Thursday, December 29, 2011

Happy Holidaze!

We hope you are surviving all of this holiday madness, we are, if even by a thread.  We're hard at work creating an all new show for Chicago Sketchfest and still hard at work on editing for Misguided TV.  Here's a little nugget of tomfoolery that took place earlier this year when Peter and Brent traded beards.


Happy New Year!!!  We'll see you at Pistol Party on January 10th and at Sketchfest on the 14th!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Great Think Tank Holiday Tour

Hold on your hats it's getting crazy out there, people!  This is always an insane time of year, and you just can't help but feel the giving spirit of the holidays.  Think Tank is no different and have been using our talents for various good causes the past few weeks..  Last month we performed to a packed Stage773 house at a benefit for Between Friends, an anti-violence agency here in Chicago.  It was a great night which also featured magician the Amazing Tomas, the kates, and was hosted by Chicago's NBC5 Entertainment reporter, Leeann Trotter.

Also this past Tuesday, December 13th, we held our annual Pistol Party benefit show.  This year's proceeds went to the Mae Bell Ward Foundation for Alzeimer's research, which was founded by our dear friend, Terron Edmonds.  Through money collected at the door, wristband sales, and a matched contribution, we were able to raise over $700 on a glorious evening of comedy and collaboration with Chicago stand up, Will Miles.

Speaking of Will, here's a video we made with him that we debuted at Pistol (you should recognize Will from the Scared White People video):



We're sure you agree, Will IS pretty cool.  Allright.....now that 2011 is almost in the books, we're going to hole ourselves away to keep cracking on this PILOT WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU ABOUT and get to work writing a new show for our Chicago Sketchfest show on January 13th (CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS, IT WILL SELL OUT QUICK!!!!).  2011 has been kind, and 2012 looks to be the year that we finally take over the world (before it ends hopefully, damn Mayan calendar ruining everyone's plans).  Stay tuned for new videos!  We'll probably crap out a couple of more before the New Year.  Godspeed! and NEVER GIVE UUPPPPPPPP!!!  

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Pistol Party is Tuesday Night!! Here's a Little More About Our Host, Will Miles


Pistol Party returns this Tuesday, December 13th at the Underground Lounge.  It is featured in TimeOut Chicago as a Top 5 Thing to do this week!  The show starts at 8pm with a $5 cover and all proceeds going to the Mae Bell Ward Foundation for Alzheimer's.  Will Miles hosts this month, and here are some amazing facts about him.

Will hails from Chicago where he has been performing standup since 2005. He has been in the Cleveland Comedy Festival (2010), Laughing Skull Festival (2010), Snubfest (2010), won "Best Of The Fest" in the Ingenuity Fest (2011), as well as the the runner-up spot in the Break.com "Better Way" video contest (2011). In 2011, he was named one of four nominees for "Performance Artist Of The Year" at the RAWards for Independent Arts.  Here's a quick clip of Will from New York club Comix NYC:



Since 2011, he has been featured on Hannibal Buress' "My Name Is Hannibal" tour, Bill Bellamy's "Ladies Night Out" tour," and is a regular feature at Zanies and The Improv in Chicago, where he has worked with such acts as "Last Comic Standing" winner, Felipe Esparza, and Comedy Central's Eric Andre.  He also writes for Chicago's Red Eye newspaper, in his segment 'Comic's Guide to Dating,' check out his takes on first dates that end in the emergency room, Ninja-rolling to get out of awkward situations, and how to break up with your one-night-stand.

Here's a quick fun one we made with Will one day this summer (we're not really scared of Will):


Will also co-hosts a show in Chicago called "Two Black Dudes And An Open Microphone" on the last Tuesday of every month at Town Hall Pub with fellow comedian Clark Jones.  You can find Will on twitter @mrwillmiles and 'Like' him on Facebook HERE.

Monday, December 5, 2011

New Pretty Good Weekend!

Because you deserve it. You've worked hard. You've been good to each other. You've thought nice things about your relatives. Here's your reward:


Still not enough? Don't worry, there is more Lewis and Gary to come. Be sure to check out all the sneak previews from Misguided TV on our Misguided TV Youtube channel.

Remember, Pistol Party's 3rd Annual Christmastime Celebrationtime is next week! December 13th at the Underground Lounge. This show is a benefit for the Mae Bell Ward Foundation to fight Alzheimer's. All ticket sales and donations will go to this wonderful foundation which is very near and dear to our hearts. Our hilarious pal Will Miles hosts this month. Check out more info here.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Happy Turkey Week!!! Two New Videos from Think Tank

Two new videos for you today.  These are Parts 1 & 2 of some campaign commercials you may have missed this election day.  Always remember to vote!



Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Great Night for a Great Cause

Hello family, friends, lovers, and liars.  We're taking a week off from releasing videos, but that doesn't mean we're not busy.  Last night we entered (as yet unreleased) Ramblin' Travels with Mindy Tindle, Part 4: Mindy Flies, in the Indie Incubator Film Festival.  It was a great night and Mindy took home the hardware for "Biggest Surprise Ending."

Tonight, Wednesday, November 18th, we are headlining The Taste of Art at Stage 773.  This is a great event and all the proceeds go to Between Friends, a Chicago anti-domestic violence agency.  Check out the flyer for more info and to see the incredible cast, curated by our very own Paul Robinson.


Come out tonight if you can, hit us up for discounted tickets!  In the meantime, watch our latest video, The Doors Tribute Band Online University.  We're almost to 1,000 views, let's do it today, people!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The Doors Tribute Band Online Learning Annex

Here's another clip from Misguided TV, fresh off the grill. This one is written by and starring our good friend Chad Briggs. Mr. Briggs was also the featured guest at Pistol Party last night and boy what a good, clean, honest time that was. Thanks to all who were able to come out and enjoy the night with us. Now go jump start your career as a Doors tribute band at the Doors Tribute Band Online Learning Annex!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Pistol Party is Tonight!! Here's a Little More About Our Host, Chad Briggs

Hey guys, we're getting really excited about the triumphant return of Pistol Party next week (Tuesday, November 8th, at Underground Lounge 8pm) and wanted to tell you a little more about our guest host, Chad Briggs.  We have been collaborating with Chad over the last month for videos and live bits that we will be unveiling on the 8th.  Here's a teaser for one video we're unveiling at the show:


Chad has been performing comedy Chicago for years, and has built up such accolades as Chicago Underground Comedy cast member, Andy Kaufman award finalist, and a regular at the Lincoln Lodge.  He is also a previous winner of the comedy talent competition, "Impress These Apes."  And now he can add "Hosted Pistol Party" to his resumé.  He regularly cracks us up on twitter <@mrchadbriggs>.  Here are a few of our recent favorites (as he sometimes refers to them, briggsy-twits):


MrChadBriggs
Please leave Herman Cain alone. He's way too funny. We need to laugh and I don't think that Sandler in a dress picture's gonna cut it.
11/1/11 9:26 AM



MrChadBriggs
I think the CTA should replace "If you see something, say something" campaign with "please wash your ass before boarding."
10/31/11 6:46 PM




MrChadBriggs
Powdered eggs scooped out of a chafing dish and the phrase "Good morning" creep me out. Independently and together.
10/28/11 11:10 AM


And here's another great clip of Chad's stand up at ChUC:


He also performs regularly as Safety Specialist, D.K. Ediger, which is one of our favorites.  D.K. has appeared multiple times at Pistol Party.  Here's a PSA from D.K.:



See you November 8th.  Stay tuned this week for Funeral parts 2 & 3.

Pistol Party Housewarming Show with host Chad Briggs!!!
November 8th, 8pm at the Underground Lounge
952 W. Newport (intersection of Clark/Sheffield/Newport)
Just $5.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Funeral-All Three Parts, Including the Dramatic Conclusion!

We have posted parts 1 & 2 of our scene, Funeral, this week, and we are now proud to unveil it's dramatic conclusion.  Check out all 3 in order below!  Happy Friday, people!

 



Have a Pretty Good Weekend, we'll see you next Tuesday at Pistol Party, where we'll be debuting more videos and live scenes:

Pistol Party Housewarming Show
Tuesday, November 8th (Election Day) 8pm
Underground Lounge
952 W. Newport, Chicago USA
$5

Happy National Sandwich Day Everyone!!! Cappy's 2nd Favorite Holiday!


Hey Everybody,

This is Kevin. I really like sandwiches, but you probably know that already. The rest of the Tank likes them too, but not as much as I do. I was just searching the worldwideweb for images of sandwiches. Here are some of my favorites.


sandwich

sandwich

sandwich!!!

Sandwich

sandwich


Crack sandwich


Feel free to find some favorites of your own and post them for us (me). There are some offensive sandwich images out there though, so be careful!  See you next Tuesday, the 8th (Election Day) at Pistol Party!  It's at the Underground Lounge this time at 8pm and there will be no election/erection puns.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

As promised... Part two!

 Check back Friday for the dramatic, thrilling, captivating, surprising, heartwarming(?) conclusion!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Funeral Part 1

We're mixing things up a little bit this week.  Rather than just one new release from the Misguided TV vault, we will be releasing the 3 parts of Funeral throughout this week, and Part 1 drops today!  Steve Platcow and Tiffany Puterbaugh helped us out with this one, and it features a lot of footage from our live pilot taping back in June.  Enjoy and stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3!!!


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Misguided TV Vault: Pretty Good Weekend Part 1

It's Tuesday, and that means a new video from the Misguided TV Vault!!!  This week brings you Part 1 of fan favorite, Pretty Good Weekend.  Enjoy!

 

Sunday, October 23, 2011

PISTOL PARTY RETURNS!!!!


We are pleased to announce that Pistol Party is returning on November 8th at the Underground Lounge, with Pistol Party Returns: A Housewarming Show <==Click to RSVP.  We have a lot of new things in store for you all and can't wait to unveil it.  First of all, we're moving the start time up to 8pm.  We realize it's Tuesday night, and you don't want to stay out til all hours.  Second, the Underground has a huge projector, so we will be able to unveil new videos bigger and better than ever.  Finally, we will also be collaborating with a special guest comedian perform with us every month.  We will work with them over the course of the month to make videos, scenes, and characters to be showcased at the next Pistol.  Our first guest is the illustrious Chad Briggs <@mrchadbriggs on twitter>.  Chad has been performing standup, sketch, and working characters in Chicago for years.  He is a cast member of Chicago Underground Comedy which Chicago Magazine calls "The hippest, hottest stand up showcase to emerge in years." Here's a clip of Chad at the Lincoln Lodge:


So come out November 8th for our Housewarming at the Underground Lounge.  We can't wait to see you.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

It's Tuesday, and from here on out, that means a new video from Think Tank's Misguided TV Vault. We are super excited to start unveiling snippets of the show that we have worked so hard on all summer.  This week's installment is "Scared White People #1" and features a guest slot from fellow Chicago funny man, Will Miles (@mrwillmiles twitter bits).  Enjoy!

(And stay tuned, we've got so much news, we can barely contain ourselves)

Scared White People #1
 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

We're Closing In...

Hey guys, the pilot is getting there!  We have just a few shots to pick up and we're editing.  We've been hard at work behind the scenes.  You can now follow us on twitter @thinktankcomedy and we have just launched our youtube page themisguidedtvshow .  We have a couple of videos up there now and will be launching a lot of exclusive Misguided content.  Here's a video from earlier this year to sate your appetite:


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

MISGUIDED TV Episode #1 Coming FALL 2011

Imagine if the frequencies on your TV suddenly got misguided, redirecting you to the utterly bizarre sketch comedy world of Think Tank Comedy. Arriving fall 2011, Misguided TV will be exactly that. Currently in production, Episode #1 of Misguided TV will be a full-length television pilot. Featuring the most beloved Think Tank Comedy stage characters, some of the most talented local Chicago comics, and almost one year’s worth of the blood sweat and sillies, Misguided TV has big plans to take over your dial.

A glimpse of things to come......

Here is production still of local stand up Chad Briggs at the Indiana Sand Dunes dressed as Jim Morrison:



Here is a little commercial we shot for the show with our good friends The Puterbaugh Sisters:



Slacks Long Version from Think Tank on Vimeo.



And here are some production stills of Kevin and Paul having a pretty good weekend:






Stay tuned for more information about the Chicago Release Party coming this fall!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Midsummer Updates

Welp, here we are, July burned away, taking with it Brent's amazing July 3rd Bash, Cappy's 10 dunk-a-roo performance at said Bash, Peter fighting Chris Condren Mortal-Kombat-style at Impress These Apes, and Paul rocking his first ever mustache.  We've shot some pretty good weekends, and the first episode is really coming together material-wise.  We still have some shots to pick up, which we will be knocking out in the coming weeks.  It's been more fun than killing snakes!  We have a few really fun shows coming up as well.
The first being Pistol Party's Two Year Anniversary Show.  We're doing this one at the Underground Lounge on August 27th.  The Underground is at 952 W. Newport (Clark/Newport/Sheffield) intersections.


After Pistol Party wraps up performing, the Heavy Bombers will provide rock and roll entertainment late into the night.  Tickets are $10 at the door.  We also have a show coming up in Lafayette, at our home away from home, the Lafayette Brewing Company.  That goes down September 24.  Half the county will be there, you should come too!

Keep your eyes posted for chances to win tickets to these upcoming shows (look up PISTOL PARTY and THINK TANK on Facebook and follow us).

Finally, can you come up with a caption for the following photo?  Post it on a Facebook page for free Pistol Party tickets!

Friday, June 17, 2011

IT"S HERE!!

The Misguided TV Live Taping shows are finally upon us! Come join the fun and be part of the live audience featured in each episode. You'll get to see Think Tank's finest material. You'll have the unique experience of watching a taping production. You'll be treated to Drew Frees hosting the night and peppering his brand of silliness throughout. There'll be giveaways, beer, and a whole lot of laughter. Please come if you can. Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors. Tell your teachers. Tell your children...that they'll have a babysitter. We really hope to see you there!

Saturday 10:30pm and Sunday 8pm SHARP (the shows will start promptly as scheduled)
Stage 773
1225 W. Belmont
Chicago
$10
Buy Tickets Here

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Mo' Money Mo' Funny!!!

KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN WAS A SUCCESS!
It’s official; we raised $5,544.00 via http://www.kickstarter.com/ for our comedy pilot series “MISGUIDED TV”. Think Tank extends a HUGE thank you to each of the 69 backers who helped us achieve our goal over the past 30 days!! We will be releasing the first episode of the series this fall (it’s looking like September) so stay tuned!

BE A PART OF “MISGUIDED TV”
Do you want your laughter to be forever captured? Okay, that sounded creepy. Do you want to be part of the live studio audience for a new sketch comedy series? Okay, that’s more like it….

Think Tank Comedy presents
The Live “Misguided TV” Tapings
At Stage773
1225 West Belmont
June 18th & June 19th
These live Think Tank shows are part of “14@Stage773”, a fourteen‐day celebration of performing arts that will bid farewell to the old theater and help kick off renovations to the all‐new Stage773.We have assembled a professional camera crew for these live tapings and much of the material for the first several episodes will come from these two live tapings. Elements from these live shows will be infused into the series alongside pre‐recorded videos. BUY TICKETS HERE!

Last but not least, here is a NEW VIDEO we made with our good friends The Puterbaugh Sisters


Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Think Tank Update 5.24.11







Hey guys, another momentous week here at Think Tank! First of all, we all survived the Rapture (we’re not sure if that’s a good thing…). And the kickstarter project is rolling on as we just broke $2,000!! We would like to thank everyone who has pledged money, the support to this point has been overwhelming. We now only have 16 days left to reach our goal of $5,000. Please click HERE to pledge money. If you can’t, please spread the word anyway you can!

We have also been hard at work filming. We made a TRIBUTE VIDEO for Macho Man (RIP) with John from Pistol Party that is blowing up across the interwebs. It was even featured on Funny or Die’s homepage. You can find that by clicking RIGHT HERE, don’t forget to vote FUNNY! We also shot a lot of green screen material for the pilot. Here’s a ridiculous picture of Brent during the filming for one of our favorite scenes (can you guess which one?):


We’ve also declared the next Pistol Party, on Tuesday, June 7th, to be FREE!* We won’t be charging at the door, but at the end, we will be asking the audience to donate whatever they feel the show was worth the Kickstarter campaign, which ends the next day. Click HERE to RSVP on facebook..

Don’t forget about our comedy pilot tapings in Chicago on June 18th and 19th at Stage 773! Click HERE for tickets!

OH! And last, but certainly not least, WE TOOK MINDY TINDLE SKYDIVING on Tuesday! Expect to see footage of that soon. Here’s quick peak of her preparing for flight:



Go here to follow us on facebook, and we’re still tweeting @thinktankcomedy. Don’t forget to GO PLEDGE TO OUR KICKSTARTER PAGE and SPREAD THE WORD!!!!!! Thanks again for all of your support!


Thursday, May 19, 2011

Happy Over the Hump Day.

Tank rolls on...We've got some exciting midweek news to drop. First off, our kickstarter campaign is creeping towards $2000. To kickstart it even more, we've decided that anyone who backs the project between 11am Central time today (Wednesday 5/18) and 11am Saturday for a minimum of $20 will get a personal voice message from the Pretty Good Weekend Guys- Lewis and Gary from Lombard! You'll get the special Lewis and Gary reward in addition to your regular reward if you pledge at a higher level.  Go here to pledge and get that reward!!


Next up, we're debuting a new video today featuring one of our favorites, Burt McCallister. It's an extended cut that we had to painstakingly edit down for our last stage production, Modern Men.

Enjoy!  And CLICK HERE here to learn more about the kickstarter project.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Kickstarter project for Misguided TV Launched!

Check it out!!! Think Tank presents: Misguided TV

Our Kickstarter funding project is underway! Watch the video, read the info, check out the awesome rewards and SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!!

Help us get the already rolling ball rolling even faster!

Keep rollin' there buddy. Keep on rollin'

New Website Design Coming Soon!

Bear with us while we create a new and improved, sleaker, cleaner, healthier thinktankcomedy.com.

In the meantime this should tickle you for a bit... Misguided TV

And in the spirit of the Kentucky Derby this past weekend...

Racer from Think Tank on Vimeo.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Think Tank presents: Misguided TV


We're pleased, excited, and happy to announce our new big project: Misguided TV. Over the last couple months and over the next several we're shooting some of our favorite scenes and putting it all together to form a pilot episode, as well as the first few episodes of a continuing series. Live material for the series will be filmed at Stage 773 in Chicago on June 18th and 19th. Stay tuned for more info and to see how you can be a part of this exciting endeavor.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Gettin' the Tank rollin'

Hello world. It's Monday. I know, boring. Tired. Grumpy. Yes all these words come to mind, but here's a little distraction. Think Tank is currently hard at work putting together a TV pilot. The show will be a combination of polished material produced on location, and scenes shot live in front of an audience. We did some great work yesterday and here's just a tiny little snippet of what a little of the pilot will look like:

Figuring it out from Think Tank on Vimeo.



More news on the pilot to come, including ways you can help out! Mark your calenders now for the live taping shows Saturday, June 18th (10:30pm) and Sunday, June 19th (8pm) at Stage773 in Chicago. Facebook event page

See ya soon!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Thanks to all!

Thanks to all who came out to our celebration at Chicago Sketchfest Thursday night. There were whispers in some circles that maybe it was the best show we've done. People in this circle tend to agree. It was an amazing night, and we'd like to thank everyone for making it out.

Here's to a big new year...

Friday, January 7, 2011

People Used to Listen to this in the 90's!!!

Happy Friday! See you at Sketchfest next Thursday.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Happy new year from Think Tank. We all have our new year's resolutions intact: Paul is going to lie to Brent more, Brent is going to lie to Drew more, Peter is going to end world peace, and Cappy...well...more on Cappy's later. We just wrapped up a remarkable Pistol Party 18 with some good stories, good beers, the birth of an Uncle Snickers, and a wicked hangover this morning. Our friend Kevin "Pugsly" Casey came all the way from Lexington, KY to help us with some jokes, which was great of him to do. Happy early birthday Pugs, and when we're thinking of birthdays in January, we think of the most epic party that never happened, of course:



Still gotta throw that party...In the meantime, we'll be back with Pistol Party on Tuesday Feb. 1st (Shit...the first Tuesday in February is on the first??? It'll be here before you know it!). In the meantime, come see an encore performance of our very own Modern Men show next Thursday at 9:30 for our Chicago Sketchfest slot. Sketchfest is the worlds largest such festival, and is always a great time. Get more info here: chicagosketchfest

We'd like to send a big R.I.P. to one of our heroes, Gerry Rafferty, who wrote songs such as "Stuck in the Middle with You," and one of our show staples "Baker Street." I couldn't count how many times Cappy has danced to that one, or how many air saxophone contests we've had while listening (check the clip...you'll know it):



Also, here's a ridiculous video of John (of Pistol Party fame) that Cappy found while snooping on his computer (one of Cappy's resolutions is to snoop on more people's computers, so password protect that shit):