The Apiary

Pat Brice's friends and fellow comics are sharing their thoughts about his loss, and what his life and comedy meant to them. Feel free to add your own tribute to our beloved friend in the comments section, so we can collectively create a nice archive of remembrances of Pat.

Mike Holmes: "We've all lost a really great friend and our favorite comedian. I always took great joy in bringing my friends from outside of the comedy world to shows that Pat was in, so they could see first hand what everyone in Chicago comedy knew to be true - Pat was the best, on-stage and off."

Renee Gauthier: "Pat Brice is one of the funniest comics ever and I just wish the world knew that. We were just starting to get to really know each other, he will be missed."

Mike Bridenstine: "Pat was one of the people in comedy I respected and looked up to the most. One of the funniest people on stage and off that I have ever met in my life. When he talked, people listened. And they loved what he had to say. This is a real tragedy for everyone that knew and loved him in Chicago, as well as a bigger tragedy that he was on the brink of having everyone else know and love him too. I'm really going to miss him."

From the Chicahahahago Yahoo message board:

David Angelo: "He was funnier and cooler than all of us."

Robert Buscemi: "He was just always a gentleman and a decent guy. Always. You could talk to him about your insecurities and struggles as a comedian, and he was a great listener and friend. And as we all know, he was one of the most talented, fun comedians to watch we've ever seen. It was an honor to share his journey with him, and again, all condolences to his family and closest friends. He was just a great positive force and a very, very smart and gifted comic. I always admired and liked him, as I think everyone did."

Aaron Foster: "We lost a great friend and great comedian. Pat Brice was one of my personal friends and favorite comedians especially in our 'Chicago' scene. My full and unconditional condolences to the Brice family and all others who morn his loss with me."

Dave Odd: "He was a genuinely good guy who helped encourage me...he gave me his number and told me to call him if I needed anything. Throughout the years he was always friendly and cordial with me not to mention one of my favorite comedians in the city to watch. My condolences to his friend and family, we lost a great guy and a great comic. I hope this puts things in perspective and that we can realize how lucky we all are to live our lives doing what we love to do."

Kelly Lee Williams: "Every time I saw Pat Brice he was positive and in a creative mode."

Jason Fever: "Pat Brice was one of the greatest comedians ever in the history of mankind and he was my friend."

Jay Harris: "The world is a lot less funny without him. Pat was an inspiration to all comics...and I'll definitely miss his sense of humor. He was an upstanding guy...my condolences to his family & friends. We love you Pat!"

From your e-mails to us, and comments on this post:

Nate Craig: "Patrick Brice. Son, brother, great friend, awesome comic, down homie, mauler, basher, destroyer, intellectual, gentleman, south sider, legend and consummate professional. He was the best. We all love him very much. If you knew him, celebrate. Laugh all you can and don't drive like an idiot. Keep him and his family in your hearts and prayers. Go White Sox."

Kara Buller: "I loved Pat Brice. One spring evening on a porch at a party, when he was sporting an especially amazing pair of jeans, he successfully recapped the entire Madonna discography in correct chronological order. He even remembered the commercial failure American Life, which everyone always forgets. That's the kind of guy he was: so sure of himself that he could recall all Madonna albums, in white pants, in public, and still be the sexiest man at the party. Of course, what I liked best about Pat wasn't that he was sexy or that he had a brain large enough to contain information he probably didn't even give a shit about. It was that he was, if you can believe this, genuinely kind. He never gave me any shit. And now I'm outing him for knowing Madonna albums. I think he'd be okay with it."

Prescott Tolk: "Pat Brice was the guy I've always wanted to be. He was naturally cool and naturally funny. It's hard to believe he's gone. He was energy incarnate. I, like most people, craved his company because I always felt cooler whenever I was shooting the shit with him. He also made me laugh until I sneezed beverages. But most importantly, he was an amazing friend whose presence made everyone’s life better. I miss him dearly."

Peter Hinsdale: "Pat was one of the funniest people I've ever met. He always made me laugh and was a true pleasure to be around...He will be greatly missed."

James Fritz: "I was actually just starting to see more of Pat. And getting to know him better. You see, it's a little different for me because I saw Pat as an inspiration long before I considered him a friend. Before I ever found the balls to get on a stage I'd catch him at a show and just be awed by his talent. His rhythm. His righteous anger. God Damn he was funny. Hell yes I was intimidated by him. He was a badass onstage and I was nobody. And he couldn't have been cooler to me from day one. He was a great guy. A great guy. He was so freaking alive. All the time, it seemed. Eyes wide open, two or three pretty young things on his arms, smiling his shit-eating grin. This really sucks."

Tony Sam: "A lot of people can talk about how great a person is on stage, but the most important thing is who you are off stage. Pat Brice wasn't just a great performer and comedian, he was a great person. You knew that the moment he opened his mouth. I feel fortunate to have known him and had the chance to get to know him well. The thing about Pat, is how full of life he was, so big and ready to burst out at any moment. I like just being around him, because it felt like you were really living. The best way to honor Pat is to celebrate what an amazing individual he was, and (especially the other performers) to do the best we can at what we love to do. I like everyone else, will miss him dearly."

Joe Kilgallon: "Chicago lost a great talent and a great friend. Pat was an amazing person, who will be deeply missed. As a young comic, I looked up to Pat, he headlined the first show I ever did, and I remember thinking if I could only be half of the comic he is I'll be happy. Pat will never be forgotten."

Mike Burns: "Pat was a hero of mine. And, he was my friend."

Jenna Gianneschi: "To those of you in mourning, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine the devastation his parents and family are suffering, wrought by such an abrupt and unexpected tragedy. To the Brice Family, I extend my deepest, most heartfelt sympathies and condolences. I know that a lot of the comments that have been posted up here have been by fellow comedians and those of you that have worked with Pat through the years or got to know him through the comedy scene. I met him through a mutual friend so for me, it was always the off-stage side of him that I saw. Obviously it goes without saying he was funny -- that we can all agree to -- but his other side was of equal, if not greater allure. He was polite (cabbies excluded) patient and sweet. He was fair and never judged (aside from a few blanket statements here and there). He had a magentism that really resonated with people, as is so painfully evident in our tears shed for his untimely departure. Every time we went out we ran into someone he knew. A wild cast of characters over time, but adoration was the prevailing theme. He was held in SUCH high esteem by SO many people -- professionally, platonic, and otherwise. Patrick was the kind of person you always wanted to have at the party -- the person to bring the life and the feistiness that would keep people would be talking for months long thereafter. But he was not the kind of person that only shared in the joys...he participated in your sorrows too. He was a good listener, empathetic, and always there to offer a gentle hand to help however he could. I will forever consider myself so truly blessed for having been the recipient of so many of his kindnesses. I love you, Patrick. Have for a while. I am sorry I never had the courage to tell you face to face. You are in my prayers and thoughts, often and fondly."

Eric Acosta: "I already miss him so much."

Andy Ross: "Pat Brice had enough charisma and energy to fill a room. His had the loudest voice in the front of the bar, and his had the loudest laugh in the back of the audience. Onstage, he was confident, commanding, and smart, and offstage he was the same. And, he was a nice, solid guy--engaged, comfortable, generous with his attention. I liked him a lot, and my deepest condolences go out to those close to him."

Bradley Fojas: "Pat Brice was a guy that I always had respect for. Even before I knew him. My first year doing comedy, I spent most of my time at garbage open mics and never really met him. But his reputation preceded him. Everyone always had great things to say about him. TJ Miller, Aaron Foster, and Dave Odd were telling me that he was the best and that I really needed to see him if I ever got the chance. I'm glad I did eventually get to see him and meet him, because he was an amazing person, on and off stage. He was an intimidating figure on stage and I remember being really afraid to approach him after the first time I saw him. But once I got to know him, I immediately felt welcomed by him. He was a lot better than me (hell, he was better than all of us), but he never made me feel inferior. I wasn't as close to him as some of the other people on the scene, but if we were hanging out, it just didn't seem to matter. He was just such a cool guy. I used to wish we had more guys on the comedy scene like him. Now I wish we could just have back the one we had."

Emily Dorezas: "He was important in my life."

Kristy Mangel: "i think the first time i actually talked to pat was at the Blerds launch party in April '06, when i asked him to perform at my birthday party that june. i was WAY too intimidated to talk to him before that. he was so friendly and nice, it took me quite aback, only knowing his stage personality. we became better acquaintances throughout that year, and friends, i would say, when i did that Day in the Life profile. one of my favorite memories of pat happened that day, when i almost wasn't allowed to go on the trading floor b/c i was wearing flip-flops (no open-toed shoes on the floor). he went back up to the floor and snagged some shoes from a co-worker for me. they were HUGE. i was able to wear them over my flip flops. when i put them on, we both started cracking up and were nearly on the floor in tears of laughter. after that, i considered him my friend. we had good times at post-show gatherings and even informal gatherings at a local pub when he and the other VLR boys would get together for drinks and to watch the games -- if i was in a rotten mood for whatever reason, a few drinks w/ those guys, just being in their presence, ALWAYS straightened me out. selfishly, i am so sad by this loss, for myself and for everyone who loved pat."

Jacqueline Hickel: "Pat was a good man with a big heart. He always made me laugh and although I didn't see him all that much after college, he never hestitated to say hey and strike up a conversation as if we talked everyday. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. May God bless you."

Dan Telfer: "I am so grateful I could meet him, however briefly. His work was fantastic. Even greenhorns like me knew it."

Lauren Bishop: "Pat's clarity and intense passion for the stage made him a role model for me. But his heart made him my hero. I miss him already."

Landon Kirksey: "I loved watching Pat perform and I loved hanging out with him offstage. That combination is very special and rare. There was nothing false about him. Nothing contrived. It's sad to lose someone like that, and especially sad for the world of comedy. I count myself lucky to have known him."

Keith Ellett: "As Brice would say, 'You're welcome for being able to have known me and to be a witness of my comedic genius.' The world is pissed that he can not be a part of its future that is for sure. Hopefully we can all strive to affect people in a similarly positive manner as he has all of us. Peace, brother."

Lesley Paluf Gerbitz: "I was shocked and saddened to hear about this terrible news. Pat was a great guy to be around back in college. I am sorry from the bottom of my heart and I am praying for his friends and family."

Piper T. Gorsuch: "Oh Patty, he was the love of my life and my best friend. Not a single day has passed in three years that I didn't think of him. I always told him that I was his #1 fan, and when he got famous, he could employ me as his personal eyebrow tweezer and stylist. I'll be seeing you in my dreams, Pop. Love, pipes"

TJ Miller: "He was funnier than me. He was a killer, just simply built to kill."

Brooke Van Poppelen: "Pat Brice represented Chicago comedy in so many ways that only now in his absence does it become abundantly clear what we've lost.

"Comedy is a fickle thing and it has many moods and dark sides. I was always in awe at Pat's seemingly effortless transition from dude you were having a laugh and a drink with to dude who stepped on stage and made a hundred people howl without skipping a beat. There was no magic hat or persona donned for his 8 minutes of stage time. You were laughing at Pat Brice being Pat Brice. The only difference was how unbelievably sure he was and how when given a microphone, and some energy and momentum to feed off of from a crowd, he became a wrecking ball. Sometimes I didn't laugh because I was so astounded by the fact that he seemed to be channeling a higher energy. Those who have seen him perform know the possessed look that would enter his eyes.

"He would climb off stage and there would be no brooding, no posturing, no bullshit--- he always found his friends, cracked open a Miller Light and went back to a corner booth to keep shooting the shit and laugh the night away like nothing transcendent had just happened.

"He was intimidating. Impossible to dislike try as you might; he was the real deal. He was down to earth for someone with a larger than life personality and voice. It was confounding and refreshing to know someone with so much talent and so little ego. Sure the kid had an ego, but the good kind. The kind that pushes you to take wild chances on stage, voice a lot of really strong opinions and makes you believe that what you are doing is right and important and that you should stick to your guns.

"I think Chicago comedy is known for a lot of things. Our penchant for really fun, quirky comedy is definitely one of them. Pat was quintessential "old school stand-up comedian" and on any given night the odd man out among a group of oddballs. A typical night of comedy would have a line-up full of wonderfully wacky characters, premises, cuh-razy act-outs, props and then Pat Brice would get on stage and start tearing into real life situations and bring us all back to reality. I remember at first being weirded out by him and his aggressive style. He made me uneasy because now, as an older comic who has moved into comedy that is more personal and real, I know I was being challenged by what he did from the get go. Sometimes it was hard to listen to because it was raw and honest.

"What I have learned from Pat is to unabashedly be yourself. Fuck your fear and talk about what's really going on. He is someone who didn't have to "find his voice" because it was always there. All he had to do was just keep getting funnier and funnier and run laps around us all.

"To my Chicago counterparts who are hurting right now, I want you to know that I am fiercely proud to have come up in this scene with you all over the years. I have loads of admiration and respect for you all whether or not you know it. Pat was a good friend to a lot of us and a best friend to many more of you. We have lost a key player in our scene but once the grief has lifted, get your asses on stage and talk about life and let comedy heal you. We've got a job to do and standards to keep because Pat raised the bar and he'd give us all shit if we didn't do that for him.

"Thanks to all of you for taking chances every day and doing the hardest art form in the world. Be thankful we got to have someone like Pat to perform with, laugh with and learn from. We will miss him greatly."

Jeff Timberlake: "I love Pat Brice. I've worked with Pat Brice for the last 3 years. Actually i compete against him at the Merc in the cattle option pit. I used to think i was the shit. Not after Pat, he was a huge wake up call for me. And i was lucky enough to share an office with him for the last 5 months. I looked forward to seeing him every day. Of course he always made us laugh, but it was his focus and energy about trading that i loved and admired. The guy worked 24/7. After our 4hr day my brain is fried. But Pat was just getting started looking for the next great joke or routine. And he listened and looked for it all day long. I also have to vent about all the great times i didn't get to have with him. He was the life of the party. I was so looking forward to getting to know him better. He had a way of making you feel special. He was an idea man as well. It has been a little slow lately and it was Pat who came up with the idea of a time machine. Genius! Bottom line i love Pat Brice. I miss so much already. He is and was beyond words. Love Ya Bro"

Allyson Overman Catanese: "I'll always remember Pat Brice. We went to college together and saw eachother out in Chicago post graduation. He was always a gentleman, and someone I loved being around. I'll remember him always."

Tom Suffredin: "I went to high school with Pat and had the chance to watch him go from funny guy around the lunch table to open mic guy to real live working comedian guy. He is going to be missed because he was always an addition to any place he was and a pleasure to be around. There are going to be plenty of 'Remember the time Brice...' stories told for a long time by a lot of people."

Jeremy Smith: "Pat is the kind of guy you need to have around cause he would tell you like it is. The first time I met him was at one of our shows and he had me at "air and building crumbling show". On behalf of the entire Lavender Cabaret family, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Brice Family, his colleagues, CJ, friends, and all of his fans. He will be missed greatly."

Ken Barnard: "Pat Brice was, without a doubt, one of the strongest comedic voices I have ever witnessed. His command of the English language transcended comedy, making him a brilliant, biting poet. When Pat spoke, words became powerful. He attacked the stage like a wolf, and he lived his life the same way. Aggressive and balls-to-the-wall. Being around Pat's energy was truly an experience.

Besides being vivacious and supremely talented, Pat was down-to-earth, generous and really, an honest-to-goodness sweetheart. I'm grateful for the time that I got to spend with him and my condolences go out to his family and friends. The world will be a less lively place without you around, Brice. I'll miss you."

Ben Krueger: "Pat was an extremely funny individual, but aside from that he was a very genuine and caring person that always put others before himself. He was exuberant in generosity, and his sincerity always transcended his comedic persona. His supported other comedians as wholeheartedly as he created his own comedy. His zealousness toward life, as well as his genuine friendship will be missed by many, including myself."

Online tributes to Pat Brice:
Fearless Radio's Visitors Locker Room tribute to Pat Brice
Visitors Locker Room
Blerds
Blerds on MySpace
Rooftop Comedy
The Haha Board
CIN
Whip it Out Comedy
A Special Thing
Time Out Chicago
Red Bar Radio
The Lincoln Lodge
Chicago Underground Comedy

- Elizabeth McQuern