"If I accidentally find myself in a good mood before a show, it's scary, and it's detrimental," comedian Doug Stanhope says. "I go, 'Everything sucks, remember that! Stop smiling; you'll ruin the show!'" But Stanhope has a lot to smile about. He's a huge draw not only in America but the U.K. as well. Apparently anger and annoyance are universal. Stanhope performs at the Southgate House Thursday with local stand-ups Mike Cody and Brad Thacker.  

In 1996, Andy McLuskey, who at that point was the sole member of OMD, had an unfortunate epiphany. He was in a record shop in Liverpool and came across an Erasure CD. "Do I really need another Erasure CD?" he thought. Then it hit him. "I wonder if people are saying that about OMD?"   

Ryan Stout is an Ohio native but doesn't remember much about living in suburban Cleveland. When he was 4, his father was given a choice by his bosses at General Motors: Relocate to Buffalo, N.Y., or El Paso, Texas. He chose the latter, and the family headed for the Southwest. "It is a very interesting place to grow up," Stout says. "People don't realize that El Paso is the size of Seattle, population-wise. But there’s nothing there." Stout performs Thursday-Sunday at Go Bananas.  

You could take the cynical view and surmise that Adam Young's label is trying to squeeze every last dime out of the cash-cow that's become Owl City (of which he is the sole member). Sky Sailing pre-dates Owl City, and 'An Airplane Carried Me to Bed' is a worthy effort and a must for those who seek to complete their Adam Young catalog.  

Named for a character in an ’80s movie (the inept principal in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), you might assume that the band’s music has an old-school New Wave twinge to it. While that's correct, their influences run much deeper. Listen closely and you can also hear the Power Pop of the ’60s.  

Though he was an admitted class clown, Dan Cummins never had a burning desire to become a stand-up comedian. "I was more like back-of-the-room smart-ass," he says. "I have one memory in the fourth grade of some classmate saying, 'You're like Bill Cosby.' I didn’t even listen to (Cosby), which was funny." Ironically, this past year, that same classmate attended the taping of Cummins’s special in Spokane, Wash., the adopted hometown of both.  

Named for a character in an '80s movie (the inept principal in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'), you might assume that Rooney's music has an old-school New Wave twinge to it. While that's correct, the band's influences run much deeper. Listen closely and you can also hear the Power Pop of the '60s. "Yeah, I think in the beginning that ('80s style) was definitely the main thing," says Rooney drummer Ned Brower. They open for Hanson Monday at Moonlite Gardens.  

While you can make a good living doing stand-up, it's not always rock steady work; just ask Jimmy Pardo. While he's never had trouble filling clubs across America, it was that very success that helped get him a permanent gig warming up the crowd for Conan O'Brien's 'Tonight Show.' The fact that he hosts a popular podcast, 'Never Not Funny,' helped as well. When Conan was shown the door, another one opened for Pardo.  

What’s new with Vince Morris? “I just got out of prison and my life has changed,” he says, laughing. Quite the opposite, actually — the Columbus native is now a father, living outside of Dayton. Almost every week, though, the Comedy Bat Signal calls and he returns to his role as one of America’s sharpest stand-up comics. Balancing career and family has been a challenge. “I’ve got a place in L.A., but it’s a catch-22,” he explains. “I don’t like L.A. I never liked it, but you have to be there for the career. But you don’t want to raise a family in Los Angele  

When discussing the greatest Rock bands of all time, The Beach Boys are often mistakenly dismissed as a mere vocal group. “There are some bands that have a lead singer and maybe some harmonies that are iffy,” explains Mike Love, The Beach Boys lead singer. “The thing that distinguishes The Beach Boys from any other Rock band is the sophisticated harmonies and arrangements.” They play Friday and Saturday nights at the Grand Victoria Casino in Rising Sun.