Too much joy. In a recent AST interview, Zach says: “In [Comedians of Comedy], there’s this broken chair thing … I remember eating in a diner and I remember saying to someone, ‘Will you buy me a chair? I have an idea.’ So they went to a thrift store and got me a chair, and then we went and spent the night on some lake, and that’s how it happened. And there was none of this sit-around-and-think-about-it … because sitting down and writing is very tedious … it’s fun just to kind of come up with stuff, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But, yeah, that was a lot of fun.”
Zach Galifianakis
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Sean Conroy’s Level 2 Graduation Show @ The UCB
June 1, 2003
Ah, Level Two … finding the game, trying out the Harold … those early days feel a bit like pledging a frat or sorority and trying to bond as best you can with semi-strangers. A few of my Level One (with Ari Voukydis) classmates were in this show — fellow Apocalypse Fish members, Sarah Engelke and Seth Teter; and, yes, that’s a fresh-faced Aziz Ansari rocking the backline. Improv is good for you.
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Posted in Class Shows, Improv
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We Used to Go Out @ The UCB
March 9, 2006
As a longtime Mother fan, I relished this show when Jessica St. Clair and Jason Mantzoukas took it out for another spin last spring. Jason Zinoman of the New York Times wrote a great review capsule, describing the duo as having “the chemistry of an old married couple who fight better than they get along.” And watching Mantzoukas openly weep while gnawing on a Fig Newton will be something I’ll remember always.
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Alex Marino’s Level 3 Graduation Show @ The Magnet Theater
Aug. 6, 2006
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Happy Birthday, Lil Keke
My friend Donny in Houston writes: “Last night, Julie put on a wedding for rapping artist Lil KeKe. It was attended by Paul Wall and other luminaries from ‘Swisha House Records.’ I am quite sure that the members of the country club were delighted at the presence of such honored guests.” I don’t know ’bout that, but what I do know is that those rims is ill.
And now for something completely different — Obadiah Parker’s acoustic “Hey Ya” is as good as The Gourds’ “Gin & Juice” cover.
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I Heart San Francisco…
The spectacular that is Wooster Collective recently made a good point about advertising. I’d say these two (uno, dos mas) from Sony fit the bill. Here are some photos from the San Francisco commercial and a few more from the U.K. commercial.
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Farahnakian & Flynn Present 2005 A.D. @ The PIT
Dec. 7, 2005
The premise is simple, really: Two men in crumpled suits perform “skitches and skatches” in the lobby of a Comfort Inn. In exchange for the space, they’ve been given some light housekeeping duties: “We do have to maintain the pool while we’re here.” (Digging deep on this one — full text at the Apiary).
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Crash Test @ The UCB (feat. Seth Herzog & Demetri Martin)
Nov.7, 2005
Aziz Ansari & Rob Huebel play “Thadius P. Scornburner” and “Nigel P. Radcliffe,” music editors-in-chief of Pitchforkmedia.com, at Crash Test. Their footage served to intro music videos on New York Noise, a program you should watch if you’re into indie rock (it’s like early ’80s MTV and everything MTV2 wants to be, but can’t). Watching Seth do a set is always a treat; I didn’t see him do standup again until last summer when he MC’d closing night of SketchFest NYC 2006, dressed as Wonder Woman. That shit was funnyhilarious.
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Crash Test @ The UCB (feat. Eugene Mirman & Daniel Kitson)
June 26, 2006
Crash Test, hosted by New York comedy meteor Aziz Ansari, is always a great time. On this particular night, Eugene Mirman did a bit about whether to play dead if a bear attacks, then he brought two volunteers onstage to play a funny indie-music game. Daniel Kitson followed Eugene with his own killer set, completely owning the stage. His exceptional crowd work included his busting me (though politely) for snapping photos (which is why I only have two to post). Back in the U.K., Kitson is known for ripping apart hecklers (“Another classic Danny slam!“), which you wouldn’t really guess just by looking at him, but lately he’s reinventing himself. The week before Crash Test I saw Kitson’s sublime one-man show. I hope he comes back to the Big Stinky soon.
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improv is good for you 