Loser's Lounge Tribute to ELTON JOHN!!!

To say I am EXCITED about the upcoming Loser's Lounge Tribute to Sir Elton John is an understatement. How much of an understatement? Let's just say that in college he came to town and the show was sold-out. I weaseled my way into working the event so I could be the worst usher ever and just watch the concert. It was awesome! I met Elton's Limo driver! I dedicated a whole page in my college scrapbook (yes, I had one of those) to it!

Proof I'm obsessed!

I'm pretty sure most of the shows are sold-out, but if you can, grab a ticket to this awesome tribute! I'll be there Thursday and Friday with a couple surprises in store!

IT'S ELTON, BITCHES!!!!

Tickets and info HERE!

SO Into It!

TONIGHT! It's all things "Hairspray" at UCBeast in preparation for tomorrow's "Hairspray LIVE" on TV. Do I have video from when I donned a giant wig and danced on Broadway to "You Can't Stop the Beat"? You BET I DO! See you there! 8pm, a mere 5 bones.

Lush Time Election Time!

This has been a long and arduous election season. What will get us through to the very end? ALCOHOL!

Be sure to vote November 8th and then have those cocktail shakers ready. We will!

A Porch Music "Thank You!"

Thank you to everyone who came out to Cornelia Street Cafe for Porch Music! We had a great time and are already planning the next one.

And thanks to Andy Christie for filming and editing this video. Bluegrass it is!

I Am Delirious

"My apologies if I haven't been myself lately. I've been a little...Delirious."

Performing on the Loser's Lounge Tribute to Prince at Joe's Pub. What a BLAST!

The next tribute is ELTON JOHN!!! I am freaking out about that. Be sure to snag those tix 'cause it's going to sell out like THAT!

Piano Karaoke 11/1 & 11/5!

Mark those calendars! It's PIANO KARAOKE TIME! I'll be behind the baby grand filling in for the inimitable Joe McGinty on Tuesday, November 1st and Saturday, November 5th! 9pm - 1am. You bring your pipes, I'll play the keys.

The song list has grown to over 230 songs! Let's do this!

Sideshow Goshko Storytelling Series, Thursday, 10/27!

Almost 8 years running, we're back at it this Thursday, 10/27 in New York's reddest bar. Come see why the New York Times named us a "Critic's Pick" and calls us "a well-programmed night." Always FREE, always at a Soviet Bar.

Award-winning storyteller Leslie Goshko (Huffington Post, Sirius XM radio) invites some of NY’s top writers and storytellers to share true, bizarre tales about their lives. There’s a challenging trivia game and a free wine giveaway where one lucky audience member will walk away with their very own bottle of Sideshow Sauce! Tonight’s stellar lineup includes stories from:

MARTIN DOCKERY (Fringe Circuit Superstar)

SELENA COPPOCK (Red Oaks on Amazon, Vh1, author "The New Rules for Blondes")

CAITLIN BRODNICK (Glamour, The People's Improv Theater, The Moth)

DANNY ARTESE (Moth StorySlam winner, http://sweetvalleyhighagain.tumblr.com/)

* New York Times "Critic's Pick"
* Time Out NY “Critics’ Pick” 
* NY Daily News “Editor’s Pick”
* “a well-programmed night” - The New York Times

Always FREE, Always at a Soviet Bar. Be sure to arrive early to snag a seat; they go fast!

Swingin' and Bootleggin' 10/29 at Sid Gold's!

This Saturday, October 29th, 8pm, I'm mixing a batch of bathtub gin and playing 1920's/1930's music in Barrel Of Monkeys Band at Sid Gold's Request Room with Jan Tilley, Artie Bressler, and special guest Gay Marshall. Come get dressed up with us and listen to some good ol' classic music. 

And then stay afterward for The 2nd Annual Halloween S(t)inging Spooktacular at Sid Gold's! with Joe McGinty and Anna C Cabanna! I'll be there; let's hang out!

Back to Back Piano Karaoke

That's right, it's piano karaokepalooza! Will she survive? Will hearing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" 8,000 times send her into a nervous breakdown? We'll see! Come to Sid Gold's Request Room this Saturday, October 15th and Sunday, October 16th, 9pm - 1am and find out!

Plus, I just added this song. So, bust out those belt notes!



Song list HERE!

See you there!

The Debut of Sid Gold's Sunday Quiz Show 10/16!!

That's right! Sunday night's at Sid's are getting a makeover. Join us this Sunday, October 16th, 8pm for the debut of Sid's Sunday Quiz Show! With games, prizes, and food and drink specials, it's the perfect way to start off the upcoming week with good vibes. Come with your friends, come by yourself, we don't care! The fun is there regardless. 

Followed by live piano karaoke with yours truly ;)

See you there!

What: Sid Gold's Sunday Night Quiz Show

When: Sunday, October 16th, 8pm

Where: Sid Gold's Request Room (Named "Best Karaoke Bar in NY" by Grubstreet), 165 W. 26th Street, 212-229-1948

How Much: Free

Website: http://sidgolds.com/event/sid-golds-sunday-quiz-show-with-gary-and-leslie/2016-10-16/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1808971822716939/

Which year was Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” released? What movie featured “Don’t You Forget About Me” as it’s main theme? Who put the bomp in the bomp-bah-bomp-bah-bomp?

Come test your pop, rock and general music knowledge to win prizes at Sid’s Sunday Quiz Show on 10/16 at 8pm. Admission is free and we’ve got $10 pizza and $5 draft beers from 8-11pm too! 

Hosted by Leslie Goshko (Huffington Post Comedy, "Hairspray" on Broadway) and Gary Burton (BBC Radio, ABC News Radio) it promises to be an evening of great fun and mild mayhem. Oh, and there’s a round called “Cats On Synths” played by Leslie’s own cat, Tater. For reals.

Bring some friends, form a team, play on your own, come as you are…we don’t care! We’ve got extra prizes if you play one of our silly games!

Followed by live piano karaoke. 9pm - 1am

Calling All Flappers and Bootleggers!

I'll be behind the keys playing in this very fun 20's/30's blues show at Sid Gold's Request Room as part of The Amber Zone. It's good-time hand-clapping foot-stomping music! And with signature cocktails and retro decor, you can spend your Monday time traveling to a gay old time (because I'm playing for Gay Marshall! See what I did there?)

Monday, October 3rd, 8pm, Sid Gold's Request Room

See you there, dames and gents!

Have a Total Eclipse of the Heart with Me this Saturday, 9/24!

The song list is officially over 220 songs! So come on out, throw back a cold one, and sing your favorite guilty pleasure (speaking of, I added the Streisand/Gibb duet "Guilty" to the list. You're welcome!) with me backing you on the baby grand.

You can check out the song list HERE!

Saturday, September 24th, 9pm - 1am, Sid Gold's Request Room

It's ridiculous amounts of fun. See you there!

Sideshow Goshko this Thursday, September 22nd!

We've been featured on NPR, TruTV's "Impractical Jokers," called a NY Times "Critic's Pick," and now we come to you LIVE from the reddest bar in NYC! Always FREE, always at a Soviet Bar. 

THE GIST:

Award-winning storyteller Leslie Goshko (Huffington Post, Sirius XM radio) invites some of NY’s top writers and storytellers to share true, bizarre tales about their lives. There’s a challenging trivia game and a free wine giveaway where one lucky audience member will walk away with their very own bottle of Sideshow Sauce! Tonight’s stellar lineup includes stories from:

STEVEN BERKOWITZ (The Liar Show, Scientific American's "Science Talk" podcast)

JIJI LEE (Above Average, Reductress)\

MICHELE CARLO (author "Fish Out of Agua," Impractical Jokers)

GASTOR ALMONTE (Comedy Central, Host of Stoops2Stages)

* New York Times "Critic's Pick"
* Time Out NY “Critics’ Pick”
* NY Daily News “Editor’s Pick”
* “a well-programmed night” - The New York Times

Thursday, September 22nd, KGB Bar
Doors open at 6:30pm. Be sure to arrive early to snag a seat, they go fast.

She's Having a Baby!...and other Kate Bush Trivia

Piano party clips are sloooowly rolling out (I'm also still learning how to use iMovie. I know, I'm late to the game.), but here we have a cover of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" where I dissect the movie "She Having a Baby" and bring you one degree closer to Kevin Bacon.

That's Me in Your Renaissance Hotel Commercials!

I's in a commercial!!! I had a blast doing these two spots for Renaissance Hotels. Big thanks to everyone involved for a great time!

I got typecast as a neurotic, go figure... :)

One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces

Now that I've had a day to recover, a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to "An Old-Fashioned Piano Party with Leslie Goshko!" You guys were an awesome crowd and so much fun.

What happens when I give myself 4 days to learn a song? A lot of stress and a Ben Folds cover (explicit).

10 Years of Lies!

The long-running and award-winning Liar Show turns 10 years old this August! I'm so honored and excited to be on the celebratory lineup! This will absolutely sell-out, so be sure to RSVP by calling the cafe at 212-989-9319.

4 stories, 3 true, 1 lie. Interrogate the performers and find out who's lying. If you get it right you win...wait for it...a t-shirt!! :)

Hope to see you there! No lie.

Get Out Your Cone Bras!!!

It's time to put on your lace gloves and celebrate the Material Girl...MADONNATHON IS COMING! I'm so thrilled to be joining this talent-packed night which celebrates the one and only Madonna. Live musical performances, dancing, DJ's, it's going to be a night you don't want to miss.

Tickets on sale now! I'm off to buy a wig...

Last Sideshow Goshko of the Summer! 7/28/16

And we're back! Sideshow Goshko (Time Out NY "Critic's Pick") returns to the KGB Bar next Thursday, July 28th, 7pm (doors 6:30pm) for our last show of the summer. There is NO Sideshow Goshko for the month of August. We will return in full force on Thursday, September 22nd.

Always FREE, always at a Soviet Bar.

Award-winning storyteller Leslie Goshko (Huffington Post, Sirius XM radio) invites some of NY’s top writers and storytellers to share true, bizarre tales about their lives. There’s a challenging trivia game and a free wine giveaway where one lucky audience member will walk away with their very own bottle of Sideshow Sauce! Tonight’s stellar lineup includes stories from:

Stephen Gevedon (HBO)

Thomas Pryor (author "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys")

Sandi Marx (The Moth)

* New York Times "Critic's Pick"
* Time Out NY “Critics’ Pick”
* NY Daily News “Editor’s Pick”
* “a well-programmed night” - The New York Times

New Director of Storytelling for Gotham Comedy Foundation!

I'm very excited to announce that I am the new Director of Storytelling for the Gotham Comedy Foundation! Feel free to like their Facebook page to keep up with all the comedy goings on and great events that they head up. You can also read about their non-profit efforts here. Story on, friends!

Piano Karaoke this Saturday, July 23rd!

I'm back behind the keys at the lovely Sid Gold's Request Room this Saturday, July 23rd, 9pm - 1am for piano karaoke! If you can, stop by Cornelia Street Cafe at 6pm for "An Old-Fashioned Piano Party with Leslie Goshko" and then join us as we move the party over to Sid Gold's! You sing, I play, we all drink! And you can check out my current song list HERE! See you there!

It's Baaaack!

The Time Out NY "Critic's Pick" event is back at Cornelia Street Cafe on Saturday, July 23rd, 6pm as part of their "Solo Fest!" Be sure to call the cafe to RSVP; these usually sell out.

I'll see you downstairs with mah hur did! ;)

Thanks to John Morrison for the poster!

Live Podcast Recording for #LastThingsFirst

I had such a blast being interviewed on Sean L. McCarthy's podcast #LastThingsFirst recorded live at QED Astoria. We talked Broadway, storytelling, teaching, and all things in between. And there's a slide whistle! Musical intro by Camille Harris and Shockwave! 

Per The Comic's Comic: Leslie Goshko joins me in a special episode recorded live at QED in Astoria. She's featured on a new episode of truTV's Impractical Jokers, but there’s nothing impractical about going from teaching music and theater in Tulsa to the Broadway stage, at least the way she tells it. Goshko won a national dance contest held in 2006 by the producers of Hairspray to appear in the Broadway production. She’s a gifted storyteller who has won the Manhattan Monologue Slam, provides music for NY1 anchors Pat Kiernan and Jamie Stelter’s live shows at 92Y, sings regularly at Joe’s Pub and has hosted her storytelling showcase, Sideshow Goshko, for the past seven years. She tells me all about her journey, what storytelling means to her, and performs a song live for us.

70's and 80's Rock Tribute at Sid Gold's!

I'm thrilled to be playing keys and singing back-up vocals for rocker extraordinaire, Jan Tilley! (original guitarist for Hedwig!) Come see us at her rock tribute show "Time Capsule" at Sid Gold's Request Room, Saturday, May 21st, 8pm. A mere 10 bones gets you in!

Also featuring Joe DiBella, Amber Martin, and Shannon Conley! It's a who's who of talent!

Thunder and Sunshine Debut Saturday, May 7th!

This Saturday, May 7th, 4pm at the West End, it's the debut of "Thunder and Sunshine!" This is an all-ages, kid-friendly show. So bring the kids, sip on a beverage yourself, and enjoy some rockin' good times. It's like if School-House Rock and Sly and the Family Stone had a baby.

April Sideshow Goshko Recap

You guys! A packed, standing-room only crowd which spilled out into the hallway. Thank you for keeping Sideshow Goshko going strong! Our next show is Thursday, May 26th, 7pm at KGB Bar. Always Free, always at a Soviet Bar. And now we can say, "As seen on Tru TV's 'Impractical Jokers!'"

April's storytellers L to R: Drew Prochaska, Cyndi Freeman, Rory Scholl, Anna Zagerson, Leslie Goshko

photo courtesy Maryanne Ventrice

Sideshow Goshko on Tru TV's "Impractical Jokers!"

I can FINALLY reveal that our big Sideshow Goshko taping was for an episode of "Impractical Jokers" on Tru TV! Thank you to everyone who came out and for being such good sports! Proving yet again that Sideshow Goshko has the BEST audiences. And special thanks to the evening's readers: Michele Carlo, Thomas Pryor, Francesco Marciuliano, and Brad Lawrence!  You can check out the full episode over at the Impractical Jokers website.  We're featured in Season 5 episode 11 "Whose Phone is Ringing?"

Loser's Lounge Tribute to Lionel Richie and the Commodores

Always an honor to perform with The Loser's Lounge at Joe's Pub! Thanks to Joe McGinty and the Joe McGinty 7 for letting me pull the "Night Shift." And thanks to Mike Fornatale for the video. And yes, I bought that sequined jacket just for this performance :)

The evening ended with us all singing "We Are the World." Here's me doing my best "Steve Perry."

Wunnerful Wunnerful!

Our latest edition of Wunnerful Wunnerful at Joe's Pub was just that...WUNNERFUL! A huge thank you to everyone who came out and to the immensely talented cast. Geraldine is still on parole...for now. All photos courtesy of John Huntington. Stay tuned for video!!!

Jesus Christ Super Star

Jesus Christ Superstar at Sid Gold's Request Room was a blast and an amazing way to spend Easter. Thanks to Joe McGinty for inviting me to play Judas. My mind is clearer now...

And big thanks to the ever-talented Craig Ruttle for all the photos!

Women in Comedy Photo Shoot! Featured in the NY Times!

I was so honored to be a part of the historic Women in Comedy photo shoot which took place last month. You can read all about it over at The NY Times and check out the full photo set over at With Reservation! A major shout-out to Mindy Tucker who is not only extremely talented, but a sweetheart of a person and made this thing happen! Kudos also to Jessica Delfino.

photo courtesy Mindy Tucker

I'm the Judas to your Jesus! Jesus Christ Superstar at Sid Gold's!!

In one week, I'll be the Judas to your Jesus. LIVE at Sid Gold's Request Room on Easter Sunday, I'll be joining a great cast of NY's finest to perform selections from Jesus Christ Superstar! And at the helm, the one and only Joe McGinty. Now you can play off your wine addiction as "communion." See you there! Hallelujah!

I freakin' LOVE this musical!!!

We Did It! Taping Complete!

I just want to say a huge "thank you" to everyone who came out for the very special LIVE taping of Sideshow Goshko! Due to the wonderful world of non-disclosure agreements, I can't say too much right now. But I can say that you'll be seeing us on your TV in the near future, and then I can spill the beans all over the place. Special thanks to Michele Carlo, Francesco Marciuliano, Brad Lawrence, and Thomas Pryor for their amazing readings.

You all are the best!

Although there was free wine, I promise I'm not drunk in this photo. I just naturally look that way. 

L to R: Michele Carlo, Francesco Marciuliano, Thomas Pryor, Leslie Goshko, Brad Lawrence 

In Lieu of Porch Music...

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Porch Music has been postponed. BUT...fret not! In its place will be the wildly popular and hilarious The Liar Show! These shows always sell out, so be sure to RSVP by calling the cafe.

$10 cover plus $10 minimum. 4 stories, 3 true, one pack of lies. Interrogate the storytellers and win a prize!

Thank You for an Amazing Seven Years!

Wow, what an amazing anniversary show! First of all, keeping a show going for one year in NY is a feat and I applaud all those producers out there who do it. Keeping a show running for like SEVEN years is, well...a LOT! And I couldn't do it without all of YOU! So...

THANK YOU!!!

Thank you to our amazing storytellers Sasheer Zamata (SNL), Andy Christie (The Liar Show), and Tara Clancy (The Paris Review) for sharing their amazing tales and to everyone who came out to support and literally PACKED out the KGB Bar!

We'll be back at it on Thursday, March 24th, 7pm at KGB Bar. Always FREE, always at a Soviet Bar.

We had ourselves a good time. (L to R: Sasheer Zamata, Tara Clancy, Leslie Goshko, Andy Christie)

photo courtesy Maryanne Ventrice 

Loser's Lounge Tribute to David Bowie

Wow, what an amazing, spectacular, and emotional Loser's Lounge Tribute to David Bowie! I was so honored to take part in it. Huge thank you to Joe McGinty and the entire Loser's Lounge family for an absolutely fantastic experience.

Special thanks to Mike Fornatale for filming my performance of "Boys Keep Swinging" and to Scott Matthews for the photos! Be sure to check out all the Loser's Lounge shows on the Joe's Pub calendar!

Sideshow Goshko in THE NEW YORK TIMES!

Tonight is the big night! Sideshow Goshko Storytelling Series celebrates 7 Years!!! And we're gonna party.

Huge thanks to The New York Times who thinks you should check out tonight's event. I don't disagree with them. We have SNL's Sasheer Zamata, The Liar Show's Andy Christie, and The Paris Review's Tara Clancy. 

Always FREE, always at a Soviet Bar! Door open at 6:30pm. 

And if you're STILL on the fence, maybe you should twitter-listen to NY1's Pat Kiernan who thinks you should come tonight...

Wunnerful Wunnerful Rides Again!

Geraldine Shirley and Dale Seever are back at it again! And Geraldine is still on parole.

WUNNERFUL WUNNERFUL returns to Joe's Pub for an evening of comedy, music, dance, and of course, bubbles!

Mark your calendars for Sunday, April 10th, 9:30pm to see a whole lot of matching polyester! It's worth the ticket price right there (which can be purchased HERE!).

photo courtesy Mark Shaw