The Improv last night

[I'm Gelder, Dammit]

(I'm just gonna pretend like people use this group for comedy-related
stuff...)
Mark Knope's in town for some corporate gig he's doing and he gave me
a call. So, I picked up Knope at his hotel, had some dinner at El
Cholo and dragged him over to the Improv on a Friday night. It was
around ten when we got there, so the second show was seated and the
bar/tables were pretty much empty.

We're walking up to the front of the place and Knope spots one of the
posters that says who's playing this week, and he goes "Joe
Rogan...oh, hey, we missed Jimmy Pardo!" And I, looking around
instead of at posters, said, "No we didn't. Pardo's right there."
And, lo and behold, he was, talking with Canadian comic Adam Richmond
(who is doing the ads around LA for the Metro - he talks to people
after they get off the Metro to ask them why they use it) and another
couple...not that Pardo and Adam are a couple, although they'd make
the cutest little babies...

So, we hung out and talked with Pardo for a bit, who, it turns out -
has created a man-child in his image! Yep, he's a Dad, as of about
12
weeks ago - cute picture on the cell phone. Evetyally, we were joind
by - Flip Schultz! Flip, whose Skippy Green character is in the Top
5
over at FameCast.com, so he's going to Texas for a showdown with
Shang, another comic and a couple of people who have a lot of friends
with Internet connections. One of the 'comics' has a music stand,
notes for street jokes, and is getting polite applause from the
American Legionnaires he's reading these jokes to. Egad.

Flip, Knope, Pardo and I were then joined by Joe Braza and the Full
Joe Braza Effect. Pardo split, we went in the empty front area and
hung out and talked before Flip was supposed to go up on the 'Refried
Beans' show. I know, I know, he doesn't look Mexican to me, either.
Joe Rogan and Ari Shaffir were hanging out for a bit, so we ended up
talking about Two Girls One Cup which is the most vile video I've
ever
seen. You can't see it on YouTube, but you can watch videos of
people
watching the video, and the reactions are pretty accurate. Rogan has
links at his site, joerogan.net.

It was pretty quiet, so after saying goodnight to Eddie, the
Bartender, Knope and I split and I got him back to the Westin.

That was pretty much it. What were you guys doing last night? Who's
working where? Do comedy clubs still exist?

steve

[spike...@gmail.com]

On Nov 24, 10:57 am, "I'm Gelder, Dammit" <stevegel...@gmail.com>
wrote:

Hanging out at a comedy club on a Friday night. Thats definately one
of the things I dont miss anymore. Its been 4 years since I've been in
a comedy club and I can't say theres anything that I really miss about
that lifestyle. It was fun for those years, but as I got older it just
became one big hassle, the clubs, the bookers, the travel, the
unstable, insecure personalities you have to work with....etc

I spent my Friday night in my house with my wife and kids celebrating
our 10 year anniversary. If I was still on the road, I would probably
be 700 miles away doing two shows to a bunch of drunks then going to a
hotel to spend the night alone.

[Paul Alotto]

A certain Mr. Gelder Dammit queried:

>>What were you guys doing last night? Who's
>> working where? Do comedy clubs still exist?

To which Snr. Spikerizzo Gmail replied:

> Hanging out at a comedy club on a Friday night. Thats definately one
> of the things I dont miss anymore. Its been 4 years since I've been in
> a comedy club and I can't say theres anything that I really miss about
> that lifestyle. It was fun for those years, but as I got older it just
> became one big hassle, the clubs, the bookers, the travel, the
> unstable, insecure personalities you have to work with....etc
>
> I spent my Friday night in my house with my wife and kids celebrating
> our 10 year anniversary. If I was still on the road, I would probably
> be 700 miles away doing two shows to a bunch of drunks then going to a
> hotel to spend the night alone.

My $.02:

I liked the Improv story. I remember hangin' at the Improv back in the 80's.
Last night I barbecued shrimp diablos and kabobs and tried to sooth my
aching liver from the night before.

I haven't done standup in a while myself. I am a tad disillusioned by the
standup scene as well. I am working on my one man show and hope to start
performing it in January after I finish moving and shit.

It's an ambitious musical comedy which will combine my careers as an actor,
singer and standup comic. It's political satire with about a dozen songs.
Think: Bill Mahr doing the off broadway version of hedwig and the angry inch
only without the transexual stuff or the pandering to the right wing. I have
an accompanist who may or may not work out...

I won't be doing standup clubs (unless they rent it to me on the off
nights).

I'm thinking theaters, maybe a week or two at a time. Anybody suggest one in
their town?

Marz

[spike...@gmail.com]

That sounds pretty interesting. Something i'd like to see. Best of
luck with that. Hopefully it could turn into a script and movie in the
future.

Cheers!

[joanie coyote]

I haven't done stand-up all that much since I moved here (LA) but I'm
working on opening a comedy night in Burbank with a friend of mine so
I'll at least get up once a week and keep my chops up.

I would like to casually mention a web show I'm co-hosting. It is so
fun I can hardly stand it. Here is the link if you want to watch it.
Tim Russ from Star Trek Voyager and Samantha Who? was the guest. We
talked about the Writers Strike and stuff.

http://www.thestream.tv/watch.php?v=492

Last night I hung out with my daughter and my best friend, Rachel and
then later my Mom came over and we watched reruns of America's Next
Top Model. Don't you wish you were me? Oh, the thrilling Hollywood
lifestyle!!!!!

joanie

On Nov 24, 10:57 am, "I'm Gelder, Dammit" <stevegel...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Curtin]

I was at the Comedy Studio in Harvard Square, a place I haven't hung
out at in a while. It was fun, I'm starting to come out of this bout
of depression I've been in for a couple of years now. I'm hanging out
in clubs again, performing in the city more (as opposed to Elks clubs
and the like), and I've dropped 100 lbs. in the last year, so life's
getting pretty good these days.

On Nov 24, 1:57 pm, "I'm Gelder, Dammit" <stevegel...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[O Ho Mo]

and I've dropped 100 lbs. in the last year, so life's
> getting pretty good these days.

John,
CONGRATULATIONS!
And best of the best on resuming the career.
Chandler:)

[I'm Gelder, Dammit]

On Nov 28, 3:25 pm, Curtin <comed...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm hanging out
> in clubs again, performing in the city more (as opposed to Elks clubs
> and the like), and I've dropped 100 lbs. in the last year, so life's
> getting pretty good these days.

Wow. Like Chandler said, congrats on the weight loss, and good to
hear you're getting back out again.

I enjoy hanging at the Improv when I go. Rarely feels like work to
me, because I'm not doing much stand up anymore...focused more on
films and acting. So, I can just kick back and enjoy the shenanigans.

There's nothing quite as fun having a couple of belts and riffing with
funny, creative people.

I mean, I'm sure a wife and kids are great and all, but when Copscotch
transforms into the Laughing Strangler...? Hard to beat.

steve

[Curtin]

Thanks. Yeah, better living through surgery. It's done wonders for
my depression too, though I suspect not as much as seeing Copscotch's
Laughing Strangler.

I'm so hot looking now, I can't stand being around myself. Maybe now
Jenee will want a piece of this...

[mkn...@gmail.com]

Yesssss...it's true!

Gelder and I did the dinner thing and hung out in L.A./Hollywood a
couple Fridays ago - I had a great time! (Thanks again, Steve...sorry,
it's taken me sooo long to visit this thread, but...lots o' personal
stuff happening in conjunction with my procrastination! Yes, mom IS
doing a little better, thankyouverymuch.)

Another reason I'm arriving late to this thread is the fact that I've
only recently regained consciousness after viewing 2girls1cup - plus,
I finally got the taste back in my mouth from all the dry-heaving I
was doing! Ugh. That video is just plain wrong.

Anyone ever heard the old saying, "I'd eat a mile of her shit - just
to see where it came from?"

Think again.

Anyhoo, it was very cool seeing Jimmy "The Shooter" Pardo both one-
dimensional in the Improv's showcase and live/in-person on the
sidewalk outside the damn club! WHO KNEW? (Well, Steve did...)

Meeting Joe Braza and running into Flip Schultz was definitely icing
on the cake - so was chatting briefly with Joe Rogan, as we headed out
the door!

Thanks again for springing me outta my digs for the night, Steve -
let's hope it's not another couple of years between visits to the Left
Coast!

Knope

[mkn...@gmail.com]

Oops...almost forgot!

Here we are outside the Improv...

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r160/mknope_photo/DSC02177Medium.jpg

Enjoy!

[Ben McCowboy]

On Dec 5, 6:00 pm, "mkn...@gmail.com" <mkn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Oops...almost forgot!
>
> Here we are outside the Improv...

Damn, if I'd'a known Knope was coming to town, I wouldn't have left.

--
Perfectly Normal Industries - http://www.PerfectlyNormal.com
Baby clothes, bumperstickers and t-shirts with a darker twist...

[Prinny]

On Dec 5, 6:00 pm, "mkn...@gmail.com" <mkn...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Oops...almost forgot!
>
> Here we are outside the Improv...

Aww look at the little fella!!

Couldn't you just punch his face off and eat it?!

Love Pardo.

Prinno xxxx