3 Things: Evan Kaufman, Bootsie Plunkett, and Steve Macone
Happy Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with my upcoming shows, one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting.
Upcoming Shows
I'm taking a few weeks off from live shows this summer to focus on writing and developing some new projects that I've had in the back of my head for a while now. I'll be back on stage in mid-August though and announcing a run of tour dates for the Fall.
In the meantime, catch up on the newest episode of You're the Expert, all about glaciers, icicles, and frozen water on other planets. Dr. Christine McCarthy is an "ice squeezer" at Columbia University. She tells comedians Gary Richardson, Nadia Pinder, and Ashley Brooke Roberts exactly what that means. Link
Once they're announced, my full schedule with all upcoming dates will be online here.
This week's list
GREAT:
Evan Kaufman is the one of the most naturally talented people I've ever gotten to work with. We hosted a weekly standup show together for a year and every Wednesday he would make me laugh so hard I cried. Now, he's a new father and he's documenting the journey from pregnancy onward in a laugh out loud funny (and also very touching) series called Dude-to-Dad. Watch it and let yourself be charmed by Evan. He's so dang charming! Dude to Dad
FUNNY:
Speaking of parents, Jake Plunkett is a writer for The Late Show and pitched a segment where his mom, a totally uninformed voter, interviews other uninformed voters about the midterm elections. It's a funny idea all by itself, but "Bootsie" Plunkett elevates it to brilliance. She is a true star and incredible on camera. Watch as she covers politics in a way that no one else can. The Late Show's Uninformed Correspondent
INTERESTING:
I can't say too much about this quite yet, but I spent the last week in the badlands of Montana at a dinosaur dig for a new project I'm working on. It was incredible to see hundred million year old bones being uncovered, straight out of a scene in Jurassic Park. The trip was sparked, in large part, by my friend Steve Macone, who wrote this incredible essay. Digging for Dinosaurs in My Twenties: On the cusp of adulthood in an era of in-betweens, a search for fossils and meaning
Thanks for reading! If you like these emails, please forward to a friend or come say hi at a live show. If someone forwarded you this email and you want to sign up, you cansubscribe here.
Have a great day!
Chris
3 Things: 3rd Grade Audio, Andy Samberg, and Alessandra Cerreti
Happy Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with my upcoming shows, one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting.
Upcoming Shows
EVERYWHERE:
This week's episode of You're the Expert is all about glaciers, icicles, and frozen water on other planets. Dr. Christine McCarthy is an "ice squeezer" at Columbia University. She tells comedians Gary Richardson, Nadia Pinder, and Ashley Brooke Roberts exactly what that means. Link
NEW YORK:
TOMORROW! Sunday, July 15 at 7 p.m. at Caveat. We're doing a summer live taping of You're the Expert with an all-star lineup of panelists Josh Gondelman (Last WeekTonight), Dylan Marron (TED), and Ashley Brooke Roberts (NatGeo). Link
My full schedule with all upcoming dates is online here.
This week's list
GREAT:
David Green's class of third graders in Winnetka, Illinois all lead double lives. By day, they are regular elementary school students. At night, they're reporters for NPR. Green's experiments in giving 9-year-olds the tools and training to create their own recordings and interviews has led to some hilarious and impressive work. Listen to this interview with Mr. Green and also hear stories about getting old, questions for MLK, and what to do if you get a magnet stuck up your nose. 3rd Grade Audio (h/t Alex Kapelman's resources for podcasting)
FUNNY:
Andy Samberg is not afraid to be shamelessly goofy. He makes big, dumb, silly, jokes and I love them. He is so funny. Andy and his wife, Joanna Newsom, recently had a baby and he came on Conan to show off the first photo of their child, which he turns into a bit that I enjoyed a lot. But since we're already talking about Andy Samberg, let's talk about some of his other masterpieces, like the greatest celebrity roast performance of all time or thevideo that the Oscars wouldn't give him money to make.
INTERESTING:
Alessandra Cerreti is an Italian prosecutor who is breaking up the Mafia across her native country. In a bureaucracy reluctant to challenge deep-seated corruption and criminal ties, Cerreti has refused to back down. She uses the misogyny of organized crime against the bosses, convincing women to testify and providing them with protection. The Women Who Took on the Mafia
Thanks for reading! If you like these emails, please forward to a friend or come say hi at a live show. If someone forwarded you this email and you want to sign up, you cansubscribe here.
Have a good weekend,
Chris
3 Things: Chibundu Onuzo, Pete Lee, and Nick DiMola
Happy Saturday! Every week, I send out an email with my upcoming shows, one thing I think is great, one thing that made me laugh, and one thing I found interesting.
Upcoming Shows
EVERYWHERE:
The most recent episode of You're the Expert features Anand Varma, a NatGeo photographer and biologist whose photos have made possible scientific discoveries about bees, bats, and brain-controlled crabs. He talks to comedians Jo Firestone, Scott Adsit, and Kasha Patel about the intersection between art and science. Link
Season One of Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas is wrapped, but all ten episodes are streaming online now. Link
NEW YORK:
Sunday, July 15 at 7 p.m. at Caveat. I'm hosting You're the Expert with comedians Josh Gondelman, Dylan Marron, and Ashley Brooke Roberts. Link
My full schedule with all upcoming dates is online here.
This week's list
GREAT:
I'm halfway through Chibundu Onuzo's incredible novel Welcome to Lagos right now and I'm savoring every moment. She's created so many compelling characters and it's an amazing story. If you're looking for a new book to read, I definitely recommend it. It's the story of army officer Chike Ameobi, who deserts after being ordered to kill civilians and ends up traveling with a band of runaways towards Nigeria's biggest city and a new life. Here's an excerpt you can read online: Welcome to Lagos
FUNNY:
Pete Lee is a standup comedian and deeply nice person, who's able to get huge laughs onstage without even a hint of meanness. That's much harder than Pete makes it look. Watch his charming and hilarious set on Fallon, where he talks about why he loves the middle seat on airplanes, crying in public, and the best way to deal with dropping a sandwich. Pete Lee
INTERESTING:
Nick DiMola is a garbageman who loves garbage. This seven minute short film, directed by Olivier Bernier, captures a true New York character. Nick loves his job, but also finds higher meaning in discovering treasures and mementos among the junk he's paid to haul to the landfill. It's a beautiful short film and a pretty amazing look into what people leave behind. Also, it's a great way to experience Nick's passion without any of the smells. A Garbage Story (I really recommend the short film, but if you'd prefer reading instead, the NYT profiled Nick as well: In Queens, A Man Culls Relics From the Junk)
Thanks for reading! If you like these emails, please forward to a friend or come say hi at a live show. If someone forwarded you this email and you want to sign up, you cansubscribe here.
Have a great day!
Chris
