A Lawyer Walks Into A Comedy Club…

Many of you may know that for years I owned a comedy club here in town.  Folks are always asking me who’s funny and to tell them when someone good is coming to town.  That’s hard for me to do, for a couple of reasons.  One- after 20+ years of seeing comic’s I became very jaded, what makes me laugh tends to be the obscure or the sick deviant stuff.  Another is that I really prefer to know what you like before I recommend someone.  I can send you to see  a squeaky clean show, political satire or  silly song parodies, but not every show is for everybody.  Every now and then there’s an act that I think is pretty all encompassing and this week the Funny Bone at The Greene has him, Paul Mecurio.  He’s an emmy winner for his work on The Daily Show!

Here’s what the Huffington Post has to say about Paul:

Paul Mecurio took an interesting route to becoming a comedian, beginning his career on Wall Street as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer and moonlighting in the clubs. Now he headlines comedy clubs around the country. Most recently, Paul launched Got No Game with Paul Mecurio, a new web series on HBOSports.com which tackles the world of sports with a comical look at the compelling stories and outrageous events away from the field through original sketches and one-on-one interviews. New episodes of Got No Game with Paul Mecurio will post each Friday through September 4.
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Mecurio has been featured on his own “Comedy Central Presents” half-hour special and has made numerous TV appearances including Late Night with Conan O’Brien,The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn, CNN, MSNBC, and many others. For his work as a writer on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Paul won both an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award (the Pulitzer prize for broadcast journalism). When he’s not on the road, Paul frequently opens for live tapings of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? Paul can also be heard on the nationally syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show. As the “Image Makeover Guy” on Bob & Tom, Paul doles out advice on how public figures can improve their images. Paul’s “Consumer Man” pieces about life as a frequently aggravated consumer have been featured on Bob & Tom and in The New York Times Magazine.

You probably  know I do an interview with local Chefs called 10 ?’s.   Paul wanted to know if I could interview him to help get the word out that he’d be here, so  I sent him my 1o ?’s.  Here ‘s what he shot me back in 2 minutes.  And that’s a record for quickest answers!

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

OXYCODONE–IT TRANSPORTS THE FOOD … AND YOU!

What ingredient do you dread?

URANIUM, VERY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH AS A REDUCTION SAUCE

What’s your favorite dish to make? 

CHEF BOYARDEE RAVIOLI … NOW IF I CAN JUST FIND SOMEONE TO OPEN THE CAN FOR ME, IT WOULD BE PERFECT

What’s your favorite pig out food?

PIZZA, ICE CREAM AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, ALL AT ONCE … I;M A BUSY MAN

What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?

THERE’S S A GREAT DUMPSTER AT FIFTH STREET & WAYNE AVE

What’s your best advice for home chefs?

FLAME RETARDANT JOCK STRAP.

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?

3 GANG MEMBERS AND DONALD TRUMP, SO I COULD WATCH THEM BEAT UP DONALD TRUMP WHILE I EAT — DINNER AND A SHOW.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

THE COLONEL –COME ON ELEVN HERBS AND SPICES?  ELEVEN!  THE MAN’S A GENIUS

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?

READ THIS BLOG POST AND WEEP.

(though I seem to remember some nights we spent at Diamonds with the Jokers staff…)

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:

I WAS COOKING PASTA AND FORGOT TO PUT WATER IN THE POT-THE PASTA WAS A LITTLE UNDERCOOKED.
So go check Paul out this week at Funny Bone, make reservations, shows do sell out and tell ’em Lisa sent you!  But remember there’s a 2 item minimum and don’t heckle, you’re never gonna be as funny as the pro’s and Paul is one of the best!