You Get A Spoon! with Maris Kreizman, Colin Dempsey, and Jo Firestone
What a great show tonight! We had a packed house at Under St Marks for the August edition of You Get A Spoon! a monthly variety show and audience prize giveaway. (You can see more details and buy tickets for future shows online here)
Maris Kreizman read a personal essay and we talked about her blog and upcoming book, Slaughterhouse 90210 (in bookstores October 6th). Maris recommended:
1) After Claude by Iris Owens
2) The Amazing MagicFiber - microfiber cleaning cloths
3) a Kong (dog toy)
Maris Kreizman
Colin Dempsey played some songs on his guitar and recommended:
1) Barry's Tea - so good he'd be willing to fight over it.
2) Alan Partridge - A British TV Comedy Show
3) Guilty (album) by Barbara Streisand & Barry Gibb - (side note: FANTASTIC cover art)
Colin Dempsey
Jo Firestone told a spectacular and hilarious story about the horrors of seeing herself eat falafel. But first, she recommended:
1) Ice Breakers Ice Cubes Gum: Pepper Mint Flavor
2) One Story, a magazine that delivers one great story in the mail every three weeks
3) Gaff tape, which Jo considers to be the finest and most versatile of tapes.
Jo Firestone
Of course, we ended, as we always do, with my passionate endorsement of the Tovolo Silicone Mixing Spoon in Candy Apple color. This month, the winner of the spoon was Greta, who was such an audience favorite that the entire room started chanting "Greta! Greta! Greta!" after she won. Thanks to everybody who came out!
The next YOU GET A SPOON! is on Sunday, September 20 at 7 p.m. at Under St Marks (94 St Marks Pl in Manhattan).
Information and tickets: http://www.horsetrade.info/event/3bf6735e6870605b54cdeac298006105
3 Things: New Zealand, Thomas Sanders, TAL
Hi friends,
If you're new to these emails, welcome! Every Saturday, I send out a short email with three great things. I've also got some of my upcoming shows featured below. If you know anyone who you think would enjoy this, feel free to spread the word! They can sign up and/or see the archive of past emails here.
SHOW UPDATE:
NYC: Tomorrow (8/16), join me for my monthly variety show / prize giveaway You Get A Spoon! featuring Jo Firestone, music from Irish singer/songwriter Colin Dempsey, and a reading by Maris Kreizman. Details/tickets here. Down the road, I've got two big You're the Expert shows at The Bell House. Details here
DC: Only 9 tickets left for Taste Test Comedy on Wednesday, September 16. Small bites, big laughs. Details and tickets here.
BOSTON: You're the Expert is back on September 27. Get tickets here. On October 1, I'll be at Johnny D's doing a version of You Get A Spoon! with spoken word poet Sarah Kay and storyteller Elna Baker. Tickets are already going fast, so get yours here.
Ok, on to this week's list!
1 Thing I Think Is Great:
The citizens of New Zealand are voting on a new flag, which is a wonderful example of democracy in action. That being said, opening up flag designs to the public resulted in some pretty insane but spectacular suggestions. I know it's officially out of the running, but let me just publicly declare that if New Zealand chooses "Laser Kiwi" as its new flag, I will immediately move there and renounce my American citizenship. New Zealand Announces Longlist of Flag Designs
1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:
At the risk of sounding like an old man, I don't understand Vine. The social network built on looping six-second videos is supposedly producing "the next wave of comedy superstars," but I think it's dumb. Then, every once in a while, I see someone who's using the constraints of the medium to make something genuinely unique and funny. I love Thomas Sanders' series of vines "Narrating People's Lives", especially the way normal people react to his narrations. At the same time, I think Paul Scheer's parody of "Vine superstars" is funnier than just about anything actually on Vine. The Meltdown: Paul Scheer
1 Interesting Thing:
This American Life ran a two-part episode on education that is one of the most important and devastating works of journalism I've heard. I've had so many conversations over the years with friends who are thoughtful, intelligent, passionate educators working day-in and day-out to close the achievement gap. But I think nothing gets at the fundamental issues and painful challenges quite like this. "Right now, all sorts of people are trying to rethink and reinvent education, to get poor minority kids performing as well as white kids. But there's one thing nobody tries anymore, despite lots of evidence that it works: desegregation." The Problem We All Live With
Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online atwww.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/
Have a great weekend,
Chris
3 Things: Austin Kleon, Gary Gulman, and Rashida Jones
Hi friends,
If you're new to these emails, welcome! Every Saturday, I send out a short email with three great things. I've also got some of my upcoming shows featured below. If you know anyone who you think would enjoy this, feel free to spread the word! They can sign up and/or see the archive of past emails here.
SHOW UPDATE:
WASHINGTON, DC: Tickets for the first Taste Test Comedy show in DC (free food samples + jokes about food) just went on sale and they're already almost sold out. As of right now, there are only 19 tickets left for September 16. If you're in town, get your tickets now! Details here
BOSTON: Just announced a one-night only show with me, spoken word poet Sarah Kay, and storyteller Elna Baker on Oct. 1. This will definitely sell out. Tickets available here. There will also be a You're the Expert taping on 9/27.
NYC: Lots of fun stuff coming up! I've got variety show / prize giveaway You Get A Spoon! next Sunday featuring Jo Firestone and Maris Kreizman. Details/tickets here. Then, Most Incredible 1-Hour Language School is back on Labor Day with a Greek language edition. Finally, You're the Expert is back in Brooklyn at the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival. Tickets here.
Ok, on to this week's list!
1 Thing I Think Is Great:
Austin Kleon inspires me. He's a visual artist who approaches the world in a unique way, but he's also always thinking about creativity and process. He's incredibly generous with his thoughts. When I'm stuck, I often find myself going back to something that he's written. His latest piece is so straightforward, yet I find it incredibly hard to live by. It's easy to beat yourself up or get jealous instead of just doing the work. This is a great reminder: "If you want to be the noun, first do the verb." Austin Kleon: The noun and the verb
1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:
The Republican primary debate was the most-watched cable news event in history, with more than 24 million viewers. There's no denying it was great television and also somewhat terrifying. If you're in need of seeing Trump brought down a peg or two (and who doesn't need that?) Gary Gulman hits him where it hurts, by making fun of his fortune, in this hilarious comedy bit. I also nominate Gary for best use of math in a standup special.Gary Gulman - Donald Trump and Bill Gates
1 Interesting Thing:
Rashida Jones is clearly unafraid to take risks and use her fame to ask difficult questions. What does the sexualization of our society mean for relationships? How do you talk to kids about sexuality and intimacy when the average age a child sees porn for the first time is 11? Is it possible to be both empowered and coerced at the same time? This interview she gave to VICE is one of the more thought-provoking pieces I've seen in a long-time. (Note: There's some frank language in here, so it might be awkward to watch at work?). Rashida Jones on her new documentary "Hot Girls Wanted"
Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online atwww.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/
Have a great weekend,
Chris
