Show 27: It's a Midwest Thang

Now presenting Photography by Aemiessence Fine Arts!


There were no corn dogs or blueberry pies, but for some reason our show drew a lot of Midwesterners tonight!
Brendan Fitzgibbons (who is from Illinois and went to school in Iowa) hosted this banjo-strumming lineup:

Brooke Van Poppelen (Illinois)
Luke Thayer (Indiana)
Dan Fontaine (Georgia...close enough)
Rob Durham (Ohio)
Pat O'Shea (not a Midwesterner, but has mutton chops)
Ray Devito (Ohio)
Nick Cobb (Tennessee)

along with our featured guests, motivational speaker Dr. Eric Newberry and Nicole Richie!

There was a lot of mingling before and after the show, but if you listened carefully, you could hear the dulcet sounds of our theme song, now with co-producer banter.

“Where's my snare? There’s no snare in my headphones."

We know, E. We know.

We had some last-minute line-up changes, and fortunately Nick Cobb, Brooke Van Poppelen and Ray DeVito were in the neighborhood to lend a cup of comedy sugar!

Brendan Fitzgibbons talked about things for mature audiences only. Like bingo and Ensure.


Brooke Van Poppelen made her Living Room debut after many months of schedule changes. Just like Heinz from the bottle, it was worth the wait.

The audience was given an enlightening perspective on the news by motivational speaker Dr. Eric Newberry. She challenges stereotypes with a masculine name and messages of empowerWOMENt.

Luke Thayer took us back with images of spandex fashion and sweaty, fat children.

Dan Fontaine mused on the necessity and audacity of bathroom attendants. Sounds like somebody needs a spritz of Brut.

Rob Durham has the brightest smile this side of the Mississippi but sorry kids, it's for your mom's eyes only.

Nicole Richie accepted an award in the 2010 Emmy's after performing in Hit My Baby, What's My Crime?: The Life of Britney Spears. If you find that achievement hard to believe just remember her early work as Lionel Richie's daughter.

Pat O'Shea had the whole room laughing at driving directions. Take that, GPS!
Celebrity Sighting: Esther Ku dropped in to raise the female performer quotient, albeit off stage. Look for her in a future LR show!

Ray Devito blended in as audience, then shined as a performer and struck a pose as a model. He's a Midwesterner who looks like a New Yorker. Chameleon.

Nick Cobb is so committed to his set he rolled on the floor

and dry-humped a dude.

We think it had to do with his set.

Tonight's Funniest Comedian of All Time: Dan Fontaine of course, who won a briefcase full of money! Mini money in a mini briefcase. Don't spend it all in one doll house!

Call your friends and tell them to catch even more of NYC's best performers LIVE at our next show on October 12th!

Who's Performing on September 28, 2007?

This show has no official name, so in light of our new music technology, for now we'll call it Sound as a Pound! (Also according to an online dictionary of British idioms, it means "very good or reliable".)

For our 27th show The Living Room welcomes:

Dan Fontaine (Saints and Sinners Tour)

Pat O'Shea (B-Cat TV's Bush v. Brooklyn, Complete Idiot's Guide to Joke Writing)

Rob Durham (Midwestern Bias sports blog, Tours colleges across the U.S.)

and your host with the most potroast on toast, Brendan Fitzgibbons (The Onion, Fifth Year Comedy Tour)

Very good and reliable inDEED!

Show 26: Legends of the Fall

Autumn is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with comedians who are truly legendary? (Okay maybe with a big slice of pumpkin pie, but that was rhetorical, Delta Burke).


To start our Comeback Show right, we invited NYC musician Aubrey Hairston to perform our very first theme song!



He started out street, but breakaway pants revealed the joyful goofball within. We blended Full House, 80s cartoons and The Great Depression into one catchy melody that the crowd enjoyed in an energetic live performance. We just laid down the official vocals and re-vamped the lyrics, so check it out soon on myspace.

Before she goes sunless tanning in the California Comedy Festival, newly engaged host Laura Mannino conducted this mighty fine lineup:

Abbi Crutchfield
Mike Dobbins
Dan Nainan and
Stuckey and Murray

along with our featured guests: Moses and Maurice the Landlord!

Laura warmed up the room with cubicle secrets and office antics, and a healthy dose of passive-aggressiveness. THANKS!!


While Charlton Heston tests his Poli-grip on a corn cob, the original Moses came down from the mountain to share the novella he just wrote. Those who were fans of his more famous works did not want to hear their leader go in a new direction and felt free to heckle, Bible-style. Free Birdeth!


Abbi demonstrated the necessity of the proper terrarium when you can't take your tiny dog shopping with you.


Celebrity Sighting! Several members of the troupe Impending Moustache stopped by to take a break from performing sketch so they could watch a little.


Often appreciated, never duplicated Mike Dobbins strolled through an invisible park and offered his jokes the way cult members offer you flowers, with full conviction and a dab of crazy sauce. It was his first time at the show and the first time a 9 year old decided to linger impatiently at the window. He won her over by listing deadly diseases. Some people are just good with kids.


Taking time off from ignorning tenants, Maurice Fry, the landlord of all of Brooklyn, brought in his pay-puh and spit knowledge on his favorite articles.


Representing Hoosier excellence (by association) Dan Nainan also made his first trip down to The Living Room. He took time off the road to educate our crowd about interracial relationships --those obvious (Abbi-Luke) and less obvious (Vin-Diesel).


The dynamic duo Stuckey and Murray were the perfect end to an already tremendous show. They made Living Room history by rocking out on guitars and got the whole room feeling good, just like a woman should.


Mike Dobbins became our glorious Funniest Comedian of All Time! We should have given oven mitts for the sizzling hot poster he won complete with Luke and Abbi's autographs.


Bring your scrunchie collection to our next show September 28th!

Who's Performing on September 14, 2007?

We're very excited to make our fall comeback in a show we dare to call

LEGENDS OF THE FALL

For our 26th show The Living Room welcomes:

Mike Dobbins (A Stand-upish Set of Koo Koo/Dobbins and Ball/SpikeTV)

Dan Nainan (Opening act for Russell Peters/NBC's Last Comic Standing, A&E, Nickelodeon)

Stuckey and Murray (2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival/Montreal Comedy Festival/VH1, E!, Fuse TV)

and your host with the most Laura Mannino (2007 California Comedy Festival/New York Underground Comedy Festival)

Let your long, long hair down. Because after the hiatus, the legend begins...