Musique de les Cygnes

Or something like that.

Hey, you morans! Tonight is Olde Leon "Musicfish" Strokes last show with Foz the Hook (for the time being as far as we know who knows). What the hell else do you need to know.

Get up off your lazy American asses and come to Cole's for FtH at 9:00, and the Great List of Comics when we feel like finishing!

It will be swell. Then start buying Leon drinks, but save your money to buy Foz lots of drinks.

Gawd knows he'll need it.

Next week will have a beeeeyouuuuuteeeful guest, but until till then, let's send Leon off with some laughs!

You losers.

More Pics - Maybe Recordings

Who knows, Kittens?

Last year the fabulous fave comic photog, Erin Nekervis took a bunch if fantastic photos of Your Pals that we have been able to use as publicity pics ever since. There wasn't a single bad shot among them, although there were a number of shots of three chaps looking like idiots. As I am sure you are assuming, the dashing trio pictured here were captured by Erin.

Pretty soon Erin will be joining us again to record the look of the act as we close out this lineup (see last post for details about Leon "Fishface" Strokes' departure for California). We look forward to working with Erin again, and we recommend her to anybody who needs terrific shots. As you have seen from our shots, Erin has a talent for really capturing everything that is just wrong about you. All of us need such a photographer in our lives.

We will also make some attempt to record another show before Leon takes off. Maybe shoot some video... Who knows?

Be at Cole's tonight at 9:00 to see FtH rock Cole's Comedy Open Mic. Cameron Esposito and Adam Burke begin burining through The List at 930. If you're a comic, sign up. If you aint, enjoy yourself.

Closing Time for Olde Leon

As a few of you may know by now, Your Pals and New Favorite Band, FtH, will be experiencing dreaded, dreaded change in a couple of weeks.

Olde Leon “Cuttlefish-Starfish-Anglefish-Catfish-Dogfish-Lungfish” Strokes will be pulling up stakes and heading for the gold fields of California. Olde Leon, a student of history and a man of Letters, has carefully studied the lessons of The Donner Party and determined not to leave too close to Winter, and risk getting stuck in the snow and eaten by wolves or neighbors.

Why would he do this to his fans and bandmates? For the same reason, the only reason, any of the blighted souls who haunt Cole’s on Wednesday night leaves our little comedy cult-house. He fell in love and is getting a life.

I’m just sick about it, so if you want any of the adorable details (ladies), you’ll have to pin Leon in a corner tonight and demand it. Olde Foz will be at the bar drinking away my sorrows and scheming about luring some lovely pierced-and-tattooed hipster lady-bassist onto the stage. Maybe one of those willowy cello players you see going in and out of The Whistler, carrying an instrument that is clearly too big for their pale and petit frames? Yes, that would be nice too.

So, my Darlings, look for a few changes in the lineup this Fall. Don’t be surprised if you see some big talents and pretty faces subbing-in during October – Maybe Maria Wojo…. or Marilyn Summers? Who knows?

If you want to see FtH with our current lineup one more time, you will have to come out to Cole's Comedy Open Mic this month!

In the meantime, buy Foz a drink(s). He’ll be needing it.

Congrats to Leon! It couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow!

Double Down Smack Down

Well Folks, it happened again.

Last night at 9:00 PM local time, a metric tonne of Chicago's funniest people started making a wild rumpus at Cole's bar. We raised a glass to our absent Irish friend, Adam Burke, and whiled away the evening with one out-of-control moment after another.

In tribute to Adam, today FozBlog features the fantastic promo poster he made for Cole's Comedy Open Mic. Great job, Adam. Come back soon.

Foz the Hook played what turned out to be a tight 2 1/2 song set, and here is why. We planned the Double Down Smack Down, a battle Royale between Leon "Rockfish" Strokes and Coleman Brice. Halfway through the set, Cole came up on stage, and we set up a table with two KFC Double Down Sandwiches (pictured in yesterday's post). While Patrick and Foz played Vibrating Chicken Stomp Leon and Cole raced to see who could finish their 1,000 calorie salt lick first. No napkins allowed!

At stake: If Leon won, Cole had to buy him a drink. If Cole won, Cole had to buy Foz a drink. Very sweet.

So Patrick started with the drums, I did the vibrating chicken, adding "Go" to the already inarticulate gobbling, and the boys were at it. It was a mess. The audience went crazy. KFC Special Heart Attack Sauce sprayed all over the audience. What a sight!

Coleman was winning handily when Old Leon pulled a fast one. With half a sandwich of his own left, Leon quickly reached over and grabbed the last bite from Coleman's hand, at the same time slyly slipping his own half-sand into Coleman's greasy fingers. Before Cole could react, Leon gobbled up the last bite of his "new" sammy, thus earning the win. Coleman accepted defeat gracefully, admitting that while Leon's victory might be a bit tainted, virtually everything about the KFC Double Down sandwich could be described as "tainted."

The crowd went wild! We finished up the set with Old Foz doing an improvised strip tease while singing Somebody Write Some Music. It was wrong. Thanks to Cameron Esposito for helping me undress.

Then, as I said, we passed it off to the comics, and I don't think the evening ever recovered. It was all just too beautiful for words.

Our First Video!

A big hat tip to Caitlin Brice of The Splendid Ape for finding this old 1978 footage of Foz the Hook on an Eastern European TV variety show. Of course, back then we weren't called Foz the Hook. I think we called ourselves !The Peoples' Revolutionary Committee For Humor (Music) Brigades! or something like that.

Isn't it hilarious to see Comrade Patrick playing that weird brass conch-shell thing? I can't remember what it is called, but we called it The Peoples' Brass Conch-Shell Thing For Making Sounds (Funny). Comrade Foz was wearing quite a revolutionary red cravat in those days. Man, I used to get plenty of action from The Revolutionary Peoples' Proletarian Defense Committtee (Female) because of that cravat! And I haven't seen Comrade Leon with that much facial hair since the Fifth Seven-Year Plan.

Good times.

Hey! Don't miss FtH at Cole's this Wednesday night at 9:00. You remember how to get there.

Viva la Revolucion!

Happy Birthday!

Hey Fozettes,

It's that big day again. You've all been waiting for it! The day when you can really let your hair down and howl!

It's Leon "McOctopii" Strokes' birthday! Buy the man some Irish whiskey.

Did you know that on July 1, 1690 King William beat King James at the battle of the Boyne, insuring that the English would rule over a small, rocky island for a while longer? There is a picture of King William up above.

Later, in 1972, there was a thing called "Bloody Sunday." And then U2 did a pretty good song about it. Better than "New Years Day." Way better that "Where The Streets Have No Name."

Some people called "Provos" made some trouble.

"Once" is a pretty good movie.

Anyway, I don't know what all these random things have in common. Probably nothing.

So it's Leon's birthday.

Be at Cole's tonight at 9:00 to buy him drinks. Foz the Hook plays at 9:00. Mo Grape Welch Belch hosts, and she's never not funny.

Comics sign up at 8:30 and no earlier, or some drunken, red-headed, mutton-chopped foreigner thugs will kneecap you.

Why is everyone wearing green?