FOH FIRST LISTEN: PETE HOLMES – “NICE TRY, THE DEVIL”

Pete Holmes sprinkles your life with goodness on his new disc "Nice Try, The Devil"

Pete Holmes sprinkles your life with goodness on his new disc “Nice Try, The Devil”

by Ryan Meehan

May 14th will bring the release of “Nice Try, The Devil”, the new standup album from Pete Holmes. It’s a CD/DVD combo and the bonus features include Homes’ appearance on “Comedy Central Presents” as well as his performance from “John Oliver’s New York Standup Show”.

Like most comedians, Pete is a busy guy. His most recent television appearance was as a panelist on the panel of “The Jeselnik Offensive”, where he was totally panel. He is the voice of the E-Trade baby from the series popular television commercials, and has recently worked as a story editor on the FOX Comedy “I Hate My Teenage Daughter” as well as NBC’s “Outsourced”. As of late, Pete’s comedic presence is very strong in the world of podcasting. Aside from his appearances on the podcasts of other comedians, Pete has his own show “You Made it Weird” on Chris Hardwick’s Nerdist Network which has featured guests such as Judd Apatow, Adam Carolla, and Sarah Silverman. To top it all off, Holmes will be hosting his own half-hour late night talk show on TBS later this fall. Continue reading →

5 QUESTIONS WITH DARYL WRIGHT

Comedian Daryl Wright

Comedian Daryl Wright

By Ryan Meehan

Daryl Wright is an emerging talent and hilarious comic. Currently he performs at clubs across America and has appeared as a feature comic on the Showtime Special Jon Lovitz Presents, Comedy Central’s Comics to Watch 2012, and was featured on George Carlin’s 75th Birthday Show for the Thomas Jefferson Center. Daryl’s star is just starting to shine brighter than ever. He is not just a great comic but a voice which gives a unique American perspective. An African American comedian whose proudest onstage moment was not anyone of the numerous TV appearances, but winning over an entire audience of Klux Klux Klan members. His point of view covers everything from in-depth NASCAR knowledge to what it means to be a felon that pays taxes. (which is why he is a Republican) And to top all that off, he’s also our guest today in 5 Questions. Continue reading →

REMEMBERING JEFF HANNEMAN (1964-2013)

Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman

Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman

by Ryan Meehan

Thursday evening I was informed by a colleague of mine that Jeff Hanneman, longtime guitarist for the legendary thrash metal band Slayer had passed away.

I have to admit that although I was aware of some of the medical problems Hanneman had in recent years, this was a bit of a shock to me. As a human being, my heart goes out to Jeff’s family and friends during this difficult time of grief. As a fan, it closes a door on one of the longest and most intense chapters in heavy metal as a genre because it means that there is absolutely no chance that the original lineup of Slayer will ever perform together again. It sounds selfish, but as entertainment consumers we’d be lying to ourselves if we didn’t say that thought was one of the first things to cross our mind.  Continue reading →

5 QUESTIONS WITH WILLIE BARCENA

Comedian Willie Barcena

Comedian Willie Barcena

by Ryan Meehan
 
A 20-year comedy veteran, Willie Barcena never shies away from a challenge. Willie’s talent has garnered him 12 appearances on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, more than any other Latino Comedian in the history of the Tonight Show. Jay even invited Willie to perform for the troops in Afghanistan, and Barcena helped provide much-needed laughter to that part of the world. Willie’s numerous jobs prepared him for his comedy career. His security guard, plumber, roofer, and limo driver gigs gave him a background for his humor about everyday life. After years of stand-up road work Willie is now ready for new challenges. He has written and performed a one-man show entitled “Cry Like a Man.” This highly acclaimed performance demonstrates the struggle of a blue-collar comic in today’s society. In addition to being a comedy road warrior, Willie has appeared on many TV shows including: “Moesha,” “The Wayans Brothers,” and he was chosen to be the host of the popular Si-TV production “Latino Laugh Festival – The Show.” He’s also made multiple appearances on tours such as “Que Locos,” “Latino Laugh Festival,” “Montreal’s Just for Laughs,” and “Crown Royal Latin All Stars Comedy Explosion.”  Willie had his own one hour Comedy Central special, which was received with rave reviews. His most recent one hour Showtime special “Gotta Be Honest” received even better reviews, and he’s our guest today in 5 Questions.   Continue reading →

5 QUESTIONS WITH BRET ERNST

Comedian Bret Ernst

Comedian Bret Ernst

By Ryan Meehan

Bret Ernst is considered one of the best comedians in the business today, and has been written up in trade magazines like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, as well as being mentioned in national magazines like Maxim, Entertainment Weekly, and Rolling Stone. His “Comedy Central Presents” was voted one of the Top 5 specials of 2011 by Comedy Central viewers, and his comedy album “American Comic” broke the top 10 on iTunes the first week of its release in 2012. He has made celebrity appearances on “Chelsea Lately”, ABC’s “Comics Unleashed”, the “Top Ten” on E! and “The Sports List” on FOX. Bret first gained national notoriety starring in the feature film “Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show”, which documented Ernst with Vaughn & three other comedians as they performed in a 30 night-30 venue tour across America. Bret had a recurring role on the hit Showtime series “Weeds”, was seen on “CSI: NY”, and also appeared in Artie Lange’s movie “Beer League”. Bret hosted the Oxygen Series “Love Games: Bad Girls Need Love Too” as well as “Wrestling Society X” on MTV. His stand-up has been featured on “The Late Late Show” on CBS, Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend”, the Showtime series “Comics Without Borders”, “Lopez Tonight” on TBS, and was most recently seen on the Kevin Hart series “One Mic Stand” on BET. Born in New Jersey, Ernst went to high school at Plantation High in South Florida, played collegiate level football at C.W. Post in New York, and currently resides in Los Angeles. Bret performs internationally and to sold out crowds in top clubs across America, and he’s our guest today in 5 Questions.  Continue reading →