popular thinking

HOLIDAY PARTY BREAKDOWN

I attended three holiday parties in three consecutive nights earlier this week. How they stacked up...

Sunday, The Comedy Studio, Harvard Square
Entertainment: Tony V and Steve Calechman hosted a holiday revue
Crowd: Packed, attentive, appreciative
Food: Chinese-American goodies by Hong Kong
Drinks: Free Sam Adams and PBR, but $2 for a Coca-Cola?
Highlights: Gary Gulman stopped by for unannounced practice set for The Tonight Show, the Walsh Bros. honor their late nana, later have a dance-off with Kelly MacFarland, Myq Kaplan shows off his bearded Jewishness

Monday, The Comedy Connection, Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Entertainment: Tony V and Steve Calechman hosted a holiday revue (almost but not quite a replica of Sunday's show)
Crowd: Meager (but similar in number to Comedy Studio attendance), ignorant, unappreciative (unless you count all the comics in the back of the room)
Food: Next door at Boston Rocks, unknown provider, although they did have steak tips...does that narrow it down?
Drinks: If you got red tickets, they were free. Otherwise, regular rates.
Highlights: Dance-off among comics afterward in Boston Rocks

Tuesday, The Mayor's Media Party, Beacon Hill
Entertainment: An accordion player!
Crowd: Packed with TV and print journalists from around Boston (biggest turnout by folks from Fox 25 and the Herald)
Food: Included all sorts of goodies, from ham and pork loin for the gentiles to kosher-friendly foods and desserts that anyone could love
Drinks: Open bar (a journalist's favorite words)
Highlights: Finally met Jon Marcus from Boston mag and Dan Kennedy, got within spitting distance of Menino, swooned over Robin Hamilton, after-partied with many new Fox friends at The Sevens