A Fluffy Surprise

Before comedy, I had zero robes. Now look at my growing collection!

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This beauty came to me in the mail today from the HBO folks — my swag for being a part of the Bill Maher tapings. How neat! It’s always exciting to get a package from FedEx when you’re not expecting anything!

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Sorry but I’m not putting on makeup for you people. I’m working. And there’s no make-up in baseball!… Wait, huh? ;)

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And this is the robe I got when I did The Ellen Show. So pretty and comfy. I heart it. :) I’m  learning that robes are the currency of big-time comedy shows. I can’t wait to make it to the point where I can give away gifts like these after my big performances. The only difference is my souvies will be embroidered Snuggies.

Because well… you know. ;)

Just for Laughs Chicago and I heart TBS!

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So… YAY! I just got the word that I’ve been invited to perform at the Just for Laughs Chicago Festival! This is the American sister to comedy’s premier festival — Just for Laughs in Montreal — which I didn’t get into… But this is no NIT. This is the inaugural year of JFL in the US and as you can see it’ll take place June 17-21. So many big names — the fabulous Ellen DeGeneres, George Lopez, Louis CK, Lisa Lampanelli, Patrice O’Neal, Jimmy Fallon, Russell Peters…

What’s even cooler is that I’ll be participating in a TV taping while I’m out there. The festival will be broadcast by TBS and so I’ll have the opportunity to do some new stand-up on their network again! I am so loving TBS right now!!! Also I’m super excited about the location. After 31 years of never visiting Chicago, I get to go twice within a couple of months. I really liked it there. Can’t wait to go back.

Festival tickets are on sale now! You should totally buy some ;) My taping will be at the Zanies Comedy Club. More info as I receive it! Yay! ;)

Chattin’ about my worst day ever on my very best day ever

So maybe it’s a little extreme to say that Monday was my ‘very best day ever.’ I mean my wedding day and the birth of my first and third children should probably be at the top of my ‘very-best-day-ever-ometer…’

Wait… What’s that? I’m single and childless? You are so right…

Monday WAS my very best day ever ever! Here’s the part of the interview where I tell Ellen about my worst show ever. Feel free to laugh at my pain.

Erin & Ellen: An epic blog

OK guys, I’m gonna attempt to chronicle my entire trip so I’m warning you — this is gonna be an epic. Read some now, come back later for the finale. Really, don’t try to read it all in one sitting — your boss is already looking over your shoulder right now. OK well then the least you could do is open up an an Excel spreadsheet or a MS Word file for quick toggle access in case you get caught … Do I have to do everything around here? Sheesh :)

Here goes…

SUNDAY:

So when my flight got into LAX on Sunday, I headed down to baggage claim and who did I see but my soon-to-be fast friend Steve. He asked me if I wanted him to hold up the sign so I could take a photo, but I told him no worries ;)

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There was a really long wait between when we got to the carousel and when the bags were finally loaded so Steve and I spent some time getting to know each other. If you know me you know I like to get to know people and hear their stories — either that or I’m just way too nosey ;) Found out Steve grew up in Manhattan but had been in LA since he was 18. I told him I was from DC and he said that the last time he was in DC was for the March on Washington where Dr. King gave the “I Have A Dream” speech. Steve heard Martin Luther King, Jr. give the speech live. We talked about that some. Then we talked about Barack Obama. Steve was awesome. I wish he’d been the driver for the whole trip.

I stayed with good buddy Dawan Owens who moved out to LA about 2-and-a-half years ago to pursue his comedy and acting career. He’s done great out there and just bought the most adorable little house. The Ellen Show of course offered to put me up in a hotel, but I said “No thank you to that bridge to nowhere…” Oh wait… I mean, I said no thanks to the posh room in a fancy LA hotel. I’d rather kick D out of his bed and make him sleep on the couch ;) This is the part where I should probably insert a photo of this adorable house — but I didn’t take one. Boo for me ;(

After we watered the lawn (damn city condo living, I miss lawns… and being able to wash my car in my driveway) we went to the Hooters in Santa Monica where we had a waitress who totally could have been an SNL character. Think Molly Shannon on crack rock. But I digress… I turned in pretty early Sunday nite. Big day ahead. Continue reading →

Blog-jacking: The Ellen Show and The Female Orgasm

OK, so this is a link to a blog written by my friend Roy who will be coming with me to my Ellen taping. He is a comedian as well, and wanted to (uh…) share his concerns about being a guest in Ellen’s studio. Just to preface, he’s ridiculous ;)…

Click here to read and enjoy. Oh and please be sure to read the comments… Hilarity, I promise ;)

The Ellen Show on Tuesday 9/16 and the WaPo Style Preview

Hey guys… I just realized that I never posted an entry telling you when I would be on Ellen. Duh. It’s gonna air on next Tuesday, September 16th. I fly out to LA on Sunday and I am super duper excited! If my shirt is a little wrinkled, charge it to my regular dry cleaner who needs two days to press a shirt. I guess I gotta do it myself… My dad is an army veteran and also a clothes horse. When I was younger I used to call him the ‘crease nazi’. Man, I sure could use him now…

Also, if you’re in the DC/B’more metro area, check out this Sunday’s big Fall Arts Preview in the Style section. I will be featured alongside some awesome local artists (dancers, musicians, painters) and patrons of the arts. Can’t wait to see it. We all took individual shots which they will meld into one composite group photo — a’ la America’s Next Top Model. Sounds cool, but I’m a little scared because the reporter I spoke with sent me an e-mail that said, “We have a very funny pic of you smack dab in the middle of the page. Hope you like….” YIKES!

God only knows what that photo’s gonna look like. I predict that my eyes are the ‘very funny’ part. They always are…

The coolest show

I did a super-cool benefit show last nite in Baltimore for NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland. It was called The Choice Avengers (a superhero-themed event). It was held at the Creative Alliance and there was an awesome group of performers there, none of whom I’d met before. In light of the big choice we have to make this November, it seemed only right to me to do whatever I could to help raise awareness for this organization.

In case you missed Samantha Bee’s Daily Show Clip about choice, here goes:

Hilarious, right? Well I guess not if you’re “on” the right… I think she “hit this one out of the park” (if I never hear that phrase again, it’ll be too soon). But I digress…

So happy I got the opportunity to meet “smart pop musician” Mara Levi.

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If you’ve never heard of her she is awesome with a capital “Q!” She does folk music and pop music and she did a bluegrass number that was amazing. She used a ‘loop station’ — I think that’s the name of it — to build up the background harmonies while she was on stage and did the number as a one-woman band. She also beat boxed and looped that as well. It was like Joni Mitchell meets Doug E. Fresh meets a Dixie Chick. I LOVED it. Check her out for sure!!! Continue reading →