BY MICHAEL LANSU
Plenty of funny things happen at late-night bars — but tonight it will be intentional.
Liver Failure Chicago, an open mike featuring some of Chicago’s top stand-up comedians, makes its debut at 2:30 Tuesday night — early Wednesday —at the Continental Lounge, 2801 W. Chicago.
Chicago comedian Junior Stopka will emcee the event at the Humboldt Park bar. Unlike many comedy clubs, the free show doesn’t have a two-drink minimum — but that doesn’t mean the audience (and comedians) haven’t had a few before the show.
“Two-thirty is going to be either a disaster or brilliant — I’m hoping for both,” Stopka said.
The 29-year-old has performed packed shows at the Lakeshore Theater, Reggies Rock Club and the Just for Laughs Festival at the Beat Kitchen.
The long-haired Humboldt Park/Ukrainian Village resident has a comedy style as unusual as his look. He has no problem with uncomfortable pauses and jokes about dating mannequins and watching women jog in Lincoln Park.
Stopka spawned the idea for a late-night stand-up show last month when he and other comedians were out after a busy Tuesday night on the stand-up circuit.
“Everybody just goes there [Continental], and we all get drunk and start ripping on each other,” Stopka said. “I said we should do it onstage in front of hipsters.”
The weekly event will showcase the blossoming Chicago stand-up scene not doing their usual acts. Stopka will be a regular, and local comedians Adam Burke, James Fritz, Brendan McGowan, Ken Barnard, Joe Kilgallon and Danny Kallas are also expected.
“I just want to get drunk and tell [poop] jokes,” Stopka said. “I want comedians to go up there and be funny.
“In my opinion, all the best up-and-comers are from Chicago. All the old guys moved to L.A. or New York. All the new talent is here. … There is a new breed. It’s going to be new guys. It’s not going to be 50-year-old guys doing 25-year-old material.”
Originally reported by Huffington Post Chicago. Read the original story here.