Denis Donohue makes his rounds

Denis Donohue works the circuit like a pro.

After over a decade of comedy and time on the road, the 33-year-old comedian is still doing his rounds in Midwest and East Coast comedy clubs and bars, but not without recognition and growing credentials.

Donohue made his national television debut on ABC’s “Barbara Walters Special” this year and has been touring the country regularly since 2005. Donohue has been featured by National Lampoon, “The Howard Stern Show” and “The Bob & Tom Show.”

He recently stopped by Play Mor Lanes, a bowling alley, in Muscatine, Iowa.

“It started with Johnny Carson when I was really young,” Donohue said of his early attraction to comedy. “I like to say I’m the bastard child of Andrew Dice Clay and George Carlin.” Donohue’s mix of observation and real-life scenarios have earned him the defending champion at the Connecticut Comedy Festival.

His tour is taking him across the country, and in the coming weeks he’ll be spending much of his time in the Midwest.

“It’s great; I learn about you and you learn about me,” he said of his tour. “At the end of the show, we’ll all feel like friends. You’re (Midwesterners) some of the nicest people around.”

Donohue lives in New York, but plans on moving to California in June, and said “he’s not getting any younger” and decided it was time for a change.

He said his first gig was in Manhattan’s upper west side nearly 13 years ago, working alongside and as an opening act for comedy stars like Lisa Lampanelli and Jim Gaffigan.

“These people were just starting to break out at that point,” Donohue said.

His experiences grew from there. Donohue released his first comedy album, “Unholy War,” in 2007 and hopes to record a new album in 2010. His current tour is featuring a mix of his album material and new material, he said.

“I think the funniest things that have happened are not on stage but in the car and planes going from place to place. Maybe my album will be half comedy, half car conversations,” he joked.

“I really like performing in December,” he said. “For so many years I wasn’t able to do comedy clubs because of holiday parties, so they usually bring squeaky-clean comedians.”

Donohue said adults “don’t (always) need G-rated material,” which has led him back to late-night comedy clubs and bars with his raucous blend of comedy.

Between comedy clubs and bars, he also works the college scene, performing at more than 50 colleges a year, including the University of Notre Dame, Brown University and Villanova University.

Girls Night Out...and buckets of laughs - Andy Kindler and Josh Alton

What started out as a rough week at work easily become one of the best weekends ever, with help from my two gal-pals and stand-up comedy at Penguin's in Davenport.

My parents called me Friday night to alert me. "Eek! (my mom said) Do you know who's eating at Bennigans?!"

It was, indeed, Andy Kindler. Unsure if I would make it to his weekend gig at Penguin's, I pleaded with her to work up some of that lacking gumption to grab an autograph for my comedy collection. She surprised me.

Saturday afternoon, trying to find a solid plan-of-action with my gal-pals Lauren and Chelsea, I bought tickets for Kindler's show and opening performance Josh Alton (both were amazing, by the way).

After a few too many martinis (not ashamed), we were laughing our rears off. Josh Alton, Kindler's opener, is an Iowa native residing in Chicago. His comedy was very down-to-earth for our Mississippi bank spirits. Community college, marrying for health insurance and the mystery of the G-spot was applicable for men and women in the room. He's interactive with the audience, has just the right amount of charm and awkwardness to pull off the topics of his choice. He got some great laughs, despite the unfilled room. After the show, Alton was approachable and kind, selling his G-Spots "69" t-shirt. It was a shame there wasn't more of a crowd to thank him.

Unfortunately, such was the case with Andy Kindler. Kindler, a "The Late Show with Dave Letterman" regular and "The Daily Show" guest, has appeared on a myriad of television shows. As a fan and viewer, I've seen him many times and always enjoyed his bitter, semi-whiney show (reminds me a lot of his friend and cohort, Lewis Black). But Kindler did not receive near the attention Alton had, and sadly fell victim to a departing crowd and jeers. Our table, however, enjoyed every second of it.

Here's the thing: I like to laugh a lot and loud. So does Lauren. Chelsea is a little more quiet, but the three of us together know how to enjoy ourselves. So when we were being gawked at for laughing hysterically, we didn't really have any shame. Hello! It's a comedy show, people. Get with it.

Kindler covered everything, particularly making light of fellow comedian's QC visit, Dane Cook, who was charging over $100 for floor seats (I like you, Dane Cook, but not that much). After poking fun at Cook's outrageous prices, he proceeded to make fun of Cook's comedy -- which is not the first time I've seen the veterans take a stab at him. Lewis Black literally said, "F--- Dane Cook!" at the Adler when a fan told him how much he was charging for tickets.

He touched on everything, and he doesn't lack in self-deprecation. As two young women (obnoxious, by the way) left after Alton's act, Kindler made light of the situation. He was determined to make the table next to ours laugh as hard as we were, but it didn't happen. They were wearing wickety-whack baseball caps, so I'm sure they're just too cool to get Kindler's comedy (that's Internet sarcasm for douchebags).

From our table's point of view, he did a great job. Lauren didn't stop laughing about the Wolfman Realtor joke (Why DO Realtors have head shots, anyway?) and were laughing at his Jewish humor, accusing the QC of not having "any Jews" since we have a grocery store called Schnucks (good point, AK).

Despite how much fun WE were having, others were not. Why in the world would you buy a $17 ticket for a comedian you've never seen? That's like if someone asked me to go to a Christian rock band concert -- I probably wouldn't pay for it because I don't know any bands in that genre. I wouldn't pay to see Britney Spears because I don't like her. Why jeer a comedian for making a living -- which isn't easy, by the way -- if you're the dumbass who paid for the ticket?

Off my soapbox, my apologies. Both comedians did an excellent job. As an audience member, it amazes me that when I see a comic on stage, they are "at work." My job is to interview people and write stories. My other job is to teach. Some people work in factories. But these people have to write material -- funny material, which isn't easy even when you don't have to think about it -- to make a group of people laugh. And as Kindler found, some crowds just aren't that easy.

Regardless of the lame, unwilling audience, our table was the life of the party. It was great to meet the comedians after the show, both of which were happy to talk to fans and audience members. It just makes me ashamed of my community for having such a rotten attitude. Hopefully they both return, I'd definitely see 'em again.

After the show the girls and I decided that two strong martinis at the comedy lounge were not enough, so we went that extra mile and had a couple more upstairs at Nan's. We realized when we got there we probably should've asked the comics up, too. Just as a big "sorry" for the lame Davenport-ites and a "thank you" for their killer comedy. Maybe next time.

(Special thanks to joshaltoncomedy.com for the photo and InsideComedy for the Kindler pic)

Mission accomplished.

I can't believe I failed to update this directly following the Lewis Black show on Friday, Oct. 9.

That's right, you're seeing it. I met him. The Legend. My comedy hero. The guy who got me into comedy and made me realize what a saving grace it can be in times of pain. Lewis Black.

It was great to see him at such a historic place like the Adler Theater. I'm sure stopping through towns in Iowa is not the highlight of this New Yorker's trip, but I do hope he enjoyed his visit. I'm sure the obnoxious, drunk fan in the front row that caused him to stop and scold was not a highlight.

I really hate open bars at theater performances. I understand that a lot of the fans there were older adults, happy to drink white and red wines before the performance, but what happens when people drink is, well, drunkenness. There's nothing more embarrassing for me, a 25-year-old, than seeing some 40 or 50-something sloshed, red in the face, making a total ass of himself in front of other 40 and 50-year-olds.

Honestly, drunk guy in the front row irritating my hero? You're about as old as my dad. And if my dad pulled that bull, I'd disown him. Fortunately for me my parents aren't drinkers. And I am more and more thankful for this every time I see stupid asses like that guy.

But enough about that. Lewis, of course, did a fantastic job, as did his opener, John Bowman. I'd seen John in Iowa City two years ago when Lewis came to Hancher Auditorium (soon to be torn down and relocated elsewhere in Iowa City thanks to the 2008 floods that ruined its foundation and interior). John always does a great job as an opener, and has similar views to Lewis. If you're not familiar with Lewis and find yourself a guest to one of his shows, John's a great warm-up act for Lewis' "rage-stage" antics.

Both John and Lewis, however, do not have mental breakdowns. According to a newspaper article from a small-town in Nevada (the name escapes me), Lewis Black's act is a "series of mental breakdowns." No. No, it isn't. Don't be worried. He rants, he raves, he states the obvious. But it all makes sense to me.

Regardless, the show started at 8 and I was leaving, autographed book (yes, I forgot to mention that, too!) and photo in hand by 10:45 p.m. There were only about 25 people in line to meet him, which shocked me because I thought I'd have to elbow someone in the face to get to the table. Everything went smooth as silk and I was a very happy camper.

The other plus side is I only live about 3 blocks from the Adler, so I walked to and from the show. Nice.

In the meantime, other big guests will be stopping through including Andy Kindler and Loni Love at Penguin's Comedy Club. I'll try to update other shows as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!

8.5 hours and counting...

Here we go.
The day I've been waiting for. How sad it will be when it's over. I love having those "light at the end of the tunnel" moments to live for.

Lewis Black. Tonight. Adler Theater in Davenport, Iowa. 8 p.m. Second row seat.

I'm going by myself. This will be the first time -- ever -- to see a comedian by myself. Not sure how I feel about that. Honestly though, I'd rather it be this way. If I drag someone with then I'm worried they won't have a good time. Just because I love stand-up doesn't mean everyone does.

Anyway, I'm bringing one of his books in case there is a meet and greet (that would just make my night!) but we will see. This will be my third time seeing him live, and the second time I saw him I was in third row. Moving up! I know it's probably not a big deal for my readers out there (if any) but it's a huge deal to me.

In the meantime, some upcoming shows in the area (Davenport and Cedar Rapids) include:
-Rich Voss, from Last Comic Standing, at the CR Penguin's Oct. 16-17, ticket information and showtimes available at penguinscomedyclub.com
-Drew Hastings at CR Penguin's on Nov. 20-21
- Andy Kindler at the Penguin's in Davenport, Nov. 13-15. Show times and tickets available at penguinscomedyclub.com
-Jon LaJoie at Davenport Penguin's Nov. 20-21.

Riverside Theater in Riverside, Iowa (about 20 miles from Iowa City) will be featuring some big names, too:
Oct. 11: Saturday Night Live's Kevin Nealon will perform (great stand-up, go if you can!)
Oct. 25: SNL's Norm McDonald (also great stand-up, go if you can!)

As always, the best way to find out about your favorite comedians is to check out their tour dates on their websites or MySpace. They'll always be listed and sometimes you can grab tickets early enough for a good spot (like me!)

Happy Laughing!

Breathing room for Bush and Barack

In the most recent edition of Time, writer Richard Zoglin does a great investigative piece on the stand-up comedy industry post-George W. Bush. The piece? "Take Obama, Please."

"Just because Bush left office doesn't mean stupidity has left the country, " said my favorite comedian, Lewis Black. Black, ever the commentator, has not changed his presidential jokes to insult Barack Obama (who, in fact, Black has admitted he is a supporter) but rather continues to point out the obvious in this country that is complete hypocrisy, laziness and downright insanity on both sides of Congress.

The argument in the article is essentially this: Without Bush, there's a lot less punchlines in the world. With a refined, articulate president like Barack Obama (yes, I support him) there are few fears of choking on a pretzel, tugging on doors that won't open and standing awkwardly next to them, or forgetting ever-present American sayings (i.e. "If you fool me once...") Sure, Obama runs a bit long on his answers (one of the few missteps highlighted by Zoglin in his piece, but essentially there's not much fun to poke at the new prez (except maybe his mediocre bowling skills).

So what are they doing? Zoglin asks. It turns out, instead of poking fun at the president, his lifestyle, family and policies can be flipped around. One comic in the article jokes that Obama will never pull a Clinton because "Michelle will impeach him herself!" Har-har!

Comedians are still, however, getting a few pokes at Bush and definitely at Clinton, who will probably be one of the most scandalous and easy targets for comedians as the years roll on. (Hey, you were the one that used a cigar, dude.) His wife, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has also been a target, but then again, she always was for some reason. Bring back the Palin jokes, I say.

But is the stand-up industry sinking? Hardly. Sure, the presidential waters might be a little dry but there's still plenty going on in this country to find social commentary and make it funny. Even The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, promoting itself to news supreme as it ragged on the Bush administration every night, has found a way to find gaffs in the new White House and Congress, especially with the out-of-control health debate.

In the meantime, comedians will continue to deliver -- so don't start boycotting comedy clubs and festivals. In fact, watching them on their toes, unable to rely on making fun of the most powerful man in America, is quite impressive. Congress, pop culture, sex and whatever else spews from their mouth will continue to crinkle the corners of your lips and holding your sides.
Rest assured, there's still plenty going on around us to bring down with comedy.

Maria Bamford - Top-notch comic

Well July 9 came and went and I successfully got tickets and saw Maria Bamford perform live at Penguin's Comedy Club. It was spectacular.

Pugs, arch enemy and Old McDonald -- some classics -- were performed along with her all-new material. I bought a CD/DVD set for $15 -- well worth it because she autographed it for me and I got my picture taken. Sorry I look like a dumptruck. That guy is my boyfriend, Andy, another Maria fan. We had so much fun getting to talk to her and meet her. She's sweet and humble and it seems to be the pattern with most comics.

Her act amazes me, and in person -- between the laughter, tears and crunching stomach -- I was in awe at how swiftly she moves from character to character. From Maria to her mother Marilyn to baby Jesus (buy her CD to hear this, I won't ruin sales for her) or from Maria to credit company operator and back to Maria. She makes it look so easy. Her "voice" is real, by the way. On several YouTube videos people debate the reality of her childlike high-pitched voice. It's real, all right. But she's adorable and sweet and loves to meet her fans, which is great. I was shaking when I handed my phone over for a picture -- "Relax," her opener who helped sell her CDs said to me. "She's more nervous than you, believe me."

I quickly moved on so she could go on with meeting her other fans. I hope those in attendance realize how amazing she is. Female comics are already to hard to come by, and seem to be fighting this stigma of not being funny when, in fact, women's comedy can be very versatile. Every comic has something to offer, in my opinion. The winner of the 2009 Open-Mic Comedy at Penguin's was the pre-opener-opener -- her name is Amanda Geisel of Iowa City (a married grad student and self-proclaimed drama nerd) and she was fantastic. Her short-but-sweet set was about, well, the fact that she saw her first pair of testicles at 21, and now at 27, she's got 6 years of ball-seeing under her belt. A common female topic? Not at all, but well performed.

The opener before Maria was also quirky, eccentric but well-performed in his own right. His name was Larry (Greek last name) and I can't find his info now but I'm sure I will soon and then I'll post it.

Lewis Black is scheduled for the Adler on Oct. 9 and maybe if I mill around long enough I'll be able to meet him, too. Tickets go on sale in August, see the Adler's website for more information. In the meantime, I hope to keep attending shows! If you're in Eastern Iowa, check out Penguin's Comedy Club for some good shows. David Alan Grier (from In Living Color and other hit shows) will be stopping by soon, as well as Bobcat Goldthwait. I'll be updating soon enough!

Maria Bamford. OMFG.

So I was haphazardly checking my OWN blog (I'm so damn vain) and decided to see what my pals at Penguin's in Cedar Rapids were up to and (drumroll, please)...MARIA BAMFORD is appearing July 9! Tickets are $14. I about peed my pants. In fact, I might still. See her hilarious impression of her high school arch-enemy here.

She will also be at Davenport Penguin's from Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12. So you Quad-Citians out there better get tickets and see her while she's here. Sometimes when you miss out on a comic you never know when they'll come back. It's been almost 3 years since Dave Attell made a visit.

Anyway, I bought three tickets -- my mom and boyfriend are also huge fans -- and I can't wait to see her! Penguin's has a great, intimate setting. Only 180 maximum capacity, some round table and even in the back of the room, you are in spit-shot (hopefully not literally) of the comic.

Maria Bamford has been forever one of my favorite female comedians, and as a woman in a male-dominated industry, her career definitely peaks my interest considering the subject of my master's journalism thesis. Her high-pitched child-like voice and dramatic transformation to "adults" is talent alone, but her comedy is definitely unique.

One of my favorite bits is her impression of her dogs (pugs, see picture) if they were president of the United States. The video is hilarious! She changes her act so much, I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to see it, but I sure hope so.

In the meantime, I'm also waiting for Lewis Black's tickets at the Adler Theater in Davenport to go on sale (show is October 9). He is one of my favorites and October's performance will mark my third time seeing that man live, but he's another comic that's made a tremendous impact on my self-esteem and how I view the world, just like Maria. I hope I have the chance to tell her that (stop calling me a nerd and a freak, stand-up comedy is my heaven...I'd much rather pay to see a comic than a rock band).

Needless to say, I'm seeing one of the Comedians of Comedy for only $14 and I can't wait. And yes, I'm going to be one of those fans that mills around after the show hoping for a handshake or a photo. A stand-up junkie has to have her fix.

(Thank you to the blogs where these came from, see properties for more.)