| The Apiary Network |  |
 |
 |
||
 | |||||
March 31, 2008
Tom McCaffrey Signs Record Deal With Crazy Hair
It was announced today that Tom McCaffrey will be coming to a boombox near you. From the press release:
Crazy Hair Productions (CHP) has teamed with Brooklyn-based It Takes A Lot To Laugh Productions to sign New York comedian Tom McCaffrey to CHP Management. The album is scheduled for release early this summer and will be available at music retail outlets in New York City and at www.tommccaffrey.net. The CD will be recorded live at Pianos (152 Ludlow St.) on Sunday, April 20, 2008, at 8:00 PM.
Photo: Anya Garrett
We e-spoke to Scott Rogowsky, the man in charge of It Takes a Lot To Laugh Productions, to ask a few questions:
When you say he's signed to CHP Management, the word "management" here means the CD recording and production? Or are you guys handling the artist management/booking/deal-getting stuff too?
Tom was signed to a record deal with CHP Management. CHP Management encompasses recording, production, promotion, and artist development. In its current incarnation, CHP does not manage the career of its clients like a Generate or 3 Arts would, but we are in talks with Tom to expand our relationship to cover booking and "deal-getting" responsibilities. A tour in support of the CD is an example of what we're considering.How did the idea to start a comedy label come to be?
Tom was the impetus, to be quite honest. I've been a fan of his for so long, and it just dawned on me a couple of months ago after a show we did at Roger Williams--this guy needs to be seen and heard by everyone. He performs just about every night of the week in New York, and I feel like he, along with so many other great comics in this city, doesn't get the appreciation he deserves. I approached my friend Travis Sluss, who has been running his recording studio and production company (Crazy Hair Productions) for 4 or 5 years now. He was working strictly with musical acts. I convinced him to partner with me and my comedy production team (It Takes A Lot To Laugh Productions) to invest in this new comedy label. He's got the equipment and the industry expertise... I've got the good sense to not let talents like Tom fall through the cracks.And if this first project is successful, there will be more to follow! What AST Records is doing in LA, I'd like to be doing here in New York. And you don't need me to tell you that Tom is not alone in that "underappreciated New York comedian" category.
Full press release below.
For Immediate Release
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tom McCaffrey First Comedian Signed To CHP Management
Joint Label Venture Between CHP Management and It Takes A Lot To Laugh Records to Produce and Release McCaffrey’s Debut Full-Length Comedy Album
3/31/08 - PURCHASE, NY – Crazy Hair Productions (CHP) has teamed with Brooklyn-based It Takes A Lot To Laugh Productions to sign New York comedian Tom McCaffrey to CHP Management. The album is scheduled for release early this summer and will be available at music retail outlets in New York City and at www.tommccaffrey.net. The CD will be recorded live at Pianos (152 Ludlow St.) on Sunday, April 20, 2008, at 8:00 PM.
“We are excited to make our first foray into comedy production, and we think Tom is just the right person to help us make that transition,” said Travis Sluss, President and Founder of Crazy Hair Productions and CHP Management, who has previously worked with musical acts Regina Spektor, The Spin Doctors, and Paolo Nutini.
“Tom gets some of the biggest, most consistent laughs of any comedian in New York,” said Scott Rogowsky, who will be heading up the newly formed It Takes A Lot To Laugh label. “This record will allow people everywhere to get in on those laughs. They’ve been deprived long enough.”
The album marks McCaffrey’s first full-length offering to the public and is slated to contain 50 minutes of previously unreleased original stand-up comedy. After moving back to his hometown New York in 2002, McCaffrey quickly established himself as one of the best joke-writers and most sought-after performers in the city. He gained national attention when he was named one of Comedy Central’s Fresh Faces of Comedy and made appearances on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend and Shorties Watchin’ Shorties, and hosted Comedy Central’s Saturday Night Secret Stash. In 2006, he was featured along with Mike Birbiglia, Demetri Martin, Todd Barry, and others on the Invite Them Up CD compilation produced by Comedy Central Records. He can currently be seen and heard cracking wise as a cast member of Animal Planet’s The A-List.
CHP Management and It Takes A Lot To Laugh Productions are hoping to build on the success of their inaugural release and provide wider exposure for other comics in the New York scene.
CHP Management was formed in 2006 with the mission to develop a strong, supportive and influential music and artist community while providing the structure to enhance and promote their art. At CHP Management we look to sign unique artists with new ideas whose support we administer to the fullest extent, maintaining an optimal environment for creativity and business.
Posted by The Apiary at March 31, 2008 9:57 PM
Comments
Tom McCaffrey is great! I'm looking forward to his eventual TV special, movie deals and beyond!
Posted by: soce at April 1, 2008 8:32 AM
McCaffrey is hilarious and I totally agree that he is way too under the radar! Right on!
Posted by: Carolyn at April 1, 2008 6:45 PM
really great that CHP is supporting him and that he's coming out with a cd. easily one of the best comics in the u.s. i hope mike dobbins is next!
Posted by: arnab at April 4, 2008 11:32 AM