April 12–18, 2019 Brooklyn Paper • www.BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260-2500 AWP 11
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By Aidan Graham
Brooklyn Paper
Come and see the funny Side!
The Brooklyn stand-up comedy
show “Side Ponytail” will celebrate
its fifth anniversary on April 17 with
balloons, matching outfits, and a surprise
guest! The show, named after the
iconic ’80s hairstyle that appeared on
many of its early advertisements, has
gone through several iterations over
the years, and now takes place every
Wednesday night, and on the last Saturday
of each month, at Friends and
Lovers bar in Crown Heights. The show
has welcomed plenty of big names over
the years, including National Public Radio’s
Ophira Eisenberg and Judah Friedlander
from “30 Rock,” and has always
showcased a relaxed, easy chemistry
between its hosts.
We chatted with each of the show’s
four producers — founder Carolyn Busa,
Ben Wasserman, Emily Winter, and Julia
Shiplett — about the show’s longevity
and evolution over the years, and put
their answers together here.
Five years is a long time for a
comedy show. How have you lasted
so long?
Emily Winter: First, Carolyn Busa
is an amazing woman. She started this
show, and the rest of us are lucky to have
been added as her co-producers.
Ben Wasserman: A lot of it is just
putting in the hard work, with hustle
and grit, of producing, curating, and
promoting a show.
EW: We’re all such hard workers
and so passionate about comedy, and I
think we bring an energy to our show
that feels authentic and fresh.
How has the show changed over
the years?
Carolyn Busa: We moved bars, to
Friends and Lovers, in January of 2017.
We’ve gone from a monthly show to a
weekly show. We used to be on Mondays
until we switched to Wednesdays
in December of 2018.
BW: One thing that I’ve noticed since
we went weekly is a more communal vibe.
We’ve been able to establish it as a fun
hang with a sense of community.
EW: We’re also better comedians
ourselves! As our friendship has grown
and deepened, so has our comedy, and
I think the result is something really
special.”
What is your favorite part of
the show?
BW: My favorite part is killing it every
night, and getting a laugh, and getting
applause, and showering in adulation.
It feels good.
Julia Shiplett: Having a home base
to call ours is really special. Getting to
regularly do comedy with people you
admire in a space you’re comfortable
is a real treat in this city.
EW: One of my favorite parts is putting
up someone who is so unique and
funny but may not have the TV credits
that our other performers have.
Watching them succeed and surprise
an audience is incredibly rewarding and
exciting.
How does the show compare to
others in the city?
BW: Well, we’re the best.
CB: People tell us it’s a fun experience.
Other places can feel very tense
and nervous, where the comic is tense
because they don’t want to bomb, and
the audience is tense because they’ve
never heard of this person. We’ve made
something where people are able to
relax and have fun.
EW: We really do a good job of keeping
our show 90 minutes or less. So many
shows are way too long, and it bums out
the performers and audience. We don’t
do that at Side Pony.
How would you describe the
crowd?
BW: We try and showcase a diverse
lineup of comedians with different voices
and experience, and the audience is reflective
of that. It’s everything from tech
bros to Park Slope moms.”
JS: We have returning audience members,
but also new people all the time.
Sometimes they are a little timid, sometimes
they are hot from the start. But,
like your own children, we love them
all. Okay, some more than others.
Have there been any particularly
outlandish sets? Or anyone you
regret inviting?
BW: Anytime I’m on stage, it’s
outlandish.
EW: Everything Ben Wasserman
does is outlandish.
CB: The only time we regret inviting
someone is when you didn’t know them
and it turns out they’re really rude.
EW: One time, I did Side Ponytail
after a bar crawl and pulled out my butt
on stage. I think it was funny, but I don’t
really remember it. Long story short, I
probably shouldn’t have invited myself
to perform that night.
Side Ponytail’s Fifth Anniversary at
Friends and Lovers 641 Classon Ave.
between Pacific and Dean streets in
Crown Heights, (917) 979–3060, www.
fnlbk.com. April 17 at 8 pm. Free.
Side Pony tale!
Comedy show celebrates its fi fth
anniversary with a look back
Side hustle: Julia Shiplet, Ben
Wasserman, Emily Winter, and
Carolyn Busa will celebrate the
fifth anniversary of their comedy
show Side Ponytail at Friends and
Lovers on April 17.
Side Ponytail
RIMSHOT Inside Brooklyn’s
comedy nights
LET’S GO
FOR A
WALK
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