TBS Just for Laughs is Upon Us Through June 16th #JFLChicago #TBS #comedy @TBSVeryFunny

There's still plenty of funny ha ha and funny weird goin' down in Chi-town tonight through Sunday.   Check out our prior coverage including the 2013 schedule here. If little things like The Stanley Cup Finals, apocalyptic weather forecasts of tornadoes, baseball sized hail and torrential downpours or something else has been keeping you away from Just For Laughs Chicago, don't despair.

There are 24+ acts tonight between 7pm & midnight both tonight & tomorrow night and one last 8pm show Sunday at Jokes and Notes!   If you STILL can't make it out, check out their site.   They're rockin' the social media/internet with a special HUB for people like you.   Check it out, you can watch at home!

For more info, check out the fest's main site right here. You can have your hockey & laugh it up, too.   We back you Blackhawks.   Let's see some old school take downs Mexican Wrestler style!!   Knock the B outta those Bruins & they'll be left with ruins :)....

Parents' Nights Out: TBS Just for Laughs Chicago Comedy Fest June 11-16 #JFLChicago @TBSVeryFunny #comedy

Get a sitter... send the littles to Grandma's... do what you've gotta do.   Nobody needs a good (not kid appropriate) laugh like parents!   ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama this weekend, with the best medicine.   Yes, that would be laughter, and the Dr. is in the house.   The annual TBS Just for Laughs Chicago is baaaaaack in Chi, IL and this fest is a laugh riot.   Check out our TBS Just for Laughs Chicago coverage from 2012 here.

We're particularly stoked for Russell Brand, Bill Maher, and Seth Meyers, but laughter abounds at loads of our favorite venues all over town. 

We've adored Bill Maher since waaaaay back in the day.   Anyone seen him in Cannibal Women in The Avocado Jungle of Death from back in 1989?!   If not, check it out after the fest is over.   It's the good kind of cheese & one of our favs.  

A young Bill Maher stars with Shannon Tweed, Adrienne Barbeau and Karen Waldron.

The government hires a feminist at the local university to track down the Piranha Women living in the uncharted Avocado Jungle (westernmost outpost is San Bernardino) to convince them to move to a reservation condo in Malibu. She hires a guide at the edge of the jungle, a male chauvinist pig, and they have many arguments about men and women as they work their way in, and eventually confront the Piranha Women. Written by Ed Sutton 

The U.S. government, eager to protect the nation's avacado supplies, recruits feminist professor Margo Hunt to make contact with the Piranha Women, an all-female tribe who believe men are only good as a source of food. Accompanying Dr. Hunt on her trip are Jim, a guide of questionable competence, and Bunny, a student of unquestionable incompetence. Written by Jean-Marc Rocher

For the next 6 days, no Cannibal Women for YOU.   Get outta the house and laugh it up.   We've highlighted some of our top choices, but you can't go wrong... just follow the funny.   Some of the best shows are in the smaller venues, off the beaten path.   And like performers at music fests, famous comedians pop up unannounced, sit in with each other, and create some one of a kind mash ups.   TBS Just for Laughs Chicago is renowned for that.  Be there.

Here's what's happening:

June 11, 2013
6:30 PM - The Heat - FREE Advance Screening - ShowPlace ICON
7:00 PM - Double Threat: Junior Stopka & Mike Lebovitz - STAGE 773 - The Pro
7:00 PM - iO Theater presents TJ & Dave - STAGE 773 - The Box
8:00 PM - Pete Holmes - UP Comedy Club
8:30 PM - Double Threat: Kellye Howard & Brianna Baker (BEDE) - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
8:30 PM - Double Threat: Mike Stanley & Sean Flannery - STAGE 773 - The Pro
8:30 PM - Naked Sports Live Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
9:30 PM -Secret Big-Time Local Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Box
10:00 PM - The Shit Show - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
10:00 PM - Wrestling with Depression Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
10:30 PM - Pete Holmes - UP Comedy Club

June 12, 2013

7pm - Moshe Kasher - STAGE 773 - The Pro
7pm - The Comedy Bar Kickass Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Box
7pm - The Dailymotion Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
7:30pm - Anjelah Johnson - The Vic Theatre
7:30pm - Russell Brand - The Chicago Theatre 
7:30pm - The Whitest Kids U' Know - Park West
8pm - Second City Alumni - UP Comedy Club
8:30pm - The Todd Barry Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
9:30pm - The Annoyance Theatre presents Messing with a Friend - STAGE 773 - The Box (*Hilariously recommended!   We dig Susan Messing big time.)
10pm - @DadBoner and Friends, You Guys - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
10pm - Above Average presents: Tripp & Tyler and The Katydids - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret

June 13, 2013
7pm - Moshe Kasher - STAGE 773 - The Pro
7pm - Team Coco Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
7pm - The Dailymotion Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
7pm - The Lincoln Lodge - STAGE 773 - The Box
7:30pm - David Cross & His Super Duper Pals - The Chicago Theatre
7:30pm - John Hodgman, Performing as Celebrated Humorist John Hodgman in: JOHN HODGMAN TONIGHT! - Park West
7:30pm - Nick Swardson - The Vic Theatre
8pm - Pete Holmes - UP Comedy Club
8:30pm - A Tight 60 - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
8:30pm - Chelsea Peretti - STAGE 773 - The Pro
8:30pm - Dancing Around the Shit Fire with Kyle Kinane - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
8:30pm - Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net - STAGE 773 - The Box
8:30pm - Stage Time - Jokes and Notes
10pm - @DadBoner and Friends, You Guys - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
10pm - Double Threat: Kumail Nanjiani & Friend - STAGE 773 - The Pro
10pm - Jokes and Notes Presents The Urban Comedy Hour - STAGE 773 - The Box
10pm - The Combo - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
10pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club
11:30pm - Above Average presents: Tripp & Tyler and The Katydids - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
11:30pm - The Super Serious Show - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
11:59pm - Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net - STAGE 773 - The Box

June 14, 2013
7pm - Doug Loves Movies Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
7pm - The Dailymotion Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
7pm - The Playground presents Alone: Chicago's Best Solo Acts - STAGE 773 - The Box
7:30pm - Dylan Moran - Yeah, Yeah - Park West
7:30pm - Nick Swardson - The Vic Theatre
7:30pm - Seth Meyers with Special Guests Al Madrigal & Hannibal Buress - The Chicago Theatre
8pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club
8:30pm - A Tight 60 - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
8:30pm - Chelsea Peretti - STAGE 773 - The Pro
8:30pm - Comics to Watch - Jokes and Notes
8:30pm - Dancing Around the Shit Fire with Kyle Kinane - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
8:30 - Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net - STAGE 773 - The Box
10pm - Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction - STAGE 773 - The Box
10pm - Double Threat: Kumail Nanjiani & Friend - STAGE 773 - The Pro
10pm - The Combo - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
10pm - The Sullivan & Son Comedy Tour - Park West
10pm - Todd Barry - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
10:30pm - Bad Boys of Comedy - Jokes and Notes
11pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club
11:30pm - The Blackout Diaries - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
11:59pm - The Super Serious Show - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
11:59pm - Set List: Stand-Up Without A Net - STAGE 773 - The Box

June 15, 2013
7pm - Bob Newhart Live - The Chicago Theatre
7pm - Chelsea Peretti - STAGE 773 - The Pro
7pm - Maria Bamford - Park West
7pm - Pete Holmes - You Made It Weird Podcast - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
7pm - The Dailymotion Comedy Showcase - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
7pm - The Playground presents Alone: Chicago's Best Solo Acts - STAGE 773 - The Box
7:30pm - Stars of truTV's Impractical Jokers - The Vic Theatre
8pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club
8:30pm - 5-Star Leading Ladies - Jokes and Notes 
8:30pm - A Tight 60 - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
8:30pm - Chelsea Peretti - STAGE 773 - The Pro
8:30pm - Dancing Around the Shit Fire with Kyle Kinane - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
8:30pm - Kill All Comedy - STAGE 773 - The Box\
9:30pm - Artie Lange - Park West
10pm - Double Threat: Kumail Nanjiani & Friend - STAGE 773 - The Pro
10pm - Stars of truTV's Impractical Jokers - The Vic Theatre
10pm - The Combo - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
10pm - Todd Barry - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
10:30pm - Best of Chicago - Jokes and Notes
10:30pm - The Playground presents The Tomkat Project - STAGE 773 - The Box
11pm - Knuckleheads - UP Comedy Club
11:30pm - The Blackout Diaries - STAGE 773 - The Cabaret
11:30pm The Super Serious Show - STAGE 773 - The Thrust
11:59pm - Artie Lange - Park West

June 16, 2013 - Sunday
7:30pm - Bill Maher - The Chicago Theatre
8pm - The Lil Rel Show - Jokes and Notes

Here are the biggest shows broken down by venue:

Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St.:

David Cross & His Super Duper Pals - Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Seth Meyers, Al Madrigal and Hannibal Buress - Friday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Bob Newhart Live - Saturday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m.

Bill Maher - Sunday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m.

The Vic, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave.:

Anjelah Johnson - Wednesday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m

Nick Swardson - Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Impractical Jokers - Saturday, June 15 at 7:30 and 10 p.m.

Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave.:

The Whitest Kids U’ Know - Wednesday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m.

John Hodgman -Thursday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Dylan Moran: “Yeah, Yeah” - Friday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Maria Bamford - Saturday, June 15 at 7 p.m.

Artie Lange - Saturday, June 15 at 9:30 and 11:59 p.m.

Play Locally-Hot Happenings for the Weekend-6 CORNERS BBQ FEST & STUFFED AND UNSTRUNG

6 Corners BBQ Fest

Family Friendly Fun, Meaty Goodness, Film Festival, Great Tunes including Voodoo Kings at 6pm.....and More.   Click here for the FULL FEST SCHEDULE.

Chicago Filmmakers is proud to screen a selection of digital shorts and 16mm films on Saturday, June 16, at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., during BBQ Fest.  First up at Noon is a collection of films created by youth in our Summer Digital Moviemaking Camps. Following at  2 p.m., we will screen films from our collection by Chicago’s own Tom Palazzolo including ‘At Maxwell Street’, ‘Jerry’s', and ‘Ricky and Rocky’.  Join us to learn more about our summer youth classes, film classes for adults, and other ways to get involved. For additional information visit us at www.chicagofilmmakers.org

Bands

For the 6 Corners BBQ Fest, we strive to give you original talent, and we feature as many local bands as we can. This year, we booked a band called Old Irving. How much more local can you get?

Saturday, June 16: Main Stage (on Milwaukee at Irving)

Waco Brothers: Saturday’s headliner

12:30: The Shams Band (We've given away their CD's to our readers, and shots stills and video of The Shams Band for years, and they're one of our local favs!    Search The Shams Band in our blog side bar for our past photo filled features, then get out and see them live TODAY!)

2:30 Four Star Brassband

4:30 Future Laureates (We've given away their CD's to our readers as well.   Future Laureates rock.)

6:30 Voodoo Kings (Highly recommended!  Check 'em out.   *Our freaky bit of family Voodoo from this week "AKA:  pix disappeared, but we got the tee shirt!"--Dug is on a shoot down in New Orleans and took a phone photo at Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo and sent it to us.    It didn't go through.   The same day, Du-Jay and I moved boxes around in the basement to make room for a new water meter and found a t-shirt on the floor under one from...you guessed it Maria Laveau's House of Voodoo.   It had been buried there for over TEN YEARS!   I pulled it out, washed it, and wore it.   When Dug called to ask how we like the picture we said "What picture?!"   Imagine our surprise when we finally saw the photo a day later!)

8:30 Waco Brothers

North Stage (On Milwaukee at Belle Plaine)

7:30 p.m. Polkaholics

(Another of our local favs.   Dare you not to dance.   Polkaholics are good time for all ages!)

Sunday, June 17: Main Stage (on Milwaukee at Irving)

A hometown band opening on Sunday

1:00 Old Irving
3:00 Andrew Diehl and the Nightmen
5:00 Magic Box
7:00 Brighton, MA

North Stage (On Milwaukee at Belle Plaine)

6: 00 Charlie Baran & The Groupo Gringo 

STUFFED AND UNSTRUNG

7:30pm at Bank of America Theatre

Yay!   Puppets behaving badly....one of my favorite genres.  This is one for the big kids AKA:  adults & 17+.   I've got my ticket, do YOU?    They're only in town through Sunday so get your act together and go already.    Stuffed and Unstrung is part of the TBS Just for Laughs Chicago comedy festival and also presented by Broadway in Chicago.    

If anyone needs to get out and see an R rated puppet show, it's parents of young children.    Sure, the childless and the hipsters can come too.....   But parents REALLY need a good old raunchy remedy for all the saccharine sweet, PC pablum we put up with in the name of entertaining our littles.   So book a sitter and come on out for laugh.   YOU deserve it.

Check out our full prior write up on Stuffed and Unstrung, including a video clip, by clicking right here.

Seven Foot Bike Guy, Nick-TBS Just for Laughs Chicago (HD Vid Interview)

Check out our original HD video interview with Nick, owner of Sundance Bikes of South Carolina.   He created this rockin' SEVEN FOOT TALL BIKE and he's been ridin' high and makin' friends.    Why settle for a fixie when you can DIY up a fun, funky, true original!   

TBS Just for Laughs-Photo/ Video Kevin Smith Recap

Kevin Smith at Chicago Theater 6/14/12

TBS Just for Laughs Chicago continues



Over 100 comedians make Chi-Town funny ha-ha AND funny weird through this Sunday, June 17th.    Check out their main site here.    We had the great pleasure of checking out Kevin Smith (a not so silent version of Silent Bob) last night at Chicago Theater.    It was a pleasure to give away 10 tickets to our readers and to hear him get raunchy and real in a great Q & A.

  

At ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows, we've been doing a long running video exploration of How Creatives Parent and How Parents Create which you can check out here at our Pinterest Board.    I would love to catch up with Kevin Smith for a little one on one convo. about his wife and daughter.

Some great stuff came out at the Chicago Theater about how his family influences and inspires his creative work....from his wife's paranoid pot freak out to his toddler daughter's rocking out to theme music show credits, leading him to seek out a cameo appearance on one of their family favorites, Law and Order in 2000.   Smith is married to Jennifer Schwalbach Smith.   Their 13 year old daughter, Harley Quinn, was named for the Batman character.







 

Fan(atics) wait beside The Chicago Theater to get their memorabilia signed by Kevin Smith. 

Our favorite TBS promo was the 7 foot tall custom bike!   We scored an exclusive video interview with the rider/bike creator/bike shop owner that we'll have up in the very near future.
    


Chi-town has character & characters! 




Even a street Tina came out to sing and dance with passers by! 

TBS Just for Laughs is ubiquitous this week.   We saw their rickshaws and signage over outside of the Cubs game yesterday and they had a bunch of billboard trucks outside of The Chicago Theater last night.   They also had clever swag dispensers like a free t-shirt vending machine that works with a Conan code and a human roulette prize wheel.

There are still a ton of great shows going down Friday through Sunday.   Be sure to check out the full line up and performers' info here. 

Friday , June 15 SHOW VENUE TIME Tom Dreesen - Should Comedians Pay to Perform Laugh Factory 5:00 PM Best of the Fest UP Comedy Club 7:00 PM buy tickets Stuffed and Unstrung by Henson Alternative Bank of America Theater 7:00 PM buy tickets The Delocated Witness Protection Program Variety Show The Hideout 7:00 PM buy tickets Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive The Chicago Theatre 7:30 PM buy tickets John Oliver The Vic Theatre 7:30 PM buy tickets Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies... Park West 7:30 PM buy tickets TBS LOL Lounge The Comedy Bar 7:30 PM buy tickets ALONE: Chicago's Best Solo Acts The Playground Theater 8:00 PM buy tickets Chris D'Elia Laugh Factory 8:00 PM buy tickets The Bitter Buddha Gene Siskel Film Center 8:00 PM buy tickets Breakout Performers Jokes and Notes 8:30 PM Kelly Carlin: A Carlin Home Companion UP Comedy Club 9:00 PM buy tickets Matt Braunger The Hideout 9:00 PM buy tickets Set List Lincoln Lodge 9:30 PM buy tickets TBS LOL Lounge The Comedy Bar 9:30 PM buy tickets Chris D'Elia Laugh Factory 10:00 PM buy tickets Jeff Ross Roasts Chicago Park West 10:00 PM buy tickets Never Been to Paris The Playground Theater 10:00 PM buy tickets 5-Star Leading Ladies Jokes and Notes 10:30 PM Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive The Chicago Theatre 10:30 PM buy tickets Natasha Leggero The Hideout 11:00 PM buy tickets TJ Miller Presents Performance Anxiety UP Comedy Club 11:00 PM buy tickets Set List Lincoln Lodge 11:30 PM buy tickets Scott Adsit and Jet Eveleth iO Theater 11:59 PM buy tickets		Saturday , June 16 SHOW VENUE TIME Tom Dreesen - The Joy Of Stand-Up Comedy And How To Get There Laugh Factory 5:00 PM Best of the Fest UP Comedy Club 7:00 PM buy tickets Stuffed and Unstrung by Henson Alternative Bank of America Theater 7:00 PM buy tickets The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About An Hour The Hideout 7:00 PM buy tickets Nick Offerman: American Ham The Vic Theatre 7:30 PM buy tickets Sarah's Pro-Choice The Chicago Theatre 7:30 PM buy tickets Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies... Park West 7:30 PM buy tickets TBS LOL Lounge The Comedy Bar 7:30 PM buy tickets ALONE: Chicago's Best Solo Acts The Playground Theater 8:00 PM buy tickets Chris D'Elia Laugh Factory 8:00 PM buy tickets Starting 5 Jokes and Notes 8:30 PM Best of the Fest UP Comedy Club 9:00 PM buy tickets Pete Holmes - You Made It Weird The Hideout 9:00 PM buy tickets The Dan Band House of Blues 9:00 PM buy tickets Set List Lincoln Lodge 9:30 PM buy tickets TBS LOL Lounge The Comedy Bar 9:30 PM buy tickets Chris D'Elia Laugh Factory 10:00 PM buy tickets Jeff Ross Roasts Chicago Park West 10:00 PM buy tickets Never Been to Paris The Playground Theater 10:00 PM buy tickets Nick Offerman: American Ham The Vic Theatre 10:00 PM buy tickets Best of the Midwest Jokes and Notes 10:30 PM Sarah's Pro-Choice The Chicago Theatre 10:30 PM buy tickets Brody Stevens The Hideout 11:00 PM buy tickets TJ Miller Presents Performance Anxiety UP Comedy Club 11:00 PM buy tickets Set List Lincoln Lodge 11:30 PM buy tickets   Sunday , June 17 SHOW VENUE TIME Stuffed and Unstrung by Henson Alternative Bank of America Theater 7:00 PM buy tickets Stage Time Jokes and Notes 8:00 PM Vince Vaughn's Comedy Showcase The Chicago Theatre 8:00 PM buy tickets back to top Thursday , October 25 SHOW VENUE TIME Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Victory Gardens 7:30 PM buy tickets back to top Friday , October 26 SHOW VENUE TIME Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Victory Gardens 7:30 PM buy tickets Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Victory Gardens 10:00 PM buy tickets back to top Saturday , October 27 SHOW VENUE TIME Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Victory Gardens 7:30 PM buy tickets Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Victory Gardens 10:00 PM buy tickets

Congrats Kevin Smith Ticket Winners! TBS Epidemic Sweeps Chicago

You're in for a treat at Chicago Theatre tonight!   Congrats to the following five, whose evening is about to get a bit funnier.   Two free tickets will be waiting at the box office under your name (ID required).   The show is at 8PM.   ChiIL Live Shows will be there....will YOU?!

Click here for our prior Kevin Smith and TBS Just for Laughs Coverage 

ChiIL Live Shows/ChiIL Mama Winners:

*  Dominick Mayer
*  Sydney Hart
*  Amy Mueller
*  Dianna VonKunkle
*  Lynn Durkovic Nelson
 a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

TBS Epidemic Sweeps Chicago

Symptoms:   Uncontrollable fits of laughter, sore facial muscles, improved outlook on life, guffas, chortles, snickers, and snorts.

Treatment:   Quarantine centers have been set up throughout the city at The Chicago Theatre, Bank of America Theatre, The Vic, The Beat Kitchen, Laugh Factory, UP Comedy Club, Lincoln Hall, Park West, The Playground Theater, iO Theater, Gene Siskel Film Center, Lincoln Lodge, The Comedy Bar, ShowPlace ICON, The Hideout, The Second City, Annoyance Theatre, Jokes & Notes, The House of Blues, & Victory Gardens!

Click this link for more information.

Over 100 comedians/  The nation's biggest comedy festival will hit Chicago June 12-17 with an astonishing array of comedians, sketch shows, specialty acts and films. The line-up includes performances by Vince Vaughn, Aziz Ansari, Stephen Merchant, Bill Engvall, Billy Gardell, John Pinette, and more.

About Just for Laughs Chicago

Founded in 1983, the Just For Laughs Group's growth is concentrated on four major focal points: Festivals (in Montreal, Toronto and Chicago); television production (most notably Gags seen in 135 countries and on 95 airlines); live shows (Canadian tour dates for Jerry Seinfeld, Jeremy Hotz, John Pinette, Louis C.K., the Capital One Just For Laughs Comedy Tour, North American dates for Family Guy Live!); and talent management. 

Its inaugural Montreal Festival 30 years ago is now the world's largest and most prestigious comedy event welcoming 2 million people each summer. The Group has offices in Montreal, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto, London and in a dark alley at the end of the street.