Semi-Finalists Review, Last Comic Standing NBC 2010 Season 7

July 12, 2010 by vongsundara · Leave a Comment 

I’ve never watched Last Comic Standing on NBC before, but I decided to cover this year’s 2010 edition (Season 7) because, well, I’m not really sure. I just thought it’d be a cool thang to do. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the comedians, and I’m starting to become invested in how each of them do and how far they make it.

Now, being a fellow comedian, I can’t go too hardcore with my opinions here out of professional courtesy, but I’ll certainly point out what I liked about each comedian and whether any of their jokes made me fall off my couch.


Myq Kaplan
Boston, MA

http://myqkaplan.com/

Myq Kaplan, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Myq Kaplan, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “You know what I don’t see so much in the natural world? Angels.”
Topics: movies based on books, religion and gays

Hmm, interesting way to spell Mike. I wonder if that’s his real name or his stage name. I really enjoyed his set. It was well constructed and split between two sections, the first about books from movies and the second about gays and religion (a topic from my own heart). Great timing and unique delivery too. He’s got all the tools necessary to become successful.


Paula Bel
Los Angeles, CA

http://www.paulabelcomedy.com/

Best line: “Why are you here?”
Topics: Obama looking pissed, reality television

Paula is super dedicated to her character throughout the entire show including interviews and interactions with the judges. Actually I think I liked her interaction with the judges more than her actual set (which was funny too).


Jamie Lee
Dallas, TX

http://www.jamieleecomedy.com/

Best line: “Why’d the chicken cross the road? Because this isn’t working.”
Topics: butter and cocaine, inside jokes, erections

Cute dress. Love the earrings too. Jamie’s got an interesting delivery to her jokes, but I think her stage presence and character aren’t as well defined as some of the other contestants. I agree with the judges that it maybe wasn’t the best set to do for the semi-final round, as she covered cocaine, erections and inside jokes, but I give her marks for being brave.


Mike DeStefano
Bronx, NY

http://www.puppiesandheroin.com/

Mike DeStefano, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Mike DeStefano, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “That’s Jim Caviezel, that’s not Jesus.”
Topics: kids’ names, grandmothers, bulimia

Aggressive opening clip but funny too. I can tell that he really wants it. I do enjoy New York accents. It was cool that he went into minorities and different names and the differences between grandmothers. Mike’s best line, though, came when he responded to the judges asking him about his Jesus tattoo. Classic. He ended on another threat too. I’m not sure how that’ll play out, but it’s a risky way to go.


Kyle Grooms
Perth Amboy, NJ

http://www.kylegrooms.net/

Best line: “Detroit’s doing so bad, Haiti’s throwing them a benefit concert.”
Topics: people hate New Jersey, Detroit is poor, water theme parks

Kyle’s on-stage persona is definitely polished, but he came off as less likable than before, maybe due to the subject matter this week. It was a lot about hate and economic crisis and countries without water. It’s a bit of a tough sell, but I appreciate him going after this type of material, though.


Shane Mauss
Lacrosse, WI

http://shanemauss.com/

Best line: “She’s never going to ride another roller coaster again.”
Topics: amusement park freak accident, girlfriend and drinking

What an awkward looking dude. Tall and a little undone. It’s never a bad thing to have a unique look, though, for a comedian. I really liked how he constructed his first joke about the amusement park accident. He rode the wave of uncomfort and brought the audience back around.


Adrienne Iapalucci
Bronx, NY

http://www.adrienneiapalucci.com/

Best line: “Birth control is bad for you . . . So is having a kid you hate.”
Topics: living with mom, nanny job, pedophile

That’s quite the name, and quite the strut on to the stage. Adrienne has definitely honed her style and has her delivery and material well-polished.


Alycia Cooper
Temple Hills, MD

http://www.alyciacooper.com/

Best line: “That’s why you got taken out on February 13.”
Topics: side pieces

Alycia did a really good job keeping along the same topic for the whole time. I think the editors cut her short, though, so it was tough to get a total feel of her set.


Felipe Esparza
Los Angeles, CA

http://www.felipesworld.com/

Felipse Esparza, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Felipse Esparza, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “If you lost 35 pounds, you’d be a good looking guy, kind of.”
Topics: riding the bus, not looking good

Felipe has a great chance to break out in the industry. He’s super unique and identifiable on stage, and his style is his own. He had a few good lines, and I’m hoping he’ll be around to deliver some more later on in the series. He’s just chill and real, and he’s got huge likability.


Jonathan Thymius
Bronx, NY

http://www.messyloser.com/

Jonathan Thymius, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Jonathan Thymius, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “The good news, they let me eat it.”
Topics: stomach removal, scatterbrain, ventriloquism

I like how Jonathan stayed in character even when he came on to the stage (getting laughs before he even spoke). His look and his slow delivery are great. His last joke took a lot of setup for a little misdirection, but it seemed to work with the audience.


Lil’ Rel
Chicago, IL

http://www.thelilrelcompany.com/

Best line: “Mama gone.”
Topics: funeral

Li’l Rel did more of a performance piece than actual stand-up comedy, but he did it well. I appreciate that he used his entire time and stayed on one long bit. It definitely took him a long to get into his jokes, though, which will hurt him in the long run. On the other hand, you can tell he gave everything he had into his performance, which was great to see.


Jason Weems
Baltimore, MD

http://jasonweemscomedy.com/index2.html

Best line: “He is a monkey.”
Topics: shopping at megastores, eating a banana

Good stuff, though I don’t think the judges really got what he was trying to do. His interaction with the judges didn’t come off as super likable, but I enjoyed his actual comedy set.


Kirk Fox
San Diego, CA

http://web.mac.com/kirkfoxcomedy

Best line: “Even God can’t kill you.”
Topics: upstairs neighbour with a shotgun

I liked Kirk. He was real, and I liked his story about his neighbour. He was a little disparaging to older folks, but sometimes that’s the price of comedy. He had good stage presence, and he was able to stick to a single topic.


Rachel Feinstein
Washington, DC

http://www.rachel-feinstein.com/

Rachel Feinstein, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Rachel Feinstein, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “Don’t be voluptuous.”
Topics: pronounced hips, grandma impression

Rachel had interesting material, though the transitions weren’t always there. Her grandma impression was effective. I liked how humble she was when she was in front of the judges.


Jesse Joyce
Pittsburgh, PA

http://www.jessejoyce.com/v2/

Best line: “It’s gotta bother pizza delivery guys when they watch porno.”
Topics: actors in movies,

It’s tough to make any comments, as there was only one joke that was shown on air. I did enjoy the bit that I saw of him, though.


Roy Wood, Jr.
Birmingham, AL

http://www.roywoodjr.com/

Roy Wood Jr., Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Roy Wood Jr., Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “I don’t care how you met.”
Topics: bad dates, wedding invitations, getting a will, packing condoms

Roy Wood, Jr. definitely has amazing stage presence and delivery. I can definitely tell that he’s been in the industry for a long time. He’s got a real shot at winning this competition, for real. All his material was delivered well and blended into each other well.


Fortune Feimster
Belmont, NC

http://www.fortunefeimster.com/

Best line: “I got in on by a guy the other night.”
Topics: genetics, lesbian

Fortune Feimster is super duper funny. I like her delivery and her jokes are really well thought out. She also had a great way of tying in her life with her comedy while appealing to a broad audience.


Jerry Rocha
Dallas, TX

http://www.jerryrochacomedy.com/

Best line: “It’s like God correcting his mistakes.”
Topics: ugly people on a plane, Mexican carpooling, credit card

That is the hottest impression of a black woman by a white man I have ever heard. Amazing. The judges didn’t like that it was a white guy doing a black impression (which does annoy me a lot with its frequency), but the difference is that this impression was an actual impression instead of a lazy, over-the-top caricature.


Guy Torry
St. Louis, MO

http://www.mrguytorry.com

Best line: “They can see me through the sheets.”
Topics: Obama, Hilary Clinton, KKK

Great stage voice, great stage presence, a little lacking in likability, though . . . especially after that spat with the judges. I’m not sure about doing a Monica Lewinsky joke in 2010, though.


Jacob Sirof
San Francisco, CA

http://www.youtube.com/user/SirofsOfSantaMonica

Best line: “It’s probably better if you wait until they wake up.”
Topics: motorcycle, straight guys hugging

Good set overall. Jacob had great energy and a few nice twists in his storytelling, very good use of misdirection. Jacob brought the crowd back well after the awkwardness that was Guy Torry.


Nikki Glaser
St. Louis, MO

http://www.nikkiglasercomedy.com/

Best line: “If you want a little sister, make your own.”
Topics: breaking up via Skype, teenage pregnancy

Best. Joke. Ever. (Well, at least the best joke I’ve heard all year.) I’m not even sure that Nikki understands how good a joke that was. Nikki is probably my favourite comedian from all these early rounds. I like how dark she went while still remaining likable.


Taylor Williamson
San Diego, CA

http://www.taylorwilliamson.com/

Best line: “I’m like 1 for 0.”
Topics: awkard, girlfriend, queer burger

Troy Williamson got a laugh before he even opened his mouth, which is a sign of a great character. Some of the jokes didn’t live up to his delivery, but I enjoyed the set nonetheless, very very original.


Nick Cobb
Memphis, TN

http://www.nickcobb.com/site/

Best line: “What the hell is he doing here?”
Topics: dumped while stoned, knowing you’ll be dumped

I like how Nick Cobb tied together his whole set around the theme of being dumped. He’s likable too, but it doesn’t seem like the judges responded to him tonight the way they have in the past.


Mike Vecchione
Youngstown, OH

http://www.mikevecchione.com/

Best line: “All things are possible through Christ.”
Topics: being catholic

Mike Vecchione had a good mix of tough guy sensibilities and self-deprecating comic observations. He may have made it further had the other Mike not already gotten through as the tough-guy comedian.


Cristela Alonzo
San Juan, TX

http://www.cristelaalonzo.com/

Best line: “We’ve got to drink it today.”
Topics: Texas, expiration dates

Ooh girl, I could feel the nerves before she went on stage. I could tell how bad she wanted it. She had a good performance, but I could tell she was a bit of an unfinished product (a little too many “uh’s” and long setups). She has lots of potential, though.


Kurt Metzger
Toms River, NJ

http://www.myspace.com/kurtmetzger

Best line: “That’s something old people die to.”
Topics: Tiger Woods

Kurt Metzger is another extremely polished comedian. He definitely knows what he’s doing. His character is well thought out and ties in with his character. He has a really good look, too, for a comedian (odd and memorable).


Laurie Kilmartin
Walnut Creek, CA

http://www.kilmartin.com/

Laurie Kilmartin, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Laurie Kilmartin, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “You’re the only one that notices.”
Topics: pregnant over 40, Russian boyfriend

Laurie Kilmartin is likable, very very likable. She’d be terrific at corporate comedy, as I don’t think she could ever offend anyone if she tried.


Tommy Johnagin
Benton, IL

http://www.tommyjcomedy.com/

Tommy Johnagin., Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Tommy Johnagin., Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “I’m in a contest.”
Topics: fat babies, building a shed, kissing

Tommy Johnagin’s comedy is strangely passive aggressive, and sometimes aggressive aggressive. He has some great material, and I’m sure over time I’ll learn to appreciate his style more and more.


Claudia Cogan
New York, NY

http://www.claudiacogan.info/

Best line: “You’re not Marissa.”
Topics: child abduction, temp agency

I love Claudia Cogan’s look. She’s quirky and pretty at the same time. She had some good material and performed it well.


Maronzio Vance
Charlotte, NC

http://www.imaronziovance.com/

Maronzio Vance, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Maronzio Vance, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “Can I help the next person?”
Topics: job application

Maronzio Vance is very likable. Sometimes his words slur into each other, and I can’t completely understand him, but he had good material.


Jason Nash
Boston, MA

http://www.jasonnash.net/

Best line: “You’re using it all wrong.”
Topics: wife and kids

Wow, what a unique voice. It definitely helps separate him from the crowd. Comparing your kid to Kim Jong-Il is definitely brave too, though it may have gone too far (or maybe I’m just a prude).


James Adomian
Los Angeles, CA

http://www.jamesadomian.com/

James Adomian, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

James Adomian, Last Comic Standing 2010, Season 7, on NBC

Best line: “No, I haven’t watched all of lost.”
Topics: watching television, Gary Busey

James Adomian gives everything he has into his performances, which is admirable. He’s always sweating at the end of his sets, which says a lot. His impressions are definitely spot-on.


Carmen Lynch
Fairfax, VA

http://www.carmenlynch.com/

Best line: “They follow me around like Snow White.”
Topics: dating, sister’s baby

Carmen Lynch has a big face, and I mean that in all the best ways. She has large features just like a model. It’s very expressive and could be a very useful tool in her comedy. It’s nice that deadpan comedy was represented.


Brian McKim
Pennsauken, NJ

http://www.brianmckimcomedy.com/

Best line: “It was cooler where they peed.”
Topics: edible panties, peeing in the pool

Brian McKim reminds me of the comedians that were around me when I was in Calgary. He’s very talented, and I really like his delivery style.

Filed under: Last Comic Standing
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Learning the comedy business is starting to get very expensive

June 19, 2009 by vongsundara · 1 Comment 

I’m very fortunate to be living in Toronto right now. There are so many resources available here that were not available to me in either Calgary or Winnipeg. Because of this, I have concentrated on getting better at my craft rather than trying to propel my career forward before I am ready. The only trouble I’m running into right now are expenses.

There are many, many great classes and courses to take in Toronto, especially with Second City in town along with many great acting studios like Sears and Switzer. I definitely believe in taking classes, and I have gotten a lot out of each and every class I have taken, though I do have to watch out for how much money I have been spending lately. It’s definitely a difficult balance at times.

The Second City classes have definitely helped me improve my comedic range. Coming from a stand-up background, my character skills were definitely lacking. At least now I feel more comfortable going forward with different types of comedy outside of stand-up such as improv and sketch, making me much more well rounded and marketable.

My next seminar revolves around personal publicity. This is definitely the most important seminar for me in a while. If there’s one thing I need to learn before opening my one-man show early next year, it’s going to be how to promote the show and get people in the seats. Otherwise, I’ll just be performing in front of an empty audience.

I think I can manage my expenses for the time being, and hopefully the dollars coming in from performing will start to balance the expenses going out. Luckily for me, I’ve kept my day job, which is allowing me to overspend a little bit on the comedy side.

Filed under: Performing
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dangers and rewards of taking a break from Toronto comedy shows

February 4, 2009 by vongsundara · 1 Comment 

Today was the first full day I’ve spent writing comedy in the past six months, and boy was it rough going. For all my hard work, I ended up with half a page of mostly unusable material. There may be a few reasons for this, though.

The first being that I decided to write about my sister and my life back in Winnipeg. I may actually have to shelve all my Winnipeg material for a while until I spend some good hard time in Winnipeg and get reacquainted with how life used to be for me.

The second reason could be that I’ve forgotten how to write. Now, I definitely don’t want to over-analyse it, as that could lead down to an even bigger mental roadblock, but I think six months is definitely enough time to forget some very important fundamentals of writing, especially comedy writing, especially when I was using techniques unique to myself since I combined my knowledge of comedy with my previous knowledge of classical narrative structure. It’s difficult to find that combination again after so long. So basically all the dangers I was worried about have come true. There are, however, some positive effects that I’m hoping will kick in shortly.

A part of my writing that I did purposely want to purge from my comedic style was my bitter viewpoint from my Calgary days. When I tried to write after moving to Toronto, I found my jokes were still too bitter, and it wasn’t the direction I wanted my comedy to take. This is a huge part of the reason why I wanted to absorb myself in Toronto life before writing any further. Considering that I couldn’t put anything on to paper at all, I would say that I have successfully purged my old viewpoints.

So here I am, starting with basically a blank slate. It’s both scary and exciting to think where my comedy will go from here. Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely proud of the writing I have accomplished in my year in Calgary, but now I’m in a totally different space emotionally. I’m going to workshop my material some more, but I should be ready to debut my new material in the next couple of weeks or so.

Filed under: Performing
Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Blogging With Kerry gives great updates on Calgary’s stand-up comedy community

January 28, 2009 by vongsundara · Leave a Comment 

The backbone of the stand-up comedy world is its fans, and there is no fan out there more dedicated than the lovely Kerry Rasmussen. Kerry has become a fixture of the Calgary stand-up comedy scene with her dependable presence at Comedy Monday Night and a source of great information with her amazing comedy blog.

Kerry takes notes on all the performers during the comedy shows and writes her blog the following day. What amazes me most are Kerry’s thought-out commentary and blunt honesty. There were a few comedians who didn’t wish to be reviewed for sure, but my opinion is that if you’re going to perform (even at an open mic) then you are opening yourself up for people’s opinions, otherwise just stay at home and talk to your mirror.

Since moving away from Calgary to Toronto, I have been reading Kerry’s blogs every week, and it has made me feel good to know what’s happening in my home comedy scene. Keep up the great work Kerry!

Blogging With Kerry

http://kerryrasmussen.wordpress.com/

Review Score: ★★★★★ 

Filed under: Surfing
Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Hanging out with my friend Linda from the Winnipeg ghetto was fun

January 19, 2009 by vongsundara · Leave a Comment 

Tonight I had the chance to hang out with one of my oldest and dearest friends from the ghetto. We talked about our lives now and then, and we had a great time. I’m fortunate enough to have a lot of long-lasting friendships that still feel current. Though we talk about our history, our current friendship isn’t dependent on our past lives and is strong on its own merits.

Some of our conversation reminded me of how I was when I was younger: absolutely fearless and in my own world. I didn’t even remember that I used to carry around a butt pillow (yes, a butt pillow) around the university and would take it out of my bag and sit on it. I was so in my own reality, that I truly didn’t care what others thought. I wish I had that type of total abandon now.

The visit came at a great time, as I am delving into my past Winnipeg life as the centrepiece of my hour-long set that I hope to have completed before the end of this year. I was contemplating whether I should go back to Winnipeg for a few weeks in the spring or summer to help bring back the emotions to jump-start my writing process. I think after tonight, though, I’ve decided to hold off.

I think the best method would be to complete the writing process while I’m alone in Toronto. I would then go to Winnipeg and do a private performance to only friends and family, where I would ask for input.

I used this strategy back when I was preparing for my first ever comedy show in Calgary, Alberta. Since my family and friends know my stories by heart, seeing as how they lived through them with me, I was greatly helped by the comments last time. In fact, the whole part of my first set regarding “magical powers” came from a simple comment from my engineering friend, Erin.

Filed under: Living, Performing
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A stand-up comedian’s Christmas can be a lonely affair

December 25, 2008 by vongsundara · Leave a Comment 

Another year, another Christmas spent alone, thus is the the life of a stand-up comedian. I ended up having a somewhat boring day, but at least there was some great NBA basket ball on television; Celtics vs. Lakers is always a fun matchup (unfortunately, my Celtics lost).

I suppose a bit of loneliness is never too terrible a thing. Being alone today reminded me of the sacrifices I’m making to pursue my career out in Toronto and be separated from my friends and family. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m having a great time in Toronto, but today reminds me that I have to focus on why I am here in the first place, otherwise I’m separating myself from my family for no good reason at all.

I got quite a few updates done to my website. I re-intregrated Twitter feeds and fixed a few of the WordPress and Facebook interactions. I’ve also been researching Podcasting and will be introducing those into my blogs hopefully very soon.

The most important part of today, though, is that I’m finally going to get off my ass and start writing again. I’ve been resting on the material I wrote while in Calgary, and as proud as I am of that material, I know I can be much, much better.

I’m sure everyone makes lots of New Year’s resolutions, but I think my re-dedication to comedy in the new year will stick. All it took was a bit of loneliness to remind me why I’m out here.

Filed under: Performing
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Top nine random reflections of 2008, my first year in Toronto

December 11, 2008 by vongsundara · Leave a Comment 

My first year in Toronto has been a wild, wild ride for sure. There are a number of things that stand out, though most of all would be the sporty gay Asians who’ve welcomed me with open arms. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever found a city so initially welcoming in my entire life. Within my first two months of living in Toronto, I was off to Montreal to play volleyball with a great group of guys.

My dayjob has gone extremely well, having been promoted twice since working here. The only part of my life that hasn’t gone according to plan would be my comedy career, though most of that is my own doing by not focusing enough on it.

1. Toronto is the most welcoming city I’ve ever lived in
2. Changing cities means basically starting over in the comedy business
3. Montreal is a great city, but how long will I love it if I go there five times a year
4. Business people are much more in shape than in Calgary
5. Nintendo’s Wii Fit is the best game ever
6. Politicians are kind of hot lately
7. Toronto’s gay community is a lot like the cast of Gossip Girl (in a good way)
8. The more expensive the haircut, the less chance that they’ll shampoo your hair afterward
9. Baskin Robbins is dangerously close to my new house

Filed under: Living
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I like you, but . . . Just hate me all the way already

October 13, 2008 by vongsundara · Leave a Comment 

I visited one of my dearest friends while in Montreal this weekend. We were very close when we both lived in Calgary and were on many committees together.

It’s always great to hear your life reflected through the eyes of someone who knows you so well. Our conversation reminded me of just how far I have come in my short time in Toronto. In fact, I feel more accepted in a few months in Toronto than I ever did in Calgary in five years.

The bitterness and anger in my heart and in my comedy has been replaced with joy. It goes to show that sometimes you just have to follow your heart and take a chance.

VS

Filed under: Gaying
Tagged: , , , ,