New York Shock and Awe Tour.
We are getting ready to ship off to Spain and Portugal. Kevin and I were very excited to meet up with two of our favorite people- Craig Gass and Don Jamieson. I had known all three of these guys since, well before I even started doing stand up and just worked at a comedy club. Here is a quick into and bio of the gang.
Comedian, columnist Kevin Downey, Jr. has been recently labeled “refreshingly bizarre” by fellow comedian Joe Mulligan. Kevin headlined small rooms all over the US. They enjoyed a “cult” following, (that means only 28 people dug him), until his frequent and on-going bookings at the Comedy Stop at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, which has brought him to a new level of notoriety. Kevin now works “A” clubs everywhere and to larger and larger audiences. The Early Years- Whereas most comedians will lie about where they grew up to gain, “street creds”, comedian, columnist and all-around swell guy Kevin Downey, Jr. actually did grow up in Detroit MI. He made his TV debut at age 6 on CKLW’s, “The Bozo Show,” where he won a hockey stick, a 12-pack of Orange Crush and some Tootsie Rolls playing, “The Bug Game”. Like all kids in Detroit, Kevin attempted to play ice hockey, but his first and only season was cut short when the coach realized Kevin was too small to skate while wearing all the gear, thus clearing the way for Wayne Gretzky to top Gordie Howe’s achievements.
Bright Lights burnin’ Gonna set your Soul on Fire- Kevin moved to New York City looking for fame and fortune. He instantly landed a, “part” at Macy’s Santa land as an elf, (some call it the longest-running show on Broadway). Kevin was decimated to learn all elves were fired after the Christmas Eve shift. Shortly thereafter Kevin went to his first comedy show at New York’s Comic Strip Live and realized his calling, though it would be three years until he had the stones to get on stage himself. Money for nothing and your chicks for free Today Kevin is headlining clubs everywhere in the US He can be heard on The Bob and Tom Show, Sirius and XM Satellite radio regularly. He’s been on Comedy Central, What Not to Wear, and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy where he got a much needed haircut. Kevin appears at the Comedy Stop at the Trop in Las Vegas at least four times per year. He has an ever-growing fan base that comes to see him again and again. He writes a column called, “Drinking on $11 a Night”, which can be read in Bachelor Pad Magazine, GC magazine, at usedwigs.com and drinkingon11.com. Kevin’s song, “Secret Garden of Dirty Little Whores, (who think they’re better than me)”, can be heard on college and traditional radio stations throughout the country. He has a nationally released DVD called “I’m Not Gay, but Don’t Stop,” which can be found on Amazon and Netflix Kevin is not related to Robert Downey, Jr.
Mark Riccadonna began stand-up comedy accidentally, as a struggling actor waiting tables at a comedy club in New York City. Mark became friends with comedians who dared him to go on. The Host brought Mark on stage to repeat the stories he heard him tell earlier. Mark was a tremendous success and continued performing, yielding the opportunities to work with legends of comedy.
Currently, Mark has been touring across the world doing stand-up comedy with The New York Shock and Awe Comedy Tour. Writing and acting in short films, working as a voice-over artist, and on-camera talent (in several national commercials and appearances on Spike TV, Good Morning America, Maury Povich, The History Channel, and SPEED Network). Mark can be heard on Sirius and XM digital radio. Mark isn’t “New York’s hottest new comic” or “Young fresh face of comedy” he is a hard-working comic that gets the job done with a truthful style and a positive message He doesn’t just tell jokes; he turns stories into life. Based out of New York, Mark Riccadonna emulates the timeless Johnny Cash song “I’ve been everywhere” and well beyond. Mark performs regularly headlining in NYC and on the road – nationally and internationally. Mark is a gifted storyteller with incredible charisma, who instantly transforms crowds into audiences with his undeniable charm. The minute Mark gets on stage, he captivates: you’ll laugh (perhaps snort), feeling like you’ve known him forever. His unique delivery and voice combined with his likability on stage and off crowns Mark as a renowned favorite in clubs and theatres globally!
Mark Has been seen in The Off-Broadway hit “Happy in the Poorhouse”, Tours globally with Armed Forces Entertainment, and shoots the Feature The Devils Tree the summer of 2013.
Amongst his many accomplishments, comedian Don Jamieson’s proudest moment is becoming an Emmy Award-Winner for his work on HBO’s Inside the NFL. Don and long-time comedy partner, Jim Florentine, lent their brand of humor to the popular sports show; writing, producing and performing sports-themed comedy sketches.
The two have also collaborated on the hidden-camera DVD and Comedy Central web series, Meet the Creeps as well as a series of prank call CD’s, Terrorizing Telemarketers, which get a lot of airplay on the Howard Stern Radio Show. He is also a joke writer for the country’s best celebrity roaster, Lisa Lampanelli, and has lent his voice to MTV2′s Crank Yankers.
Don’s stand-up act brings his everyday take on life, the hip, the cool, and the tragically sublime into the spotlight. Besides performing at clubs in New York City, Don tears it up at clubs and theatres all over the country. For the last four years, he has been the regular opener for Andrew Dice Clay. His reputation as one of New York City’s top comics was cemented when he was asked to perform live on ABC’s Good Morning America.
Don started his career as one of the young and talented comedy minds at MTV, helping to launch the careers of comics like Jon Stewart, Kevin James, Pauly Shore (sorry), and Tom Green. Still, unbeknownst to many, Don was spending his nights on the local comedy scene developing his own comic style.
Making the transition from comedian to television host isn’t easy for most. Don has hosted his own series, OLN’s Beach Ambush, and is currently in production for the SEVENTH season ofVH1 Classic’s, That Metal Show.
Enter 2010: Don Jamieson inked a deal with legendary metal label Metal Blade Records to release the comedian’s debut stand-up comedy album. The album, titled Live and Hilarious, was filmed during Don’s performance at Bar Anticipation in Lake Como, NJ, on January 30 and will be released in 2011. When asked about why he chose Jersey as the location for his performance for the upcoming stand-up album, Don had this to say; “I’m a Jersey boy, and there’s nowhere better to record my first ever live comedy CD than good old Dirty Jerz! Malls, mullets, and metal!!”
Craig Gass has been “performing stand-up comedy since 1993 when he decided to get revenge on a group of comedians who had ridiculed him for attempting to perform at an open mic.”
He acquired his peculiar talent of imitating characters and actors by learning to speak as a child from watching television. Both his parents and sister are completely deaf. With his family unable to serve as a model for how to speak, Gass grew up imitating the voices on TV and Radio.
Craig Gass has made many appearances on different radio stations imitating celebrities. He has been heard on several radio programs like The Howard Stern Show, “The Dan Lebatard Show, The Kidd Chris Show (Philadelphia), The Steve Dahl Show (Chicago), KRQQ, The Frank Show, The Mikey Show (San Diego), The Marconi Show (Portland), 92 KQRS Morning Show (Minneapolis/Saint Paul), The BJ Shea Morning Experience (Seattle), Bob Rivers Twisted Radio (Seattle), The Johnny Dare Morning Show (Kansas City), The Pugs and Kelly Show (Dallas), Bobby Bones Show (Austin), Drake and Zeke in the Morning (Memphis), Toucher and Rich (Boston), Roger and JP (Long Island NY) and The Chunga Show (Salt Lake City). Familiar characters that include:
* Tom Arnold
* Morgan Freeman
* Sam Kinison
* Gilbert Gottfried
* Samuel L. Jackson
* Dennis Miller
* Tracy Morgan
* Al Pacino
* Adam Sandler
* Gene Simmons
* Paul Stanley
* Lars Ulrich
* Christopher Walken
* Owen Wilson
A Howard Stern fan favorite is Gass’s impersonation of Gary Dell’Abate, also known as Baba Booey
[edit] Television work
In 2002, Gass found work on HBO’s Sex and the City. He claims to have put on over 30 pounds for his role as Tom “Big Boned” in the episode “Cover Girl”. On the Howard Stern Show in December of 2007, Gass told of some intimate details about the time he spent with Cynthia Nixon, with whom he had to perform a sex act for 19 hours his first day on the set of the show.
He co-starred with Alec Baldwin on NBC’s Las Vegas in early 2005, where he played a comedian, “Richie Phillips,” who would begin his act by stirring people’s drinks with his penis. Gass has related stories about his time on the set telling jokes to Baldwin, James Caan and Josh Duhamel. On “Las Vegas”, Gass and Baldwin conspire to rob the casino, only to get caught by James Caan.
