It’s pretty hard to impress a cat. They are notoriously apathetic and play by their own rules. Only something as complex as a laser or as simple as a can of tuna will keep their attention, and even that is fleeting. So what happens when a group of stand-ups try to perform comedy to a room full of cats?
The monthly comedy show “Just Kitten Around” at Windy Kitty Cat Cafe in Bucktown is technically geared toward humans—guests have 30 minutes to play with the cats before the stand-up begins. But during the June show nearly every comic who went up had something to say to or about the cats. Host Alex Collyard gave a PowerPoint presentation about what cats are made of (small rocks, goop, filth). Megan Hosack sang about being a cat lady. And Luis Arevalo confronted a particularly grumpy-looking gray cat sitting in the front row.
Windy Kitty Cat Cafe
They soon learned to pitch some of their more involved bits, like singing a song about every cat with live accompaniment, and to keep it simple. “It’s enough to just be in a room full of cats and telling jokes,” How says.
Sat 7/6, 6:30 PM, Windy Kitty Cat Cafe, 1746 W. North, windykittychicago.com, $20.
