Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries: Stand-up Comedy!
Why stand-up comedian Shaun Eli is the perfect comedian for your winery, brewery or distillery’s comedy night
- He’s been a professional comedian since 2003
- He’s headlined comedy shows on six continents (so far)
- He‘s performed on Amazon and Netflix
- His comedy is clean and friendly
- He loves wine, especially red zin, pinot noir, pinot gris, riesling, Rhones and Champagne (I mean, check out the url of this website) and likes beer (especially wheat beer)
- He does not drink before performing (he is happy to have a drink on stage and take an occasional sip and make a positive comment about the drink)
- Yes, he’s very funny (he is the one typing this so what do you think he’s going to say?)
- You can read many Testimonials, watch Videos, read Tons of jokes he’s written for late-night TV and read Over a dozen newspaper and magazine articles about him, including a major profile in the New York Times.
- He wrote jokes for the monologues of three late-night talk show hosts for almost 20 years.
- In a profile in Fortune magazine Jay Leno cited one of Shaun’s jokes as the type of smart comedy he liked to include in his opening monologue.
- For an evening with more variety in style and viewpoint Shaun can bring comedian colleagues from late-night TV.
- Shaun has developed a way to sell more drinks at comedy shows.
- And how about this- for his first show at your winery, brewery or distillery venue you can pay him partially in your products!
Here he is on stage, talking about a restaurant (don’t worry, it’s not yours)
Ann Arbor Friday show opening with subtitles
FAQ on Shaun’s shows
- How long is a show?
Typically if my show is three of us (me plus two hilarious colleagues) it’s around 90 minutes. If it’s a solo shows- just me, and the least-expensive option- then figure 45 minutes to maybe an hour. - What do you talk about on stage?
I have several hours of material, and sometimes I walk to the stage with maybe only my opening joke in mind, and I see where it goes from there. I have one-liner type jokes, some observational comedy and stories about fighting a parking ticket, serving on jury duty, dating, dining with a vegetarian. Stuff that most people can relate to, and I make it funny. Or, as I mostly think about it, it was already funny, I just had to start telling people about it. No, the jokes don’t really write themselves, but the situations create the opportunity for humor. - What’s with the Q&A?
Oh, that’s something that, while it’s not unique, is quite different about my shows (and some people have started copying it- I’ve been doing it for over twenty years). At the end of the show (not included in the 90 or 45 or 60 minutes show lengths mentioned above) I or we take questions from the audience.
We’ve found that audiences love to ask us questions because they’re curious. At least, they love to ask us questions but sometimes nobody wants to be the first person asking a question. So I might suggest that whoever hires me asks me something, and then a lot of hands will go up.
And we love it too, because we get to be spontaneously funny and we have some stories that aren’t strictly stand-up comedy but do great in a Q&A format. And also it makes us feel appreciated and it’s nice to learn what people are curious about.
I do have two or three colleagues who prefer not to answer audience questions, but I can usually talk them into it. After all, I am paying them. But if you want Q&A please tell me so I can make sure, if it’s a multi-comedian show, that everyone I bring will be happy with it. - How’d you get started as a comedian?
Strangely. I was on a date and she said I was funny and should take a comedy class that she’d just taken. She talked me into it, I took the class, started performing, and six years later I gave up the day job. She got married and moved to NJ so I think I won. On the other hand it’s been 22 years and she still looks amazing and thirty years old, so I guess she and her husband also won. - Why’d you pick Brain Champagne for the name of your website?
A few reasons. First of all, people don’t seem to remember a comedian’s name after a show (which is why I have jokes about my name- so I get to say it a lot on stage). So I wanted something memorable for a url. Brain Champagne rhymes and people remember it. I’ve had people come up to me and say Are you Brain Champagne? And also I do like Champagne a lot. Because, you know, I am James Bond. - Are you funny off-stage?
Sometimes. Sometimes I’m quite funny just hanging out with friends. Sometimes, not so much. I think it depends on my mood and comfort level. - How do you deal with hecklers?
I hope not to. I’ve found that my style of comedy, and how I dress, seems to discourage that. But comedians learn what to do. It really depends on the type of heckler- and we can figure it out pretty fast.
If it’s a bachelorette party, we’re dealing with someone who is expecting to be the sole focus of attention that evening (and may be pretty intoxicated), and at a comedy show she’s not the focus of everyone’s attention. So we have to accommodate that need. Give her thirty seconds to be important, and then move on.
Or it could be someone so drunk that he or she doesn’t realize it’s not a conversation. So I answer them and then remind them of all the other people I am also talking to.
Or it’s a guy on a date who has to prove to his date that he’s way funnier than the guy on stage. And there are techniques for dealing with that too.
But also I hope you have someone whose job it is to calm them down or throw them out if need be. There’s a comedy club that has a code word, I think it’s Pepsi. They don’t serve Pepsi. But if the comedian on stage says Get this guy a Pepsi it means throw him out. If he says Get this guy a Diet Pepsi it means give him a warning. I think that’s a good system. - Do you do political comedy?
When I started I wanted to be a political comedian. I quickly realized how bad an idea that would be for me. You will piss off at least a third of the audience, so it’s bad for business. And you also have to write new material constantly, because nobody wants to hear jokes about what happened three months ago. There are people who are good at it and can make a living at it. Like maybe ten of them. Everybody else who tried, gave it up.
Summary
Comedian Shaun Eli really wants to perform for your winery, distillery or brewery, and for his first show you can pay him partially in your product! He’s been a professional comedian for more than twenty years, he’s headlined shows on six continents, and he’s really funny! And he’s even developed a method of selling more drinks at comedy shows.
Call, text or email Shaun Eli and Let’s Get the Fun Started!
Shaun (at) BrainChampagne (dot) com
Call or text (914) it’s-funny (914) 487-3866