Seeking Input....

As many of you know, I wear several hats. Today I struggled a bit with making a posting that was the result of wearing two of those hats at once.

This week the Georgia Legislature is considering making significant changes that have the potential to impact greatly on the lives of all Georgians.

I came across a humorous way in which the very serious way this will impact individual Georgians was addressed. For our part, those of us in I guess what you would call "senior management" went around and around on whether to include this in the blog.

I know that it is not the best use of our time to thrust what some may consider to be our personal views on our customers. By the same token, part of the social role of comedy is to address serious issues in a way that makes it easier for people to thing about things that they may not have considered before.

In this case, the subject of tort reform enflames passion on both sides of the issue. Because this is such a touchy subject, I thought that the humor involved in the "Do It Yourself" Tort Reform release was an interesting way to initiate a conversation.

At this point, I'd like to turn the conversation over to you, our readers. Leave a comment here, and keep it above board if you would or it will be deleted. Should we restrict the blog to between the lines humorous content, and updates on what is going on in the club, or should we also consider seeing how humor is used to draw difficult subjects (for whatever the reason) in to the larger discussion?

That is one pricey Onion....

This article in Forbes caught my eye. It sounds like a fun place to work, no?

"Now for the bigger problem: top-line growth. Mills didn't see much percentage in starting to charge for subscriptions--though 15,000 readers pay $40 a year ($30 for students) to receive the Onion by mail, and access to back issues costs $7.50 per issue. The real money, he thought, lay in the Web site and in nudging online advertisers to make cross-buys in print. Mills knows this business--he ran and then sold Adgile Interactive, an online media-buying agency in San Francisco, before joining the Onion. Advertisers like the young audience and the multiple ways the company has reached out to it: in print, online and through Onion Radio News, not to mention via schlocky merchandise (like bumper stickers), books and even a movie of comedy sketches slated for release early this year. "Our business is, we tell a joke and then distribute it seven or eight different ways," says Hannah."

Not So Much A Loss...

The other night Kenn Kington shot a comedy pilot at the club. He'd done a couple of rounds of auditions and was shooting at the club before the finals of this process the following night.

Kenn asked that I perform as well, and I did. I didn't advance to the finals however, and as I have not yet caught back up with Kenn, perhaps I wasn't really a contestant.

Nonetheless, it's never any fun not hearing your name called at the end of the night. So, my congratulations to those who did advance, and that goes doublely for local comedian Marshall Chiles who won the whole thing the next night. And yes, for those of you who know Marshall's other job, that hurts twice as much.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback.....

Falcons lose in Philly. We are bummed.

Ken Rogerson however, trounced his opponent this past weekend. His opponent of course, was empty seats. Couple of sold out shows on Saturday night, pretty solidly sold shows on Friday, busy Thursday. As I mentioned in our weekly email last week, Ken is a very solid performer who doesn't have the same kind of name recognition some other comedians do.

It really makes us happy when our customers respond so favorably to a performer who never disappoints.

Keep your fingers crossed for Ken this fall as he has a couple of projects that should pop, including a return of Rescue Me.

Mid-Week....

We didn't have our usual Monday meeting due to the King Holiday and some much needed recuperation after our Don "DC" Curry weekend.

Last night we hosted a group of pharmecutical salespeople. After that private party, we were the venue for a taping for a television pilot. For additional details about what happened to the auditioners, visit Ultimate Comedy Theater.

Ken Rogerson starts tonight and he is personal favorite of the club. One of the things that I think is a challenge for a club like ours is the consistent high level of performer we are able to present. I feel at times like I am using the same adjectives over and over again. The simple truth is that you could pick any show during any week and get a really enjoyable comedy performance. Some names will be more familiar to you that others, but name recognition alone shouldn't be the sole determinant when making the decision to come visit with us.

What I am trying to say about Ken is that he has carved out a niche for himself that I'd encourage you to become a part of. He has appeared in a number of television programs, and between those appearances, has distinguished himself as an incredibly solid performer. He is a bit like Danny Ainge in that way if you know what I mean.

Friday Night Lights.....

Took some time to learn a little about blogger today. I am still working on getting the blog tweaked, but I am taking the first baby steps toward an actual links page.

If you read this site, let me know what else you'd like to see here.

There weren't seats available for either show tonight and there is no doubt at this point that two of the three will be sold out tomorrow night.

Don is on fire.

Don "DC" Curry on the Radio.....

Don can be heard on the follow radio stations this week:

V103

HOT 107 & Classic Soul

680 The Fan

Some Weeks Just Get Away.....

This has been a very busy week for us here at The Punchline.

We are substantially completed with our media planning for 2005 and are excited about some really interesting ideas.

Don "DC" Curry is headlining this weekend and he is, quite simply, a great guy and a fantastic comic. Back in the old days, he and I used to do amateur nights together at the old Comedy Act Theater.

Very rarely do you see Don in a club setting in Atlanta. This is his first headlining gig at The Punchline and his first time ever performing on our stage.

About The Parking.....

I wanted to make mention of the fact that we have no control over the parking situation across the street from the club. We are as unhappy about this as many of our customers. We're not affiliated with them, etc.

We are looking for a different alternative.

Another Saturday Night.....

It's been a busy one over here today.

Lots of folks out to see Tim. Is it possible that Bob & Tom are starting to make their presence felt in our radio market?

Many comics give specific credit to Bob & Tom for making them draws in particular markets.

This is also not to suggest that Tim isn't a draw all by himself.

Tim is not only a prolific comedian, he is also a prolific musician. He also took me to my first pawn shop when were doing a string of one nighters in Random, Virginia more than a decade ago.

In any event, in the tradition of blind gossip items everywhere, we helped a certain Atlanta radio personality celebrate her birth day last night at the club. Her cousin, a notable coyote, could not make it.

Cribbing for Pootie Tang....

As a frequent reader of Shecky Magazine, I couldn't help but notice this article about our friend Louis C.K..

We are really happy for him and are still planning on having him here at the club before the year is out.

He is really a top notch act and should draw crowds that rival any of our best headliners.

Our best wishes go out to him.

A Sell Out At The Ugly Mug....

We are thisclose to being pretty much sold out for our first two shows tomorrow night.

The early show tonight was sold out for all practical purposes.

But, we also had the good news that the show Saturday night at the ugly mug pub in Duluth is sold out.

Anyway, if you are still interested in seeing Jim Gossett and Chris Kaufmann, contact Carol over at the mug and she'll get you on the list for the Sunday night show I think we'll be adding.

Tim Wilson On The Radio....

Tim will be on the radio quite a bit over the next couple of days....

Listen for Tim on:

Eagle 106.7

96Rock

680 The Fan

Randy & Spiff

Sports Nite

The Punchline Neighborhood Comedy Series....

Ugly Mug Pub is having their third show as part of The Punchline Neighborhood Comedy Series.

The Show is at 8:30 on Saturday night and features Jim Gossett, who you all know as The Newsmaker Line on The Kimmer Show. With Jim will be Chris Kaufmann.

We are working toward finalizing the next additions to the series look forward to rolling them out soon.

If you have a favorite location that is on the borders of the Atlanta metro area that you think would enjoy a partnership with Georgia's premier comedy club, touch base with me to start the conversation.

Charitable Efforts....

We have been as stunned as anyone to see the devastation from the tsunami.

We hope that to the extent that you are able you'll heed the President's call to consider the relief efforts in your donation considerations.

The HEROES CALL HOME effort continues. Through the generosity of Punchline customers and others in the community we have collected over 20,000 long distance minutes for our wounded men and women to use while at Walter Reed Hospital. This effort will be concluding soon we are told, so please consider stopping by any Bank of America branch to make a donation to the HEROES CALL HOME account.

When the telephones were quiet....

Since Sunday we have had intermittent telephone service. First the problem was inside, then the problem was outside, then finally the problem was in the street. The most frustrating part of the problem was the relative inability to convey the problem we were having to communicate with our customers and our vendors.

A certain telephone company named NoisemakingdeviceCompassdirection was the only place to go to have the problem fixed. Arrgh!

Should it happen again, and here's hoping it won't - email us. jamie at punchline.com

Happy New Year.....

We've turned the corner on another year. 2004 will be remembered by all of us for different reasons.

It is our hope that you will have a safe, healthy, and fulfilling 2005.

Craig Robinson and Josh Sneed did a great job on New Year's Eve. I hosted the late show, and Atlanta recording artists Five Star Iris performed after midnight.

We hope that you enjoyed your visits with us in 2004 and we are working hard to bring you everything that you've come to expect from The Punchline in 2005.

See you soon....