Brightest Young Things

all words: Svetlana + Cale (and hopefully some Libby a little later on)
all photos: Dakota Fine, Mike Danko, Francis Chung, Bradley Portnoy, Chris Svetlik, Paul Goodman, Brandon Hirsch, Jane Briggs, Shauna Alexander, Yacouba Tanou, Rachel Eisley

OK, so first and foremost we promise this is the last Bentzen Ball post ever. If you want to read about it and the making of it from a non-BYT perspective Washington Post is running a big story today on it in their Style Section.

But here we're still on BYT so we have all these miracle photos to share with you. All through the weekend we had our entire photo staff run around like a bunch of headless chickens and take photos of every comedian doing anything in sight. There are photos of performances yes, but there are ALSO photos of: THE AFTERPARTIES, The segway tours, the Cupcake receptions, the general backstageness, and a couple of adorably uncomfortable ones of Ian MacKaye hanging out in the middle of it all.

To Kick things off I've had Cale, Libby and Myself write up our own Highlight reels. Libby's writing is finally here now!

Libby's Top 10  Bentzen Ball Moments:

• 1. Natasha Leggero giving birth
• 2. Watching the comedians hit on our interns
• 3. My mom getting drunk and playing pool at black cat
• 4. Reggie Watts in a dance off
• 5. A.D. Miles
• 7. Brendon Walsh
• 8. Ben Kronberg's Canadian tuxedo
• 9. The 70+ year old veterans confused at the Walter Reed show

Cale's Top 14 Bentzen Ball Moments (reverse order)

• 14. Catching Chris Fairbanks in the bathroom texting with his dick out
• 13. That killer pre-show music
• 12. The classy Lizz Winstead devouring a chili dog from Ben's in record time
• 11. Successfully keeping our promise not to yell at each other over the weekend
• 10. Ben Kronberg opting to ride in the trunk of a car when a seat was readily available
• 9. Ben Kronberg kicking a mic stand into our photog Francis Chung
• 8. Todd Barry calling our photog Bradley a cunt face
• 7. Introducing Todd Barry to Ian Mackaye after the Jesse Thorn taping

• 6. Seeing the look of discomfort on Ian Mackaye's face at the raspberry champagne and cupcake party following the Jesse Thorn taping
• 5. Getting BYT intern Sepie to don the green man costume and chase Mary Lynn "Gail the Snail" Rajskub off stage with salt. Twice.
• 4. AD Miles rapping
• 3. Getting the sold out crowd @ 9:30 Club to cheer the BYT staff as I brought them up on stage
• 2. Tig's magical 9:30 Club finale set
• 1. Reggie Watts (see pic)

Ra

Svetlana's Top 15.5 Bentzen Ball Moments (no order in particular)

• 1. Seth Herzog doing the "Wonder Woman" dance in the theatre in the round at Studio. No tights.
• 2. Nick Offerman's "this song goes out to both jesus and.....carrie underwood" moment
• 3. Killing Todd Barry with kindness.
• 4. Me getting a text message that says "Studio just ejected one of the volunteers for assault. You're needed at box-office"
• 5. The assault turning out to be just some poorly aimed drunk shoe tossing to the stage
• 6. Tig doing 90% of her set at Studio to the 7 people in the back of the house who got only to see people's backs the whole night
• 7. My mother, who has never seen stand up before calling to tell me she really enjoyed "the little one" (Natasha Leggero) and "the smart, tall one that came right after her" (Lizz Winstead)
• 7a. All the comedians loving all the other comedians for real.
• 8. Brandon Walsh's hijacking of a shopping cart full of hangers that were just hanging out backstage
• 9. Hugh Moore, who was just supposed to be hanging out backstage, totally stepping up and MCing a late show at Studio while we tried to retrieve our missing MC.
• 10. Ian MacKaye talking about CASTLES during the Sound of Young America taping
• 11. Colin, our Studio bartender-being amazing all weekend.
• 12. ALL THE AMAZING DANCING THEY ALL DID AT THE AFTERPARTIES. Never have I ever felt so unspecial about my moves. EVER.
• 13. Unzipping Sepie the intern out of his Green Man outfit. Surviving.
• 14. My walking pneumonia. It was a gift for you all. You're welcome.
• 15. Reggie Watts 4EVER.
• 

  

  and now: THE SEGWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY TOUR.

  HELMETS, COMEDIANS, DC-what's not to love

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  mark seman of xm, talks to reggie watts, wearing an NPR t-shirt

  

  pizza party!!!!!

  

  

  

  

  

  Ben's chilli bowl-FOR EVERYONE

  

  

  

  

  Afterparty @ The Gibson Guitar showroom where we had Brian from Animal Collective, Ian Svenonius and Kid Congo Powers DJ and Benjy Ferree perform live. Free burritos for everyone from the California Tortilla and free Flying Dog ale and Bulleit Bourbon made me mostly forget what went on:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Cakelove cupcake party @ Rennaissance Mariott on 9th street.

  Tig and Warren Brown get cozy with soem buttercream:

  

  

  Steve Agee is in heaven.

  

  

  

  

  

  A.D. Miles is finally here. THANK GOD.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  did we mention we really love A.D. Miles?

  

  

  

  Peter Spruyt in "No rain on our parade" moment

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Funny people on a rooftop!

  

  

  The wrap afterparty @ Gold Leaf. Fatback DJed. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME Dancing ALL NIGHT LONG.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  everyone signing that gibson guitar one of you will win one day

  

  Sean peoples KILLING it and then KILLING it some MORE

  

  Dan Zak, on duty. Svetlana Legetic, barefoot, risking tetanus.

  

  DANCING.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Where is the passion Megan, WHERE IS THE PASSION!?!

  
  

Previously in comedy:

• 1/24: LiveDC: Adam Carolla @ Fillmore
• 1/20: Behind The Desk 32: Eddie Brill Is Common
• 1/17: LiveDC: JB Smoove @ 930 Club
• 12/8: Tom Arnold - Up Close & Very Nice
• 12/5: LiveDC: Michael Ian Black @ Sixth and I Synagogue
• 12/5: Lauren Weedman-BUSTED
• 12/1: R.I.P. Patrice O'Neal - brilliant 1969 to 2011
• 11/30: BYT Interview: Michael Ian Black
• 10/4: Laugh Track: Joe Rogan @ Warner Theatre
• 9/30: Seth Rogen & Will Reiser talk "50/50."