Paul Thomas's Stand-up Comedian Profile on Rooftop Comedy

Paul Thomas was born in the middle of July in hospital in Topeka. Shortly thereafter he learned to walk upright and has been doing so off and on ever since. He spent his formative years in La Crosse, Wisconsin, home of the world's largest six-pack. After working at ESPN in cosmopolitan Bristol, Connecticut, Paul moved to Chicago to pursue comedy in its many forms.

A jackass of all comedy trades, he recently performed character pieces in the inaugural Just for Laughs Chicago, and in August he premiered the full-length version of his new solo show Comedogenic at the New York International Fringe Festival. His solo work also includes the questionable love story Waitress Wanted, which was a selection in Live Bait Theater's Fillet of Solo Festival in 2006. In 2007 he brought his first monologue show Late Bloomer to The Playground Theater in Chicago and the Piccolo Spoleto Fringe Festival in Charleston, S.C.

He is a former member of the Defiant Thomas Brothers, winners of Best Sketch Group at HBO's 2005 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. Paul also does some stand-up comedy here and there, hither and yon, and is a cast member of Chicago Underground Comedy, a stand-up showcase. Every Thursday he hosts Happy Hour, a solo workshop/show at The Playground Theater.

The past few years have put him in front of, behind, and around the camera. In July his music video “Tighty Whiteys” was screened at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. He also created and produced the pilot Being Civil, a reality show in 1866; Punched in the Gut, a documentary about the consequences of illiteracy for Chicago actors; and some short films, which can be viewed on his website bigheadpaul.com. Last year he was featured in The Breeders' video "Walk It Off."

Paul, Jeff Madden, and Cork Kangas comprise Lola Balatro, the post-grunge acoustic com-rock band that is scorching the earth with hits like "I Got 2 Black Friends" and "Questionable Beef."