Monday
David Dyer
David Dyer has been performing stand-up at clubs and corporate events for over twenty years. He’s worked with some of the best performers in the industry including Drew Carey, Lewis Black, and Kathleen Madigan. He’s appeared regularly on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom Show as well as Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. and in the past, he contributed to ABC’s Politically Incorrect. He frequently contributes and guest co-hosts on The Tony Gates Morning Show? on 97 WLAV FM in Grand Rapids, MI. He’s won The Grand Rapids Magazine Comedy Joke Off; a competition that put him up against the best comedic talent in the State of Michigan. David’s interesting and sometimes twisted take on life will make you say, “Hey, that happened to me, too even if it didn’t. It’s weird, I know.” Check out his new comedy short, “Crab Grass.” Follow him on twitter and facebook. Visit his website here.
Nicole Pence
Nicole Pence is an Emmy-nominated journalist living in Central Indiana.
Pence joined FOX59 in 2014 to help launch a brand new newscast, “FOX59 NewsPoint at 11PM.” NewsPoint will debut in the summer.
Most recently, the NATAS Lower Great Lakes chapter nominated Pence for an Emmy award for her work as a broadcast anchor in April of 2014.
Before coming to FOX59, Pence solo anchored Indianapolis’ number-one rated weekend morning program, Weekend Sunrise on WTHR. Pence helped to increase ratings nearly twenty percent year to year. Pence left WTHR in November of 2013.
Previously, Pence was nominated for a 2010 regional Emmy Award for her work at WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky as the main morning co-anchor. Pence also received second-place honors as “Best News Anchor” in the 2011 Kentucky Associated Press Awards.
Prior to working at LEX-18, Pence reported for Indiana’s NewsCenter (NBC/ABC/CW) in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
A midwestern girl, Pence grew up in Columbus, Indiana. She graduated Cum Laude from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana with a double major in Communication Arts & Sciences and Spanish and a minor in Political Science. She also earned her Master’s of Public Affairs (MPA) from Indiana University-Purdue University at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indianapolis with high honors.
In her spare time, Pence loves to travel. She lived with a family in Segovia, Spain, studied cooking in Italy, climbed the Great Wall in Beijing, China, crawled through the Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, and tangoed in Argentina!
Pence is involved with several Central Indiana organizations, including Make-A-Wish, Pacers Cares, and the DePauw University Alumni Association. Follow her on twitter.
Tuesday
Jeff Oskay
Jeff Oskay has made finding faults in himself and others an art form. Through his tales of ‘Bad Life Choices’, he shows us that we are all human and that we should all laugh at ourselves. Whether you’re eighteen or eighty, you will find his comedy accessible and hilarious. Along with comedy, he’s divorced, has a child, always take the easy way out, and once had a day job where he did nothing but slice fruit for nine hours straight every day, seven days a week. He also appeared on the B&T album “Crushed Nuts” and hosts his own podcast. Follow Jeff on facebook and twitter.
Wednesday
Bob Zany
It’s time for another exciting episode of the best joke filled, news feature hosted by a stand-up comedian named Bob Zany, The Zany Report . But the Report isn’t the only thing you’ll get when Bob calls in, we’ll also find out where he’s playing next, Bing Crosby will tell a joke, and some lucky fan will win prizes after fixing one Zany’s less than successful punch lines. So you’d better tune it because it’s going to be huge! In other news, Bob was recently featured in the Matt Damon film, The Informant! and is the star of the new documentary Close But No Cigar: Bob Zany which you can find here and pre-order the 2-DVD set here. Follow Bob on Facebook and twitter. Bob also has a new Podcast, “ The Bob Zany Show” with Zan Aufdeerheide.
Ms. Pat
Let’s start with Ms. Pat hasn’t lived the life of your typical comedian. Born to a single mother of 5, living on welfare in a tough West end neighborhood of Atlanta, Ms. Pat learned early on she would have to fend for herself in this world. Her Grandfather ran a “bootleg” house where as a kid Pat learned how to roll the drunks for food money. She had her first child at 14 and her second child at 15, “I knew I wasn’t going to college so I figured why not get an early start on my family”. She became a drug dealer in her teens known by the street name “Rabbit”. “I figured there were two things I could do in my neighborhood to earn money, either sell drugs or sell p*@#$y”. At 16 she purchased her first Cadillac. During her teens she was shot twice and arrested numerous times. At 19 years of age she met a man, and with his help and encouragement decided to get out of the “life”. “I was so tired, I thought for sure I was going to end up dead. He was 21 and a military vet and he showed me a way out”.
At 19 with two toddlers and a new husband she is handed 4 more young children from her sister who was struggling with drug addiction. The next 10 years of her life are spent raising those 6 children. Part of that process included visits to the welfare office for food stamps and Section 8 housing assistance for her sister’s children. It was during these visits that Ms. Pat was first told she had a talent for telling funny stories. In 2003 with her case-worker’s encouragement she decided to go on stage and appeared at the Open-Mic-Night at “The Pub” in Atlanta. From the moment she stepped on stage she knew she had found her place. She began pouring punch lines across stages at the rate other moms pour milk at the counter.
With a comedy career now spilling over 9 years this powerful woman brings an honest, in your face, and hilarious perspective to her shows. She has appeared on TV Guide Network’s “Standup in Stilettos”, and Nickelodeons “Mom’s Night Out”. She has an upcoming appearance on BET’s “Comicview” this fall. She is a regular guest on the syndicated Bob and Tom Radio Show, and appears on Katt Williams DVD “Kattpacalypse”.
Ms. Pat currently resides with her husband and three children in Indianapolis. Follow her on twitter and facebook here. Visit her website here.
Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller
For nearly 40 years Penn & Teller have defied labels—and at times physics and good taste– by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy.
With sold out runs on Broadway, world tours, Emmy-winning TV specials and hundreds of outrageous appearances on everything from Letterman to Leno, Friends to The Simpsons, Chelsea Lately to Top Chef, comedy’s only team show no signs of slowing down.
With an amazing seven wins, including 2013, as “Las Vegas Magicians of the Year,” their 12-year run at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino makes them one of the longest running and most-beloved shows in Las Vegas history, outselling every other resident magician on The Strip.
Their acclaimed Showtime series, “Penn & Teller: BS!” was nominated for 13 Emmys and is the longest-running series in the history of the network. The show tackled the fakes and frauds behind such topics as alien abduction, psychics and bottled water. Their latest television venture, “Penn & Teller Tell A Lie” for the Discovery Channel premiered last October and Penn recently showed his business savvy once again on the newest season of NBC’s “All-Star Celebrity Apprentice.”
Their acclaimed documentary, “Tim’s Vermeer,” follows Texas-based inventor Tim Jenison on his quest to discover the methods used by Dutch Master painter Johannes Vermeer. The film, which was nominated for a BAFTA and shortlisted for the 2014 Oscars, is currently in theaters.
Along the way, they’ve written three New York Times Best-Sellers, hosted their own Emmy nominated variety show for FX, starred in their own Emmy winning specials for ABC, NBC and Comedy Central and produced the critically lauded feature film documentary The Aristocrats.
As individuals, they are just as prolific. Teller directed a version of Macbeth that toured the East Coast to raves from The New York Times and Wall Street Journal and co-wrote and directed the Off-Broadway thriller “Play Dead.” Penn has written three books, including the 2011 New York Times Best Seller, “God No!”, hosted the NBC game show Identity and donned his ballroom shoes for the 2008 season of ABC’s hit Dancing With The Stars.
With inclusions in the New York Times Crossword Puzzle, as answers on Jeopardy and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, their status as cultural icons and the preeminent duo in comedy was once again reinforced when Katy Perry personally asked them to co-star in the video for her #1 song, “Waking Up in Vegas.”
In April 2013 they were honored with their very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
PENN & TELLER: FOOL US is a one-hour competition series celebrating magic and featuring the legendary duo Penn & Teller.
On each of the nine episodes of PENN & TELLER: FOOL US, aspiring magicians are invited to perform their best trick to try and fool the world-famous team of Penn & Teller. Anyone who succeeds wins the right to perform with Penn & Teller in their celebrated show at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The live studio audience and the TV audience watch along with Penn & Teller as they try to figure out the secrets. Penn and Teller see the trick only once and have to immediately try to work it out. The live studio audience knows there are no camera tricks, secret edits or helpful camera cuts. This is all real magic. British television and radio personality Jonathan Ross (“Friday Night with Jonathan Ross”) serves as host.
Visit their website here. Follow Penn on Twitter.
Thursday
Jackie Kashian
ackie Kashian’s comedy is like listening to a really racy episode of All Things Considered. She is a national touring comic with a new hour standup special “This Will Make an Excellent Horcrux.” It is available digitally or on CD or DVD. It’s also available for $5 download on www.allthingsrecords.com. She recently made her late night comedy debut on the Conan O’Brien show, has her own half hour special on Comedy Central, was a semi-finalist on Last Comic Standing and has recorded This American Life with Ira Glass for NPR. She has a weekly Podcast where she interviews people about their obsessions. Tune into The Dork Forest on iTunes or at her website: www.dorkforest.com. Photo credit: Luke Fontana
Friday
Ben Roy
Ben Roy is one of the fastest rising stars in the comedy world. Ben and his Grawlix comedy troupe created and starred in “Those Who Can’t,” a pilot for Amazon Studios. Ben’s comedy album “I Got Demons” was released in 2012 and was featured in LaughSpin’s top comedy albums of the year.
Ben was also featured in the book “Mock Stars: Indie Comedy and the Dangerously Funny,” alongside comedy greats Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, and Fred Armisen, author John Wenzel described him as,“gloriously erratic, mixing Louis Black’s quivering indignation with Bill Hicks’ vitriol and David Cross’s unapologetic misanthropy.” The Onion A.V. Club said “he’s like a skinny, punk-rock Sam Kinison.”
In 2010, Ben performed in the Just For Laughs Montreal “New Faces” showcase and received high accolades for his performances. He was also invited back to the festival in 2012 where he taped a “Funny As Hell” set for HBO Canada. Last year Ben was also given his own one-hour show at the New York Comedy Festival
Andy Kindler
Ben Roy
Ben Roy is one of the fastest rising stars in the comedy world. Ben and his Grawlix comedy troupe created and starred in “Those Who Can’t,” a pilot for Amazon Studios. Ben’s comedy album “I Got Demons” was released in 2012 and was featured in LaughSpin’s top comedy albums of the year.
Ben was also featured in the book “Mock Stars: Indie Comedy and the Dangerously Funny,” alongside comedy greats Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, and Fred Armisen, author John Wenzel described him as,“gloriously erratic, mixing Louis Black’s quivering indignation with Bill Hicks’ vitriol and David Cross’s unapologetic misanthropy.” The Onion A.V. Club said “he’s like a skinny, punk-rock Sam Kinison.”
In 2010, Ben performed in the Just For Laughs Montreal “New Faces” showcase and received high accolades for his performances. He was also invited back to the festival in 2012 where he taped a “Funny As Hell” set for HBO Canada. Last year Ben was also given his own one-hour show at the New York Comedy Festival
Andy Kindler
​Andy Kindler is known in comedy circles as a troublemaker. Originally from New York, and now complaining from California, he annoys people all over the world. Andy is a frequent guest and correspondent for The Late Show with David Letterman. Each summer at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal he delivers the State of the Industry address to a packed ballroom filled with comics and Hollywood industry types. He is infamous for his scathing attacks on the world of entertainment, including the previously taboo practice of making fun of his fellow comedians. Just as the comedy boom of the nineties was imploding, Andy wrote the “Hack’s Handbook” for National Lampoon. This “how-to” guide satirized and exposed tired comedy formulas.Andy currently recurs on IFC’s Maron, Comedy Central’s Tosh.0 and Fox’s hit animation, Bob’s Burgers. He was also a judge on the seventh season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing and starred in two half-hour Comedy Central Presents specials. Other noteworthy credits include the HBO Young Comedians Special, Late Night with Conan O’Brian, The Daily Show, Wizards of Waverly Place, Dr. Katz Professional Therapist, Home Movies and The Larry Sanders Show. Andy is often recognized for playing the life-affirming character “Andy” on the CBS sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond.