Gary Vider Talks About AGT Finals, Jess Kirson Gets a Gig with Stern Show and News from Vondecarlo, Paul Virzi, Ed Lover and More

gurian montreal edition

Jeffrey Gurian is a writer and comedian in New York who loves to Jump Around. Follow his regular column, right here, to find out what’s happening in comedy, and who Jeffrey Gurian ran into this week in and around New York. This week, Jeffrey stopped at  Comedy Live, New York Comedy Club, , and Radio City Music Hall!


Gary Vider Makes the Semi-Finals on America’s Got Talent

I went to a taping of America’s Got Talent and when Howard Stern was introduced to HUGE applause, he jokingly asked the audience to please boo the other judges, and as it was, a lot of people were already yelling out “Baba Booey.” It was so cool seeing Nick Cannon bring my friend Oz Pearlman, to the stage. Oz has been shocking people with his incredible talents of mentalism. Oz used to be part of a two man group called “The Unseen” with Ken Salaz who often performed at Gotham Comedy Club, and I used to hang out with them, and try and help them get seen. I actually wanted to manage them and even had papers drawn up as I thought they were so incredible. I still have a small collection of items they worked with when they came to my house to give me a demonstration of their remarkable skills.

Sometimes it looks like a street party outside of The Stand, as it did the night I rolled up recently. The street is packed with comics just hanging out, some waiting to go on, others just there for the hang and the camaraderie! Speaking of America’s Got Talent, I saw Gary Vider hanging outside The Stand, and he told me he moved into the semi-finals AGT and will be on again tomorrow. Good luck Gary. He’s such a good writer and has such a unique delivery. He said that both Howard Stern and Howie Mandel have been very supportive of him, but they don’t allow them to hang out with the judges after the show. There’s no mingling.

Jessica Kirson Gets a Recurring Role on Howard Stern Show

jessica kirsonBut after I was finished mingling with all the people outside The Stand I went downstairs to see what all the hysterical laughter was about, and it was being caused by Jessica Kirson. After it was over and we all went out in the street I was standing with Jess when two attractive women came over to tell her how hilarious she was. One of the women was from Toronto and said she had never been to a comedy club before. And she proved it by telling Jessica that she should have been the headliner. That was when I had the opportunity to tell the woman that Jessica WAS the headliner, and we all had a good laugh about that. Jess dropped some good news on me. Some time within the next month she’ll begin doing prank calls for Howard Stern. She said it was thanks to Sal the Stockbroker and Shuli who suggested her to Howard! Good luck Jess. I know you’ll be amazing!

 

Paul Virzi Planning Album Release Party

Paul Virzi is planning his release party for the special he taped called Night At The Stand which of course will be at The Stand later this month and he promised to let me know as soon as the date is locked in. And Alexis Guerreros is producing the Illuminati Party with Mike Cannon, a show that goes up at The Stand twice a month. He said there’s music, hopefully not dancing, and they throw gifts out to the audience. That’s one I’ll have to check out. He’s also doing a new web series called The Cooligans, which is a soccer-themed series that he’s doing with Christian Polanco. They have five episodes in the can already and will have the sixth very soon. It’s tied in with a podcast and live events at The Standing Room. He explained all this to me, and how they’re all related, but I’m not totally sure I got it!

I ran into Dan Tirado who just got back from performing in Haiti with my buddy Mark Viera. He told me that half an hour before their show Hurricane Erika hit the island. How’s that for timing? He said that fortunately it didn’t affect the turnout, and it was a great show. He flew all that way to do one show at the Karibe Hotel, but they put them up for five days and he said it was fantastic. And he’s psyched about going back to perform in his hometown of Montreal at Comedy Works in October. I didn’t know Latino guys even came from Montreal! He was with Shane Torres, who’s a Latino guy NOT from Montreal, and who produces a show called Dark Spots at The Creek and the Cave on the first Saturday of every month (read more on that here). They pick a different theme each month, and this month was “Too Soon”, meaning things in your life that happened too soon for you to handle. And the comics have to write material to fit the theme.

Vondecarlo Show Debuts This Month at The Pit

Derek Gaines was sitting with Vondecarlo at one of the little outside tables right on the street, and I promised Von I’d be at the opening of her new show Lasagna on September 18th at The Pit and do the red carpet. It’s called “Lasagna” because that’s what Patrice O’Neal used to call the stretched skin on her lower belly that got stretched out after she gave birth to her daughter Aymilyon. Years later she had that corrected but he show will be funny and serious and talk about body image, and I can’t wait to see it!

Ed Lover Makes Stand Up Comedy TV Debut

Ed Lover from Sirius XM’s old-school hip hop show Backspin made his stand-up comedy TV debut hosting Gotham Comedy Live and he did a really great job. Just before the show he got security guy/actor Jimmy Cannizzaro, (Lisa Lampanelli’s ex, who just got engaged this past week to his girlfriend Jenna) to shoot a little sketch with him where Jimmy stops Ed on his way into the show room, and questions him as to who he is. When he says he’s Ed Lover, Jimmy says “ No you’re not!” and not only doesn’t he let him in to his own show but uses his catch phrase, “C’mon son !”  Jimmy stopped off at my table to give me the heads up that he was gonna be in something funny, cause I’m often doing so many things while I’m there and he didn’t want me to miss it! It was funny and he did a good job! Ed announced that his wife of three months was there as was his daughter. Orlando Leyba was one of the stand-outs on the show, and when we got to speak afterwards and I congratulated him on his performance he told me he opens for Sebastian Maniscalco, as if there’s any other Sebastian in comedy!

Liza Treyger Birthday Show Gets Big Guests

Liza Treyger’s birthday show at New York Comedy Club was really fun. Lots of her friends came out to perform and celebrate with her and the place was packed. Liza was chosen as one of 14 comics to tape her own Half Hour for Comedy Central which she did back in June at the Royale Theatre in Boston. Liza also hosts Cake Shop Comedy a weekly comedy show on Tuesday nights with Jacqueline Novak. Sabrina Jalees was also involved but she moved out to LA in June to write for a new NBC sitcom called Crowded. Liza told me she went out to visit her for 10 days and they had the best time riding golf carts around the Universal lot! I came in while Matteo Lane was killing it onstage, and it was great to see Sasheer Zamata who took Liza on tour with her this summer. Sasheer told me she’s working on the 3rd season of her hit web series called The Pursuit of Sexiness which she does with LA UCB girl Nicole Byer. It was voted one of the best web series in 2013 by Variety. I’m a big Sasheer fan! I also love the way she changes her hair every time I see her. The show is produced by Above Average.

matteo lane

I finished off my holiday week at the launch of the Free Stand-Up Festival co-founded by a comic named Joe Gerics who I met when I got to New York Comedy Club. I was asked to participate, and when I got there to do my set, I found out that Mike Recine was hosting which was great cause I hadn’t seen him in a while either. He recently taped his special at New York Comedy Club which is still untitled, and Colin Jost came out to do a feature spot before the taping. Mike told me he goes out on the road with Colin. Very cool!

And as I left walking down 23rd Street who did I run into but Judah Friedlander getting into a taxi. We gave each other a quick fist pound as he told me he was on his way to play a little ping pong! Well after all, he IS the world champion, so I wasn’t really surprised! And now I’m going out to enjoy what’s left of this Labor Day weekend. Hope you all had a good one, and please tell me it’s not really September. I still haven’t gotten over last winter yet!

Anyway that’s it for me, I’M OUT!!!

jeffrey gurian with mike recine jeffrey gurian with orlando leyba

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Jeffrey Gurian is a comedy writer, comedian, author, producer, comedy connoisseur, comedy journalist, and an all around bon vivant. You can find him on red carpets, at comedy events across the country and hosting Comedy Matters TV. He’s the author of the book Make ‘Em Laugh with an intro by Chris Rock”. You've seen him on Comedy Central's Kroll Show and he's a regular on SiriusXM's Bennington Show and it's predecessor the Ron and Fez Show. He's also A BIG BELIEVER in Happiness and Love.
Jeffrey Gurian
Jeffrey Gurian
Jeffrey Gurian is a comedy writer, comedian, author, producer, comedy connoisseur, comedy journalist, and an all around bon vivant. You can find him on red carpets, at comedy events across the country and hosting Comedy Matters TV. He’s the author of the book Make ‘Em Laugh with an intro by Chris Rock”. You've seen him on Comedy Central's Kroll Show and he's a regular on SiriusXM's Bennington Show and it's predecessor the Ron and Fez Show. He's also A BIG BELIEVER in Happiness and Love.