Our Favorite
Sicilian Dish
Since appearing on two seasons of NBC's comedy/reality series Last Comic Standing, Tammy Pescatelli has been a busy woman. And it's not just because she's a total knockout (though it helps), she's also one of the funniest female comics in the country. She's been one of our favorite guests for many years now but now the rest of the entertainment industry is figuring out what we've always known since she filled in for Kristi, Tammy's got a lot of potential. Recently she's ben featured on GSN's Poker Royal and US Weekly's Fashion Police and starred in her first Comedy Central Stand-up Special which aired back in March. Miss Pescatelli (that's right boys, she's single) is a Tonight Show veteran as well as a veteran of the USO tour.

Dave Dugan, Everybody
Comedian, corporate speaker and world-class voice-over talent Dave Dugan has been compared to comedy legend Bob Newhart in that he plays the part of the everyman victim to perfection. With a dry delivery, wealth of material and unbelievably deep voice, Dugan has made it big on the standup scene, headlining clubs across the country. However, where Dave is able to utilize his talents most effectively is during his corporate speaking gigs. Dugan is famous for walking into a speaking engagement as an imposter; posing as a new hire in the company's upper management or even as a desperate, pathetic competitor. A long time friend of the show, Dugan has appeared on a number of B&T albums, both as himself and as Sid Gurney's best buddy, Bart McAlister.

FACTOID - Dave Dugan is the voice that reminds viewers that Steak 'n Shake is "famous for Steakburgers" at the end of each of the popular restaurant chain's commercials.

Crime Fighter
Sam Tripoli doesn’t believe he chose comedy as a career, he thinks comedy chose him. To Sam, comedy is a religion and he's a preacher, teaching his audiences on both stage and screen. In his act, he questions authority and society in general while at the same time becoming that little voice inside everyone’s head (only funnier). Originally from upstate NY, Tripoli quickly moved to Las Vegas after high school to attend UNLV where he was first drawn to comedy clubs. There he would rise through the ranks before eventually taking his comedy across the country. Tripoli has been featured on Comedy Central, E! and recently released the a new comedy album, Crime Fighter.

Ben Folds Solo
Singer/pianist Ben Folds’ name first became a part of pop-culture when he formed the band Ben Folds Five, a trio that also included bassist Robert Sledge and drummer Darren Jessee. In 1994, when the band was formed, it was rare for a group to perform without a guitarist, but Ben Folds Five did it, and that’s part of the reason they broke out from the pack. Throughout the 90’s the band grew in popularity and released a number of hit albums including Whatever and Ever Amen, which is considered to be one of the best pop albums of the decade. Eventually, Ben Folds decided to try a solo career, but he wanted to test the waters first by releasing his first one under the pseudonym “Fear of Pop.” Though that album wasn’t a commercial success, his later works have been, including his most recent two Songs for Silverman and Supersunnyspeedgraphic.

JORDAN WARD ILLUSTRATION

The Real
American Idol
Chris Daughtry was the winner of American Idol five, at least in the minds of most fans of the shows. After facing premature elimination due to a controversial lack of votes, Daughtry was determined to show the world that he didn’t need that title to be a success. And with his first album, Daughtry, he’s doing just that. Working with some of the most talented people in the profession and using his music idols as a guide, Daughtry has formed his own band and has put out a record that delivers accessible music a every turn, veering from pop gems to tight-fisted rock anthems. If you don’t believe us, hear it for yourself when Chris plays live for us in the studio.

Canadian Peters
Russell Peters is proof that the Internet can make your career. As a well-known Canadian comedian, Peters was a hit in comedy clubs all across our northern neighbor. During that time, he also hosted two seasons of BBC’s Late Night East and appeared in a number of Canadian comedy television specials. One of those specials began leaking into the US via the Internet, which is where American audiences first began to take notice of Peters, and his stories of growing up as a man of East Indian descent in Toronto. From there, it wasn’t long before TV execs started seeing these clips and quickly signed him to a developmental deal. So whether or not we’ll see Russell on American television is still up in the air, but you can see him at your local comedy club when he comes to town.

From Wall Street to The Chuckle Hut
Paul Mecurio’s comedic talent was first utilized by Jay Leno when he was hired to write monologues for The Tonight Show. However, unlike a lot of other comedians, Paul already held a really good job before diving into comedy. After graduating with a law degree from Georgetown Law School, Paul began working as a lawyer and an investment banker on Wall Street. It was here that Leno discovered Mercurio and encouraged him to give up the high pressure world of stocks and bonds for a life of brick-wall backdrops and heckling audiences. Along with a promising standup career, Paul has become an Emmy Award winning writer for Comedy Central's The Daily Show and makes regular appearances on MSNBC and FOX News as a political satirist.

Live From His Home, It's Tim Bedore
It's been a long seve days since we last visited with comedian Tim Bedore, which is why we're so eager to have him back on his special line ready to deliver another exciting edition of Vague But True. Live from his home in Minnesota where he's seated comfortably at mission control, Tim shares his thoughts on life, society, politics and his day to day activities, presented in the form of in-depth, entertaining editorials. Over the past year, these musings have helped us learn a lot about Bedore, including his thoughts on downloading movies, the joy one can find in a SkyMall magazine, his time spent at summer camp and his theory on how animals are trying to wipe out our species.

Preacher's Kid Gone Wild
Twenty-five-year-old comedian Kristin Key was the youngest finalist ever to appear on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. But this was nothing new to her. After getting into the comedy scene at the age of 19, she quickly became one of the youngest headline comedy acts in the country. Don’t let her sweet, sexy outer demeanor fool you; she’s actually quite the firecracker. With her fearless style of comedy and biting tongue, she’s earned the reputation “Preacher’s Kid Gone Wild,” a title she cherishes. For Kristin, no two shows should ever be the same and nothing is off limits. When not performing, she continues to live in L.A. perusing her dream of acting in film or television.

Alisia Wood
Alysia Wood is one of the bright new faces out of the strong Seattle comedy scene. The Louisiana native settled in Los Angeles, quickly becoming a regular at comedy hotspots. Goofy yet edgy, she is in great demand on the national comedy club scene, having advanced through the ranks in a very short period of time. She is a finalist in numerous competitions, including the California's Funniest Female Competition. She appeared at the Boston Comedy Festival.

Would You Rather...?
For nearly 25 years, Dan Rather was the face and anchor of CBS News. Sitting in the big chair of the CBS Evening News, Rather became a staple of American television, and one of the most trusted men in journalism. Since his career began in 1950, Rather has been a part of almost every major world event including the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, 9/11 and anything else you can think of. For his work, he’s received virtually every honor in broadcast journalism including Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards and numerous citations from critical, scholarly and professional organizations. And with the mid-term elections on the way, we figured who better to have on the air with us than the legendary, Dan Rather himself.

Vote For Zany!
It’s time again for everyone’s favorite weekly feature, and only the mid-term elections could possibly compare to the excitement it brings. Bob Zany, legendary standup comedian, Telethon Host and all around great guy, is ready to run the comedy gauntlet once again in hopes of getting the entire cast to laugh, at least once! And even if he can't complete this mission with his Zany Report alone, he'll also come prepared with a new installment of Fix the Joke, Baby to save the segment. Because as we know, things are always funnier when there's free stuff involved.