CONvergence

Stand Up! Records and CONvergence Events LLC present "Tongue In Geek Comedy Hour at 10pm Thursday, Friday , and Saturday nights of CONvergence. Hosted by the effervescent Andy Brynildson, TIGC features some of the Mid-West's most brilliant comedic talents. Thursday, July 5th show sees the following comics performing: Wendy Maybury:Wendy Maybury grew up geeky with a crazy Southern family and a talent for getting into embarrassing situations. She placed second in the Funniest Person with a Day Job contest in 2011. She was voted by her peers as "Favorite New Comic & Favorite Female Comic". So catch her while she's still humble and gives hugs after the show Brandi Brown: Bio Coming! Patrick Bauer: Patrick Bauer has his finger on the pulse of no community. Frustrated by an inability to fit in,he uses humor to help people understand his myopic world.He has also been banned from as many comic book shops as he's worked at: Two. Adam Quesnell:Adam Quesnell has been entertaining audiences since before you even knew that this bio existed.Bouncing from witty social observation, to commentary on language, to biting introspection; Adam's performance walks that fine line that people always write about in bios. Gus Lynch:As a comedian, Gus has opened for some of the biggest names in comedy, including Harland Williams,David Allen Drier, and Marc Maron. As an actor he has appeared in over two dozen feature films and television shows, including Dark Angel, Halloween: Resurrection, and Babylon 5: Legend of the Rangers. As a producer he is one of the co-creators of the LAUGH.ROCK.REPEAT, comedy and rock showcase, founded and organized the Akumal Comedy Festival with Dan Schlissel and Matthew Olson, and is the guy responsible for booking the comics you'll see at CON this year on the Mainstage, Harmonic CONvergence Stage, and The Stand Up! Records Party Room, so blame him. This is his 3rd year doing comedy at CON, and his 2nd year booking and producing stand it. This is his favorite weekend of the year. HOST Andy Brynildson:Andy Brynildson is the host of the long running weekly comedy showcase The Monday Night Comedy Show in Northeast Minneapolis. He had a kid last year and CON had nothing to do with it. Although he did convince his fiance to watch his complete series of ST:TNG on VHS tape and has recently switched from being a Deanna Troi fan to a Doctor Crusher fan. Pulaski can suck it.Andy has been fortunate to have been able to host the last few HarmCon comedy shows, and wants to assimilate you into his collective. And no, he doesn't know what that means either. It just sounds cool.

Ionosphere Casting Shadows is an ambient guitar project produced by aliensporebomb multi-instrumentalist Todd Madson as an outlet for his mostly beatless ambient and looped guitar drones. Instead of amped up freaked out guitar excursions you have slow, and sometimes quiet journeys to unexpected universes. Which is to say we don't rule out the occasional guitar extravaganza. Hear why audiences have called the live Ionosphere Casting Shadows experience "A one man Pink Floyd" and "trippy and spacey yet relaxing and meditative." There are no overdubs, no preconceived parts, no samples triggered - this is all live produced by ten fingers, two feet, six strings and a device called an stereo audio looper. Everything you hear is produced by electric guitar thru various signal processing units - you are not hearing synthesizers. Enjoy the quieter side of the universe! And sometimes not so quiet! Guitarist Madson created the Ionosphere Casting Shadows project as a way to indulge his abiding interest in making a guitar sound as unlike a guitar as possible. ICS has made appearances at Convergence since 2008 and has appeared locally at The Eye of Horus bookstore, The St. Paul ArtCrawl, Art-a-Whirl, The Healing Loft, J&S Bean Factory, Bellaluna Boutique plus five appearances at the Shadows Faire in St. Paul and is celebrating the release of his new CD "A Passage from the Vault of Hours". Website Links: http://aliensporebomb.bandcamp.com/ http://www.reverbnation.com/aliensporebomb/

"Radio-style storytelling, dripping with coffee-and-cigarette-soaked hipster irony...each member brings energy, skill and polish to the stage." - City Pages 'A-List' Rockstar Storytellers is a collective of solo performers from a variety of disciplines — spoken word, stand-up, slam poetry, improv, creative non-fiction, sketch comedy, playwriting… hell, we’ve even got a mime. Rockstar Storytellers was founded in August 2007 to provide a forum for solo artists to come together to find new audiences for our work, push each other creatively, and further our own endeavors with the support and fellowship of others doing the same thing. Featuring: Laura Bidgood! Allison Broeren! Ben San Del! Courtney McLean! Amy Salloway! Joseph Scrimshaw! ...and hosted by phillip andrew bennett low! www.rockstarstorytellers.com

Hey Daleks! Longing to let out your inner poet but don't think anyone will take you seriously? Want to explore the deep feelings about so many exterminations? Tell us how you really feel about the Doctor, perhaps in a haiku? Voice modifier and plunger provided, so everyone can let out their inner-Dalek.

CONvergence Events and Stand UP! Records have partnered together to bring you the fantastic talents of Jackie Kashian. Jackie has been a national touring comic for over 15 years. She has her own half hour special on Comedy Central, was a semi-finalist on Last Comic Standing and has been on This American Life with Ira Glass. Her latest CD, “It is Never Going to Be Bread” was one of the top ten comedy albums on Amazon in 2010. Jackie now makes her home in LA and works the road about 25 weeks a year. This seems to be a good balance of crime and sanity. What folks say about Jackie: The LA Weekly: "Jackie Kashian is like the comic next door - if the comic next door is prone to acutely hilarious family stories" (her podcast - The Dork Forest is) "dependably entertaining." ABC Australia: "The gem of the night was Jackie Kashian. Her droll, perceptive description of her family was hilarious." Minneapolis Star Tribune: "[her comedy] is that rare, wonderful combination: smart and funny." And from Perth's newspaper: The West Australian, called her "whipsmart."

Stand Up! Records and CONvergence Events LLC present "Tongue In Geek Comedy Hour at 10pm Thursday, Friday , and Saturday nights of CONvergence. Hosted by the effervescent Andy Brynildson, TIGC features some of the Mid-West's most brilliant comedic talents. Friday, July 6th show sees the following comics performing: Andy Erikson:Andy Erikson was hit in the head by a bird as a kid, and that’s how she got her powers. Soon after, she decided to be a comedian. Andy took first place at the Rooftop College Comedy Festival in 2009 and in 2010 she won the House of Comedy’s Funniest Person contest. Her favorite thing about comedy is making friends. Pat Susmilch: Patrick Susmilch's comedy comes from a very real place: his brain. Born on the mean streets of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, he didn't become a comedian to make friends, he came to win. Bill Young: Born in the wild, raised by wolves, trained by the government. Bill Young is the kind of comedian that writes jokes and then tells those jokes to you when he is on stage. His work has appeared in the Cannes International Film Festival twice and he recently headlined the Stand Up! Up and Comers Showcase at the Akumal Comedy Festival. Kjell Bjorgen: Kjell has had reoccurring dreams of UFO's since the age of 7. he has performed comedy in best westerns all over the midwest. he is currently on 10mg of generic lexapro he acquired online. he enjoys akumal, mexico and people with emotional intelligence. he usually has piercing blue eyes and a compelling courtesy laugh Chris Maddock: City Pages recently said about Chris Maddock: "No one can deny that Maddock is a fast-rising star on the local standup scene and a man poised to possibly be a breakout star in the not-so-distant future...his comedy is informed more by death metal than one liners." Winner of the 2008 Laughing Liberally Contest, Chris has performed at the Ordway Theater in St. Paul and worked at Jimmy John's in the same day. In 2012, he was a featured performer in the Akumal Comedy Festival in Mexico and saw the release of his first album, Point of Entry, on the Grammy Award Winning label Stand Up! Records. Chris Maddock comes from the land of sun kissed beer guts, beautiful Stillwater, MN HOST Andy Brynildson:Andy Brynildson is the host of the long running weekly comedy showcase The Monday Night Comedy Show in Northeast Minneapolis. He had a kid last year and CON had nothing to do with it. Although he did convince his fiance to watch his complete series of ST:TNG on VHS tape and has recently switched from being a Deanna Troi fan to a Doctor Crusher fan. Pulaski can suck it.Andy has been fortunate to have been able to host the last few HarmCon comedy shows, and wants to assimilate you into his collective. And no, he doesn't know what that means either. It just sounds cool.

Stand Up! Records presents Nerd Alert! A Panel, with comedians Jackie Kashian (host of The Dork Forest podcast and video game enthusiast extraordinaire) and Gus Lynch (“Babylon 5” actor and accidental autograph artist), comic artist Zander Cannon (Big Time Attic, Top Ten Comics), and founder, catalyst, and Grammy-winning owner of Stand Up! Records, Dan Schlissel. The panel will be moderated by Bryan Miller (recently spotted on “The Late, Late Show” with Craig Ferguson) and will focus on both the creation of the SUR release “Nerd Alert!” and the ascendancy of the nerd in popular culture. Featuring thirteen once-bullied, now-adored, ever-elusive North American geeks killin’ it in thirteen distinctive styles (available on CD or in limited edition LPs for all you salivating vinyl lovers), “Nerd Alert!” will be available for sale and signing following the panel. With featured comics: Amber Preston Pat Susmilch Andy Erikson Andrew Brynildson Brandi Brown Chris Knutson James Moore Mike Brody Patrick Ryan Bauer Nate Abshire Bryan Miller Zander Cannon

Stand Up! Records and CONvergence Events LLC present "Tongue In Geek Comedy Hour on the Harmonic CONvergence stage at 10pm ~ Thursday, Friday , and Saturday nights of CONvergence. Hosted by the effervescent Andy Brynildson, TIGC features some of the Mid-West's most brilliant comedic talents. Saturday, July 7th show sees the following comics performing: Shannan Paul:Miss Shannan loves to laugh, and to share this love with her audiences. Her story telling and infectious smile are sure to crack up even the most stone-faced curmudgeon. She can relate to just about everyone be they students, Sci-Fi fans, jocks, or soccer moms. Amber Preston:Amber Preston is a comedy seductress. Recently named one of “5 Comedians to Watch” in New York Magazine her brassy charisma and keenly honed jokecraft leave audiences powerless not to fall head over heels. From raucous roadhouses to the classiest clubs Preston’s saucy, mischievous charm captivates diehard and casual comedy fans alike. Chris Knutson:Chris Knutson has been testing his free-wheeling, experimental style of comedy for several years now, and has recently won the Acme’s Funniest Person in the Twin Cities contest for 2010. Chris has been featured on Comedy Central’s Jokes.com, is a Minnesota Fringe Festival veteran, a co-producer, writer and performer of the topical sketch comedy series "The Weekly: Yesterday's News Today", and is one half of the comedy rap duo "Valley Meadows". With unique ideas, innovative structure, and a goofy demeanor you're sure to enjoy Chris's comedy. Zach Coulter:Zach Coulter is just your typical bookstore comedian/rapper/folk storyteller. Winsome charm and outstanding rhythm animate his tales of mundane insanity. In addition to a couple of one-liners, he has quite a bit to say about beavers (the woodland creatures). Since getting his start on the basement stages of Minneapolis’ thriving humor scene Zach has gone on to occasionally perform in St. Paul and (name of your town here). Valley Meadows:Valley Meadows is the hip-hop duo of Gary Schishynszenski (Chris Knutson) and MC Tom Johnson (Zach Coulter). Was growing up in Valley Meadows, MN like living through one long episode of The Wire? Well, sure. But Tom and Gary rose above the pull of the streets to build a hip-hop career to rival the greats. Almost. The pair combine hilarious lyrics and high-energy stage antics with the bangin'-est beats to blow minds wherever they go. Knutson is the winner of the 2010 Twin Cities Funniest Person Contest at Acme Comedy Company and Coulter is the winner of the 2011 ABSOLUT Funniest Comedian Contest. Valley Meadows were finalists in the 2011 “Minny’s Got Talent” Contest at Mall of America’s House of Comedy. HOST: Andy Brynildson : Andy Brynildson is the host of the long running weekly comedy showcase The Monday Night Comedy Show in Northeast Minneapolis. He had a kid last year and CON had nothing to do with it. Although he did convince his fiance to watch his complete series of ST:TNG on VHS tape and has recently switched from being a Deanna Troi fan to a Doctor Crusher fan. Pulaski can suck it. Andy has been fortunate to have been able to host the last few HarmCon comedy shows, and wants to assimilate you into his collective. And no, he doesn't know what that means either. It just sounds cool.