Make A Wish!

I’m Banks. Sassy Banks.

Hey Guys! It’s Sassy Banks here…but enough about me, how are ya’ll?

I just wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the OINK! fans. My Name is Sassy Banks and I am the newest Oinktern! I have been working with Othy and OINK! now for about 3 months, and I have been having a blast. I work the lights and sounds for our weekly Wednesday night show, but that’s not all I do. I also tweet — follow me at http://twitter.com/SassyB_Says — and I facebook stalk… oops, I mean I facebook promote and market. Perhaps one of the best things about me is that I am funny, and I allow you (yes, you have my full permission to laugh) to enjoy my funniness every week through my interviews with Oink’s headlining comedians. Just click on the “Banks Vault” tab to read all my “Sassy Sitdown” interview articles. They are knee-slapping hog-larious.

All-in-all I am pretty much fabulous. If you don’t  know me, please, next time you are at the OINK! show come introduce yourself to me. I would love to meet you (Okay, well, not love per say, but I wouldn’t ignore you, let’s just put it that way) and sass with you. You can find me in the light booth or outside chatting it up with the great talent that performs at OINK! But don’t wait too long to meet me because I am only there for a limited time only. Yes, kids, that’s right, I am like your favorite Dairy Queen Blizzard of the Month special…before you know it I will be gone.

Love to all….well, not all, but most (especially Ryan Williams and James Fritz),

Stay classy. This has been Sassy!

**This special message has been brought to you by Oinktern Sassy Banks (and not her evil twin brother Snazzy Hanks)

Othy’s “Talkin’ Funny!” Appearance

This is an old episode of Blewt’s (the people behind Impress These Apes) cable-access call-in show, Talkin’ Funny!, from back in June of ‘08.  In it, Othy plays games, gets absolutely grilled by callers, discusses special OINK! secrets, dishes on where the best open mics are, tells you why the Cubs suck, and extrapolates upon the nuances of green screen technology.  Check it out!

Look At This Douche!

Remember, Remember, the Fourth of November…

Red Bar Radio

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OTHY'S EPISODE!

Hey Pigheads!  Thanks for coming out in droves to the OINK! Halloween Special last night!  Big thanks to funnyman Bob Palos for guest hosting!

Next week is gonna be an absolute blast, with Mark Raterman and Tim Robinson from Cook County Social Club, the return of LMDF’s own Kannan Arumugam, and Comedian Mike Stanley from Red Bar Radio!

Yesterday I also had the privilege and pleasure of being part of one of my favorite things, the aforementioned Red Bar Radio.  Its a hilarious internet radio talk show based in Chicago, that has a truly worldwide following.  Each week hosts, Mike D. and Dean Carlson, welcome great comedian guests and make fun of anything and everyone in a no-holds-barred laugh-fest!  It was an absolute blast.  Yesterday’s guests included myself and OINK! favorite, James Fritz… check out his recent interview with my intern, Sassy Banks, here.

You can check out Red Bar Radio, and watch live on webcam every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3pm (Central), download it free from iTunes, or directly from the site.  If you like what you hear be sure and join the Barmy, the bonus content section,  for thousands of hours of outrageous fun!

Upcoming OINK! dates featuring Red Bar Co-hosts:

• Wednesday, November 4, 2009 – Mike Stanley
• Wednesday, December 9, 2009 – Dean Carlson
• Wednesday, December 16, 2009 – James Fritz

Kannan Returns to OINK!

Kannan Arumugam, former co-producer and OINK! house troupe member, makes his triumphant return to Chicago’s Premiere Comedy Variety Show™ this week, November 4…

Become a Fan of Kannan's New Group on Facebook!

 

Othy’s Living The Tweet Life…

The Playground presents the Tweet Life, a new show that incorporates Twitter users and their tweets as suggestions. This week features the improv of C.L.O.A.K.A. following @othy for inspiration. Guest ensembles Katie Rich and Magicicada open. $10.

Each week the Tweet Life selects one follower of @the_playground to be the source of the show. That follower watches (with one of two free tickets) as improvisers create live theater based on the experiences and posts from that user in the previous week.

Want to be a potential source for art, improv, and live theater? Simply follow @the_playground (http://twitter.com/the_playground) and send a direct message or @reply saying, “I want in on #THETWEETLIFE.”

Down for a drunk and dirty double-header?! Then come to The Playground at 8pm for The Tweet Life and stay for a talent-packed all-new OINK! See ya ’round the scene!

The Sassy Sitdown: Mike Sheehan

This is the fifth in a new series of interviews by Othy’s oinktern, Sassy Banks. Each week she’ll take time, and get real, with the guest comic…

This week Sassy Banks talks with the absurdly funny Mike Sheehan. They chitchat about the weather, SNL, New Zealand, comics who look like hobos and late night phone conversations with naked Emmy Award winners. Mike is one of the funniest comedians ever (so says Othy). You know him as the guy who looks good in almost anything, especially his usual attire of button down work shirts and slacks… you may also know him by his straight-shooting style, there is no comic to rival Mike Sheehan.

Sassy Banks: So here goes…our interview.  Me, Sassy Banks, and you, Mike Sheehan. Basically what I like to do is just have a conversation so go with me on this one.

Mike Sheehan: Ok.

SB: Usually I do a little snooping before I interview comedians, but there was nothing on you my friend! You’re solid – I mean there is absolutely nothing on you.

MS: So is this real? Like we aren’t trying to be funny or are we?

SB: No, you can totally be funny if you want to.  I mean I’m really funny, but ya know, you don’t have to.  It’s up to you man.  So like I said, I like to do a little research before hand, but I go nothing.  No facebook for me to stalk or anything.  No relationship info or anything…

MS: Yeah, no relationship.

SB: Othy just told me today that I was going to interview you so even if I would have found you I wouldn’t have had enough time to friend request you.

MS: Well, there is stuff out there on me,

SB: Well apparently I didn’t look it up well enough. But what I did hear from Othy is that you are “the funniest guy ever!”

MS: Yes, that is true.

SB: I agree. You did a pretty stellar job tonight.

MS: Thank you.

SB: Stellar. You like the use of that word? I think I’m going to be the one to bring it back.

MS: Yeah, I mean I enjoy favored.  Tonight was great, and this crowd was fun.  I have played like a million times to low energy crowd, but you guys had some good energy tonight.

SB: No, yeah, totally it was good tonight. So will you be here for the Roast of Othy?

MS: I do quite possibly the most sets out of any comic in Chicago so I am always busy, but you guys are right here so I hope I can stop back.  I have already done like 331 show this year.  So, obviously I am big on hustling for sets. I know Marty DeRosa is hosting it, and he is my roommate, so yeah I am going to try to be here.

SB: So let’s get this thing going. Usually I like to start off by asking people what there influences are in terms of like their comedy. Like who’s you favorite comedian, and what do you base your comedy off of?

MS: Ok. Well, as a kid my influences were people that I don’t really remember, like Eddy Murphy and David Letterman, Michael Keaton even.  What people don’t really understand is that Michael Keaton…if you watch a lot of his movies from the 80’s he could be really funny.  He made movies like “The Squeeze” and “Touch and Go” that are not great movies, but as a kid you are like this is so great.  So those are like my main influences from age like 12 to 20. And then I like Bill Hicks, but I obviously don’t do like Bill Hicks comedy… I do real absurd stuff. I did 8 years of improv/sketch. Um, let’s see who else do I like… well, there is a guy named Jake Johansson who influenced me when I was about 19, 20, 21.  So I feel like because I have been around improv, sketch, and these stand-ups I am a decent arc of everything.  You can’t pin me down like one person.  If you see my stuff there is certainly a lot of improv and sketch mixed in that helps me act out my characters.  That’s what I think is fun, is getting to a point where you are pulling all ends.  I mean liked Eddy Murphy as a kid, but there is no way I could remind you of him now.

SB: Yeah, like “oh sure Mike does remind me a little of a black man up there on stage.”

MS: Haha, exactly.

SB: I really like that you engage the entire audience in your set.  You like to get them going.

MS: I do like to touch people.  Male and female.  Tonight, I think I was inclined to touch the girl with the fish net stockings, but I thought “ohhh….”

SB: Yeah, the guy hugging her would not have been too happy.

MS: Right, arm around her and bare legs…yeah I picked the guy to her right.

SB: So when did you start comedy?

MS: Ok,  I have done stand-up for about four and a half years now, and I started in late 1994 doing improv at iO, and Tina Fey was actually the coach of my team.  So I don’t know her well now, but back then I knew her, I mean she was my coach so I was around her all the time.  My little story about her is that I called her one time to get free tickets to a show and she let me know she was naked at the time.  Like she was “Oh, well, I’m naked right now. I just got out of the shower.” And I was like ok.  So Tina Fey has told me she is naked on the phone.  But she was great back then and I would never have imagined how big she got though.  She is massive now.  Yeah, so late 94’ was iO, didn’t go especially well for me so I was only there for about two plus years, took a break, went to the Annoyance, was with them for several years, and caught fire there.  So the Annoyance was great for me. Then I traveled over seas for a year and a half.

SB: Where to?

MS: New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, and India.

SB: Ah! Australia. I have always wanted to go there.

MS: Yeah, well I actually think New Zealand is better.

SB: I plan on going to Australia when I graduate actually. It’s my dream to just go backpacking through Australia and New Zealand.

MS: Well here’s the deal….don’t think Australia is big and New Zealand is small, and get caught up in that. New Zealand is awesome so give it some time.  I mean, Australia feels kind of like here.  It is loud, and, this one time I was at a pizza place where a girl was on her cell phone, and Jerry Springer was on TV there, and I was like man this is the U.S.  So I love New Zealand much more than Australia, but they are both great.  And Australia has the water, so clear and beautiful.  On a clear day when people are surfing you can just see dolphins swimming right along with them, and for a surfer that has to be just like the best feeling.

SB: Yeah, yeah.  Oh, it sounds amazing.

MS: Defintely.  Well, so, ok, then I came back from traveling and when I came back I was like I know I have to hit this hard so for four and a half years it was stand-up.

SB: So are you from Chicago, then?

MS: No, actually, I grew up in Santa Cruz, CA and moved here in 94’ to go to iO.

SB: Did the winter hit you hard then coming from Cali?

MS: Yeah, I have had some shitty winters.  The first one is kind of fun, you know, a white Christmas and gloves. When you first move to Chicago too, from Santa Cruz you find the trains fun.  “I got my newspaper and I am on the train.  This is fun.  I am a grown-up! We are going to work, cool.”  But after a while you are like “ok this is fine.”

SB: Yeah, totally.  I was the same way.  It’s funny because I never really wanted to live in California, but I do have a couple friends from there, specifically Santa Cruz actually, and they love it there.  They want to move back.  Is that something you miss, like do you plan on staying here in Chicago?

MS: I do want to move to New York or LA. Uh, Santa Cruz… I think to grow up there it is perfect, but unless you are rich there aren’t many opportunities. So you move out when you are in your 20’s and then maybe when you get rich in your late 50’s you move back. But like, you need some money.

SB: I feel like you need money here too, like I walk around with a dollar in my pocket.  Living leisurely.  I like it.  So do you do anything besides comedy?  Do you have another job?

MS: I got laid off actually in December, which was just like a corporate job.  It was probably a blessing in disguise to lose it.  I mean, I kind of wish I still had it because the money, but I am getting money currently from Uncle Sam.

SB: Yes, unemployment.  Got to love that.

MS: Yup, money every week to sit around.  I do trade stocks for myself and I do all right. Comedy by night, Wall Street stocks by day.

SB: So then what do you do during the day?

MS: Well the stock market is open from 8am to 3pm so I usually watch all that. I take a nap around 4 or 5…

SB: Ah!  You are living the life.

MS: Actually, I am going to New York around October 11th, so recently it’s been like crunch time.  I have been getting shows and following up on e-mails.  For a while I didn’t have any shows, but now I have a few.

SB: Are you going to New York to do shows?

MS: Yes, to do some shows with Drew Michaels, Dan Ronan, and CJ, all those guys.  So we are going to all hustle for some sets.  I know I am doing at least three sets with Drew.

SB: Sounds awesome, good luck!

MS: Yeah.  I went to Los Angeles a couple months ago and did well there.  I felt like I fit.  So I had some good sets. My set doesn’t just work only in Chicago ya know.  I mean, New York definitely has more shows though.

SB: I went to New York in May actually, and I felt like I fit in there.  I mean I was into like this running kick then, so I would wake up at like 8am and going running in Central Park and I felt like it was the only way I fit in with New York. I don’t fit in with the fashion, or the shoes.  So I don’t feel like I could totally live in NYC, but I could just go there for a run in the mornings and then fly back to Chicago every afternoon.

MS: Well, here’s the thing.  I find California to be very friendly.  Like especially LA, and Arizona, places where the sun is out a lot, people are friendly.

SB: Oh, definitely.  The weather totally affects your mood.  I mean that is what I live by.  Being in Chicago during the winter is so much more stressful I feel like.

MS: I think this is a relatively friendly big city, but it in no way can compare to Santa Cruz.  We compare well to maybe New York, but still yeah, LA with the sun shining on you is friendly.  So LA I could live there now.  My comedy fits there, so I feel comfortable.  I mean if the comedy scenes were comparable though there to here or NY I would choose LA.  Anyways, we are going to New York in a less than month and quite possibly if I love it there then in a couple months I am gone.

SB: So in your road trip are you guys to be in the cassette of like Ellen Degeneres’ comedy?

MS: I don’t like to listen to it a lot actually because it gets into your head.  I don’t want everyone’s bit in my head. You get confused as to what’s yours and theirs.  It’s like Family Guy, right, people love that, but I just don’t want those references in my head,  I want mine.  I do like SNL though.  I actually watched it this weekend.  I watched the new girl say “fuck.” Did you see that?

SB: No, I did not, but I heard about it.  It is all over.  On the news and papers.

MS: Yeah, at first it just like slipped by, but then Marty was like “I think she just said fuck.”  Like oh man, she really did. I mean for your first night that is pretty wild.

SB: Yeah.

MS: I could see her like shitting her pants.  I don’t know if women shit their pants as much as men do, but I think they do once in a while.

SB: Oh they do. It’s human nature.  We do it.   I definitely enjoy stand-up comedy like that, which is one of the reasons I wanted to be the oinktern.  I can watch it for free all the time.  It’s funny actually, the first stand-up comedy show I ever went to, and don’t judge me here, but it was Bill Engvall – part of the blue-collar comedy tour.  So I think my initial view on comedy was a little skewed from seeing that.

MS: Did you think it was funny?

SB: Ya know, I thought it was ok, but nothing great.  I was a little disappointed too because I am such a huge fan of southern hicks.  But then coming to Chicago my view of comedy totally changed because there is so much diversity and exposure here to comedy.  I’m really excited though because this Sunday I am going to see David Cross at the Congress Theater.

MS: Oh very cool.

SB: Yeah, I am really excited for that.  What was the first show that you ever went to?

MS: My first show, well it has really been more TV for me.  Like the guy who really transformed the way I think a little bit was Jake Johansson.  When I was like in college and stuff he would be on Letterman and he would do this absurd stuff and it was true art in the sense that he changed the way I thought.  I also saw him live.  I was like 23 and he just slaughtered, we were seeing quite possibly the best club comic in the country.   So that’s one of the best shows I have ever seen.   I did see Richard Pryor too around Halloween.   He only did like a 30 min set and like forgot some of his stuff, so it was like “oh cool Richard Pryor,” but not really Richard Pryor, you know?  But David Cross’s  “Shut up You Fucking Baby” is funny as shit.

SB: I feel like the whole time I’m watching though I may not be able to get his Arrested Development Tobias character out of my head.

MS: I saw David Cross almost get booed off the stage in Minneapolis.  It was a hip-hop and David Cross show against the war.   And it was actually a great moment because when he came on he started by saying you know when you go to protest you should clean up your act a little bit, ya know, you don’t have to be like ultra whatever, you can be presentable about it.  And people in the audience were really young and they booed him.   So it was this cool moment where people were booing him, then he came back and they talked it out, but for a second it was like “ouch, he’s in trouble.”

SB: I think he is such an adorable little man.  I just want to give him a big hug.  He is actually shorter than me.

MS: Well the weird thing about him now is he has aged so strangely.  He will have this big beard.

SB: Yeah, it’s kind of like who is that homeless man on stage.

MS: I think he is going to look like a weirdo.  But he actually hired a blogger* to be in his show with him. David Cross actually just called him up and was like man you want to do this show with me; if you don’t you are an idiot.  So that was pretty cool for this guy.

SB: Yeah, of course.  You would take it right?

MS: I would love to be doing that.

SB: But you know, you are already at 331 shows this year, so you are doing fine.

** At this point Othy comes out to check on the progress and finds Mike and I making out, or smooching as Mike called it.

No, not really, but did you believe it for a second?!

I hope this makes me popular.**

SB: All right, this is the last question I have to ask you, then we can continue making out, and I ask this to everyone so be prepared, but what is your favorite word?

MS: Can I say two of them?

SB: Yes!

MS: Desultory.  Do you know what desultory means?

SB: No.

MS: I barely know what it means, but I think it’s like kind of not direct.  Not like zigzag, but…

SB: All I can think of is poultry.

MS: But honestly that word.  I don’t use it very much because I don’t really know what it means.  There are so many good words. Like I also like to say chitchat a lot.  “Oh you guys are chit-chatting.”  That’s my thing.  What’s cool about stand-up is that you have this little catch phrases, and chitchat is mine.  I don’t want anyone else using it.  So desultory and chitchat.

SB: I am going to start using desultory all the time now… after I look it up of course.  Thanks.

*Mort Burke

A very special OINK! 10.14.09

This week Our Improv Night Kabaret! w/ Othy Schwering welcomes…

-Stand-up from comedian Alex Orozco

-The comedy stylings of Black Jr.

-Hilarious Improv from the Belmont Transfer

-A sketch show featuring the lovely girls of Delicious But Unnecessary (DBU) with all new sketches!

Fun, Laughs, and SO MUCH MORE!