Producer/writer Quincy Newell on Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy at the Roxbury Film Festival

Sunday at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, the 11th Annual Roxbury Film Festival will close with a screening of Why We Laugh:Black Comedians on Black Comedy, a documentary on black comedy in America (click here for tickets and info). The documentary is sprawling, covering more than 100 years years stretching back to vaudeville's Bert Williams, the controversial career of Stepin Fetchit and the NAACP's sinking of Amos and Andy on TV, all the way up through Dick Gregory and Flip Wilson in the 60s and 70s, Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, the Kings of Comedy, and Dave Chappelle.

Director Robert Townsend and producer/writer Quincy Newell take care to include opposing views about Fetchit and Amos and Andy, along with commentary from comedy legends and stars like Gregory, Bill Cosby, Chris Rock, and Paul Mooney as well as prominent figures like author and Princeton professor Cornel West, author, radio host and Georgetown professor Michael Eric Dyson, actor Louis Gossett Jr, and producer/director and Boston native Topper Carew.

I spoke with Newell about the film by e-mail this week.

What was the impetus for producing this documentary?

The objective was to chronicle the contributions of our iconic comedians and their impact on American culture as well as the impact America ’s evolving culture had on their perspectives.

How did you decide where to start, where the story began, and where it ended?

We took a chronological approach and tried to focus on comedians that had created seismic shifts in our paradigm through their work.

How do you feel the humor of black America fits with other humors in America?

Each culture has its own lens. I believe that the humor of black America is presented through a lens that is colored with the experiences of being black in America .

How did you decide how to handle the more controversial subjects and eras, like Stepin Fetchit, Amos & Andy?

We just wanted to be honest and thoughtful. While also recognizing the positive contributions.

Do you have any personal thoughts to add on those subjects that weren’t expressed in the film?

It’s a gigantic topic that has so many strains. This film does not paint the entire picture. It simply is intended to open dialogue and shed light on a subject that has not been discussed in this way.

Were there any stories that you wanted to put in the film that didn’t make it, like Pigmeat Markham, Godfrey Cambridge, or about the “chitlin’ circuit?”

Absolutely. There were so many stories and individuals that we wanted to include. The film would’ve been 2 days long if we did what we really wanted to do. (smile)

Not really a question, but I wanted to say I was glad to see so much on Dick Gregory. I feel he doesn’t get the mainstream recognition he deserves as pioneer in stand-up.

Agreed.

How important were the non-comic voices in the film – the members of Congress and the professors and such?

Well, it was important to get different perspectives and points of view. I think they help to complete the thought and bring a socio-political view to the forefront.

What are the plans for the film past this festival?

There will be a broadcast premiere on Showtime as well as a limited theatrical release in 2010. I believe this is an important document that deserves to be shared with anyone who will listen.

Quiet Desperation at Great Scott, Coxen's "The Camaro Whisperer"

Very few people would have ever thought of putting Bigg Nez and Joe Wong together as a hip-hop duo called Tin Tin Buffet, as Robby Roadsteamer has done in Episode 7 of Quiet Depseration, a faux reality show about the Boston arts and entertainment scene. It's those sorts of combinations that have made Quiet Desperation so appealing, throwing a couple of dozen of Boston's talented comics together in one story and seeing what happens.

Friday night at Anderson Comedy's show, The Gas, at Great Scott Roadsteamer celebrates Quiet Depseration with some of the show's contributors -- Mehran, Chris Coxen, Tom Dustin, Erin Judge, Shaun Bedgood, Ken Reid, and Joe Madaus.

Here's Episode 7, introducing Boston's newest hip-hop comedy team, Nez and Wong.



Coxen is one of Boston's most reliable character comics, and has a considerable collection of whackjobs and goofballs (there's a very fine difference, I would have to cite sources) including Ripps McCoxen. McCoxen has just added the title "Camaro Whisperer" to his resume, as demonstrated in the latest video from Coxen.

Former WFNX host Kenny Zimlinghaus returns to Boston to play Mottley's

Kenny Zimlinghaus has held a variety jobs in his career. He was a producer at WFNX's morning show before he was its host (as Kenny Z) in 2003, at the tender age of 23. He once interned simultaneously for Howard Stern and Phillip Glass for a summer (he says he mainly made copies for Glass and taught him to use his cell phone). Now he's still a radio host, working in satellite radio from New York City, and a stand-up comedian. He returns to Boston Thursday night to headline Mottley's Comedy Club.

How long did you spend in Boston? Did you start doing comedy in Boston or elsewhere?

I spent three years in Boston and basically started there. My first show was in NYC but I got my start in Boston.

Any memorable gigs from your time in Boston?

There's a ton a of memorable gigs. I watched a big local name drive a joke stealer out of town at a show, by putting him in a chokehold in the green room at the Comedy Connection and i was also on stage during a huge brawl at Nick's. It's actually a better show when the audience is rioting.

Was it strange to go from interning with Howard Stern to being his competitor with a morning show at WFNX?

It wasn't strange to go from interning for Howard Stern to doing mornings at WFNX. What was strange was the morning show at WFNX.

How did your time at WFNX help you when you moved on?

WFNX helped me a bunch before moving on. Henry Santoro gave me some great advice on women and the time I spent there helped me build up a callous for just how terrible a business FM radio is.

Did you ever figure out how to balance hanging out at comedy clubs after the shows and getting up at four in the morning for a radio show?

I find the best way to balance hanging out at clubs at night and waking up early to do morning radio is to just give up on thinking you're going to ever be well rested. It never happens. It hasn't happened in 10 years for me and probably will never happen so long as I get up while its still night.

How many shows have you done in radio since you left here?

Since I left Boston: I co-hosted "The Storm and Kenny Radio Show" in Charleston SC and now I can be heard mornings on SIRIUS XM 's "Cosmo Radio" and I host two other shows. One is "Guys Uncensored" and the other is called "He Said/She said".

Do you still keep in touch with Phillip Glass?

I have visited Philip Glass' "Looking Glass Studio", where I worked. I dont talk to him that much most likely because he prob cannot use his cell phone and he could care less to talk with me I'm sure :)

The 11th Annual Roxbury Film Festival kicks of with Comedy Night at Slade's

The 11th Annual Roxbury Film Festival kicks off with Comedy Night tonight at Slade's Bar & Grill hosted by Jonathon Gates with Chris Tabb, Bethany Van Delft, and Orlando Baxter. Wednesday is also the night Gates hosts his Blakc Comedy Explosion, which will go on as scheduled tomorrow at 9PM with Washington D.C comic Eddie Bryant.

More on the Roxbury Film Festival, and the film Why We Laugh, which closes out the Festival on Sunday at the MFA.

Slades Bar & Grill
958 Tremont Street, Roxbury
Phone: 617.541.3900

Walsh Brothers unleash The Ramada Boys, open for Joe Pernice

Boston fans got to see the Ramada Boys at the Walsh Brothers' Great and Secret Show a few years back, and now everyone can see them with a little production value on the Walshes' YouTube channel. Also, check out Erik Charles Nielsen as HoJo III.

More on this later, after I catch up with Chris and Dave, who are in town until next week's shows with Joe Pernice at The Brattle Theatre. They will also open for him on tour in support of his new book, It Feels So Good When I Stop.

Steve and Tony Save the World

If you're working on solving a problem right now, stop. In just a few hours, Steve Calechman and Tony V will get to work solving the world's problems in their Thursday night show, Steve and Tony Save the World. They are both veteran Boston comics, and as such, should be able to take care of everything pretty quickly by themselves, but they'll do it even quicker with the help of Josh Gondelman, Ira Proctor, and Tony Moschetto.

I caught up with Calechman by e-mail today to see how they're approaching the task.

How long have you known Tony V?

Fifteen years. Fifteen long and hard years.

When was the first time you guys performed together? Do you remember the specific show?

I try to forget such things but I think the first time we were on the same show was at the Aku Aku in Worcester. Most good things were born at the Aku Aku in Worcester. The first thing I think we did together was reading The Double Decker Purple Shul Bus to a roomful of young, single Jews. Tony read his kid's book and I translated it for him, since he has minimal sensitivity to any people who are not him.

How long has it been since you two did a show together?

We were at Tommy's last month but did separate sets. Also last month we did a show for an animal shelter in Salem and did the raffle at the end where are magical riffing powers were on full display. It was the best night of those people's lives.

What do you think makes the pairing work?

It really doesn't. It's just that it's a Thursday in July and standards are lowered in the summer. Really, if this show doesn't work, who's gonna know or care?

How did you decide to do a show solving the world’s problems?

In one of our many inane daily conversations, one of us usually has a beef with something. Not being slackers, we figure out a solution and realize that the world would be a better place if we were in charge. We also realize that it would be cruel and selfish to keep this brilliance to ourselves. If people choose not to come or listen, then the problem lies with them and we cry for their souls.

Do you have any of the world’s problems solved in advance of tonight’s show, or are you playing it by ear?

We always have ideas but we often work better without much forethought. The less that rattles around in our heads, the better.

Do you plan to revisit this concept as the world develops more problems after the show?
Unless we had something better to do, like a Springsteen show or a poker game. But ultimately, we'd answer if the call came out. Deep, deep down, we're just a couple of simple humanitarians.

Joy Behar -- Groupon Discount Tickets today only

If you've been thinking of going to see Joy Behar tomorrow at the Comedy Connection Wilbur Theatre but balked at the $32 ticket price, you can go to Groupon now and get tickets for $20.

I've used the service before, and it's pretty handy. The way it works is that a certain amount of people have to take the deal before it becomes valid. But only five people had to buy Behar tickets for that to happen, and when I checked last, they had sold eighteen tickets. Deal expires at midnight, so if this is something you could use, take a look.

The voices behind Steve Solomon's My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish, and I'm In Therapy

Steve Solomon was a stand-up comedian for ten years before he wrote his first one-man show, My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy. He thought audiences would love the characters and the material – he does roughly thirty characters drawn from his own life, all with different accents and dialects (including his sister, the favored child who has smoked three packs a day for years). It was successful enough in New York to spawn a sequel, My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m Still in Therapy, which meant Solomon was touring with two different shows, plus doing the occasional stand-up gig.

He’ll add a third show to that mix in November – My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m Home for the Holidays, which brings the total number of shows in his repertoire up to four, including his Yiddish revue, The Man, Music, Mishugginna. But when he opens the original one-man show tonight at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, it will be the first time Solomon has played Boston.

I caught up with him by phone last week to talk about stand-up and his one-man shows.

When did you first write My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy?

Probably it was written in 2002, started touring at the end of 2002.

What was the impetus to write it as a one-man show?

To do a little more than stand-up. I wanted to hit a market that was more universal in appeal than just 18 to 25 year olds at a comedy club.

Did most of the material start out as stand-up?

Maybe twenty percent of it. Most of it was written for the show.

How did you approach writing the stuff for a one-man show versus how you would have written it for stand-up?

Well, it’s a play, so it had to have a storyline, it had to have characters. There’s characters in the show, thirty different characters. It has a setting and scenes, and the whole approach is completely different. When you’re doing a stand-up routine, it’s, “How do you like pizza?” and “What’s your favorite color?” It doesn’t matter. This was structured with a director and we approached it like a play.

How did you work the different characters together? It must be confusing to keep them all together in your head.

At the beginning it was almost impossible. You’ve got to remember that my mother speaks in a very heavy Italian accent, my father speaks in a heavy Jewish accent, so when the two of them would argue, going back and forth between the dialects and the tone took a lot of training.

What are some of the other characters and dialects in the show?

Oh, we’ve got my sister the smoker, who was a three-pack a day smoker for the past fifty years and talks like this [assumes deep, gravely voice], “It has nothing to do with the cigarettes.” My therapist is Indian, Italian, and American, the cops that stop you on the street, the doctors you interacts with, the kids, all those voices.

Are all of the voices based on actual people?

Yeah. The running joke that I always use is my family took me to court to have my artistic license revoked.

Obviously some of them have seen this, do they ever give you pointers on if you’re doing them correctly?

No, the only thing my daughter asked me, I had this line where my friend would yell at me, saying my daughter is spoiled, and I would say, “No, she’s supposed to smell like that.” So she said, “Daddy, take out that line.”

Did you take it out?

Yeah, of course.

You hear that a lot, anyone who uses their family or loved ones in their act, how they react to seeing themselves or hearing themselves onstage.

My biggest fear was that my sister would get ticked off at me. When we opened at the Shubert in New York City, a lot of the newspapers and television stations were there. I think ABC television interviewed my sister and said something like, “How do you feel that your brothers makes fun of you?” And she said, [affects the gravely voice again] “Well, at least he made me famous.”

Did that help you in the respect that your sister can do no wrong?

No, not really. My relationship with my family has been always, always very strong and very positive.

It would have to be. How many different shows do you have on this theme now?

I’ve got My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m In Therapy, the original hit, then I’ve got My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m Still in Therapy, which has been touring for a couple of years. Then there’s a brand new one I’ve got opening in November, which is My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m Home for the Holidays.

Does anything sort of seep from one play into the other, or is it all completely different?

The characters, a lot of the characters come back. Rocky I, Rocky II, Rocky III, what would they be without Rocky? The characters come back, but the material’s all new.

Could you do any of the three at will or do you have to rehearse them to get them back on the blocks?

I have to review. After I do Boston, I run to Atlantic City to do the other show, then I run and go right to Spokane, Washington to do the other show for one night, and then I come back to New Haven to do the other show. There are lighting cues and sound cues, and I have to be where I’m supposed to be, so I really have to keep on my toes.

Do you impersonate specific people or just different dialects?

I do thirty specific people in the show.

I mean in general – also in your stand-up.

I just do the accents. I found that a lot of the old great comics used to do phenomenal impersonations of all these people, these people died, and no one [remembers]. Frank Caliendo is fabulous – what’s going to happen to him when George Bush dies. He’s got a problem. The same thing happened to Vaughan Meader, who used to do J.F.K. IT was uncanny, and the man became a superstar in two years, but as soon as J.F.K. died, Vaughan Meader was ended. So I have a technique, I have a skill that not too many comic have. And I use that in my plays.

How do you balance the plays and the stand-up? Do you lean more towards one than the other?

It’s busy. The play is booked solid through 2011 already. I love to do stand-up, I really enjoy it. There’s no money in it, but I just do it because it’s a wonderful proving ground. It’s a laboratory for comics to work out. I look forward to doing it. Most of the major cities that I perform in, I can’t do stand-up. The performing arts centers can’t have me working for twenty dollars an hour, and then going to a performing arts center. Many of the bigger comedy clubs ask me to come play, and I just can’t. The proximity to the performing arts centers, and the time frame [don’t work out].

What were you expecting when you opened the show?

I expected people to love the material the way I love the material. Of course, if you’re a critic and you come see the show, most of the critics say, well, there’s no character development, we really want to know more about the mother, the storyline was very vague. That’s not the problem. The problem is, they don’t look at the audience walking out, standing, laughing, wiping tears from their eyes. The New York Times really didn’t care for my show, but it ran for two years in New York. So? That’s the bottom line, the bottom line is this is a business, so I don’t really care that the critics don’t like it, the point is that it works. People keep coming back and bringing their family and friends. Then I’ve succeeded.

How many of these shows do you think you’ll do? Do you see yourself just perennially writing a new show?

No, I’m going to pretty much wrap it up at the end of the Holiday show. Then I’ll have four shows out there, and that’s more than enough. And I don’t want my brain to explode.

Discount Variety tonight -- Bethany Van Delft and Schooltree

Tonight at 8PM at the CinemaSalem Cafe, we have one of the best line-ups we've had yet for FunnyGrownHere.com Presents... Discount Variety. We have the comedy of Bethany Van Delft and the music of Schooltree (Lainey Schulbaum, moonlighting from the Steamy Bohemians). Here's a bit more about them before you head out to the show.

BETHANY VAN DELFT

Bethany Van Delft is a rising voice in Boston comedy, and part of another regular Thursday night show -- The Dress Up show at Mottley's Comedy Club. She is also founding member of “Colorstruck: Women of Color in Comedy”, New England’s first and only women of color comedy showcase. She has been featured in the Boston Comedy Festival, New York Underground Comedy Festival, and The Greater Boston Alternative Comedy Festival. She is a core member of the touring show “5 Funny Females”. She is a favorite at clubs and colleges all over New England, and will definitely win something and/or be on TV by next year.

How long have you been playing in Boston?

About 4 or 5 years seriously.

What are your favorite places to play?

I love comedy clubs, but I also really enjoy performing at venues where you wouldn't expect to see a comedy show. I just did Middlesex Lounge, it was a great time.

Who are your favorite musicians, locally and nationally?

I am ashamed to admit I am a little behind the times when it comes to local music. I tend to check out more music comedy like Steamy Bohemians, and MC Mr Napkins.

What is the best music show you’ve seen?

It's a toss up between WAR at the old House of Blues in Cambridge years ago, and The Nuyorican Soul concert at The Manhattan Center featuring all the bands from the recording, live.

SCHOOLTREE

Schooltree is Lainey Schulbaum, Boston-based performer, composer, audio engineer and producer. She is one half of Boston's dubious darlings The Steamy Bohemians, and co-founder of the acclaimed variety show Jerkus Circus. This solo project is avant-pop in genre - sometimes theatrical, often odd - played with piano, voice, and drum machine. Dark story-telling and vivid imagery characterize songs about stuff like going to the moon, naughty children, premature burials, and conformity. Lainey straddles the fence between serious musician and off-the-wall comedic performer with a discomfort that both delights and confuses audiences wherever she performs.

How long have you been playing in Boston?

Approximately one thousand years. Well, I'm rounding up - guess it's more like six.

What are your favorite places to play?

The Lizard Lounge, Ralph's Diner (Worcester), the Abbey Lounge (RIP)

Who are your favorite comedians, locally and nationally?

I love everyone locally, especially Bethany Van Delft. Louis CK and Mike Birbiglia are a couple of my favorite non-locals.

What is the best comedy show you've seen?

Jerkus Circus - every single one.

A second serving of Mike Dorval's Death By Chocolate

Death By Chocolate
July 21, 28, August 4, 11, 25
Welfleet Harbor Actors Theater
The Harbor Stage
1 Kendrick Ave.
(Next to Town Pier)
Wellfleet, MA 02667

On July 21, Mike Dorval resumes the July/August run of his one-man show, Death By Chocolate, at the Harbor Stage of the Welfleet Harbor Actors Theater. I spoke to Dorval when he debuted the piece in February at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre – you can see the video interview here. The show is personal and funny, about Dorval’s lifelong fight against food, and how he eventually won the struggle. I caught up with him again by e-mail to see what might be different as he continues to work on the piece.

How has the show changed since you debuted it in Boston?

The show is essentially the same with some edits here and there. The nice thing about the format is that I can change small things on the fly and make some additions, but I;d say the overall content is pretty much the same.

How do you approach the balance of the more dramatic personal stories versus punchlines and jokes?

That's probably the toughest balance for me, but I'm realizing that it is only difficult for me. Directly addressing the audience has such a "Stand-Up" feel that I need to remind myself that it's OK, when people go for a stretch without laughing. So far the audience has been pretty consistent in saying that's it's the right balance.

Are you still tinkering with the format?

Not really. I'm very happy with the format of the show and ending every night with a Q&A has been a big hit so far. I'm not sure what other format it might take, but if another media possibility presented itself, that would probably necessitate small adjustments.

Has doing stand-up in between affected your approach to the material?

The stand-up I've done in between hasn't necessarily influenced my approach, but my overall experience as a comic probably has. i think it's helped make me more aware of the audience and more in tune with them. it's also helped me with the tone of the show and setting a rhythm, that I can sustain.

Where will you look to bring the piece next?

As a matter of fact I just found out that I'll be doing Death by Chocolate at the Boston Center for the Arts from the week of Nov. 28th-Dec. 20! I'm very excited and can't wait to bring the show back to Boston for an extended run! And who knows what might happen between August and November?

James Patterson headlines in his home town

Boston comedian James Patterson headlined his hometown for the first time at Mottley's Comedy Club in June. I caught up with him on the street afterwards to see what he has been up to in LA, and get his impression of the show. This is the video of that show, which also included Bethany Van Delft, Ken Reid, and Erik Charles Nielsen. It was a solid line-up, top to bottom, and also the first spot Nielsen had done in Boston for a while.

It had been more than a year since I had seen either of them perform, both of them on the bill for the Great and Secret Show West in Los Angeles last spring. Both had much better sets at Mottley's than I saw in LA, which was probably partly due to the fact that someone stole the AV equipment from the Improv's side room, where they were performing, just before the show started. Nielsen has turned into a standing blur onstage, raging about taking over the world and his love of Jane Austen books, shaking as if he were about to be beamed into another dimension. Which may well have been.

Patterson has always been a smart comic, and he is now much more at ease onstage, and has made the important leap of putting the material and stage presence together. He's the complete comic, and I look forward to the next time I get to see him do a 45-minute set.

Here we are, trying to dodge the Saturday night crowd outside of Mottley's to be comedy nerds. I'm the one you can't see behind the camera.

Part I



Part II

Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal plan for Boston

Eugene Mirman and hats? Kristen Schaal and ice cream? Hands touching hands? All of these non questions are non answered in this mutual video interview between Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal about their show at the Comedy Connection Wilbur Theatre Saturday.

Jeff Kreisler's Get Rich Cheating

Jeff Kreisler couldn’t have timed the release of his new book, Get Rich Cheating; The Crooked Path to Easy Street, any better. After all, as Kreisler points out, cheating in business, sports, the entertainment world, wherever you choose to apply his advice, is recession-proof. Kreisler, who grew up in Amherst and has written for The Daily Show’s Indecision08 Web site and Jim Cramer’s TheStreet.com, will be at the Borders on School Street at noon today reading from the book, with a couple of other New England readings Tuesday and Thursday.

How long have you been working on this book?

About 2.5 years, conception to publication. Probably 8 months of writing, the rest was publishing industry nonsense.

Did you have to add anything in last minute as the "financial crisis" became more of a national focal point?

Actually, I already had almost everything about the crisis in there, it just didn't have that label. all the scams and lies - all the taking advantage of people's desire to get rich or have cheap homes or easy credit - all the secrecy and obfuscation in the financial markets - it was all already out there in the world and in there in the book... it just hadn't caused 10% unemployment yet.

I did write one chapter specifically about the crisis which is a step-by-step recap of all the tricks I advocate and how they were used leading up to the crisis - sort of a "see, I told you could Get Rich Cheating". I also added some last minute stuff about Madoff & Blagojevich, but they fit pretty easily into existing sections.

Were you writing to a general audience, or to a business audience?

The first version was for more of a business audience. A lot of accounting jokes. I'm not kidding. Please kill me. BUT THEN I got a new publisher - Harper Collins - and they wanted me to expand it beyond corporate crime. Good decision. Now it covers cheating throughout culture, with a way for anyone to get rich in any industry.

Showbiz, sports, politics, and, of course, business. There's sooooo much cheating. Every day something new (Daily Cheat Chats on
http://GetRichCheating.com)

Is there anyone or any book in particular that inspired the tone?

I think it came from that old sense of "if you don't laugh, you'll cry." Just writing my weekly business column - and therefore reading the business news every day - kinda overwhelmed me with all the crap that's going on in that world. And, of course, as a struggling comic, I want to get rich quick... and there were a ton of those books those days (especially about real estate).

Another take-itself-too-seriously screaming-at-the-top-of-my-lungs rant about what's wrong with the world wouldn't work, so why not flip and advocate doing all these horrible things, and do it like those get rich quick late night infomercial guys. (Have you seen our infomercial? http://getrichcheating.com/?p=158).

(Some say the voice is somewhat similar to what Colbert does, but I wouldn't say that was an inspiration, just a flattering coincidence).

I haven't seen too many humor books that actually cite sources -- did you do any research specifically for the book or did you use sources you were reading anyway?

I've always been one of those lunatics with stacks of newspaper clippings piled everywhere. Was worried it was a sign of dementia until I sorted through them for some citations. Now I feel okay.

I actually did a lot of research just for the book. If I thought some company had done something, I needed to be sure... and if I wanted to find someone who'd done something specifically stupid, I'd go look and usually find.

Lotta research. Princeton degree: Engage!


Who is the Greatest Cheater?

I got the most pleasure out of Enron. They just had everything.
Arrogance, manipulating workers and investors, crazy excessive spending, yelling at grandmoms, using Star Wars characters to fake transaction, making up whole industries, doing nothing, ties to GW Bush, awesome defenses (after they found an email which said "shred the documents, they're onto us," CEO Jeff Skilling said he was just "being sarcastic." Genius!), and, of course, Ken Lay faking death and vacationing with Elvis and Hoffa.

What made you decide to pursue stand-up after studying at Princeton, Exeter, and Virginia Law School?

Drugs.

Seriously, I've always been interested in politics and culture and the formation of society and the interaction of man... and there isn't really a profession where you get to blab about that - at least not one it's easy to get into. In comedy, you can do whatever you want, as long as it's funny. Works for me.

Also, I'm delusional about comedy. I idolize the notion of the court jester, he who speaks power to truth as long as he's funny and wears curvy shoes. I think - especially in our culture - satire can inform and help make smarter citizens.

Oh, and I'm the stubborn youngest kid and I like a challenge.

When did you live in Boston?

Summer of 1999. Grew up in Amherst, came here often. Am here right now. (Reading at Borders).

What advice would you give to your old boss, Jim Cramer, now?

Shhhh, don't speak.

What kind of personal fortune have you amassed doing stand-up?

You ever heard of "money?" That's mine.

Joe Rogan talks Talking Monkeys and more on TVSquad

Joe Rogan's new special, Talking Monkeys in Space, debutes tonight on Spike TV at midnight. I talked to him for TVSquad -- read the interview here.

Discount Variety tonigth at the CinemaSalem Cafe -- Andy Ofiesh and Gumbo Diablo!

If you have any way to get out to the north shore tonight, make plans to see FunnyGrownHere.com Presents... Discount Variety at CinemaSalem. Tonight starting at 8:30, we have Andy Ofiesh of the Naked Comedy Showcase and the zydeco soul of Gumbo Diablo, all for a cover price of just five bucks. For more info, click here. And read below for more info on tonight's featured performers.

GUMBO DIABLO
Gumbo Diablo could be called a zydeco band, but their style covers a much broader range than that -- roots, soul, country. As lead singer Wendy Kinal puts it, they like to play "the originals, the Stevie covers, and anything people are dancing and smiling and to. Hire us and we'll help you throw one of the best parties of your life!"

How long have you been playing in Boston?

About two years.

What are your favorite places to play?

Pleasant Cafe in Maynard - we've been there several times and it just has a chill, welcoming feel; the R&R in Malden is a good ol' Neighborhood Bar (I believe the full name is the R&R 5-Star Dive Bar..enough said); 31 Main in Ayer and the Happy Swallow in Framingham are fun as well, and different - audience, energy, etc.
- I love reading the vibe and rolling with it.

Who are your favorite comedians, locally and nationally?

I do like the Walsh Brothers and Andy Ofiesh, and it's not just because I spent hours and hours eating kabobs in the middle of the night in Scotland with them. The "Untrainables" always crack me up (Renata Tutko, Nate Johnson, Sean Sullivan, Ken Reid). I always loved the late, great Gilda Radner. Oh, and Bea Arthur, RIP.

What is the best comedy show you've seen?

Does a clown piece I saw in Brazil count? I howled with laughter and terror the entire time. It was brilliant. As far as stand-up goes, I can't pinpoint just one. There's usually a moment in ever show I've seen that just tickles me to the core.

ANDY OFIESH

It would be easy to label Andy Ofiesh's Naked Comedy Showcase, which he hosts the first Wednesday of every month at ImprovBoston, as a stunt. After all, it is naked people doing comedy. Ofiesh admits that's a pretty good way to get attention, but to dismiss the show, and Ofiesh himself, as a novelty would be to miss out on a surprisingly innovative show and a whipsmart local comedian. Ofiesh has distinguished himself, dressed and undressed, in the local scene with a wicked, sometimes off-color sense of humor, and is a happy fixture of the Boston scene.

How long have you been playing in Boston?

Eleven years.

What are your favorite places to play?

Comedy Studio and ImprovBoston.

Who are your favorite musicians, locally and nationally?

Locally I really like Gumbo Diablo, and not just because the lead singer is my roommate. More famously, I like White Stripes (or related groups), and Red Hot Chilli Peppers

What is the best music show you’ve seen?

River Rave in 2004. There were a ton of great acts, but the best was P.O.D. tried to turn Gillette Stadium into a mosh pit, and then invited a bunch of kids on stage to sing Youth of the Nation with them.

Tom Dustin goes Blue tonight at Mottley's

Tom Dustin regularly delivers stories about his personal life onsage that, when heard secondhand, would probably not make him seem terribly likable. His slmiy entertainment lawyer character from Robby Roadstemaer's Quiet Desperation webcom series won't help that image much. But watch the crowd when he tells them about his dating habits or makes a particularly offensive joke about race, and you won't see many disgusted faces. What you'll usually see is a lot of people laughing. Tonight at Mottley's, Dustin invites some of his friends into his comic world with Dark Blue.

What's the general concept behind Dark Blue?

Dark Blue is a dirty, politically incorrect stand-up comedy show. Dirty shows are not a new idea. But instead of having a bunch of easy F-words, thoughtless sex jokes and racist shock humor that you might expect from a show billed as such; I wanted to get some truly talented comedians who typically shy away from the edgier side of comedy and have them use the material that might be considered inappropriate for general audiences.

"Dirty" comedians are often asked to "keep it clean" by booking agents. But I've never heard of a "squeaky clean" comic being asked to bust out their edgiest stuff. So, that's exactly what I decided to do.

What made you decide to do the show?

Bill Cosby, Brian Regan, Jerry Seinfeld and Jim Gaffigan. These guys are all hysterically funny and they all work squeaky clean. I wondered what it would be like if they worked "blue".

So, I decided to take amazing comedians, most of whom almost never swear onstage and rarely explore controversial issues or taboo topics, and tell them to do the material that they have that is too questionable to perform at most shows. I said "I want to hear that hilarious, dark blue stuff that usually gets cut out of your act for fear that someone might be offended enough to write a letter of complaint because their delicate sensibilities might be injured." I said, "let it all hang out".

How did you decide who would be on the bill?

I booked the guys who make me laugh.

Joe List was the easiest choice. We've been friends since we started in comedy and he's hilarious. He works the best clubs all around the country and plays by the rules at those venues. But, Joe's stockpile of material contains the funniest filth I've ever heard and he rarely gets to show that stuff off.

Jason Kanter is a comic originally from Ohio who now lives in NYC. He's a great writer and has some twisted stuff that will undoubtedly fetch big laughs where groans might be (on another show).

Josh Gondelman is doing a spot also. Josh is the nicest, most polite and likable comic in Boston. I'm trying to turn him to the dark side.

Tim Kaelin and I have been talking about doing a show like this for years. While Tim isn't known for being squeaky clean, he is intelligent enough to be filthy-funny without just being filthy.

Juston McKinney really personifies what the show is about. He is a squeaky clean comic who has done The Tonite Show and won the "Listerine clean comic award". I'm looking forward to watching him go dirty for once.

Is this a show you'd do again, or regularly?

I'd like to have it as a monthly show. And I've had alot of great comics ask to be on future installments. But for now, we'll see how this one goes.

You have a unique ability to say awful things to a crowd of people and make them laugh. How do you develop that skill without getting beat up after the show every night?

I get away with saying some things that other comics might have a hard time pulling off. I don't do it to intentionally offend people, I'm just being myself and saying things that I think are funny. After all, I am trying to get them to laugh and have a good time. Plus, if you make most of the crowd laugh, you've got alot of back-up if a few sensitive audience members want to kick your ass.

Is there anything you wouldn't consider talking about onstage?

I can't think of any topic that I wouldn't cover if I thought it could be funny. I don't ever want anyone to be mad or sad based on something I said. It's comedy. It's suppose to make you feel good. But, at the same time, I feel like there are people who go through life looking for things to get mad and complain about; they want to be offended just so they can whine about it. I have never understood how people get offended by anything a comedian says. I always want to ask them: "where does it hurt?". Because I don't get offended by words and ideas. To me, there's only funny and unfunny. There is no offensive.

Do you improvise your parts for Quiet Desperation?

Yeah. For the most part, the Quiet Desparation series is all improvised. Roadsteamer tells me what the scene is about, gives me some ideas of direction and then we shoot it.

What appeals to you about that role?

My lawyer character is basically an extremely exaggerated version of my real self, so it's not really a stretch for me. I love the idea of playing a total scumbag with no morals, no ethics, and no concern for what anyone thinks about him. I'm a fan of villains.

Do you plan to do more acting in the future?

I've loved doing the stuff I've done. And I'd love to do more if the opportunity presents itself. But, right now I'm just trying to focus on my stand-up.

A meandering conversation with Kate Clinton

It’s hard to find just one term that described all that Kate Clinton does. For nearly thirty years, she has been a stand-up comedian, touring the country and writing smart, pointed political material. She has been at the forefront of gay and lesbian comedy, although to label her a “gay comic” would be unfairly limiting the scope of her worldview. She’s also an author (her latest book is I Told You So), a columnist (for The Progressive and other publications), a blogger (see the CommuniKate section of www.kateclinton.com), and an activist.

She’s also a lot of fun to engage in a meandering conversation, as I found yet again when I spoke with her earlier this week. She’s at the Comedy Connection Wilbur Theatre tonight (7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29 and $37 at 617-931-2000 or www.ticketmaster.com), and she’ll start her annual summer un at the Crown and Anchor in Provincetown next month.

Have you decided on a term for what you do yet? Last time we spoke, it vacillated between humorist, stand-up comedian, monologist and perhaps some mix of the three.

I think we’re going to stick with “humorist.” The older I get… They last longer.

How do find time to write an act, a book, a column, and blog for roughly half of the political sites on the Web?

Well, thankfully, they’re fairly vital. Put a column out and you hear from somebody who saw it on… what? I don’t even know what that is. I did a thing on Judy Joy Jones a couple of nights ago, that is BlogTalkRadio, and people were calling in from South Africa. It was like, wild. I guess just doing it a little bit every day is what the key is, and I think really, at the end of the day, as they say, it’s all about providing content. And if I just keep writing and you look back after two or three years and you think, oh my god, I have a book.

Is that how the new book came about?

Yes, it really did. I had about, I think it was three years since my last book and I thought, oh, I’ve got enough. Especially actually doing the blog, which, of course, had to be translated from bloggerian to make essays. Because I would look at them and go, I don’t even know what that was about. But I looked back and I thought, there’s enough, and we approached Beacon who was very happy to do it. And I had about, probably about six months to put it together.

And I put it together and then handed it in at the end of July. Then we went through the primaries and the election, or the conventions. And then really, thank goodness, at the end of August, Beacon called and said, we really want another chapter to kind of finish the primary stories, finish after the Novemner election and send it in. And I was really happy, because I just finished a lot of storylines that I’d been following for three years.

How much did you have to change from “blogonese,” was that the word?

Bloggerian. I like “blogonese.” It was mostly splicing together short ones from day to day, and then there was also just making connective tissue, explaining things that we seem to forget. There was a moment where we thought a “poindexter” was a type of guy, but he was actually a guy. You have to explain that. I think we definitely live in Short Attention Span Theatre. So that was part of the work of the blog thing, and just changing tenses and making sure it had a consistent flow, mechanical.

The other thing was, Beacon asked for articles that hadn’t appeared in the Advocate or The Progressive or the Women’s Review of Books. So they asked for some original material, which turned out to be much longer. The blog and the magazine articles are like 750 words tops. I really loved the opportunity to write a longer piece. Some of them are a couple thousand words.

So it really got to develop different ideas, which they really liked, and then they said, we really want you to write a memoir. And I said, “I’m that old?” But it’s an interesting idea for a memoir. It’s like taking five huge, changing LGBT events that I’ve been at over the course of twenty-eight years. Because I’ve kept journals and I’ve been writing all those years. So it’s an interesting idea that I’d really like to do.

Is that something that you’ve already started on?

I keep notes. I’m in kind of the mind that you write what inspires you at that moment, save it, and then kind of put it together later as some kind of quilt. I really encourage people who want to write a book and they get overwhelmed, and I say, just write things that you remember. Save them and look at them later. We’ll get somebody to help you figure out how to put it together. Some books look like that, too. [laughs] sorry!

I guess that’s a matter of maybe not publishing it quite so soon in that process, not publishing as soon as you’re done with the notes.

Ooohh. Contemplation. Hmm. Yes. But everything is so speedy. The pace of things, when I think about different styles of writing for a blog, which actually has been interesting because it’s really freed me up. I’m the slowest writer in the world. You know, I a paragraph and then I go back and tinker with it and then slowly move on.

But the blog thing really freed me up, and actually doing the video blog has freed me up in performance in odd ways, because it really, they’re like two-minute blogs that I put up every Thursday. I have like three words on a page and they’re things I want to talk about. But in performance, I have a thirty, thirty-five page script that I’m happy to veer from and improvise from, but I’m very prepared. So there’s a way that the spontaneity of the blog has helped me be more spontaneous in a show.

It all goes together, everything. Because I’m doing a blog and I think, oh, that’s such a great idea for a show, or I’m doing a show and I think, ooh, that would be a great little piece.

With gay marriage and “don’t ask, don’t tell” out in the forefront right now – you’re not the only comedian who’s been addressing these things, but you’ve been addressing them for years – do you feel like it’s strange that those are such hot-button, mainstream issues at the same time right now?

You know, I always feel like Madame DuFarge in Tale of Two Cities where you’ve knitted everything up and then the revolution comes and you’re unraveling and you’ve remembered everybody. But I think watching, and certainly participating in, marriage equality and gays in the military, it just seems like it’s at a tipping point. I don’t think it’s any mistake that we no longer have so much rank homophobia on high. Have you seen the movie Outrage?

No. Not yet.

It’s a wonderful movie. And just to see George Bush making that announcement that there was going to be an anti-gay marriage amendment to the Constitution, it’s like, what? To not have that anymore from on high, I think it’s just perfect that it’s just blossoming now. There have been very many different strands happening, organizing in the gay movement, and I think that now they’re really coming out and being able to really garner the attention of the remaining newspapers.

It’s really quite amazing, and I’m not – people are really mad at Obama for not being more involved in it. I’m sure he’s got a plan, just like he had a very long and extended plan to win the election. I’m sure he’s got a plan on this. But it’s just, he could do much more in terms of leadership. They seem to forget that they won and that they have a majority. Perhaps they should lead. He could sign an executive order, he could do a stop/loss pronouncement that would at least freeze throwing gay people out of the military right now.

It’s amazing to see that sixty-eight percent of the country believes that gays should serve in the military. I don’t know if that’s because we actually are in so many wars and will take anybody… “Oh, yeah, let the gays get in. Get in the front. You guys are great.”

And then, of course, here in New York stage, we’ve had this coup where two Democratic legislators have gone to the Republican side. One is under indictment for miuse of campaign funds, the other one, oh, assaulted his girlfriend with a bottle. They’re Republicans now, which is perfect. So I don’t know what the status of marriage equality here is. People who are really in know and behind the scenes say no, it is going to progress. But the chambers are locked. Nobody’s giving up the keys.

I think we need to seat Al Franken. It would be a proud day for comedians everywhere, to have an openly comic American in the Senate. I’m looking forward to it. They have to seat him.

There have been many closeted comic Americans in Congress.

Exactly.

They don’t hide it very well, there are the telltale signs.

They’re the classic “openly closeted.” But this, proud to identify his heritage. He is an openly comic American. And it will be a proud day for all of us.

Do feel the debate is in a healthier place now than it has been?

I do. It’s more vitriolic now, which is a great sign that we’re making progress. I’ve always viewed our progress by the opposition against us. And we’re in the last gasp stages of the old white guys. “Oh, they’re not going to be in the military! No, they can’t get married!”

I do think it’s a very vigorous national debate. It’s popping up in Iowa The thirteen colonies that wrote the Constitution are coming around to it. And states, there are very active gay equality organizations in lots and lots of states that weren’t there before.

What’s your report card on Obama at this point?

I think for deportment, he would get an “A.” I don’t know what he’s on, but he’s so calm. I’d like some. Communications skills, “A.” finishing tasks, “B.” He’s getting there. Plays well with others – “tries to play well with others,” that would be the new category – a “B.”

I just think he’s got an amazing, calm team around him. I’m amused by all the old guys who are going, “He’s trying to do too much.” And I just think you’re jealous. Apparently, I don’t know how long his days are, but he’s got time to go on dates, doing all those things. I guess he doesn’t work out as long. Bush, they totaled it up, he took 470 days off in his eight years. So I think he’s got eight years to unravel. He’s got major cleanup on aisle five. That hundred day thing, that was just annoying. It was so fake and crazy. Still trying to assess the damage. The option was John McCain, or as we called him “God Forbid.” So I’m hopeful. That’s about all that’s left.

Last time we spoke, you said that you had really gotten bored at the end of the Clinton years with everything being about sex. Did you have a similar feeling retreading the issues at the end of George W. Bush’s term?

I did have Bush fatigue. And I mean that in the worst way. I really did. I don’t know if it was the result of eight years of anybody. But I think the categories had been pretty hardened and it would just be more of the same. It got pretty tiresome. But then it was overlapped for the last two years by the campaign. I don’t know how they do it in England. A six-week campaign and then you’re done.

How long have you been doing your annual run in Provincetown?

I think 94 years? I think. Actually, I started when the Cape was still connected to the mainland. I think this might be like my eighteenth or nineteenth season.

What keeps you coming back?

Well, in 1990, somehow, I bought a house in Provincetown. I feel sorry for performers who are performing there for the summer and they have to live in something less than their own home. But I get to go and be in my own house and have my own garden and ride my bike to work. It’s just wonderful. And really work on stuff for the fall. So it’s just perfect in many ways, except I am away from my partner who is plagued by shuttles and Cape Air and “Aaah! It’s foggy! I can’t get there!” From New York. But she allows me the simple pleasures.

Wendy Liebman in town tonight for benefit

Wendy Liebman came to Boston to study psychology, and left as a comedian. She was a student at Wellesley College in the 80s when she first started taking adult ed classes on stand-up and venturing out into a Boston scene populated by the likes of Brian Kiley, Jonathan Katz, Jimmy Tingle, and Don Gavin (whose delivery was influential on her own style of rapid fire delivery and throwaway lines).

Tonight, she’s back in town at the Regent Theatre for a benefit show for Community Works, which has been called “a portfolio of 32 local social justice organizations.” She’ll be joined by Tony V, Bill Braudis, Rich Ceisler, Chris Tabb, Jim Lauletta, and Jane Condon. I spoke with her by e-mail.

How did you get involved with charity for Community Works? “A portfolio of 32 local social justice organizations” sounds a bit confusing.

Community Works is like The United Way but local. The women who started it, Kip Tiernan and Fran Froehlich are the Mother Teresa's of our time. Money donated to this charity goes to help the homeless, the sick, the needy. I love this organization and I would do anything to help them.

What is your part in the documentary The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story?

My husband and his cousin made a tribute film to their fathers, the composers who wrote a lot of family music (Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, "It's a Small World," and "You're Sixteen," to name a few.) The brothers worked together for over 50 years and yet they never really got along. The tag line for the movie is “Brothers, Partners, Strangers.” I got to speak on behalf of my mother-in-law, who passed away before the movie was made. If you get the chance to see it, you should -- it's a gorgeous movie and it will bring you back to your childhood.



How often do you get back to Boston?

About once a year! I will come back every year to do the benefit for Community Works for the rest of my life (you have it in writing).

Do you still see people here who watched you coming up?

Yes. And I still do some of my old jokes. I tell them to pretend they're watching time lapse photography.

Do you keep in touch with comics like Tony V, who’s also on the bill?

Yes, gotta love Facebook! That's how I approached the other comedians to be on the show!! (Tony V., Rich Ceisler, Bill Braudis, Chris Tabb, Jim Lauletta, and Jane Condon.) Jonathan Katz and I just did a piece for his radio show, "Hey, We’re Back."

What should we be looking for from you in the future? Are you working on an album or a special?

Next week I'll be a part of the Just for Laughs Festival in Chicago. I plan on recording my first DVD on my 50th birthday, Feb 27, 2011.

Joe Wong rubbing elbows with Kanye and David Blaine on Ellen's Bigger, Longer, & Wider Show

Ellen DeGeneres today revealed that Boston comedian Joe Wong will be on Ellen's Bigger, Longer, & Wider Show, which tapes June 17 and airs June 27 on TBS. Watch for my poss on TVSquad for more info on the show.

Bill Burr on The Tonight Show -- first stand-up performance of the Conan Era

Just posted a bit over at AOL's TVSquad blog about Canton native Bill Burr on The Tonight Show this evening. He'll be the first sand-up comic to do a performance spot on Conan O'Brien's watch as host.