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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!
Monday, March 31, 2008
TIVO Alert
The Barbara Walters comedy showcase we produced at Comix many moons ago is finally airing tomorrow night on ABC as part of an aging special. Check it out! Also, Janeane Garofalo will be on Good Day NY this Friday promoting her Comix date. While I book comedians regularly on morning TV, this one is a rare occurance so head's up.
Tomorrow is also Christian's birthday! Woo! We went to see Brian Posehn Saturday and will be having dinner at Bistro 33, our favorite dinner spot in Astoria when we celebrate special occasions. Sushi, bread pudding and other ridiculously yummy food stuffs await. It's hard to believe it was five years ago that I bought www.christianfinnegan.com for him and secretly made him a website. Now it's all schmancy and growed up. I would say, "Like him," but since he and I spent all weekend playing "The Simpsons" on our new Playstation 3, it doesn't seem applicable.
--Kambri
Link - 11:27 AM -
Friday, March 28, 2008
Ochi's Lounge: The Little Room that Could!
Ochi's Lounge has undergone some scheduling changes but what hasn't changed is how much I love that little room. And two amazing headliners will join the growing list of big names that have graced the wee wooden stage. Details are below.
Wednesday, April 2nd @ 8pm
ANDRES DU BOUCHET HAS BEEN EXPECTING YOU
Guests this month: David Cross, Lisa deLarios and Reggie Watts
Tuesday, April 8th @ 9pm
DRINK AT WORK with JOHN OLIVER (The Daily Show) and more great comics TBA!
Both shows are in Ochi's Lounge (lower level of Comix)
353 West 14th Street (9th Ave.)
No cover + One item minimum food or drink purchase from the discounted Ochi's menu.
--Kambri
I recommend the Chicken BLT.
Link - 5:26 PM -
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Gene Wilder, Jackie Mason, David Cross & More!
Yes, you read that right and they're all in the Latest Ballyhoo!
--Kambri
Link - 12:48 AM -
Monday, March 24, 2008
Interview in Comedians Magazine
I was interviewed in this month's issue of The Comedians magazine. Click here to check it out.
--Kambri
Link - 5:03 PM -
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Home Again
Exhausted doesn't even begin to describe how we feel right now. We've slept and napped but it never seems to be enough. We're just done. But we are home and, no matter what, there is work to be done. Even over this weekend my phone rang and texts and emails came through that needed attending to by no one other than me. Two phone interviews for papers with impending deadlines, a comedian late for his live radio appearance, two television crews needing releases and such. It's the life I've chosen, I suppose, but I just want to turn everything off tomorrow and sleep till 2:00.
--Kambri
Instead, I'll go into the office for the first time in a week and play catch up and smile though my heart is aching.
Link - 10:59 PM -
Thursday, March 20, 2008
PA Bound
Not to sound too cryptic but life throws you a curve ball every now and again. Our wonky pitch means a trip to PA. And comedians, despite all the bad rap they get about being crazy and dysfunctional, are a good bunch. Oh, crazy and dysfunctional still apply, but goodness lies underneath. Paquita is making the trip for those who kindly offered to take her. She's got more friends than she knows!
--Kambri
Thanks. Really.
Link - 1:43 AM -
Sunday, March 16, 2008
I used a neti pot for the first time tonight. Disaster! I clearly did something wrong as my ears are plugged, I'm completely congested and the back of my nose and throat feel like they're on fire. And I didn't start out that way at all. I'll try it again tomorrow as I've only heard good things and am really sick of always sounding sick with a cold. Maybe I just need surgery.
Friday's show was awesome and I rocked it. Afterwards, Tom Shillue said he was going to recommend me to producers for a couple of shows that I have thought myself perfect for but didn't think would want little old me. Woo! Very nice of him even if nothing comes of it. I admire him so much that his compliments mean enough.
This Friday will be the LAST Family Hour on a Friday night (we move to Thursdays at 7:30). I'll be continuing on the same story thread with Part IV which I think will mark the end of this current line of writing about my a$$hole brother. Christian is done traveling for a couple of weeks and will come out to watch me. Hopefully I won't stink it up. The last time he came to watch me read a new piece, I was so conscious of it I could hardly breathe. He's read the last three monologues I've written and has been so effusive with his encouragement and generous with his patience and time that I can't thank him enough. Having a third great reading and such a supportive husband re-energized me to focus on my writing. So I cracked open the old proposal and have been tweaking some things. I even had a little breakthrough. I owe Chapter One to my agent and had been procrastinating for a while now because I simply had no clue where to start. I've got it now and I can't wait to finish it.
I've got to invest in a word processor or cheap laptop so I can get out to write. I find myself sitting in my apartment, playing with the animals, browsing the net for NOTHING, commenting on comedy sites, checking my email 5,000 times, etc. I want to get a really light piece of machinery to take somewhere without wi-fi and just write. Christian's birthday is coming up and he's been considering a new laptop as a gift to himself. If so, I think I'll take his old MAC and strip it of all time gobbling programs...because, you know, self restraint is imfu*kingpossible.
--Kambri
I am getting him a Playstation 3 because we are grown ups and can't play all the awesome new video games.
Link - 10:19 PM -
Friday, March 14, 2008
Tom Shillue, Me and Stuff
I wrote a new piece to read tonight at The Family Hour with Auntie Sara. Part three of an ongoing discussion and I got to say, being forced to write on the fly every week has made it easier and easier. I'm digging what I put together for tonight and I only spent an hour or so on it. The show starts at 7:00, there's no cover and a one item cheap food or drink purchase. But don't just come for me (I know you were, don't lie), come to see Tom Shillue, master storytelling, comedian and all around great guy. Come on out to Ochi's Lounge at 353 W 14th St. near 9th Ave. See you tonight!
I miss my friends. Scott "Reverend" Ramsey is in Ohio starring in another play, Christian is a traveling fool, and for many scheduling reasons I just haven't seen anyone for a NON-work related event. It's bumming me out. The plus side is my inbox is completely empty. I've attended to every possible thing which is also a handy way for procrastinating on my book project.
--Kambri
I did go to Tori's book party, though.
Link - 3:32 PM -
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Christian & Papi Sitting in a Tree
Christian is two timing on Paquita with Lil Papi!
Link - 3:27 PM -
Bummer
Van Halen officially postponed their concert at MSG. Bummer. But tonight is Tori's book launch party so I'll make it through this rough time.
--Kambri
I wonder if Unchained is playing anywhere in the meantime?
Link - 9:36 AM -
Monday, March 10, 2008
Lazy Monday
Christian flew from Vail to LA yesterday where he'll be auditioning and taking meetings all week. I hope it's a more productive trip than my weekend was. I've been so extraordinarily tired the last few weeks coupled with odd sleeping patterns (and an achy back for fun) so every other day I end up sleeping till noon. I hate that. I watched Little Children and Babel. First was long but very well acted and interesting. Second was also well acted but *way* too long and many slow or pointless scenes for my taste. Especially when it's subtitled and I'm watching from home where I'm easily distracted.
Ochi's Lounge will have lots of scheduling changes unveiled in the next week. Friday and Saturday night shows are being moved to the weekday so lots of juggling ensued. But it's still a strong line up of great "underground" shows including the three plugged in yesterday's NY Post: Andres du Bouchet is Expecting You, The Family Hour with Auntie Sara and Morrison's Motel aka Ochi's Motel. Details coming soon.
--Kambri
Along with the promised Latest Ballyhoo.
Link - 9:43 PM -
Sunday, March 09, 2008
In the Press
 Check out today's NY Post to read a feature article by Sara Stewart about the whole underground comedy scene here in NYC. Ballyhoo Promotions, Ochi's Lounge and Comix are all mentioned and I'm quoted once or twice.
Also a few shows in Ochi's Lounge are picked as the best bets for laughs, including "The Family Hour" show on which I perform every Friday. Click on the image at right to see the details on those shows and more.
Speaking of "The Family Hour," the last two Fridays I have written something in about two hours and performed it that night for the first time. I'm usually pretty good the second time I've read something but not the first -- even if I've had time to read it out loud at home first -- and especially when I've written it just that very afternoon.
As a sign that my confidence is improving, both times I've maintained pretty good breathing and didn't get cotton mouth even though both times I never even read it out loud to myself. This Friday, I will be reading something new as well, but will have to write it soon since Friday I'll be doing TV and radio with Lenny Clarke of FX's "Rescue Me" and have a 5:00 AM wake up call. Yuck.
"The Family Hour" will be moving to Thursdays at 7:30 starting March 27th which actually will work out better for me for precisely the above reason. Doing press Friday mornings means I'm usually exhausted and behind on my calls and emails from being away from my desk all day. Having no commitment Friday night means I can head home from press and rest up. Hopefully that will improve the amount of writing I get done on the weekends. Right now, I've been getting zilch done.
--Kambri
Speaking of...gotta get cracking. Ugh!
Link - 1:52 PM -
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Mixed Blessings
Rumors are swirling that Van Halen will cancel their MSG date on March 17th. NO!!! Please, no!
But, all is not lost! I was invited to Tori Spelling's book launch party celebrating her new memoir. CanNOT wait.
--Kambri
Link - 6:00 PM -
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
TIVO ALERT! Christian on TV TONIGHT!
Best Week Ever's Christian Finnegan (also I "do" him) and Chuck Nice (I don't "do" him but I do "dig" him) will be on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch tonight – Tuesday, March 4th -- at 10:00 PM EST. Check your local listings folks, because I have no idea if that's a universal air date / time.
For more info, here's a link to Donny's show: http://www.cnbc.com/id/15838512/
--Kambri
Link - 9:16 PM -
Monday, March 03, 2008
Confounding Question
If water is odorless, how do animals find it?
--Kambri
Seriously, I want to know. A quick Google search didn't help but perhaps I queried the wrong search words.
Link - 8:30 PM -
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Capote Redux
After reading at the Family Hour last night in Ochi's Lounge, I was chatting with Sean McCarthy and Hy Bender about parallel thinking and industry trends. As an example, we talked about Capote coming out shortly before Infamous and how none of us watched the latter because of the tremendous success and riveting portrayal of Capote by Philip Seymour Hoffman. To top off, my love of the first was cemented by seeing it at the AMMI with a Q&A with the director. But we had heard about how great Toby Jones' take was. Lo and behold, as I sat on the couch going through hundreds of digital photos to submit with a feature interview of me in an upcoming magazine issue, Infamous came on. I watched it mainly due to the synchronicity. At first, I wasn't digging Toby but by the end I was wracked with just as much sorrow as when I watched Hoffman's version. The story hits close to home for me, obviously, due to my relationship with My Jailed Deaf Dad and how conflicted I feel about the Dad I know and the Dad who tries* to kill people. It's almost too much to bear.
--Kambri
*And who may have actually killed people.
Link - 7:41 PM -
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