{"id":47156,"date":"2020-11-12T08:11:32","date_gmt":"2020-11-12T13:11:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=47156"},"modified":"2020-11-14T09:47:55","modified_gmt":"2020-11-14T14:47:55","slug":"on-stage-dallesandro-brings-laughs-to-philly-rip-boot-and-saddle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/?p=47156","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: D\u2019Alesandro brings laughs to Philly; RIP, Boot and Saddle"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Eric D’Alessandro<\/p><\/div>\n

That the possibility finding a live show in the area by a national act has been virtually eliminated by COVID-19 restrictions is hardly a laughing matter.<\/p>\n

For example, just this week, one of Philadelphia\u2019s long running and highly respected rock clubs closed for good.<\/p>\n

However, going out this weekend for a live indoor show at a club is<\/em> a laughing matter.<\/p>\n

Finding a live comedy show by a national act performed locally is relatively easy thanks to Punch Line Philly (33 East Laurel Street, Philadelphia, www.punchlinephilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Following the venue\u2019s successful Patio Series, Punch Line Philly, the comedy club in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia, is bringing top-flight comedians\u00a0to the club for a series of socially distanced performances. <\/p>\n

This weekend, Punch Line will present both indoor and outdoor shows — The Corey Holcomb 5150 Show from November 12-15 indoors and Eric D’Alessandro on November 13 and 14 as part of the Patio Series.<\/p>\n

D’Alessandro\u2019s roots are in Staten Island, NY and it was there that his comedic ability evolved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up on The North Shore of Staten Island,\u201d said D\u2019Alessandro, during a phone interview from his hometown Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

A pivotal moment in D’Alessandro\u2019s career was when he moved cross-country to Los Angeles to pursue his passion as a creator. California has helped D\u2019Alessandro generate a new fanbase that lies beyond the five boroughs, as well as provide him with a slew of new content, the major being the comparison of East Coast and West Coast lifestyles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love L.A.,\u201d said D’Alessandro, who now calls Hollywood home. \u201cI love it a lot actually. It\u2019s different.<\/p>\n

D’Alessandro was born with the ability to make people laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family is really funny,\u201d said D’Alessandro. \u201cMy friends were really funny. Being funny is just a part of my life. I can\u2019t remember not wanting to do comedy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to grade school at St. Roch in Port Richmond. There were 28 kids in my class \u2013 all boys. Then, I went to St. Peter\u2019s Boys High School (New Brighton, Staten Island).<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a community college here in Staten Island \u2013 the College of Staten Island. I majored in communication. I used to take film classes and do video editing. Then, when I was 12 credits from graduating I dropped out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started going to open mics in 2014. I did my first stand-up show at the Looney Bin Comedy Club in Staten Island. I already had social media presence on YouTube.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having grown up with a camera in his hand, D’Alessandro created a YouTube channel where he developed his comedic skills from a young age. Through his sketches which feature original characters like \u201cMaria Marie,\u201d as well as impressions of celebrities like Drake and comedic covers of popular songs, his YouTube platform helped D\u2019Allesandro build a loyal fanbase.<\/p>\n

The millions of views on his videos laid the groundwork for D’Alessandro to gain over 120k followers on Instagram. Through social media, D’Alessandro is able to share original, timely and relatable content for the everyday American.<\/p>\n

His recent video \u201cMask Off Remix (Walmart Diss)\u201d has gone viral gaining over 16 million views across all his platforms. Due to the success of this video, Forbes featured D’Alessandro in an article about his comedy and ability to connect with fans online as well as on stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, I wasn\u2019t even sure I wanted to do standup,\u201d said D’Alessandro. \u201cBut it was a good backdoor way of getting into acting. It\u2019s tough if you\u2019re just an actor. The pattern with comedians is that the door is open for you.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was writing material since I was 19 and then forgot about it for a while. A couple years went by. Then, I hopped a ferry and went to open mics in the city. I got pretty good early. The ideas I had from videos transferred to stand-up.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther guys helped me when I was starting. I did a Drake bit in my first show and I still do it. But I had to move on from open mic shows. In the open mic scene, you get nerdy pop culture guys who don\u2019t get the up-to-date references.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once D’Alessandro moved to Southern California, he soon found out how different L.A. and New York were.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really hard to find good Italian restaurants in L.A,\u201d said D\u2019Alessandro. \u201cAnd it\u2019s impossible to find good Italian rolls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Los Angelenos cannot relate to a Sunday family dinner featuring pasta and gravy \u2013 clueless that \u201cgravy\u201d is Neapolitan ragu made with meat, tomato, and onion.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy live show is a mixed bag,\u201d said D\u2019Alessandro. \u201cA lot of it is about my upbringing \u2013 Italian-American East Coast references \u2013 coming to L.A. and not fitting in.\u201d<\/p>\n

D’Alessandro has sold out most of the shows he has headlined, including 1,300 seats at New Jersey\u2019s iPlay America and the famous 1,800 seat St. George Theatre in Staten Island, where D\u2019Allesandro will be recording his first stand up special. He has been featured on multiple podcasts and TV shows.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Alessandro has toured up and down the east coast, in addition to shows in Canada and Las Vegas. Most notably, he was featured in the 2016 drama\/mystery movie \u201cNerve,\u201d alongside Emma Roberts and Dave Franco — in part because the film\u2019s directors added him to the script after seeing his viral videos.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been very tough with this pandemic,\u201d said D\u2019Alessandro. \u201cI was going to film a TV special at the St. George Theatre in Staten Island but that show got postponed. The Philly date will be my first show in eight months and then I have shows next weekend in Red Bank, New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really looking forward to getting back on stage \u2013 and to be coming to Philadelphia. I only played Philly once before and that was back in March. It was one of the last shows before COVID-19 shut everything down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to perform live and make people laugh. My whole personality is about being funny. It\u2019s inherently who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Eric D’Alessandro — https:\/\/youtu.be\/8WgSV_tv1aM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Podcast link for Eric D’Alessandro — https:\/\/www.ericdalessandro.com\/podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Show times for Eric D’Alessandro are 7 and 9:15 p.m. each night. The opening act is Nicky Paris. Ticket prices are $32.<\/p>\n

Video link for The Corey Holcomb 5150 Show\u00a0 — https:\/\/youtu.be\/9U9NdeYLgjI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Corey Holcomb<\/p><\/div>\n

The Corey Holcomb 5150 Show\u00a0will take up residence at Punch Line Philly from November 12-15 with shows at 7:15 p.m. on November 12 and 15 and 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. on November 13 and 14. Tickets are $37 and $47.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Punch Line Philly this month are Lovable Monsters & Friends on November 18, Chris Distefano\u00a0from November 19-21, Pete Davidson and Ricky Velez on November 20 and 21, TuRae on November 25, and Liz Miele from November 27-29.<\/p>\n

There are several local venues presenting live music shows throughout November.<\/p>\n

Cedar Hollow Inn Restaurant and Bar (2455 Yellow Springs Road, Malvern, www.cedarhollowinn.com<\/a>) will present Chris Lebresco on November 12, Sunshine Jones on November 14, Kendal Conrad on November 19, Nicki Sbaffoni on November 20 and Matt Sevier on November 21.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Chris Lebresco<\/p><\/div>\n

Lobresco will also be performing at The Bordley House (1520 Tattersal Way, West Chester, www.bordleyhousegrille.com<\/a>) on November 14.<\/p>\n

Brickside Grille (540 Wellington Square, Exton, bricksidegrille.com<\/a>) is hosting Paul & Dave on November 14, Bob Starner on November 15, Madeline Knight on November 21, Michael Kropp on November 22, Nicole Zell on November 28 and Steve Rhodes on November 29.<\/p>\n

Tuned Up Brewing Co. (135 North Main Street, Spring City, www.tunedupbrew.com<\/a>) will present Bill Ferreri on November 13, John Costello on November 20 and Mr. Mody on November 27.<\/p>\n

Creekside Sports Bar & Grille (765 N Lewis Road, Royersford, http:\/\/www.creeksidesportsbar.com\/<\/a>) will host Wildflower on November 13, Brass Pocket on November 14, Shot of Southern on November 20, \u00a0Musician Impossible on November 21, Coast to Coast on November 25, \u00a0Uptown Band on November 27, and Buzzer Band on November 28.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>On Tuesday, Boot & Saddle, a popular Philly rock club on South Broad Street, was forced to permanently close because of the pandemic shutdown and its economic percussions.<\/p>\n

The club posted the following message:<\/p>\n

After seven years and 1,500+ shows, we are now forced to close Boot &\u00a0Saddle.<\/p>\n

With Covid-19 cases back on the rise in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and around the country, the thought of having 200 people standing shoulder-to-shoulder in our small indoor bar early next year has faded. After eight months without a show, and without a clear reopening date in sight, we no longer have the luxury of paying the bills and expenses for two closed venues. And so, we have made the difficult decision to close Boot &\u00a0Saddle\u00a0for good. We hope that this decision will assure that our sister venue, Union Transfer, can survive well into 2021.<\/p>\n

We sincerely appreciate all the support over the years. From everyone who saw a show, had a drink, or played on our stage. We are proud of having provided a stage on which local Philadelphia artists can develop and grow alongside national and international touring acts.<\/p>\n

It has been a fun and enjoyable experience from start to finish: transforming an old country & western bar, which was shuttered for eighteen years, into a bustling, live music venue with its iconic neon sign lighting up Broad Street. Boot &\u00a0Saddle\u00a0was where the likes of Lizzo and Sam Smith made their Philadelphia debuts. It is also where legendary icons like Thurston Moore and Psychic TV performed for intimate crowds. Where gigantic local bands like The War on Drugs, Circa Survive, and The Menzingers played unforgettable, secret shows. We like to think that over the last few years we helped contribute to the best music scene in the United States.<\/p>\n

RIP Boot &\u00a0Saddle!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times That the possibility finding a live show in the area by a national act has been virtually eliminated by COVID-19 restrictions is hardly a laughing matter. For example, just this week, one of Philadelphia\u2019s long running and highly respected rock clubs closed for good. However, going out this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8457],"tags":[13452,13293,13451,13450,7426],"class_list":["post-47156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-boot-and-saddle","tag-chris-lebresco","tag-corey-holcomb","tag-eric-dallesandro","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47156"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47178,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47156\/revisions\/47178"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/47158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unionvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}