Interview: Ron Funches Enjoys the Home Field Advantage at the Den
Known for his unmistakable giggle and immediate charm on and off stage, Ron Funches began his standup career in the early 2000s in Portland. The city that birthed his love […]
Anthony Cusumano is a comedy writer, performer, and producer based in Chicago. In 2023, he launched The DnA Sketch Show, a recurring variety show, and in 2024 he wrote and directed the critically acclaimed musical Miracle at Century High School.
Review: Evanston Makes Space for the Incredible Cat Ridgeway
Back in May, I had the privilege to chat with the infectiously joyful Cat Ridgeway and see her incredible live show, so when I learned she was returning to the […]
Review: Queens of the Stone Age Tone it Down With Spellbinding Chicago Theatre Show
On the opening night of Queens of the Stone Age’s Catacombs Tour at the Chicago Theatre, you could hear crickets chirping…and that was by design. The band’s set began with […]
Interview: Low Cut Connie Is Ready to Rock Evanston SPACE
Bruce Springsteen sets a pretty high bar, but if there’s anyone close to resembling a second coming of The Boss, it’s Low Cut Connie frontman Adam Weiner. It’s not just […]
Interview: Abbott Elementary’s Lisa Ann Walter Brings “Funny Complaining” to the Comedy Vault
There are two types of people in this world: those who associate Lisa Ann Walter with Chessy from the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, the most beloved pop culture […]
Interview: Cheech Marin Is a Chicano Progressosaurus
Though Cheech Marin first found fame while partnering with Tommy Chong to create some of the most iconic counterculture comedy of all time, stoner humor won’t be the main focus […]
Interview: Comedian Gary Gulman Brings Grandiloquent to the Athenaeum
When comedy legend Patton Oswalt appeared on the Good One podcast in 2018, he spotlighted Gary Gulman’s “state abbreviations” routine as a “killer” bit he wished he’d written himself. A […]
Review: Fall in Love with the Cosmic Romantics at the Den Theatre
When Elizabeth Messick, the more attractive half of the magical duo the Cosmic Romantics—that’s straight out of her partner Eric Thirstin’s introduction, not my own editorializing—first appears on stage during […]
Interview: The Voice’s bodie on Being a Singer, Songwriter, and Stuntman
When Bodie Kuljian took the stage during blind auditions for NBC’s The Voice in 2022, it took just 20 seconds for Blake Shelton to press his button to indicate his […]
Interview: Beauty School Dropout Loves Everything About Chicago—Except One Thing
Beauty School Dropout has packed more into its first five years than most bands do in their entire careers. Championed by Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, […]
Review: Second City e.t.c.’s The Chaos Theory of Everything Proves Uneven But Enjoyable
Those who have dived deep into the vernacular of Saturday Night Live are familiar with the “ten to one” slot—the last sketch of each episode, sandwiched between the musical guest’s […]
Review: Dial H for Hilarity at Annoyance Theatre’s Hitch*Cocktails
While Hitch*Cocktails has been a staple of the Annoyance Theatre’s lineup for over a decade, the team behind Chicago’s most frighteningly funny drinking game is raising the stakes with the […]