1. TJ Miller
If Chicago has a superstar stand-up right now, it’s Miller. Lincoln Lodge’s Mark Geary calls him “the ascendant comedian in Chicago right now.” He’s also toured with Second City as an improviser, and is currently filming a pilot for ABC in L.A. (Kristy Mangel of the Bastion has a bet that we’ll see him on television by August.) If you can catch him here right now, do it, say his peers, because he’s going to be big. tjmillerdoesnothaveawebsite.com
2. Robert Buscemi
Buscemi has been at it for five years, and within that time, he’s perfected a weird patter about playing strip poker in a one-piece (“to lose”) and being seen by the ladies in a thong on a recumbent bicycle downtown. Don’t ask, just go see him. robertbuscemi.com
3. Jared Logan
Logan is a founding member of Blerds.com (as are many other comics on this list), a funny Web site featuring daily blog and video content. Outside of stand-up, he recently created the monthly variety show “A Demon Who Never Appeared” at the Playground Theater. jaredlogan.com
4. Prescott Tolk
Tolk, also a Blerds member, traveled to Chicago from New York in 2001. He’s appeared on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” and could easily pass for a stoner if he wasn’t so insightful. prescotttolk.com
5. Tony Sam
Sam is the founder and producer of Chicago Underground Comedy, and still finds the time to appear in pretty much every room in town (despite having a day job as a biologist). He’s been seen both playing the ukulele and holding a puppet version of himself named Dr. Tony (who has his own blog at askdoctortony.blogspot.com). tonysam.com
6. Hannah Gansen
Gansen co-founded the female comedy collective Spitfire (self-branded as “Chicago Comedy’s Broad Squad”) and often brings a 1989 Yamaha keyboard on stage to accompany her terrifically bizarre songs and insights. spitfirecomedy.blogspot.com
7. Mike Holmes
Originally from Waterloo, Iowa, Holmes is currently working in Chicago and around the Midwest. He mixes observation and frustrated cynicism in equal parts, and it’s funny every time. myspace.com/mikeholmescomedy
8. Nick Vatterott
Vatterott has been off on tour with Second City lately, but if you get a chance to see him at Chicago Underground, you should take it. myspace.com/nickvatterott
9. Josh Cheney
Cheney hosts open mics, appears in showcases and tells jokes all over town. He’s equal parts absurd and traditional, and you can tell he’s been doing this for a long time. Catch him quick before he moves to L.A. later this year. myspace.com/joshcheeeneee
10. Pat Brice
Also one of the Blerds, Pat Brice has taken stages all over town, including the staple Zanies. He also hosts a daily sports-comedy podcast called “Visitor’s Locker Room” with fellow local comic CJ Sullivan. visitorslockerroom.com
And Five Places to Go See Them…
1. Chicago Underground Comedy was started by Tony Sam in 2005, and currently rocks the back room of the Beat Kitchen every Tuesday night. It’s quickly becoming a mainstay of alternative comedy in Chicago. chicagoundergroundcomedy.com
2. The Lincoln Lodge has been running for seven years now in the Lincoln Restaurant at Lincoln and Irving Park. Mark Geary originally started it because he wanted to bring professionalism to stand-up in Chicago, and you can find just that every Thursday and Friday night from September to May. thelincolnlodge.com
3. Open Mics. There are a lot—a lot—of open mics around town, but if you want to find good comedy, as Josh Cheney says, “you really have to look for it.” Two recommended by Chicago comics are the Sunday night room at Bad Dog Tavern (4535 North Lincoln) and Thursday night at Pressure Cafe and Billiards (6318 North Clark).
4. The People Under the Stares is a monthly showcase at the Hideout run by local indie record label Drag City. They’ve not only been able to bring national alternative comics back into Chicago (Zach Galifianakis was a recent appearance), but they’ve been able to connect them to local comics like TJ Miller and David Angelo to bring Chicago stand-up nationwide. myspace.com/peopleunderthestares
5. Thunder Comedy just started as a showcase in January of this year, but they’ve been turning heads among comics in town already. The show is hosted by Joe Kilgallon at Brisku’s Bistro (4100 North Kedzie) every Thursday evening. thundercomedyshow.com
(Mike Schramm)
