J.R. Brow: Nondenominational Comedy

J.R. Brow was driving in pouring rain through the Ozark Mountains, a couple hours outside Columbia, MO. A city where the mood apparently teeters from happy-as-clam to throwing beer cans with every fumble of the football.

“And they don’t know how to drive either,” he noted, last time he checked in with Skyline.

We figured it was best to let the comic get to his gig in one piece, with promises of seeing him soon. J.R. returns to Appleton again this week, July 21-23. Let’s revisit our last chat with him, shall we?

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Skyline Comedy: You know, we can relate up here to how football affects people. You know, the Packers vs. Vikings?

J.R. Brow: That’s a city that revolves around football! Oh my God. It’s funny because I think, well…In Appleton, you’re a little safer out there. It’s right around Lambeau. It’s like a flux capacitor where all the energy flows in and out of the city. The closer you get to Lambeau, the bigger the smiles are.

Skyline Comedy: That’s true. So what have you got for us this time around?

J.R. Brow: All new material. I’ve gotten all this material together from watching other comics. (laughs) I’m just kidding.  They can expect a well-rounded show with a guy who does impressions.  I’ll give you a headline — I do observational stuff. Character driven. I play my Fender Strat. That’s icing on the cake.

Skyline Comedy: So, what inspires your material?

J.R. Brow: To tell people to lighten up, that’s fun. You don’t wanna die grumpy, so even if the Packers do lose…try to be happy. I know, I’m a Cowboys fan. I know grumpy. Really, my thing in life is “have fun, learn to laugh.” And I think during my show I don’t really hammer home any theme. “Oh, I’m a married guy, here’s my problems.”  I’m a married guy who’s happy.  I am still promoting the “dumber by the decade” theme. I love my country, but…

Skyline Comedy: So you grew up with an Army dad?

J.R. Brow: Yep, I was an Army brat.

Skyline Comedy: What did your dad think about you going into comedy?

J.R. Brow: Well. He didn’t want that. He wanted me to join the service. I’m like, “No, dude. I wanna be the only kid in the family to break away from that.” An army of one less.  I wanted to be a comic, get the hell out of the barracks, the post.  In high school I was voted “Most Likely to Move.”  It kinda goes hand in hand, really, if you think about it. My dad traveled all the time, and I said I don’t wanna be in the service and travel all the time. (laughs) No, I wanna be a comic…and travel all the time.

Skyline Comedy: Have you performed for your family and friends? Some comics say that’s a little uncomfortable. Is it easier or tougher being in front of certain crowds?

J.R. Brow: No, because I’m an entertainer of the masses. I’m not an underground cult comedian. I don’t appeal solely to potheads, I’m not the guy looking for chicks and single. I’m mass appeal. I’m like the nondenominational comic. Every denomination’s welcome in my church, even though I started out Catholic.

Skyline Comedy: Sweet. What other projects do you have going we might want to know about before we see ya?

J.R. Brow: I just got back from Barcelona, Spain, where I was a speaker for this organization. I had to watch five, six different keynote speakers do their thing and at the end of the week sum it up in a humorous way.  That wasn’t the only challenge. It was an international crowd, 300 people from these different countries. My Army brat background came back full circle. There was a crowd from Germany, the United Arab Emerites, China, Japan; everybody was there, all laughing. So the big thing this year is to go international. I want to get out to Australia, the UK. I’m shoot for Ireland, you know.  And I think the Internet is helping me do that. People from the United Arab Emerites came up and said, (heavily accented) “I saw your clips on the Internet. And thought you were very funny. You sound French.”

Skyline Comedy: That’s awesome. Well, anything else you’d like to say to Appleton comedy fans?

J.R. Brow: Yes.  Come to the show.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised. You might not know me, but you’ll wanna know me. (laughs) I’m the worst salesman.  I’ve been in (comedy) for 20 years for a reason. “Love what you do, do what you love.” And I love doing nothing…

J.R. BROW ONLINE
COMEDY CENTRAL
VIDEOS

Purchase tickets to see J.R. Brow live at Skyline Comedy July 21-23 online here, or by calling (920) 734-5653.

 

Andy Woodhull: A Virgin Guest Blog

Andy Woodhull grew up with all the advantages of living in the motor home capital of the world.

Thankfully he (reluctantly) left the RV Mecca to give life the old college try – and discovered he cared more about making his classmates laugh. Since then, he’s performed at The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas, Montreal’s Just for Laughs Festival and the Great American Comedy Festival inside the famous Johnny Carson Theater. He’s also appeared on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham and The Bob and Tom Show.

Andy brings the comedy magic to Appleton this week, July 14 – 16, where he’ll record a new live album at Skyline Comedy!

Before he arrives, we put Andy in the driver’s seat. The following is his virgin guest blog:

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Hey Appleton,

This is my first time guest blogging. I think the important thing with being a guest at anything is not using the last of the toilet paper and never eating the last slice of pie. Lucky for us, I don’t have to go to the bathroom, and I’m a single man with no kids so I have unlimited disposable income to buy new pies.

I should mention I am recording what will be my second CD for Rooftop Comedy records this week. So if you come out your laugh could be immortalized in plastic and possibly enhanced depending on how hard you laugh.

I love coming to Wisconsin because of the great comedy crowds, and also for all of the private label jerky you have at your gas stations. A lot of people say Wisconsin is for cheese, and it is, but it is also for jerky. Just having the cheese and ignoring the jerky is like never dipping your Oreos in apple cider. What? You dip your Oreos in milk? Well, I just do things differently. I eat mustard on my pretzels, I dip my Oreos in apple cider, and I eat my ranch flavored cheese curds with teriyaki venison jerky.

Food adventures aside, I’m looking forward to being at the Skyline and telling jokes. Last week I was in Michigan for a private show at a yacht club that the owners swore was haunted. There was a thunderstorm that knocked out the power and I did the show like I was telling scary campfire stories, just holding a flashlight in front of my face. It made for a memorable experience, and a big disappointment when I learned we had no s’mores. This week will be just as memorable since I am recording a CD, but hopefully it will be less spooky.

If you bring me pie, jerky or cheese, I will give you my old CD for free.

ANDY ON COMEDY CENTRAL
VIDEO CLIPS

Purchase tickets to see Andy Woodhull live at Skyline Comedy July 14 – 16 online here, or by phone at (920) 734-5653.

Love Always

Andy

 

Bob Biggerstaff: That’s Not Sarcasm

Before Bob Biggerstaff grew his comedy legs, he worked the door at an open mic club. Until, that is, he finally realized he belonged pitching the punch lines instead of manhandling the hecklers.

Years later, the comic made his TV debut on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham and is heard on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show. He’s also appeared on NBC’s Last Comic Standing.

This week, Skyline Comedy welcomes the funny man into its hall of fame (July 7 – 9). In honor, Bob sent Appleton fans a welcome note:

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Hello Appleton!! This is Bob Biggerstaff. I was told in order to get paid for my upcoming headlining week (July 7-9) at Skyline Comedy Cafe I had to write a few paragraphs about myself. Now, of course they didn’t say that. That was sarcasm. There will be a lot of sarcasm in my show. There will also be some jokes where I make fun of myself. You see, I’m a little overweight. That’s not sarcasm. I also like sports and movies and TV and food. Wow. What a list.

This will be my first time at Skyline and I’m so looking forward to eating some cheese, drinking some milk, and talking about the Packers. That will make you want to come see me, right? Well, if not then come see me because I’ve been on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, NESN’s Comedy All-Stars, and because I’m a favorite on the Bob and Tom Radio Show (check out my Bob & Tom intro song “it’s Chilitime” on my website.

Well. I’m tired now. Because I’m fat. I said that earlier.

BOB BIGGERSTAFF WEB
COMEDY CENTRAL
VIDEO CLIPS

Purchase tickets to see Bob Biggerstaff live at Skyline Comedy July 7 – 9 online here, or by phone at (920) 734-5653.

 

Jessi Campbell: Cigarettes and Broken Dreams

Jessi Campbell permanently inked her Appleton conquest a year ago this month – right in your backyard. The CMT “Next Big Comic” comedian, famous for her deadpan sarcasm and knack for punch-lining both the relevant and random, recorded her debut album at Skyline Comedy just last June.

In the last few years, she was crowned People’s Choice Comic at the Aspen RooftopComedy Festival, was a standout at the Boston Comedy Festival, and is heard regularly on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. She brings talk of food addictions, cat psychics, mean kids, bar pranks and a personal aversion to bears back to Appleton June 30 – July 2. Let’s revisit her last performance prequel:

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In one week I will record a CD at Skyline, and boy is it going to be a doozy! I’m actually pretty excited. Nervous, of course, but excited. I want everything to go perfectly and am working out the final kinks in my set to get prepared.

CDs are important to comics because they are the culmination of years of work and you want it to represent you and open new audiences to your comedy. That being said- I have never met a comic who was happy with their CD, most comics are self conscious and nit-pick about small details and what they think they could’ve done better. So I’m hoping for liking it 67%. I don’t like to shoot for the stars- just for the closest branch on the shortest tree.

I’m still trying to put together the best bits for the CD and I’ve realized something, my face does a lot of my comedy for me. There are 5 jokes that I really want to put on the CD, but the punchlines are facial expressions. Do I do the bits and whisper into the mic “I’m making a face with my eyes and mouth open like I’m sleeping”? Do I include pictures in the liner notes with a note of what time the face happens? Do I do a voice over in the editing room later? So many choices!

 

Paul Morrissey: Live, Breathe, Sleep, Comedy.

Paul Morrissey dove quickly into comedy … after realizing he was too much of a smartass for TV news. Post sports-anchor, Paul has been dubbed one of MAXIM’s “Real Men of Comedy,” is heard regularly on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and has appeared four times on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”

We know.

You’re wondering what a guy’s got to do to get on late night TV four times.

Before Paul puts his punch lines where his mouth is, headlining Skyline Comedy June 23 – 25, we wrangled a few minutes with the funny man. Paul sat down (he may or may not have been in his underwear) to answer some burning questions, from afar:

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First, let’s get to know you a little better…

What’s usually running through your head when you’re walking up on stage?

Did I lock my car door? Do I have to go to the bathroom? Are my shoes tied too tight? Will anyone notice? I’m starving. Where am I?

Let’s say it’s Monday afternoon. Where are we most likely to find you?

Answering questions for a website in my underwear, and thinking about if I could actually eat 50 McNuggets in one sitting – and would I still have room for a Rolo McFlurry?

Are you a dog or a cat person, and what do you think that says about you?

Definitely a dog person. I got a dog initially as an alarm clock. The threat of something crapping on my floor tends to get me up in the morning. But I am allergic to cats. I once broke up with a girl because she had a cat. We would start kissing on her couch, she thought I was making passionate sounds, but I was just wheezing from the cat.

What are three things you’d never joke about?

Mustard, Mayonnaise and Midgets. But all three of them together seem kind of funny.

A lot of comedians tell us there are certain “elephants” in the room they address with crowds, usually about themselves, when they first get on stage. Is there anything you’re compelled to “get out of the way” right away?

Well, I’ve performed at the zoo and at Kirstie Alley’s birthday party, so I’ve had to deal with actual elephants in the room….Just kidding. Well, I’m aware that I’m pale now, but growing up in upstate New York, everyone was almost as pale as me. The saving grace was that I had two albino brothers who lived across the street from me, so that took the pressure off me ever being labeled the pale kid in the neighborhood.

You’ve done the Craig Ferguson show a few times. Why do you think they keep having you back?

My first appearance on the show was because Louis CK cancelled. I was kind of a last-minute fill in. So I guess I really have him to thank. I owe you a drink, Louis CK!  As much as I like comedy clubs, I might be one of the few comedians who really enjoys doing comedy in a TV Studio. I worked for several years as a TV sports reporter and anchorman. So being in front of the cameras and the lights feels pretty comfortable to me. Instead of being nervous or thrown off, I’m always excited when the TV cameras, lights and audience are there. And the key to getting asked back to a TV show is always having new material. I pride myself on really working as hard as possible to develop those five-minute sets for TV. Then as soon as it’s done, I enjoy it for about an hour before I start working on the next one!

Do you prepare a lot differently to perform in front of a live, late-night TV audience than you do when you’re playing a club?

Well, I really do enjoy the art of putting together a great five-minute set for a TV show, and I just want to keep improving at it. Some great comedians have never quite been able to translate their act from the club to a TV show. It’s almost like writing a hit song. Also, one inside secret is that TV shows are neither live—or late-night. They are taped, and in the afternoon! I actually had a joke cut out of one of my TV appearances because Chris Rock decided to poke his head in the studio and say hello. Chris is great and has earned that – but I think he actually owes me a drink for that.

Fans might have favorite attributes in comedians of choice; what do YOU look for, or hope for, in an audience?

I’m very easy to please.

I just want to not be able to smell the audience from the stage.

What’s, so far, been your most memorable gig?

I did some theater shows with Jim Gaffigan on his last tour and that was pretty amazing. Those were the biggest crowds I’ve ever played in front of. Jim has always worked so hard, and I’m glad everything has gotten so big for him. He’s definitely earned it.

The three guys I really look up to in comedy, in a big brother kind of way are Tom Papa, Jim Gaffigan and Jimmy Dore. They have unique styles and all are very successful in different ways. Some guys slow down when they get some success – but all three of them are still motivated and work extremely hard. They still live, breath and sleep comedy – just like me. It might be a sickness! With any career – even comedy – sometimes you feel like you get stuck in a rut or frustrated by the way things are going. When I get to perform with any of those guys, it’s always inspiring, motivating and memorable.

All three of those guys helped me out a lot early and continue to be people I look up to and admire in the comedy world. One of my goals in comedy is that I get successful enough to be in a position to write or help their careers as much as they’ve helped mine.

Being a comedian often goes hand in hand with writing, sometimes even acting. Do you envision becoming a “triple threat”?

I honestly think that standing on a stage by yourself in front of strangers – without a character, script or an instrument – are the hardest circumstances to get a laugh. If you can do that, I feel like you can make people laugh in any circumstance. I feel like writing is my strength, so I’ve always been writing things for other people, working scripts and sketches. I did some commercial acting but eventually I hope to get back to my TV anchor desk and be able to do something funny with reporting, like The Daily Show, Weekend Update on SNL or as a correspondent for a late-night show.

Let’s say the comedy gods gave you free reign to have your own comedy TV show. What would the concept, title, and even your pilot be like?

The show is already in the works. I can’t say much, other than give you the title: Paul Morrissey, MD, P.I.

For Appleton fans seeing you for the first time this week, tell us exactly what they can expect from a Paul Morrissey show.

Enjoy the fact that my jokes will be ready and that I will shower and not smell bad.

Any parting words for us?

Please read this over and over to find the hidden messages.

PAUL MORRISSEY ONLINE
VIDEO CLIPS
LATE-NIGHT TV

Tickets to see Paul Morrissey live June 23-25 can be purchased ONLINE or by calling the Skyline Comedy box office at 920.734.5653.

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Paul Morrissey’s dove into comedy quickly after realizing he was too much of a smartass for TV news. Post sports-anchor, Paul has been dubbed one of MAXIM’s “Real Men of Comedy,” is heard regularly on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and has appeared four times on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”