Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Tuesday at Yuk Yuks, February 22

Good night at Yuk Yuks, though I didn't stay all the way through. KERRY UNGER did the workshop and also MC'd. I love watching that guy. I remember howling with laughter the first time I heard him do his '60 Car Pile-Up,' 'Assumable Mortgage,' 'No Left Turns,' and 'Wife's Cheap Christmas Present' jokes. Check him out if you can.

This is also as good a time as any to introduce you to another pair of fellow open-mic'ers who performed, BILL GEE and POWERMAN. BILL GEE swaggers on stage with a tight black t-shirt and black jeans, every inch the tough guy--except that he looks like an Asian Cabbage Patch Kid doll and is half as tall. How can someone so small hold so much venom? I don't know, but his honesty is something I look up to each time I see him. BILL GEE doesn't censor himself for anyone.

POWERMAN also moonlights as a contortionist which is pretty impressive considering that he's....well, one way to put it is to say he's 'at an elevated risk for heart disease' or that he's what Lavalife would describe as, 'a few extra pounds.' Another way to describe him would be as 'a Death Star wearing a necktie.' One of my favorite POWERMAN memories is the time he brought a plate of chicken wings on stage and ate all the way through his act. There's something about a guy telling fat jokes while stuffing his face that is simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking. It takes a lot of courage to face your own shortcomings and both POWERMAN and BILL GEE do it without flinching.

UPCOMING SHOWS: Tuesday, March 1--Yuk Yuks

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