PLEASEEASAUR live at The Khyber, 9/23
The band has a DVD, three albums (the most recent being 2006’s The Amazing Adventures of Pleaseeasaur for Comedy Central Records) and numerous other tapes, but it’s something that has to be experienced live. After a costume change behind the curtain, a stoner-type walks out in a ripped “King of The Remote Control” t-shirt. Time for some jokes about drinking and partying, right? Nope. Instead, the song is mostly an earnest list of things that you can do in your free time. Clip art images sync up with what the character is singing about, like “Threaten Some Kids”, “Practice Your Home Run Swing”, and the crowd’s favorite: “Winning A Jazz Trophy”. What?!
Creator J.P. Hasson has been doing it since the early 90s. During his high school years in the Seattle area, Hasson would mess around on his dad’s Yamaha sequencer. “I would hang out and smoke pot in my parents’ garage. I’d compose little MIDI things on it and then improv straight to tape.” He continues: “I’ve always been a huge TV commercial and theme song junkie. When I would watch TV with my sisters, we would all watch the show and then I would watch them when the commercials came on. Just to see how they would react to certain things.” That would explain the healthy amount of songs for fake companies like “No Prob Limo”, “Pizza Brothers & Sons Inc.”, and “Randy Normal Jeans”. “They’re real companies,” Hasson says. “I own 117 companies. I figure if one can get off the ground…”
He’s got a Philadelphia connection as well. J.P. first saw Philly’s own Dead Milkmen at the age of 15. “Everyone classified them as a punk band, but I never thought they were a punk band. I just considered them a comedy-art band. So by self-classifying it as that, I got a lot more out of it as far as content and delivery.” He became friends with the group and sent them his early Pleaseeasaur tapes, which they would listen to in their tour van and laugh at. When he got older, J.P. even moved to Philadelphia and was in a band with Dead Milkmen guitarist Joe Genaro (”Joe Jack Talcum”).
What’s next for Pleaseeasaur? There’s a new DVD in the works, a West Coast tour with Joe Jack and he’s done the theme song for a new Cartoon Network show. But J.P. will always enjoy performing live the most. It’s also probably the key to his success as Pleaseeasaur has opened for stand-up comic Neil Hamburger and the indie rock bands Black Heart Procession, The Melvins, Man…or Astro Man?, Pinback and Presidents of the United States of America over the years. “I like doing records and DVDs, but I will and I do drive hundreds of thousands of miles to perform 40 minutes.”
DON’T FORGET: The Comic Vs. Audience Comedy Show!
Hey, don’t forget: our next stand-up show is now only a week away!! Brought to you in conjunction with the Philly Improv Theater, we’re bringing you another four hilarious stand-up comedians once again. It’s the
Tickets are now available on the Philly Improv Theater website and we recommend you do so to ensure that there’s a seat for your fanny!
Not convinced? See what the critics are saying!
“A fantastical adventure…a wonderful voyage!” -Asia Times Online
“High….larious! Two thumbs…up!” – Roger Ebert, film critic
“This show is as fun as shooting swine from your back porch in the freezing rain. Ho ho, Nixon was a crook.” – Hunter S. Thompson, author
featuring:
Tim Ryan
Luke Giordano
Doogie Horner
Chip Chantry
Here are the details:
The Comic Vs. Audience Comedy Show
Monday, October 6th, 2008
at the Shubin Theatre (407 Bainbridge St.) [directions]
8PM
Five American Dollars (BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!)
BYOB!
* = NOT GUARANTEED. Only applies if something extraordinary happens to you that night, like if you were to meet the man/woman of your dreams. Hey, the show is BYOB, it’s a possibility!
INTERVIEW: Dave Walk
The one thing I like the most about Philly Comedy is that we had to invent it. It’s hard work writing material, creating shows, and getting people to come to our events. But it’s also really awesome because, since it’s our creation, we have complete and total freedom. After all, we made it.
Dave Walk exemplifies what this has all become better than anybody. He thought Philly needed a website like The Apiary, so he made one. It’s the online home of the Philly Comedy Community. I’m thrilled to be able to put up some of my dumb essays every two weeks.
Instead of posting some other examples of my glaring immaturity, I asked Dave if I could interview him to celebrate Comic vs. Audience’s one year anniversary. As anyone who knows Dave at all, you realize what a humble and nice guy he is. Initially, he didn’t want to be interviewed. But he relented after I e-mailed him and also tortured one of his cats. Just kidding. I don’t know his e-mail address.
Anyways, here’s Dave Walk as you have never seen Dave Walk before. -Gregg Gethard
1. What is your background in comedy? What are your earliest comedy memories, when did you know you want to take up comedy and how did you get started with comedy?
My answer to this is unfortunately very cliche. As a kid, I used to stay up for ‘Saturday Night Live’ when my parents let me and I always liked watching stand-up comics on the late shows. I would tape them on the VCR when I could (by the way- seemingly almost anyone involved in comedy will you give you this same story). Also, although I didn’t know it growing up, my dad was really into stand-up comedy. A while ago he showed me a bunch of old VHS tapes that he had recorded from TV- he had Richard Pryor and Kinison specials that I hadn’t seen until then because they weren’t even on DVD. So maybe it’s something in my DNA.
In college I wrote for an awful closed-circuit sketch TV show (at our first meeting the producer asked “who here thinks SNL sucks now?” Yeah, like we were going to give them a run for their money) and did some awful stand-up as well. When I moved to Philadelphia after graduating, I never picked it up again even though I wish I had.
2. When and why did the lightbulb go off in your head about creating C vs. A?
I was actually listening to a Paul F. Tompkins interview on ‘The Sound of Young America’ and PFT was talking about his early days doing comedy in Philadelphia. It got me thinking about how NYC, Chicago and L.A. are the hot spots for comedy, but every city has their own local scene. So I looked around more and saw there were blogs in these other cities but nothing in Philly. And actually, there was almost no coverage of comedy in Philadelphia, the weeklies and dailies ignored it for the most part. So putting together a website to cram it into everyone’s head until they couldn’t ignore it anymore seemed like a good idea.
3. You and I both share the same awesome taste in music — DIY punk/indie/power-pop, etc. Do you see a link between the music you grew up listening to and to everything going on w/ Philly comedy?
There’s definitely a DIY energy with everyone starting their own shows and not waiting for some kind of producer to do it for them and people like having total control over what they do. Plus, almost everyone has grown a mohawk at some point and put Xs on their knuckles. We’ve all gotten into fights and kicked someone in the face with our Doc Martens. A lot of shows are $5, just how Ian MacKaye would’ve liked it. (I got bored with this answer after the first sentence)
4. What have some of your favorite memories the past year been? Is there anyone you think deserves a little of the spotlight cast on them who has been under the radar?
Well, everyone is still under the radar at this point, so I don’t know how I can answer that. But as far as highlights- I’d say the Philly’s Phunniest Contest was great not just because Kent won, but because a lot of other comics really stepped up their game and you could definitely see a leap in their performances. The material was always there, but with the extra confidence of advancing, a lot of comics did considerably better and it was awesome to see.
All of the other shows had their moments: Ministry of Secret Jokes, Die, Actor, Die, Bedtime Stories. The 24-Hour Comedy Marathon was fun and the last Philadelphia Improv Festival was great. The Helium open mic can make me laugh so much sometimes. There were a lot of other good one-off shows, too.
5. Who do you think would win in a fight — me (producer of Bedtime Stories) or Don Montrey (producer of Die Actor Die) or Doogie Horner (producer of Ministry) — and why? Feel free to discuss how those guys would kill me in a fight.
Nothing against you or Don, but definitely Doogie. I just think he’d come with so much more fury than either of you. And have you seen the Ministry of Secret Jokes website? He’s a little dark as it is. (This was a tough question because no matter what I say someone’s going to be pissed off. So, sorry).
6) You perform stand-up yourself. (And, as the readers might not realize since you are allergic to self-promotion), but you’re have really improved a lot the past few months. I really like your stand-up because A) you’re not afraid to talk about basketball b) you mention Canned Heat and c) you have an understated/quiet style that really stands out.) What makes you say “Hey, that’s not a bad bit for a joke” or “I really like this as a joke.” I also forbid you from using the words “absurd” or “observational” in your answer.
Wow, what a question/paragraph. Um, I talk about stuff that I find funny, that’s my main rule. It has to feel right when I say it because if it doesn’t but it still gets a laugh, I won’t do it again (if that makes any sense at all). And then I make sure it isn’t an idea that’s been done a zillion times before. That’s about it really.
7) What do you think is the next step for Philly as a comedy city? What do you think we’re missing that we need to do to get to “the next level?” Also, what exactly is our next level?
There have to be more quality open mics that get crowds. Comics need to be able to try new stuff and to experiment, but it’s hard when you only get up once or twice a week. Because quality stage time is so few and far between, it’s easy to rely on what you know works instead of trying new stuff, or to expand or hone something the way it should be.
The other next level, in my opinion, is just to fill up our local shows. It’s kind of hard to be seen by industry here because there isn’t any, but there are millions of people in the area that can come out to shows. Everyone likes to laugh, right? If you fill up shows and have people be excited about comedy and really want to be there like in New York, that would be awesome.
(Great, a question that makes me look like a jerk for talking about someone I don’t know) I would say probably Todd Glass, who is from Philly originally. He seems to be really supportive of younger comedians and it seems like he really loves and cares about comedy.
9) Who, right now, is the defining comic (not just stand-up, but in general) of the moment? Judd Apatow? Tina Fey? Steven Colbert? Am I missing someone completely? And explain WHY to your answer.
Golly, I don’t know. I think Jimmy Pardo is so much funnier than everyone else and it doesn’t even feel like material when he performs. Stephen Colbert is certainly something different. Louis CK is doing some new things with stand-up and will be really influential for some time to come.
10) Your favorite period of architecture: Baroque or neo-Classical?
Don’t paint me into a corner on this one! I’m a fan of the minimalism of Mies van der Rohe and the post-modern-whatever of guys like Frank Gehry. But if I had to pick between the two, I’d say Baroque.
If there was one comic (stand-up/sketch/etc.) you wish would move to Philadelphia and take the local scene here under his/her wing, whom would you wish for?
Comic Vs. Audience Turns 1!
It was exactly one year ago that we put up our first post: a video interview with local comedian Anton Shuford. What was at first just a video podcast of Philadelphia comedy exploded into a multi-media website with interviews, photos, news, columns, reviews or more stuff. We screened Doug Benson’s Super High Me before it hit stores and today we have our own stand-up show and have been on the cover of Time! Ok, that last one isn’t true. Yet!
And what’s in the works for next year, you say? We’ll have a re-designed look, some new features, new columns and some other big surprises. More, more, and more.
We’d like to specifically thank Doogie Horner for the artwork (today’s his birthday too!), Gregg Gethard for his writing, everyone else that has contributed to the cause and Rashanda La Beats for putting up with all of this goddamn bullshit. Oh yes, and all of the comedians of Philadelphia that making this worth doing.
[Confetti-filled balloons fall from the ceiling, the crowd can't stop rhythmically clapping. Wow, they are really going all-out with this, it's only a freakin' website.]
To REALLY celebrate, after the jump we’ve compiled a list of our favorite and most popular posts from the last year.
Seriously, thanks for reading this thing. It’s been fun.
VIDEO INTERVIEWS COLUMNS REVIEWS OTHER FEATURES
Anton Shuford
Jonah Ray and the (Still) Born in the USA Comedy Tour
Doogie Horner at Die, Actor, Die
Meg & Rob at Die, Actor, Die
Die, Actor, Die!: Fred Siegel and The Funniest Waiter in Philadelphia
Pat Barker at Die, Actor, Die
Diz at Bedtime Stories
Secret Pants at Bedtime Stories
Animosity Pierre at Bedtime Stories
The Ultimate Warrior Reads Transcripts from the Rush Limbaugh Radio Show
Kent Haines at Die, Actor, Die
Meg & Rob at Bedtime Stories
Illegal Refill – long-form improv
Kent Haines and Aaron Hertzog at Bedtime Stories
Comedy at an Art Show
Animosity Pierre at Die, Actor, Die
Omniana Battle: Pat Barker vs. Kent Haines
Chip Chantry at the Ministry of Secret Jokes
Ministry of Secret Jokes Instructional Video #1: How To Dress Mysteriously
HISTORY’S MYSTERIES: Abe Lincoln
Ministry of Secret Jokes Instructional Video #2: How To Keep A Secret
Joey Dougherty
The Sixth Borough
Gregg Gethard, Part I II
The Great Holtzie
Brendan Kennedy
Secret Pants
Greg Maughan
Animosity Pierre
Don Montrey
Meg & Rob
5 Questions With: Dave Hill
Doogie Horner’s Literary Adventures
Dave Terruso’s Life Of Letters
Chip Chantry: I Messed With Texas
DUCK, DUCK, NOOSE: A Local Man’s Sad Commute is Truly a Buzz-Kill by Chip Chantry
The Chris Farley Show by Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby
Comedy at the Edge by Richard Zoglin
Bill Cosby live
Chris Rock live
The Comedians of Comedy live
Doug Stanhope Live
Philly’s Phunniest Person Contest coverage
A Comedy Podcast Review
DO IT ROCKAPELLA!: The Epic Tale of ‘Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?’ by Gregg Gethard
Five Web Apps That Could Help Your Comedy
The Colbert Report in Philadelphia
THE TRAGEDY TO COMEDY CONVERSION CHART by Doogie Horner
THINGS YOU SAY DURING SEX flow chart by Doogie Horner
THE UNIVERSAL COMEDY FLOW CHART™ by Doogie Horner
David Terruso’s LIFE OF LETTERS #9
Comic Vs. Audience is proud to present every Wednesday, LIFE OF LETTERS, a new twelve-part comic strip series by David Terruso of the local sketch group Animosity Pierre.
(Click to enlarge)
Your Comedy Options This Week
Life not going as you planned? The economy got you down? It’s about time you relaxed and had some laughs. Luckily for you, there are a many good shows going on this week and we’ve got a wrap-up of the most notable ones. If you go to all of them, you can get a prize!*
TUESDAY: Comedy Central recording artist and astonishing two-man entertainment strike-force Pleaseeasaur returns to The Khyber (56 S. 2nd St). Local sketch groups Secret Pants and The Minor Prophets open. 8PM, $8.
Pleaseeasaur – “No Prob Limo”
New Secret Pants video: “St. Barnum’s”
“Ministry of Secret Folks” from last month’s show:
“Even though I have specifically told everyone NOT to bring any birthday presents or throw a birthday party for me at the Ministry,” Doogie says, “it still may happen, so I have allowed time in the schedule for it as well.”
THURSDAY: Center City Comedy: As we previously mentioned, Conrad Roth and Chris Cotton are hosting this new booked open mic at the Raven’s Lounge (1718 Sansom St.). Set to perform: Joey Dougherty, Pat Barker, Tommy Papa, Brendan Kennedy, Aaron Hertzog, Josh Bennett, Dave Temple, Jonas, Monroe Martin, Jay Morgan, H. Foley, Omar Scruggs, Sydney Gantt, Mikel Carter-Jackson. That’s a lot of comics for $0! 9:30-11:30PM
FRIDAY: Oh, so this is why The Comedians of Comedy broke up. Patton Oswalt is at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington. $27-$33, 8PM.
SATURDAY: You’ve got options: Bill Maher is at the Tower Theater, 8PM, $45-$75. Cory Kahaney is at Helium (2031 Sansom St.) with Jon Mumma and Kent Haines, 8 & 10:30PM. $25. And across the street is ComedySportz short-form improv at The Adrienne (2030 Sansom St.), 7:30 & 10PM, $15.
SUNDAY: Football.
* = There is no prize
MARK THE DATE: The Comic Vs. Audience Comedy Show!
Mark your calendars, iPhones and Blackberries, we’re doing another stand-up show! Brought to you in conjunction with the Philly Improv Theater, we’re bringing you another four hilarious stand-up comedians in just two weeks. It’s the
Not convinced? See what the critics are saying!
“A fantastical adventure…a wonderful voyage!” -Asia Times Online
“High….larious! Two thumbs…up!” – Roger Ebert, film critic
“This show is as fun as shooting swine from your back porch in the freezing rain. Ho ho, Nixon was a crook.” – Hunter S. Thompson, author
Here are the details:
The Comic Vs. Audience Comedy Show
Monday, October 6th, 2008
at the Shubin Theatre (407 Bainbridge St.) [directions]
8PM
Five American Dollars (BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!)
with:
Tim Ryan
Luke Giordano
Doogie Horner
Chip Chantry
BYOB!
Five Web Apps That Could Help Your Comedy
The term “WEB 2.0″ has become so ubiquitous at this point that it doesn’t mean much, but the fact remains that there are many free web applications out there that could help you with your comedy. Below are five that we found helpful in developing and organizing comedy material.
Please note that we aren’t mentioning the extremely useful Facebook and Myspace since we figure everyone under 70 knows about these (Hey, be our friend! [Facebook] and [Myspace]).
1. Twitter
Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that could be used to test out jokes, let people know when you’re performing, or just as a writing exercise. It’s all based off simple text posts with a limit of 140 characters. The limitation forces you to summerize and get to the point of what you are trying to say. Zach Galifianakis may have had one, but it’s gone now. And yes, we Twitter ourselves.
2. Evernote
This very powerful web app can easily be used as a joke database to help you put together a set when you need to. It’s easy to create and maintain text notes that are entirely searchable and taggable. So let’s say that you have to do a clean five-minute set. You could click on your “clean” tag and all of your jokes that are clean would pop-up. Plus, you can scan handwritten notes into Evernote that would also searchable. Why bother flipping through an old notebook when it can all be at your fingertips?
3. Jott
Ever been walking around town when inspiration strikes? You come up with a joke or an idea, but you don’t have a pen or time to write it down. Next time, call Jott and leave a message. The service will send you a file of what you recorded by e-mail and it will even transcribe what you said, so you don’t even have to write down later!
4. TubeMogul
So you’ve worked hard to get a quality video that the rest of the world has to see. You’ll upload it to Youtube of course, but there are many other video distributors out there. To maximize your hits, Tube Mogul can publish your video to multiple desinations with only one upload. Plus, there are analytical tools to help you track what people are watching and what they aren’t.
5. Zhura
Want to write comedy sketches, but can’t afford a costly program like Final Draft to get the formatting right? Zhura is a free online screenwriting app that lets you work on your scripts with all of the correct formatting, just like Hollywood! Plus, it’s easy to collaborate with other members and even get feedback if you need a fresh set of eyes.
This list certainly isn’t extensive and as time goes on, we’re sure more use web apps may pop-up. What do you use to help your comedy? Feel free to tell us in the comments.
David Terruso’s LIFE OF LETTERS #8
Comic Vs. Audience is proud to present every Wednesday, LIFE OF LETTERS, a new twelve-part comic strip series by David Terruso of the local sketch group Animosity Pierre.
(Click to enlarge)
TRAGEDY TO COMEDY CONVERSION CHART by Doogie Horner
They say that comedy equals tragedy plus time. We aren’t clear on who originally said that, but we’re pretty sure they were famous. Anyway, here, comedian Doogie Horner has created a handy TRAGEDY TO COMEDY CONVERSION CHART that will help you make people think, cry, and maybe even laugh.
DOOGIE’S OTHER FLOW CHARTS:
Heavy Metal Band Names
Things You Say During Sex
The Universal Comedy Flow Chart
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