I got a chance to speak with Nikki Glaser on the phone while she was cruising over to Sara Schaefer’s apartment to record their hit podcast, You Had to Be There. If you haven’t heard about them then you should go to the Velvet Lounge this Friday and see them perform live for the Cool Dudes Hanging Out Comedy Showcase to get a taste of what you are missing. This weekend’s entertainment got started at a party in New York not too long ago, because how else do you find a creative partner but with food and alcohol? The two comics got to talking while a little buzzed (as one does), had a good conversation, and said to each other “We should do a podcast.” In the scheme of ideas-you-get-while-drinking, it was a pretty good one. Nikki had tried doing podcasts in the past, but they didn’t work out. She’s not good with technical stuff, but Sarah has the skills and handles that aspect of the show. As an avid conusmer of comedy podcasts I highly recommend checking it out. It’s like being in Sarah’s apartment with the snacks, beer, and good times flowing.
Nikki, 26, was encouraged to do comedy when she was in high school, but didn’t get the nerve to go on stage until her first year of college at the University of Colorado for a talent showcase. It went so well that she felt the desire to pursue comedy full time when she transferred to the University of Kansas during her sophomore year. Pursuing her dream has lead her to being a top contestant on NBC’s Last Comic Standing and being in the documentary by Jordan Brady and Rich Shydner, I Am Comic. Her favorite career moment was when she got to perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2009. She found out she was performing three hours before the show, which is unusual because ordinarily a guest is booked two weeks in advance. Originally, Paula Abdul was going to be the guest but something happened. (A hit and run perhaps? Sorry to break out of narration but I just Googled that song right now and turns out she was in a hit and run one time. Irony.) Anyway, Abdul was out and Nikki got the phone call.
It should be fun to see Nikki and Sarah on stage this weekend. This is a really sweet opportunity to hear some quality comedy and it will be Nikki’s second time in DC. She perfomed in the area years ago with Doug Benson at the Arlington Draft House, so this is a unique chance to see her up close before she’s being booked over at DAR Constitution Hall. Tickets are $5 and the show starts at 7 PM.
