There’s the Philadelphia Improv Festival, Philly Sketchfest and now the Philadelphia Pub Crawl Comedy Festival. Or maybe it’s a “tour”. No matter what it’s called, New York’s Luke Cunningham and Philly’s Tommy Papa are putting the shows together to showcase some funny stand-up comics from the two cities. They’ve invited Chris Cotton (Philly), JL Cauvin (Late Show with Craig Freguson), Chelsea White (MTV), and Kevin McCaffrey (Late Show with David Letterman) for the second show tonight in Upper Darby [show info]. The plan is to put a show in a different bar in the Philadelphia area every four to six weeks.

In advance for the show tonight, I caught up with the two by e-mail to ask about their past together and performing stand-up in the two cities.

The two of you went to high school together…

Luke Cunningham: Tommy and I both went to Monsignor Bonner in Upper Darby, PA.

Tommy Papa: So did Larry Mendte and Jamie Kennedy.

LC: It’s an all boys Catholic high school. It was like an educational tug of war. All of the effort just went toward avoiding getting pulled in to the muck.

Were you the guys the class clowns? Nerdy kids?

LC: I was a nerd. I was captain of the Hi-Q academic team. Tommy was definitely more of the class clown type. Though we both played varsity basketball, he was more of a class clown than I was. If Bonner: Dazed and Confused :: Tommy : Randall ‘Pink’ Floyd :: Luke : Tony Olsen.

TP: Luke admits being in the Hi-Q academic team, there is no need to debate this one. But, I would say we played both sides overall, sports and dorks. Although I was certainly a class clown, I was in AP classes and in the top 10 percent of my class. So I was a track 1 clown. In other words, I was a class clown, but I would have been spared by the Columbine trench coat kids.

Were you good friends?

LC: I’d like to think so but Tommy may tell you different. That guy goes a little St. Peter on me when a cute girl is around.

TP: Yeah. Our friendship was born on the bench of Varsity Basketball my sophomore year. Junior year for Luke. I told you he was smart.

Are you worried about rowdy crowds being these shows are at bars?

LC: I always feel like crowds are as rowdy as you allow them to be. It’s part of the art of hosting, getting a rowdy crowd to quiet down and pay attention. Our first show was in August. Mark Normand hosted. He admitted he was “terrified” of the crowd before going up. But Mark is funny and exceptionally quick with crowd work. The crowd paid attention and we had a great show.

TP: The only thing I would add is that we try our best to create a lineup of comedians that is different and will work well together, but ultimately it is the comedians job to mesh with the crowd. This is my favorite part of live comedy. It’s like watching Brad Lidge try and close a Phillies game. You may be joyous, or you may may shit your pants in front of old classmates. But when it works, there’s no better form of entertainment.

Luke, you’ve performed a few times in Philadelphia recently. Are you noticing anything different with the crowds here?

LC: Philadelphia’s reputation as a cynical town is largely undeserved. The city does not suffer fools or insincerity but if you’re good and enthusiastic, Philly will love you. Helium [Comedy Club] is a tremendous venue. That open mic is better than most booked shows in New York. I think New York crowds are a little spoiled because they feel like they’re at the center of the universe. For instance, I recently hosted at Gotham in New York. Jim Gaffiigan dropped in for a spot. The crowd’s reaction was good but not like it would be in Philadelphia where he’d blow up the room.

The Helium show I performed on in August- the Philly’s Phunniest Contest- is one of the best, most supportive crowds I’ve ever encountered. I also did the smaller Comic Vs. Audience Show at the Shubin Theater in July. Crowd was small, but just as supportive, like they were invested in each joke. Philly has a great comedy scene.

And Tommy, have you been up to New York?

TP: That’s the plan. As a result of the tour, I have been invited to shoot a pilot and perform at a few shows. I travel often to NYC, whether its to network with NY comics, support Luke in his shows, or just to take advantage of the easy commute during Jewish holidays. The idea for our Philly Pub Crawl is not only to showcase talent locally, but also to give Philly’s up and coming comedians a chance to network with successful NY comics. Our main objective remains to expose Philly’s great comedy culture, as well as to develop more shows abroad. So far so good.

Perhaps you are reading this from somewhere around the Nation’s Capital. Hey, maybe you’re even from the Philadelphia area originally but now work for a politician down there. Well tonight you should head out to the DC Improv for a night of Philadelphia comedy. Area comic Chris Coccia, who has been teaching a comedy class at the club, is bringing his pals John Kensil, Chip Chantry and Chris Cotton to entertain the folks of the District of Columbia.

And if you go, ask them about the NL East Champs!

Conrad Roth (profile) (middle) is one of the three comedians with Chris Cotton (left) and H. Foley (right) behind Center City Comedy, an open mic/show at the Raven’s Lounge that is celebrating one year of shows this evening. In open mic terms, that’s a long time and a lot of booze consumed by the comics and audience at a show that can sometimes get raunchy as it bleeds into Friday morning (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

1. It’s been a year of Center City Comedy now. Has it turned out the way you thought it would?
The show has definitely turned out the way we hoped it would. I think we made a lot of good decisions of how the show was going to be promoted and run. What else did you expect from motherfuckin’ Conrad Roth, H. Foley and Chris Cotton?

2. Do you have any shows that stick out in your memory?
Not really, because I drink Jack & Cola until I black out at every show. My fondest memory was when H. Foley and Luke Giordano debated: Who would be a better wingman? Darth Vader or Scorpion from Mortal Kombat. Foley went the low road and attached Luke personally, which was working very well, but just when you thought Luke was going to give up, he snapped and gave the most passionate and moving argument I have ever heard. It came from his heart.

3. How are you able to get a packed crowd every week?
All you gotta do is print “Conrad Roth and Chris Cotton” on the flyers, baby. It starts with good advertisement (newspapers, online, etc) to get a few strangers to come for the first couple of months, but after that it’s all street cred and word of mouf. We run a tight ship which the comics and audience mutually appreciate and enjoy. Which is why quality members of both groups keep coming back.

4. Is there anything else you want to do with the show that you haven’t already?
We have been struggling to find the next great idea. We want to keep it fresh. We are currently working on having more loose women come watch the show so more comedians get laid afterward. “Oh my god, you were so funny!”

5. How has the weekly show helped your material? Have you seen improvement in other comedians?
The show has helped my material tremendously. When the show first started a year ago, I was an average comedian, but now I am arguably the greatest comedian of all time. I have definitely seen vast improvements in a lot of comedians who perform at Center City Comedy regularly. Just to name a dozen, James Hesky, Darryl Charles, Jack Martin, Tommy Papa, H. Foley, David Ray, Matt D’Avella, Greg Forster, Nathan J, that’s only 9…whatever.

Center City Comedy starts tonight at 9PM at Raven’s Lounge at 1718 Sansom St. The mic is listed in the recently updated open mic listing.

Another day, another three comedians advance in the Philly’s Phunniest Contest. And this time it’s Chris Cotton, Mary Radzinski and Amir Gollan.

The two remaining shows go down tomorrow night, and then, onwards to the semi-finals!

Come on out!

Details:

The Comic Vs. Audience Comedy Show!
Monday, July 6th, 2009
8PM
at the Shubin Theatre
407 Bainbridge St.
ONLY FIVE AMERICAN DOLLARS (tickets on-sale soon with no creepy service fees!)

Featuring stand-up comedy by:
Carolyn Busa
Chris Cotton
Stu Kamens
Luke Cunningham (from NYC)

And host Dave Walk will have some jokes too.

And did we mention it’s BYOB?!?!?

Stand-up comedy by Chris Cotton
Chris Cotton is a Philadelphia comedian that you can catch this Thursday at his Kick Back Comedy at Rembrandt’s Restaurant & Bar (741 N. 23rd) with Richie Redding, Aaron Hertzog, Luke Giordano, and Mykal Carter Jackson. You can also see him every Thursday at the Center City Comedy open mic at Raven’s Lounge (1718 Sansom).

Subscribe to the podcast feed (iTunes)

If this doesn’t directly take you to iTunes, copy and paste http://feeds.feedburner.com/cvsa_podcast_feed into iTunes through Advanced – Subscribe to Podcast…)

(Feel free to write a review in iTunes!)

Subscribe to the podcast feed (in another podcast reader)

Listen to this episode (8:07):

Download this episode (as a .mp3)

Our bi-weekly comedy talk show returns tonight from 7-8PM EST with our friends at Gtownradio.com (The Sound From Germantown).

Your host Dave Walk will be talking to Philadelphia comedians, playing not-funny songs and other great stuff, so make sure to set your internet dial to Gtownradio.com. Who will be on the show this week?

Philadelphia comedian and writer Doogie Horner will be in the studio to talk about his many projects. Seriously there’s too many to bother naming them now. Then, he’ll play your host in a thrilling game of Omniana. Plus, stand-up comedy from Chris Cotton and mixtape advice from Rob Baniewicz.

Remember, that’s 7-8PM TONIGHT Eastern Standard Time U.S.A., streaming at Gtownradio.com. If you want to join in, instant message us in the studio on AIM, Yahoo!, Gchat or MSN at CVSARADIO or through Twitter (@comicvsaudience).

By the way, you can listen to G-Town Radio on your iPhone or iPod Touch!

Ladies and Gentlemen, it all goes down tonight! A night you’ll never forget, if you have an incredible memory. Comicvsaudience.com and the Philly Improv Theater are proud to present THE COMIC VS. AUDIENCE COMEDY SHOW, a night of hilarious and engaging stand-up comedy. “Stand-up comedy” as we now know it used to be performed exclusively in cramped theaters for a nickle, but that was the 30s and clearly things have changed since then. Now you can enjoy funny jokes from funny people in a warm theater for the people for only five American dollars!

So, make sure you and your friends come out to:

The Comic Vs. Audience Comedy Show
Monday, December 1st, 2008
8PM
at the Shubin Theatre (407 Bainbridge St.) [Directions]
Five American Dollars [Tickets can be purchased on the PHIT website]

Oh did we mention that it’s BYOB!?!

Featuring:

Justin Hagerman
Chris Cotton
Aaron Hertzog
Chris Schlotterer

To see what the show’s like, check out the video from our last show with Gregg Gethard, Ryan Carey, John Kensil and Anton Shuford:

And the show before that one with Tim Ryan, Luke Giordano, Doogie Horner and Chip Chantry:

Comicvsaudience.com and the Philly Improv Theater are proud to present THE COMIC VS. AUDIENCE COMEDY SHOW, a night of hilarious and engaging stand-up comedy. “Stand-up comedy” as we now know it used to be performed exclusively in cramped theaters for a nickle, but that was the 30s and clearly things have changed since then. Now you can enjoy funny jokes from funny people in a warm theater for the people for only five American dollars!

So, make sure you and your friends come out to:

The Comic Vs. Audience Comedy Show
Monday, December 1st, 2008
8PM
at the Shubin Theatre (407 Bainbridge St.) [Directions]
Five American Dollars [Tickets can be purchased on the PHIT website]
BYOB!

Featuring:

Justin Hagerman
Chris Cotton
Aaron Hertzog
Chris Schlotterer

To see what the show’s like, check out the video from our last show with Gregg Gethard, Ryan Carey, John Kensil and Anton Shuford:

And the show before that one with Tim Ryan, Luke Giordano, Doogie Horner and Chip Chantry:

First off, congrats to the Philadelphia Phillies on winning the National League pennant. Now let’s make the World Series quick, you’re killing the city’s comedy shows!

A.D Amorosi’s “Monday Night Club” comedy and music open mic hosted by Danny Ozark and Dani Mari is moving from The Trocadero to National Mechanics (22 S. 3rd) in Old City. The next show is Monday, October 27th at 9PM.

Connie’s Ric Rac on the Italian Market has reopened and Corey Cohen of the sketch group THE SIXTH BOROUGH and improv group MEN ABOUT TOWN has plans. He’s starting a new comedy variety show by the name of Steal This Show. The first installment will be Friday, November 7th.

Stand-up Chris Cotton has a new monthly show at Rembrandt’s Restaurant & Bar (714 N. 23rd) called the The Kick Back Comedy Show. The first show is Thursday, November 6th. Kent Haines, Pat Barker, Omar Scruggs and Derek Gaines are set to perform.

Improv group Illegal Refill will be performing in the first ever Richmond Improv Festival in Richmond, Virginia on November 7th.

Last April, local sketch groups got together for Welcome to the Terrordome at The M Room and they’re back again this November for Welcome to the Terrordome II: Back in the Habit. This time it’s a two-night affair and includes stand-up by Doogie Horner, Chip Chantry, Gregg Gethard and sketch by NYC groups The Impending Moustache and The Chris and Paul Show. It’s all hosted by 2008’s Philly’s Phunniest Person Kent Haines.

And speaking of Chip Chantry, he was recently interviewed by TheExaminer.com.

Sketch group The Action Section will be presenting a weekend of Halloween shows with the Philly Improv Theater at the Shubin Theatre Oct. 30-Nov. 2.

E-mail comicvsaudience AT gmail DOT com with your tips, but not your Joe The Plumber jokes.