LIVE COMEDY WITNESSED IN 2018

I didn’t met my live comedy goals for 2018 (of which there were two). My streak of going to more events than the previous year was snapped, but worse – my goal of seeing a more diverse array of entertainers fell extremely short. With one exception, every show on the below list was led with somebody that looked a lot like me.

The point of writing that is to challenge myself for next year. It’ll be accomplished if I make a better effort to see new people – this year was dominated by acts I’ve seen before and it’s not like I’ll stop supporting them in the future.
[Previous years: 2017. 2016, 2015]

• Todd Barry at S.P.A.C.E. (Fri Jan 26)
• Amazing front row seats for his Crowd Work tour. The highlight was when he named a new chicken product we had in development.
• Rory Scovel at Lincoln Hall (Sun Jan 28)
• One of the best in the business. This was the 3^rd time I’ve seen him perform.
• Myq Kaplan at Zanies (Thu Feb 1)
• The highlight of this night was not Kaplan, but the feature act: Derek Graf. He’s someone that had the unfortunate displeasure of seeing me attempt comedy at an open mic – and now through his hard work and perpetually improving set is now getting consistent stage time at the most established comedy club in Chicago. I’ve yet to hear a better joke than dehumidifiers.
• Never Not Funny at Zanies (Sat May 12)
• I’ll never stop going to live podcasts. The second time I’ve seen NNF, but the first time I saw him in his hometown.
• Playing Games at Zanies (Sat May 12)
• Can someone give Jimmy Pardo a hosting job? He’s simply the best at it.
• Jon Gabrus and Friends at UCB Sunset (Thu May 24)
• This was the comedy highlight of my year. I insisted that I take two of my friends (who were vacationing with me in Los Angeles) to this the first night in town and it was funnier than the large amount of hype I gave it.
• ASSSSCAT at UCB Sunset (Sun May 27)
• First time I saw a founding member of UCB (Matt Besser) perform. I’ve been to three ASSSSCATs and hope there are many more in my future.
• How Did This Get Made at Athenaeum Theatre (Sat Jun 2)
• Rad was pretty cool. MVP of the night was my friend Chrissy’s amazing sign that got brought up on stage.
• How Did This Get Made at Athenaeum Theatre (Sat Jun 2)
• Damn right I went back for a second show! Blues Brothers 2000 is one of the worst five movies I’ve ever seen and I could’ve have been more happy (Scribbles Forever)!
• Josh Gondelman at Zanies (Thu Jul 5)
• Potentially the nicest comic on Twitter, I’ll never stop supporting him when he comes into town. You should also act in this manner.
• Canned Tears at Judy’s Beat Lounge (Fri Jul 27)
• As amazing and funny as timely and relateable. Never underestimate the luxury of knowing funny people.
• Gary Gulman at Park West (Sun Nov 18)
• A more personal set than I expected. He amazingly crafted humor from the decent of depression.
• Team Coco Presents Conan & Friends: An Evening Of Stand-Up And Investment Tips at Chicago Theatre (Wed Nov 28)
• Conan forever. In any form, in any medium.

Help me fix this mistakes for next year. Know a show off the beaten path and want company? I’ll join you. Writing or directing a show yourself? Let me know and I’ll support it.

TQ's Year of TV (2018)

MY POST TV AWARDS
[Previous Years: 2017 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 LT / 2014 NLT / 2013 / 2012 / 2011]

These dumb and obsessive television posts have mutated over its now eight years. A simple “top 11 of ‘11” became a behemoth of over seventy programs last year. I finally broke. Thanks to many life changing events that happened in 2018, I watched less television than when I first started writing these annual reviews.

Comedy Central

The culture of TV has shot past the Golden and Peak TV eras and for some (such as myself) is beyond the age of “Too Much TV.” We are now in a Post TV era. People discuss the television they watched very similar to how they read their books. Gone are the days (or they only exist among Game of Thrones watchers) of chatting about in process programs. Most TV conversations only have two paths, both that start with the simple question of, “Have you seen TITLE?”

1. You have seen TITLE. Great, let’s discuss every single aspect of the show or wait until you have consumed it all and then we can continue this dialogue.
2. You have not seen TITLE. You are inferior to me and I demand you stop all other entertainment consumption and report back to me when you have seen every single aspect of the show. You must watch TITLE and I will not accept you into my life until you have.

For the most part, I’ve stopped recommending television shows to others. We all need to cut back. I’m limiting myself to mentioning twenty shows this year.

Best TV Show That Has Recently Completed / All Seasons Watch Recommend:
The Americans (FX) 

FX

Runner-up: Nathan For You (Comedy Central) 
The Americans had the best series finale since Six Feet Under. Absolutely perfect and validated what all of us have been saying for years. The show had zero weak spots. Even its fake (wigs) and inanimate (mail robot) aspects were second to none. There were no new Nathan For You episodes in 2018. However, the news came out this year that it has ended. As much as I loved this show, and wish there were more episodes, it could not have had a better finale. I know more will discover this show and I look forward to reliving it as more people find it because it will have a great legacy.

Best TV Show That Is Seriously Great:
Better Call Saul (AMC)

Robert Trachtenberg / AMC / Sony Pictures Television

Runner-up: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FXX)
BCS has hit a stride similar to its predecessor, but got to its pace quicker. This will probably remain in this top slot until it’s end. Meanwhile, IASIP keeps on chugging and finding new episodes without slowing at all. It needs to be considered one of the greatest shows in television history.

Best TV Show That Is Bonkers Entertaining:
Billions (Showtime)

Showtime

Runner-up: Nailed It (Netflix)
While it will never get nominated for an Emmy, both of these shows know its tone and hits its notes perfectly. Want a dark drama with people acting crazy? – Billions gonna Billions: it’s a show that won’t wait until a finale to drop a bomb. On a much brighter other side of the coin, Nailed It is the baking competition show we deserve. Nicole Byer warrants more fame.

Best TV Show That Had A Disappointing Recent Season:
Game of Thrones (HBO)

HBO

Runner-up: Black Mirror (Netflix)
Game of Thrones is clearly just setting up for its finale season (very familiar with how The Americans treated its penultimate season).It’s very possible that my standards are too high for these shows. I will watch new episodes with the same fervor, I still love these shows very much.

Best TV Show That I Am Happy To Never Watch Again:
House of Cards (Netflix)

Netflix

Runner-up: Shameless (Showtime)
Good riddance House of Cards – I won’t be taken hostage by you ever again. The last season was a sham – and I only watched it to make sure the corpse is actually dead. Get over yourself HoC! Meanwhile, Shameless will quickly return to my schedule if Emmy Rossum returns. It will probably still be a good show, but no Emmy drops it below my new standard of what is worth my time.

Best TV Show That Needs To Get Resurrected ASAP:
Detroiters (Comedy Central)

Comedy Central

Runner-up: Playing House (USA)
The amount of uproar over the Detroiters cancellation has to bode well for its future. No such luck for Playing House. These shows are very close to each other in DNA. They are buddy comedies that exist in a fun landscape devoid of the nonstop fear and dread that consumes most of our stimulus.

Best TV Show That Needs Your Help Now Before It Dies:
I’m Sorry (TruTV)

Scott Everett White / truTV

Runner-up: The Good Place (NBC)
Run to Netflix now and watch I’m Sorry. Set a series recording for its return next month. And I’m putting The Good Place as the runner up because if Brooklyn Nine-Nine can suffer a cancellation scare, any show can. We can’t lose The Good Place when we need it the most.

Best Documentary Series:
Evil Genius (Netflix)

Netflix

Runner-up: Wild Wild Country (Netflix)
Please allow me to devote this space to only mention that The Staircase sucked. Don’t watch it. The single best theory on what happened never made the show, a fault that is amplified by its already too long and bloated length. If there’s one thing this post helps you with, I hope it that it makes you avoid The Staircase.

Best TV Show That Had a Bounce Back Great Season:
Hard Knocks (HBO)

Cleveland Browns

Runner-up: Silicon Valley (HBO)
What a time for perpetual losers to get on a winning streak.

Best TV Show That You Can Start Without Seeing Prior Seasons:
90 Day Fiancé (TLC)

TLC

Runner-up: Below Deck (Bravo)
What a finale to a post – a shocking twist – I’ve entered the Bravoverse!! It’s not a guilty pleasure, it’s a sincere joy. It finally makes sense to me. Watching TV shows that need graduate level comprehension skills in a distraction free environment are exhausting. Sometimes you need a show that you can have fun watching in a community that understands it is getting at most 70% of an attention span (that’s why it comes out of every commercial break repeating the previous three beats… and no hour is without a flashback).

Please note that it takes a special kind of show in this genre for me to enjoy. It’s an equation I have yet to solve. For some reason, I still can’t watch any “real” housewife or Vanderpump “rule.” Maybe it’s because of the lack of genuine sincerity in those shows? Meanwhile, I’m committed to 90 Day Fiancé  and all aboard Below Deck. These shows are the modern day soap operas – and should be viewed from that perspective instead of other Reality based programming.

Continuing to the next episode,
TQ

The 2018 TQ Music Awards

Welcome to my 8th annual Music Awards / year in review post. I’ve also embedded my Spotify playlist of my favorite tracks at the top of this post.
[Previous Year End Reviews: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011]



Song of the Year:
"All The Stars (with SZA)" by Kendrick Lamar
[Runner up: “Lemon Glow” by Beach House]
It’s a wire-to-wire finish for this song that feels like it came out 30 months ago (January, 2018). Fun fact: when I first heard the song’s chorus I thought I heard, “All the stars the boat show” and it always makes me smile.


Album of the Year:
7 by Beach House
[Runner up: Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves]
Hearing songs from this album from a Box at the Chicago Theatre significantly aided Beach House’s rank. Don’t be surprised to see a Country star as a silver medalist – Musgraves has been a hit since her debut.


Concert of the Year (tie):
Phil Collins at United Center + Carly Rae Jepsen at Park West
[Runner up (tie): Radiohead at United Center + Radiohead at United Center]
This is a win for my heart. I met a woman in 2018 and after only knowing her for a month I purchased tickets to see an old man sit on a stool 5 months in the future. Never before have I planned that far in front of my headlights for a person. The show was held as Relationship Ransom as the only reason why we stayed together, which cemented in my head that she wasn’t an Easy Lover. I also took her to CRJ, which was one of the most fun nights of my life.

Song of the Summer:
"Give" by Blackbird Blackbird
[Runner up: "Runnin'" by Wajatta]
No good explanation for these choices, which is too bad because it’s from the two least recognizable names in this post. These songs found their way onto a playlist early in the summer and fueled my hot walks from the L.


Song Discovered Thanks to a TV Show / Movie of the Year:
"Journal of Ardency" by Class Actress
It was my most played song of the year according to Spotify. “All The Stars” was my Spotify #2, which doesn’t qualify for this award because I heard the song before I saw Black Panther. “Journal of Ardency” doesn’t qualify for Song of the Year because it came out in 2009. The song’s been on repeat ever since I heard it at the end of a Barry (HBO) episode.


Regret of the Year:
Not attending Young Galaxy's final show in Chicago
[Runner up: Not seeing Sayers or Pool Holograph perform live this year]
A close friend with a very trusted musical IQ threated the end of my life if I didn’t see Young Galaxy at Subterranean this past October. I bought tickets immediately. The night of my concert, I was literally 200 yards away – but I had to stop myself from going. It may not be so much a regret, but doing so might have threated my life (this is a large embellishment of course, I was only recovering from an event that I felt threatened my life and wasn’t strong enough for a Montreal Music Mix that have since retired to never tour again). A quick note on the runner up regret: I need to be a better friend and support local music better next year.


Best Decision I made in 2018:
My sister's birthday present (tickets to Justin Timerlake's Man of the Woods tour)
[Runner up: Selecting the instrumental playlist for my MRI]
I’ve never been to a show with my sister until JT. He could’ve been reading from a phone book and my sister would’ve loved every letter. My thoughts on the show are mixed, but the experience was the best of the year. As far my runner up choice here…

Long (another) story short: I had a brain tumor removed this year. That Young Galaxy show I missed was a few weeks after the surgery, which is why I wasn’t strong enough to attend. One of the small pieces to that story was when I spent 90 quality minutes getting an MRI of my head. I choose my “SHUT'JO SASSHOLE” playlist (which consists of lyric-less instrumental tracks) and it perfectly tuned out any noise from the machine while calming me throughout its operation. I’ll need more MRIs in my future, and more need for my favorite mixtape.


Thank you very much for reading. Here are the concert collages / showlog from 2017: