A Pair of Nuts

A Pair of Nuts has left its mark on my relationship.

Specifically, whenever my girlfriend – a Miami native – asks me “Que tú haces?” I can’t help but hear it in the swishy drawl of a certain Cuban club kid advertising less boring versions of everyday products. That’s the impact of Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco’s Miami based comedy duo who now, as their over sixty show tour comes to a close, stand ready to take on the world – their characters stick with you.

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Where do the characters in Gayo and Colgay come from?

We’re from Miami, the land of the stereotypical effeminate Hispanic gay guys. That’s pretty much where it derives from. What’s great is how the gay community has taken a liking to these characters and aren’t offended by it. It’s all in good fun. We have a big gay following thanks to Gayo and Colgay, which is pretty cool. Here’s a Nuts’ fun fact, these characters names are Koki (Yamil) and Nene (Johnny). Oh, and expect a new product from these guys very soon!



Which is better: filming sketches or performing for a crowd?

It’s two totally different things. When we film sketches it’s normally just the 2 of us and we reach a wider audience because everyone has access to the internet. But when we perform live in front of a crowd, we get that instant reaction. In the end they both get the same results… laughs.

Between food, audiences, night life, whatever, which cities on your tour – Miami excluded – treated you the best?

To be honest, we can’t think of one city in particular that treated us best. We’ve been fortunate enough to have a live show that appeals to the masses, so it’s hard to pinpoint one particular city. We will say that performing for the troops and their families is one of the most gratifying things, no matter which city it is. They’re definitely the most appreciative of what we do. One particular military base that comes to mind is Ft. Hunter Liggett in California, about 150 miles south of San Francisco in the middle of nowhere. The lodging was in a haunted hacienda which is a historic landmark in California that dates back to the 1930s. There were jackrabbits, tarantulas, snakes, and wolves. The audience that night was amazing, the hospitality from the staff was outstanding, and the food they served us was all homemade deliciousness! Definitely one of the highlights of our 2011 tour!

And we’re big on food! We love eating at random, hole in the wall places. We try to stay away from the same ole fast food places we have in Miami and eat at places specific to whichever city we’re at. Yelp is a big help in our decision making process when it comes to selecting a place to eat.



What makes a Miami audience different from all the others?

Miami is home. They know we’re hometown boys and they’re proud of our accomplishments and how we represent our city. They’ve seen our growth as entertainers since we started in college. Wherever we perform we always say we’re from Miami. For the most part Miami is known for it’s beaches, nightlife, and beautiful people, but we want people to know that there’s also funny in Miami. It’s not just LA, NY, Boston, and Chicago that has funny. Add Miami to that list.

Where would you love to perform that you haven’t yet?

Oh man, so many places. We want to go everywhere! Chicago would be awesome. They have such a rich comedy history. Vegas would be amazing too. We can totally see our show with a huge Vegas style production. Fact: we’d be sold out every night! We’d also love to go overseas and perform for the troops. And Cuba would be awesome! We’re both Cuban, how great would it be to go perform for the people in the island?

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For the most part Miami is known for it’s beaches, nightlife, and beautiful people, but we want people to know that there’s also funny in Miami.
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What/who are your comedy influences?

We grew up in such - Remezcla.com

Miami may not have The Groundlings or Second City to act as a never-ending source of talent for Comedy Central and Saturday Night Live, but we do have plenty of people who can bring the funny. Enter A Pair of Nuts. The comedic marriage between Cuban-American fraternity brothers Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco has spawned hilarious Youtube videos like “Gay-O” (The mayonnaise for gays!), a short-lived (and Suncoast Emmy Award-winning) TV show El Vacilon that aired on MegaTV, and a multi-media sketch comedy show that defies explanation. The duo return to their old stomping grounds to perform as part of the South Beach Comedy Festival.

We catch up with The Nuts before their show.

Q: I saw the video of you guys being interviewed on NBC-6's South Florida Today. Johnny, why do you let him treat you so badly?

J: He’s bigger than me. He’s intimidating.

Y: It’s a considerably larger person Johnny has to deal with. I’m 6’4” and he’s kind of like a hobbit.

J: That’s the type of stuff I have to put up with every day.

When did you guys first start making the Youtube videos?
Y: The first video we ever made was for our own amusement, before Youtube was around. It was called CK Egg.

J: Remember those ‘90s dark CK commercials that were really weird and sexy?

Y: It’s so old; it’s only on Myspace. In 2006, when Youtube came out we started uploading. It’s something we would do to make the shows different. Most Improv shows have dead air between sketches.

J: The transition is smoother with the videos, it’s non-stop.

Q: Did you get any backlash from videos like Gay-O or Col-Gay?
Y: Not at all. If anything the gay and lesbian community have been very accepting.

J: We even got featured in Edge, a local newspaper for the gay community.

Q: What’s in Gay-O?
Y: Mayonnaise with red food coloring. But what’s funny is we know some kids who go to Catholic schools who mix mayo and ketchup, but now they actually call it Gay-O.

Q: You guys participated in Vh1’s weight loss contest show Money Hungry and walked out in pink thongs. Did you feel nervous about showing off your cheeks?
Y: If you think the thongs were bad, wait till you see our live show. The pink thongs are nothing compared to that. If anything, it’s normal for us.

J: To me, when somebody has courage and they embrace who they are, it’s sexier. I’m a sexy guy.

Y: I think he’s sexy too.

Q: Talk to me about the tour you recently did across the U.S.
Y: In the spring we did 21 colleges in 24 days. It's funny how we started doing comedy in college and now we travel nationwide performing for college students. We also had a military tour, which really is one of the most gratifying things ever.

Q: You guys have worked in Spanish on your show El Vacilon on MegaTV and your live show is in English. Which audience do you think gets A Pair of Nuts better?

Y: I think that for audiences that strictly only speak Spanish, it’s a little tougher to get what we do because they didn’t grow up with Saturday Night Live or In Living Color. Our show El Vacilon was very Americanized, it was our humor translated into Spanish. It was more targeted towards an audience that never watches Spanish television. If you think about it, the only people who watch Spanish television are our parents and grandparents.

Q: How does it feel to be a part of the South Beach Comedy festival taking place on your home turf?
Y: To be included with names like Lewis Black, Aziz Ansari and Jeffrey Ross, it’s a huge honor.

Q: What can people expect from your show?
J: Utter madness! Literally, it’s a comedy party. People go crazy, it’s a fun, crazy show. Like nothing you’ve ever seen before. It goes all over the place. We get into the crowd, the videos. It's non-stop laughter.

Q: What’s Next for the Nuts?
Y: We are showcasing at the 2012 NACA National Convention, the biggest organization that books talent for college campuses. We were also nominated for Entertainer of th - Miami.com

“Innovative and always hilarious.” - Campus Activities Magazine

Miami might be known more for being funny peculiar, rather funny ha-ha, but if a certain Pair of Nuts have their way, all that will soon change. The tag team of MIA homeboys, whose interweb presence includes the ubiquitous Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, are not just funny ha-ha though -- they're a veritable laugh riot. Check 'em out Backstage at The Fillmore for this year's South Beach Comedy Fest.

For the few who don't yet know, who (and what) are Pair of Nuts? A Pair of Nuts is a Miami-based comedy duo comprised of two homegrown Cuban boys -- Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco -- who are making things happen on a national level. We are two guys who met in college at FIU who loved making people laugh with our stupidities. Now we get paid to do it. We are professional stupids.

If pushed, would you consider yourselves the Cuban-American descendants of Abbot & Costello? Absolutely! We get that all the time and are honored to be compared to them. We've been called a modern day Abbott & Costello with an edgy flair.

Who else has influenced you Nuts? We grew up watching SNL, In Living Color, Kids in the Hall, The State. In one way or another, we were influenced by all these sketch shows that spawned such amazing talent.

Any of your faves making the Fest this year? Lewis Black and of course; Roastmaster General Jeffrey Ross and his mercilessness. It's also cool to see other sketch groups making their way into the festival this year.

Speaking of which, what can fans expect at The Fillmore this Saturday night? Most people know us from our online videos, but seeing Nuts LIVE and in your face is a completely different experience. You can expect a comedy show like you've never seen before. But don't take our word for it, what do we know? We just have an Emmy Award, millions of online views, tour nationwide, and are currently in development for our own show with a major Hollywood production company. Whatevs. - NBCMiami.com

Miami might be known more for being funny peculiar, rather funny ha-ha, but if a certain Pair of Nuts have their way, all that will soon change. The tag team of MIA homeboys, whose interweb presence includes the ubiquitous Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, are not just funny ha-ha though -- they're a veritable laugh riot. Check 'em out Backstage at The Fillmore for this year's South Beach Comedy Fest.

For the few who don't yet know, who (and what) are Pair of Nuts? A Pair of Nuts is a Miami-based comedy duo comprised of two homegrown Cuban boys -- Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco -- who are making things happen on a national level. We are two guys who met in college at FIU who loved making people laugh with our stupidities. Now we get paid to do it. We are professional stupids.

If pushed, would you consider yourselves the Cuban-American descendants of Abbot & Costello? Absolutely! We get that all the time and are honored to be compared to them. We've been called a modern day Abbott & Costello with an edgy flair.

Who else has influenced you Nuts? We grew up watching SNL, In Living Color, Kids in the Hall, The State. In one way or another, we were influenced by all these sketch shows that spawned such amazing talent.

Any of your faves making the Fest this year? Lewis Black and of course; Roastmaster General Jeffrey Ross and his mercilessness. It's also cool to see other sketch groups making their way into the festival this year.

Speaking of which, what can fans expect at The Fillmore this Saturday night? Most people know us from our online videos, but seeing Nuts LIVE and in your face is a completely different experience. You can expect a comedy show like you've never seen before. But don't take our word for it, what do we know? We just have an Emmy Award, millions of online views, tour nationwide, and are currently in development for our own show with a major Hollywood production company. Whatevs. - NBCMiami.com

Miami might be known more for being funny peculiar, rather funny ha-ha, but if a certain Pair of Nuts have their way, all that will soon change. The tag team of MIA homeboys, whose interweb presence includes the ubiquitous Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, are not just funny ha-ha though -- they're a veritable laugh riot. Check 'em out Backstage at The Fillmore for this year's South Beach Comedy Fest.

For the few who don't yet know, who (and what) are Pair of Nuts? A Pair of Nuts is a Miami-based comedy duo comprised of two homegrown Cuban boys -- Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco -- who are making things happen on a national level. We are two guys who met in college at FIU who loved making people laugh with our stupidities. Now we get paid to do it. We are professional stupids.

If pushed, would you consider yourselves the Cuban-American descendants of Abbot & Costello? Absolutely! We get that all the time and are honored to be compared to them. We've been called a modern day Abbott & Costello with an edgy flair.

Who else has influenced you Nuts? We grew up watching SNL, In Living Color, Kids in the Hall, The State. In one way or another, we were influenced by all these sketch shows that spawned such amazing talent.

Any of your faves making the Fest this year? Lewis Black and of course; Roastmaster General Jeffrey Ross and his mercilessness. It's also cool to see other sketch groups making their way into the festival this year.

Speaking of which, what can fans expect at The Fillmore this Saturday night? Most people know us from our online videos, but seeing Nuts LIVE and in your face is a completely different experience. You can expect a comedy show like you've never seen before. But don't take our word for it, what do we know? We just have an Emmy Award, millions of online views, tour nationwide, and are currently in development for our own show with a major Hollywood production company. Whatevs. - NBCMiami.com

Miami might be known more for being funny peculiar, rather funny ha-ha, but if a certain Pair of Nuts have their way, all that will soon change. The tag team of MIA homeboys, whose interweb presence includes the ubiquitous Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, are not just funny ha-ha though -- they're a veritable laugh riot. Check 'em out Backstage at The Fillmore for this year's South Beach Comedy Fest.

For the few who don't yet know, who (and what) are Pair of Nuts? A Pair of Nuts is a Miami-based comedy duo comprised of two homegrown Cuban boys -- Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco -- who are making things happen on a national level. We are two guys who met in college at FIU who loved making people laugh with our stupidities. Now we get paid to do it. We are professional stupids.

If pushed, would you consider yourselves the Cuban-American descendants of Abbot & Costello? Absolutely! We get that all the time and are honored to be compared to them. We've been called a modern day Abbott & Costello with an edgy flair.

Who else has influenced you Nuts? We grew up watching SNL, In Living Color, Kids in the Hall, The State. In one way or another, we were influenced by all these sketch shows that spawned such amazing talent.

Any of your faves making the Fest this year? Lewis Black and of course; Roastmaster General Jeffrey Ross and his mercilessness. It's also cool to see other sketch groups making their way into the festival this year.

Speaking of which, what can fans expect at The Fillmore this Saturday night? Most people know us from our online videos, but seeing Nuts LIVE and in your face is a completely different experience. You can expect a comedy show like you've never seen before. But don't take our word for it, what do we know? We just have an Emmy Award, millions of online views, tour nationwide, and are currently in development for our own show with a major Hollywood production company. Whatevs. - NBCMiami.com

The duo’s live performance has a multimedia foundation where a video is played after each sketch; so the two have time to run offstage, change costume, and dash back out for the next one.

“We always thought that instead of listening to music and having a dark stage, let’s put a video up so that that way [the audience] is entertained the entire time,” Piedra explained.

The routine was received well and met with laughter. The multimedia facet has been a part of the act since their college days as fraternity brothers at Florida International University in Miami, where they were in an improv troupe called Impromedy. It became a more salient part of the act in 2003, when they teamed up to make A Pair of Nuts.
- The Keystone - Kutztown University Newspaper

While many comedians shy away from the tough crowds of Miami, Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco have learned to thrive there. Piedra, born in Cuba, and Trabanco, born in Miami, met at Florida International University in 1998. Soon after, Trabanco joined Piedra’s improv comedy group, Impromedy. The two created A Pair of Nuts in 2003 and have been building national recognition with their sketch comedy since.

Attributing their leap onto the national stage to their Miami upbringing, Piedra, the tall one, and Trabanco, the height challenged one; believe that they appeal to all crowds not just Hispanic crowds. “We grew up watching American television and that has influenced our comedy sketches,” says Piedra and adds, “We loved watching Saturday Night Live during the Phil Hartman years.” With aspirations to one day be a part of the cast of SNL, the pair have headlined at comedy clubs nationwide, as well as college campuses and military bases. Their live show alternates live sketches with video sketches that allow for costume changes.

A favorite sketch of Trabanco’s is the Facmee and Diaz sketch where the two satire a personal injury attorney commercial, the kind that usually airs in between Judge Judy or the Jerry Springer Show. Piedra and Trabanco play a pair of awkward personal injury attorneys with little camera chemistry. Another favorite sketch, Gayo, was featured on Tosh.0 as the “Viewer Video of the Week.” The sketch, which has received over 170,000 hits on YouTube and counting, features Trabanco and Piedra sporting tiny shorts and midriffs, promoting Gayo, “The Mayo for Gays.” While the pair produced both an English and Spanish version of Gayo, the Spanish version is the more popular of the two, even among the pair’s majority non-Spanish speaking fans.

Most recently A Pair of Nuts was featured on VH1’s reality weight loss show Money Hungry. The show spotlights 12 teams vying for the $100,000 jackpot. Each team contributes $10,000 of their own cash to the jackpot and Trabanco and Piedra were sponsored by Cash Dome Pawn Shop. Baring no shame, and little else a la Will Ferrell, the pair strutted around the Money Hungry pool in pink thongs in the premiere episode. Eliminated in the 4th episode though, Trabanco thinks that the pair was unfairly labeled the villains on the show early on because other contestants believed they were on the show solely for publicity purposes. “Everyone on that show is there for publicity, otherwise they wouldn’t have gone on a reality show,” jokes Trabanco. Unable to comment on which pair wins the weight loss challenge since the show is still airing, Piedra says Money Hungry was a great experience and they enjoyed being part of the show.

Up next for the Nuts is a potential pilot sketch comedy show on their web series “The Nuthouse.” The Nuts will also be performing the college campus circuit with their next live show scheduled at the Tampa Improv October 13, 14, & 17. Since our interview with them, they were selected as a "Hot Comedy 2011" act by Campus Activities Magazine, which is the magazine that circulates in colleges for entertainment bookings. And were selected to showcase at 3 college conferences now in Oct and Nov.

Look for the Nuts at a college campus near you or catch their latest video clips at Nutscomedy.com. - Popular Hispanics

A Pair of Nuts is laughing all the way home to South Florida where the Cubano comic duo, Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco, began their nutty antics ten years ago.

The pair met at Florida International University, a breeding ground for wild college clowning around and of course a place to create sketch comedy.

Now ten years later, the twosome is still going strong and is still causing a riot across the nation.

They’ve packed theatres to sold-out shows in New York, Los Angeles, Virginia, and Texas.

A Pair of Nuts has been invited to the 2008 Los Angeles Comedy Festival, 6th Annual Los Angeles Improv Festival. The comics were awarded the Best South Florida performance at the 2007 Miami Improv Festival, and have been featured on NBC, BET, & MegaTV.

So for one night only, these hometown boys are making a quick pit stop in Coral Gables on August 16th from their nationwide tour.

The nutty guys will show you an improv performance like you’ve never seen before and will surely bring the audience to hysterics and keep you chuckling to your car.

What can you expect? Ridiculous costumes, signing, dancing, and even partial nudity. You’ll have to come and witness it for yourself!

These crazy guys have more up their sleeves, they’re currently working on a "top secret" music video featuring several prominent South Florida celebs and are in the process of filming a pilot for a sketch comedy show.

A Pair of Nuts has a growing following online; they have over one million video views so if you want a sneak peak, check them out on www.youtube.com/ypiedra or on www.myspace.com/pairofnuts.

If you love to laugh and need some comedic relief from the daily stresses of your life, then get over to the Just the Funny Theatre in Coral Gables (located at 3119 Coral Way, Miami, FL 33145) for some good ol’ fashioned infectious/contagious cackling.

Tickets are only $10. For more information, check out www.justthefunny.com. - edgemiami.com

For students seeking a night of laughter, “A Pair of Nuts: The Comedy Duo” starring alumni Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco will be performed at the Miami Improv Oct. 10 at 8:30 p.m.
The show will consist of loosely improvised sketches and several videos in between the sketches.
According to Trabanco, attendees can expect a lot of sketches about ridiculous situations.
Both comedians described the show as being similar to late night comedy shows, but with only two people.
“I’ve been watching “Saturday Night Live” since I was little,” Piedra said. “Our show has a very SNL feel to it.”
The comedians won “Best South Florida Performance” at the 2007 Miami Improv Festival and were featured on BET’s “We’ve Got to Do Better.” The duo has been acting together since they joined FIU’s Impromedy, an improv and sketch comedy troupe which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this semester.
Piedra, an FIU alumnus, describes his stand up routines as being dry humor, but he has a lot of pride in his sketch comedy and acting skills.
“I was an actor before I was a comedian,” Piedra said. “I love them both equally, but you get that immediate reaction with comedy.”
The actor/comedian has showed up on television a few times in various roles on shows such as “Boston Legal,” “Las Vegas” and “Last Comic Standing.”
Despite his TV spots, Piedra does not consider any one of his appearances a “big break” and is still waiting for it to happen. Until then, he has his routines and a degree in theatre from FIU to fall back on.
The other “nut” is Trabanco, who is in radio sales during the day, but by night, is a self-proclaimed “sketch comedy genius of South Florida.”
“We play off each other,” Trabanco said.
Trabanco said that his comedy career does not provide him much monetary support, but money is not the reason he does it.
“I get a high off people laughing,” Trabanco said. “If I can get a big group of people laughing, it’s worth it.”
For a preview of what to expect at their show, visit www.myspace.com/pairofnuts. Several filmed sketches such as “Gayo” and “Flavor Farts” are posted on the site for viewing.
The cost for admission is $10 and if the show is successful enough, Trabanco said that the Miami Improv might pick up the show for several months. So, naturally the “nuts” are hopeful that Oct. 10 will be a big success.
“We’re very excited about performing on the same stage as so many great comics,” Piedra said in a press release. “It’s an all new show that’s gonna kick ass on all levels.”
Those interested in attending must be at least 18 years old to attend and 21 to drink.
For directions to the Miami Improv, visit www.miamiimprov.com. And for more information on the “nuts,” check www.myspace.com/yamil and www.myspace.com/johnnytrabs. - The Beacon - FL International Univ Student Newspaper

There's nothing quite as unsettling as a pair of nuts in a pink thong. Well, nothing except two pairs of nuts in two pink thongs.

Miami comedy duo, A Pair of Nuts, bravely showed America their man parts while appearing on VH1's Money Hungry. The sketch duo -- Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco -- traffic in humor that smells distinctly of Dade County. It's loose, unpretentious, smart, and most importantly, it's goofy. Miami folks know not to take themselves too seriously, but, at the same time, not be too stupid about it. A Pair of Nuts are bringing this kind of funny to the nation.

Deez nuts will perform at Area Stage tomorrow and Saturday to celebrate a successful year of national TV appearances: MegaTV, El Vacilon (where they claim they had "the opportunity to introduce the Spanish audience to something they've never seen ... funny."), and Comedy Central's Tosh.0. We talked with the jokesters to see how they felt about powdered wigs.

New Times: You guys are passionate about one subject that most people don't seem to think a lot about: powdered wigs. Can you tell us a little about your campaign to bring back this antiquated style?

A Pair of Nuts: The fact is that retro is in, and what is more retro than powdered wigs? Besides bacteria, nothing else really. Powdered wigs have style, they have grace, they say, "That gentleman has class and I wanna hang out with him." Imagine being at a happy hour where everyone has powdered wigs on and a beer in hand, or being at a wedding and the entire church, including the priest, has a powdered wig on. The only word I can possibly think of besides awesome if this were to happen, is awesome.

When this 18th-century fashion trend makes a comeback, will the return of the powdered wig also involve minimal showering?

Wait, people shower on a regular basis?


Wildly romantic
?What color would each of your wigs be? White? Blue? Would your wigs have pigtails?

We'll start off with the traditional white and as the trend catches on, we'll introduce other colors. We don't want overkill. Please don't rush us. Stop it. You're making us nervous. And yes, they will most certainly have pigtails with a little bow on them. It's the only way to go.

Why did you choose this fascinating subject to dedicate your energy toward instead of like world peace or hormone-free meat?

Good question, girl with two first names, and the answer is simple... world peace and hormone free meat are fictional, powdered wigs ARE REAL. We want to tackle REAL issues and we believe that with the re-introduction of these gracious headpieces, we will classy-fy this world. But we can't do this alone, the Nuts can only do so much. Stand up with us world! Let us unite as one! Return the powdered wigs to their rightful place, OUR HEADS! - Miami New Times

We're not sure what about the pairing of a tall, skinny man and a short, stocky one equals pure comedy gold, we just know that Yamil Piedra and his diminutive friend Johnny Trabanco use it to great effect. The unfortunately monikered A Pair of Nuts was awarded Best South Florida Performance at the 2007 Miami Improv Festival (which is no small feat in Miami's burgeoning improv scene) and was featured on BET's We Got to Do Better.
- Brett O'Bourke | November 28, 2007

Full Article: http://flavorpill.com/miami/events/2007/11/28/a-pair-of-nuts - Flavorpill.com

Comedy always seems to work better in pairs – think of Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Sonny and Cher. All right, maybe not the last, but one new comedy duo is making the YouTubers giggle and the old ladies blush. Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco are Miami's very own award-winning Pair of Nuts, a sketch comedy duo that’s sure to please a crowd. The two have been working together for almost a decade, continually reinventing their hilarity with original sketches (watch their videos for “CK Egg” and “The Law Offices of Facmee & Diaz” to see what we mean – you might want to pronounce that last one a little slowly).
- Priscilla Gomez | November 22, 2007

Full Article: http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2007-11-22/calendar/it-takes-two/full - Miami New Times

May 27, 2008
http://www.tbnweekly.com/content_articles/052708_lestage-02.txt - Tampa Bay Newspapers

H1 is getting ready to introduce their latest weight loss show, but this time the stakes are higher. 10 teams of contestants are laying their own money on their line for one of them to take home the pool of $100,000.

The teams of two will put forward $10,000 of their own money to participate in the show, with the team who loses the most combined weight taking it all at the end. The show follows the format of shows like "Biggest Loser" with their access to personal trainers and grueling challenges.

But "Money Hungry" promises a comedic look at weight loss competitions, having hand-picked the contestants for their, as the network describes, their "larger-than-life" personalities.

Among the teams are South Florida comedians Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco, better known as A Pair of Nuts, who have performed all over the country and appeared on shows like "Last Comic Standing."

"Money Hungry" will air Mondays at 9pm beginning August 2nd on VH1. - icelebz.com

Their desire for food is only matched by their passion for deliciously cold, hard cash.
VH1's new show Money Hungry (9 p.m. Mondays) pits 10 pairs of weight watchers against one other. Their mission: shed pounds.

The twist is the grand prize is coming out of the contestants' own pockets; the show had a $10,000 entry fee. The duo who loses the most gets the whole enchilada: $100,000.

Johnny Trabanco and Yamil Piedra -- sketch comedians who call themselves ``A Pair Of Nuts'' -- are in it to win it.

Nutscomedy.com gives you an idea of their act. One clip features Piedra, 32, entering a restaurant; the waiter, played by Trabanco, thinks his name is ``e-mail.''

``We're off the wall. Nonsense, everyday stuff,'' says Polanco, 30.

The two met as frat brothers at FIU, where they founded Impromedy. Their humor is inspired by Saturday Night Live and In Living Color with a dash of old-school.

``We're like Laurel & Hardy a little bit,'' says Trabanco. ``I'm the short, Danny DeVito looking one.''

Did the guys lose weight? Yes, but they can't disclose how much.

Piedra, 32, looks pretty slim, but don't let that fool you: ``People come down on hard on me for being on the show,'' he says, ``but we all have our own weight issues. I used to be 350 pounds.'' - Miami Herald

Step into the nuthouse with A Pair of Nuts, the comedy duo, next week at Cayuga Community College. The pair will be showing an hour-long version of its sketch comedy show, accompanied by music and multimedia.
Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco, also known as Big Nut and Small Nut, respectively, have been working together for more than 10 years. Though they started doing improv together in college, the two have been traveling the country as A Pair of Nuts since 2003.
The show is completely different from what most people have seen in terms of sketch comedy, both Piedra and Trabanco said.
“Our comedy is very universal. We don't talk about politics; we don't talk about race or religion,” Trabanco said.
He continued, “Everything is just very silly. You get away from the world for a while and you watch our show and we take you to that little silly place.”
The audience may watch one sketch live with a video of another scenario immediately following. The live sketches involve frequent costume changes, so rather than turn off the lights and change, Piedra and Trabanco play a video to keep their audience engaged.
“The show is relatively clean, but sometimes, we get a little crazy,” Piedra said. “People will probably see some of the craziest stuff they've seen onstage. It's pretty out there; it's edgy but it's not offensive.”
Many of the sketches portray characters faced with various problems, which may help the audience connect with the show, Trabanco said.
“Nobody's perfect, and if you see a lot of the characters in our show, they're very imperfect. The characters - like we do - everybody has a problem and a situation that they're in, which maybe some people relate to,” Trabanco said.
Growing up, Piedra and Trabanco were fans of “Saturday Night Live.” Piedra recalled a skit he saw with Geena Davis and Jon Lovitz as the inspiration that made him realize he wanted to work in comedy.
“I've wanted to be in entertainment since I was in fifth or sixth grade,” Piedra said.
When the duo met in college, they were in the same fraternity and also acted together in a sketch club called Improvedy, which Piedra helped create.
Both Nuts enjoy entertaining the crowd.
“We have a blast doing it,” Piedra said. “The best part is just doing it in front of a live audience because there's nothing like that.” - The Citizen

Like stout Matt Lucas and tall David Walliams of Little Britain, Miami's comic duo of tall Yamil Piedra and stout Johnny Trabanco, known as A Pair of Nuts, are a couple of fellows with a keen eye for the absurd.
- Libby Molyneaux | September 2, 2009

Full Article: http://www.laweekly.com/events/a-pair-of-nuts-682708/ - LA Weekly

...all you need to do is watch his show "A Pair of Nuts: The Comedy Duo" along with his buddy, Johnny Trabanco, or go into his myspace, or watch many of his videos which have garnered fame on YouTube, to see that Yamil brings a different flavor to comedy and has an extraordinary eye for parody.
- Carolina Cardona | May 2007 (excerpt from Yamil’s article)

Full article: http://www.nutscomedy.com/Yamil%20in%20Ocean%20Drive.pdf - Ocean Drive Espanol

These two young and creative guys are genuinely hilarious and serve up an evening packed with so much enlivening material that one has to comment upon how rare it is to find something like this in today's over-saturated and bombed-out comedy scene. After seeing them in action doing their parodies it's no shaggy-dog story that the Miami New Times writes that these guys are "Reinventing Hilarity" and Gideon Horowitz, General Manager of the Miami Improv says their presentation represents "Some of the funniest material I have seen performed on my stage."
-April 11, 2008 - Bub Toob TV

Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco are "A Pair of Nuts."

That's the name of their comedy act, and it couldn't be more fitting. This off-the-wall duo from Miami met while in college at Florida International University and the chemistry was instant.

"Every time Yamil and me went on stage together," said Trabanco, "there were comedy explosions."

Think Abbott and Costello, if they were Cuban and from Miami.

"It's like Saturday Night Live with two guys in your face," said Trabanco. "A lot of costumes and characters. It's insane."

On Wednesday night, they kicked off the South Beach Comedy Festival with a performance at Lucky Strike.

In March, they're starring in a Spanish sketch-comedy show for Mega-TV called "El Vacilon." And a few months ago, the Miami duo was featured on Last Call with Carson Daly.

"That was big for us," Piedra said. "When my agent called to tell me it was happening, I was like,'What?' I thought he was kidding."

It was no joke, Piedra and Trabanco are taking the comedy world by storm with their unique style.

"A Pair of Nuts" is already living out a dream, making a living doing comedy, but being a part of the South Beach Comedy Festival has always been a goal.

"This is where the big boys play. This is Comedy Central," Piedra said. "We thought, 'How could there be a comedy festival in Miami without a pair of nuts?'"

We couldn't have said it better. - NBCMiami.com

By BEATRIZ FERNANDEZ
Published: September 09, 2009

With comparisons to Abbott and Costello, Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco, also known as A Pair of Nuts, have high standards to meet. They manage to impress with their comedy act which is similar to watching Saturday Night Live.
The duo performed at the Brea Improv on Sept. 1 to a fairly small crowd, but managed to fill the room with laughter.
Piedra claims he would dream of being on Saturday Night Live as a child. He still remembers the first episode he saw: it was hosted by Geena Davis.
Their live performance includes a ping-pong match, “Where’s Waldo” skit, and a Chip ‘N’ Dales-esque performance by Piedra that will leave you with mixed feelings. You don’t know whether to look away or keep staring.
It was clear that they made a good impression at their downtown Brea show.
“I hadn’t heard of them, but I thought it was funny,” Josh Buckhalter, an audience member, said.
Piedra says he gets his humor from his parents. His father was the prankster and his mother was the sarcastic one. Though it is hard for Piedra to pick a favorite comedian, Trabanco says Adam Sandler and Andy Kaufman were major influences.
The Miami natives met while they were studying at Florida International University. They were both in a fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, when Piedra asked Trabanco to join a group called Impromedy. After “seven years of fun,” Piedra graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theater. Trabanco dropped out after eight years; he said he did not graduate because he couldn’t pick just one major. He feels the goal of college was to make him a “renaissance man.”
The act switched from live performances to short clips. The show produced constant laughter, giving the audience what they paid for.
“The audience can always see us on stage,” Trabanco said, which is what the pair wants. They believe that their multimedia act is what sets them apart from other performers.
“I was very impressed,” David Jones, another audience member, said. “It was really good, and I enjoyed myself.”
The duo has been waiting for their big break, and it seems that it is on the verge of happening. While in Los Angeles, they will be appearing on their first late-night talk show, Last Call With Carson Daly, and performing on the Comedy Central Stage in LA.
The Comedy Central Stage is an opportunity for the duo to impress big names and for the chance to have their own show on the channel or to be a part of a comedy film. Yet they don’t seem intimidated by the pressure.
“It’s gonna be good for our career … I feel like it’s a big break,” Piedra said.
They probably mean another big break. Their “Duel” feature, along with many other clips, is on Funny or Die, a Web site co-founded by Will Ferrell that compiles comedic videos.
Their main goal is to have a universal appeal. Though it is not too difficult for the pair to make people laugh, they were nervous when they had to perform in Odessa, Texas.
“There was a gun check at the show!” Piedra said.
They claim it was one of their best shows because the audience was really receptive.
The duo can be seen on their new show El Vacilon, which premieres this month. The show will be a variety show with guest appearances from people such as hip-hop artist Down AKA Kilo, along with their performances. The show will be aired on a Spanish network, but it will be much different than the typical “half-naked girls” and pointless humor that is presently shown.
They hope the show will appeal to 18-34 year olds, which is the audience that Spanish networks lack, according to the pair. They want to make Spanish television entertaining.
They do not know when the show will air, or even what channel it will air on. You can log on to www.nutscomedy.com for more information and for clips of the pair’s performances. - Cal State Fullerton's Daily Titan