Holy Hell,
This past week we got to rub elbows with one of our favorite sketch comedy groups of all times. Actually the group that inspired our name. The Kids in the Hall. Well actually three out of the 5 of them but that hardly diminishes the thrill of not only meeting them but also playing them at whirlyball.
Yes... we played Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, and Kevin McDonald at Whirelyball on Monday night. ...
Our friend Steve Gadlin was in the mix too. (we needed a 4th)
Time Out Chicago, more specifically Steve Heisler set up a chance interview with them as they were passing through on their way to their next show in Philly. The interview was for their eventual Chicago stop at the end of May. Steve said that he didn't want a typical interview as he figured they've been interviewed many times over the years and likely over the last several weeks during their current tour. So Whirlyball? ok... That's different.
If you haven't play Whirlyball, it's actually a lot of fun. Looking at people playing it you'd think it was lame but put yourself in a bumper car and start hurling whiffle balls at your friends and you're in for a good time. Add in guys you grew up watching on TV and you're in for a totally surreal experience.
So Steve had contacted us over the weekend with the idea. It sounded like a prank. "How'd you guys like to play the Kids in the Hall at Whirlyball?"... "Yeah sorry Steve we're actually playing mini-golf with Stella that night"
We spent sunday waiting for the rug to come out from under us but it never did. We were asked to bring a 4th person to round out the teams. We called Steve Gadlin, who also thought it might be a prank on him.
When they showed up it was a surreal moment. "Why there's Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, and Kevin McDonald at a whirlyball court. What planet is this?"
We played two quick games. We lost the first...IN OVERTIME and won the second.
Of the 3 Dave Foley was the most adept at Whirlyball. He would slash, he would ram, he seemed to be everywhere. Mark McKinney is taller so he had the most shots on goal, and Kevin McDonald was the most apologetic player. Frequently say "sorry" for various things like hitting you or smashing your car... Still though he didn't slow down or anything. The three of them wanted to win. It was refreshing because we had no idea if they were going to be into playing or just sort of be beside themself and kind of gawk. They were all in and it was a lot of fun. Plus we can now say that we tied the Kids in the Hall. When someone asks "What did you tie them at?" we'll just walk away and let that linger...
The guys were very chill and talkative. We each tried not to sound like complete fanboys that I'm sure they find themselves surrounded by daily. "Oh wow, a gaggle of nerdy 20-30 year old white males who loved our show... How odd"
Afterwards we went out for drinks at some bar called the Rainbo Club near Division. When they were talked into a photo booth by some lady fans we took the opportunity to drop $3 and get our own photo booth session with them as well to which they obliged.
The night was amazing, and they were way more gracious then I could imagine. It was really something that I'm sure none of us will ever forget.
Yes this did happen.
How nice are these guys... Probably too nice.
HeyYouMillionaires 