The Perfect Amount of Wrong: The Rise of Alt Comedy on Chicago's North Side (The History Press)

In just over a decade, a tiny, do-it-yourself stand-up scene on the North Side of Chicago produced some of the most successful and influential stand-up comedians of their generation. Hannibal Buress, T.J. Miller, Kyle Kinane, Cameron Esposito, Pete Holmes, Beth Stelling, Matt Braunger and Kumail Nanjiani make up a partial list of names of comics who emerged from a scene that had very little industry attention--or even a home club.

It was also a scene that took a backseat to the city's vaunted improv institution, and if we're being completely honest, it was a scene where comics mostly performed to drunks in the backs of dingy bars on their off nights. None of it was glamorous. None of it should have worked at all. But somehow, some way, the comedians from this scene have managed to etch their own names into the Chicago comedy pantheon. The Perfect Amount of Wrong is the story of that scene, as told by its veterans.

Mike Bridenstine is a product of the Chicago stand-up scene. He has performed at festivals all around the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, including New Faces at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. Some of his TV credits include Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC, Adam Devine’s House Party on Comedy Central and The Eric Andre Show on Adult Swim. You can listen to his podcast, Hunk with Mike Bridenstine, or listen to his comedy albums, The Hungry Wolf Hunts Best and Hustle, from AST Records on Apple and Spotify. This is his first book.