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Spring 2013 Season
Hello, Wits friends!
We've been hunkered down these past couple of months, cooking up a killer spring season: 10 big, hilarious, can't-miss shows in 4 months.
| 3/15 | Paula Poundstone with Robyn Hitchcock |
| 3/29 | W. Kamau Bell with Brendan Benson |
| 4/12 | Kristen Schaal with Rufus Wainwright |
| 4/19 | Tig Notaro with Kathleen Edwards |
| 4/25 | Michael Ian Black with A.C. Newman |
| 5/3 | Patton Oswalt with Ben Lee |
| 5/10 | Rob Delaney with Neko Case and Kelly Hogan |
| 5/31 | Colin Hanks with Jason Isbell |
| 6/7 | Hannibal Buress with Open Mike Eagle |
| 6/14 | David Koechner with Metric |
Here's what you need to know:
* Reserved tickets on the main floor are $42 for a single show and $37 each in a season package.
* General admission tickets in the balconies are $32 for a single show and $27 each in a season package.
* Season package buyers are people who buy tickets to five or more shows.
Sound good? You can swing by the Fitzgerald Theater or call the box office at 651.290.1200. Season packages are only available through the box office.
If you want fewer than five shows, you can also get them from the Fitz, or you can buy them online at Ticketmaster.
-Larissa Anderson, Senior Producer
Spring 2013 Schedule
March 15
Paula Poundstone with Robyn Hitchcock
Paula Poundstone is one of the great humorists of our time. You've heard her on Wait, Wait … Don't Tell Me!, and you've seen her frequently on HBO starring in her own standup comedy specials and on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. She's the author of "There is Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say." Her new CD, "I HEART JOKES: Paula Tells Them in Boston" debuts April Fools Day.
Robyn Hitchcock is one of the godfathers of alternative rock, and a prolific songwriter, having written and recorded more than 500 songs. He appeared in the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate and Rachel Getting Married. Since founding the art-rock band The Soft Boys in 1976, Hitchcock has played with John Paul Jones, Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings, Peter Buck, Nick Lowe and more.
March 29
W. Kamau Bell with Brendan Benson
Socio-political comedian and late-night TV host W. Kamau Bell is taking the comedy world by storm. His weekly half-hour late-night comedy series, Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, premiered on FX in August 2012 to critical acclaim, with The New York Times calling Kamau "the most promising new talent in political comedy in many years," and The San Francisco Chronicle raving, "it makes The Daily Show seem like something your dad watches." Salon.com listed Kamau on their "Sexiest Men of 2012" list, calling his show "surreptitiously revolutionary in its effortless diversity and humanism."
Brendan Benson is a beloved solo artist, co-leader of The Raconteurs with Jack White, producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and father. From his 1996 debut, One Mississippi, to his 2012 launch of Readymade Records, the Detroit native turned Nashville resident has garnered a reputation for releasing everything from stunning solo ballads to full-on rock classics to country collaborations with artists such as Ashley Monroe and beyond.
April 12
Kristen Schaal with Rufus Wainwright
Kristen Schaal is unforgettable as stalker fan Mel from HBO's Flight of the Conchords and as Hazel Wassername on NBC's 30 Rock. Kristen currently voices the character Louise on FOX TV's Bob's Burgers and the character Mabel on Disney Channel's Gravity Falls. She and her husband are co-authors of the humor book, The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex.
Rufus Wainwright is one of the great male singer/songwriters of his generation. Born into a musical family, Rufus has achieved success in the worlds of rock, opera, theatre, dance and film. He's released six studio albums and two live LPs, including a Judy Garland tribute. His latest album is Out of the Game.
April 19
Tig Notaro with Kathleen Edwards
Tig Notaro blew people's minds when she performed a set in L.A. last year and talked about her cancer and other troubles. Top-touring comedian Louis C.K. called it "masterful." Tig is known for her Professor Blastoff podcast and her role on Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Program. She has been a guest on This American Life, and later this year, she'll be in the film In a World.
Kathleen Edwards is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose Americana-tinged rock and folk songs are full of wit and compelling storytelling. Her debut full-length, Failer, was recorded in 2001 and garnered rave reviews. In 2012, Kathleen collaborated with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver on the album Voyageur, which climbed the charts in the U.S. and Canada.
April 25
Michael Ian Black with A.C. Newman
Michael Ian Black probably first made you laugh right out of college in the iconic 1990s MTV series, The State. He later played bowling-alley manager Phil Stubbs in the long-running NBC dramedy, Ed. He tours the country doing stand-up comedy when not developing new series, writing films like Run, Fatboy, Run, entertaining his 1,750,000 Twitter followers, composing mind-blowing essays and authoring books for kids of all ages.
A.C. Newman is a full-fledged power-pop genius. He's the main songwriter and vocalist of The New Pornographers, and he's also a successful solo artist. A.C.'s most recent solo album, Shut Down the Streets, explores themes of life, death and parenthood in a way that is simultaneously emotionally fraught and spiritually contented.
May 3
Patton Oswalt with Ben Lee
Patton Oswalt is one of the top touring comedians today. He won hearts as the voice of Remy in Ratatouille. He starred opposite Charlize Theron in Young Adult and with Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and was in TV's King of Queens. Patton is also the author of the essay collection Zombie, Spaceship, Wasteland.
Ben Lee has been living as a working musician for more than half of his lifetime. In 2005, his album Awake Is The New Sleep featured the hit "Catch My Disease" and garnered four ARIA Awards (Australia's equivalent to the Grammy). On May 7, he will release his anticipated new album Ayahuasca: Welcome To The Work, a sonic exploration of the consciousness-expanding jungle medicine.
May 10
Rob Delaney with Neko Case and Kelly Hogan
Rob Delaney won Comedy Central's award for "Funniest Person on Twitter" in 2012. His standup comedy special is Rob Delaney Live at the Bowery Ballroom, and his television credits include Comedy Central's Key & Peele and FUEL TV's The Daily Habit. Random House will publish Rob's first novel later this year.
Neko Case is a Grammy-nominated solo artist and one-eighth of the celebrated Canadian pop outfit the New Pornographers. The Washington-bred singer, songwriter and producer claims no genre, nor utilizes any classic formula for her songs and singing. Neko has developed a sound all her own: a mix of country, gospel, torch, and pop, and her five full-length solo albums (not to mention her two live collections and Canadian Amp EP) have won her critical acclaim and countless devotees.
Known as a consummate "singer's singer," Atlanta native Kelly Hogan is a multi-faceted solo artist and sought-after vocal collaborator (Neko Case, Mavis Staples, Andrew Bird, Jakob Dylan, Alejandro Escovedo) whose warm, Southern persona and powerful voice have left their mark on countless recordings and live performances.
May 31
Colin Hanks with Jason Isbell
You might know Colin Hanks from his roles in TV's Roswell, Dexter, Mad Men and films like The Guilt Trip, Orange County, King Kong and The House Bunny. Colin is currently directing a documentary about Tower Records and can be seen in the upcoming film Parkland.
Muscle Shoals, Alabama, native Jason Isbell has been honing his much touted songwriting craft for several years now. Jason has released three studio albums and a live album all highlighting his Southern roots, effortlessly smooth and impressive guitar tone and style, and classic songwriting.
June 7
Hannibal Buress with Open Mike Eagle
Hannibal Buress has made prime-time appearances on Louie and on 30 Rock, and he's worked as a writer for 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live. Chris Rock says Hannibal is "the funniest young comic [he's] seen in years." Hannibal released his debut comedy album, My Name Is Hannibal, in 2010. His latest Comedy Central special is Hannibal Buress: Animal Furnace.
The LA Times calls Open Mike Eagle "one of LA's smartest young voices." He has released three albums and has collaborated with P.O.S. and MC Paul Barman. Mike has also bridged rap and comedy, rapping at shows by some of our favorite comedians, including Paul F. Tompkins and Hannibal Buress.
June 14
David Koechner with Metric
David Koechner, an alumnus of Chicago's Second City Theater, got his first break as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and since has become an instantly recognizable face appearing in more than 100 film and television productions. He is best known as Champ Kind from Anchorman and as Todd Packer on NBC's The Office.
Metric are Emily Haines, Jimmy Shaw (and Joshua Winstead and Joules Scott Key, unable to attend this evening). An independent and innovative rock band, Metric self-released its last two albums, including 2012's Synthetica, which was listed in Spin magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2012. With "Help I'm Alive" from 2009's Fantasies, Metric became the first artist to achieve its first-ever top-20 hit on U.S. commercial radio without the backing of a traditional label. The group has earned Grammy nominations for its score work on the films Twilight: Eclipse and Cronenberg's Cosmopolis.
2012 Guests
Henry Rollins and Lissie
with Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett, Chris Kluwe and Mary Mack
Maria Bamford and Brandi Carlile
with Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett and Joseph Scrimshaw
Julia Sweeney and Martha Wainwright
with Mary Mack
Dave Foley and Mike Doughty
with Joseph Scrimshaw and Maggie Chestovich
Amy Sedaris and They Might Be Giants
with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett as the Box Dwellers
Bobcat Goldthwait, Steven Page and Dave Pirner
with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett as the Box Dwellers
Wyatt Cenac and Ted Leo
with Joseph Scrimshaw as the Box Dweller
Paul F. Tompkins and Aimee Mann
with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett as the Box Dwellers
Fred Willard and Dan Wilson
with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett as the Box Dwellers
Andy Richter and Reggie Watts
with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett as the Box Dwellers
Tim Meadows and Rhett Miller
with Joseph Scrimshaw as the Box Dweller
2011 Guests
John Hodgman
with John Darnielleand Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett as the Box Dwellers
Neil Gaiman
with Josh Ritter, Adam Savage, and Wil Wheatonand Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett as the Box Dwellers
Sandra Bernhard
with Rosanne Cash and Eugene Mirmanand Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett as the Box Dwellers
Chuck Klosterman
with Craig Finn, Maria Bamford, and Nikki Sixxand Bill Corbett and Joseph Scrimshaw as the Box Dwellers
Patton Oswalt
with Grant Lee Phillips and Wyatt Cenacand Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett as the Box Dwellers
2010 Guests
John Hodgman
with Neil GaimanSusan Orlean
with Haley Bonar, John C. Reilly and Billy CollinsGeorge Saunders
with Mike Doughty, Chuck Klosterman and Amy SedarisJulia Sweeney
with Mason Jennings and Dana GouldThe Podcast
Episode 17: Bobcat Goldthwait, Steven Page and Dave Pirner
This week's show features Bobcat Goldthwait, just named Esquire Magazine's Director of the Year for his movie God Bless America, a movie he discussed with host John Moe. We also hear Bobcat make his pitch to become public radio's morning shock jock, and we hear from an exasperated contractor working on Robert Plant's stairway to heaven. Plus, music from singer/songwriter Steven Page, formerly of the award-winning Barenaked Ladies.