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Who are the “Group of Four”?  

They are four very alternative stand-up comics from Western New York.  They operate outside the comedy club system and are the better for it.  Their work collectively describes life along the Great Lakes in this time period just before the next great economic depression and the next great ice age.

 

 

“The Four” (by length of time doing stand-up): 

 

 

The first is Richard "Misfit King" Gagnier.  His dark delivery and subject matter mark him as a unique presence and possibly the most accomplished stand-up in the group.  He has released both EPs and CDs, so it's possible for everyone to hear his work.  He credits as influences both the band The Doors and comic Bob Newhart.
 

Here's an excerpt from Independent Clauses Magazine's review of Gagnier's CD Misfit King: "Gagnier's style is very edgy and quite unlike a lot of comedy out there today. The 'alternative' label describes his style pretty well, because he is very unique in his delivery and in the subjects he jokes about, but it does not give him all of the credit he deserves. His performance on Misfit King is not only 'alternative', but also dark, precise, and uncompromising."

misfitking.com

http://www.myspace.com/richardgagniermisfitking  (with audio clips) 

 

The most controversial of the group might be Jim Wyand, or as he is known “The Bob”.  Some think he is a genius of sorts, others wonder if he’s a little off.  The truth is in the eye of the beholder, but many knowledgeable comics have weighed in and voted “oddball genius”.   He screams almost every word to every joke, he stops for a sip of water in the middle of jokes just as momentum is building, he uses odd word phrasing from old blues records for no particular reason, he’ll do a number of jokes in a row all about schizophrenics.  Who knows what it means but it’s original in the extreme. 

 

www.thebob.bravehost.com

 

 

The third is Kenyatta DeCosta, easily the most gentle and spiritual of the group.  He is author of the recent book Exploring the Void: An Exposition on the Non-Space Non-Time Before Creation (available through Amazon.com). 

 

http://kenyattadacosta.bravehost.com/

 

 

The last re-entered stand-up after long years away.  Del Rivers has a long list of accomplishments, most notable of which is recording a number of novelty music singles which call back to the radio sounds of the sixties.  He has recently released a comedy CD as well, Del Rivers & Chuck McCoy's Comedy CD.

 

http://www.delrivers.bravehost.com

http://www.myspace.com/jimboelrod

http://www.greendoch.com/del/Del.htm

 

 

And who am I?  I’m Frank Stamm.  I’ve been assembled from body parts stolen from a cemetery.  The fifth unofficial member of the group would be Jim Greco, who only performed comedy briefly.  He is most important as a big laugher who encourages everyone’s more perverse comic tendencies.  The honorary members of the group, who are mentioned on the project blog, are Chuck McCoy and Bill Franklin.     

 

Long live The Four and company!

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Frank at frankinstamm@hotmail.com  If you're a Myspace member, you can contact many of "The Four" through my Myspace page.  Just look at who my top friends are.

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