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>Three Random Things
>I think I’m a size 9 1/2 show now. Been a size 9 for years but I guess the time has come.
I taught the “Business of Comedy” course today and it was awesome, IMO. Stay tuned for the next one. More than a few people have said I should teach it for Mediabistro. Hmm…
I unplugged Guitar Hero. Then I found my Guitar Hero hero: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUzNcheoY6U. Then I learned exactly what hammer ons and pull offs mean and had to plug it back in. I completed Hard without knowing or using them. Imagine my potential!
—Kambri
See you in 2009. -
>Free Tickets to Comix This Weekend!
>This weekend Comix has an amazing line up of comedians and is giving you a chance to enjoy them for free admission! The lineups and details are here. For FREE tickets, email your name, number of tickets requested and date & time of show to me at kcrews@comixny.com no later than 4:00 PM the day of the show. You will receive an email confirmation.
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>Another Sold Out Show!
>Check out these pics of the SNL show I produced last night taken by
Andrew Walker of Getty Images. The crowd was very cool and included Akiva Schaffer and Kristen Wiig and a slew of other writers for the show. Afterwards the party moved to a bar but I came home like a good girl. Part of my New Year’s resolution thing is to not always say yes when invited to hang out…yes, even if it’s Jason Sudeikis (so great as a host), Andy Samberg and the bunch.—Kambri
There were people who paid for SRO tickets in the bar watching it on flat screens, that’s how crazy packed we were! -
>Pretty Awesome Weekend
>–Seth & Alex’s shows were better than I could have ever imagined.
–All four were sold out. There were no glitches.
—J@neane Gar0falo said she can’t wait to read my book. Her exact quote was, “I can’t wait to read your book.”
–I got a free ride home.
–Christian didn’t get eaten by a tiger during his “backstage” tour.
–I beat Guitar Hero II on Hard. Got a bonafide callous on my thumb to prove it.—Kambri
Which one am I most excited about? -
>Oh Yeah!
>
Alex Borstein and Seth MacFarlane on the Comix stage. Photo by Brian Friedman. -
>Lions and Tigers and Rhinos, Oh My!
>Christian is getting an up close and personal tour of the zoo in Virginia Beach. He’s going to get to see the lions and tigers up close and pet a rhino! I’m so jealous! He wasn’t even going to do it until he mentioned it to me and I freaked out about how awesome it would be. I hope he takes lots of pictures. Next time he’s booked at that club you can bet I’ll be going.
Here in NYC, I’ll be celebrating a birthday before going to Comix to check out Seth and Alex’s sold out show. Last night went swimmingly so I’m really excited to be there tonight to enjoy the show. It’s the kind of event that makes me so happy to live in New York where there are different kinds of zoo animals.
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>Texas Friends, We’re Coming to Town
>
My husband, comedian Christian Finnegan, returns to Houston to headline at the Laff Stop from January 30th through February 2nd, 2008. I’ll be making the trek down there, too, but I don’t think I’ll get there till Friday the 1st. I can’t decide yet as things are busy, busy but I definitely want to see my friends and pay a visit to My Jailed Deaf Dad in the clink. (Sorry, I’m not smuggling in any Juicy Fruit this time, Dad!)
Anyway, visit their website Houston Laff Stop for show dates and times and let me know if / when you’ll be there so I can make sure to see you!
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>Chhh-Chhh–Changes!
>This weekend is going to be ridiculous! Four sold out shows, a baby grand piano, original music & comedy NEVER BEFORE SEEN and only at Comix. We’re stoked.
Alex Borstein will be on Good Day NY tomorrow which means she and I will be waking up around 6:00 tomorrow morning. Long day but the adrenaline will see us through. All the other press was canceled so I’ll be back at my home office in no time. Nice. That’s actually one of this year’s resolutions: to work from home more so I can be with my animals, get more sleep and eat better. We’ll see how long that lasts. Ack – scratch that last line! How negative! I fully intend to better monitor how much time I spend at Ochi’s Lounge and Comix. It’s hard, though, when you love the shows / comedians / your career so much. (Sorry, I can’t help it…I really, really do!)
Christian is headlining in Virginia Beach this weekend (read the feature interview with him in the Daily Press) so I’ll be celebrating Rev. (Scott) Ramsey’s partner’s birthday without him before going to Comix to watch the aforementioned awesome show. So coming home tomorrow after doing press isn’t THAT much of a stretch or change.
But I also intend to change the way I spend Sundays. I want to spend it with Christian on the road or, even better, by reading, writing my book, playing video games and watching movies (we watched I Am Legend and this morning I watched Sherrybaby – both, again, were just okay). You know, the stuff most every normal person does. I had started a couple of weeks ago and will further that trend as much as possible. I only wish my part of Astoria were more like Brooklyn or Paris where my awesome pooch Paquita could join me and my laptop for treks to a cafe or bistro. Alas, no place nearby allows dogs inside.* Spring can’t get here soon enough.
—Kambri
*Except for Veronica’s Bar where even the dustballs fight. Sketchy place. If you know of some place I’m missing, please do let me know. Otherwise, my writing and reading will be inhibited by my obsession with Guitar Hero and the internet. -
Paris 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), most simply because they were things that we knew weren’t available in a postcard form or available online like the photos I snapped of two sculptures / headstones 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. Christian’s high school French got us bemused, appreciative smirks.
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 Deyrolle, a 170 year old taxidermy shop that is surreal. I bought a gorgeous blue morpho butterfly of the lepidoptera order that I can’t stop staring at. Then we hit the museum to feast our eyes on an impressive collection of paintings by Renoir, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, et al. You know…the usual.
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. The museum really should do something about this…something along the lines of the Hope diamond. I recall seeing it by filing up to it in a single file line, having my solitary moment with it then moving on.
We moved away from both 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 hideous. 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. So absurd we apologized to our waiter on their behalf.
We trekked to Notre Dame where we partook in Mass. It was lovely –both the building and the Mass– but religion is baffling to me. Stand up, sit down, chant in unison…it’s all very cult-like and creepy. The heeby jeebies set in after a few minutes so we skedaddled over 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. We vowed that if and when we return to Paris, we will stay in this area or arrondissement.
Our last meal in Paris at Sensing was our most decadent and was a fun experience. A man’s job was just to stand and watch us eat. If a crumb fell, he was there. Water? Of course. Last bite eaten? Plate promptly removed. It was weird but fun and delicious and adventurous. 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 had an amazing time.
—Kambri
Ready for ’08! -
>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. -
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. -
>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!!! -
>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!
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>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? -
>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 10014Tickets 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.
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>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
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>Hate Mail O’ the Day
>From: Pete Marchesi [mailto:petemarchesi@hotmail.com]
MySpace user: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=184905538Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 1:05 AM
To: webmaster@christianfinnegan.com
Subject: HiHi 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.
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>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. -
>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.
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>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 StreetTickets 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.
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>Video and a Plug, Redux
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. -
>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.
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>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.
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>Video and a Plug
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!
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>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! -
>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!
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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”? -
>Wow, Where Did the Week Go?
>Thanksgiving was nice and relaxed which was much welcomed after the crazy, busy “ASL in the Raw” night. I slept in and putzed around till 4:00 when Paquita and I joined Rachel, Chuck & Lauren where they treated me to an awesome dinner from Fresh Direct. A little Guitar Hero and pumpkin pie capped off the night. Perfection.
ASL in the Raw’s second show on Friday night was pretty much a sell out. There were a few empty seats by the DJ but no one could really sit there. I met so many great people and hope to see them at future NY Deaf Professional Happy Hour events and poetry slams.
The “Meat & Potatoes Show” rocked. It was really uplifiting and I left feeling like I had just been a part of something bigger. I hope they have continued success!
Meanwhile, I’ll be performing at Ochi’s Lounge on “The Family Hour with Auntie Sara” every Friday at 7:00 and on Monday, December 3rd on “Slumber Party” at 8:00.
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>Happy Thanksgiving!
>My 13 hour day is over. I’m thankful! “ASL in the Raw” was packed and fun and tiring and definitely X-rated. Super, super thankful. I can’t wait for Friday’s show.
I was so busy, I didn’t have time to blog it but Christian was on Keith Olbermann tonight via satellite from Seattle. Thankfully, we have the internet and instant gratification:
—Kambri
Thankful for stuff. -
New Found Respect
I don’t want to pretend that I have *any* talent for music. In fact, I will venture a guess and say I’m the *least* talented person musically except for, say, my deaf family…of whom some actually formed a Christian folk group called the “Signs of the Harvest”. I have no ear for it. Ahem. But, I have gotten quite good at the medium level of Guitar Hero (hard and expert seem positively savant-like at this point) and I am amazed at the level of intense concentration and full body cooperation goes into my hitting 100% of the notes (brag). This has given me a new found respect for the rock and roll star.
The fact that they are able to play any song, let alone several in a row, and using real strings and chords instead of color coded buttons is mind boggling. I actually got tired in the middle of one song and thought, “My hands hurt and I really want a sip of that wine.” So I hit pause and sipped the wine and stretched my hand which had frozen stiff into its claw like pose necessary to hit the blue and red buttons simultaneously. Just how the fuck do they play with a fly buzzing around and all that hair in their eyes? In their mouth? And drunk? Because that’s how I’m trying to play and it’s hard!
—Kambri
It must be an act. Rock and roll stars are actually sober savants who calculate their drug addled look. -
>It’s Show Time, Folks
>Jim Gaffigan stopped by Ochi’s Lounge Friday night and did a surprise 15 minute guest spot on “The Back Room” show!!!
Tonight is my graduation show for the workshop I took. The piece I’m performing is pretty much identical to the piece I started with over eight weeks ago. I’ll look on the bright side and say that I obviously write better than I thought and didn’t need the workshop to develop this piece (or learn about PR & marketing!!! UGH!). I also have performed it a few times now so tonight is just extra stage time for me but mainly a chance for me to see my fellow classmates and support their work. They are all lovely and talented ladies.
The show is sold out so if you want to come check out one of my upcoming performances, might I suggest the Meat & Potatoes Show on November 26th. I have no idea what I’ll be doing but the line up is great, it’s cheap and BYOB so it should be fun.
Christian just left Virginia on his way to Seattle now for a show at a rock club called The Triple Door then flies to Boston for Thanksgiving with his family. I don’t envy his frequent flier miles.
—Kambri
At home cozy and warm with my anipals. -
>Auntie Sara’s Show
>I’m sick this week so didn’t tell any new stories on the “Family Hour with Auntie Sara” show. So, here’s a little re-cap and something I will tell on next week’s show instead.
Over the past few Fridays, I’ve told stories about:
• my pot smoking parents, weed growing brother and Charlie Brown, my marijuana plant eating horse;
• my Dad’s dating advice to me when I was fifteen (“Don’t Fu*k”);
• taking my husband to prison in Huntsville, Texas to meet my Dad who is serving 20 years for almost decapitating his girlfriend; and
• Dad ratting me out to the warden after he got busted with the gum I smuggled in for him.
Read the rest over at Love, Daddy.
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Full Page Vagina
ASL in the Raw got a nice plug in this week’s Time Out NY with someone signing “vagina” in a full spread. Nice! Even better, they ran a step by step “yo mama” joke with Doug (one of the two deaf comedians) doing the signs and a quiz that you can take online. Check it out here.Anyway, see this “deaf” comedy jam live at Comix on November 21st or 23rd at 8:00 PM. Tickets are selling fast so buy yours today.
—Kambri
The NY Post might run something, too. If so, I’ll be sure to post it. -
>Happy Monday!
>Christian and I made a promise to start spending Sundays together with NO work. He stopped booking spots around the city on Sundays and I vowed to not work all day in my office. While I feel a little behind today, I feel refreshed and excited for the week.
I played Guitar Hero, we brunched, played video games at Sunswick where we ran into some friends and shared a drink. We watched two weeks of “Dexter” and generally just lounged. It was nice.
Oh, and Saturday night I told a story on the “Drink at Work” show. I didn’t use a cheat sheet and kept it down to about seven minutes. Now, if I can cut it down to five minutes I will give the Moth storytelling series a shot. It’s tomorrow night, though, and Van Halen is in town. I will be racing across the city but I don’t want to miss either event. We’ll play it by ear.
Now, back to work. Liam McEneaney is still trekking across Europe so we’re filling in as producer of his show “Tell Your Friends” at Lolita Bar. Come out tonight to see this amazing lineup Molly and I put together for only $5 cover:
NOV 12th @ 8:00 PM – TELL YOUR FRIENDS
Christian Finnegan (Best Week Ever)
Brian Baumley (Stand Up NY)
Leo Allen (Comedy Central Presents, Writer for SNL)
Tom Shillue (Comedy Central Presents)
And the house band Brief View of the HudsonLolita Bar
266 Broome St. at Allen
212.966.7223 – $5.00 Cover -
>As Promised
>Listen to my and Christian‘s appearance yesterday on the “Be Happy Dammit” Radio Show on Sirius. I’m in the first half and Christian comes in in the second half. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
Andy Borowitz is bringing his Next Week’s News to Comix in January. Click on the link and you’ll see the KILLER line up! I’ve already begun the calendar countdown, I’m so excited!
Sneak Peak: Christian is working on the “Best Year Ever special” and interviewed the Chocolate Rain guy yesterday, is meeting with Chris Hanson today and flies to and from LA in one day for a meeting with Tom Bergeron. Crazy.
—Kambri
Gah! AMY SEDARIS!!!! -
>Head of the Class
>Hey y’all! I’m going to be teaching a class about the business of comedy, producing and general PR for the Comix Academy! More details are here.
Radio was fun. Audio clips will be uploaded to my press page soon. I sound so terribly congested but I’m not sick and don’t really have allergies. I need nasal cleansing.
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>On the Radio
>I’m going to be on the radio tomorrow morning from 8:00 AM – to 9:00 AM EST talking about my deaf family, attempted murders and stuff. I had the idea to bring Christian along for the second half in case I’m a nervous reck or a bad interview. Check out the show here www.notsalmon.com/in_the_media.html and be sure to tune in!
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>The Latest Ballyhoo
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>Are You Soap Fans Free Tonight?
>Walt Willey of “All My Children” is performing tonight at Comix and will donate his money to the Walt Willey Endowment Fun. All his soap opera buddies are coming to watch the show so if you’re a soap fan, I highly recommend making the trek. For tickets and info, click here.
—Kambri
Had NO idea today was Daylight Savings Time. -
Eeewww
Who keeps Googling “Kambri Finnegan”?* Eew. As if.
And I STILL get tons of Google hits for Molly Shannon’s nipple mishap yet I have STILL never heard or seen evidence of such a mishap.
And “Christian Finnegan Weight Loss” remains #1 on the Google search hit bonanza for this site even though Christian wrote a big old blog entry over a year ago. People still think it happened overnight, but whatever. He goes to a personal trainer and busts his tail to keep his weight at status quo sans surgery, coke or vomiting.
—Kambri
No offense Finnegans of the world, but come on…Kambri Crews = pretty awesome name. Kambri Finnegan? I’m not even Irish! -
>Happy Halloween!
>No evil lurks here, only great things! Christian and I will watch the annual crazy Halloween parade in the Village from the apartment of Scott “Reverend Ramsey” and his partner Brian. Be safe and happy, y’all, and save some candy for me.
—Kambri
Pinky Tuscadero’s blonde cousin for the day. -
Spontaneous Combustion
So Ochi’s Lounge fu*king rules. I’m going to live there. After a week of actually doing just that I can safely say the space is a gem. The sound is pristine, the tech smooth, the space intimate and lovely. Some good comedy happened in the last seven days in front of really great audiences. I hope you’ll come out to see for yourself. Jon Fisch, Jay Larson, Christian Finnegan, Leo Allen, Andy Blitz and other great comedians dropped by on and off stage and you should, too.
Friday at 7:00 is Family Hour with Auntie Sara. I, as I walked to the stage for what I intended to be a quirky two minute bit, spontaneously decided to tell a story. It was amazing at first then my consciousness took over and I realized I was on stage telling a story. Oh boy, did I start getting nervous. It all ended up okay and it was a good feeling to know that I have gained *some* confidence over the last year of reading, writing and increasing my “platform” for the book I’m working on. Considering how many hours I was putting in (18 – 20 hours a day…no joke, sadly) I was happier still that I had my wits about me though I looked a bit on the tired / haggard side as evidenced in the photo at right taken by Maryanne Ventrice in which I’m signing murder . (Me needs a hair cut!)
Saturday night after a GREAT “Drink at Work” show at Ochi’s, we played Guitar Hero. I love that game so much so I’ve been playing it off and on all day today taking the needed breaks because I make my hands hurt by pressing the buttons and strumming too hard. Join us next Saturday to rock out with us.
—Kambri
It’s free, dude. -
>TIVO ALERT: Christian on MSNBC’s Countdown w Keith Olberman
>My husband and funny man Christian Finnegan will be on MSNBC tonight talking to Keith Olbermann about Marie Osmond and her fainting spell. Airs Tonight at 8:00 PM EST on MSNBC.
EDIT:
Blame it on the flame -
>Random Sightings
>Last night, Debbie Harry and David Cross were in the audience at Comix watching John Roberts perform.
Then later at West Bank Café, Christian and I dined with Cooper Lawrence a table away from Paul Dano and his guests who said a quick hello to Peter Dinklage who was dining with a big group that included Martha Plimpton. I first met Paul after the “Fast Food Nation” premiere at the AMMI. “Live Wire” DJ and comedian Craig Baldo DJd my and Finny’s wedding as well as Peter Dinklage’s. And Christian and Martha had a three hour conversation at some baseball game viewing party a while ago. Such weird little connections and we all found ourselves at the same restaurant eating dinner after 10:00 PM.
—Kambri
Craig said our wedding was way more fun. -
>Le Chuckle Hut Now With Donnell Rawlings
>Holy crap this is a crazy good line up and it’s FREE!
Norman Baker and Caroline Waxler host Best Week Ever comics, local NY personalities, and national club headliners in a friendly, intimate setting. And it’s FREE!
This month features Tionna Tee Smalls, Gawker advice columnist and author of “Girl, Get Your Mind Right!”, who will be answering audience love questions. Also appearing are:
– Donnell Rawlings (Chappelle’s Show)
– Dean Edwards (Saturday Night Live)
– Baron Vaughn
– Jackie MonahanSUN, OCT 28 @ 8:00 PM
Le Chuckle Hut
Paris Commune restaurant
99 Bank Street (at Greenwich Street)
212-929-0509
FREE! -
>Tivo Alert!
>Tune in to MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” tonight at around 8:45 PM to see my husband and funny man Christian Finnegan talking about the Ellen DeGeneres dog adoption fiasco.
EDIT:
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>A Little Birdie
>Told me that a surprise guest will pop in tonight after Reggie Watts’ set at Comix.
EDIT: She’s going to pop in another night instead.
Speaking of birdies, check out this awesome cockatoo grooving to the Backstreet Boys:
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>I’m super excited about tonight’s “Live Wire” at Comix and Christian getting back in town from his headlining gig in Atlanta. Come on out for the show or meet up with us afterward for a post-show drink at the Comix bar.
Ochi’s Lounge opens a week from tonight and I still need to figure out the lighting situation. If all else fails, I’m gonna grab these from Target since they’re cheap and can be overnighted but I’d rather find something more professional with a higher wattage. Any other ideas?
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>Red Shoe Diaries
>Do you ever see one lone shoe and wonder, “How the fu*k does someone lose a shoe?” Well, I’ll tell you.
I bought my hot red patent leather shoes YEARS ago before they were on everyone’s feet. They were so spectacular that they would garner glares and lip curls by the UES ladies and hoots and hollers and drooling over near Madison Square Garden. They are the shoes that inspired one man to say, “Mmmm, mmm! Those shoes are bad company!” Whatever the hell that means. So after the millionth compliment of these damn fine shoes, I told the story of that comment, went to the bathroom and slipped on some tennis shoes. (Hey, it was my 8th fifteen hour day in a row, it was raining and I was just going home.)
When I got home, I emptied the plastic bag that carried my umbrella and shoes and was shocked to discover only ONE red shoe in the bag. I cursed — and, boy, I can curse — and screamed and wondered where the hell could it be. And that, my friends, is why you shouldn’t have your iPod on too loud because I’m certain I either would have heard it drop out or heard someone tell me I had dropped it. So now I have to replace the irreplaceable. Seriously all the red shoes are very lovely but kind of plain. I will take a picture some day of my lonely remaining shoe (yes, I’m keeping it) and you will see and behold the glory of the really hot shoe that has no mate.
—Kambri
Browsing Craig’s List hoping for a Cinderella, only in NY kind of miracle. -
“Spicks & Specks” host Adam Hills is in town from Australia and he & his girlfriend, opera singer Ali McGregor, are both going to do guest spots on Monday’s “Live Wire” at Comix. Cool! It’s only $7 with the promo code LWVIP and there is NO minimum! It’s gonna be a GREAT show!
