Chad Riden and Mary Jay Berger play stand-up clips from Billy Wayne Davis, Corey Holcomb, DJ Buckley, Rik Roberts, Joe Kelley, Mary Jay Berger, Josh Lewis, and Brian Bates. Also, an interview with DJ Buckley about his new show “Take It Outside” (7pm Saturday nights on the back yard stage behind The East Room) and Joe Kelley about his show (at Wilburn Street Tavern every Tuesday at 11pm) and his upcoming “Have A Great Summer Tour” with Mary Jay.
‘Nashville StandUp Sits Down’ features the very best of Nashville Comedy from 1-2pm Wednesdays on WXNA 101.5 FM in Nashville and streams online at http://www.wxnafm.org/ & on the TuneIn app. Follow the show on twitter at @NSUPsitsDOWN.
Nashville StandUp Announces Comedians Scheduled To Perform On World Record Breaking #BrokenRecordShow
Beginning at 5am on Sunday, May 15th, 2016, Nashville StandUp will attempt to top it’s own GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for “LONGEST STAND-UP COMEDY SHOW – MULTIPLE COMEDIANS” at The East Room in Nashville, TN.. by five minutes.
Nashville StandUp’s first “Broken Record Comedy Show” ran non-stop at The East Room in Nashville, Tennessee, beginning Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 12:04pm with DJ Buckley and ending Monday April 20 at 4:20am with Chad Riden, setting the new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title at 184 hours, 16 minutes. The show featured about 100 comedians, including surprise celebrity guest sets from Hannibal Buress, Eric Andre, Rory Scovel, Nate Bargatze, Luis J. Gomez, Keith Alberstadt, Jon Reep, Ahmed Ahmed and Killer Beaz.
The previous 80-hour record had been held by the Laugh Factory in Hollywood, CA, for a show which ran December 6-9, 2010. By more than doubling the previous record, #BrokenRecordShow’s non-stop stand up comedy marathon put Nashville into the record books of comedy history. A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title Adjudicator was on site to certify the attempt as an official world record on Wednesday April 15th at 8pm.. but the show continued until Monday, April 20th, at 4:20am. Hundreds of people attended the event and even more watched online. The successful attempt was covered by local and international media outlets, mentioned in countless social media posts and has already become a thing of legend.
#BrokenRecordShow vol. 2’s non-stop 8+ day schedule will feature showcases, feature-length, and headliner-length sets, and will include surprise drop-ins from comedians of various levels of fame and fortune AND infamy and misfortune. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ rules say: “All performers must be of a proficient standard. We define this as the comedians having at least 20 professional (paid) credits in a comedy club, theatre or bar and at least one year’s experience since their first paid gig. Evidence to prove this must be presented to the independent witnesses prior to the event and the witnesses must attest to this in their written statements.”
The comedians currently scheduled to perform May 15-23 at The East Room as part of #BrokenRecordShow vol. 2 are: Ian Abramson, Ahmed Ahmed, Sarah Albritton, Nick Alexander, Chuck Anderson, Sammy Anzer, Emma Arnold, Mo Arora, Jeffrey Baldinger, Nate Bargatze, Brian Bates, Lila Mae Bear, Mark Bentley, Mary Jay Berger, Keith Bergman, Dj Buckley, Jamie Carbone, Josh Carter, Jesse Case, Cliff Cash, Andre Churchwell, Katrina Coleman, Ashley Corby, Wes Corwin, Joe Coughlin, Brian Covington, Jonathan Craig, Chris Crofton, Patrick Cunningham, Bryce Damuth, Billy Wayne Davis, Joe Derosa, Patrick Devine, David Dial, Dwayne Duke, Scott Eason, Brad Edwards, Ku Egenti, Benny Elbows, Max Fine, Gary Fletcher, Fray Forde, Megan Gailey, John Gibson, Kyle Gillis, Doug Gillon, Andrew Ginsburg, Carter Glascock, Derek Graff, Ross Hamilton, Michael Hampton, Jordan Hargis, Rob Haynes, Jake Head, Brad Hinderliter, Hannah Hogan, Stewart Huff, Brandon Ijames, Josh Inocalla, Jordan Jensen, Katherine Jessup, Myq Kaplan, Joe Kelley, Ryan King, Ben Kronberg, Josh Lewis, Danny Limor, Kristen Lundberg, Todd Masterson, Josh Mclane, Monty Mitchell, Narado Moore, Leslie Nash, Tim Northern, Tommy Oler, Sean Parrott, Alex Poloskey, Zach Pugh, Curtis Rambo, Jc Ratliff, Jon Reep, Mark Reilly, Chris Rex, Topher Riddle, Chad Riden, Hunter Roberts, Rik Roberts, Dave Ross, Dick Satori, Brad Sativa, Ben Sawyer, Brent Schmidt, Rory Scovel, Kate Sedgwick, Jim Seward, Bo Shuster, Tom Simmons, Dusty Slay, Jen O’neil Smith, Kate Spellman, Eric Steele, Owen Straw, Daniel Swinney, Geoff Tate, Matthew Tate, Sara Tiana, Kent Tucker, Josh Wagner, Patrick Wallace, Aaron Weber, Dan Whitehurst, Danny Whitson, Joel Wilson, Mike Winfield, Will Wininger, Josh Wolf, Pete Wolynec, Dave Yates and many surprise celebrity drop-ins, which will be announced on Nashville StandUp & #BrokenRecordShow’s social media accounts.
The brainchild of Nashville-based comic DJ Buckley, this record-breaking show is being co-produced by Nashville-based comedian Chad Riden, The East Room’s Ben Jones and comedian Mary Jay Berger.
“This show is the best thing I’ve ever done, and if it never stopped I’d be fine with it,” says D.J. Buckley. “Last year, I got to see a lot of funny comics and great people come together to work on something none of us could have accomplished by ourselves, and I think this year will be even better since we actually know what we’re doing this time.”
“It’s the greatest dumbest thing we’ve ever done twice,” Chad Riden smirks. “If you asked me that old guidance counselor question, ‘if you could do anything in the world, what would you rather be doing right now?’ the answer would always be ‘a stand-up comedy show.’ We figured out a way to be able to do comedy all day, every day and it was a dream come true. I’ve missed the first show ever since we ended it and I’m really excited to be doing it again. Maybe this time we just won’t ever stop. Nobody can ever beat our record if our show never ends.”
“Breaking our own record this year is an attempt to further show the legitimacy of the comics in Nashville,” says The East Room’s Ben Jones. “To break the record by a mere 5 minutes is to compete with the absurdity of last year’s successful attempt to more than double the previous record.”
Tickets are on sale now. One Day Passes are available for $10, All Access Passes, allowing comedy fans to come and go throughout the entire show all week long are available for $60. VIP Passes allowing fans access to reserved seating and include an official show t-shirt and letterpress show print are also available for $100.
Nashville StandUp is a 509(a)(2) Public Charity with a mission to cultivate and promote middle Tennessee’s growing stand up comedy scene by supporting the Nashville-based comedians that help make the Music City a great place to see live comedy.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Rik Roberts is a fantastic Nashville-based comedy veteran who teaches various classes, has a podcast and blog called the SCHOOL OF LAUGHS. If you’ve never been on stage before or want to make your act better, Rik can help set you on the right path. Here’s the latest info about his class schedule:
If you find that these dates and times don’t work for you, please consider the online writing class as an option. The feedback from those who have gone through the online course has been phenomenal. It comes with a money back guarantee, so there is nothing to risk.
Below are the upcoming class dates, times and locations. Also, you can catch up on the recent podcast episodes and blog posts by clicking those links or visiting www.SchoolOfLaughs.com.
Thanks again and please call anytime with any questions.
– Rik Roberts
1-888-895-8549
Principal & Janitor of the School Of Laughs
Stand-Up Comedy Level One: Writing
Dates: March 30, April 6 & 13 from 6:30-8:30 PM
Held @ School Of Laughs / 4811 Lebanon Rd, Hermitage, TN 37076
Email to save your spot … schooloflaughs @ gmail.com
This is a (3) date class and the investment is 200 total (10 spots left)
The Stand-Up Comedy Level One: Writing class is the foundation for beginners and intermediate comics. In this class we learn more than a dozen techniques comics use to make material solid and consistent. We watch comics on Letterman and break down why they make certain choices. We write jokes and have an opportunity to share in class. We don’t get onstage, however. So it’s a pressure-free environment where you can speak up as much (or as little) as you like.
As an added bonus, this class comes with a “Lifetime Warranty” based on available space. Once you’ve paid for the class, you can attend any and all following writing class sessions at no extra charge. So you can apply the knowledge as you progress through the ranks of comedy to make it a custom fit every time!
To register, e-mail Rik at SchoolOfLaughs @ gmail.com with your name, cell phone and the words “Ready for Next Writing Class” in the subject heading. I’ll follow up with specifics and more details.
Intro to Improv Level One: Games
Dates: April 7, 14, 21 from 5:30-7:30 PM
Held at Mad Donna’s 1313 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206
Investment: 200 total
E-mail me at SchoolOfLaughs @ gmail.com with “Intro to Improv Class” in the subject heading and your name and cell phone in the body of the message if you would like to be on the stand-by list. We will sample many of the games you have seen on “Whose Line is it Anyway?” as well as many you may have never seen. You’ll learn the ground rules that apply to Improvisational Comedy. You’ll be onstage A LOT and will learn to trust your instincts.
You’ll also benefit if you are pursuing stand-up comedy. All of the games in this course can be applied to writing and developing your material. Many students develop characters and bits that can be implemented into their stand-up routines.
Stand-Up Comedy Level Two: Performance
Dates: May 5, 12 & 26 from 5:30-7:30 PM
Held at Mad Donna’s 1313 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206
This is a (3) date class and the investment is 200 total (8 spots left)
E-mail me at SchoolOfLaughs @ gmail.com with “Save My Performance Class Spot” in the heading and your name and cell phone in the body of the message. I’ll reply back and let you know if a spot is available.
The Performance class is designed to get you onstage. We experiment with voices, act outs, impressions, emotion and other performance techniques to make your material pop. You will also get lots of feedback on the material you present from myself and the other students. In this class you will begin to develop a three-minute set.
You are encouraged to bring a recording device to these sessions so you can watch it back later and take additional steps to improve your performance.
The Business of Comedy Seminar
Date: MAY 30, 2015 Time: 1-4 PM
Held @ School Of Laughs / 4811 Lebanon Rd, Hermitage, TN 37076
Investment: 99 total (10 spots left)
E-mail me at SchoolOfLaughs @ gmail.com with “Save My Business Class Spot” in the heading and your name and cell phone in the body of the message. I’ll reply back and let you know if a spot is available.
You will learn more in this session about the business side of being funny than some comics learn in their entire career. You can take this class without any experience. It is a real eye opener into the world of comedy as a career.
Among other topics, we’ll discuss …
What goes in my promo kit?
When should I approach the clubs?
How do I get in with bookers?
How do I promote myself? Do I need a web site?
What is deductible?
How much do comedians make?
What market best suits my act?
What is a realistic timeline for my career?
What merchandise sells? Where do I get it?
What should I do for free, and where do I draw the line?
and MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!
For the latest information on Rik Roberts’ School of Laughs, visit www.SchoolOfLaughs.com
The next round of Rik Roberts’ School of Laughs Stand-Up Comedy Writing class at Zanies starts Monday, October 6th. We’re told there are just four spots left, so register now!
Here’s more info from Rik:
Stand-Up Comedy Writing
Mondays October 6, 13 & 20
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM @ Zanies in Nashville
Investment: $200 total
To Register: E-mail me at SchoolOfLaughs@gmail.com with your name, cell phone and the words “Zanies Writing Register” in the subject heading.
There is no previous experience required for this course.The Stand-Up Comedy Level One: Writing class is the foundation for beginners and intermediate comics (open mic performers).
In this class you will discover:
* How to turn a story into a comedy routine
* Why some things are funny and others aren’t
* How to put your personality into your jokes
* How many laughs per minute comedians aim for
* How to edit like a ninja!
* Why some comics never succeed
* How the best comics prepare their material
* Where inspiration comes from
* How to destroy writer’s block
* Why it is important to vary your jokes
* A secret comedy trick that leads to bigger laughs
* How to avoid common mistakes beginners make
* More than a dozen techniques comics use to make material solid and consistent.
These tips will be revealed through various examples, including:
* Watching comics on Letterman and breaking down why they make certain choices.
* Writing jokes and have an opportunity to share in class
* Homework challenges to get your brain and pen in high gear
and several other interactive approaches.
We don’t get onstage, however. So it’s a pressure-free environment where you can speak up as much (or as little) as you like.
As an added bonus, this class comes with a “Lifetime Warranty.” Once you’ve paid for the class, you can attend any and all following writing class sessions at no extra charge. So you can apply the knowledge as you progress through the ranks of comedy to make it a custom fit every time!
To Register: E-mail me at SchoolOfLaughs@gmail.com with your name, cell phone number and the words “Zanies Writing Register” in the subject heading.
I will follow up with an email explaining what to expect, how to pay, etc., Hurry and send that email if you want to make it into the class, only 4 spots left.
=== OTHER CLASSES ===
Stand-Up Comedy Level Two: Performance
Mondays in November (TBA) @ Zanies in Nashville
Group One 5:30-7:30,
Group Two 8:00-9:30 PM
$200 total
Online Class
The Level One: Writing Class is now on line and available in three different editions based on your experience. Click the link below to learn more!
This class will be offered in October or November and may be offered to a limited group (8 students) on a Saturday. Please reply if you are interested. Full description amiable at:
Beginning in July of last year, Rik Roberts started to recreate his “School of Laughs” Stand-Up Level One: Writing course ad an online version. Rik says:
It has been an incredible learning curve! Teaching one on one through web & video is entirely different than the current in house lecture format.
I’ve read some books, joined forums and consulted with various others who provide their content to their students online. I’ve taken several classes online as well, to get the student perspective of online learning. The result? I believe I will be able to offer you an incredible self-paced option for taking the class.
It translates into:
– Over 30 video lessons complete with .pdf support and bonus materials to further the concepts
– Completely rewritten lessons, self-contained and with more examples – as well as more examples from students
– More live show examples to reinforce the techniques
– Stronger emphasis on joke structures, joke “generators”, and ideas for getting new material
– A comprehensive section on structuring your set, grouping jokes, understanding your audience and selecting appropriate material
– A variable price plan based on how much feedback you want
– And more to announce later!
This massive online project is 80% complete and will be in video production this month. I hope to have it up and available by March at the latest.
That is part of the reason it’s been two months between classes. I needed the extra time to do this right and between performing and another writing project I had to grab those Mondays and hunker down.
So stay tuned for more on the online course and definitely let me know if you are interested in exploring this option.
Other news …
Tentative class dates are below for all classes in the first quarter.
Due to both my own travel schedule and Zanies booking policies dates aren’t usually locked in until a couple of weeks in advance. All classes take place on Mondays.
Stand-Up Level One: Writing February 3, 10, 24 from 6:00-7:30 PM @ Zanies. $200
Stand-Up Level Two: Performance March 3, 17, 31 from 6:00-8:30 PM @ Zanies. $200
Intro to Improv Level One: Games April 7, 14, 21 from 6:00-8:00 PM @ Zanies. $200
Business of Comedy – TBA
If you would like your name added to the “pre-register” list for any of these classes just reply and let me know which ine you are interested in attending.
Remember – you can also JOIN S.O.L. on FACEBOOK to stay in the loop as well.
Thanks again for your interest – I look forward to helping you be even funnier,
Rik Roberts
Principal / Janitor
School of Laughs www.schooloflaughs.com
comedyhomework @ aol . com
