Interview of the Century: Curt Shackelford

Curt Shackelford: the man, the hero, the WaPo legend. For the past six years, Curt has been producing live stand-up comedy shows all over the D.C. metro area through his company, "Stand-Up Comedy to Go". And when I say producing, I am not talking about finding some dive bar w/a PA system so you can bring your dumbass friends, dress in a suit, and splash PBR in their faces. No, instead Curt brings a serious business approach to his comedy ventures. Anyone who has seen Curt pull up in his patented yellow truck knows exactly what I mean.

For inside it, Curt has everything he needs to put on a comedy show. Mic stand and mic? Check. Stage? Check. Fake brick wall? Check. 200 pens? Check. Just give Curt the go ahead and he will put up a show, like some sort of "big top" ringmaster.

These shows have been the launching pad for many local comics. Some have jumped to bigger and better places for comedy. Others are just thankful for the opprotunity to have consistent shows at which to perform. Either way, Curt has been an instrumental force in helping young comedians find their voice in D.C. for many years.

Curt has found his niche, and because of that, he won't budge on how he feels a comedy show should be run, and has no problem telling you that in almost every way possible. From the novella-sized attachment he emails to comics; to his grade school–like roll calls; to the "Everyone's a Comedian" audience-prying conclusion to his shows; you know it is Curt's three-ring circus, and he will run it as he pleases. Even if the clowns get upset.

And there have been many upset clowns over the years. Each one having their own reasons for why particpation under Curt's tent is not worth the price of admission. You may have heard some of them already. You may have not. But, this is not a post about them.

This is a rare interview with Mr. Shackelford. A no-holds barred event where Curt has the opprotunity to answer some of D.C.'s biggest questions as well as give his take on how the D.C. scene has changed, and how he views the world of comedy. Grab your popcorn, folks, you are in for a spectacle!

[Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, children of all ages.....hit the jump.]

For the unfortunate minority who have never heard of you or what you have done in D.C. over the years, please introduce yourself.

Hello, my name is Curt Shackelford….and I’m a compulsive organizer.

I started my first open mic at Parkers in Bethesda 5 or 6 years ago after tiring of schlepping to Wiseacres from Bethesda to compete with 20 other comics for 12 slots. I wanted my own show that I could MC, guaranteeing stage time each week. I found a local Bethesda bar that was game, and proceeded to run the absolute worst open mic ever—made many mistakes but really learned to run a room. The show ultimately sank for many reasons. The primary reason being that it was on a Monday night. Only alcoholic single people go out on Mondays.

Ironically the new Friday show at Parkers will prolly be a huge success cuz it’s on a great night—

What rooms do you currently run ?

Ri Ra Irish Pub in Clarendon, VA; Wed nite open mic

Topaz Hotel in Dupont Circle, DC; Thurs nite open mic

Hyatt Hotel in Bethesda, MD; Saturday nite showcase

What is your comedic background?

I did stand up for a couple years then started running my own shows to guarentee myself stage time cuz there was only one open mic back then—Wiseacres. Quite by accident, I discovered I was the greatest comedy show producer that ever lived.

Who are some of your influences comedic or otherwise?

Martin Short, Todd Glass, Brian Regan, etc.—goofy/silly comics—Will Ferrell—are some of my faves.

What's hacky comedy to you?

Not so much material-wise cuz that’s obvious—everyone agrees what is hacky—but what really annoys me is the hacky lines that comics feel they need to say:

“Keep it going for…..”

“Are you guys having fun?”

“How you guys doin tonite?”

“Who’s drinkin tonite?”

...and a dozen others that only annoy the audience and eat up the clock.

You give us your reasoning for producing shows over performing, but why do it at all? What drives you to be involved in comedy?

I went to the Ticonderoga Pencil Factory when i was a kid—the sight of all these yellow pencils rolling out on the assembly line was mesmerizing, cranking out perfect pencils by the hundreds every minute—they had to pull me away from the viewing glass. Aspergers again?—a fondness for systems, uniformity, and patterns...

Anyhoo, there's something satisfying about cranking out a fine product every week, whether it's a pencil or a show; in that respect, it's "fun."

What do you look for in a space when you approach a venue?

Separate room away from the main room is the big thing. My big mistake with Parkers was it’s a big open space. I naïvely thought that everyone in the place would be enthralled and thrilled to hear great comedy for free. Nope. Some people would rather not hear comedy—even great comedy. They’re on a date or they’re with a friend they haven’t seen for a while, and wanna chat, etc. So you need that separate room so these folks can have a place to go to get away from the show. At Parkers, it was seen as an intrusion by some folks…like “Hey…I’m eatin' here!!”

Let's just get to it, shall we? Recently, you wrote to me that you "[are] responsible for the renaissance of the DC open mic scene...five years ago there was only one open mic at Wiseacres...I copied them and made some improvements on their system...then people copied me, made some improvements on my system, and it snowballed from there."

I have to qualify that by saying Chris White’s starting of DC Standup was what made the renaissance possible. That site was like erecting a giant canvas, and suddenly everyone started throwing paint on it. I started Parkers, and I think other comics saw how easy it was to open a room of their own, so they followed suit in their respective neighborhoods. My shows were way better cuz I brought “real show” production values (stage, spotlight, etc.) to the venue. I wanted to copy that aspect of Wiseacres as well even though Parkers was just a bar.

Maybe you answered this already but you have also said that "open mics that are run by comics instead of non-coms like me will eventually & inevitably fail." Well Curt, you are actually right, because ALL open mics eventually fail/close.

So why then do you feel rooms run by non-coms are better?

If a comic splits his energy between practicing/perfecting his craft and running a room (read “selling food and beverages to justify your show's existence”), his craft will suffer. Every minute a comic spends on running a show is a minute he could have spent writing, rehearsing, or performing. This will eventually annoy the comic to the point he/she gives up in disgust, and turns his focus solely to his craft.

I tried to perform and run at Parkers, and I did both of them perfectly half-assed cuz it’s too taxing to do both well. I gave up in disgust but chose running shows over performing cuz I was great at it. I was a good comic, but a great producer. You gotta be great at what you do or forget it. Good is not good enough.

Then, please explain the success of an open mic like "Soho Coffee & Tea", which from what DC Standup has said was the longest-running DC open mic of all time (and that website is never wrong), and also happened to be run by a comic.

Soho—Paul Schorsch shut his show down fed up and disgusted. He wrote a blog about it called “Curt is right—I’m fed up and disgusted.”

What do you look for in comics when you book Topaz? How about the Hyatt?

Silliness, silliness, silliness.

You have expressed some strong feelings about new comics, in which you have said, "more stage time will *not* make you funnier. You are funny right out of the gate or not...and all the stage time in the world will not help you cuz 99.9% of what makes you funny is *beyond your control*".

This statement is gonna get me assassinated, but I firmly believe this.

Just one example:

Andy Haynes—it’s not his writing, his delivery, his whatever—it’s his default facial expression that has to do with genetics that makes everything he does/says “funny.”

Many more examples upon request.

You have also expressed to me your usual hesitation for putting up improvisers having a go at stand-up.

Not at all—I actually love improv comics who come into standup—they are usually stronger comics because of their improv background (yourself, Scovel, etc.)

It’s the actual art of improv that I find tedious beyond belief; it's like waiting for lightning to strike—too hit or miss. With standup, you just have more chance of regular laughs via punchlines.

As a former comic yourself Curt, what is your reasoning on the harsh approach you take with booking really funny, established comedians who have proven themselves time and time again vs. the notion that "newbies and their audience" dictate the success of a locally run comedy show?

When I ran Parkers five years ago I used nothing but the best comics—I promoted the hell out of the show, but we never got a decent size audience with any regularity. Newbies were not gonna get on my “quality” show cuz I didn’t wanna dilute it.

The show eventually died cuz we couldn’t bring in enough bodies—even though I did a solid year with nothing but the best comics. Ironically, the show would have *eventually* caught on and it would have been packed, but the word “eventually” does not sit well with venue owners. They no understanding of “eventually.” They only understand “within this quarter.”

Now my shows are a mix of newbies who bring the audience and veterans who make them laugh.

Every time I try to tamper with the mix, the show sucks.

Great lineup of too many veteran comics equals playing to six people.

Shitty lineup of too many newbies equals playing to a packed house of folks that will never come again.

So it’s a mixed bag—a combined approach. As the Devil Himself (manifested as Dick Cheney) said, "sometimes the answer is 'both'."

You have butted heads with many comics during your time of booking shows. Some have voiced their opinion, others have not. What are your feelings about Jay Hastings and the dispute that erupted between you two last year?

Art versus commerce—Jay is a comic who naturally champions art over commerce. I am a greedy producer who favors commerce over art. I try to keep a balance though; but commerce comes first.

“You can’t have a cupboard if there ain’t no wall.”

Comedy is supposed to be fun. When comics first receive your pre-show list of rules, they tend to think "holy shit, what have i gotten myself into." So my question is, why not get rid of them? Especially since some parts, like the dress code (no Timbalands, no doo rags, no black skin) seem to be targeting a certain group.

There were no rules when I started. Everytime I got reprimanded by the venue, I made it a rule to prevent it from happening again.

The rules are there to "set the tone," and the tone is, "This is not just another shitty open mic with seven TV's on and three drunk guys who don't even realize there's a show going on."

I want comics to treat it like a *real show*. I certainly do, and they should too. The 345 rules say that loud & clear.

Thankfully, there are 15 other shows in town where you can get stage time—but they aren't as good as mine, precisely cuz they lack "structure" (another word for rules). I don't want to make it seem like the Big Bad Venue made me institute that dress code; that was all my doing.

My shows are in white neighborhoods. White folks are frightened by the gangsta look—white-black-Latino-whatever; it's intended to look threatening and it works. "Threatening" is not a good vibe at a comedy show.

Ironically, I lifted the dress code language verbatim from a flyer put out by FUR nightclub, a black club, that read "no Tims, no skullies, etc."

My one black friend (I have pictures of me shaking his hand) had to explain to me what that stuff was, but I knew if the black clubs themselves didn't want that in their venues then I didn't either.

Some people in the community feel like you avoid comics who run their own rooms. Any comment?

This is true, but not for sinister reasons. They have their own rooms so they no longer are as “needy” as other comics. They have a guaranteed weekly slot; so I prefer to use comics who are more in need of stage time cuz they [don’t have] their own rooms.

Do you think there is ANY correlation between the success of Rory Scovel, Ryan Conner, and Danny Rouhier, and the constant rotation you kept those three comics in at all of your shows? Are you trying to do the same for comics presently? If so, throw out some names. Go ahead, who does Curt like nowadays?

We fed off each other. It was a perfectly symbiotic relationship—very win-win.

I think I speeded up their ascent to the NYC level by providing them with enough bodies in the audience (non-com bodies) every week so they could get real feedback on their performances, tweak them in time for next week’s show, etc.

My current fave—Hampton. Again it’s the way he looks, walks, stands, sounds, his mannerisms—all stuff beyond his control.

And he was blessed with the silliness gene—again something beyond his control.

Why don't you like watching basketball games?

Sneakers suction-cup “thwick-thwick-thwick” sound of running down the court plus the squeaking from the sudden stops, turns, and starts. I have mild Asperger's Syndrome that makes me sensitive to certain sounds.

Solution: Moccasins.

Why the hell don't you ever come out to other shows? I know you are a busy guy, but how can you expect to be on the pulse of the comedy scene in town without seeing it?

I would love to come watch other shows cuz I can’t really enjoy my own shows cuz I’m “working” and can never fully focus on enjoying a comic’s set. But I’m just too wiped out at the end of the day. I’m asleep by 8pm and up by 4am the next day to go pore over the topographical map of the DC Open Mic scene in my bunker’s war room in my poofy Field Marshall pants…pushing little plastic tanks around with one of those plastic tank pusher stick–thingies.

What is with the email blasts, really? Why ignore so many emails? Don't you think that it is mean and it undermines people's confidence?

I’m running my shows in the cracks and crevices of my day job. I gotta cram all my comedy work into very limited time; efficiency rules the day. If I had someone to do the booking, it would be great. They could take the time to be a bit more human about the whole booking process, but until I can afford to hire someone it will have to be mass email cattle-call style.

Aparna does a swell job running the lights at your shows, doesn't she? Quite the gal.

I picked her cuz she’s small, and can fit in the tiny crevices I reserve for the light lady—not taking up any unnecessary square footage that the audience could use.

Swell job?

She routinely falls asleep, talks during the show, gives more time to her friend-comics, but thinks I don’t notice cuz I am old and senile. But until a smaller comic comes along, her job is safe. I don’t like young people.

How do you see the open mic scene changing five years from now, and what are you doing to make sure you are a part of it?

There are shitty cover bands playing live “music” on every street corner. I’d like to see a comedy night on every corner alongside this plethora of live music. It should be as prevalent as live music. But live comedy is seen as a “wild animal” and also a “black sheep of the arts,” so venues are very afraid of letting this wild rabid dog into their fine establishment. But they have no problem letting in a lame cover band—safer I guess.

But the more rooms there are, the easier it will be for the next room to open, cuz you can point to the other rooms and say “Hey look Mr. General Manager, that place across the street is doing comedy!” So then it can snowball even bigger and bigger.

Read more!

4 Then Interview: Rory Scovel

In the 4 Then Interview series, DCC4N hopes to answer the question on many DC comic's minds..."What happens when I leave DC?" In this edition, Rory Scovel "sits down" with us and tries to get us to believe that he misses his friends the most.


Since leaving DC in the dust for a shot at stardom in New York City, Rory Scovel has appeared on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, toured Canada twice, and placed third in the Seattle Comedy Competition(first and second were taken). Rory returns to DC this weekend for a full week of shows that you should either catch or catch twice.
Wednesday 12/5: Dr. Dremos in Clarendon. DVD taping w/ Kojo Mante, Jay Hastings, Jon Mumma. Free at 8pm
Thursday 12/6: 18th and Red Showcase. Free at 9pm
Friday 12/7: Headlining the Hyatt Hotel in Bethesda, MD. $10 at 8pm
Saturday 12/8: Headlining the Hyatt Hotel again. Fundraiser. $10 at 8pm.
Also on 12/8: Poonanza at the Warehouse Theater on 7th St. $7 at 10pm

I was lucky enough to have Rory email me answers to questions that I emailed to him the other day. Here are those questions and answers now:

How long were you performing in DC and what were your favorite rooms?

I performed in DC for exactly 3 years. I moved up from SC in February of 04 and started getting on stage in the middle of March. Over the course of 3 years my favorite room of all was Dr. Dremos. It wasn't just the room and the show that made it awesome for me but the whole day. My friends would come over to my house to play video games and drink and smoke and then we'd head out to Clarendon. The crowds were always fun and it was the one open mic that seemed to resemble a real comedy club atmosphere. I also enjoyed Topaz and Bossa on Thursday nights. The best rooms were the ones that weren't just the show but the best to hang out in. When Rendezvous first started I had the best time standing outside on their front porch just talking with other comics before, during and after the show. Because of Dremos on the same night I was only able to do this a few times.

When did you decide it was time to move?

After traveling through Canada for the first time in 2006 I decided it was time to get involved in a new comedy scene. I was originally planning on moving to Chicago when I got home so that I could focus on improv. I wanted to learn improv in Chicago and see how I could apply it to my standup. I loved being in DC and def. wanted to stay with my friends but I knew in order to move on in standup you have to be involved in different scenes so that your act can evolve and you can be influenced and motivated by new performers.

Why did you choose to move to New York?

Because of the Seattle Comedy Competition last year I was able to meet with a few people from CBS and NBC. They told me they were interested in seeing me more often for auditions for random projects. I pretty much had to be in a place where I could drop in for an audition within an hours notice. So it was LA or NYC for me and I love the east coast and have more friends in NYC. That def. made the move a lot easier.

How did your time in DC prepare you for performing in a bigger market?

DC is a great city to start doing standup. 3 years ago it wasn't incredibly difficult to get on stage because there were fewer performers than now. If you could do well at most shows it usually led to invites to other open mics. Seeking out time in rooms wasn't a month or two month wait, usually just a week or two and you could get up. The better you did, the sooner you were back in. Being able to perform frequently is the only way to really get better at standup. DC did that for me and def. prepared me for NYC. I think NYC is a huge jump from DC but really its just a matter of confidence on stage not really the material. So DC taught me how to be a confident performer.

What are you now able to do that you couldn't do in DC?

Well I can't say that I'm able to do this yet but I'm hoping I can say it in the future. By being here in NYC I'm hoping to establish myself amongst the bigger standups and hopefully become a regular opener for someone. Right now I know I can improve my material and my act greatly if I could just perform regularly. To actually get on the road with a comic and do 25 minutes 6-8 times most weekends out of the year is the only way to get better. Right now I don't have any connections or face time with these bigger names and I think NYC might make it easier to change that. Again, can't say thats def. going to be the case though.

What do you miss most about DC?

My friends. My best friends live in DC and they can't be replaced. I think standup comedy really is the wildest mental roller coaster. Having good friends that are right there with you every step of the way and can relate to what you are going through is priceless. It can't be replaced with anything. I wish my friends and I could just get in a van and travel the US doing shows in small venues and coffee houses. I know one day it will happen but its one of those things I wish we could just do right now.

Check out this video of Rory from his appearance on Live at Gotham.

RORY IS DOING THIS, DC! Read more!

Salute to Dr. Dremos: Comedy Showcase this Wednesday Night!!

For comics and patrons alike, Dr. Dremos in Arlington, VA has been a top spot to party at for many, many years. From their legendary (and now banned) Beer-Pong tables to their awesome downstairs lounge for comedy shows and music, Dr. Dremos will surely be missed after it is torn down for more F'ing condos in Feb '08. It really is a shame.

But, there is still time to catch great shows at Dr. Dremos before it closes and this Wednesday, December 5th marks one of the last opprotunities to do so.Rory Scovel, Jon Mumma , Kojo Mante, and Jay Hastings will be featured for a special Comedy Showcase & DVD taping. This show is going to be one of the finest Dr. Dremos has ever seen. Please come out to support live, local stand-up comedy and celebrate the kick-ass legacy of this one fine establishment.

To recap:
WHO:Rory Scovel, Jon Mumma, Kojo Mante, & Jay Hastings
WHAT:An amazing comedy show
WHEN:Wednesday, December 5th 2007 @ 8pm
WHERE:Dr Dremos, Arlington, VA

Read more!

Open Mic Over Population

Anyone else think it’s time for some more comics to start their own rooms? If last nights bread line of an Open Mic proved anything, it’s that John McBride does way too much for the DC Comedy Scene and countless comics ride his coattails. He runs Rendezvous every Wednesday night with NO help, and he co-operates The Bomb Shelter with me every Thursday. Other comics in the community that run their own rooms and help provide Life for a fledgling, near death open mic scene in this town are: Tyler Sonnichsen with the Laughing Lizard (which is Bi-Weekly and a great room), Lance Smith has Bistro Europa on Sundays, and of course The Godfather Curt Shakelford runs his rooms. I know that there are other comics in the area that put on shows in the outskirts of the DC Metro Area like Jim Pate with Brittnay’s or one of the shows in Columbia, Maryland. However, where the hell are the weekly shows to perform in DC? Wednesday is The Vous and Thursday is a showcase show. Monday’s are fucking DEAD. Tuesday are DEAD, but I have heard that Café Japone might be opening back up. However, I was there on Tuesday and the owner was trying to make people pay $15 dollars to watch a fucking open mic. Friday night...DEAD again. Then Saturday if you’re lucky you can get up at Tyler’s Laughing Lizard.

Why don’t more comics take action and try to do something for themselves. Fuck the community, do it for your own stage time. Be greedy…I am. Find a space, create a show, and make time for yourself and for your friends and for good comics. I don’t understand why people sit on their ass and wait for shows to pop up. Go find a place! Last night at TheVous there were almost 30 FUCKING COMICS! So, instead of comics getting 5 - 10 mins, everyone got 2 MINS!!! I know I really got a lot out of reading joke premises out of my notebook. The ecosystem that is the open mic scene is so out of balance. In nature when a population explodes, and the environment can no longer sustain that population…you know what happens? It fucking dies. So are there any comics out there who will take action and start a new environment to sustain us? Cause if not we can just treat it like overpopulated deer, and start shooting the weaker, slower, can't detect camouflage comics (Jon Mumma would have a field day!). There are a handful of us who have rooms and try to produce quality shows, and it's really fucking hard.

“Go and do likewise gents. Otherwise, I have no sympathy for you.”
Blake – “Glen Gary, Glen Ross” Read more!

Pleasant Tranny Suprise

Last night I went to the "Drag Race" on 17th St. It was awesome cubed. I had such a good time watching the parade of flashy outfits, I spent a month's pay on my costume. I never seen that much glitter. It looked like a glitter factory fucked an imagination and bred sparkles everywhere. The attention to detail was jaw dropping. This one guy had the board game "Life" glued to his head, and it was at least 3 feet tall. I could hear his neck muscles call him an "asshole". But he was committed and unlike a horrible traffic accident, you don't feel bad staring at them. In fact, they LOVE IT! I got my picture taken with so many hot chicks (SCORE!). I got my photo taken with a group of men dressed as southern bible beaters, and they beat my sweet ass with crosses and bibles. I can't wait till Dad sees that. Was that in God's plan, Dad? I don't think so.

I'll write more when I get my photos back from the parade. Read more!

Obligatory Halloween Post

Found this little gem over at the CC Insider. If you're going to go trick or treating, why not find out what candy bars are popular in Armenia? HINT: this video won't tell you...

Read more!

Comedians of Comedy of Memories Past....

This picture is the what my brain told me I felt like last night...on the inside.

Jason commented on the Comedians of Comedy show that we went to last night. I actually bought Jason’s ticket so it was like a date (Jason didn’t put out). I agree with Jason’s comments, with the exception of the “I think Brian Poshen isn’t funny.” I like his comedy. I think he’s funny. Jason is biased because Jason was raped by a “scary man” when he was little.

Anywho, the point behind my blog is that I felt a familiar feeling at last nights Comedians of Comedy show, and I’m going to blog about it. Yaaayyyy!! While some of your people (a.k.a. readers of this blog) might think DC is a shitty place for comedy, we have all witnessed some great comics get their start here. And that’s what I saw last night: I saw great comics in their element. And that’s what made me so nostalgic; I’ve felt the exact same way at local open mics, showcases, and club shows where I’ve watched my friends and I perform. It’s getting to watch something great. It’s getting to be in the right place, at the right time and be totally amazed at the magic someone creates with the curveballs their thrown (wow, that was an odd metaphor). I’ve been lucky enough to be friends with a lot of great comic, and I’ve seen them all crush (and bomb), and last night just reminded me of that. I don’t know why I felt so nostalgic last night, but it made me start thinking about all the kick ass comedy moments I’ve witness personally and then talked about on a smokey car ride home.

If you don’t value comedy…you should Read more!

Comedians of Comedy @ The Black Cat (Last Night)

You know what I love about the Comedians of Comedy? There is no smoke and mirrors. There is no in-your-face personas, basking in the glow of their own huge head caked with 2 pounds of hair gel. There are no “catch phrases”. There is no intro music by “Blur”. There are just 4 incredibly funny comics who don’t know how to put on an act. They are incapable of acting too cool for school. They are humble to be in front of you. That is why I can’t help but feel instantly connected to them.

Patton Oswalt is a fantastic jolly little man. I love the way he can instantly make a fool of himself. He made an awkward entrance and immediately called attention to it. “Oh, the little goblin had a problem finding the staircase.” Great!! If the audience can see, then don’t ignore it. It is always more funny to accept the reality of the moment and make it work. That is basically what Patton does all night. He makes it work with what he's got. The guy is super smart. I was in awe of his crowd work, because he is so sharp he can cut anyone up but is still silly enough to never truly offend an audience member. He is just so lovable! I was this close to SQUEEEEZZING him!

I had never really warmed up to Maria Bamford before I went to see the show. I watched the Comedians of Comedy television series and the movie and something never stuck with me. But, I knew there had to be a reason for her to be a part of the tour for so long. I found out as soon as she got on stage. The woman is incredible. She does characters so well that I found myself lost in them. Literally, I was surprised it was the same woman. She has such a quiet & awkward “normal” voice on stage that when she shifts to a character it is quite the surprise. I am sure she does that on purpose, which only adds to how wonderful she is. For a comedian who enjoys playing a lot different characters in a show myself, I really identified with her style and enjoyed it very much.

Someone I didn’t think I was going to enjoy but did was Eugene Mirman. I saw him in Brooklyn about 2 years ago and didn’t really like his stuff. He had a lot of notes and even went as far as to bring a laptop to show off some sort of power point presentation. Needless to say, I don’t remember it being too funny. But last night, I knew Mirman would be bringing his “A-Game”. Well, he is great. So smart and quick. He printed out the survey form from www.classmates.com and read his answers to each question to a great response. His attention to detail, it reminded me of George Carlin. Maybe, I was too drunk and uncomfortable to like him in NYC. But, now I am a fan.

I wasn’t that big on Brian Posehn. He has the highest creepiness/nerd/”rapey face” rating of all of them. It was just too awkward for my tastes.

Even still, I was incredibly happy with the whole show. I have liked Patton for a while now and it was great to see him live. I was so won over by the other comics of the night that I can’t wait to start exploring more of their material. For anyone who missed the show do yourself a favor, check these guys out please. Buy tickets when they come back into town. Buy their CD’s. Buy Ratatouille on DVD and Blue-Ray disc. Buy everything. They all deserve it. Read more!

SC on DC is the reason we exist

I know there is a good chance you've already seen this since it's from a while ago. But we weren't a blog then so I'm posting it now. Since this blog is about two things(The district of Columbia and comedy occurring in, at , and around it) that this video couldn't be more about, there is no way that this couldn't not be not on our blog. Or something.





Read more!

"Hey DC! You are smart, but ugly and unfriendly!"

Taken from our friends at Mission Critical.

A Travel & Leisure survey on America’s Favorite Cities reveals what people really think about the District of Columbia and other major US cities.

People Category & Rank (out of 25)

Athletic/active 17th
Attractive 24th
Diverse 4th
Friendly 23rd
Fun 25th
Intelligent 4th
People (Overall) 16th
Stylish 18th
Worldly 1st

Wow, is this any surprise? I have to think that the majority of people in this country don't think that working for the federal government, being a legislative assistant on the hill, a non-profit social worker or a lobbying suit on K Street are "fun" professions to be in. I know there is more to DC than just that, but do people who have never lived here think any different?

So, what does that mean for comedians in this city? If you are one who is serious about your craft and does everything you can to succeed in it, then you know what that means.

Culture Category & Rank (out of 25)

Architecture/notable buildings 1st
Classical music 6th
Culture (Overall) 2nd
Historical sites/monuments 1st
Museums/galleries 1st
Theater 6th
Underground arts scene 14th

Alright, this is interesting. Obviously DC is known for its monuments and important landmarks. These rankings relect the obvious appreciation for american history in this country. A visitor wants to see the Smithsonian Museums, Capital Building, White House, National Archives, etc. Heck, even our growing theater scene is mostly Shakespeare! There is definitely a yearning for the past in this city.

But, when it comes to comedy there is no going back. There is love and appreciation for comedians who have paved the way for us, but that cannot be experience like a 200 year old building or document can. I will never see Richard Pryor or Mitch Hedberg perform ever again. Therefore, comedy has to always be changing. Always pushing a new idea. A new perspective. That is comedy at the roots. So, in a city that is known for its historical influence, can it also be expected to be the place where new creative thoughts are develop?

Really, isn't that the ol' complaint people have against politicians? "Different person, same shit."

Click the link above to see what else people have to say about DC. HINT: We aren't as ugly as Philadelphians! Read more!