Nathan Hart (left), Seth Milstein (right). Photo courtesy Nathan Hart.

Hand Shoes, Horse Grenades and Hilarity

Portland comic Kyle Adams performs with Eugene band Sex Pizza at “Eugene’s favorite late-night talk show — “or close enough”

Experience a live panel-style comedy show every Sunday with a YouTube simulcast of Hand Shoes & Horse Grenades at Luckey’s Club in downtown Eugene. Eugene-based comedian Nathan Hart hosts what’s billed as “Eugene’s favorite late-night talk show, or at least CLOSE ENOUGH!” Typically, the half dozen or so guests are comedians Hart has met touring up and down the I-5 corridor. Those include many Eugene comedy regulars, like two-time Best of Eugene Best Comedian winner Jen Jay, and past Best Comedian winners Angie Bloomfield and Seth Milstein (Best of Eugene’s nomination round is open now at Vote.eugeneweekly.com). Portland comedian Kyle Adams and Eugene band Sex Pizza will appear at the August 31 installment, with more guests to be announced. Playing Paul Shaffer to Hart’s David Letterman is a bandleader who only goes by The Crab Man (according to Hart, the other nickname option was “The Mullet Guy”). There’s also an open mic component to the show. Experienced audience members and those new to comedy sign up in advance. Midway through, Hart draws names from the “Crab Bucket,” and if your name gets picked, you do a short set, as Crab Man’s band accompanies you. “It was never intended to be as big a project as it is,” Hart tells Eugene Weekly. “It kept building and building. I’ll just sort of sit down at a desk wearing a suit and talk to them about whatever’s going on.” Usually, I’ve got questions that I ask them. We usually have at least one running joke that’ll go through the entire show. It’s supposed to have this feeling of it being bigger than it is. There’s a lot of production that goes into it.” — Will Kennedy

Streamed live on the Eugene-based Hysterical Light Entertainment YouTube channel, Hand Shoes & Horse Grenades is 8 pm every Sunday at Luckey’s Club, 933 Olive Street. Sign up for the “Crab Bucket” pull at 7:30 pm. Free. The show is 21-plus.