Monday Morning Quarterback....

Another week, and soon another month, is in the books.

Chris Kaufman, Jim Gossett, and Jerry Farber are becoming a bit of a tradition for us over the Thanksgiving holiday. Our thanks to each and to all of our friends who came to visit with us.

We were able to incorporate our new point of sale system, which has been in the works for a long, long time.

I don't want to make it seem like we've been making do with tools from the pre-electric era, but the information that is available with the new system at the push of a button is amazing.

We've got a couple of really exciting events in the works, so continue to watch this space for announcements.

I have also been reviewing a number of applications from folks who are interested in becoming our intern. There are some really, really talented people out there. It is exciting that so many want to be a part of The Punchline team.

Toys For Tots Event on Tuesday.....

We are doing a special event on Tuesday for Toys For Tots. We are screening a movie that was filmed and produced locally and which features a number of talented local comedians.

We are asking that you bring an unwrapped new toy to the event for the good folks at Toys For Tots.

The comedians who appear in the movie will be performing. It will be a great deal of fun as this bunch gets back together to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Come visit with us.

Double Sell-Outs With At Least One More Tomorrow....

Jerry Farber and Jim Gossett sold out both shows tonight. The first show tomorrow night is a couple of ticket purchases away from being sold out as well, and it won't surprise me if the late show sells out.

We are lucky to have these really talented comedians right here in our own backyard. Thankfully, all of you who are fans don't take it for granted and are tremendously supportive.

Is It That Time Of Year Already?

We hope that you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. We hope that you had much to be thankful for, and if you were missing loved ones, that this next year will find you in their company once again.

I am told that today is one of the busiest shopping days of the entire year. Interestingly, there was a significant uptick in online sales today as well. If you ask me, that just seems silly. You've got the ability to shop from the comfort of your internet connection all year long - why wait until today. If you got up extra early to jump your favorite .com and beat the lines, well - write us and explain what your thinking was.

Don't forget that a Punchline Gift Card or T-Shirt is a great gift for somebody on your list!

Farber, Gossett, and Kaufmann.....

Wednesday night is the kick-off show for Farber, Gossett, and Chris Kaufmann.

We have a hard time making a deliniation between Jerry and Jim, not simply because they are close friends, but also because they are really good headliners in their own right. Kaufmann is recognizable from his clean air campaign commericals here locally, and I have worked with him in the past. It should a strong fan from start to finish.

Justice Graduation Tonight.....

I would invite you all out to see the Jeff Justice Graduation tonight if we had any tickets left.

There is a second show added in two weeks. You should consider coming out then to see some great comedy.

Not only is the comedy good, the enthusiasm is conntagious.

Superman Is Too Good.....

It would be easy, here in these post-election days to note that New Scientist Magazine has an article about Superman being too good.

Rather, let us connect this to the old theory that three things in sequence are funny. Superman is a tried and true part of the greater comedy lexicon. All comedians experiment with superhero material.

I am urging all comedians to read this article.

"Superman is too good a role model. Fans of the man from Krypton unwittingly compare themselves to the superhero, and realise they do not measure up. And as a result, they are less likely to help other people.

Researchers made the discovery whilst examining how people’s decision-making can be influenced by surreptitiously placed ideas, usually via seemingly unrelated questionnaires or word puzzles. For example, one study has shown that people primed with helpful words were more likely to help a friend pick up spilt pens."

I really thought the article was going to make greater mention of the fact that researchers made the discovery whilst doing anything.

Monday Night Quarterback....

Another year is over for Pablo Francisco at The Punchline. Two sold out shows, three more right at the cusp, we are always happy to see Pablo.

What I enjoy most when Pablo is in town are watching the uninitiated. Even if you have heard him on the radio or seen him on Comedy Central, seeing it live takes it to another level.

The staff did a really good job, and proved once again that our people are a significant part of our success.

I also got a number of positive comments about Will Marfori. I think that we'll be seeing quite a bit more of Will in the years to come.

The Puffy Shirt Is An Icon....

I thought we should turn to the Biloxi Sun-Herald for the definitive article on that staple of New York humor, the puffy shirt made famous in that memorable with the "low talker."

7PM is gone too.....

Alright gang, we're not kidding around. It's Pablo baby. 11PM is all that we've got left for tonight and that show is filling quickly.......

9 PM Pablo is sold out!

It looks like we've only got a handful of seats left for the 7PM show as well.

So if you are going to make it out and see Pablo for his final visit of 2004, you're running out of options for tonight. Sunday night looks like it still has some pretty good seats available.

Pablo does it again.....

Pablo started tonight and I want to say thank you to all of his fans, both new and old who came out to see him.

You may have heard him today on 680 The Fan or 96 Rock.

Listen for him tomorrow on Star94.

I don't want to forget about Will Marfori, who won the first Carnival Comedy Challenge held at the club. He is getting a lot of great activity these days, so if Pablo isn't enough, Will and Pablo probably should be.

The Kid Comes Around.....

Tonight Kid Dave Miller headlines at the club. I am always reluctant to sound like a broken record, but if you've never seen Kid Dave, consider checking out his headliner set.

Kid also writes a great column for Shecky Magazine that should be part of your reading list.

We'll be looking forward to seeing him tonight.

A Smashing Success.....

The event for FurKids was just fantastic. The kids comics were fantastic, Jim Gossett of "The Newsmaker Line" fame did an unexpected set, Farber was Farber and Karl Douglass (Special K) did his thing. My set was pretty decent, was able to get a few new tags on a newer joke which isn't a bad thing.

The organization had 70 items that were part of the silent auction, so it wasn't just ticket sales that were driving donations.

A big round of applause should go to the who team that put the event together.

We have a number of charities that are putting together events, and we are always happy to look at doing more.

Give me a call or email me at jamie at punchline.com to get the ball rolling.

Great Charity Event Tonight.....

We are hosting a great event tonight for FurKids.

Jerry Farber is our host and featured performer. He is a tireless supporter of numerous worthy causes around town.

Karl Douglass is another featured performer tonight, as are two kid comics from Janet Schultz' Kids Komedy program.

I will also do a few minutes.

We hope to see you at the club tonight. Silent Auction begins at 7, show to start a few minutes after 8.

TPC Sugarloaf - Comedy Night....

Special K and I will be doing a gig at TPC Sugarloaf tonight. I think you have to be a member to even get through the gate, otherwise I would suggest coming by to see the show.

The gig also means that if I do "The Legal Edge" at all it will be by telephone from the club.

I figure with Scott Peterson being found guilty we'll have a few callers who want to talk.

Busy, Busy, Busy.....

Didn't get much of a chance today to hunt and poke around with the old blog.

It seems like things are ramping up all around. We've got several new holiday parties that are being booked that take a little time to finalize.

Emo did a terrific job tonight. I think I'd explain him as a cross between Steven Wright and my four year old, but I don't think that fairly describes any of the three. He is worth coming to see if you've never caught his show before.

Joe Morrison did his thing as the feature. I think sometimes we don't fully appreciate the comedians that are right here in our own backyard. Joe is doing quite a few dates with Ron White, and we hope he continues to have good success.

I spoke with another local comedian who is making good - Dan Menghini, and we discussed when he would next be back at the club. He mentioned that he gets asked when he'll be back at the club. I thought I should tell all of you that when are getting interested about seeing a comedian again, so are we. I think it is a natural thing, almost like a craving. Not to worry Menghini will be back before you know it.

Customer Feedback....

We want every customer's experience to be a memorable one at The Punchline.

The only way we can truly know if we are succeeding is to get your feedback. We want to hear from you, not just when things are going right - but also when there is something which doesn't meet your expectations.

Email me at comments at punchline.com if there is something you feel we should know about.

Jeff Justice Graduation is Sold Out!

Jeff Justice has a natural talent for helping people express in a comedic way experiences that nearly any audience can relate to.

His current class is ready for graduation and primed for pursuing stage time.

The first show is already sold out so we added a second show on December 6th.

From the gossip pages.....

A certain local radio personality, who also has a broadcasting sibling with a low handicap, visited the club last night.

I don't want to give away what material he thought was the funniest, but it might be fair to say the show fit some of his sensibilities.

Did you hear Emo on the radio today?

Emo did Eagle, XM, and 96Rock today. I didn't get a chance to listen myself, but hope to hear the rebroadcasts.

The One Question Interview: Dave Attell

I thought it might be fun to include a little feature called "The One Question Interview:"

Dave Attell was my first interviewee.

Me: "Did you have a nice visit to Atlanta?"

Attell: "I did."

I hope to catch up with Emo Phillips this weekend for his interview.

Turning the page....

Attell was terrific. He gave the audience exactly what they wanted and what they wanted seems to be shot after shot after....

Had the opportunity to check out Ron White's tour bus last night and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I want to say thank you to both Sean Roush and Pat Dixon for great five great sets each. I think both have many new fans now in Atlanta, which is never a bad thing.

Now we look to tomorrow night and the arrival of Emo Phillips. I will have the updated media schedule soon and will share where and when you can listen to Emo on the air.

Here is a sample of what you might hear this weekend:

I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face." I said, "You'll be sorry." He said, "Oh, yeah? Why?" I said, "Well, you won't be able to get into the corners very well."

"It's tough to have sex during marriage because you're always walking that tight rope between 'this again' and 'where did you learn that?'."

Will there be a Ron White sighting?

We get our share of celebrities who feel comfortable stopping by and taking in a show here.

Some you see playing football on Sundays. Others you hear singing on your radio.

I am told that Ron White will be stopping by to visit tonight on his way out of town. I have always enjoyed the times I have had the opportunity to visit with Ron. We hope his current success continues well in to the forseeable future.

Dave Attell is letting me sleep like a baby....

If you don't hurry there aren't going to be any tickets available for the extra Attell show we added.

First Gregory, then Attell, Phillips, on to Pablo. It's a great run of shows.

Comedy Clubs in the news.....

Our insurance agent sent me an article about Carolines Comedy Club which resonnated with me for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the enjoyment both I and my partner in this business, Chris DiPetta, get out being around funny people all the time.

I also noted that Two Drink Minimum, a magazine about comedy, places comedy clubs as the 13th most influential thing in American comedy. It is worth reading with much to agree and disagree on.

Dave Attell is held over....

We have great news for all of you who have been shut out from the sold out Dave Attell shows.

With a little elbow grease and a view to the big picture we are able to announce that Dave Attell is going to spend one extra day in Atlanta and do a single show on Wednesday at 8:30b p.m.

Listen to Dave on Tuesday morning on the following radio stations: 790 The Zone, 99x, 680 The Fan, and 96 Rock.

We hope to see you Wednesday night!

Monday Morning Quarterback.....

This weekend was a success on many fronts. James Gregory demonstrated once again why many call him the "Funniest Man in America."

By the end of the weekend there were very few shows that had any seats available and from what I could tell James was being introduced to as many new fans as he was entertaining old friends.

Steve Mingolla did a terrific job as well. I am always struck by the number of comedians who toil in relative obscurity, but who simply put on highly entertaining shows. Is there any reason why Mingolla isn't a household name, there certainly wasn't any reason why not evident this weekend.

We'll look forward to having both James and Steve back. I'm thinking sometime in the late spring in all likelihood.

As far as what we could have done to have a better weekend, I am not sure. I am still on the fence about when to utilize our advertising for maximum effectiveness. It isn't an equation that I don't have a real good handle on.

I do want to say a kind word about the folks over at Kicks and Eagle. Kicks for putting together a great radio schedule, and Eagle for giving some fans of James the opportunity to win tickets to see the show.

Dave Attell...will you get shut out?

Tonight begins a special four show engagement with Dave Attell. Ordinarily we aren't doing shows on a Monday or a Tuesday - but Attell was available and we pounced on the opportunity.

Two of the four shows are sold out as of this posting and the other two don't look too far behind.

Don't miss your opportunity to see Attell for the last time in 2004 in Atlanta.

We got a 99 because our kitchen is so fine....

It really goes without saying that The Punchline is the best comedy club in Atlanta because of the quality of the shows we put on. But a significant number of people know that our food is pretty incredible as well. Our bar staff, the servers, and the guys in the kitchen really work hard to make the night a success.

We posted a 99 on our most recent food inspection.

I want to say thank you to everyone on the team who did a great job of maintaining the high level of quality assurance that we strive for.

Saturday night at the club.....

You have got to like sold out Saturday nights. James really has brought some new life in to his material. He always puts on a great show, but this weekend really has been something else.

Often I am asked what it is like to hang out with the comedians. Some are as engaging and interesting off stage as they are on. Others are a bit more introspective and somewhat harder to get to know. James Gregory fall in to the later category. I have known James for more than 10 years and look forward to having an opportunity to visit with him. He always has a new interesting tale from the road to share and his business prowess is second to none among comedians.

The Legal Edge & The Ugly Mug....

So I only got in an hour or so on the radio show tonight (The Legal Edge - 7-9 Saturdays on WGST). I needed to be up at the Ugly Mug by 8:30 P.M., but felt it was important to honor the agreement I had with my co-host Noah Pines. Needless to say that I guessed wrong on the outcome of the election. Things were so rushed I think we only got in two callers before I had to leave.

The gig at the Ugly Mug went really well. For being the launch event of The Punchline Neighborhood Comedy Series the turn out was really strong and the audience was extremely attentive. A special word of gratitude to the Ugly Mug and I think this will really be a nice success.

Al Ernst was terrific.

Updating some show availabilities.....

We don't have any tickets left for tonight's shows with James Gregory.

He is such a showman. The early show Friday was completely sold out and there were only a few open seats for the late show. James was really pulling out all the stops.

I hope that you had a chance to hear him on the air this week.

I suspect that Sunday night is going to sell out pretty quickly.

It looks like the late shows for Attell will sell out Saturday. Once those shows go, you'll only have the early shows on Monday and Tuesday. Keep this in mind when making your plans.

Catching up with some old Punchline friends.....

I had the opportunity to visit with a couple of friends tonight before checking in on the shows at the club.

Brian Regan was doing a show at the Roxy Theater in Buckhead. I wanted to give him a little bit of a hard time, seeing as his schedule prevented him from getting back to the club this year. We talked about working on some new dates in the near future, as I know that Brian is a favorite here at the club.

Brian got some great news recently and will be developing a show for NBC with some of the same people that did Scrubs. All of us here at the club are hoping that everything pans out for him.

Opening for Brian was Paul Mecurio who is a bright talent that were are bringing back to the club in a few months. It was nice to be able to congratulate Paul on his most recent writing Emmy, earned for his work on The Daily Show in person.

It turns out that I will be among the comedians during the launch...

I am going to be the feature act tonight at the launch of The Punchline Neighborhood Comedy Series.

It'll be Al Ernst and I over at Ugly Mug Pub on Peachtree Industrial in Duluth.

The show starts at 8:30. See you there....

I guess I'll be doing the first hour of The Legal Edge and then heading up there.

Changes continue on the site....

I hope that you have been appreciating the changes that we are making to the site. It really is a work in progress. Each time you think you've got it right, boom here comes another tweak. Thankfully, we are really happy with our designers.

If you have a suggestion, I suppose this is the time to make it. Not that we are going to take all of the comments and be able to incorporate everything. Still, maybe a fresh pair of eye wouldn't hurt.

Employment Opportunities....

We are experiencing some pretty exciting growth at The Punchline and to keep up we need to add additional staff in nearly every area of our business from door stuff and servers to bartenders and reservationists.

If you'd like to work in an environment where people are laughing every time you walk through the door - consider completing an application.

Contact our GM - Marcey at (404) 252-0358 for additional details.

Great Show Last Night.....

Last night was a real great show, thank you everyone - especially the comedians doing the bonus showcases.

Tickets for James are flying out the door, and by this I mean from the reservationists to the ticket booth.

You really need to get on board, as this will be your last chance to catch James Gregory in Atlanta in 2004.

The Punchline Neighborhood Comedy Series Launches....

This Saturday night, the first official event of the new Punchline Neighborhood Comedy Series launches at the Ugly Mug Pub (www.uglymugpub.com). It features Al Ernst as the headliner.

Carol and the whole Ugly Mug crew has done a great job to make this a great event.

We'll be announcing the comedian for next month's show soon.

Comic Media this Week....

As you know we've got James Gregory at the club this week. Steve Mingolla headlines Wednesday, and then features for James through Sunday.

When I was a young comic just starting, James was very generous with his time and insight about the comedy industry and the nature of performing. The show that James puts on for his audience has literally become a generational experience. A number of our regular customers specifically make a point to come and see James, and then introduce neophytes to the experience that is a James Gregory show.

Listen for James later this week on Randy & Spiff (105.7), The Rude Awakening (680 The Fan), Bandy & Bailey (101.5), and Rhubarb's show (106.7). You also listen to win tickets on 106.7 all week long.

Dave Attell on the other hand can be heard on 96Rock, 99X, and 790 The Zone. You can also listen to win tickets on 96Rock. Attell will be here for two shows on Monday and two shows on Tuesday.

Fun Election Day Games......

So you are standing in line at the polls, it's a long wait, and you need something to pass the time.

You could always find some facts about the other guy and shout those out a weird moments. For example: "He's the first President to lose jobs since the Depression!" or "He voted for it before he voted against it!"

Or, you could hold your ear like cupping an earpiece and say "I don't think that they have any idea."

Or, you could maybe meet a new neighbor or two. I'd suggest talking about anything but politics - chances are the person is line isn't going to be persuaded.

You can always talk about what a great line up The Punchline has and who are the favorite comedians who have played the club.

Or, you can talk about what a great stocking stuffer a Punchline Gift Card is.....

We don't advocate interferring with the right of people to participate in our representative democracy or getting arrested - so be patient, be gracious, be a participant.

Don't forget to vote tomorrow.....

Be prepared to wait in line.

Be prepared to be hassled.

Just be prepared.

We aren't interested in turning the old blog in to a politicial site, the comedians we book here are plenty skilled at expressing political opinions from both sides of the aisle.

Nonetheless there are reports out there of flyers, phone calls, and other methods being used to convince people that some day other than tomorrow is Election Day. November 2 is Election Day, if you are registered go vote. If you live in a state that you can still register in, consider doing so and then go vote.

We like participatory folks around these parts, especially because comedy works much better when people participate - the same is true for representative democracy.

Did you set your clocks back...?

It is hard when your children cannot tell time to explain that it isn't time to get up.

This is especially true when you really enjoy the comedians who are working at the club and are hanging out later than you should.

I have found that "it is still dark out" works to a certain extent. It didn't Sunday morning.

I hope you weren't late getting to any place important.....

Thank you to Brian McKim, Traci too....

Shecky magazine (www.sheckymagazine.com) is a very popular periodical about the comedy industry. It is a site that I visit frequently.

Brian McKim and Traci Skene are the powers that be over there and we were happy to have them working at the club this week.

Both were kind enough to provide some really helpful constructive criticism of the new Punchline website. Keep your eyes on this space as we incorporate some the changes that will result from the candid comments we've received.