Above the Laughs

Comedy legend Dom Irrera sat down in the offices above Laugh Factory Chicago to discuss his new video podcast, his comedy heroes and peers, and how he adjusts his act for different crowds. Check out Dom Irrera Live from the Laugh Factory on youtube:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB6DE3B90425D0B88

Accomplished writer (Chappelle's Show), director (The Goods, New Girl), and podcaster (The Champs) Neal Brennan is taking the standup world by storm. Just days before taping his first Comedy Central hour special, Neal sat down with Matt to discuss his career, Dave Chappelle, the n-word, and what keeps bringing him back to standup. This is a great one...enjoy!

LA vet Bill Dawes and Australian powerhouse Brendon Burns joined Matt in the offices above Laugh Factory in our longest (and most educational) podcast to date. They discuss everything from Australian genocide to joking about rape, and virtually everything in between. A must listen!

Moments before taking Chicago Laugh Factory stage for the final time before moving to LA, I sat down with Aaron Weaver to discuss starting standup in Chicago, his future on the west coast, and everything in between. His method of "winging it" career-wise has worked out so far, and he hopes it will carry him to bigger and better things in LA (That is as soon as he gets his car working again). Enjoy! READ MATT'S BLOG POST ABOUT THIS PODCAST AT COMEDY OF CHICAGO! http://www.comedyofchicago.com/2013/04/comedy-career-planning-with-aaron-weaver_11.html#more

Mike Young, who was headlining a weekend of shows at Laugh Factory Chicago sits down with me to discuss the relationship between comics and crowds. We were lucky enough to be joined by Camilla Cleese, a comic from LA that was doing a guest spot that night. The three of us discuss everything from ideal show to the worst crowd ever. (Spoiler Alert: Camilla tells an awesome story about her and her dad, John Cleese, getting into some trouble in New Zealand). Enjoy! READ MATT'S BLOG AT http://www.comedyofchicago.com/2013/05/mike-youngs-on-comics-vs-crowds.html

Owner and founder of The World Famous Laugh Factory, Jamie Masada, sits down with me in the offices about Laugh Factory Chicago. One of the most influential people in the comedy world, Jamie speaks eloquently about everything from protecting comics to the future of the industry. A must listen!! READ MATT'S BLOG AT COMEDY OF CHICAGO: http://www.comedyofchicago.com/2013/04/comedy-wisdom-with-jamie-masada.html

Dior Sharp is the sound tech at Laugh Factory Chicago. While he's relatively new to the comedy world, for the past few months he has been watching hours of standup, every single day, from his sound booth. He is a very interesting guy and has a unique view on the comedy scene. Plus his real name is Dior Sharp, which is pretty cool all by itself.

Year after year, comics who make it big in Chicago leave the city that raised them for either New York or Los Angeles. Danny Kallas and Mike Stanley, two of Chicago's most popular comics, have reached that point in their careers. I sat down with them discuss whether or not it's possible to sustain a standup career in Chicago, and whether or not Chicago will always be seen as a stepping stone to bigger and better things on the coasts. READ MATT'S BLOG AT COMEDY OF CHICAGO: http://www.comedyofchicago.com/2013/04/danny-kallas-mike-stanley-talk-shop.html