The Daniel Tosh Interview - Taste of the Fest Sneak Preview

Only one week to go until the unequalled comedy forces of Daniel Tosh and Elephant Larry come to town give us our latest dose of the dccomedyfest. This "Taste of the Fest" event will be kicked off by the winner of DC's short film 48-Hour Film Festival Occupational Hazard, produced by DC's own WASHINGTON IMPROV THEATER before bringing you the sketches of ELEPHANT LARRY. The evening will culminate with appearance of headliner DANIEL TOSH. An experience not to be missed if you can avoid it.

Sure you may have seen Daniel Tosh on Comedy Central's Friday Night Standup and Premium Blend. Maybe you were lucky enough to see him on VH-1's The Best Week Ever. Yes, that was him on MTV's Punk'd. Okay, we believe that you were on the ball enough to TiVo him on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. We know you have been watching the Daniel Tosh video clip on the dccomedyfest web site. But have you seen him live? If not, here is your chance to see Daniel Tosh as a part of the November 4th Taste of the Fest event. If you have seen him live, here is your chance to show your friends "that hilarious critically acclaimed and fan loved comedian" you've been telling them about.

To prepare you and your friends for your experience we asked Daniel Tosh some questions. You can ponder his gospel truths, enjoy the laughs, or just glean knowledge from his experiences. No matter what you do, enjoy the Daniel Tosh Interview:

Q: We hear you are a preacher's kid (PK). Does being a PK factor into your act?

A: No. I mean fuck no! I'm sorry, please forgive me.

Q: What would your parents tell us about your show?

A: He's no Bob Newhart but I hear he's funny.

Q: What would you like to be doing if you weren't doing Stand-Up?

A: I'd be on the streets slinging rock. Stand up saved my life.

Q: Who are your favorite comedians? Do you consider any of them influential on your style?

A: A lot of middle eastern comics that your readers are not familiar with. Yes I have stolen from all of them.

Q: What is the strangest complement that you ever received after a
show?

A: Thank you very much for performing here. We really enjoyed
your show.

Q: What can our audience expect to see?

A: 45 minutes of non stop racial knock knock jokes.

Q: Any thing you want us to make sure dccomedyfest blog readers know
about?

A: Stand up is art and a lot of art is shitty.

Now that you are fully prepared to come to the show (you do have tickets right?) relax with the knowledge that you will come away fully entertained, have inside information on some of the hottest comedy acts working today, and a chance to buy a PRE-RELEASE copy of Daniel Tosh's new CD - True Stories I Made Up - produced and released by the one and only COMEDY CENTRAL (pictured above) which won't be out until November 8, 2005.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS ON TICKETMASTER NOW! WITH 50% DISCOUNT, STUDENT TICKETS START @ $10 ! JUST PICK 'STUDENT' OPTION! Tickets also available at Lisner Auditorium Box Office (Cash and Check Only).

The Elephant Larry Interview - A Taste of the Fest

This blog entry could easily be titled "Best of the Fest - Part Two" (keep in mind that the numbering of parts in no way denotes a rank order, think of it more as build it yourself kit where you insert part one into part two and presto-magico you have yourself a brilliant comedy show). Elephant Larry so impressed us at the fest we had to bring them back to make sure you, the hip and edgy dccomedyfest fan, had ample opportunity to see these 5 amazingly funny gentlemen before they become household names. Elephant Larry is made up of Geoff Haggerty, Stefan Lawrence, Chris Principe, Jeff Solomon, and Alexander Zalben (not in rank order or by category). Other household names include Brad Pitt, Mr. Clean, Bozo the Clown, and Camp David (once again not in rank order or by category).

Folks who saw Elephant Larry in the fest got to see EL "Sittin' On A Bear". This Bear based comedy treat grabs you as the music kicks in and the fellas fill you in on their predicament. This sketch underlines the subtle touch of comedy masters at work. Their unique style is weaved into this and all of Elephant Larry's sketches. If you missed EL "Sittin' On A Bear" you can check it out on their video page along with some other great sketches they put up for you.

We know you are dying to find out more about the guys who make up Elephant Larry, so we sent Elephant Larry Spokesmen Chris Principe some questions we had for him and the other guys. The guys, via Chris, were kind enough to respond to our inquiries. So grab a beverage, kick your feet up, and enjoy "The Elephant Larry Interview":

Q: We understand that you guys started off doing sketch comedy at Cornell University as part of their campus sketch group the Skits-O-Phrenics. What drew the five of you to stay together and form Elephant Larry in New York City?

A: It was actually pretty organic. Stefan and Alex graduated in 1999, moving down to New York shortly after. We all felt we had something good going on in the Skits-O-Phrenics, so when Jeff, Geoff, and I finished school three years later, we approached Alex and Stefan about forming a five guy group in New York. They said no, and that's how Elephant Larry never existed and why this entire interview's a lie.

Q: Where did the name Elephant Larry come from?

A: After a full summer of brainstorming hundreds of stupid names, we finally settled on what we all agreed to be a great one: Phantlar. Then we all went to bed, woke up, and realized that Phantlar was a bad, stupid name that didn't mean anything. So we changed it to Elephant Larry. Look extra closely and you might be able to figure out why...

Q: You guys are getting great press where ever you go. What is this kind of success doing to the group's dynamic?

A: If you mean, has our success put a strain on the group? No. Did that night we all got a little drunk and had sex with each other put a strain on the group? Maybe.

Q: What is the weirdest place that Elephant Larry has found an idea for a sketch?

A: Under the couch cushions. HAHAHA. Kidding. Really, every place could be considered "weird," whether it's an old French text book, or the Nutrition Board's Orange Juice information website.

Q: What would your mothers tell us about the Elephant Larry experience?

A: That they feel completely shut out of the process.

Q: What would you guys be doing if you weren't doing Elephant Larry?

A: That's easy. Jeff would be an indie rocker, Geoff would be a psychologist, Stefan would be a graphic designer, and Alex would be a theater director. As for me, I'd be crying in the dark somewhere.

Q: Who are Elephant Larry's favorite sketch groups? Do you consider any of them influential on Elephant Larry's style?

A: The State, definitely. They brought idea-driven, tight sketch writing to the mainstream (sort of). Other members might say Kids in the Hall, Monty Python, or SNL. Although in general, we like specific sketches more than specific groups.

Q: What is the strangest complement that Elephant Larry has ever received?

A: "A Kind of Bizarre Innocence"

Q: Any favorite complements?

A: Winning both the audience and jury awards at the Bass Red Triangle Comedy Competition was a huge complement. You can't get much better than winning both fan and critical acclaim. So that felt nice.

Q: This will be Elephant Larry's second trip to DC for a dccomedyfest event. What can our audience expect to see this time around?

A: Well, Alexander Zalben for one. He couldn't make it last year, so we had to perform without him. This time the District will experience Elephant Larry in its full, five-pronged glory.

Q: Lastly, anything you want us to make sure dccomedyfest blog readers know about?

A: Nothing other than that we're super-psyched and mega-honored to be performing as part of the DCCF. If you ever find yourself cold and stranded in New York, come check out our weekly show. It's nice and warm and there might even be some food for you to eat.

Don't forget to order your tickets soon for the November 4th show where you can see Elephant Larry along with national headliner stand-up Daniel Tosh. Check out the dccf official site for ticket info.

Just in case this isn't enough for you here, be sure to check out www.elephantlarry.com for show info, videos, and more! You can also join their blog-worthy adventures at Elephantlarry.blogspot.com.

Best of the Fest '05 - part one

Thanks for taking some of your time to stop by and check out the dccomedyfest (dccf) blog. The blog will be, hopefully, a casual way for you to acquaint yourself with fest, our shows, and the groups that help make the fest possible. Sure we will be reminding you that we have the fabulous Daniel Tosh and Elephant Larry coming on November 4th to entertain you, but we also be talking up and introducing you to groups that made the dccf '05 a smashing success.

One sketch group that awed fest audiences in '05 was MEAT! This quartet of women took fest audiences on a wild ride. Their fast paced sketches put an end to myths about women in comedy not being funny. They offered non-stop laughs that redefined what to expect from a sketch show.

The photo above shows them performing their "Evil British School Girls" Sketch. This sketch has amazing moments which are only intensified by the duality of being one of the funniest sketches ever written and by being the down right scariest sketch ever written. It will haunt your dreams with laughter.

If you find yourselves in NYC, or along the path of one of MEAT'S tour dates, go out of your way to check them out. They will satisfy your need to see great sketch comedy. Check their website for their show schedule.

First of the Fest

Welcome to the dccomedyfest blog! Your source for all the latest dccomedyfest news.

Hopefully, like us, you love comedy. For those who didn’t catch the first annual dccomedyfest in March of 2005, you are in luck we are doing it again. We created the dccomedyfest so you don’t have to travel all over to see first rate comedy acts. We also want to make sure you know about the great acts that live and perform right here in our glorious city. In addition to offering DC’s premiere comedy fest (coming APRIL 6-8, 2006), we will also be hosting events throughout the year to give you a “taste” of the acts that are out there .

Hungry for some great comedy? Then we invite you to join us FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 8:30PM at LISNER AUDITORIUM for a Taste of the Fest. Headliner DANIEL TOSH (of Comedy Central Presents..., The Late Show with David Letterman & VH-1's Best Week Ever) will be joined by ELEPHANT LARRY (sketch comedy darlings of the NYC entertainment media elite) for an evening of comedy that will not soon be forgotten. Many folks may remember Elephant Larry as one of the stellar acts that were at the packed 2005 dccomedyfest shows. Don’t miss your second chance to check them out in DC. When combined with the stand-up Daniel Tosh, this is an evening of entertainment not to be missed. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the dccomedyfest website.

Hungry to get your act or group into a fest show? We are currently accepting submissions for the 2006 dccomedyfest. Just follow the submission rules, and you may be on your way to getting that taste of fame that you always wanted. Can’t wait for next April to hit the stage and have a Sketch or Improv Group? Then act fast to send us your submission tape for our COMEDYcontest! Send us your audition tape for our evening where you may get chance to compete for being picked either as an outstanding sketch/improv comedy troupe (November 12th) to open for a national headliner at the 1,500 seat Lisner Auditorium on April 6, 2006 for the 'Locals Night' of dccf! Check out our submissions page for details?

Still have questions? Check out our full website for details.

Thanks for checking out our blog. Come back for more details, stories about things that happen at dccomedyfest events, pictures and other cool stuff. Hope to see you at the shows. Remember, DC is funny... just not always on purpose.