Sunday night, Nashville cranks it up to 11. The Ryman Auditorium presents Unwigged & Unplugged: An evening with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean & Harry Shearer. Reports from earlier shows in the tour leave us expecting Spinal Tap classics as well as material from A Mighty Wind and Waiting for Guffman.
Rolling Stone reviewed their show at Southern California’s Grove of Anaheim:
The two-hour set alternated songs with brief multimedia bits, such as a clip from Spinal Tap’s first television appearance (on 1979’s The T.V. Show) and a run-down of the edits that NBC’s Standards & Practices department required before the network would air This Is Spinal Tap. (“Shit sandwich” you can understand, but “twisted old fruit”?) Musical highlights included a didgeridoo-enhanced “Clam Caravan”; “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow,” for which keyboardist CJ Vanston and McKean’s wife Annette O’Toole joined the proceedings; a bluegrass rendition of the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up”; and “Majesty of Rock,” introduced not inaccurately by McKean as “a genuine specimen of the rock & roll anthem.” Only “Stonehenge” fell flat, its joke about downsizing done in by the intimate scale of the show.
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 TurnerLahna Turner is a very funny lady who now calls both Nashville and Los Angeles home. She is a fantastic stand-up comic with a sick sense of humor and a knack for writing killer funny songs. She has appeared on NBC, Comedy Central and VH1 and has toured the world.
Rik RobertsRik Roberts is a Nashville-based comic who performs hilarious “super-clean” comedy delivered with a little Southern flavor. His act is largely rapid-fire, family friendly stand-up comedy plus some original comedy songs and a little bit of improvisation. Rik has performed at clubs and colleges across the nation, works many corporate events, and also teaches stand-up comedy classes. Rik regularly hosts showcases of his graduating students and headlines at Zanies.
Steve GoodieDr. Demento has called Nashville’s Steve Goodie, “One of our most talented 21st-century parodists.” Steve has also appeared on many other radio programs around the nation, including The Howard Stern Show, and The Bob And Tom Show. Every Sunday at 8pm, Steve hosts the show at The Bluebird Cafe, emceeing this renowned evening of songs, keeping it moving along with his nutty witticisms.. and he performs his hilarious songs around Nashville and on the road regularly.
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 ParrottSean Parrott has been bringing his charismatic stage presence and a unique point of view to comedy clubs and bars all over the Southeast since 2006. Brought up on Bugs Bunny and Monty Python, Sean is an observational absurdist with a keen eye for finding the humor in everyday life. He was recently a Finalist in the Reader’s Digest Nashville’s Funniest Comic Competition and did voice over work for an animated film, “Back to Life, ” that was featured on the Independent Film Chanel. Sean is also half of musical comedy duo, “The Dead Dead” which has been featured on the hilarious “Mangy Dog Whoop Dee Doo” (visit The Dead Dead online at MySpace & FunnyOrDie). Sean performs regularly at Zanies, is actively involved in the DIY comedy shows around town, and will be featured at the upcoming Mangy Dog LIVE show April 18th at 10pm at the Improv Nashville Comedy Theater.
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 AnundsonMark Anundson is especially prolific. Not only is he the “Fungenieer” for the Mangy Dog Whoop Dee Doo, but he also hosts WRVU’s wildly popular “Get Up, Stand Up” radio show every Tuesday morning from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on 91.1 FM & archived online in the horrible RealPlayer format. He also produces hilarious songs for his own funny podcast, Happy For Apathy and has released a cd of his musical fun. He recently headlined the Sunday Stand-up Showcase Showdown And Stuff at the Improv Nashville Comedy Theater, improvising several funny songs on the spot using only his keyboard and his very funny brain.
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.
Sunday night, Nashville cranks it up to 11. The Ryman Auditorium presents Unwigged & Unplugged: An evening with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean & Harry Shearer. Reports from earlier shows in the tour leave us expecting Spinal Tap classics as well as material from A Mighty Wind and Waiting for Guffman.
Speaking of the 