Reading, PA

It was nice to spend a weekend doing shows in Reading, PA at the Reading Comedy Outlet. I guess they were trying to play off the outlet malls in the area but it also makes me feel like I have some less than desired jokes. I guess Reading Comedy Flea Market is a little too ridiculous so the "outlet" name stays.

The drive to Reading was fun until I got about 15 minutes north of the city on Hwy 222. Warning: don't ever drive on this part of the highway with your vent open. There is a rotting death smell that will clear your sinus for months. The locals claim it is the mushroom growing area but that sounds like the weirdest excuse for rotting death I have ever heard.

Las Vegas

If you look closely, that's me on the marquee outside The Riviera in Las Vegas. Right below the gigantic Charo in Concert and Crazy Girls Sexiest Topless Revue. And right above the Neil Diamond impersonator. Perfect.

Note to self: don't ever book this week in July again. Here is what the local news channel had on their screen Tuesday morning.


I think the word "HOT" is a bit of an understatement. This is the only weather report I have seen that was dead on every single day. It might have only been 107 on Wednesday but that's close enough for me.

Bermuda Cruise

Well, I can check "go on a cruise" off my list. I spent the past five days on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas on a trip from Norfolk, VA to Bermuda. In case you have never been on a cruise, this is what it looks like.

It's hard to believe we avoided the Bermuda Triangle because our captain was on the intercom more than he was driving the boat. Do I really need to know the ocean is 28.000 feet deep right here? It was worse than a Southwest pilot flying over the Grand Canyon.

The first thing I did when I got on the boat was to participate in a Muster Drill. That's their way of saying, "Welcome to the expensive cruise you paid for, here's who you'll be in a lifeboat with when the ship goes down". Let's just say I planned on finding a new group when the chaos ensued. I'm not floating in the middle of ocean in a lifeboat with some moron who has to ask how to put on a life jacket.

Once we got to Bermuda, I made the most of my time there by going SCUBA diving at two ship wrecks: Constellation and Montana. Here are the certificates to prove it:

Okay, so they are just generic certificates that I wrote my name on but it was still a really cool experience. The Constellation wrecked when trying to deliver goods to the Confederacy during the Civil War. It was amazing to think about being around a ship that old.

Greatest Picture of All Time

I have a joke about how awesome it would be to see a Trans Am towing a trailer. Every show I ask the audience to email me a picture so I can put it on my blog and Eric in Green Bay, WI came through! His friend Justin put this together and it is hilarious. They even included the Osh Vegas sign! (see previous post)

I'm on TV!

I was a guest on The Bob & Tom Radio Show yesterday morning. WGN installed cameras in the studio so they can air the show on TV the next night. The cool part is that one of my jokes was used in the intro segment of the show.

This was my first comedy appearance on television. It was a great way for people to hear my comedy that may not live in a Bob & Tom radio market. If you want to know when something like this is going to happen again, please sign up for my mailing list at http://www.johngcomedy.com.

Saturday Night Live!

My good friend Keith Alberstadt is a freelance writer for Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update so he was able to get two tickets to the show. Seth Rogen was the host so it was bound to make me laugh a few times. I wish I had more pictures to share but they are super-strict when it comes to taking any pictures -- even on the elevator. Weird.

More New York City

There are things that you see in New York that (a) you will never see again and (b) no one else pauses to watch the weirdness unfold.

Take this guy, for instance. He sets up in the subway station with dancing dolls and plays music on a keyboard and boombox. I had to get a picture of this magical moment but didn't want to seem too "touristy" so that's why it isn't the best. I think you can get the idea though.

I saw him on my way to meet up with my friends Luke Thayer and Abbi Crutchfield.

We had dinner in Little Italy and did a show in Chinatown. The crowd for that show consisted of a band, ten of their superfans and three other people. The band performed after the three of us did our sets. I have always wondered what it would be like to hear a Puerto Rican kid sing a fusion of Guns N' Roses and Soul Asylum. Come to find out it is even worse than you can imagine.

I'm beginning to wonder if normal comedy ever happens in this city.

Caroline's Comedy Club

My first show this week was at Caroline's Comedy Club, right in the heart of Times Square. The Monday 7:00pm show attracted 38 people. It was a weird show but still fun. My friend took some pictures while I was on stage. I figured I would put up the one that makes me look like Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune.

New York City

I am going to spend the next week in New York City. I hope to do a few shows around but most importantly, hang out with my comedy friends to see what it would be like to live here.

While walking around Manhattan with my friend Jason Roberts, I came across this sign:

What I want to know is how they prove who was doing the honking. Maybe that's why there are so many lawyers in New York.

Earth Hour in Syracuse, NY

I was fortunate enough to be performing in Syracuse, NY this weekend. I always have a fun time there and appreciate the great audiences.

This trip was even more gratifying because I was on stage while "Earth Hour" was happening. Some person thought it would be a great idea to have everyone turn off their lights and use no electricity for an hour. Of course, the hour they picked had to be at night, when it is dark outside!

I did not cooperate with this crazy scheme mostly because there are Americans on the space station right now. I can only imagine their reaction when they would look down and see the entire country (by time zone) pitch black. The last thing I want is for some poor astronaut who has to drink purified urine to start thinking that terrorists have blown all the power stations. Then, one hour later all the lights come on. April Fool's!

So it was with great satisfaction that during "Earth Hour", I was standing under large spotlights and using an electric sound system to entertain the good people of Syracuse.

You're welcome, astronauts.