Faux-religious live comedy show “Church Night” will make the transition from stage to streaming video next week.
Church night co-creators Linsay Deming, Landon Letzkus and Jeremy Frank will debut the show’s new web series, “Church Night TV,” by screening all five episodes at Songbyrd Record Cafe (2475 18th St. NW) next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
For the uninitiated, Church Night is a long-running monthly variety show in the guise of a religious service. The show is a blasphemous mass speckled with pop song hymns, comedy sketches, burlesque performances, live music and something called “shots ‘n tots” communion, during which attendees are provided a shot of whiskey and a single tater tot to imbibe.
Though the performance started at the Wonderland Ballroom in Columbia Heights, Church Night can now be seen once a month onstage at the Black Cat.
Deming, who plays sordid youth minister Kathy Piechota in the show, said the new web series is kind of like a hybrid of “Portlandia,” “Between Two Ferns” and “The 700 Club.”
“We took inspiration from more low budget local religious programming,” Deming said. “We have a few invented characters, like a hymn composer. We have a craftsman, a guy who makes doors. It’s very bizarre. Very surreal.”
Though Deming said audiences can expect much of the usual shock-and-gawk routine that made Church Night a favorite among its fans, tater tots will not make an appearance in the new web series.
Instead, the show will have an abunance of sad, floppy hot dogs.
“There’s a big hot dog component to the show,” she said. “They’re kind of the most disgusting food on the planet, and our characters love everything that anyone else would consider bad for your health.”
“We tried to think of all of the things you could do with a hot dog,” added Deming. “I have not consumed a hot dog since filming.”
Those looking to experience the next live installment of “Church Night” can head to the Black Cat for blessings this Friday at 9 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Linsay Deming
The blasphemers behind interactive religious parody act Church Night are celebrating Pride with a new LGBTQ-themed show.
Mega Church Night, the group’s first non-holiday show at the Black Cat, begins at 9 p.m on June 20.
Acts include praise music by Minneapolis queer band B O Y F, inspirational testimony from drag queen Summer Camp, a witness to faith by lesbian burlesque dancer Glam Gamz and children’s comedy by Curt Mariah.
Monthly shows regularly feature monologues, sketches, music and “Shots ‘N Tots” Communion, during which attendees are provided a shot of whiskey and a single tater tot.
“While the format of each show is the same, the content is different,” Landon Letzkus — known on stage as Rev. Bidet — said. “So we’re happy to say this will be like ever other Church Night and totally different from ever other Church Night.”
Letzkus, Linsay Deming,and Jeremy Frank write, produce and perform Church Night.
Since its debut at The Wonderland Ballroom in Columbia Heights, the show has developed a “loyal flock” of 150-160 members that consistently fill the back stage at Black Cat.
“There’s a really tight-knit community among people who come to Church Nights,” Deming said.
Jeremy Frank was unavailable for comment, much like his tongueless, scantily clad and submissive stage character, altered boy Randy St. Oates Jr.
Image courtesy of Church Night
