If you like comedy, PR or the occasional inside scoop on the entertainment world, then drop by for a daily dose written by me, Kambri Crews, producer and publicist to comedians and more!   Sunday, December 30, 2007 Flickr Pics Christian and I didn't take too many pictures in Paris. We didn't even bother bringing our video camera. We wanted to enjoy the sites and soak them instead of worrying about the perfect photo op. But we did take a few pictures (26 to be exact), a couple just because they were things that we knew weren't available in a postcard form or online like the two sculptures in Cimetiere de Montparnasse. I started to write some quick highlights of the things we did but found myself wanting to elaborate so here's a brief summation of our trip: 1st Day - Took a bus from the airport and checked in to the Hotel des Artistes. Walked through the Luxembourg Gardens and had our first Parisian dining experience with no problems. 2nd Day - As the sun was rising, we walked through the Cimetiere de Montparnasse which, although not the more famous one with Jim Morrison and the like, was amazing and houses the most beautiful, touching, sad, haunting sculpture. We tried to visit the Catacombs - the site I was most interested in seeing, actually - but it was closed for renovations. Bummer. We had coffee before heading out to our first walk with the aforementioned Paris Walks book that took us from St. Germain-des-Pres to the Musee d'Orsay. We stopped at a 170 year old taxidermy shop that is surreal before hitting the museum to feast our eyes on an impressive collection of paintings by Renoir, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, et al. 3rd Day (Christmas Eve) - We embarked on our longest walk of the trip by starting at the Louvre (the Paris Walks book gave us a useful tip about a relatively unknown entrance to the museum that let us avoid all the lines!) where we saw the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Both, while lovely, were difficult to enjoy because of the ridiculous over-use of cameras of every size and shape. I wanted to snatch them away from everyone and make the people just stop for a moment to savor the view. We moved away from them quickly and went to the more quiet exhibits of amazing sculptures and Egyptian artifacts. But the most beautiful thing of the Louvre, in my opinion, is the Louvre itself. There were moments where the building, the ceilings the courtyards were dizzying. Also in my opinion, the glass pyramid constructed above the main entrance is awful looking. Apparently many others agreed but some have come to appreciate the merging of modern and ancient design, including Christian. From there we continued a Paris Walks walk that took us off and on the Champs Elysees till we reached the Arc de Triomphe. After a short nap, we ventured out again to the Eiffel Tower where a full moon shone. It was a bit too cold to stand in line to travel up to the top and, as we had found at other places, due to the clouds we weren't sure that we'd see anything from up there anyway. Instead we walked along the Seine and had a leisurely meal at a bistro where Christian was served the saddest salami and pickle sandwich. I think the kitchen was mad at our late arrival (it was due to close in 10 minutes) and decided to scrimp on his meal as punishment. I hope Christian has the photo of it that I can share. It was hilariously bare of meat and pickles. 4th Day (Christmas Day) - We had a cozy breakfast nearby our hotel where the most ridiculous U.S. couple confirmed all those stereotypes about rude, loud Americans. They were so awful they were an exaggerated caricature of the stereotype. Christian snapped a pic on his iPhone that I'll have to post later but the pic will not do any justice. They were absurd. We trekked to Notre Dame where we partook in Mass and where we crossed the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, on which the above photo was snapped. We completed two walks from Paris Walks that day and just generally enjoyed being out and about with no agenda. Christmas dinner was at Villa Spicy near the Champs Elysees which was bustling. You would never have known it was Christmas. The sidewalks were packed as if it were any other shopping day and the trees along the street were brilliantly lit with blue twinkle lights. 5th Day - We doubled back to the Conciergerie (really not as interesting as a museum as it could and should be as the prison that housed Marie Antoinette among others due to much of the building still being used for the Paris law courts) and the Pantheon which had been closed for Christmas the day before. We somehow managed to time out longest and most difficult Metro experience with rush hour which made for squeezing into the train car an experience in itself. We finished our day with the Arts and Tarts walk in Paris Walks. This was, by far, our favorite as it was the most romantic and quaint and uniquely Paris walk of those we had completed. It took us to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart which was breathtaking. The views were spectacular and we were constantly delighted at seeing the domes of the church suddenly appear again as we walked around the winding, hilly roads. Our last meal in Paris at Sensing was our most decadent and was a fun experience. We had a nightcap at a pub where a regular was trying to make moves on every woman in the room. He convinced one to dance with him and as their dancing continued she clearly became uncomfortable and abandoned him as he tried to tuck his obvious boner into a less apparent position. Awkward and awesome. Lots of little details have been left out, but this sums it up nicely, I guess. The next time we visit will definitely be in Spring or Summer where we can truly enjoy the gardens and outdoor cafes. But for our first time and as a way to spend Christmas, we have zero complaints. --Kambri Ready for '08! Link - 12:19 PM -   Movie Round Up I watched an abundance of movies on the personal entertainment systems on our AA flight home from Paris. (On the way there I slept on my fully reclining chair / bed during the time I wasn't eating and drinking my face off with real silverware, a menu and open bar! Holy crap 1st class is disgustingly decadent and awesome.) Ratatouille (sweet), Interview (interesting, I suppose) and Evening (quiet and reflective) were the three I chose plus two episodes of How I Met Your Mother and a few rounds of a maddening puzzle game. Yesterday we watched Sweeney Todd (good) and last night I caught Marie Antoinette (delicious eye candy). That's more movies than I've watched in months but all of them kind of left me with an "eh, okay, so I saw that," kind of feeling. Each had scenes that were quite memorable and/or stirred my emotions but I wish I could mash them all together and saved those viewing hours for something else more impactful. I guess that's why I don't get to the movies that much these days. It feels like a risky investment of time. I'm so busy and stressed all the time these days that I need to know for sure that what I'm going to do or see is worth the expense of time. It is precious after all. I keep *hearing* about all the great movies that are in theaters but am I watching the wrong ones? --Kambri I hear Atonement is good. Link - 10:23 AM -   Thursday, December 27, 2007 Au Revoir, Paris! J'et T'aime! What a beautiful city you are, especially when the last sight of you is followed by the drive home from JFK down Steinway Street in Queens. Ick. But it is good to be back home with the animals and Paquita is sporting her brand new Parisian harness. She would have loved you too with dogs being welcome anywhere and everywhere. And now, I cross you off the list and hope to see you again soon . A la prochaine, moi. There is too much to write at this late hour on so little sleep. We did the touristy things, of course, but we incorporated them into walks courtesy of "Paris Walks," a useful, easy guide for first time visitors. I have only one or two minor, nit picky things about the book's practicality and some snarky editorial but wholeheartedly agree with the two reviews on the Amazon page. We never took a cab, even from the airport to the hotel, but instead relied on our feet and the freakishly perfect Metro system. It is pristine and a cinch to navigate. While I enjoyed the sites where we, for whatever reason, felt we needed to go / see to say, "Yes, I have seen the [FILL IN THE BLANK]," the fun parts were more about the culture, the joie de vivre and the drunk and disorderly. The best way to get a sense of how "things are done" is to see how people react to situations like an over packed subway car at rush hour, post office lines, the drunk unsuccessfully trying to get served another drink, the drunk handing another drunk with a Santa hat a half empty bottle of wine, the drunk trying to make a move on every woman in the bar whilst tucking away his obvious wood, and the like. Maybe over a vin or two I will tell you about the trip but until then, joyeuses fetes. Kambri First class on international trips is ridiculously, ridiculously amazing. I am still full nearly 9 hours after landing. Link - 4:17 PM -   Tuesday, December 25, 2007 Joyeux Noelle! Bonjour from Paris! It has been a lovely excursion to this side of the Pond and a beautifullly spent Christmas holiday. I hope yours has been equally memorable and happy where ever it finds you. Love, Me. --Kambri 2007 was grand and 2008 has many exciting developments already awaiting us on the horizon. I can't wait to tell you!!! Link - 3:37 PM -   Thursday, December 20, 2007 So... If you missed getting tickets to the SNL show, maybe you'll like "Next Week's News" with Andy Borowitz with special guest Amy Sedaris. There are only a dozen or so tickets left so don't say I didn't warn you to ACT NOW! BUY IN ADVANCE! --Kambri Link - 8:43 PM -   Holy Mother So I posted the SNL show on my blog and my MySpace page yesterday at 3:00 and sent my Latest Ballyhoo today at 11:00 and the mo-fo sold out. SOLD OUT in less than 24 hours before I even had a chance to go whole hog on the promo. Janeane and Mary Lynn and Christian and Dave Hill and David Cross and everyone were so great tonight. Mary Lynn and I hit the radio waves on Sirius tomorrow afternoon and thankfully late enough that I can sleep in after the after party celebration we just had at Black Rabbit in Greenpoint. You must visit this bar. It is so cute and cool and cozy. It's also owned by a Tex in the City, Anne, who lived in the Woodlands, not far from my old digs in Montgomery. Um, what else? I ran into a guy I met in the hallways of CBS immedialy after the final Kilborn show. He invited us to the finale after party but I missed it because I wanted to sneak into the Price of Right studios. I did and Christian tried to get me to have sex on the SS Price. Bart said, "Good thing...there are cameras EVERYWHERE!" Christian was disappointed - our own YouTube sex "scandal" could only mean good things - whereas I was screaming, "See! I knew it! See! Thank God!" --Kambri That was three years ago? Jesus. Where DOES the time go? Link - 1:39 AM -   Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Live From New York, It's Saturday Night! Tired of re-runs? Wonder when you’ll get to see something new? Well fret no more! A line-up of writers and players of Saturday Night Live will put down the picket signs and take the stage on Monday, January 7th to raise money for the Writer’s Guild of America, East. Jason Sudeikis (30 Rock, What Happens in Vegas) hosts Fred Armisen (30 Rock, Aqua Team Hunger Force, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy) Andy Samberg (Hot Rod, Arrested Development), Bryan Tucker (The Chris Rock Show, Mad TV, Chappelle's Show), Colin Jost (Kappa Mikey), Charlie Grandy (The Daily Show, 30 Rock), and others. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the Writer's Guild of America East. *Comedy is a fickle mistress; all lineups are subject to change. MONDAY, JANUARY 7th @ 8:00 PM Comix 353 W. 14th Street New York, NY 10014 Tickets are $12 in advance $15 the day of show plus a two item minimum in the showroom and can be purchased at the box office, by calling 212.524.2500 or online at www.comixny.com. --Kambri Link - 3:00 PM -   Vide Link Last night's hate mail was inspired by Christian's latest appearance on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. For some reason, I'm not able to embed the clip but here's the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/#22303621 --Kambri Link - 10:15 AM -   Hate Mail O' the Day From: Pete Marchesi [mailto:petemarchesi@hotmail.com] MySpace user: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=184905538 Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 1:05 AM To: webmaster@christianfinnegan.com Subject: Hi Hi you asshole. You like playing games with people. You like saying things that hurt people. I like it. I think you should go to Hell. You'd enjoy a place like that. All burning and horrible. I hope you like it. I will sure be happy that you are there. After all, life is so short. And you will be there soon. Christian... What are you doing? How dare you insult? You don't know these people. Where do you get this stuff? Is the Devil in you? He must be. He must be really enjoying himself. And you don't mind. Gee whiz. What do I say? Nothing can stop you. I wish you get into a horrible accident and your legs are crushed. I hope you feel pain like you have never felt before. Maybe that will wake you up. To whatever it is that you believe in. Just another fuck. --Kambri Link - 2:43 AM -   Sunday, December 16, 2007 Let the Holiday Party Gauntlet Begin! I taught a "Business of Comedy" seminar yesterday and think it was pretty good. Since it was my first class, I'm giving them a one-on-one consultation as an added bonus for being the guinea pigs. With that under my belt, I can now concentrate on other things like PARTIES! WOO! Comix is having their annual bash tomorrow after Live Wire, Tuesday is The Onion's big shebang and Wednesday Christian is hosting a South Toward Home benefit at the Blender Theater with John Oliver, Janeane Garofalo, Demetri Martin, Dave Hill and his band Valley Loge and other surprise guests. Thursday is press with Mary Lynn Rajskub then Friday I give Brooke VP the nickel tour of Queens and our apartment before we jet to Paris. Big exhale! --Kambri Can't wait to sleep in, drink gobs of wine and coffee and eat loads of creamy foods. Link - 11:46 AM -   Friday, December 14, 2007 Operatic Version of AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Remember a while back I told you about opera singer Ali McGregor who did an amazing rendetition of "You Shook Me All Night Long" on the last "Live Wire" at Comix? Well, I finally got a clip of it! She's amazing. "Live Wire" returns to Comix on Monday the 17th! Tickets are only $7 with NO ITEM MINIMUM when you use the promo code 121707. Get you tickets at comixny.com or call 212.524.2500. Ali McGregor on "Live Wire" at Comix --Kambri Link - 10:09 AM -   Tuesday, December 11, 2007 Live Wire with Seth Herzog for $7 and No Minimum! This monthly music / comedy series Live Wire mixes New Yorks hottest acts in music and comedy into one jamming showcase only at Comix. Hosted by DJ and comedian Craig Baldo, the next show on December 17th features improv musical duo I Eat Pandas, Seth Herzog and Carolyn Castiglia. As part of this special series, the two item minimum will NOT apply. To quote audience member, It’s the perfect East Village show but in a nice club. We agree and think you will, too. Comix will present musicians trying out anything old or new, comedians not known for singing performing songs and a blend of the two. As the songs states, Anything goes! MON, DEC 17 @ 8:00 PM Comix353 West 14th Street Tickets are $7 with promo code "121707" and NO MINIMUM. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.comixny.com/ or by calling 212.524.2500. --Kambri Link - 12:19 PM -   Video and a Plug, Redux Self-Punk'd And plugging tonight's show: See Me on the Kevin Murphy Show live in New York! Tue, Dec 11 @ 8:00 PM - $5 Rififi 332 E 11th Street http://rififinyc.com/ Kevin, Jodi and Jennifer the Panda are having a holiday spectacular! Kambri Crews will stop by to talk about her times living in a tin shed in Texas. Also ultimate bad boy Colin Kane and cutie Catie Lazarus will stop by. We have a special treat, Maura Madden and Rufus Tureen will stop by to show a couple of their hilarious videos for you! THIS SHOW IS JAM PACKED! --Kambri Christian was sick but I think he still did okay. Labels: christian finnegan, keith olbermann, video Link - 10:33 AM -   Monday, December 10, 2007 This New Year's Eve, Drink Less. Smoke More Weed. One of my major goals for the last two years has been drink less, smoke more weed. I've actually written it out: Get an agent, write a book proposal, drink less, smoke more weed. Growing up with my parents, nothing good ever really happened when drinking was involved but a lot of my fun childhood memories involve weed. I never really smoked it that much in comparison to my parents and brother but it was part of the family framework. Read the rest over at Love, Daddy. --Kambri Labels: Love Daddy, weed Link - 12:05 PM -   Thursday, December 06, 2007 Breaking News! The women of "24" are coming to Comix! Janeane Garofalo and Mary Lynn Rajskub split the bill for four shows on December 21st and 22nd. For tickets, click here. --Kambri Link - 12:27 PM -   Video and a Plug Jenna phones home And a little shamelss self promo for a show I just got booked on: See Me on the Kevin Murphy Show live in New York! Tue, Dec 11 @ 8:00 PM - $5 Rififi 332 E 11th Street http://rififinyc.com/ Kevin, Jodi and Jennifer the Panda are having a holiday spectacular! Kambri Crews will stop by to talk about her times living in a tin shed in Texas. Also ultimate bad boy Colin Kane and cutie Catie Lazarus will stop by. We have a special treat, Maura Madden and Rufus Tureen will stop by to show a couple of their hilarious videos for you! THIS SHOW IS JAM PACKED! --Kambri Link - 10:22 AM -   Tuesday, December 04, 2007 The Business of Comedy I'm teaching a course about how to brand and market yourself as a comedian and my class is almost full. I have a limited number of spots, mainly because I'm offering a free one-on-one consultation with each student. So, if you'd like to attend or give it as a holiday gift (!), then click here. I've been putting together my curriculum, which has actually been a lot of fun, and getting quotes and pet peeves from industry folks...even more fun. Ummm, what else? Comedian Brooke V.P. is going to stay at our apartment and babysit the anipals while we're in Paris for the holidays. I'm so glad little Skeeter Jo (one of Paquita's many nicknames) doesn't have to stay in a kennel. Now I can rest easy with my giant cafe cremes and vins. Is that how you say it? I hope not to embarrass any Americans. Oy. I'm going to be very nice to every tourist I bump into from now until I leave for Paris. --Kambri See Voo Play, Mare Cee, and ACK! HELP! Link - 11:50 PM -   Sunday, December 02, 2007 The Latest Ballyhoo In this issue: • THE LATEST BALLYHOO • THE BUSINESS OF COMEDY SEMINAR • "TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER" BOOK GIVEAWAY • STOCKINGS WITH CARE BENEFIT SHOW Click the link to read all of The Latest Ballyhoo! --Kambri Link - 7:24 PM -   Saturday, December 01, 2007 About Last Night Last night marked the 15th time I've gone on stage in NYC as myself. Sure, I've been on stage hundreds --maybe even thousands-- of times as an actor back when I used to do that sort of thing, but that's different. It's an entirely other beast presenting something you've personally created to an audience with no 4th wall to protect you. Each time gets easier and I am, I think (hope), better and more confident. Beginning next Friday at "The Family Hour with Auntie Sara" I'm going to try telling a longer story divvied up into "episodes". I hope this will help me craft more details and jokes into my stories that I always feel like I have to rush through because we only get 6 or 7 minutes on stage. The next story I will begin with next week should wrap up in three weeks total giving me a good 21 minutes worth of new material. I might even video tape them for my Love, Daddy blog and add captioning for my hearing impaired readers. It would be time consuming so it's a lofty goal. Don't hold your breath. Meanwhile, tonight at Ochi's Lounge begins a new open mike show called "Ochi's Motel" run by John Morrison, creator of "Morrison's Motel." It will be every Saturday from 6:00 - 8:00 and you can throw your hat in the random ring by emailing John at ochismotel[at]gmail.com. Drink at Work follows with their hit variety show and ends the night by challenging audience members to Guitar Hero. I love the little performance space I've created. John loaned us some fancy lights, we've expanded the cheap menu and the comedians and audiences can't say enough about how warm and fun the room is. I think you should come check it out soon, don't you? --Kambri How about on Monday the 3rd when I perform on "Slumber Party"? Labels: creativity, Love Daddy, Ochi's Lounge Link - 1:59 PM -