Comedy

Mike O’Connell sees a certain seriousness pervading the world. The sort of thing that might put a damper on your day or ruin your weekend. His advice: Laugh at it. Laughing and getting others to laugh has helped Mike O’Connell tremendously, whether it be making a joke when he didn’t know the answer in class or coming to terms with his own mortality.

Mike’s made a lot of people laugh, which has earned him the title of Rolling Stone’s Hot Comic of 2005, a spot as one of Variety’s Ten Comics to Watch in 2007, made his video What’s It Gonna Be one of the most watched on Funnyordie.com, and earned him a production deal with MTV Studios.

That Other Paper What is your earliest memory of seeing or hearing things that make you laugh?

Mike O’Connell My grandfather was a really big humor inspiration. When I was little he was just a silly, silly man. He kind of didn’t live in the adult world. He was always making me feel that it was okay to be funny; that being funny was a beautiful part of life.

Andrew Gurland blends comedy, realism, and moral ambiguity reminiscent of film noir to create films that are funny, memorable, uncomfortable, and surprising. For Gurland, his films aren’t a direct expression of how he views people and their actions, but are often a fantasy that allow him to vicariously explore what he doesn’t have the opportunity to do in reality, such as commit acts of revenge and hang around pretty girls. In this Q-and-A, Gurland reveals some of his influences, what he strives for in his films, and hints at what’s to come.

That Other Paper In Fuck Gramaglia Up, the character you portray says, “I enjoy the human experience and seeing how people react in certain situations.” How does this quote relate to your own motivations for making films?

Andrew Gurland Well, I mean most of the film, performance-wise, is all improvised, so it’s not like I spent a great deal of time on that line. Even though I usually work with a script, I like to keep it pretty loose.

TOP What is your motivation for making films?

AG Well, it’s my job, firstly, and I guess I love the movies. I love all kinds of different movies, and I love being surprised. So, as a result, I’m always trying to surprise people.

That Other Paper presents Punchline, a BYOB stand-up comedy show happening this Friday at ColdTowne Theater.

Josh Blue is not your typical comedian — he has cerebral palsy. Far from letting it hold him back, he embraces his disability with humor and grace, and his fans in turn embrace him. After competing in seasons two and three of NBC’s stand-up comedy competition Last Comic Standing, Blue finally won season four in 2006. His list of other credits is quite impressive -– he got his start on Mind of Mencia, has appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and won a Relly Award for his appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly. He’s also a Paralympics soccer player!

Don’t miss this talented comedian at Cap City Comedy Club tonight through Saturday.

8pm; 10:30pm | $18-$21 | Get tickets

Cap City Comedy Club
801 Red River St • Austin, TX

Before leaving our interview a week after winning the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin contest, Eric Krug (pronounced “Kroog”) told me I could make up as many lies and fallacies about his life as I wanted. Rarely does an interviewer get such freedom, so I’ve decided to intersperse random bits of fiction throughout this intro paragraph. However, everything transcribed in the interview below is 100% true.

Eric Krug began doing stand-up comedy at the age of four in an old saloon located on one of Jupiter’s moons. He wasn’t very good back then — in fact, he mostly did racist material about the locals on Jupiter. However, this early experience honed his skills. After arriving in Austin in 2005, Eric became well respected among Austin comics for his prolific writing, natural stage presence, and his ability to breathe fire. And although he didn’t advance in the 2007 Funniest Person in Austin contest, he did begin to start booking shows all over town, even headlining at The Velveeta Room last November. So when it came time for this year’s Funniest Person in Austin contest, Eric was ready. Ninety-nine people entered the contest, but Eric was crowned the winner after a truly outstanding performance in the finals. That Other Paper’s Bradley Jackson sat down with Eric to talk about his comedy, his future, and his favorite words.

That Other Paper I noticed that you did completely different sets during the Funniest Person in Austin contest. Was that a strategic move on your part?

Eric Krug Well, it’s one of those things where I do take pride in the fact that I’m known for writing a lot and having a lot of material, and I know it’s going to be different judges at both sets, but I also know that there are going to be people who went to both and the Comedy Central judges will most likely see both sets. And I think it’s a good way for me to have good material, but also to show people that I have different material and that I don’t just pull from the same seven minutes. Because you hear a lot of people say, “Oh, he was good, but he did the same set last round or even last year.” I just don’t want them to say that about me. It’s just a personal thing, really.

TOP You came on the comedy scene pretty quickly.

EK Like a lightning bolt.

Twelve comics competed last night at Cap City Comedy Club in the final round of the Funniest Person in Austin contest. There were so many notable performances, so many great lines, so much talent, but Eric Krug was the standout and wound up being crowned Funniest Person in Austin after the judges deliberated for what seemed like 100 years – they no doubt had a tough time deciding first, second, and third place winners.

Along with a felt hat and cape handed down from last year’s contest winner Bryan Gutmann, Eric Krug will receive a check for $1,500. So if you see him around town, be sure and ask him if you can borrow some money. Second place went to Jeremy Neal, who came in second at last year’s contest. Dale Alexander took third place. Fred Bothwell melted our hearts.

Check out Eric’s set from the semifinals below. Clips from last night’s competition should be up on Rooftop Comedy shortly.

If you’re a girl, you might know comedian Craig Gass as Miranda’s Weight Watchers boyfriend, Tom “Big Boned,” from Sex and the City. If you’re a guy, you might know him from the Howard Stern Show as himself — or Al Pacino, Tracy Morgan, Tom Arnold, Christopher Walken, or Mitch Hedberg. Currently on tour, this talented impressionist and standup comedian will be in Austin through Saturday night at Cap City Comedy Club. Craig sat down with That Other Paper Christine Acker and Kristin Hillery to discuss growing up in a deaf family, stalkers, and being all up in Cynthia Nixon’s shit. Oh yeah, and comedy.

That Other Paper What were you like as a kid?

Craig Gass: I got away with murder because my whole family’s deaf. True story — my mom, my dad, and my sister are all completely deaf. When my teachers or my principals had to meet with my mom, I had to go with my mom to interpret everything, so we’d literally be in front of my principals and teachers, and they’d look at me and go, “Okay, tell your mom that the reason you’re here is that you’re having some behavioral problems.” So I’d tell my mom, “They’re saying that although they think I’m a very good student, there are some small things we need to work on.” I was lying through my teeth right in front of my teachers and the principal. I got away with everything. Every time my mom got mad at me, whenever she left the room, I always had the last word as she was closing the door, and she never heard. I always got to crank up the stereo and the TV. I couldn’t learn how to talk from my own family so I learned how to talk by copying all the voices I heard on TV, mimicking voices. I entertained my family with my impressions, which didn’t involve any voices. They were impressions of body language.

The semifinals of the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin contest wrapped up last night, and six more comics were chosen to bring the funny in the finals.

The final six comics advancing are:

• Albert Im
• Matt Willis
• Dan French
• Ruby Collins
• Eric Krug
• Fred Bothwell

Congratulations!

The finals of the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin Contest will be held next Monday, May 19, at Cap City Comedy Club. The top 12 out of the 99 comics who entered the contest will perform their best material in the hopes of squashing each other into the proverbial ground, so don’t miss out.

One more show to go until the fateful night that the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin will be crowned! Tonight is the final night of the Funniest Person in Austin semifinals. Tonight’s six winners will join last night’s six winners in the finals and there fight the final battle for the title of 2008 Funniest Person in Austin.

Up tonight are:

• Ruby Collins
• Kerri Lendo
• David Cole
• Fred Bothwell
• Matt Willis
• Albert Im
• Eric Krug
• Nick Ramirez
• Dario Konjicija
• Chris Allen
• Dan French
• Chris Keimling

One round of semifinals down, one to go. Last night at round one of the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin contest semifinals, the judges picked six comics to advance to the finals, which are being held next Monday.

The six comics advancing to the finals are:

• Seth Cockfield
• Todd Merriman
• Daniel Jackson
• Dale Alexander
• Jeremy Neal
• Trey Galyon

Congratulations!

Tonight at 8pm at Cap City Comedy Club is the last night of the semifinals. The judges will pick six more comics for a total of 12 to compete in the finals next Monday, where the Funniest Person in Austin will be chosen.

The semifinals of the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin contest are here, and the competition, as Christian Siriano would say, is fierce. Twenty-four comics will compete in the semi-finals, 12 tonight and 12 tomorrow night. Six from each night will compete in the finals, which will be held next Monday.

Tonight’s semifinalists are:

• Jeremy Neal
• Todd Merriman
• Daniel Jackson
• Chuck Watkins
• Jake Flores
• Seth Cockfield
• Ramin Nazer
• Andy Heald
• Dale Alexander
• Trey Galyon
• Scott Hardy
• Donna Lee

That’s it, folks. The preliminaries of the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin contest are over, and we have 16 24 beautiful comedians advancing to the semifinals.

Last night’s winners, the final four to advance, are:

• Fred Bothwell
• Jeremy Neal
• Nick Ramirez
• Trey Galyon

Congratulations!

The semi-finals will be held next Monday and Tuesday, May 12 and 13, at Cap City Comedy Club. Six comics from each night will advance to the finals. Talent executives from Comedy Central, The Tonight Show, the Gersh Agency, and others will be there, so you’re guaranteed a good show.

The last preliminary round of the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin contest is tonight (sob), and the lineup is killer. The four comics selected tonight will be the last four to advance to the semifinals. Hosting is 1994 FPIA winner Nancy Reed.

Competing tonight are:

• Alex Garza
• Amy Samet
• Bob Dipasquale
• Brian Jacobs
• Chance Royce
• Chris Trew
• David Dettmer
• Fred Bothwell
• Holly Lorka
• Jeremy Neal
• Kat Williams
• Michael Stansbury
• Michiel Dillon
• Nick Ramirez
• Sean Mooney
• Trey Galyon

Round five of the Funniest Person in Austin contest was last night. Only one more round to go! The funny four who advanced to the semifinals are:

• David Cole
• Matt Willis
• Todd Merriman
• Donna Lee

Congratulations!

Round six of the Funniest Person in Austin contest will be held tonight, Tuesday, May 6th at Cap City Comedy Club.

Only two more preliminary rounds of the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin contest to go: one tonight and one tomorrow night. Tonight’s host is 2005 FPIA winner John Todd Ramsey (read our interview with him here).

Competing tonight:

• Benjamin Johnson
• Chad McMinn
• Christina Lopez
• David Cole
• David James
• Donna Lee
• Faye Haire
• Jay Donahue
• Jeremy Valdez
• Kenneth Ulstad
• Leah Chaney
• Matt Willis
• Michael Navarrete
• Ryan Dilbert
• Steven Goff
• Todd Merriman

Round four of the Funniest Person in Austin contest was last night. The talented four advancing to the semifinals are:

• Ramin Nazer
• Ruby Collins
• Albert Im
• Dan French

Congratulations!

Round five of the Funniest Person in Austin contest will be held Monday, May 5th at Cap City Comedy Club.

The 2008 Funniest Person in Austin contest continues tonight with another 16 comics strutting their comedic stuff. Tonight’s host is FPIA 1999 winner Mario DiGiorgio, and That Other Paper’s Ramin Nazer, author of the comic strip Strippy, will be among those competing for your lols tonight.

It’s Friday! You know what that means: Tonight we’re helping put on another Punchline – it’s a stand-up comedy show at ColdTowne Theater. Tickets are just $5 at the door, and you can BYOB if you’re over 21. Comedians performing:

• Chris Florence
• Chris Trew
• Lance Gilstrap
• Justin West
• Albert Im
• Juan Salinas
• Ruby Collins
• Ryan Dilbert
• Mason Lerner
• Andy Heald
• Stephen Cox
• John Durr
• David Cole
• Andrea Grimes
• Chris Keimling

10pm (arrive early) | $5 at the door

512-Go!» ColdTowne Theater | map
4803 Airport Blvd (same building as I Luv Video) • 524-2807

This morning, I stumbled into Robert Berry’s brilliant Adventures of Bone Boy.

From the author:

Get it? See, she’s dead so she can’t get a sex change, now! Let this be a lesson to you, kids!

Check out more Adventures of Bone Boy at retro CRUSH. Also included in their comics archive: The Adventures of No-Eyelid-Man and the scatological Adventures of Shit-Boy McJohnson.

Last night was round three of the 2008 Funniest Person in Austin Contest, and four more people are advancing to the semifinals.

They are:

• Jake Flores
• Kerri Lendo
• Scott Hardy
• Chuck Watkins

Congratulations!

Round four of the Funniest Person in Austin contest will be held Monday, April 28th at Cap City Comedy Club.