Kegstand: Fusing Craft Beer & Comedy to Make The Perfect Podcast
Kegstand Podcast – Photo Credit: Kegstand
Oh loyal Broke-Ass readers, cheers from NYC yet again. Most of you now know me as a sober comedian that lets you know about what’s happening in the comedy world of NYC every week. Well, back in the day before I got sober, I was a fan of the booze. Small batch whiskey was my jam but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I also enjoyed a solid craft beer from time to time. One thing NYC has a plethora of, along with comedy, are small, local craft breweries. And one comedian in the city has decided to take his love of craft beer and marry it with his stand up comedy career, resulting in a podcast called “Kegstand”.
Years before I arrived in NYC, Brian Theriot had already started his journey in this concrete jungle through various comedy ventures. Stage time came & went, projects started & ended but one thing never changed: He was always creating. And drinking! Holy shit, can this guy drink. What you may not know is that Brian was one of my first friends in this city and he’s currently my roommate. I’d like to say I’m biased in this article, but he pisses me off all the time & I’m sober now, so know that everything I’m saying here is genuine and not swayed by anything. Where was I? Oh yeah, the drinking! Brian is a small gay lumberjack and puts away enough beer to scare long haul truckers. But here’s the thing: He knows his shit. He knows beer and he knows it well. And as much as it pains me to say it, he’s pretty funny. And he’s very driven with a good eye for talented people. All these things gel perfectly in “Kegstand”.
So Much Beer – Photo Credit: Brian Theriot
I’ve had the pleasure to be around since “Kegstand” started so I’ve seen the ups & downs of it along the way. Brian is, if nothing else, very dedicated to it and it shows with each passing episode. The idea is basic: Brian and co-host Jessica Murray welcome a stand-up comedian and a brewery representative onto the show, usually filmed/taped on location at the brewery of the guest on the show. They talk shop, sample beer, crack jokes and bring the two worlds together on the air. What results is always entertaining, funny, interesting and educational. It’s pretty simple yet always different, which makes this podcast stand out from the rest. The nice thing about “Kegstand” is that it can go anywhere a brewery and comedy both exist. I’ve personally been witness to it at The NYC Craft Beer Festival (multiple years in a row), The Atlantic City Craft Beer & Music Festival & more. Plus, a little bird told me that it could be making its debut this year at the world famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
Another cool layer to this is that Brian puts on “Kegstand” branded comedy nights at various breweries, always featuring a solid line up of comics and a big name headliner doing a full set. I’ve been a part of these shows myself and they’ve featured a murderers row of nationally known headliners like Judah Friedlander, Roy Wood Jr., Rich Vos & more. On top of that, he’s used “Kegstand” as a launching pad for another project called “BeerFlea” which combines a favorite activity of New Yorkers & tourists, Flea Markets, with Kegstand. Coming sooner rather than later, both “BeerFlea” and “The Kegstand Comedy Series” are going to be making Queens Brewery their new home.
Jessica Murray, Brian Theriot & Erik Bergstrom – Photo Credit: Brian Theriot
So you may be asking: Why would a sober comedian, that has his own podcast about sobriety, be writing an article promoting a craft beer & comedy podcast hosted by a guy that annoys the shit out of him on a regular basis? It’s easy: I believe in the podcast and the host. And the host deserves to see this comedy, flea market and podcast succeed as much as it possibly can. Brian has poured his life, heart and soul into this and it’s something that I think all of you will enjoy. And this writer personally believes that something good should happen to someone that has worked their ass off on a passion project for as long as he has. I’m always a fan of dream followers anyway, this one just happens to be one of my best friends.
Give it a listen: http://kegstand.podbean.com
Kegstand Beer & Comedy Podcast on iTunes
