The Other Side

Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) is a WWE Hall of Famer for his work as both an announcer and an executive. On August 19, he comes to the DC Improv for "Ringside," a show that includes stories from his amazing four-decade career AND a no-holds-barred Q&A session with the fans.

We're talking to Jim about Washington's wresting history, the best storytellers he worked with, and the most infamous call of his career: Hell in a Cell 1998. Sit back and listen to a legend!

One of our favorite comics, John Witherspoon, returns to the Improv stage July 9-12. To get you ready, we're re-releasing an interview we did with Pops back in 2008. We talk about his early years in Detroit, his famous friends in the comedy world and, naturally, his rap album.

Awesome variety on today's episode! Chad Dukes hosts the afternoon show on 106.7 The Fan (sports talk radio), as well as the Chad Dukes Wrestling Show. He was hand-picked by Jim Ross to host the August 19 "Ringside" show at the Improv, so we head over to the WJFK studios to find out about Chad's lifelong passion for wrestling.

Then we're on the phone with Russell Howard, the British comedy superstar who headlined the Improv for a few shows in 2014. He's coming back through town on June 27 to play Sixth and I (a historic synagogue in Chinatown), so we're checking in to see how his current North American tour is going.

The best know the best, right? We're sitting down with comics from the "Best of DC" shows (July 2-3) to get their take on great things in Washington. Rob Maher, Dana Fleitman and Kasaun Wilson share their favorite tourist attractions, places to end up at 2 a.m., restaurants, famous people and more.

Plus, we somehow end up talking aboug pugs, "12 Years a Slave" on IMAX, the Washington Capitals mascot and Bigfoot. It's a good time.

Guy Torry (guytorrylive.com) and Joe Fox (joefoxlive.com) travel the country together bringing the funny, and this week they’re in DC. In honor of Father’s Day, we’ve got ‘em in studio talking about dads, documentaries, the TSA and whether it’s OK to borrow nasal spray. Also, there’s a giant wooden rooster in there somewhere.

"You're the Expert" is a podcast / radio program / live event built around a brilliant concept: A scientist doing mind-blowing research gets on stage with three comedians who are ready to have their minds blown. Once the comedians guess what the scientist does, the panel interviews them about their work. It's the perfect marriage of science and comedy -- and it's coming the the DC Improv on June 17.

We're talking with Chris Duffy, the creator and host of "YTE." He tells us how the show got started, explains the joys of working with brainiacs, and reveals that dogs are sociopaths. Plus, we get some info on the expert for the 6/17 show -- Robert Provine, the neuroscientist who literally wrote the book on laughter.

Comedy doesn't grow on trees. It's hand-crafted in sweatshop conditions, and we've got three guests to prove it:

Mike Sacks (5') works for Vanity Fair, and his pieces have been published in Esquire, the New Yorker and McSweeney's. His interviews with great comedy writers have been compiled into two books ... and on June 15 he's coming to the Improv to share tips on getting published. We talk about Mike's approach to writing and what he's learned from studying the masters.

Brian Agler (27') is putting together "An Evening of Humorous Readings" on June 15 at Kramerbooks. Want some creds? Brian has worked with Second City and won pun competitions -- and in his spare time, he's a professional speechwriter. We chat about writing for other people's voices, producing humor on demand and the WNBA.

Brian Parise (54') is our feature act June 4-6. He checks in to tell us about life in New York, and shares a little insight on how he likes to write jokes.

You couldn't write it up any better than this ...

Bert headlines the Improv June 11-13. To get you ready, we're re-releasing this interview from when he visited the club in 2010. Get ready for 30 minutes of mildly buzzed conversation.

Boxing involves two muscular people wailing away on each other's faces. But other than that, is it funny? Following up on the smashing success (pun intended) of our MMA episode from a few weeks back, we're chatting with boxing writer Tim Starks about comedy and the sweet science. In a jam-packed interview, we talk about funny fighters, how humor can sell a bout and hilarious things (intentional and unintentional) that have happened in the ring.

Tim is the founder of The Queensberry Rules (queensberry-rules.com), a tremendous blog about boxing. How tremendous? In 2013, Time named Tim one of the 25 best bloggers on ANY subject, period. He's also an accomplished reporter who has covered Capitol Hill, the defense sector and the intelligence community.

Rahmein Mostafavi (coolcowcomedy.com) has a lot going on: young kids, a day job and a comedy career that he started in his 30s. He's also an Iranian-American who lives in Fredericksburg, and he's the feature act with Jake Johannsen from May 21-24.

The point is, we had lots to talk about. And somehow we even found the time to chat about maps for the blind, Shear Madness, his dad's awesome sense of humor. Plus we try to answer the eternal question: Can you drag a person off the street and make them funny for five minutes?

Enjoy this conversation with a good friend of the club. Then do your patriotic duty and come see him at the club this weekend.