk 20. On July 25, 2009, Breuer’s one-hour Comedy Central special Let’s Clear the Air premiered with hilarious topics that included what “success” really is, his SNL days and life with his elderly parents, his wife and his three daughters. His other television appearances include Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel Live and most recently, NBC’s hit The Marriage Ref.

For more on Jim, check out www.jimbreuer.com

Las Vegas comic Brandt Tobler joins me on the show this week.  He’s got a new CD on iTunes called Token White Boy.  We talk about getting your CD on iTunes, the difficulties of the Las Vegas comedy scene and putting on comedy shows in your own backyard.

Check out his website: www.brandttobler.com

Nikki Glaser is my guest this week. She’s been seen on The Tonight Show and Last Comic Standing. She was also featured in the documentary I Am Comic. We’ll talk about her appearance in that documentary. We’ll also discuss open mic cliques and her upcoming move to New York.

Here’s more on Nikki:

Nikki Glaser is a comedian. She became one after she text messaged “JOKE” to 7738 on her cellphone. She also became a hit at the office!

But if you must know more, Nikki started performing stand-up comedy when she was only 18 and still attending college at the University of Kansas. Two years later, she auditioned for the fourth season of Last Comic Standing and was advanced to the semi-finals in Los Angeles. Although the show only took three days to shoot, she lied to her professors and was subsequently excused from four weeks of class.

After graduating from college with a worthless degree in English, Nikki moved to Los Angeles and began touring clubs and colleges across the country. In the summer of 2007, she was invited to perform at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada. There, she met and performed with her comedy idols, drank alcoholic beverages, and thus lost her phone upwards of three times.

In 2009, Nikki made her first late night appearance as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. There, she had fun and stole a beer from The Office’s Rainn Wilson’s dressing room, but not before calling him “Dwight” on live television when she sat down on the couch next to Leno’s desk.

In addition, she was just named one of the Top 10 Emerging Comics by Askmen.com. Currently, Nikki is performing in clubs all over the country and attempting to write the biography for her website.

Check out her website: www.nikkiglasercomedy.com

Troy Davis is my guest this week. You’ve heard him on Bob and Tom. We discuss clean comedy, the masonry business, and what happens when your daughter goes into comedy.

Here’s more on Troy:

Troy Davis was born June 2, 1960 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to a hot headed salesman father who sold everything from cleaning supplies to used cars. As a child Troy’s father would come home with a new job and a new company car every six months, resulting in Troy attending eight different schools in twelve years. As the new kid he learned early how to grab the spotlight and make friends quickly.

After graduating high school Troy decided to open his own business as a mason; which he has been actively involved in for 30 years. At the age of 35 Troy decided to lay the foundation to his career, but now in comedy. The first time Troy performed on stage he talked about situations that everyone could relate to such as family, friends and especially his 3 divorces. With huge success, Troy continued to take his act in front of more people. The next time Troy performed, he won a local contest that lead to his first ever paid job as a comic, and his ascent into comedy.

Five years later Troy decided to take on comedy full-time gaining rave reviews throughout the midwest at over 160 cities and 30 states. after a brief hiatus from comedy, Troy jumps back in and takes on the position as house comic at One-Liner’s for several years. He has also took on the role of house comic at Morty’s Comedy Joint, as well as Cracker’s Comedy Joint in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Troy is the father of one 30 year old son, and 3 daughters 32, 26 and 21. His 21 year old daughter CoLee has been doing stand-up professionally since she moved back in with dad.

Troy is truly original, hysterical and very real. It doesn’t matter if the crowd is twenty or seventy “Funny is Funny”. Troy has been calling himself the funniest unknown comedians in the country. Problem with that is that every comedian thinks he or she is the funniest comedian in the country. So you will have to come out and catch Troy on his never ending tour and decide for yourself!

Check out Troy’s website: http://www.comediantroyadavis.com/

Roy Wood Jr. is my guest this week. He just finished third in Last Comic Standing. We conducted this interview two days before the finale. We’ll find out what he was thinking about going into the finale, what he thinks about before heading out on stage before a national TV audience, and what young comics ask him about.

Here’s more on Roy:

Named by Entertainment Weekly as one of 12 comics to watch in 2009, Roy has been featured on the new season of CBS’ THE LATE SHOW w/ David Letterman, HBO’s DEF COMEDY JAM, TV One’s ‘The Funny Spot w/ Tony Rock’, BBC’s THE WORLD STANDS UP- LONDON, , CBS’ LATE LATE SHOW w/ Craig Ferguson, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and Comedy Central’s BOB & TOM COMEDY TOUR. He’s also showcased at the prestigious MONTREAL COMEDY FESTIVAL and is a regular guest on the E! Network’s ‘CHELSEA LATELY’.

Hailing from Birmingham, AL, Roy’s creative writing and dedicated work ethic has since earned him the right to perform his comedy in front of millions of people coast to coast.

The Montreal Gazette called Roy’s 2006 festival performance on the ‘New Faces’ show “tremendous” and the Hollywood Reporter called Roy a “standout”. Roy has also appeared on ‘COMEDY CENTRAL’S PREMIUM BLEND’, BET’s COMIC VIEW, CBS’ STAR SEARCH (2003) where he made it to the semi-finals, ‘IT’S SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO’ and LIVE IN HOLLYWOOD w/ KIKI SHEPPARD’.

Steering clear of predictable topics and premises, Roy delivers comedy that gives an honest look at not only his life, but the world in which we live. The universal appeal of his comedy crosses all race and cultural lines which is why he has opened for an array of comedians ranging from D.L. Hughley, Ron White, Monique, Tommy Davidson, Bill Engvall and Katt Williams.

A two-time nominee for APCA’s title of ‘Comedian of the Year’ Roy works numerous college and university appearances into his schedule every year as well.

Roy has also carved a niche for himself in the world of radio. Until late 2006 he was head writer and producer of the Buckwilde Morning Show WBHJ 95.7 JAMZ– Birmingham, AL He is also a regular guest on the ‘Bob & Tom Radio Show, a syndicated morning show heard by more than six million people every morning. His hilarious prank phone calls are also carried in almost 50 different radio markets including stations in Canada and England.

In addition to terrestrial radio, his prank calls are a main stay on Jaime Foxx’s ‘Foxxhole Station’ on SIRIUS Satellite Radio.

These same prank calls have been compiled into three nationally released CD’s. 2003’s ‘MY MOMMA MADE ME WEAR THIS’ , 2005’s ‘CONFESSIONS OF A HIGH SCHOOL BENCH WARMER’ and his newest CD, “I’LL SLAP YOU TO SLEEP”

For more on Roy, check out his website: www.roywoodjr.com

Greg Warren is my guest this week. He’s been heard on Bob and Tom and seen on Comedy Central Presents. We talk favorite cities versus favorite clubs, why you shouldn’t quit comedy early on, and how to make it easier to listen to your sets.

Here’s more on Greg:

Greg Warren, most recently seen special on “Comedy Central Presents” and “Last Comic Standing”, has been building a strong fan base around the country with his act inspired by stories from his Midwestern upbringing. His newly released CD “One Star Wonder” (Comedy Central Records) hit the ground running as #6 in iTunes TOP Comedy Albums (June 2009) and together with Greg’s colorful perspective and amazing characters, is destined to be a favorite. Greg attracts a diverse audience spectrum, performing on networks such as BET (as a finalist on “Coming to the Stage”) and Country Music Television’s “Comedy Stage”. Greg is also a favorite on the nationally syndicated “Bob and Tom” radio show, which led him to tour theatres across the country with the “Friends of Bob and Tom Comedy Tour”. Greg Warren hails from St. Louis, MO, where his father was a high school wrestling coach and his mother made him play clarinet in the band. Greg has captivated audiences with anecdotes about the conflict inherent in meshing two high school identities—varsity wrestler and band geek. Greg’s “Flute Man” bit is a perfect capsulation of the insecurities of high school and the ongoing quest to be cool, and is one of the most requested bits in the history of the “Bob and Tom” radio show. Greg was also a West Point Cadet, where he distinguished himself by amassing an impressive tally of demerits and endless hours of pointless marching. After moving on to the University of Missouri, he studied journalism and was named an All-American college wrestler. While in college, Greg won a comedy contest and was invited to perform at a local club in Columbia, MO, Déjà Vu. After a stint selling Jif and Pringles for corporate giant Procter & Gamble, Greg made the decision to become a full time comedian. This bold move led to an invitation to the prestigious “Just for Laughs Festival” in Montreal in 2002, where Greg performed as one of their featured “New Faces of Comedy”. He has also been seen on the Comedy Central show, “Premium Blend”. Greg has an arsenal of characters that he brings to life in his act. He also highlights his current life struggles with the service industry, moderation, and “One Star People”. In addition to his television and festival appearances, Greg can currently be seen on Comedy Central Presents, heard on Sirius/XM Comedy and will continue to tour across the country with “Bob and Tom’s All Stars” in addition to performing his act at Improvs and Funny Bones. Greg’s background recently resulted in a gig doing color commentary on college wrestling for Fox Sports Midwest. Greg’s Midwestern upbringing and his ability to provide humorous social commentary gives him a wealth of material that continues to gain him fans throughout the country.

For more on Greg, check out his website: http://www.gregwarrencomedy.com/

Kevin Pollak joins me this week to discuss his Chat Show, monetizing podcasts, and Comic Con. Kevin’s got a brand new one-hour Showtime special called, “Kevin Pollak: The Littlest Suspect.” He’s also got a new web series called, “Vamped Out.”

Here’s more on Kevin:

Kevin Pollak has captured the attention of audiences worldwide with his range of both dramatic and comedic roles. Over the past two decades, he has appeared in over fifty films, as well as countless television projects, and has established himself as one of the few stand-up comedians to have a successful dramatic film career. In addition to his acting talents, he has also proven himself as both a writer and producer.

Pollak will next be seen in with Chaz Palminteri in “Streetwater” in the role of Abe Saperstein, the creator/owner/coach of the of the Harlem All Stars (today’s Globetrotters). In 2007, Pollak starred with Tim Allen in “Santa Clause 3,” and co-starred with Matthew Perry, in the indie, dark comedy film “Numb.” Kevin is also in negotiations to produce the film version of, and adapt the screenplay for, the New York Times Bestseller “Three Nights In August,” written by Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger (”Friday Night Lights”) and St. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony LaRussa.

Pollak first started performing stand-up comedy at the age of ten. He became a touring professional stand-up at age twenty and then in 1988 landed a role in George Lucas’ “Willow” , directed by Ron Howard. In 1990, he appeared in Barry Levinson’s “Avalon”, for which he received an overwhelming response from the film community. It was Pollak’s role in the 1992 film “A Few Good Men”, directed by Rob Reiner, starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore, that proved his ability to share the big screen with dramatic heavyweights. He then went on to co-star in the box-office success “Grumpy Old Men” and its’ sequel, “Grumpier Old Men”. In 1994, Kevin was offered a plum role opposite Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacy, Bennicio Del Toro, Chaz Palmeteri and Stephen Baldwin in a little indy film called “The Usual Suspects.” Although the director, Bryan Singer, and the writer, Christopher McQuarrie, were complete unknowns at the time, the script was simply the best he had ever read, so he took the leap. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival to a frenzied response, and then went on to win two Academy Awards and a special award from The National Board of Review for “Best Ensemble Cast.” The film’s popularity has never diminished thanks to a seemingly never-ending need for its DVD. Later that same year, the call came from Martin Scorsese for Kevin to join Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesce and Sharon Stone in his Vegas epic, “Casino.” It was a dream-like opportunity to work with the master, and the film would also garner several Academy Award nominations, and would soon after become known as one Scorsese’s classics.

In 1999, he appeared opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gabriel Byrne in Universal Picture’s “End of Days”. He followed that with a starring role in Paramount Classics’ political thriller “Deterrence”, written and directed by Rod Lurie, for which Kevin received overwhelming critical praise.

In 2002, he reteamed with Eddie Murphy in “Dr. Doolittle 2″. Also that year, Pollak starred in “Stolen Summer” with Aidan Quinn and Bonnie Hunt, which was written and directed by Pete Jones, the winner of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s first Project Greenlight series for HBO. Finishing up the year, Kevin appeared in “The Santa Clause 2″ with Tim Allen.

In 2003 and 2004, Pollak starred in the indy film “Seven Times Lucky” for writer/director Gary Yates. The film debuted at The Sundance Film Festival and received extraordinary reviews. In 2005 Pollak teamed up with Gary Yates again on the film “Hotel Niagra,” which was released in 2006.

Pollak has also starred in several television projects including “The Underworld”, a crime telepic for Warner Bros. and NBC, which he co-created and co-executive produced with Chris McQuarrie (Academy Award winning screenwriter of The Usual Suspects) and Lucy Webb. He also starred in the CBS sitcom “Work With Me”, which he co-executive produced. When Tom Hanks called a few years back, Kevin starred in an episode of the multi-award winning series, “From the Earth to the Moon”. Before that, however, there was a call from Drew Carey for Kevin to voice his boss on a pilot for a show to be called, “The Drew Carey Show”. “Mr. Bell’s” often abusive relationship with Drew ran the entire first season. Pollak also hosted the first season of Bravo’s “Celebrity Poker Showdown”. Pollak has also starred in two of his own HBO stand-up comedy specials, the latest being “Kevin Pollak, Stop With The Kicking”, directed by David Steinberg.

Kevin was named by Comedy Central as one of the Top 100 Comedians of all Time.

Check out his website: http://www.kevinpollak.net/

His Chat Show: http://www.kevinpollakschatshow.com/

His Web Series - Vamped Out: http://www.babelgum.com/vampedout

We talk twitter and political comedy with Sean Kent this week. Sean just won the 30th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition. He’s appeared on Showtime’s “Green Collar Comedy Special” and “Last Comic Standing”. You’ve also heard him on Bob and Tom.

Here’s more on Sean:

Critically acclaimed standup comedian and recent winner of the renowned Seattle International Comedy Competition, Sean Kent performs live to packed houses in the US, Canada and abroad. Recently featured on Showtime’s Green Collar Comedy Special, the Texas native’s incisive socio-political comedy can also be seen on NBC, CBS, E! Entertainment, Comedy Central, Fox Sports Net, VH1 and more. Uproar Entertainment recently recorded his new CD, scheduled for release in Fall 2010.

Check out his website: www.seankent.com

Steve Byrne sits down with me this week to discuss his new Comedy Central special “The Byrne Identity”. It premieres Sunday, July 25 at 10:00 on Comedy Central. We’ll talk about the difficulties of putting together a second hour-long special. We’ll also talk about performing before musical acts and his documentary “13 or Bust”.

Here’s more about Steve:

Steve Byrne’s high energy, physical style of comedy makes him one of the hottest young comedians touring the country today. He was born to a Korean mother and an Irish father, which provides him with a wealth of material. Steve’s filmed parts in the movies, “Four Christmases” with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, “The Goods: The Don Ready Story” with Jeremy Piven and Will Ferrell and “Couples Retreat” with Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. He’s had his own ½ hour special and a one hour special titled “Happy Hour” air on Comedy Central. He just taped his second one hour special called “The Byrne Identity” and it will be airing on July 25, 2010. You’ve seen him on NBC’s The Real Wedding Crashers and all over CBS in the national promos for the NFL with Prince and Bill Cower. His standup has been featured on NBC’s The Tonight Show, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, CBS’s The Late Late Show, Fox’s Mad TV, NBC’s Last Call with Carson Daly and BET’s Comic View. He tours with the popular all Asian comedy group, “The Kims of Comedy”. Steve has been a featured comic in The Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, The HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Las Vegas and The CanWest Comedy Fest in Vancouver. He has featured for Colin Quinn on a USO tour in Iraq as well as for Drew Carrey in Afghanistan. Steve headlined his own USO tour of Afghanistan in 2008 and is planning another one for the summer of 2009. He has been part of several national comedy tours including The Jameson Comedy Tour, Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Tour, The Camel Cigarettes Sin City Tour and his own national Myspace comedy tour. He won the Myspace Standup Or Sitdown Comedy Challenge and his Comedy Central Presents was voted one of the best of all time in the Comedy Central Standup Showdown. Steve’s lack of ego and outstanding work ethic make him one of the most sought after comedians in clubs and colleges across the country.

To find out when Steve will be coming to your area, head to his website: www.stevebyrnelive.com

Here’s more on James:

James Johann was born in the midwest during the 70’s era of bell-bottom jeans, wood paneled station wagons and disco music. His childhood upbringing was significantly influenced by country music, countless bad haircuts and heavy doses of Catholic school.

In 1991, after being fired from several ‘McJobs’, James began his standup career in Kansas City. But don’t let James’ boyish appearance fool you; he’s a more than ten-year veteran of the stand-up comedy circuit. His self-deprecating sense of humor and high-energy style all come together to create a unique onstage persona. James relies more on his brain than the profane; his comedy often hitting upon the universal theme of failure, and providing a truthful and hilarious reflection of life as he sees it.

In July 2004, James performed in the “New Faces Of Comedy” category at the Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. James was featured on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend which aired in 2005, and in 2008, performed on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.

Besides headlining comedy clubs nationwide, James completed the 2003 “Paying For The New Trailer” theatre tour starring Jeff Foxworthy & Larry the Cable Guy.

From 2005 to 2007 James also was part of The Slackers Tour, a national tour from one of the producers of The Blue Collar Comedy Tour, featuring the hilarious trio of Reno Collier, James Johann and Pat Dixon which played in clubs, casinos, and theatres across the country.

Find out more about James at www.ruralgenius.com

Here’s more on Jason:

Jason, like most comedians, began to hone his skills early on by making his classmates laugh. It was his upbringing that gave him the abilty to laugh at the world, and see the lighter side of things. A product of a biracial family, he felt the sting of intolerance and bigotry, while learning much about his own self by giving his love and understanding to his mother, and mentally challenged brother. Jason would create voices and characters that he would share with friends and family, he began to realize his gift to make people laugh was real. This began his path into stand-up comedy, watching the classics on SNL, and SCTV, he started follwing the carreers of Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and finding inspiration from Jim Carey while matching his impressions. Jason has twenty-one years of experience. His style is silly, hard hitting and real. His strong personality and high energy enables him to handle any situation that might happen in a live show. His quick wit will shut down any heckler dumb enough to think he just started yesterday! Jason shows promises of being one of the country’s hottest young comedians.

You can find Jason on MySpace and Facebook

For more on Brent, see www.brentsmalley.com

 You can find Alan Perry on Facebook.

Here’s more on Mary:

Folk humorist Mary Mack spends half her time convincing her Minnesotan mother it’s okay for her daughter to be a comedian and the other half touring the country in her sweet, 400 dollar Dodge Neon–affectionately referred to as “Street Heat.” Mack and her mandolin sing-alongs, have been featured on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show, XM’s National Lampoon’s Comedy Network, and Minnesota’s Polka Spotlight. After winning the 2005 California’s Funniest Female Contest, she went on to appear in the Vancouver Comedy Fest (2007) and HBO’s Andy Kaufman Awards (2007), and has appeared on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham and NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Mack, who started her career in Nashville, now splits her time between Los Angeles and Minneapolis, and is releasing her 3rd live album “Pinch Finger Girl” this May. Her endearing stage presence and off-kilter, musical surprises, stemming from her background as former music teacher and polka bandleader, make her popular in up to three non-adjacent counties in Wisconsin.

Check out her website - www.marymackcomedy.com

Here’s more on Caroline:

Caroline Rhea, stand-up comedian and actress, brings a fresh, smart and spontaneous approach to all of her work.

In 1989, Caroline ventured to New York to start her career in stand-up comedy. She studied in the stand-up program at the New School of Social Research and trained at the comedy club, Catch a Rising Star. With nightly gigs at New York’s venerable clubs, Caroline’s status quickly grew and she became an integral part of the city’s comedy scene. Her career was further boosted by numerous appearances on “MTV’s Half-Hour Comedy Hour,” “Comic Strip Live” and “Caroline’s Comedy Hour.” For the last seventeen years, Caroline has continued to perform to sold-out audiences in top comedy clubs all over the country and in Canada.

Her feature credits include, “The Perfect Man,” with Heather Locklear, a supporting role in “Man on the Moon,” the story of the late comedian Andy Kaufman, co-starring Jim Carrey, “Christmas With the Kranks,” opposite Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, and the wrestling film, “Ready to Rumble,” opposite Oliver Platt, David Arquette and Scott Caan. Caroline’s television career has taken off since she first starred as Aunt Hilda on The WB’s sitcom “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.” She will next be seen in Lifetime’s made for television movie “Fat Like Me,” airing on January 8th, 2007. She was last seen in a one hour stand up special, part of Bravo’s “Funny Girls,” entitled “Rhea’s Anatomy,” which aired on Halloween 2006. Other credits include; host of “The Caroline Rhea Show,” regular guest on Whoopi Goldberg’s “Hollywood Squares,” Drew’s girlfriend on “The Drew Carey Show,” the made for television movie “Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire,” “Pride and Joy” on NBC, Host of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”, Comedy Central’s “Pulp Comic,” “Comic Relief 8″ and “HBO’s One Night Stand 2005.” She also appeared in the pilot of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” written by Larry David.

A Montreal native, Caroline currently resides in New York and Los Angeles.

Check out her website: www.carolinerhea.com

Here’s more on Anthony:

Anthony Jeselnik was born and raised in Pittsburgh. He earned a B.A. in Literature from Tulane University. You will know him when you see him.

To find out where Anthony is performing, check out his website: www.anthonyjeselnik.com

Check out Graham’s podcast at www.comedyfilmnerds.com

For more on Graham, check out his website - www.grahamelwood.com

Check out the website www.shitmydadsays.com for more information.

Author Paul Provenza joins us this week to discuss his new book Satiristas. Satiristas is a collection of conversations and pictures of comedians like Stephen Colbert, Doug Stanhope, Conan O’Brien, Robert Klein, and Bob Odenkirk. We’ll talk about generational differences between comics, why comedy should be taught as an art form in college, and whether or not stand-up is an art or a sport. Satiristas is in stores now. Check out the website for the book - www.satiristas.com

Here’s more on Paul:

Paul Provenza is the director/co-creator of the critically acclaimed comedy/documentary feature, The Artistocrats. A thirty-year stand up veteran and actor, Paul has had recurring roles on countless TV series including The West Wing, and starred in CBS’s Northern Exposure. He also starred in Steve Martin’s play, Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Paul has written, produced, and starred in several comedy series and specials, including The Incredible Man-Boy for Showtime, and Comics Only on Comedy Central. He is a regular panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me. Paul is co-producing and hosting The Green Room with Paul Provenza, a new uncensored, improvisational comedy series for Showtime starting in June.

My guest this week is Jimmy Pardo. He’s the host of the award-winning podcast Never Not Funny. You also know him from “The Tonight Show” and Bob and Tom. We discuss his early 90’s headshot still hanging in the Jukebox Comedy Club, his comedic influences and his time spent in the music industry.

Here’s more on Jimmy:

Jimmy Pardo’s comedy is so far ahead of its time it’s gone full circle. Often misunderstood and classified as a classic comic because of his buttery delivery and stylish repertoire, Jimmy’s act takes comedy to a whole new level.

A natural wonder to see live, Jimmy’s act is engaging, lively and totally hilarious. His quick wit and command of the stage takes crowd participation to a whole new hilarious level. A consummate professional, his act is different every night depending on the mood of the club and will have everyone bent over from each and every fast hitting punch line. Jimmy’s rapid-fire comedy and quick wit makes an evening with him fun for everyone.

Years of delivering this cutting edge style comedy has earned Jimmy the respect of his peers and along with it, the moniker “comic’s comic”. This reputation has earned him invitations to perform on “The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno”, several appearances on “The Late Late Show” and his own half hour special on Comedy Central.

Jimmy has also found a comfortable home on television, living his dream of hosting a game show on Game Show Network’s “National Lampoon’s Funny Money”. He has also hosted episodes of VH1’s “The Surreal Life”, NBC’s “Late Friday”, VH1’s “Love Lounge” as well as co-host of AMC’s “Movies at our House” for five seasons. Acting appearances include guest spots on “Monk”, “That 70’s Show” and “Becker”.

Unafraid to tackle any medium, Jimmy recently acted in the Dreamworks’ studio version of “Dreamgirls” (which he was cut out of… let’s see if it makes the DVD… he didn’t!) and the indie features, “Relative Strangers” and “The Godfather of Green Bay”. As for the world of theatre, he is the co-writer and star of a critically acclaimed one-man show, subtly titled, “Attention Must Be Paid: The Jimmy Pardo Story” and a live pilot presentation, “Jimmy Pardo’s Dance Party”.

His podcast “Never Not Funny” was named “Best of 2006 and 2007″ by the iTunes staff. It also won “Best Comedy Podcast 2008″ at the Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival.

Jimmy Pardo…Never Not Funny!

Check out his website: www.jimmypardo.com

Our guest this week is comedian Chad Daniels. Chad has been on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Comedy Central Presents. We’ll discuss his appearance on the Tonight Show. We’ll also chat about dealing with hecklers both on and off stage.

Here’s more on Chad:

This is more of an AutoBio than a Bio. The truth is most comedians write their own bios. I’m not judging. It’s a lot easier to brag about one’s own accomplishments while hiding behind third person. They are very well written. It seems comedians either 1. Have a Masters in English, or 2. A Thesaurus, and a lot of free time. I have neither.

I could write things like: Chad’s devilishly naughty nature shines through like comedy gold when he takes the stage. Chad’s disarming personality allows him to push boundaries only the truly funny attempt. His edgy style usually begins by splitting the room into two equally stunned fractions and then miraculously ends up with everyone leaving the club with a new favorite comedian. But that’s lame.

Or I could write: Plenty of comics have jokes about marriage and children, but few speak about the experience with such uncompromising honesty. “Babies are miracles. Think about it. When they’re born their feet are tiny. Yet, they can somehow step on all your hopes and dreams.” It’s this acidic material, cut with underlying sweetness and served up with a knowing smirk, that perfectly encapsulates Daniels’s take-no-prisoners style of comedy. Even though he was born and raised there he’s not interested in Minnesota Nice. With his onstage swagger and arsenal of incisive, uproarious material, he practically bullies the audience into loving him. Sounds awesome, but that’s not how I talk.

The truth is I’d rather you come see me to check it out for yourself. To get you to the club I’ll tell you this.

I’ve performed at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. I’ve been on the Late Late show on CBS. I was on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham. I have two CDs. Two Minutes for Stale Hacking which was self-produced, and my latest Busy Being Awesome on Stand-up! Records. I was named a 2009 Artist of the Year by City Pages. I performed at the Aspen Comedy Festival for Rooftop Comedy and was named Comic’s comic. I have a half hour special called Comedy Central Presents… Chad Daniels. And I am one of 13 comedians that have the honor to say they were on the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.

I’m funny. If you’re still not willing to come to a show you’re a jackass.

Check out his website: www.chaddaniels.com

Matt Kirshen and Jamey Stone join me on the show this week. Matt has appeared on Last Comic Standing. Punchline Magazine named his CD, “I Guess We’ll Never Know,” one of the Top 10 Comedy CD’s of 2009. Matt Kirshen comes to the show all the way from London. We discuss the London comedy scene, why some BBC shows only last 12 episodes, and his radio show Bigipedia. Jamey Stone has performed at comedy clubs and night clubs all across the country and he’s appeared at the San Francisco comedy competition.

Here’s more on Matt:

Kirshen originates from North London, where he attended Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood. He subsequently read Mathematics at Clare College, Cambridge. University marked the beginning of his comedy career. At university, Kirshen briefly edited Clareification, a magazine in which students mocked Cambridge traditions, satirized the events of the week, reported on silly student antics and spread college gossip. He also started a comedy club in Clare College cellars and became well known within the Cambridge University comedy scene. He compèred these “Clare Comedy” nights during the latter years of his degree and has continued to return as guest compère, in addition to performing at the Clare May Ball. Since 2001, Kirshen has become a frequent performer at London clubs including The Comedy Store, and has completed several university tours. Kirshen was a finalist in So You Think You’re Funny? at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and was named Hackney Empire New Act of the Year. In 2007, he was one of the final seven comics in NBC’s reality TV show Last Comic Standing. In 2008, he recorded a 30-minute special for Paramount Comedy. In 2009, he co-wrote and starred in the BBC Radio 4 sketch comedy series Bigipedia.

Check out his website: www.mattkirshen.com

Here’s more on Jamey:

Trying to make sense of the lunacy around us, Jamey Stone explores the ridiculous situations and bizarre characters that invade our lives. Bouncing back and forth between playful sarcasm and crazed rants, he hilariously proves that you can be both positive realist AND annoyed curmudgeon at the same time. Wry, sarcastic, edgy, and musical, Jamey is sure to make you laugh, sing along, and reconsider society’s definition of mental health!

Check out his website:  www.jameystone.com

Comedian Jackie Kashian is on the show this week. She started her comedy career heckling Sam Kinison. We’ll hear that story. We’ll also talk to her about her Last Comic Standing experience, playing casinos, and her podcast “The Dork Forest”.

Here’s more on Jackie:

In 1985, Jackie got drunk and heckled Sam Kinison in Madison, Wisconsin. She was told, by management, that open mike night was on Sundays. Just three weeks later she did open mike. Proof that that was not a black out drunk night. She’s been touring about 14 years. Jackie now makes her home in LA and works the road about 25 weeks a year. This seems to be a good balance of crime and sanity. Jackie Kashian has a half-hour special on Comedy Central and has appeared on CBS, NBC, and the Nationally syndicated Radio/TV show Bob And Tom. She has performed at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, the Bumbershoot Arts Festival in Seattle, Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal and has toured Australia for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow. This year she travelled to Kuwait and Iraq and performed for the troops.

Check out her website: www.jackiekashian.com

We welcome Maria Bamford back to the show this week. She’s had a busy year since we last talked to her. She starred in a series of Target television commercials. She has been on “The Sarah Silverman Show” and her CD, “Unwanted Thought Syndrome”, was critically acclaimed. We talk about that and much more this week on show.

Dan Telfer joins me this week on the 50th episode of The Stand-Up Chronicles. Dan has opened for Maria Bamford, Paul F. Tompkins, and Todd Barry. In May, he’s going to headline the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago. We talk to Dan about teaching stand-up classes at Second City, how losing your day job can impact your comedy career, and we continue our discussion about comedians and comic books.

Here’s more on Dan:

As a stand-up comedian Dan Telfer has worked with such comedians as Paul F. Tompkins, Todd Barry, Mark Maron, and Janeane Garofalo. He toured with Maria Bamford as a feature to several midwest clubs. He is a cast member of Chicago Underground Comedy, one of the most popular stand-up shows in town. He is a teacher at Chicago’s famed Second City, where he teaches their first ever Stand-up Comedy courses.

TimeOut Chicago has published his jokes, and they’ve interviewed him several times. TimeOut also recently named him one of the Funniest People in Chicago. In 2009 he won the Chicago festival Snubfest’s competition “Last Snob Standing”. He has appeared on the nationally syndicated TV and Radio program The Bob and Tom Show. RooftopComedy.com dubbed him the “Nelson Mandela of Nerds”. Rooftop went on to name his clips a Staff Pick 4 times, and Guest Editor Veronica Belmont’s Editor’s Choice. NYtheatre.com said “Dan Telfer promised the kind of unpredictable lunacy you need for an audience to forget itself”. His material is at once dark and twisted yet optimistic. Though he is quite the geek he relates his point of view on terms anyone can relate to.

Dan began training in improv comedy in 1996 under improv guru Del Close. He went on to perform everything from improv, conventional theater, and solo plays around Chicago. Several of his plays have also reached local critical acclaim, such as his slacker superhero series “Rogue 8″ and his reinterpretation of Beowulf entitled “The Book of Grendel”.

Check out his website: http://dantelfer.blogspot.com/

Brian Posehn joins us on the show this week to discuss writing for Mr. Show and his fellow Comedians of Comedy.  Brian can currently been seen on The Sarah Silverman Show on Comedy Central.  Brian’s new CD “Fart and Weiner Jokes” comes out this spring.

Here’s more on Brian: Brian Posehn is a funny man who has been in lots of funny stuff and is known to many as “that one guy from TV”. If you pay attention to what you watch, you might know him best as Kevin; the weirdo mail boy from Just Shoot Me, or from any of his guest appearances on other sitcoms (Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Bernie Mac, The Showbiz Show with David Spade) and movies (The Wedding Singer, Run Ronnie Run, Dumb and Dumberer, The Devil’s Rejects). Most notably though, you know him aspart of the creative core of HBO’s legendary, Emmy-nominated Mr. Show, his Comedy Central special, and from the critically-acclaimed Comedians of Comedy Tour.

Author Mike Thomas joins us on the show this week to talk about his new book, The Second City Unscripted. It’s an oral history of the 50-year-old comedy theater. Mike interviews everyone from Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert to Alan Arkin and Robert Klein about their Second City experiences. We talk about actor and director Del Close, the differences between Second City Chicago and Second City Toronto, and SCTV. For more on the book, check out Mike’s website -www.mikethomasauthor.com

John Roy and Ben Moore join me on the show this week. John has been seen on The Very Funny Show on TBS, The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and The Tonight Show. We talk about the day after winning a reality show. He won Star Search in 2003. We also talk about performing for the World Bank and why stand-up is a niche art. Ben Moore is from Bloomington, Indiana and this is his first time featuring at the Jukebox Comedy Club. We discuss the differences between performing at your home club and at a club on the road.

Here’s more on John:

Chicago comic John Roy is a unique voice on modern urban life.

A city dweller all his life, John grew up in Chicago’s ethnically diverse Rogers Park neighborhood, the son of an ex Jesuit who worked for Chicago’s urban Loyola University, and a psychotherapist. Growing up white and Catholic in a neighborhood full of African Americans, Orthodox Jews, Nigerians, Mexicans, Indians, Pakistanis, and every ethnic and religious group imaginable gave John a unique perspective on getting along in a crowded world. John’s life saving heart surgery and altruistic parents gave him an appreciation of the importance of comedy as a means to social change. Chicago’s rich cultural heritage, economic differences, and fast paced lifestyle contributed to his observations on how we get by in a changing world.

John began his professional career at the famous Zanies Comedy Club on Wells St. in Chicago’s Old Town. He went on to tour the country’s best clubs, including the Laugh Stop in Houston, and the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, where John became a regular perfomer in 2002. In 2003, he appeared on the CBS television show, “Star Search,” and was its first champion, earning 100,000 dollars and a development deal with CBS.

A move to Los Angeles traded one city for another, and John began to soak in the new cultures, lifestyles, and history of his new home and examine them in his comedy.

In 2003, John performed at the NACA Central convention and was the most requested act in any category. In 2004, John appeared in the prestigious US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, as a square on “Hollywood Squares,” and on HBO. John has appeared many times on the nationally syndicated “Bob and Tom” radio program, available in over 200 markets. John is a regular performer at the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, the prestigious “Comedy Death Ray” show at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater in Los Angeles, and the Hollywood Improv.

John appeared on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” in the 2005-2006 season, and a November 2005 episode of CBS’ “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” In 2006, John contributed an essay to CollegeHumor.com that was collected in their nationally released book. John appeared in several episodes of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” where he advanced to the semifinals of the reality show/ competition.

In 2007, John made an unprecedented four appearances in two months on the nationally syndicated TV show, “Comics Unleashed.” His CD, “1246 W. Arthur,” was released, featuring John headlining at his home club of Zanies in Chicago. He became a regular performer at the Comic Strip in New York City, and made his second appearance on “Craig Ferguson.”

In January, 2008 John made his debut performance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He also had the honor of performing for the World Bank in Washington, D.C. In May, he received a deal from RBC Records to record his nationally distributed CD, “Dressed for Recess,” available in stores and on ITunes August 5. John also appeared on Fox News’ “The Red Eye,” and VH-1’s “100 Greatest Rock Songs of All Time.” He also appeared on TBS as part of their “Bitcoms” promotion.

John was invited to the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival in Chicago in June of 2009, where he taped a performance for TBS’ new show, “Very Funny.”

For more on John, check out his website: www.johnroylive.com

Henry Phillips is back. He’s our first return guest. Last time we talked to Henry his movie “Punching the Clown” was just opening up at film festivals. This time we talk about those screenings and festivals, travel, and why you shouldn’t judge a crowd before a show. Henry Phillips has performed on Comedy Central, ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and NBC’s ‘Late Friday’. He can also be heard regularly on the Bob & Tom Show. Be sure to check out his website - www.henryphillips.com

Chicago comic Trey Mowder is out guest this week. We talk to Trey about the Chicago comedy scene, setting up your own comedy room, and the differences between the stand-up community and the improv community in Chicago.

Our guest this week is Lynne Koplitz, who’s been on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson and the IFC series Z Rock. We talk about her time with Joan Rivers and compare stand-up to boxing. We also have more Dave Attell versus hecklers stories.

Here’s more on Lynne:

Lynne Koplitz is a graduate of Troy State University in Alabama and did community theatre in Nashville, Knoxville and Atlanta before moving to New York City where she tried stand-up comedy on a whim. She’s a regular at Stand-Up New York, Comic Strip Live and Gotham Comedy Club. Lynne co-starred on SONY’s syndicated talk show Life and Style with Jules Asner, Kimora Lee Simmons and Cynthia Garrett.

She has her own ½ hour comedy special on Comedy Central Presents: Lynne Koplitz currently in rotation on Comedy Central. She performed at the Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival twice. Lynne was also the co-host of the comedy cooking show How to Boil Water on the Food Network and a co-host of last year’s Shop & Style on NBC. Lynne was first noticed as the host of Telepictures Change of Heart, the nationally syndicated relationship show.

She has appeared as a guest host of NBC’s Later, has had a development deal with NBC for her own sitcom, was a featured comedienne on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, and guest starred on NBC’s Extra and NBC’s The Other Half.

Check out her website - www.lynne-koplitz.com

Here’s more on Lord:

Lord Carrett’s comedy is like an iceberg. There’s a lot that doesn’t immediately meet the eye, both in the jokes themselves, and the way he puts them together.

Lord says: “People don’t realize how much they really learn about me from the jokes. Ninety percent of my subject matter is the truth: my dad did own a bar, my sister is super religious, and my second wife did tell me “I want my life back” 90 days after I moved cross country to start our life together. Most of my comedy comes from my trying to make sense of nonsense, or vice versa.”

He’s a ‘recovery artist.” Lord elaborates: “There are a whole lot of jokes that don’t have a set place in my act… they ‘float’—they’re insults to the audience, or jokes about my own discomfort, or the situation I find myself in, and I fall back on them when a joke doesn’t get a response.”

One of Lord’s biggest influences, Johnny Carson, was famous for the same ability. Lord maintains: “Anyone my age that says they weren’t influenced by Carson is lying.” His other influences include radio comedians Groucho Marx, and W.C. Fields, which seems fitting, because radio is where most people know Carrett from.

Lord’s managed the rare feat of headlining theaters without a sitcom or major television exposure. While he’s appeared on television ranging from Showtime to”A Dating Story,” radio is where he’s made his reputation. His ability to work within that medium’s verbal confines without sacrificing any of the impact led The Baltimore Sun to describe him as: “A cross between Sid Caesar and Sid Vicious.”

He’s made eighteen appearances on the nationally syndicated BOB & TOM RADIO NETWORK–reaching more people with each appearance than he would on The Tonight Show. His CD “UNSWEETENED” is in heavy rotation on both XM and SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO’s comedy stations. He also had his own comedy special on XM. All the exposure led to his first CD: UNSWEETENED being re-released on the KOOL KAT imprint and receiving international distribution. (Ask for it at a major retailer near you!)

The idea behind “UNSWEETENED” is as unique as Lord himself. It was recorded in one show, one take with no editing or laugh track added. It’s the only comedy CD with “the heckling left in and a woman thrown out!” Lord explains the concept (from the liner notes:) “Why UNSWEETENED? I figure any idiot can record a couple of week’s worth of shows and edit them into a killer comedy CD, but it takes a special kind of idiot to record and release a single show intact. This is one show, one take, exactly as it went down, with the mindless heckling left in (and a woman tossed out!)”

Lord reaches 5 million listeners with each appearance on the show, which is heard on 150 stations, and many more download the show or listen online. The Bob and Tom Show is now on television, as part of WGN America, one of the largest cable networks in American television. The TV show is an edited version of the radio show, which is being filmed in HD every morning, edited, and then broadcast each evening. Lord’s also guested on the TV show.

For more on Lord… check out www.lordoflaughs.com

Here’s more on Jim: Clubs Improv - Cleveland, OH Pickwick and Frolic - Cleveland, OH Helium - Philadelphia, PA Ground Floor Theatre - Cleveland, OH Bassa Vita Lounge - Lakewood, OH

Radio Heard on Maxwell’s show WMMS 100.7- Cleveland, OH

Misc. Recently, Jim wrote and directed a promo for NBC’s “The Office” and entered it in a contest run by the network. Jim’s promo was selected as a semi-finalist from over four-hundred entries and was featured on NBC.com. This past September, Jim performed in the Boston Comedy Festival. Writer and performer for “Detention”, live and taped sketch comedy show. Jim produces a video podcast available through iTunes and other RSS readers.

For more on Jim… check out www.jimtews.com

Dan Tessitore is our guest this week. He plays colleges, bars, and comedy clubs all throughout the Midwest. During the day, Dan is a college professor at Eastern Illinois University. We talk about being a college teacher, his professor ratings, and setting up your own comedy shows. Check out his website: www.dantessitore.com

Michael Kosta joins us on the show this week. You’ve seen him on Comedy Central and Showtime. You’ve also heard him on Bob and Tom. He’s a former professional tennis player and we talk about the transition from tennis to comedy. We also talk about the number one rule in comedy and his comedic influences.

Here’s more on Michael: Michael Kosta has appeared on Comedy Central’s ‘Live at Gotham’, and at the HBO/ US Comedy Festival in Aspen, Colorado. His stand up has been seen on TBS during commercial breaks and he’s be showcased on Showtime’s ‘Live Nude Comedy’ (no he won’t be nude) and at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival. Michael can also be heard on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show and on the Playboy Comedy Channel on XM/ Sirius Satellite radio. Michael recently hosted his second season of “CCHA All Access” on the Fox Sports Network, where he won a Michigan EMMY as a performer/host. Michael lives in Los Angeles where he hopes to soon become famous and forget all the little people.

Check out his website: www.michaelkosta.com

Tommy Johnagin joins us on the show this week. He’s been on The Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, and he’s a regular on Bob and Tom. We discuss dropping out of college to pursue comedy, advice from Mike Birbiglia, and why hard work pays off.

Here’s more on Tommy:

Tommy Johnagin started stand-up at the age of eighteen, dropping out of college at twenty-one to become a full time comedian. Tommy vows he will one day make enough money to pay his parents back for the six semesters of college he wasted.

Tommy is an autobiographical comedian who doesn’t curse on stage and has a gift of finding something funny in everyone he meets and everything he does. Tommy takes great pride in his writing. Tommy is already a favorite at comedy clubs all across the country working almost every week. In 2007 Tommy was invited to the prestigious “Just For Laughs” comedy festival in Montreal, Canada where he was the highest reviewed “New Face.”

He has also appeared at Comedy Central’s “South Beach Comedy Festival”

TV credits include: Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham”, CMT’s “Comedy Stage” and “Last Comic Standing”. In May of 2008 he made his debut on “The Late Show” with David Letterman and has already made his second appearance in just over a year. In 2009 he had his own 1/2 hour special on Comedy Central that re-airs regularly.

He has also been a guest numerous times on the nationally syndicated radio program “The Bob and Tom Show”.

Check out Tommy’s website: www.tommyjcomedy.com

Chris Schlichting is our guest this week. He’s played colleges and comedy clubs all across the country. In the first half of the interview, we talk about being a teacher and a new dad and how that impacts his comedy. In the second half of the interview, we talk about Teen Wolf, pro wrestling, and Paranormal Activity.

Here’s more on Chris:

Growing up on the mean streets of Iowa, Chris knew that he either had to take up stand-up comedy or join the notorious Iowa gang known as “The Farmers.” Chris has been entertaining audiences ever since a first grade holiday concert where his “six geese a laying” solo stole the show and really frustrated the girl with the “five golden rings” solo. Described as “hilarious” by his mom and as “not having a real job” by his dad, Chris takes pride in his goofy, yet sincere stand-up style. This unique comic is quickly gaining a reputation as the best comedian on the planet, if by “planet” you mean “his street.” With the confidence of a lion, the agility of a puma, and the intelligence of a really smart house cat, Chris is sure to be a comic that will leave you wanting more.

Be sure to check out Chris’ website: www.schlickcomedy.com

Here’s more on Tom:

Tom Simmons does an unbelievable job of blending comedy and philosophy into one of the best all around comedy shows that you can see. A true comedian in every sense of the word. He has toured practically non-stop for ten years developing his act and himself.

This is truly a great comedian who has a unique ability to make you think differently, question cultural and personal beliefs- all while being incredibly funny. Seriously spit-take funny. Tom’s goal as a comedian is not just to be funny and make you laugh, but to genuinely be one of the best- to be mentioned in the same sentence with greats like Chappelle, Rock, Carlin, Seinfeld.

Come see this show and see what constant work and dedication means. Tom’s comedy takes chances that most comedians won’t take all while embracing the audience and genuinely caring that they laugh and enjoy themselves. The show will entertain with subjects from being a new father and relationships, to socially relevant issues like violence, war, racism, and frustrations we all have with the world and one another. It is easily relatable and seriously funny… Like a Blue Collar Tour for people that read.

He has appeared on Comedy Central, Showtime, BET, NBC, and has written for numerous comedians. Tracks from all four of his comedy CD’s can be heard daily on both XM and Sirius radio. He has appeared on Bob and Tom, at the Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, The Boston Comedy Festival, as well as performing with Comics on Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Check out Tom’s website: www.tomsimmons.com

Here’s more on Heywood:

Heywood Banks is simply one-of-a-kind, almost impossible to describe, with a style his very own. Equal parts genius and buffoon, this songwriter-comic-singer-poet-musician has become a cult hero and a pop icon, with a show that appeals to college students, stoners, businessmen, yuppies, rednecks, punks, kids or your grandmother.

Heywood intersperses his humorous observations of life with twisted, inventive, bizarre songs, sung and played in a variety of styles, from folk, to country to rock to pop, and way beyond.

You have to be pretty smart to get Heywood at his deepest level (he demands a high level of pop culture literacy), but you can also enjoy him just for his vocal style impersonations, expert musicianship and just plain silliness.

Heywood has been featured in “Rolling Stone Magazine” and “People Magazine.” He won First Place in the Johnnie Walker Comedy Search Contest.

Heywood Banks has appeared on A&E’s “Evening at the Improv,” MTV’s “1/2 Hour Comedy Hour,” CNN’s “Hollywood Minute,” “Caroline’s Comedy Hour,” “Entertainment Tonight,” “Showtime Comedy Club Network,” “Dr. Demento Show,” “12th Annual HBO Young Comedians Special with Paul Rodriguez” and is a frequent guest on the national Bob and Tom radio show.

Stuart Mitchell, the creator of Heywood Banks, tells us that his character was born on a mountaintop in Tennessee and lived for many many years in a log trailer. Heywood’s biological parents, Hank and Heyena Banks were killed in a freak revolving restaurant accident back in the sixties - someone had hit the Puree Button by mistake…grisly! Eventually raised by mathematical parents, Heywood was working in a Kroger bagging groceries when he was hit in the head with a can of lunchmeat, giving him spamnesia. This caused him problems for years as he became afraid of the dark, but couldn’t sleep with the light on. “Did that ever happen to you???”

For more on Heywood, check out his website… www.heywoodbanks.com

It’s the Halloween edition of The Stand-Up Chronicles with our guest Greg Lausch. In honor of Halloween, we talk comedy horror stories, rituals, superstitions, and Bruce Springsteen (even though he has nothing to do with Halloween). Greg is a nationally touring stand-up comedian. He’s performed at comedy clubs, colleges, bars, frat houses, living rooms, hotels, restaurants, and probably every bowling alley with a liquor license in the continental United States.

Here’s more on Greg:

At the tender age of 21, disillusioned with college, ‘regular life,’ and doing things the way he always thought they were ’supposed’ to be done, Greg decided to follow a long-held dream and hop on a comedy stage to see what would happen. What happened changed his life forever. That was the beginning. Greg never looked back after that first night. Working two lousy jobs to keep afloat, he got on any comedy stage he could find for three years, working to build an act that would take him on the road.

“I remember it like it was yesterday. I went down to the best club in Baltimore and got a spot on their ‘open mike’ night. I didn’t have any idea how it all worked or what I was doing, but it was something I wanted to do. It was something I thought I might be able to do. Honestly, it was something I had to do.”

For the past ten years, Greg Lausch has been delighting audiences all across the United States with his unique brand of stand-up comedy, rugged good looks, and dashing charm. Well ok, mostly with his stand-up comedy. Ten years out on the road have served Greg well. His live show is something to see. His high energy act and inviting personality take his audience on a ride that guarantees to please. On stage Greg talks about the things that are important to him - things that define him. Greg Lausch is a real guy. He’s got a unique outlook on life and the world around him. He knows who he is. He knows where he fits. And he’s just plain funny.

“I’m not one of those comics who thinks I’m any better than my audience. I don’t pretend to know more than they do. I don’t preach or try to change anybody’s mind about anything. I just get up there and let them know what’s going on with me. I want to connect with the audience, let them get to know me, and have fun with them.”

And he does it all effortlessly with an exuberance and an edge that set him apart from the rest.

Check out Greg’s website: http://www.greglausch.com

Comedian Mike Armstrong sits down for an interview with us this week. You’ve heard and seen him on “Bob and Tom”, HBO, Comedy Central, CMT, and BET. He’s a former police officer. We talk about transitioning from being a full-time cop to a full-time comic. We also talk about the business side of comedy and why he’s never been scared on stage.

Here’s more on Mike:

Raised by loving parents in the conservative mid-west in a small town near Louisville, Kentucky, Mike Armstrong enjoyed a fairly normal childhood. So, what went wrong?

He’s an ex-cop - the kind of cop that most people hope for when they get pulled over. “I’d stop cars and warn the speeding drivers about the speed traps up ahead.”

“I think that when I quit the police department three other cops lost their jobs. They simply didn’t need that many internal affairs officers anymore!” “I’ve been married so long, I don’t even look both ways when I cross the street.”

Mike and his wife have a small herd of children (five). The kids are clones of their father. They’ll say and do just about anything to get attention.

When a teacher asked son Christopher “…is that a lucky rabbits foot?” He responded, “…it was the only thing left in the trap… pretty lucky huh?” When the teacher called Dad to complain about the youngster’s behavior, Mike offered his true feelings… “Shut up! I’m not married to you!”

Check www.mikearmstrong.com for more information on Mike.

Our guest this week is Dan Conlin, the owner of the Jukebox Comedy Club. The Jukebox has been open for nearly 20 years and Dan has run the club for almost 10 years. We discuss his career in radio, what he looks for when booking headliner and feature comics, and he tells the tale of the time he got into a fist fight with a customer.

Tim Bedore joins us on this week to discuss working in radio, moving out of LA, and discovering animal conspiracies. You’ve heard Tim on “Bob and Tom” and NPR and you’ve seen him on HBO, Comedy Central and NBC.

Here’s more on Tim:

Over the past 20 years Tim Bedore has spent thousands of hours entertaining audiences, first on the radio and then as a comedian, headlining comedy clubs across the country. One of the few young comics to have combined the disciplines of stand-up comedy and broadcasting, Tim knows the rigors of working within demanding parameters.

Tim has kept his hand in the radio business through his radio commentary feature Vague But True®, which is heard (since 1997) regularly on public radio’s prestigious Marketplace program by over six-million people. Tim has written and recorded over two hundred-fifty installments of Vague But True. Producing these weekly commentaries for the radio keeps Tim’s stand-up comedy material fresh and topical.

Unlike many comedians whose material is only appropriate for night-clubs, Tim has been able to work very successfully in many different situations, including charity and corporate events as an entertainer and host.

Tim Bedore is a stand-up comedian whose unique background has produced a very professional entertainer who knows how to cut across the boundaries of individual attitudes and get an audience to enjoy his way of looking at the world.

For more on Tim, check out his website www.vaguebuttrue.com

Costaki Economopoulos joins us on the show this week. You know him from the weekly Economonologue segment on “Bob and Tom”. He’s also performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival. We talk about poker, writing the Economonologue segment for “Bob and Tom”, and balancing hobbies and babies.

Here’s more on Costaki:

In the spring of 1993 Costaki was doing graduate work at the University of Georgia. He spent most of his time hammering out a thesis on the influence of political satire on our feelings about government. His off time was spent honing his stand-up skills in pizza joints and bars around town. When he had to turn down a couple of gigs to work on the paper, it made his stomach hurt. He hung in there, finished the thesis, got his master’s degree, and within a year was a full-time comic on the road. He has been creating funniness for audiences all over the country 40+ weeks a year ever since.

His humor has been described as smart, pointed, hip, sharp, insightful, socially relevant, and gut-laugh funny. A fellow comic once referred to Costaki as a “casually brilliant joke philosopher.” His take on politics and religion will leave you thinking and laughing. And his light swagger, playful squint, and wry smile tell you that perhaps there’s more to this multi-layered joke than you first recognized.

Costaki began to make some noise in the business by reaching the finals of the Seattle Comedy Competition, where he was discovered and invited to the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival. He was just one of ten finalists in Comedy Central’s Laugh Riots national talent search. Over the years, Costaki has performed in 47 states, covering the country’s best clubs, dozens of colleges and private shows, and some of the worst bars in America.

Also a talented writer, Costaki’s jokes have appeared on The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show, and Best Damn Sports Show Period. He was a writer for BET, where he was staffed on two of their hit shows. He wrote jokes for Bette Midler’s Kiss My Brass tour. Costaki spent Spring Break one year in Cancun writing on the MTV show Parental Approval. He also wrote daily for The Complete Sheet, a DJ prep service that goes out to almost 500 stations worldwide.

But he is easily best known for “The Economonologue,” a weekly segment on the syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show that reaches some 5 and half million people in 150 markets. This national exposure has opened the door to Costaki’s dream: people coming to see his live performances “on purpose.”

After a recent performance with Jake Johannsen, Costaki’s mother said, “You were better than that other guy.” And really, is there anything more to say after that?

For more on Costaki, check out his website: www.costaki.com

Tom Segura joins us this week to discuss luck in comedy, the difficulties of starting your comedy career in LA, and finding feature work. Tom has been on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham” and can be seen in the short film “Cutman”. You can see “Cutman” at atom.com.

Here’s more on Tom:

Born in Cincinnati, Tom Segura has never stayed long in one place. After fleeing Ohio at an early age, Segura soon followed his parents fledgling business ventures and volunteer work to 12 U.S. states and 6 foreign countries. Segura eventually settled in Los Angeles to pursue a career on stage and television. You may have recently seen him sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in comedy: Dave Attell, Jay Mohr, Robert Schimmel, Charlie Murphy, and Sarah Silverman, just to name a few. Tom continues to tour the country performing for audiences with his unique perspective and filthy charm.

Check out his website: www.tomsegura.com

Jake Johannsen joins us this week to talk about being on the “Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist”. We also talk about his writing process and the strangest places he’s ever done comedy. Jake has been on Letterman 38 times and had his own HBO special called, “This Will Take About An Hour”.

For more on Jake, check out his website: http://www.jakethis.com

Our guest this week is Dale Jones. You’ve seen him on “Last Comic Standing” and heard him on “Bob and Tom”. He just performed at the Just for Laughs Festival in Chicago. He joins us this week to discuss starting his comedy career in Nashville, his comedy influences, and his experience on “Last Comic Standing”.

Here’s more on Dale:

Since 1993 Dale Jones has been perfecting his craft and has become one of the most wild and energetic comics in the country. He has entertained audiences at comedy clubs throughout the United States and Canada. His zany on-stage character always sends club patrons to the exits with lots of questions but no disappointments.

His machine gun style of delivery and animated facial contortions combined with quick improvisations and non-stop physical comedy leave the audience wishing they had his energy. Forget “high energy”– this is frantic! His shows are always a most memorable comedy experience. Club owners and managers have gotten used to fielding questions about when Dale will be returning.

Dale has had numerous television appearances including NBC - Last Comic Standing Season Six, Fox Television’s 30 seconds to Fame and The Comedy Network in Canada. He also appeared briefly in the 2003 MGM movie “Out Of Time” with Denzel Washington.

Dale started his career in Nashville, Tennessee. While working (mostly wasting) his days away in a factory, his co-workers dared him to try his hand at his life long dream, making people laugh. He stepped on stage for the first time at a Zanies Comedy Club’s open mike night. Two years later, Dale turned a dream into a reality and started doing stand-up full time.

Dale has worked hard to develop an act that’s truly original and non- stop funny, Dale has fashioned a show that reminds his audience of the great comedians that have influenced him. Abbott and Costello, Buster Keaton, Jerry Lewis, Tim Conway and Don Knotts.

These influences along with Dale’s unusual observations, only enhance his unique gift for physical comedy and animated facial expressions.

He can be heard on 2 nationally syndicated radio shows; THE BOB AND TOM SHOW and The BOB AND SHERI SHOW. He was one of 8 finalists in “The Great Canadian Laugh Off and he was invited to perform at THE BOSTON COMEDY FESTIVAL, which is a great honor for any working comedian.

Check out his website: www.dalejonescomic.com

Robert Hawkins joins us on the show this week. He was a writer and actor on “Titus” and he’s had his own Comedy Central Presents. We talk about comedian head shots, writing for “Titus”, and getting started.

Here’s more on Robert:

You know, an enormous number of comics–including the vast majority of those who pass through the friendly little place we like to call Cap City–maintain career objectives that include aspirations toward acting in a sitcom, or writing for one. But, hell, Robert Hawkins has already done both–in the same series, no less: the late, lamented “Titus.”

Indeed, he was hired as a story editor, which means he wrote a script or two per season, and contributed mightily to the scripts written by his colleagues, adding jokes, improving dialogue, etc. Before long, his work in the writers room so impressed the Fox show’s producers–who also knew of his acting aspirations and abilities (a few years prior, he had landed a development deal with Fox)–that they cast him in a recurring guest role as Titus’ brother-in-law, Michael.

So when it comes to working in network television, while we wouldn’t exactly say “been there, done that”–we’re guessing that under the right circumstances, he might be persuaded to return to such work–he has logged that experience, and his passion for stand-up has never wavered.

Not coincidentally, perhaps, he’s always had a tremendous flair and a considerable gift for it. One measure of this would be his results over the years in comedy competitions, or similar enterprises.

For example, in 1993, he won the California State University Comedy Competition, while the next year he was a finalist in the San Francisco International Comedy Competition, a contest as venerable and prestigious as Funniest Person In Austin. Then, in 1996, he wowed audiences and industry figures in Montreal at the Just For Laughs International Comedy Festival, which led to Robert being awarded the aforementioned Fox development deal.

In 2001, he was voted one of the 25 top comics in the country in a poll of comedy club owners nominating candidates for the American Comedy Awards. And, perhaps needless to say (given all these victories, achievements and accolades), he’s starred in his own Comedy Central half-hour special, appeared on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” and a slew of other TV shows.

Still, when all is said and done about his work–cable TV, network TV, writing, acting, etc.–Robert Hawkins’ first love is performing comedy in a club in front of a live audience, and obviously he’s pretty damn good at it. Do you want to miss that? Didn’t think so.

Check out his website: www.roberthawkins.biz

Here’s more on Greg:

In his more than 20-year long career in comedy, Greg Morton has been described as “Mr. Standing O”, “a whining cross between Jerry Seinfeld and Jerry Lewis” and “bizarre, original, slick and hilarious.” But when you see him perform, there is one other description that you can add to what Greg Morton is all about “The Ultimate Stand-Up Comedy Act.”

Greg regularly performs in front of packed crowds at comedy clubs across North America, where his shows are always highly anticipated, are greeted with loud, uproarious laughter and are constantly sold out. And he is a fan favorite at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, in Atlantic City and at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. And if you can’t catch Greg on the club circuit, you probably saw him do his original brand of stand-up comedy on the tube, in particular “Premium Blend” on Comedy Central, and “Comics Unleashed” with Byron Allen on the CW network.

But what makes up Greg Morton’s “Ultimate Stand-Up Comedy Act”? First of all, there’s his wide-eyed, anxiety-ridden style of observational comedy. Whether it’s politics, children’s toys, or even hurricanes, he pokes holes at what in the world bothers him in an approach that can best be labelled as “there’s a lot of stupid and absurd things in the world today and this is my stern warning to you.” Second, Greg also has a talent for impersonating voices of celebrities and fictional characters which has transcended into his two trademark routines ‘ condensing the Star Wars saga and the Lord of the Rings trilogy in two minutes each, complete with voices, mannerisms and sound effects. Finally, there’s his fast-paced musical salute to the 1980s, where through accurate lip-synching and quick costume changes, Greg transforms himself into the decade’s pop icons like Michael Jackson, Prince, Tina Turner, Mick Jagger and Aerosmith.

A native of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, Greg began his career not telling jokes, but drawing cartoons, as an illustrator for such animated shows and films like “Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo” and “Heavy Metal.” However, a career at the drawing table was not enough to satisfy Greg’s extroverted, restless nature. So he put down his drawing pencil and took up the microphone as a mobile DJ, and performed at clubs where he played records, told jokes and did comedy skits between the songs. It was following one his DJ gigs at an Edmonton, Alberta club that provided the genesis of his signature Star Wars routine. While the club was being cleaned up after closing time, the bartender, a Star Wars fan, decided to play the movie’s soundtrack over the sound system. Greg then adlibbed some jokes into it, which convinced the bartender that Greg should include it in his act.

In 1986, following stints doing voicework and directing animated productions, Greg combined his talents for joke telling, voice imitations and spinning records and made the transition to stand-up comedy.

And Greg hasn’t forgotten his cartoon roots, as his talents as a voiceover peformer is much in demand, and he can be heard in such animated productions as “Police Academy”, “Super Mario Bros. 3″, “Hammerman” and “Hello Kitty.”

Three kinds of comedy - one comedian - that’s Greg Morton, the “Ultimate Stand-Up Comedy Act.”

Check out his website: www.gregmorton.com

Our guest this week is the host of “Great American Road Trip” on NBC, it’s Reno Collier. Reno is also part of the next generation of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour and he’s had his own Comedy Central Presents. We talk about hosting a reality show, his days as a teacher, and how to handle hecklers if you’re a politician.

Here’s more on Reno:

A former P.E. teacher, West Virginia native Reno Collier has endeared himself to a wide range of audiences from college students to church softball teams. With a contagious laugh and friendly, almost intoxicating demeanor, Reno’s observations often find him recalling mishaps of his West Virginia cousins, his Scottish heritage, unruly in-laws and alien abductions.

Reno’s journey began at the Punchline Comedy Club in Atlanta, GA where he tended bar to supplement his day job. One night he found himself on stage during the weekly open mic night. His unique outlook on life - mixed with a six-pack - was instantly popular and provided a platform to launch a career as a comedian.

Reno has built a reputation by selling out comedy clubs and colleges nationwide. In 2004 he joined Larry The Cable Guy on the hugely successful “2004 Tour of America”.

Reno’s other national tours look more like a comedian’s wish list than a resume, including theater and arena tours with the legendary Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Ron White. In January 2007, he re-joined Larry The Cable Guy for his wildly successful arena tour currently spanning the United States and Canada.

Reno’s past TV credits include NBC’s “Late Friday”, “Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher”, “The Martin Short Show”, VH-1’s “The List”, and Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend”.

In 2005 and 2006, Reno headlined the “Comics on Duty” tour for American troops stationed in Iraq. He is a regular fixture on the Bob & Tom syndicated radio show and Country Music Television (CMT), hosting various specials for the network. He has performed at the prestigious HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO and the Montreal Comedy Festival, and in 2005, taped his own “Comedy Central Presents” half-hour special. He can currently be heard during his weekly call-ins to the Blue Collar Comedy Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.

For more on Reno, check out his website: www.renocollier.com

Here’s more on J. Scott:

A Southerner by birth, J. Scott Homan’s eclectic, homespun style has audiences “workin’ up a stain” allover the country. An earthy perspective, quirky wit and modest charm make J. Scott Homan ideally suited for comedy and/ or snake-charming. Talents which should serve him exceedingly well in what is expected to be a long and illustrious career in entertainment.

Check out his website: www.jscotthoman.com

Here’s more on Matt:

The story of his life begins with the good fortune of being raised by humorous parents and being surrounded with a wonderful cast of misfits, felons and fugitives who just happen to be related to him. Who could ask for more? Today, Matt is married (his friends like to call him a “repeat offender”) to a wonderful and supportive woman. The scars, shadows and memories of his past have not been forgotten. It is from this grounded but chaotic life history that Matt has developed and honed his comedic sensibility. He bases his humor on these experiences and never misses an opportunity to laugh at himself and the world around him. Audiences appreciate Matt’s quick, razor-sharp wit and his relaxed style.

Check out his website: www.mattholtcomedy.com

Our guest this week is the brilliantly funny Drew Hastings. He’s been on “The Tonight Show,” he’s a regular on Bob and Tom, and he has a 1-hour Comedy Central special called, “Drew Hastings: Irked & Miffed.”

We discuss starting a comedy career after age 30, working with Bob Odenkirk, and the differences between a stand-up show and a one-man show.

Here’s more on Drew:

“Isn’t it ironic that the finest coffees in the world come from countries where no one has a reason to get up in the morning”?

This is a typical observation from Drew Hastings as he surveys the crowd and begins his show in a recent stand-up performance. At 6′6″ tall, clad in a tailored black suit and trademark black horn-rimmed glasses, Hastings is a commanding presence onstage as he launches into a study of the human condition that is both hilarious and self-deprecating. Though his angst can be easily sensed, he is obviously at home onstage.

Raised in Ohio by a British mother, Drew brings to every performance a down-to-earth Mid-western sensibility tempered – or, rather, contradicted with typical British aloofness and condescension.

Drew Hastings is a raconteur with a lot of stories to tell. Before becoming a comedian at age thirty-one, Drew’s escapades included owning a trucking business (his story “Homo Truck” is a must-hear), running a document shredding company that never actually shredded any documents, leading archaeological expeditions (some would call him “looter”) to South America, and playing polo with stolen horses at polo clubs in Washington, DC and Cincinnati, OH.

And, his foray into psychedelic drug dealing in the early Seventies using a pyramid marketing scheme modeled after Mary Kay Cosmetics is hilarious, though like most of his stories, one never knows when he’ll tell it again.

Drew moved from Ohio to Los Angeles in the early 1990’s, where he was quickly noticed by the entertainment industry. His acting talent landed him a number of guest-starring roles and he has done television pilots for some of the big networks including Fox, NBC, and HBO. He has also made many stand-up appearances on television and is one of a very elite group of comedians to have received a standing ovation on “The Tonight Show.”

His storied and colorful life has been the subject of three different one-person shows, “Commencement Speech,” “Life & Other Short Stories” and “The Business of Living,” a satire of the success/motivational industry. His character from that show, Jack Freeman, found an immediate cult following in Los Angeles, and in 2001 caught the attention of the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show, where the hilarious Freeman was introduced to a much wider national audience. Drew’s initial appearances on the Bob and Tom Show were so well received that he soon became a regular guest, regaling listeners with his stories, questioning his life and everyone else’s, and giving his comedic opinions on just about any topic that comes up. Drew spends much of his time headlining with “The Friends of the Bob and Tom Show” which has played over 70 cities thus far.

“The Bob and Tom Show has been a perfect outlet for me,” says Drew. “I tend to have a no-nonsense Mid-western attitude and their show is a Midwest-based show with a huge National reach.” He adds, “Hollywood has never figured out what to do with me, so I’m just doing it myself.”

When he’s not touring he can be found on his farm in Ohio.

Check out www.drewhastings.com for more information

My guest this week is comedian Dan Telfer. He’s worked with Maria Bamford and Paul F. Tompkins. He just made his first appearance on Bob and Tom and he’s teaching Second City’s first ever stand-up comedy class. We talk about teaching that class plus lots of nerd stuff like video games, comics, and time travel.

Here’s more on Dan: I’ve been acting, writing plays, and performing improv comedy in Chicago for over 10 years, and these days it’s mostly stand-up comedy. I’m a performer and a producer for Chicago Underground Comedy, and I’m often seen around town at places like The Lakeshore Theater, The Lincoln Lodge, and the Belmont Burlesque Revue.

For more on Dan, check out www.dantelfer.com

Here’s more on Tim:

CAPITOL RECORDING ARTIST 1998 - PRESENT

SOLD OVER 500,000 COMEDY CD’S “IT’S A SORRY WORLD” “GETTIN MY MIND RIGHT” “HILLBILLY HOMEBOY” “I SHOULD”VE MARRIED MY FATHER IN LAW” “CERTIFIED ALUMINUM” “SUPER BAD SOUNDS OF THE SEVENTIES” “THE TWANG THANG” “CHURCH LEAGUE SOFTBALL FIST FIGHT”

PRODUCER - “ALL NIGHT ALL STARS” - CAPITOL - (FEATURED GREGG ALLMAN,LEVON HELM,JIMMY HALL)

SOUTHERN TRACKS RECORDING ARTIST

“TOUGH CROWD” “WAKING UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD” “LOW CLASS LOVE AFFAIR” “SONGS FOR THE MUSICALLY DISTURBED” “TUNED UP”

TELEVISION

THE TONIGHT SHOW - NBC AMERICAN REVOLUTION: COUNTRY COMEDY - CMT “GRACE UNDER FIRE” - ABC LAS VEGAS COMEDY FESTIVAL “PIT STOP COMEDY” - TBS “MOST WANTED LIVE”- CMT HOST ON MOTOR MADNESS - TNN EVENING AT THE IMPROV - A&E CROOK & CHASE - TNN PRIME TIME COUNTRY - TNN THE GRAND OLD OPRY - TNN

RADIO

JOHN BOY AND BILLY BIG SHOW - A REGULAR GUEST FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS

BOB AND TOM SHOW - A REGULAR GUEST FOR 14 YEARS

Check out Tim’s website - www.timwilsonamerica.com

Here’s more on Greg:

A favorite on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show. He has appeared on Late Night with Conan Obrien, Comedy Central, CBS, ABC, FOX, MTV and CMT.

Greg Hahn has parlayed his absurdly energetic, all out style of physical humor, one liners and crowd work, into an act with no waiting for the funny, just immediate pandemonium and panic. His massive likeable and wild stylings have led to numerous television, club, corporate and now theater appearances throughout the country.

Developmentally arrested, Greg was raised in South Florida where in high school he amused the Catholic nuns by poking holes in his pockets enabling pens and pencils to shoot out of his pant leg.

As a college basketball player his tendency for half court shots got him benched.

As a Captain in the Marines Corps, Greg kept his men highly motivated and could not overemphasize that camouflage is continuous.

While a buyer for Lockheed Corporation, he thought “Why make $200 a day, when I can be a comedian and make that in a week!”

After several serious jobs where he refused to be serious, Greg turned pro as a stand up comedian and landed the absurd gig as emcee for a lumberjack show at Six Flags Great America. This show supplied him with a microphone, four huge audiences a day, drunk ax swinging lumberjacks, and a log rolling dog.

Soon afterwards, he worked as an actor in the Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show at Universal Studios. For $20 an hour, he’d run out, fall down a few times and get hit in the head with a stick.

He continually honed his unique style of comedy and headed to New York City.

While in New York, Greg developed into a touring headliner and costarred in the independent film Tomorrow Night which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Then, after successful shows at the Montreal and Chicago Comedy Festivals, Greg enjoyed hit television appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien (NBC), Premium Blend (Comedy Central), Make Me Laugh (5 episodes, Comedy Central), Louis CK’s Pulp Comics (Comedy Central), 30 Seconds to Fame (Fox), Cedric the Entertainer Presents (Fox) and Star Search (CBS).

When appearing on Star Search, Greg was spotted by Tom Griswold of the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show. Greg has since established himself as a favorite guest on the show and starred on the Bob and Tom Comedy Central Special. He also headlines the Friends of The Bob & Tom Theater Tour, which included a stop at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. Country Music Televisions’ “Comedy Stage” and insane appearances on “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” have also added to Greg’s popularity across the country.

Continuing to advance his career in film and television, Greg now lives in Los Angeles where in between shows and acting classes he goes ballistic on the drums and destroys his pathetic fellow comics in ping pong.

Check out Greg’s website: www.greghahn.com

Here’s more on Tom:

Tom Mabe the comedian nationally recognized for getting revenge on those annoying telemarketers, is now going after junk-email, bad customer service, high gas prices and anything else that ticks off Americans. He has been dubbed the troubleshooter-troublemaker and comic with a cause by several national magazines and TV shows. You may remember hearing about the telemarketing convention in Washington D.C. where hundreds of telemarketing big wigs were hoping to get positive press for telemarketers and ultimately discourage any laws being passed that prohibit telemarketing. Mabe checked into the same hotel the telemarketers were staying, found out what floors they were on, what rooms they were in and started calling the telemarketers in their rooms at 3 a.m., trying to sell them stuff like sleeping pills. Everyone from Paul Harvey to The New York Times called Mabe their newest hero. Tom is an award winning songwriter and composer, he tours the country doing stand up comedy.

Check out Tom’s website: www.tommabe.com

Here’s more on Pat:

A person’s birthplace says a lot about a person and Pat Dixon is no exception. Pat Dixon was born in Flint, MI AND Danville, KY as late as 1978. He grew up in the hardscrabble mining town of…I don’t know, somewhere in Pennsylvania. He lived briefly in your town. Now he’s got an apartment above the Ha-Ha Fresh, but why does this matter?

Pat Dixon has a distinct stand-up style and voice which discerning comedy audiences have come to know and love. His comedy is smart but not in an annoying way. Like, he doesn’t think he’s smarter than you, or whatever. If you have average or above average intelligence, and you’re not a dickhead, then you’d probably really like his show. And even stupid dickheads have quite often enjoyed his comedy, too. So even if you’re one of those, then you shouldn’t dismiss him out of hand.

Dixon’s comedy is really subtle, like a gentle breeze against your face. I know, what’s so funny about a gentle breeze on your face? Did I mention the breeze was driving a clown car? And that when the breeze runs over your face, a bunch of other breezes (but not so gentle!) are going to jump out and squirt you with seltzer?

I know. What’s so subtle about a gentle breeze running over my face in a clown car and a bunch of other breezes jumping out and squirting me with seltzer? Do I have to spell everything out for you? It’s a artistic paradox, you stupid dickhead. Two opposing aesthetics, united. That’s the point. Like “Iron Butterfly” or “Led Zeppelin” or “Pink Floyd.” Damn!

Pat Dixon is known from his many performances in clubs, theaters, colleges and casinos across the U.S. as well as his numerous television appearances which include his own half hour special “Comedy Central Presents: Pat Dixon” which debuted to rave reviews from his friends and family in 2006. He has also been seen on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” “Premium Blend,” “Very Funny Live!,” and is known for his work as a correspondent on various shows on the E! Network and, most recently, the Fox News program “Red-Eye.”

Dixon is also heard on the radio by hundreds of thousands of loyal listeners each week who tune in for his comedy movie reviews in select markets. If you live in a select market, you are very lucky. Because he only does radio movie reviews in towns that totally rock ass! That’s why they are “select.”

Here’s more on Carmen:

Carmen Lynch is a half-Spaniard who fell into comedy by accident. She wasn’t getting any acting roles because all the boys getting cast were shorter than her…and no one wanted to cast a tall female w/ a short male

“What’s wrong w/ that” she asks “I see comedy all over that”. Unfortunately she had to go for something she could do alone - stand up was the answer.

Carmen Lynch also got to the finals of Last Comic Standing Season One, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, and the Aspen Comedy Festival.

Check out Pat’s website: www.youaretheenemy.com

You can find more information on Carmen at: www.carmenlynch.com

Here’s more on Dan:

After a seven-year stint of headlining San Francisco clubs in the comedy duo Murphy-St.Paul, Dan launched out on his own with a solo act that was to land him in the finals of the nation’s toughest comedy competition, The San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition.

Soon after, Dan moved to Los Angeles and appeared on several episodes of “An Evening at the Improv”, plus numerous shows on VH-1, MTV, and Comedy Central. Since then, he has opened for such superstars as Jerry Seinfeld, Natalie Cole, Dwight Yoakum, Smokey Robinson, and Vince Gill. In a testament to the class of his act, Dan even opened for the San Francisco Symphony (”These guys are great! I knew them back when they were just a garage band.”) .

He appeared in the movie “Flubber” with Robin Williams, and signed a recording deal with MCA records. His CD, “Natural and Good for You” contains one the most requested comedy pieces on radio, “The First Baseball Game”. He also is the star of his own one-man play, “Outer Mission, Middle Class - The Comic Diary of an Immigrant’s Son”.

The Los Angeles Theater and Entertainment Review said about Dan, “Combining a sharp, clean wit with an outstanding talent for creating characters, Dan’s show appeals to audiences of all ages…what sets Dan apart is that he doesn’t just tell jokes, but rather creates a series of comedic events.”

Armed with a Bachelors Degree in Italian from UC Berkeley, a teaching credential from San Francisco State, and a Masters Degree in special education, the majority of Dan’s material comes from being a suburban husband and father and dealing with the frustrations of everyday life.

Corporate clients include Hewlett Packard, National Semiconductor, IBM, Intel, Nations Bank, Philips Magnavox, Chevron, Blue Cross, and many, many more. He customizes his material for each client and event.

Check out Dan’s website at www.danstpaul.com

Here’s more on Paul and Storm:

Paul Sabourin and Greg “Storm” DiCostanzo have been writing and performing original funny music together for a long, long time. They hope their music will make you laugh and feel good for a little while, and believe that this aim is noble, right and just.

Millions are familiar with Paul and Storm and their material from the years they spent as one-half of the widely acclaimed a cappella band Da Vinci’s Notebook. Bravely picking up instruments in 2004, Paul and Storm continue to write original material as they continue to appear in clubs and at major festivals across the country.

No subject is sacred to this energetic pair as they keep audiences laughing with their humorous and satirical original songs. Paul and Storm’s songs are as catchy and musically interesting as they are funny, and in live performance their harmonies draw comparisons to the Everly Brothers, while their stage presence evokes the Barenaked Ladies.

All of their music is available from their website (www.paulandstorm.com) in CD format or as downloadable mp3’s.

Paul and Storm’s music is often heard on the “Bob and Tom” syndicated morning radio show, and has been heard on “The Drew Carey Show”, Comedy Central, XM Satellite Radio’s “Dr. Demento” show, and on the popular web cartoon site Homestarrunner.com.

Here’s more on Marge and Susan:

Marge Tackes spent her formative years in Chicago, developing her Yankee bitch approach to life. She has a biting, head-on style that results in wild, unabashed comedy. Marge has a wide variety of entertainment experience. For the past ten years she has made a living in comedy, music and acting. Her television credits include Comedy Central, Wake Up Chicago and “Puttin’ On The Laffs”

A former female wrestler, Susan Smith represents the sweet southern belle gone bad. Her act has all the energy you’d expect from this red-headed Amazon. She does impressions, sings and involves the audience with hilarious results. Susan is a seasoned performer and has graced stages throughout the country. She has also appeared on the Disney channel, USA Network and The Nashville Network.

Check out the Untamed Shrews at their website: www.untamedshrews.com

Check out Brett’s website - www.bretterickson.com

Here’s more about Dwight: Despite his youthful appearance, Dwight Slade has the privilege of already being a comedy legend in American stand up. Born in Seattle, Washington, Dwight moved often in his early years, living in San Mateo, California; Wilton, Connecticut; Marietta, Georgia and Houston, Texas.

It was while in middle school in Houston that Dwight became friends with Bill Hicks, an intense young man with a secret dream of becoming a stand-up comedian. The two quickly developed a partnership that has lasted a lifetime. The two became enamored by comedians on The Tonight Show and began writing jokes to try out on friends. Soon they were sneaking of their parent’s suburban homes and riding their bikes to auditions and open mikes. At 14, Bill and Dwight had an 8X10, an agent, and lofty dreams of stardom.

In 1978, a small improv theater opened in Houston called the Comedy Workshop. The two 16 year olds conned school friends into giving them rides to try out their stand-up on open-mike night. The under age performers were often asked to wait outside the club before their show. The duo’s career faced another obstacle when Dwight’s family moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Throughout his high school years, Dwight continued to focus on stand-up. As a freshman at the University of Oregon, Slade finished 3rd in the Euphoria Comedy Contest, and full of ambition, moved to Hollywood.Slade reunited with Bill Hicks in 1981 in Los Angeles to write a screenplay. The two, now working as separate stand-ups, began to crack the world of Hollywood. At 18, Slade became one of the youngest performers to ever perform at the famous Comedy Store.

In 1983, the comedy boom was underway and Dwight found he could garner more precious stage time in Portland, Oregon than in Los Angeles. “Why should I live in Los Angeles when I can be just as miserable and unknown in Portland?” Slade moved to and soon established himself as the premier stand-up in the Northwest opening concerts for Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld.

Slade finished his degree at Portland State University in 1985 and hit the road, touring comedy clubs all over North America. 1988 marked the birth of his first child and Dwight made his national television debut on A&E’s Good Time Cafe.

The young family now faced an interesting dilemma: how do you travel on the road as a working comedian and stay together as a family? The solution took the form of a 36 foot fifth wheel travel trailer that the young family toured and lived in for four years while Dwight headlined comedy clubs across the US and Canada. With the birth of their second child, the Slade decided to hang up the nomadic lifestyle and settle down in Portland. “My second child was born in the RV,” says Slade, “We were pulled over at the time.”

It proved to be a good decision.

The 90’s found Dwight moving into new arenas of creativity. Radio station KXL-AM billed him as “The Northwest’s Most Dangerous Mind” as he became a noted talk radio personality who used humor instead of rage to engage listeners. He released two comedy CD’s on Humor Ink recordings, “Weird State,” and “Shut-up.”

Slade’s feature film debut came in 2000 in the movie “Inconceivable,” which enjoyed a run on Showtime and is available for rent at Hollywood Video. Slade also co-starred in the gritty family drama, “My Way Home” which won the Platinum Award at the 2001 Houston International Film Festival.

2002 Proved to be a banner year for Dwight Slade, becoming the first stand-up to make appearances at the three major North American Comedy Festivals, Aspen, Chicago and Montreal in one year. On the heels of his performances, Slade signed a development deal with Warner Brothers Television. Slade was chosen to appear on HBO’s “Best of the US Comedy Arts Festival” and made an appearance on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend.

Slade’s stand-up has gained international stature after earning a five star review from Scotland’s Minister of Culture at the prestigious 2003 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and appearances at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival in 2005 and 2006. He followed this with a tour in Afghanistan performing for US Troops and a tour of Israel. He performed in concert with guitar god Jeff Beck and the legendary Lynryd Skynryd and appeared on Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed. Dwight is currently living in Portland, Oregon and is a single father with two children. He continues to touch lives with his comedy and, yes, he is an Aries…

Check out Dwight’s website - www.dwightslade.com

Nick Griffin is our guest this week. You’ve seen him on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and heard him on “Bob and Tom.” We talk about the differences between the New York and LA comedy scenes, the best comedy show he’s ever seen, and how the economy is helping or hindering comedy club shows.

Check out Nick’s website: www.nickgriffin.net

Check out Patti’s website: www.pattivasquez.com

Here’s more on Patti: Patti Vasquez, a Chicago native, got her start over a decade ago after leaving graduate school at Northwestern University to work as an emcee at Zanies Comedy Club in 1995. While she disappointed her parents by never completing her Ph.D in history, she has gone on to star in two hit one-woman shows- “Pregnant Party Girl: From Stoli’s to Stirrups” and “Mamacita: Tales of a Diaper Diva” written by Patti and performed for theater audiences throughout the United States.

Patti’s unique perspective on family and relationships has been described as “Comedy with a Heart.” Her stories about growing up in a multi ethnic American family cause laughter at the unique but all too familiar situations. Patti also exposes the truths about pregnancy and shares the comic moments of giving birth and raising children. She is not afraid to mock, poke fun and examine all the myths, half truths and innuendo most people shy away from. Patti brings everyday events to life in each performance and has become one of the hardest working women in comedy today.

Patti, who is an outspoken advocate for Breast Cancer Research, has created a clever tongue-in-cheek campaign to get women and men more involved and interested in breast cancer research and events. She has participated in fund-raising events with groups such as Gilda’s Club and the Brain Research Foundation in Chicago. She also helps raise funds for Avon’s Breast Cancer Crusade, Y-ME & the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Check out Patti’s website: www.pattivasquez.com

Here’s more about Jeff:

“Funny and smart.” That’s what George Carlin had to say about Jeff Caldwell after a show at Caroline’s in New York. “This guy is incredible,” said Dennis Miller. CBS showed that they agreed with George and Dennis by giving Jeff a deal to develop his own sitcom, and CBS employees David Letterman and Craig Ferguson just had to have Jeff on their shows.

Jeff Caldwell’s quick wit, good taste, and clever material have made him a favorite nationwide. Jeff has shown his comic wares on TV, as a performer and a writer, for corporate clients across America, in colleges (traveling with Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart), and in comedy clubs from the Improv in Hollywood to Big Ben’s Rib Crib in Baltimore. Jeff moved to New York in 1999 and has since become a favorite at the Gotham Comedy Club and the Comic Strip.

Jeff prepared for greatness at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, graduating in civil engineering, not traditionally considered a “funny” major. After a shockingly undistinguished nine-month stint with an engineering firm, Jeff decided he was unsatisfied with his student loan debt-load and returned to Johns Hopkins for a Ph.D. program. After two years of pretending to read texts he leapt fully into the hurly-burly of professional stand-up comedy, and ushered in America’s brief love affair with “Engineering Humor.”

Since then Jeff has toured nationally as a comic, building a body of clean and funny material and a warm, witty stage presence. At one Washington, D.C. show, Al and Tipper Gore raved “very funny, very funny” before jealous Secret Service agents rudely swept them away. Jeff is a rare comic who can make the audience double over with laughter without resorting to sleazy, stupid material. It may be his scientific background that enables Jeff to avoid the four-letter words, constructing his show exclusively of five- and eight-letter ones and the occasional semi-colon.

Check out Jeff’s website - www.standupguy.com

This week we are talking to Bobcat Goldthwait and John Evans. Bobcat Goldwait is one of Comedy Central’s Top 100 Comedians of All-Time. He’s been in several Police Academy movies and is known for controversial talk show appearances. Recently, he has been spending time behind the camera. He directed “Jimmy Kimmel Live” for three years. He just wrote and directed one of Sundance Film Festival’s most talked about movies. It’s called “World’s Greatest Dad” and stars Robin Williams. It’ll be out this summer. We talk about starting his comedy career at age 15, directing for television versus directing for film, and his time with Nirvana.

John Evans is our second guest. John started doing stand-up in 1996 in Tulsa, Oklahoma with an Andy Rooney impression and a dream. A few years later, John dropped the Andy Rooney impression and landed a spot at the Montreal Comedy Festival “New Faces” show. 2007 proved to be a breakout year for John, with appearances on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham”. In 2008, John was again featured on “Last Comic Standing”, this time making it to the Las Vegas semi-finals. Today, John is a regular on the syndicated Bob and Tom radio show, and headlines comedy clubs all over the country. He performs regularly at the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, California, and has opened for such comedy legends as George Carlin, Mitch Hedberg, Lewis Black, Dave Chapelle, and Gary Shandling. We discuss Last Comic Standing, what makes a good emcee, and featuring for George Carlin. Head to www.johnevanscomedy.com and pick up his CD “High Plains Thrifter”.

Here’s more on Maria from her website www.mariabamford.com: Maria started her performing arts career in Duluth, Minnesota at the age of 11 where she starred in the Chester Park Elementary production of “How the West Was REALLY Won!” (Conservative message that didn’t include the perspective of indigenous nations). A short 24 years of self-discovery and secretarial work later, look at her now! She is certainly on some kind of predestined journey!

• NETFLIX “The Comedians of Comedy Tour”

• Comedy Central’s “The Comedians of Comedy Tour”

• Los Angeles Magazine’s COMIC TO WATCH (2005)

• LA WEEKLY Pick of the Week

• Variety’s Top Ten Comics to Watch

• Late Night with Conan O’Brien

• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

• Comedy Central Presents…Maria Bamford

• Comedy Central: Premium Blend, USO Tour, World Comedy, Tough Crowd

• International TV: ROVE LIVE, THE GLASS HOUSE, THE GALA

• Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor on PRI

• Best in the Festival Melbourne Comedy Festival Winner

Here’s more on Auggie from his website www.auggiesmith.com: So now you ask yourself, who am I? And what qualifies me to be your new daily sherpa? Well, I could tell you the basics: that Auggie Smith is a 14-year veteran of stand-up comedy stages who has won praise for his originality and energy. During Auggie’s set, pop culture targets ranging from the Barbie Doll to celebrity game shows are dissected, piece by piece, into intelligently written, manic rants delivered in a seamless rapid-fire style. He has crafted an honest opinionated, innovative mix of politically incorrect mass appeal, sure to be remembered and guaranteed to entertain.

Or, I could show you what others have said:

“His energetic, hysterical rants leave audiences breathless with laughter.” The Oregonian

“When Auggie Smith takes the stage, get ready for a nonstop barrage of fantastic rapid fire comedy. Auggie’s show is always filled with raw edged, intelligent laughs…The man whose cult following and comedy is quickly giving birth to a new religion.” Comedyspeak.com.

“Auggie Smith resuscitates stand-up with a dose of pop culture and jaded hip…his style will be part of a youth movement attracting younger, hipper crowds to stand-up.” Willamette Week

“Brilliant, non-stop laughs!” Seattle Times

Instead, let’s compare my life to yours. While you were in high school, wasting your time going to parties and having sex with the opposite gender, I was president of the speech team, preparing for my adult role as leader, fine tuning my skills of motivation and discipline. While you were in college, seeking enlightenment and foolishly pursuing your higher education, I was going to comedy open-mics, honing my skills as a public speaker and prophet. When you turned 23 and were planning your wedding to the first of many “soul-mates”, I was winning the Samuel Adams Comedy Competition, which included the prize of appearing on “An evening at the Improv”, my initial introduction to national exposure. A few years later when you were getting out of rehab for the first time, I was doing work on TV and radio commercials as a pitchman, selling my soul and convincing you to buy tacos and cable television. When you were in your late 20’s, I was performing at the Montreal Comedy Festival where organizers included me in 3 different showcases: New Faces, Danger Zone and the Nasty Show.

Now, a few years later, as you look at the mistakes you have made in your life, you find Aug, a national touring headliner who has just released a wildly popular DVD and CD. I think from this day forward, things are going to start working out for you.

Be sure to pick up Auggie’s DVD, “Cult Following,” at his website.

Here’s info on Robert’s new book: “Cancer on $5 a Day (Chemo Not Included)” is stand-up comedian Robert Schimmel’s edgy, hilarious, and poignant musings on his battle with cancer. It is a platform in which he tells his story of overcoming major personal and career obstacles with the power of humor. In the spring of 2000, Robert Schimmel was riding high. He’d won the Stand-Up of the Year Award, his HBO special was a huge hit, and his pilot had been picked up as a series. And then it all came crashing down. Diagnosed with Stage III non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he was told he would have to undergo chemotherapy immediately. His once white-hot career started to slip away. Being close to death, Robert never lost his sense of humor, and used his sense of humor to get him through an incredibly difficult disease and subsequent medical complications. Robert takes an audience on a journey, from growing up the son of Holocaust survivor parents, to becoming a well-known comedian, and ironically working to make people laugh as his own son was losing his battle with cancer. The fortitude, determination, and humor that got robert through these incredible events in his life are applicable to many of life’s obstacles that so many people face. robert will show how many difficult events in one’s life are survivable - using humor. Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and profound, Robert’s speech is an honest account of how, after the loss of a child, career ups and downs, and himself being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, life is still worth living. Robert’s message demonstrates how his humor got him through all of it and shows the audience that what worked for him can be extremely worthwhile motivator for all facets of anyone’s life.

Be sure to check out Robert’s new comedy special, “Life Since Then”, it just came out on DVD.

Check out Robert’s website: http://www.robertschimmel.com

  Here’s some background on Greg and Eric: Greg is on a new comedy series on Nickelodeon called True Jackson VP. Mr. Greg plays Max Madigan president of Mad Fashion. He hires the teenage True as Vice President and mayhem ensues. Keke Palmer, NAACP Image Award winner, stars as True. Greg joined long time cohort Ryan Stiles in a two-man improvised show, “Unplanned.” They performed for sell out crowds at the Just For laughs Festival in Montreal and taped a gala for the CBC. The Proopdog is best known for his unpredictable appearances on Whose Line is it Anyway? The hit, improvised comedy show on ABC hosted by Drew Carey. Greg is also a regular on the long running British version of WLIIA? Whose Line is currently seen on ABC Family Channel. Mr. Proops is a frequent guest on Chelsea Later on E! and on Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld on Fox News. Proopworld provides the announcer voice for the forthcoming game Mad World for SEGA. He can also be heard as the bad guy Tal Merrick in the animated TV series Clone Wars on Cartoon Network. Greg can also be heard as the voice of Bob the Builder on the popular children’s series seen on PBS. Mr. Proops other television sightings include, The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Last Comic Standing, Ugly Betty, The Bigger Picture with Graham Norton on BBC, Mock the Week on BBC2 and The Drew Carey Show. Mr. Prooples regularly hosts his own live comedy chat show at the ridiculously hip Hollywood rock joint Largo. Guests have included Flight of the Conchords, Jason Schwartzman, Russell Brand, Jack Black, Sarah Silverman, Joe Walsh, Janeane Garofalo, David Cross, Margaret Cho, Dave Eggers, Joan Rivers, Aidan Quinn, Jeff Goldblum, Kathy Griffin, Lewis Black, Patton Oswalt and John C. Reilly. Providing musical magic is genius and imp Jon Brion. Mr. Greg was spotted hosting his own syndicated, national dating show Rendez View. He also hosted the now cult classic game show Comedy Central’s VS. Senor Proops threw down an original half-hour of stand up on Comedy Central Presents. Which is repeated ad infinitum. Mr. P. has toured the UK four times, sold out the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 28 years running and has kicked it live in Paris, Turkey, Milan, Aspen, Montreal, Scotland, Ireland, Norway, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.

“The village is full of idiots, and I’m one of em.” Eric has used this all inclusive philosophy to find his voice as a comedic writer and performer. Eric has worked as a producer, head writer, and performer for more than 30 original, multi-media sketch shows. Currently, he is a contributing writer on the Emmy Nominated Flak Radio podcast. Eric is always on the look out for new collaborative opportunities with artists of any discipline and strives to create original performance pieces and uniquely funny films.

This week we talk to Pat Godwin about nerves, Last Comic Standing, and doing comedy on a bus full of kids. Pat Godwin has been writing songs, performing in clubs and releasing CD’s since he was 20 years old. It was only when Pat’s style took a turn, and he began adding more humor to his live act that people started taking notice. Before long, his banter with the audience was funny and his songs were even funnier. Pat plunged headfirst into comedy and discovered his true calling. Though Pat’s been charming audiences in clubs for years and has been featured on every major radio morning show in the country, his greatest achievement came just recently with the release of his new comedy album Under the Bed. Godwin wrote and recorded an eclectic compilation of new tunes, live favorites as well as exorcising some of the demons left behind from a relationship gone wrong. But don’t let that dark description scare you, Under the Bed is hilarious, and getting heavy rotation on the nationally syndicated “Bob and Tom Show.” It contains the Number 1 most requested song, “Gangsta Folk” as well as the smash hits “First Date,” “Nobody Speaks English, Anymore,” and “Voices in my Head.” It’s comes as no surprise that Godwin is enjoying some success, seeing as how he possesses one of the most entertaining and original live shows in the business. Because he’s got such strong material and highly developed improvisational skills, no two shows are ever the same… not even close. And don’t let that sly boyish smile fool you; it only takes about three seconds on stage to realize that Pat’s comedy has an edge to it. With a mix of quirky, personal musings and off the cuff remarks, Godwin can segue in to any one of his songs, performed in an endless array of musical styles. Aside from his standup career, Godwin has blossomed into one of the most clever and prolific comedy songwriters in the business. Pat first broke onto the scene with his holiday classic “Let’s Put Christ Back in Christmas” from the album Reindeer Games, which received airplay all over the country. After that, it wasn’t long before Godwin’s talents were being used on radio morning shows; a medium Pat is more than familiar with. He’s appeared on every top morning show you can think of, worked for six years on Philadelphia’s “Morning Zoo” and was a frequent guest and contributor to “The Howard Stern Show”.

In our second episode, I talk to Henry Phillips about his song writing process, his new movie, ‘Punching the Clown’, and dealing with radio DJs. Henry Phillips, who has been seen performing his hilariously twisted songs and stories on Comedy Central, ABC’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ and NBC’s ‘Late Friday’. He can also be heard regularly on the Bob & Tom Show, performing such songs as ‘The Guitar Pill’ and ‘She’s Talking Again’. His nationally released CDs, fusing mellow folk-rock ballads with taboo-smashing lyrics have earned him mention in Billboard magazine’s ‘Critic’s Choice’, as well as acclaim from the king of novelty music himself, Dr. Demento, who referred to Phillips as “The funniest young singer-songwriter to come our way in quite a while.”

In this episode, we interview stand-up comic Mike MacRae. We discuss what makes a good comedy club, how he got started, his first appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, and his writing process. A native of St. Louis, Mike MacRae moved to Houston in 1995 where he started performing stand-up at local college events. After getting out of school in 1999, Mike started going up at the legendary Houston Laff Stop and soon developed his trademark combination of insightful social and cultural commentary with uncanny, unique impressions. In 2001, Mike made his television debut on Comedy Central’s ‘Premium Blend’, and a year later he was selected ‘Best Local Comedian’ by the Houston Press. 2003 saw Mike’s debut on the nationally syndicated morning radio program ‘The Bob and Tom Show’. Mike is now a regular favorite on the show and is a part of the “Bob & Tom Comedy All Stars” theater tour. In May 2007, Mike made his network television debut when ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ invited Mike to perform as part of “Impressionist Week”. In addition, he was the national spokesman for “IvyBlock” and has lent his distinctive voice to dozens of popular anime cartoons, including “Super Milk Chan” on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. His first CD, ‘Hovercraft’, was released in 2007. In 2008 Mike got the call to join the cast of the popular late-night sketch show “Frank TV” on TBS. Along with Frank Caliendo and Freddy Lockhart, Mike uses his impression skills to explore the zone of insanity where politics, pop culture, and the media collide. Mike MacRae continues to be a regular performer in comedy clubs all across the country, and splits his time between Los Angeles and Austin, TX, where he lives with his fiancé and her fucking cat. For more on Mike, check out his website: http://www.mikemacrae.com