Awkward & Uncovered
Found Footage Festival returns for two special shows
Eric Christenson, photos by Scott Kunkel |
The Found Footage Festival – two UW-Eau Claire grads Nick Preuher and Joe Pickett – scour the country’s thrift stores and flea markets for obscure, gut-busting, sometimes troubling, and almost-always-magnificent lost VHS recordings. Whether it’s bizarre vintage workout tapes, self-help goons, crazy public access recordings, or unfathomable music videos, the Found Footage dudes sift through the craziest tapes, chop them up into hilarious segments, and tour the country showing them off in a live comedy show.
And as if there weren’t already enough goofy VHS recordings out there in the universe, sometime they have to make their own by pranking local TV stations – most recently including our own WEAU TV-13. The duo shows up on different morning shows as ridiculous characters that confound and befuddle the unsuspecting anchors and hosts whose job it is to stay poised and chipper while their segment crumbles around them.
The latest finds Prueher and Pickett taking on the likeness of a bumbling strongman duo named Chop & Steele, there to promote their fake tour “Give Thanks 4 Strenths.” It’s a pretty amazing thing to behold. Dressed in irresponsible workout gear, the duo demonstrates their crazy fitness routine by clanking tennis rackets together, karate chopping twigs, stomping cheap wicker baskets on the ground, all the while blurting out faux-affirmations like “let life bounce off of you.”
It’s all in good fun for one of the most unique comedy shows in the country. Preuher and Pickett try to make it back to Eau Claire every year they go on tour for a screening of their craziest recent finds at Micon’s Downtown Cinema, and even recently at the Eaux Claires festival. When they come to town later this month for a show at The Lakely, it’s gonna be even more one-of-a-kind.
For a $40 ticket, show-goers can get a peek at Volume 8 of the Found Footage Festival’s compilation specials while enjoying a specially crafted three-course dinner and beer pairing to enjoy alongside the hilarious festivities of the live show. But make sure you stretch out before eating all that food and do all that laughing. As Chop & Steele would say, it’ll work out “your delts, your tri’s, your plaps, all the major chest muscle groups.”
The Found Footage Festival has sold out hundreds of shows across North America, including the HBO Comedy Festival in Las Vegas and the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. The show has been featured on many-a late night talk show, NPR, and has been named a critic’s pick in dozens of publications including the New York Times, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Chicago Tribune.
To learn more about the Found Footage Festival, check out foundfootagefest.com. To get tickets to the dinner/show at The Lakely, go to thelakely.com/events.
