RSS
Home
Aziz Ansari announces first leg of 'Glow in the Dark' tour and exclusive interview
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
MTV's Human Giant Aziz Ansari is freakin adorable.
Actor and standup comedian Aziz Ansari announced he will embark on a multi-city standup tour that he has dubbed the “Glow in the Dark” Standup Comedy Tour. Ansari, who will star opposite Amy Poehler on a new NBC show from the creators of “The Office,” in 2009, will bring his act to various cities over the next two months including stops in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and San Francisco.
He previously toured with the “Comedians of Comedy” tour and opened for the “Flight of the Conchords,” on several occasions. Rolling Stone hailed him as a “Hot Standup,” on their annual “Hot List,” in 2006 he was awarded the Jury Award for Best Standup at the HBO Comedy Festival in Aspen and named to Variety’s “Comics to Watch,” issue.
Ansari co-created and starred in the hit MTV sketch comedy show “Human Giant.” He also had a memorable role on HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords,” as a racist fruit vendor. Additionally, he will appear in several feature films in 2009 including Judd Apatow’s Funny People, Observe and Report opposite Seth Rogan and I Love You, Man with Paul Rudd.
I had the opportunity to ask Aziz some (silly) questions about his comedy, his life, The View, and his show here in Chicago at the Lakeshore Theatre on November 20th. We are delighted to say he seems like a lovely person and feel now our questions were a bit too irreverent.
Chicago Comedy Examiner(CCE): You live in LA, Human Giant is in NY, what the heck are you doing in Chicago? Do you have a Chicago connection we don't know about?
Aziz Ansari(AA): I'm stopping by Chicago in support of my Glow in the Dark Standup Tour at the Lakeshore Theatre. My friend and very funny comic Nick Kroll will open up the show. Each trip I've made to Chicago I've had more and more delicious food. Last time I went to Blackbird (great dinner), M. Henry's (ridic brunch), and Giordano's (deep dish). This time I want to go to Avec, Frontera Grill, and Hot Doug's. I also need to be hit in the face for typing "ridic brunch."
CCE: Have the Duck Fat Fries at Hot Doug's and we won't hit you in the face. We do improv in Chicago. We're sure you got to improvise during your 24 hours on MTV with HG, also with The Apatow Crew, maybe even on your new show with Amy Poehler... do you improvise/ chillax at the UCB?
AA: I've performed a lot at the UCB Theatre's in LA and NY, mainly as a standup but sometimes more sketch/improv type stuff mainly with Rob and Paul from Human Giant.
CCE: Who are your comedy heroes? Influences?
AA: Louis CK, Dave Chappelle, Patton Oswalt, Chris Rock, Mr. Show, The Office, Judd Apatow and his crew.
CCE: What is your dream gig?
AA: I've been pretty lucky and feel like I've fell into a dream with gig with this new Office show. The US Office is my favorite show on TV and when I found out they were working on a new show I really thought that would be the most fun show to work on and then I got lucky enough to get cast in it. We start shooting in February and I've never been more excited about anything in my career. Working on this new Apatow movie "Funny People," has also been super fun. The character I play in the movie, Randy, is very fun to do. He's a really cocky, obnoxious, terrible comedian that somehow just kills every time. Its a really fun attitude to play and they've been awesome about letting me improvise and develop the character.
CCE: You are on a lot of hot lists, 12 Rising Stars of Comedy, Hot Standups, Standups to Watch, etc. What list are you not on that you would like to be?
AA: Forbes 2009 Hip Hop Cash Kings
CCE: Are women funny?
AA: Yes, of course.
CCE: Kristin Wiig, Sara Silverman, Chelsea Handler... Marry, F, Kill?
AA: I'm buddies with Kristen and Sarah, but don't know Chelsea. So it'd be B, B, DKH (Buddy, Buddy, Don't Know Her).
CCE: If you had to have a one night stand with someone on The View who would it be?
AA: Elizabeth Hasselback I guess, something about not believing in evolution is super sexy.
CCE: When you are not gigging what ARE you doing?
AA: I'm in LA working on this movie idea with Human Giant and getting ready for the Office show. I also like to go to concerts and eat delicious food.
CCE: How do you get ready for a gig?
AA: Nothing too special, just make a setlist backstage and walk around thinking of any new jokes I want to try.
CCE: You just gigged at my alma mater Skidmore College in NY. Was it fun, stoner?
AA: Yes, that was a really fun show. Unfortunately I missed out on Hattie's Fried Chicken though. That was a bummer. For those not in Saratoga Springs, Hattie's is supposed to have amazing fried chicken. I heard Bobby Flay went there for an episode of Throwdown and he lost to Hattie, big time.
CCE: Hattie's is awe inspiring chicken. Talk to me about being an Indian Comic? Does it affect your comedy? Is your family traditional? Do they support you?
AA: Not really, I've never really done much ethnic humor. Most of my material is just autobiographical stories that would have happened even if I was a white guy or a Korean person. It doesn't really affect my material that I'm Indian. My family is pretty supportive. They live in a small town in SC and once you start getting on TV and magazines, its a pretty big deal there, so I guess they enjoy that.
CCE: Is India going to the moon?
AA: I hear India's Space Program is struggling.
CCE: Can you tell us anything about your secret Amy Poehler project!
AA: Not much. It was originally going to be a spinoff of "The Office," but now its just a separate documentary comedy from Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, two exec producers from "The Office." We start shooting in February and it'll probably air in April. I've requested that the show be exclusively catered by Chick-fil-A, but am yet to hear if this demand will be met.
How can you not love this hungry, delightful, funny, freakin adorable guy? Aziz is now top on our list of comedians to stalk.
GLOW IN THE DARK TOUR DATES:
November 20, 2008 Chicago, IL Lakeshore Theatre
December 10, 2008 Atlanta, GA Punchline
December 11, 2008 Athens, GA 40 Watt
December 12, 2008 Charleston, SC 99 Theatre
December 13, 2008 Charleston, SC 99 Theatre
December 19, 2008 Austin, TX Emo’s
January 9, 2009 New York, NY Comix
January 10, 2009 New York, NY Comix
January 17, 2009 Los Angeles, CA Largo at the Coronet
January 22, 2009 San Francisco, CA The Punchline
January 23, 2009 San Francisco, CA The Punchline
January 24, 2009 San Francisco, CA The Punchline
Related Articles:
Comments
