CHICAGO — Some of the world’s most popular talk shows are set against the backdrop of New York City — and Chicago resident Justin Swinson thinks Chicago deserves that kind of spotlight, too.
Since 2018, Swinson has hosted “The Not That Late Show” at local venues. As Chicago’s only late-night talk show, it’s a spectacle “for Chicago, by Chicago,” inspired by local and national news, online happenings and more, he said.
The in-person show’s segments focus on a range of topics: from serious issues like Chicago’s public transit budget shortfall to comedic bits like “the random Chicagoans that you’ll encounter during your perfect Chicago summer that will make your life a little bit more of a hassle,” Swinson said.
“We are just like any show that you would stay up late for, like Colbert or ‘The Daily Show’ or Jimmy Fallon,” Swinson said. “But essentially, there are two main distinctions between us and those shows you would see on TV. The main one is that we try and base a lot of our content on the goings-on of Chicago itself. … And the other distinction is, as the title implies, the show is not very late.”
Once a month, the show kicks off at 7:30 or 8 p.m. and lasts about 90 minutes. That gives fans a chance to get off work, grab a quick drink or bite and “if they want, be in bed around 10 o’clock,” Swinson said.
The show also features a variety of local guests, from poet and artist Eve L. Ewing to Rep. Delia C. Ramirez. Ewing joined Swinson in May at the Lincoln Lodge — the talk show’s home for a year and a half — and Ramirez attended in June.
This month’s guest, Chicago’s very own urban historian, Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, takes the stage 8 p.m. Thursday at the Steppenwolf Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St. Musical guest Clairice, who will be at Lollapalooza this year, will perform.
Tickets are sold out, but a few more seats might open up, according to the show’s Instagram.
“You always see these talk shows on TV, and they’re in New York or they’re in LA, and I view Chicago as just as special a city,” Swinson said. “New York and LA play such a big role, they almost become a character unto itself of the shows … and I kind of felt like Chicago deserves something just like that.”
Swinson moved to Chicago from Maryland about 12 years ago to pursue comedy. He’s been enamored by the city, its neighborhoods and its people ever since, he said.
“There are just so many things always moving, always happening. I just wanted to do a show that highlighted that and gave a platform to that,” Swinson said.
“We’ve had people from community groups, we’ve had activists and organizers and all types of folks on. Just kind of shining a light on them and all the great things going on in this city,” he said. “I think the city is so massive at times, we as citizens forget that the great people aren’t always the ones you see on the news or in the paper every single day. They’re the ones getting up and going to work and doing the thing, and they deserve that spotlight sometimes.”
Because of the show’s quick turnaround — it often gets put together in a week’s time — Swinson said he and his team of friends don’t have much time to think too much into the future. Still, he would love to partner with venues around the city to bring the show to their neighborhoods, he said.
“I would really love to be at a point where we can do this sort of thing on a regular basis, and we’ll have a nice packed house, and my friends can really get the opportunity to be seen by a lot of folks,” Swinson said.
Swinson’s fellow cast members are sketch comedian and writer Sage Huston, writer and performer Dev Middleton, rapper and comedian Michael Van Pham and actor, writer and improviser Tori Wynn. There’s also the band, Mich Shirey and the Night Watch. Learn more about the team here.
The flyer for The Not That Late Show’s July show at Steppenwolf Theatre, featuring host Justin Swinson and other cast members. Credit: Provided
“Maybe one day, a couple years down the road, we’ll be like, ‘Oh, here we are. Somehow WGN believed in us enough to let us do this every week,’ or something crazy like that,” Swinson said. “Because I think the template is already there. It’s kind of just getting enough eyes on it to make that a thing that could happen.”
Until then, Swinson just hopes he and his friends can make people laugh and introduce them to fellow Chicagoans doing cool things. He also has a few dream guests, like Gov. JB Pritzker, former Bulls player Joakim Noah and Chance the Rapper.
“That’s really what kind of keeps me going. It’s the idea of, somebody can come in and see this show, they’ll have some laughs,” Swinson said. “Then maybe they’ll find out about somebody they’ve never heard of before and learn something new, and maybe find a cause that they’ll enjoy, or they’ll find a local musical artist that they’ve never heard of before and then they become a fan.”
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