Just for Laughs Chicago Festival: Day 1

The first-ever Just for Laughs Chicago kicked off Wednesday, and I was fortunate enough to take in a pair of shows at the Lakeshore Theater: Jon Lajoie's "Live as Fuck" and "The Unaired Bozo Circus Parody: The Original TV Funhouse Pilot."

I was unfamiliar with Lajoie prior to "Live as Fuck"; he's an internet sensation that somehow went under my radar. His live show -- which he said he hadn't performed too many times (or at all) -- was a mix of stand-up, video pieces and live music. Lajoie had an incredibly rowdy and vocal crowd to contend with (which I thought was odd, as this was a 7 p.m. show and the first one of the festival), but he acquitted himself well and worked really hard for the hour he was on stage. I didn't know any of his songs, but it seemed I was the only one -- the rest of the audience sang along with him and occasionally stepped on his jokes. Still, I had a good time and got the chance to discover a new comedian; not bad for the first show of a festival that's going to feature over 100 comics. Check out my full review of Jon Lajoie: "Live as Fuck."

After a difficult turnaround (the staff at the Lakeshore had to empty out the crowd from Lajoie -- some of whom were refusing to leave -- and usher in the audience for "TV Funhouse" in under a half-hour), I sat in for the "Bozo Circus Parody," presented by TV Funhouse writers and comedy superheroes Robert Smigel and Dino Stamatopoulos. That performance, which the hosts continually referred to as the "dress rehearsal for Thursday's show," was a little more uneven; there were some technical problems with the video projection and neither Smigel nor Stamatopoulos had prepared much to say. Still, it was really entertaining; the show itself was twisted and fantastic and Smigel and Stamatopoulos winging it are likely funnier than a lot of comedians' prepared material. Read the full review of "The Unaired Bozo Circus Parody" for more on the show.

Of course, the big show of the night was the sold-out "Ellen's Bigger, Longer and Wider Show," the third incarnation of a variety show Ellen DeGeneres been putting on at the past two Comedy Festivals in Las Vegas. I didn't go to Degeneres' show, largely because I was more interested in the smaller shows and couldn't pass up the chance to see Robert Smigel live. Sometimes, festival scheduling requires you to make these kinds of decisions. Besides, the "Bigger, Longer and Wider Show" is scheduled for broadcast on TBS (the sponsor of the Just for Laughs Chicago Festival) on June 27.

The whole Just for Laughs Festival has me really excited. There are so many shows I'm still looking forward to and dozens of opportunities to discover new comedians. Plus, it offers unique experiences like "The Unaired Bozo Circus Parody" and the upcoming "Green Room with Paul Provenza. The festival is huge in scope, celebrates Chicago comedy and will hopefully be returning for many years to come.

• 10 Shows to See at the Just for Laughs Festival
• 2009 Just for Laughs Schedule

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