Who Knew Simulated Sex Was So Funny?!: First Comes Love at The NerdMelt Showroom

A comedy theatre in the back of a comic book store is the setting. First Comes Love is the show (http://holdmyticket.com/event/192582). Kyle Ayers is the host. A three piece band is set up in the corner. This New York show is in LA for one night only. The NerdMelt Showroom has a low ceiling with Edison style vintage light bulbs hanging down. The speakers are playing an assortment of modern hits including the jams by Fitz and The Tantrums. The show is starting at 9, California time: 9:30. The crowd is ready.

Ayers takes the stage with excitement. He is especially enthused to have a band playing for this show. He begins by asking who isn’t aware of what the show is about tonight. Only a few people raise their hands in the dark. He goes on to explain that we are about to see a series of staged readings of anonymously solicited adult film scenes from Craigslist. The band begins to play the theme from House M.D. The cast is introduced and then the scene begins with Ayers reading the stage directions. The actors play out the scene in a professional manner, while the audience laughs uncontrollably as they say one sexual innuendo after the other. “Nurse, grab my cane. No, my actual cane!” House removes his shirt and the nurse strips to her underwear to the audience’s delight. The laughs continue while the stage direction specifically directs the sexual positions which the actors accurately simulate. The scene ends with a hilarious money shot and the band plays them off. Quite an amazing scene, which will be very difficult to top!

Later on, Emily Heller (Conan, @midnight) takes the stage to do some standup. She says she is loving LA, despite what her friends back home had warned her against. “LA is like the hot girl in high school who everyone talks shit about. But then you meet her at a party and she is pretty cool.”

Next up is a parody of Seinfeld. Three males actors take the stage. One is wearing a wig and is portraying Elaine while the other two are playing George and Jerry. The actors do great impressions as the scene slowly turns into a three way. During the sex scene, George grabs the sandwich and begins eating it. Jerry asks, “You’re going to eat a sandwich while getting a blowjob?” George says, “They make a great sandwich here!”

For a slight change of pace, Erin McGown and Melissa Gavarrette take the stage on acoustic guitar and trombone. They sing a song about true love via technology, aka, online stalking. The crowd is in stiches.

The final scene is a parody of There Will Be Blood. Once again, the actors do great impressions of the characters. It ends with the fantastic line, “There Will Be Cum!”

Overall, it was a very well put together show. It is evident the host spent a good deal of time putting together a great cast and choosing great scenes. Don’t miss this show, wherever it takes place next!

Quinn Delaney

Preview: Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and Authority Zero at House of Blues (January 21, 2015)

Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and Authority Zero at House of Blues (January 21, 2015)

On a brisk Wednesday Night in Chicago, the House of Blues is hosting a show to remind us all that summer will come again. Power pop with reggae rifts will surely pump some warm vibes into the cold Chicago winter.

Less Than Jake

Less Than Jake is thrilled to be co-headlining this tour, reminding the world of the power of musical instruments, rather than the electronic scene that is taking the music industry by storm. Fans can fully expect Less Than Jake to play some of their classics such as “The Science of Selling Yourself Short”, in addition to some singles from their 2013 record “See The Light”.

Reel Big Fish

            I cannot express how badly I want to see Reel Big Fish in the House of Blues. It has been a dream of mine ever since I first stepped foot in the House of Blues. If you have never seen them live, they love to mix up their genres and give the fans a unique live experience. This is a must-see show, as we are not certain how much longer they will be on tour.

Authority Zero

As an opener joining this fantastic tour, Authority Zero is excited to be on tour with some fellow classic bands. You can look forward to an exotic punk sound similar to “Rage Against the Machine” that is sure to start off the concert with a bang.

Matt Peters (PlaylistHQ Intern)

Jack Lemmon Returns: Keeping the Legend Alive

If you are a fan of Jack Lemmon, you’ll love “Jack Lemmon Returns” at The Broad Stage.  Chris Lemmon not only looks like his father, he can act like him too.  Throughout the show, he channels his father playing the characters that made him famous.  Watch “The Apartment”, “Some Like It Hot”, or any other of Jack’s movies (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000493/) before seeing the show to fully appreciate the spot-on recreation.

During the show Chris plays a Hank Williams, Sr. song a bunch of original ones, which was a very common activity for him and his father. While playing, pictures of the two of them are projected on the back screen along with many famous actors that Jack worked with.  90 minutes is a long time for one man to hold the attention of the audience, so these extra features help.  Perhaps throwing in a clip of Jack Lemmon in one of his films would give Chris an extra chance to catch his breath.

All in all, it was an entertaining look behind the scenes of a legend of Hollywood.  This show keeps Jack Lemmon’s spirit alive and well.

“Jack Lemmon Returns” opens at 8pm on Friday and continues Tuesdays through Sundays in The Edye at The Broad Stage, 1310 11^th St., Santa Monica.  Tickets are $45 to $55.  Call (310) 434-3200 or visit www.thebroadstage.com.

Quinn Delaney

Bloodshot Record’s 20th Anniversary Concert – A Fantastic Celebration with Ben Kweller, Lydia Loveless, and More

It may be cold outside, but it’s hot in the Metro.  The place is completely packed as Bobby Bare Jr rocks through his set.  After a short break, a special guest takes the stage! It’s JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound! JC comes out last after being announced by the lead guitarist with a bundle of energy.  He’s wearing a suit coat, a classy hat, and a silver earring.  During the first song, he changes into a wild brown coat. And then as quickly as they came, they are off the stage.  It’s a fast paced night as there is a lot of talent still waiting to take the stage.

Next up is Rhett Miller of the Old 97’s.  Tonight he is playing alone with just an acoustic guitar.  Midway through his set he invites Lydia Loveless to join him on stage.  We get our first taste of her instantly recognizable voice.  This was the highlight of his set, as he didn’t really seem to be able to fill the large stage by himself.

As the night rolls on, the crowd begins to thin out a bit.  The show had started at 7pm and a lot of people had exhausted themselves before Lydia Loveless took the stage at 11.  This just meant that those who stayed were real fans.  And so when Lydia took the stage, the entire crowd erupted in applause.  She’s rocking the place and raising the heat as everyone is jumping around.  Eventually she removes her long sleeved shirt.  As she continues to jump around the stage with her electric guitar, her dress straps fall down.   While the band plays through rockers like “Wine Lips” and “Head”, the audience is wondering how much skin she will reveal.  She closes with “Really Wanna See You”, an energetic finish to a fantastic set that gripped everyone’s attention the entire time.

It’s now midnight and the crowd has become small enough to set up a fan filled finale for Ben Kweller.  Just like Rhett Miller, he comes out on just an acoustic guitar.  However, midway through the second song, he hits a pedal and adds an electric distortion effect and rocks the fuck out.   The sound of an acoustic guitar distorted is incredible and was a very pleasant surprise.  Later on, he takes a seat at the keyboard  and plays one of his greatest ballads, “Falling”.  The entire metro sings “Ba ba ba, ba ba ba!” It’s an intoxicating moment.  It’s become such an intimate show that he begins taking requests.  He plays an old favorite, “Lizzy and also “Thirteen”, since it might be a long time until he returns to Chicago(You could probably put that into one sentence).  For his encore, he rocks to another crowd favorite, “Penny On The Train Track,” while fully utilizing the distortion pedal.  Throughout the entire set, he commanded the entire stage like a pro.  It was the perfect finish to a fantastic celebration of Bloodshot Record’s 20^th Anniversary.

Upcoming Concert: Jukebox the Ghost with Twin Forks at Metro (January 17, 2015)

Jukebox the Ghost with Twin Forks at Metro (January 17, 2015)

Jukebox The Ghost

An Indie Pop, High-Intensity sound that puts a smile on your face and uplifting lyrics are the staple of Jukebox The Ghost.  They are a trio of musicians who met when attending George Washington University and developed into their own band.  They really love playing Chicago because it holds a place in their heart, which would make this live show a bit of a homecoming.  They played their first headline show in Chicago in 2009.  Also, they have played at Lollapalooza, and are rumored to be making their return this summer.

This show will be full of diehard indie pop fans, who are always a great crowd.  If you have not heard of Jukebox the Ghost, their sound is most comparable to Fitz and The Tantrums or The Mowgli’s.  If you’re looking for a fun time with a date, or a place to stay warm in the cold weather, this is a cheap option for a good time.  Particularly if your date’s name is “Emily”, she is sure to love being serenaded by the enchanting tune “Oh, Emily”.

Twin Forks

Twin Forks is a folk pop band with a folky twang similar to Noah and the Whale.  An interesting fact is that “Twin Forks” was began by Chris Carrabba, member of the Dashboard Confessional.  They have evolved into the band where he places the most amount of his musical effort.  Be sure to check them out as the Folk-Americana opener.

Matt Peters (PlaylistHQ Intern)

Review: New Material Night at The Laugh Factory (December 30, 2014)

It’s the eve of New Years Eve in Chicago.  Most people are taking it easy to prepare for the parties the next night, but the Laugh Factory in Chicago manages to almost fill the house.  Tonight’s event is New Material Night hosted by Chris Bader.  The comics are encouraged to do new material.  Most of the acts choose to do a mix.

One of the first comedians does a bit about video games.  He says if you play them too often, they start to feel like a job.  “The boss is really hounding me to level up! I just need 17 more crystals for that plasma gun, but I just want to sleep in today!”  Later on he describes how Facebook only makes him sad.  Here is a  bit of advice for him.  Instead of making games feel like work, he should try to make work feel like a game!  Also, just stick with Twitter.

Another comic comes on and announces he is from Morgantown, West Virginia.  Someone shouts out “GO WVU!”  He says, “thanks, I didn’t know there was a university there!”

The final act opens with a bit about being friends with his ex-girlfriend.  He really enjoys looking at pictures to see how fat and ugly… their kid got.  The audience really enjoyed that one.  He closed with a story about Craigslist missed connections.  He always wanted to find one about him.  His friend alerts him one day that his wish has come true.  The post describes him perfectly.  Then, at the end, it says the writer is looking for the comic that came on stage right after him.  “Oh well,” he says, “at least I was mentioned!”

All in all, even though the two drink minimum is a bit annoying, it was a very fun and funny night.  The Laugh Factory is quickly becoming a staple in the Chicago Comedy Scene.

Quinn