Increasingly these days, comedians are using the world of podcasts as a way to promulgate their own particular brand of hilarity. I've never met a bandwagon I didn't like, and thus have been fervently trying to join them. Especially this week...

Monday 18th: Shambles Open Mic. Mo Welch and Rasa Gierstikas run this rough and ready open mic on Division St. Usually this show is a lot of fun; this particular night the mostly comedian-filled audience was a little frosty. However, all it takes is a couple of smokin' hot bits from Adam Burke to thaw this crowd out, right? Actually not so much. I gamely tried a bunch of new material that tanked hard. Still, that's what open mics are for; they let you know if new stuff might work, and they kick you in the pants when you've got a whole bunch of nothing. 

Wednesday 20th: Wednesdays are busy for me; I host the Garret Ripley's (712 N. Clark) comedy showcase to an intimate crowd in the basement of this cool River North bar. Then I jet over to Cole's bar (2338 N. Milwaukee) to help Chilarious founder Cameron Esposito run our weekly open mic there. We usually get between 30-50 comics but still manage to keep it fun and high energy throughout (we also have an amazing cadre of diehard audience members who come back week after week). Between the two I get a lot of opportunity to hone my hosting chops, which is important for a newer comedian. 

Thursday 21st: Chicago comics get booked in just about any kind of space that can hold a mic and a speaker. Take for instance the show I did on Thursday, which was held in the party room of a high rise in River North. The shows are the brainchild of local promoter Andy Siegmann who books shows in a half dozen or so high rise buildings throughout various downtown neighborhoods. I asked Andy about his motives behind the show. "World domination," said Seigmann. But seriously folks: "We aim to provide a fun event for residents and a little marketing for each building." These shows can be a lot of fun, especially if crowd workers extraordinaire Marty DeRosa and Joe Kilgallon are also on the bill. 

Friday 22nd: Back at Cole's tonight to do a slot at a music show for my friend Roy Ivy. Doing comedy in between bands isn't always the easiest thing in the world so I was lucky that the crowd listened and even laughed during my set. 

Saturday 23rd: I got to pick up a nice hosting gig opening for the fantastic Brian Posehn at the  Lakeshore Theater. Adding to the sweetness of the situation was that the show also featured Mike Stanley and brilliant New York iconoclast Mr. Jamie Kilstein. 

Chilarious Scene reporter Thunder Davis (aka Chris Condren) brought us the first of a series of show recommendations with this review of The Mo Show:

So, about a week ago, and through no fault of my own, I turned 34. While this has, as you can imagine, taken quite a psychic toll on as winsome and effete a soul as I, the transition has not been without its benefits. To whit, I got to spend it in the company of some of the most talented and all-round delectable souls in the Chicago comedy community. A brief recap of the past six or so days, you ask? Why, certainly:

Sunday 10th: I had the good fortune to spend part of my birthday over at the marvelous Entertaining Julia showcase at Town Hall Pub. The manifold pleasures of appearing on this delightful and always gangbusters show were topped by its being closed by Mr. Brady Novak, one of the most exquisitely hilarious people I've ever had the pleasure to meet. To sample just a soupcon of Mr. Novak's indefatigable wit please peruse this clip (absolutely NSFW, nor for the faint of heart), which he wrote and produced with members of the brilliant HeavyWeight sketch group (who happened to be in town for SketchFest).

Monday 11th: I was honored to be part of the inaugural line-up for the brand new Please Enjoy Yourself showcase at the Underground Lounge. I think this is going to be a solid showcase; it's in a great neighborhood and the venue is tailor-made for fun, intimate stand-up.

Wednesday 13th: Chicago stand-up got to kick its heels into some of the most hallowed performance turf in the city. Longtime Schuba's bartender and inchoate comedian Brad LaBree threw together (and hosted) an amazing show at the prestigious Southport music venue which looks to be a monthly staple of the scene. The first Laugh It Up Kid showcase -also part of the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival- featured myself alongside James Fritz, Mike Sheehan, Cameron Esposito, and Prescott Tolk.

Thursday 14th: The Three Graces of the Chicago comedy scene- that is, Lauren Vino, Renee Schultz, and Liza Treyger- host a marvelous show called Riot Comedy over at Chicago Joe''s every Thursday. I got to do a set here this night, and had the pleasure of seeing headliner  Brendan McGowan do the most effusive version of his famous "Steak Story" I'd ever seen.

Friday 15th; I closed out my week with a set at the Cakewalk extravaganza, a marvelous improv showcase curated by the eponymous Cakewalk group at the Playground Theater. The show begins at midnight, and as befits such a late show, the crowd was dutifully and correctly rowdy. Shows like this can be rough, or they can be as they were in this instance; an utter delight. Having a tipsy crowd lob non sequiturs at you can be a lot of fun- when you're in the right frame of mind- and this group were the exactly the right mix of playful and respectful. I had a lot of fun, and it was an excellent end to my first week of being 34.

Cheers, you lovable rogues.

Adam Burke

comedians.comedycentral.com

In case you missed the show last night, Prescott Tolk headlines what is sure to be another amazing show at the Lakeshore Theater tonight.  His two show headliner gig is the first in the Lakeshore's new Art of Local Comedy Series.  Future installments will feature the likes of Ken Barnard and Dan Telfer.  The Lakeshore does an outstanding job of supporting local talent, and these shows are a great way to see some of Chicago's best comics do a full 45 minute set.

Prescott Tolk headlines the Lakeshore Theater at 7:30 PM tonight.

Tonight's Lincoln Lodge line-up includes former Chicagoans Brady Novak and Nick Vatterott, two of the most innovative and engaging performers I have ever seen.  You would rarely get a chance to see either of these guys on a Chicago show.  With both on one bill, you are almost required to put on your snow boots, wrap a scarf round your head, and get on over to Lincoln, Damen and Irving Park tonight.  As an added bonus, hop down the street to Chicago Joe's after the Lodge show to catch the end of Riot Comedy.  There.  I've planned an amazing evening for you.  You're welcome.

The Lincoln Lodge runs Thursday and Friday nights at 9 PM at the Lincoln Restaurant (4008 N. Lincoln).  Riot Comedy runs Thursdays at 9:30 PM at Chicago Joe's (2256 W. Irving Park).

My buddy Kevin McCaffrey is in town this week for holiday familytime, and I got the chance to perform with him last night.  Kevin is a great guy, very friendly, extremely funny, someone I struck up a conversation with doing shows in New York and with whom I have kept in touch.  He's also works for the Late Show with David Letterman, and spends his mornings emailing in possible jokes for Dave's monologue.  Kevin told me last night that his greatest dream career wise has always been to work for Letterman.  And I'm going to assume he always wanted to wear a bathrobe whilst doing so:



Kevin McCaffrey performs tonight at 9:30 PM at Chicago Underground Comedy.

During his few years as a Chicagoan, Jordan Vogt-Roberts revolutionized the interaction between standup comedy and short films.  As the filmmaker behind the now defunct Blerds.com, Jordan's videos worked out jokes for a collection of Chicago's top comics - many of whom, like TJ Miller and Kyle Kinane, have gone on to greater national success.  Jordan has since relocated to LA, and his short film Successful Alcoholics is an official selection of this year's Sundance Film Festival.  I caught up with JVR to ask a few questions about moving from Chicago's alternative standup scene to Sundance. 

Think manger scenes are boring?  Then please allow sometime Chicago (now Cincinnati) comic Mike Cody to kick your holidays up a notch. 


Heading through Cincinnati soon?  Mike runs Underbelly, "the strangest show in town," the first Tuesday of every month.  More details via StandupCincy.