BOY did Tracy Morgan stir up some controversy on June 3rd at the Ryman.. I’m sure you’ve heard. NashvilleStandUp’s Chad Riden (hey, that’s me!) has been very vocal about the situation.

I’ve been interviewed by The Tennessean (who just had to copy and paste my email but STILL spelled my name wrong. Way to go, lamestream media.*), US Weekly and NewsChannel5.

You can read my initial reaction to the controversy here on N’Sup.. and NewsChannel5 (CBS) here in Nashville will air part of an interview we shot today on their 6pm newscast tonight (Tuesday, 6/14).

THEN, I’ll be at Zanies telling jokes / crazy stories about Tracy Morgan during my set on the 6/14 N’Sup Showcase (doors @ 6:30, show @ 7:30 – $5). NewsChannel5 will probably come out and tape some of that show tonight and might interview people about their reactions to what has been going on.

Wednesday, I’ll be on NC5+’s “OpenLine” show debating the issue from 7-8pm.

UPDATE: here’s the link to the transcript of the package that aired on NewsChannel5′s 6pm show and here’s the video:

* Unfortunately, sarcasm doesn’t always translate in print. Imagine me saying that while doing an impression of Tina Fey doing an impression of Sarah Palin.

Today The Tennessean‘s Dave Paulson wrote about Friday’s sold out Flight Of The Conchords show at The Ryman, mentioning Spinal Tap, The Doyle and Debbie Show, Doug Stanhope & The Mattoid (who are at the Exit/In Friday night) and a few Nashville-based funny musicians as well. Read the whole article over at The Tennessean.

It’s an okay write-up, but only okay. Dave could have looked deeper than Nashville’s “funny musicians” to find his local angle. For example..

Lahna Turner

Occasionally, Lahna produces “The Music City Comedy Show” at Zanies Comedy Showplace – a night of funny people who have music in their comedy acts. In the past, the lineups have included Rik Roberts, Steve Goodie, Wynn Reichert, Sean Parrott, Bucky Habanero, and Shantel Adams.

Rik Roberts

Steve Goodie

Wynn Reichert uses a tongue-in-cheek delivery to belt out tunes like, “I Need To Get Laid,” and audience favorite, “Sometimes I Wish I was Black.” Wynn is originally from California, lives in Nashville and tours internationally.

Sean Parrott

Speaking of the Mangy Dog Whoop Dee Doo, this Nashville-based podcast consistently features funny songs and parodies and whatnot produced by local professional funny people Jesse Perry, Mark Anundson, the previously mentioned Sean Parrott, Damian Anaya, Brad Edwards and more..

Mark Anundson

This isn’t nearly a comprehensive list of ALL the musical comedy acts in Nashville.. but it’s a start. Keep an eye on the NashvilleStandUp calendar for upcoming shows featuring these very funny people.

The lovely and talented Fiona Soltes interviewed our very own Chad Riden (NashvilleStandUp’s Chief Executive Moron In Charge Of Doing Stuff) for an article in this weekend’s “Arts & Entertainment” section about the upcoming “Last Comic Standing” show at TPAC. Read the full article at tennessean.com.
By the way, if you’re interested in going to TPAC to see NBC’s Last Comic Standing Live tour featuring Iliza Shlesinger, Marcus, Jeff Dye, Louis Ramey and Jim Tavare.. NashvilleStandUp has a special promotional deal for our mailing list members ONLY. N’Sup subscribers can buy two tickets for the price of one for a limited time only. To make sure you don’t miss out on that deal (and future ones) sign up for our mailing list now!
N’Sup sends out a message about once a month or so featuring Nashville comedy news, show information, contests, ticket give-a-ways & random slanderous lies! Don’t miss out:

Comments?

The Tennessean might* be a Nashville-riffic filthy gossip rag unworthy of anybody’s time or attention, but they’ve got a pretty good article about how insanely profitable stand-up comedy albums are for record companies. They tie it all in to Nashville very well, mentioning some of the comics signed to Nashville labels.. but do not mention NashvilleStandUp.com or any comedians actually from Nashville.. so, come to think of it, they don’t really tie it in at all (filthy gossip rag!).

They do, however, bring up a good point: producing a stand-up comedy album costs next to nothing compared to cobbling up another goofy music act. By the time a comic is ready to cut an album, he or she has plenty of solid, tried and true material tested far and wide by everyone from the drunkest and dumbest bar room crowds to the elite comedy nerds only an obscure niche online discussion board can bring together.
At some point, you can just set up some microphones, hit record and have a hit record.. in theory. The article mentions Jeff Foxworthy “racking up paltry sales” until the label started marketing him in country-themed outlets like CMT and Cracker Barrel. The point, though, is that same record that wasn’t really selling at first has since been certified platinum several times over.
The write-up has several quotes that sound pretty good for Nashville comedy. Parallel Entertainment’s J.P. Williams was quoted as saying, “Comedy is risk-free.. the sales of comedy albums can pay for a lot of flops at a label.”
Tom Becci, COO of Capitol Records Nashville, said of their comedy album sales, “It pays a lot of salaries.” He said his executives have asked themselves if comedy was a business worth staying in at the risk of shifting focus away from other projects.. and the answer was yes. He continued, “Will Nashville ever be known for its comedy? I would certainly hope so.”
Yeah, me too.
Here’s some stand-up comedy albums from a few comedians who are actually from Nashville:
KEITH ALBERSTADT: ONE NIGHT STAND

DAWNA KINNE: JACKIN’ AROUND

TIM NORTHERN’S FIRST CD

WIX: I’LL QUIT WHEN WILLIE QUITS

Click each image to go buy a copy and thank me later.
* When I say “The Tennessean might be a Nashville-riffic filthy gossip rag unworthy of anybody’s time or attention” of course I use the word “might” in the same way I’d say “getting sued by a huge global media conglomerate might get me some good publicity.” Then again, I might be wrong about everything (except for Nashville comedy, that is.. we’re waiting for your call Mr. RecordCompanyGuyWithMoney. There’s untapped talent here.).
Read the Tennessean article here:
The Tennessean: Laughter best medicine, country labels discover
Comment on this article in the N’Sup Discussion Forum

Today’s Tennessean reports:

A laughing matter: The comedy career of Keith Alberstadt, a former member of Vanderbilt’s Radio Network team, continues to blossom. The Father Ryan High School and Vandy grad was a recent finalist for NBC’s Last Comic Standing competition, has had his material played on XM Satellite Radio, and is featured in the spring issue of Vanderbilt Magazine.
Alberstadt is touring the country doing standup. He told the magazine that his mother, who would rather he be closer to home and starting a family, ”keeps sending me newspaper clips about my high school friends who are getting married. So I send her nursing home brochures.”