Of note: Chad the Bird (aka Josh Zagoren) had me in absolute stitches.
I cannot tell you how much I was laughing, and just reeling from his delivery. Nonstop, and just before I can recover from a joke the next one hits and I’m off balance again. Highlight of the night for me.
Each person can choose to answer however they like – they can sing a song, do an interpretive dance, recite a poem. Anything goes, but the only rule is that their answer must be 2 minutes or less.
I’ve had the good fortune to attend a lot of these events, and the even greater fortune to participate in a lot of them as well. It’s a fun time, and there’s always a lot of laughter and delight, with all the different approaches taken.
This most recent 20×2 Chicago event was definitely on the top ten list. My all time favorite event to date was How Does it Work?, back when we were all at the Hideout.
But this event? It came quite close, and had all the hallmarks of what, to me, makes a stellar 20×2 show.
I can’t tell you how much this epitomizes the 20×2 Chicago event. Really fun, really surprising, and you never know what to expect. One minute folks are watching a baking tutorial with flour being mixed on stage… and the next, everyone’s tasting some great banana bread with their beers.
It’s that time again! I’m going to be taking the stage with 19 other really cool, interesting Chicagoans for 20×2 Chicago. For those that may not be familiar with the structure of this fantastic, fast-paced show… here are the rules:
20 people are all given the same question/prompt, and can answer it however they wish: sing a song, paint a picture, do an interpretive dance. The only rule: the answer must be two minutes or less.
Here’s me, giving my answer to “What is Happening?” Kudos to anyone who recognizes the screenshot behind me.
And yes, that would be Howie Mandel, Ed Begley Jr., and Denzel Washington… all wearing white lab coats.
The video is live, from my segment of the most recent 20×2 Chicago: Do You Remember?
For my talk, I brought copies of the various TV commercials I’ve been in. That’s right – plural. More than one commercial.
I was up first, and waiting for the show to kick off. Snapped this photo of the room, a few minutes before showtime.
I’ve posted a lot about this event, but as a recap: twenty different Chicago creatives are invited all answer the same question. You can answer the prompt however you like (tell a story, sing a song, do an interpretive dance routine). The only rule: answer the question in two minutes or less.
An earlier 20×2 at GMan Tavern, with our start at 3PM. I wasn’t sure of the crowd, but we had a really decent showing of folks. Andrew kicking off the show (tonight’s prompt was “Did You Hear that?”). I have a preference of going early, mostly because I get nervous. And until I finish my presentation, I’ll be preoccupied. Going…
Something happened to me today. I was browsing Instagram, and I saw a photo from my friend Betsy. And I looked a little closer at this photo, and I was taken aback.
If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to recreate for you the experience I had. Stay with me here.
A favorite past talk of mine involved 100 Kazoos and a shot of tequila. I wanted a similar kind of audience participation, and ended up going with a similar tactic.
This time around? 100 ping pong balls. And also: a shot of tequila.
Teaser image, from the most recent 20×2 Chicago event at GMan Tavern. A new venue, a lot of new speakers, and some really fun interactions.
Had a fun night at 20×2 Chicago, with a new venue: Gman Tavern. The question was: “What Did You See?”
For those not familiar with the format, 20 presenters are invited to participate. Folks can answer the prompt however they like: show some slides, sing a song, do an interpretive dance. The only hard rule is that they must answer the question, in two minutes or less. It makes for a very interesting evening.
It’s been a while since Liz and I were out and about. Tonight, I was participating in 20×2 Chicago. I’m usually too nervous to eat much before getting on stage (even if it’s just for two minutes), so we ended up going out afterwards for a late dinner.