Ken Rogerson on CNN, At Giggles This Weekend

In a Boston scene that was known for being wild, Ken Rogerson was wilder than most. The 80s boom is often described as a free-for-all of incredibly funny people, several shows a night, and copious amounts of drugs and alcohol. Rogerson recently spoke with CNN about the scene, and I followed up with him to fill in a few more details. He’s still one of the funniest guys in town, and you can catch up with him at Giggles in Saugus this weekend.

I know this is something that a lot of the comics who lived through joke about with each other, is there any hesitancy about talking about it too much, or mythologizing it, to those who weren’t there?

No hesitancy at all about talking about it. For those of us who lived it, it happened. It was a very special time in the comedy world and we were a part of it. There were three clubs on the same street for a while. We made lots of money and hung around with some of the the funniest comics ever. Personally a lot of it was wasted on me because of the booze and drugs. I was never really aware of what a special thing we had going on. The drug part was the tragic part. I always make it a point when talking about the madness, funny though some of it may be, that it never ended up fun for me. The end of every drug and alcohol run was horrible. I want to pass that on to the new comics. None of tht shit makes you better. You just think it does.

Do you think Boston was any worse than other cities in terms of the partying and drugs?

Boston was worse than a lot of towns for partying cause there were more of us and we made more money. But quite honestly whatever town I was in I found people and comics to get fucked up with. We just did it on a grander scale.

Do you think people sometimes lose sight of the fact that there were so many legitimately funny people here when they focus on that aspect?

None of the people that were involved do.

You talk about stopping as a sort of epiphany – were you able to stop that quickly?

That epiphany took twenty-five plus years to happen.

How much different is your creative process now than back in those days?

I never really had any creative process. I snorted blow and wrote shit down. Some of it worked. some of it didn't. I enjoy writing and doing stand-up now, more then I ever did back then. Mostly I was about the party back then. The comedy paid to keep the party going. Today I sit and write and re-write and work on the things, other then stand-up, such as acting and screen writing, that I should have concentrated on back in the day instead of waiting for the dealer to show up. It's a million times more fun now and I'm in better shape physicaly now, then I was twenty or thirty years ago.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Dropkick Murphys and Lenny Clarke

The Dropkick Murphys are at the House of Blues supporting their new album, Going Out In Style, and Lenny Clarke is at Giggles tonight with Tony V supporting his new hair color. The Murphys tapped Clarke and his plunger, as well as Micky Ward from The Fighter, Bobby Orr, Milan Lucic, and Shawn Thornton from the Bruins, Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox, and NESN's Heidi Watney for the video of the title track from the album. Clarke will be at Giggles tomorrow and Saturday, as well.

Check out the video:

Lenny Clarke:Thursday at 8PM with Tony V, Dave Russo, Graig Murphy, and Mark Riley. Friday and Saturday at 7:15PM and 9:30PM. With Artie Januario and Todd Kane. Giggles Comedy Club, at Prince's Pizzeria, 517 Broadway (Route 1), Saugus, Ma. 781.233.9950

Giggles: Catching Up with Matty Blake, One Of the “Hunks of Comedy”

Matty Blake is at Giggles tonight
with the "Hunks of Comedy"

Tonight and tomorrow at Giggles, former Boston comic Matty Blake will be part of the “Hunks of Comedy” show along with Graig Murphy, Martin Montana, and Mark Riley. Not that he knew that’s what he was signing up for when he took the gig. The name is the brainchild of club owner Mike Clarke, and according to Blake, is an attempt to satisfy the “tipsy gals’ night out” crowd.

“I honestly didn't know the show was themed as such, until he told me this past Sunday,” Blake told me by e-mail. “He asked me to headline this date weeks and weeks ago. When he told me what it was called I did not believe him. I immediately looked it up on the site. Oh, my, he was not kidding.”

Could this be the start of a new touring package for Blake and company? “If they'll have me, I will come,” he says. “Although I think Gulman is the true hunk of comedy. Gary Gulman's hair alone could do a full set that would have ladies swooning.”

For the record, Blake is dubious of the name. “I'm embarrassed to be part of a show called ‘Hunks Of Comedy,’” he says. “Because by being in it, people will think I'm as good looking as these other comics. And it's not even close. I'm way better looking.”

Blake has plenty on his plate these days. He was on the first season of the Onion SportsDome on Comedy Central, and could be back if it’s picked up for a second season. He’ll be hosting a new show on the History Channel called What’s In Your Pockets? and will be working with CBS Sports to do daily sports-related comedy bits for their Web site, starting in two weeks. For HBO fans, he’s got a guest spot on the hit Boardwalk Empire in the can for season two. “That was a blast!” he reports. “Buscemi is the man.”

The Hunks of Comedy: Tonight at 8:30PM, tomorrow at 7:15PM and 9:30PM. With Matty Blake, Martin Montana, and Graig Murphy. Giggles Comedy Club, at Prince's Pizzeria, 517 Broadway (Route 1), Saugus, Ma. 781.233.9950

Ken Rogerson: The Roast That Was Nearly A Benefit Show

Rogerson onstage at Giggles with his bike.

For a half an hour at Giggles last Monday night, the biggest comedians in Boston busted Ken Rogerson’s balls. Not to be outdone, Rogerson then busted his own. Literally.

Let me back up. This is a story of a random act of kindness in the local comedy community, a galvanizing moment you don’t often see publicly. Rogerson had no transportation to gigs. And probably more importantly, he has always wanted a Harley. He rode them as a kid, and on the set of Rescue Me a few years ago.

So Mike Clarke, brother of Lenny and and a few other comedians hatched a plot to pitch in and buy the Harley for Rogerson and surprise him with it.

All told, forty-two people, most of them comedians, chipped in about $100 apiece to buy the bike. They then rolled it into Giggles Monday night and filled the club with Rogerson’s friends, including Steven Wright, Lenny Clarke, Tony V., Mike McDonald, Steve Sweeney, Don Gavin, Jimmy Dunn, Jim McCue, Joe Yannetty, Robbie Printz, Dave Russo, Johnny Pizzi, and Brad Mastrangelo.

Rogerson was told he would be playing a charity gig, making $300. He was legitimately shocked when he walked in and saw the room filled with his friends and a Harley on the stage. Rogerson is not often speechless, but he was, at least for a few minutes, when Lenny, dressed in a hat he swiped from the corpse of Carnac the Magnificent, led him up to his bike and old him what was going on. You can see that on the videos.



You can also see that the evening quickly turned into an impromptu roast. As Wright was talking about Rogerson, you can hear Gavin shout, “Did he die?” Mike McDonald said this was the kind of gift anyone would want to receive, and wondered why the hell it went to Rogerson. McCue had one of the best lines of the night when, pushed into speaking, he took the stage and said, “This is the strangest way to tell someone they have cancer.”



Once everyone had a turn taking shots at Rogerson, everyone gathered for a group photo, and filed out to watch Rogerson start up his new toy. Rogerson was beaming out in the Giggles parking lot, posing for photos, feeling the bike roar. He then let out the clutch and the bike lurched, and a surprised Rogerson sped about ten feet into Sweeney’s Lexus, the only thing between Rogerson and busy Route 1 traffic.

Some of Boston's best pay tribute to Rogerson.

Rogerson crumpled to the ground, holding his head, and stayed still for a long moment. As I said when I wrote a short bit about this for the Globe, most of the comedians waited until it was clear Rogerson was more embarrassed than actually hurt before laughing. Most of them. Rogerson escaped with a few scratches, as did Pizzi, who had to leap out of the way. Sweeney’s Lexus was also unharmed, which made him wonder why they didn’t get Rogerson one of those instead of a bike.

Just as Rogeson lets out the clutch, he ages 30
years. This photo is not retouched in any way.

Afterwards, when Rogerson asked if Pizzi was okay, Pizzi asked if he were insured yet. “Because I’m suing,” he said.

“Johnny, everything I own is at George’s, stop by and pick something out,” said Rogerson. “It’s all in one room.”

Everything was a surprise to Rogerson. The bike itself, his friends, and how light the clutch was. It was hard to keep everyone quiet, but Rogerson said he didn’t suspect a thing. “I had no clue,” he said. “I have no words. Who expects this? And who expects to crash it the first thirty seconds? They had to tell the story about the ‘Rescue Me’ tour. It’s my second time crashing, and my third time on a bike in forty years. I’m embarrassed as hell.”

Rogerson, McDonald, and Sweeney after the crash.

Rogerson was happy Pizzi was okay, and that Sweeney’s car was fine. And he was clearly touched by his friends’ generosity. He’s sure he’ll get over the embarrassment quickly. “It’s not like it’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “You’ve heard the stories from the 80s.”

Ralph Harris tonight and tomorrow at Giggles

Those who first encountered Ralph Harris on Last Comic Standing in 2007 may not realize he'd been performing for more than fifteen years at that point (you can see his first TV credit was "In Living Color" in 1992). He'd already had an HBO special and a Comedy Central special by the time he hit LCS, and a spot on the sitcom On Our Own.

Tonight and tomorrow at Giggles Comedy Club (Route 1 in Saugus), you'll be seeing a seasoned comic with a couple of decades of material from which to draw. Here's a bit from his 1996 HBO comedy special to get you ready.

Kevin Knox benefits this week

Veteran Boston comic Kevin Knox is battling stage four melanoma, and is in need of help, which he'll get from his friends at Dick's Beantown Comedy Vault and Giggles. Starting tonight, the Monday night show at the Vault, which Knox usually hosts, will be called "Knoxie's Team," and proceeds from the show will go to Knox. Vault owner Dick Dohrty says this will be the case indefinitely, as long Knox needs the help (see line-ups below).

Team Knoxie at the Vault:

OCT 5: Dick Doherty, Greg Howell, Jim Lauletta, and Corey Rodrigues
OCT. 12: Frank Santorelli, Dave Russo, Chris Zito, Mike MacDonald, Rodrigues, Doherty
Oct. 19: Paul D'Angelo, Mike Koutrobis, Doherty

Also this week, Lenny Clarke and Steve Sweeney headline a special show at Giggles tomorrow to benefit Knox. the site lists Clarke and Sweeney "plus ten other comedians," and from past benefit shows, I know a lot of comics show up at Giggles to do a little time. If you're a comic and planning on attending, feel free to e-mail me or mention it in the comments section here.

I'll post any more benefit info as it comes in.

Wednesday night shows at Giggles, Sweetwater, Burren

A lot going on tonight for a Wednesday. Tonight at Giggles, Artie Januario presents his once a month show with Kim Egan, Mike O'Neil, Jack Walsh, Julie Kitayama, Victor Ausilio,Dan Gill, Don Zollo, Joe Espi, EJ Murphy, Kris Norton, Dan Sulman, Tony V, and Frank Santorelli. Januario will also host a comedy contest at Giggles on Sunday.

Lamont Price also presents his semi-regular gig at the Sweetwater Cafe near the Theatre District. Doors at 8PM, show at 8:30PM. And Dave Rattigan is doing his free show at the Burren tonight at 10PM.

Random Notes

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Bob Lazarus Update

Last year at this time, I was writing about Stoughton resident and veteran comic Bob Lazarus’s fight with leukemia and a benefit thrown for him at Giggles with Steven Wright, Tony V., Jimmy Tingle, and a host of other local luminaries. Lazarus had one more hospital stay left in his treatment, and felt good enough to show up at Giggles and perform a bit at his own benefit. (There was also a benefit at the Regent Theatre in May, a Ding Ho reunion show that featured the above as well as Barry Crimmins, Steve Sweeney, Mike MacDonald and others).

A year later, Lazarus is still battling leukemia. He has a stem cell transplant this summer, and now calls August 22 his new “born on” date. A stem cell transplant is given like a blood transfusion, the desired result being a replacement of the patient's immune system. Lazarus's donor is a 37-year-old woman he hopes to meet someday.

“I have the immune system of a 37 year old,” he says, “and this incredible desire to buy a purse and matching pumps.”

His signature mop of black hair is coming back (he mentions to note it has been dyed since '87), but he says he feels like he could rub his head briskly and it would all come out. Some of his diet restrictions were lifted in time to enjoy a few Thanksgiving treats. He considers himself lucky to qualify for MassHealth Premium Assistance, which is paying his Blue Cross while he is unable to work.

Since it’s still dangerous for Lazarus to go out in public, he still can’t work (he’s limited to taking a long walk every day the weather cooperates). “I have to wait until I'm allowed to be in public places,” he says. “Probably not until next summer; maybe a little sooner.”