The Pretty Rock Project

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1411373568/nm1371726?ref_=nm_phs_md_1 - Ocean Drive Español Magazine

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1411373568/nm1371726?ref_=nm_phs_md_1 - Ocean Drive Español Magazine

A male model wearing only black briefs strikes a pose against a white background. To the sounds of dramatic dubstep, he flexes, spins, and broods as the black-and-white camera spares viewers no detail of his physique. No, this isn't Calvin Klein's Super Bowl ad. It's Miami comedian Yamil Piedra's recent parody. The model is Piedra himself, sporting a bald head, full beard, and — how to put this nicely? — a big, round gut to drum up exposure for his new show, The Pretty Rock Project. Piedra, along with Johnny Trabanco, once performed as A Pair of Nuts, a comedy duo known for making viral videos that closed out the South Beach Comedy Festival in 2012. Trabanco and Piedra have since split, but Piedra is still working that multimedia angle. In The Pretty Rock Project, he combines traditional stand-up comedy with sketches in which he plays everything from a Toddlers & Tiaras-style pageant girl to a failed Criss Angel wannabe. He's also incorporated video into the show, and it's as funny-'cause-it's-true as anything A Pair of Nuts ever did. (See Piedra's commercial for the Sexecutive Hotel on Calle Ocho, featuring luxury amenities such as "a garbage can for throwing away garbage" and "a door for coming in and out of the room.") Hilarious, diversely talented, and utterly shameless, Piedra has evolved into Miami's own one-man comedy cabaret. We'll take that over some pretentious supermodel any day. - Miami New Times

A male model wearing only black briefs strikes a pose against a white background. To the sounds of dramatic dubstep, he flexes, spins, and broods as the black-and-white camera spares viewers no detail of his physique. No, this isn't Calvin Klein's Super Bowl ad. It's Miami comedian Yamil Piedra's recent parody. The model is Piedra himself, sporting a bald head, full beard, and — how to put this nicely? — a big, round gut to drum up exposure for his new show, The Pretty Rock Project. Piedra, along with Johnny Trabanco, once performed as A Pair of Nuts, a comedy duo known for making viral videos that closed out the South Beach Comedy Festival in 2012. Trabanco and Piedra have since split, but Piedra is still working that multimedia angle. In The Pretty Rock Project, he combines traditional stand-up comedy with sketches in which he plays everything from a Toddlers & Tiaras-style pageant girl to a failed Criss Angel wannabe. He's also incorporated video into the show, and it's as funny-'cause-it's-true as anything A Pair of Nuts ever did. (See Piedra's commercial for the Sexecutive Hotel on Calle Ocho, featuring luxury amenities such as "a garbage can for throwing away garbage" and "a door for coming in and out of the room.") Hilarious, diversely talented, and utterly shameless, Piedra has evolved into Miami's own one-man comedy cabaret. We'll take that over some pretentious supermodel any day. - Miami New Times

Yamil Piedra is something of a comedic giant, in the sense that he’s really funny and really, really tall. The Miami actor and comedian and one-half of the now defunct comedy duo A Pair of Nuts, continues on his mission of making comedy a full-contact sport this Saturday with his new interactive comedy spectacle, The Pretty Rock Project. The show integrates stand-up, sketch comedy, social media, video and a lot of audience interaction. “The audience doesn’t get to just sit there,” he assures.

Piedra spent the last decade partnered up with friend Johnny Trabanco, whom he met as a student at Florida International University, performing as A Pair of Nuts. The duo, which performed at the South Beach Comedy Festival in 2012 and won an Emmy for their Spanish language sketch comedy show El Vacilon, separated last year. Piedra says it was just time to part. “We had been doing it for nine years and we decided to end it on a high note. We just decided to call it quits but just because the Nuts ended I didn’t want to stop performing. I’ve been performing for 16 years.” Aside from his comedy gigs, Piedra still lands roles that force him to wipe the smile off his face. He will be featured on USA Network's Graceland on July 18 playing a DEA agent.

Piedra’s new show shares the rhythm of a Nuts show, jumping between video and sketches then audience participation. “I have this one character named Lance Thunderstorm who is like a Criss Angel-style illusionist, but his tricks never work. What I do is choose an audience member to be a part of the trick. It all just goes wrong.”

No one in the audience can escape. Piedra warns, “If you hide there is more of a chance that you will be chosen. If you are pointing at someone, there’s a chance I will pick the one that’s doing the pointing." Piedra uses his iPad, hunts down audience members who shout him out on Twitter (@ypiedra), throws out hashtags for audience members to tweet, all the while changing in and out of costume for sketches between video clips. The show, he promises, is a completely interactive experience. “It’s all about having a good time.”

Just make sure you don’t set your watch for Miami time. “I am used to my audiences being late. But sometimes I just say, ‘You paid full price to watch half a show?’"

Then again, showing up late will almost ensure you get called onstage, if that is what you want. - Miami Herald / Miami.com

Yamil Piedra is something of a comedic giant, in the sense that he’s really funny and really, really tall. The Miami actor and comedian and one-half of the now defunct comedy duo A Pair of Nuts, continues on his mission of making comedy a full-contact sport this Saturday with his new interactive comedy spectacle, The Pretty Rock Project. The show integrates stand-up, sketch comedy, social media, video and a lot of audience interaction. “The audience doesn’t get to just sit there,” he assures.

Piedra spent the last decade partnered up with friend Johnny Trabanco, whom he met as a student at Florida International University, performing as A Pair of Nuts. The duo, which performed at the South Beach Comedy Festival in 2012 and won an Emmy for their Spanish language sketch comedy show El Vacilon, separated last year. Piedra says it was just time to part. “We had been doing it for nine years and we decided to end it on a high note. We just decided to call it quits but just because the Nuts ended I didn’t want to stop performing. I’ve been performing for 16 years.” Aside from his comedy gigs, Piedra still lands roles that force him to wipe the smile off his face. He will be featured on USA Network's Graceland on July 18 playing a DEA agent.

Piedra’s new show shares the rhythm of a Nuts show, jumping between video and sketches then audience participation. “I have this one character named Lance Thunderstorm who is like a Criss Angel-style illusionist, but his tricks never work. What I do is choose an audience member to be a part of the trick. It all just goes wrong.”

No one in the audience can escape. Piedra warns, “If you hide there is more of a chance that you will be chosen. If you are pointing at someone, there’s a chance I will pick the one that’s doing the pointing." Piedra uses his iPad, hunts down audience members who shout him out on Twitter (@ypiedra), throws out hashtags for audience members to tweet, all the while changing in and out of costume for sketches between video clips. The show, he promises, is a completely interactive experience. “It’s all about having a good time.”

Just make sure you don’t set your watch for Miami time. “I am used to my audiences being late. But sometimes I just say, ‘You paid full price to watch half a show?’"

Then again, showing up late will almost ensure you get called onstage, if that is what you want. - Miami Herald / Miami.com

New Times named Yamil Piedra Best Comedian in the 2013 Best of Miami issue for an extremely good reason: “The Pretty Rock Project.” Piedra’s unique stand-up show that premiered in small venues last year has been gaining steam and is graduating to the big leagues. Now the comic has teamed up with the local comedic tastemakers of Have-Nots Comedy to bring “The Pretty Rock Project” to the Fillmore Miami Beach (1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach). “The Pretty Rock Project” is a brilliant combination of all the parts of modern-day electronic scatterbrained activities. Part of the show features Piedra showing short videos to act along with, interacting with audience members through Twitter, and even breaking out his iPad to illustrate his love of greeting cards. Most amazing is his ability to weave together all of this insanity to create a cohesive comedy show. - Miami New Times

New Times named Yamil Piedra Best Comedian in the 2013 Best of Miami issue for an extremely good reason: “The Pretty Rock Project.” Piedra’s unique stand-up show that premiered in small venues last year has been gaining steam and is graduating to the big leagues. Now the comic has teamed up with the local comedic tastemakers of Have-Nots Comedy to bring “The Pretty Rock Project” to the Fillmore Miami Beach (1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach). “The Pretty Rock Project” is a brilliant combination of all the parts of modern-day electronic scatterbrained activities. Part of the show features Piedra showing short videos to act along with, interacting with audience members through Twitter, and even breaking out his iPad to illustrate his love of greeting cards. Most amazing is his ability to weave together all of this insanity to create a cohesive comedy show. - Miami New Times

"...one of the best comedians around!" - ExclusiveAccess.net

"...one of the best comedians around!" - ExclusiveAccess.net

Yamil Piedra has been making viewers crack up nation-wide for the better part of 16 years, and now the 6-foot-4 Miami-based comedian has developed his own interactive, ingenious and insane one-man show to delight his audience.

“For me this show is about evolving,” Piedra said in a press release. “People now want to be more involved, they want to be part of the action. That’s why people use social media, because it gives them the opportunity to have their voice heard and interact with others in ways we never have.” With this new show, Yamil will shatter the fourth wall and allow the audience to be right up there with him. Throughout various segments of the show, Yamil will select audience members to come up on stage and be part of the action. Also, follow Yamil on Twitter @ypiedra, as he’ll present specific hashtags to allow the audience a new level of interaction throughout the show.

“I’m beyond excited about this project,” Piedra said. “It’s the type of show I’ve been wanting to do for a while now and there’s no better place to debut it than in my hometown of Miami!”

You might have caught Yamil showcasing his acting talents on Miami’s very own “Burn Notice”, or shows like “Boston Legal” and “Las Vegas”. You also may have seen Yamil perform on stand-up comedy showcases including Comedy Central’s “Open Mic Fight”, NBC’s “Stand Up for Diversity”, and “Just for Laughs”. He was one of the stars and writers of the Spanish language sketch comedy show on MegaTV, “El Vacilon”, and was one half of the comedy duo A Pair of Nuts, which were featured on many shows, including Tosh.0.

With the big premier approaching, Yamil took a moment to chat with me about his one-man show and other aspects of his comedic career.

HLM: Your first one-man show, The Pretty Rock Project, is set to open this Saturday. What can you tell us about it?
YP: I’ve wanted to do a one man show for a while now. In 2004, when I moved to LA I started jotting down ideas, but I got preoccupied with other things and never got around to doing it. Then when I moved back to Miami, I re-started A Pair of Nuts in 2007 and things really took off for us, so again something else took precedence over doing a solo show. So now here we are in 2013, the Nuts are no longer a pair and I have no distractions, so I’m finally making it happen. I’m excited! Especially doing an interactive show where the audience gets to be up there with me.

HLM: Well, The Pretty Rock Project is marketed as: Interactive. Ingenious. Insane! How will the multimedia elements like video and social media mesh with your stand-up?
YP: It’s not all stand up, there’s also sketch comedy. It’s a hybrid comedy show that mixes various elements. Video is an element I started using with comedy back in 1997 when I started the Impromedy comedy troupe at FIU and kept doing it when I started A Pair of Nuts in 2003. The videos are used to give me time to change into a costume for the next sketch or segment and it keeps the audience entertained. As for social media, I’ll be using Twitter and giving out hashtags in a couple of segments. So if you’re coming to the show, be sure to follow me @ypiedra and get ready to tweet me!

HLM: You’re well-known not only as an actor, but as part of the former sketch comedy duo, A Pair of Nuts. What challenges did your one-man live show present that you didn’t find working with a partner?
YP: The biggest challenge was more the technical aspects than anything else—doing all new videos because I film and edit all my own stuff. The show is very media heavy, so my ass is in pain from being in an Ikea office chair and editing so many videos. And just in general, creating the flow of the show and how everything is going to run. I literally control every single cue during the show, from video to sound. The only thing I don’t control is the lights and whether the audience will laugh. Which they probably will because I look like someone who will murder them if they don’t.

HLM: Nice. Sounds like you’re in complete control of the creation and production process. That must create an incredible sense of fatherly pride. Which of the characters or sketches you created for The Pretty Rock Project stands as your favorite?
YP: It’s hard to say since the show hasn’t happened yet, but I really like “Lance Thunderstorm.” He’s an illusionist a la Criss Angel and David Blaine, except his tricks never go quite as planned. Lil Miss Tiny Tot is also fun to play; she’s a child beauty pageant contestant. And she was around way before Honey Boo Boo. I did that character a few times with A Pair of Nuts. They’ll be some familiar characters and new ones, too.

HLM: What are the most difficult aspects to your style of comedy?
YP: It’s very non-traditional and some people just don’t “get it.” Which I’m totally cool with cause I never wanted to be just a guy with a mic, I wanted more. I watch Steve Martin do his old routines and I see a lot of similarities. When I read his book, “ - Headline Miami

Yamil Piedra has been making viewers crack up nation-wide for the better part of 16 years, and now the 6-foot-4 Miami-based comedian has developed his own interactive, ingenious and insane one-man show to delight his audience.

“For me this show is about evolving,” Piedra said in a press release. “People now want to be more involved, they want to be part of the action. That’s why people use social media, because it gives them the opportunity to have their voice heard and interact with others in ways we never have.” With this new show, Yamil will shatter the fourth wall and allow the audience to be right up there with him. Throughout various segments of the show, Yamil will select audience members to come up on stage and be part of the action. Also, follow Yamil on Twitter @ypiedra, as he’ll present specific hashtags to allow the audience a new level of interaction throughout the show.

“I’m beyond excited about this project,” Piedra said. “It’s the type of show I’ve been wanting to do for a while now and there’s no better place to debut it than in my hometown of Miami!”

You might have caught Yamil showcasing his acting talents on Miami’s very own “Burn Notice”, or shows like “Boston Legal” and “Las Vegas”. You also may have seen Yamil perform on stand-up comedy showcases including Comedy Central’s “Open Mic Fight”, NBC’s “Stand Up for Diversity”, and “Just for Laughs”. He was one of the stars and writers of the Spanish language sketch comedy show on MegaTV, “El Vacilon”, and was one half of the comedy duo A Pair of Nuts, which were featured on many shows, including Tosh.0.

With the big premier approaching, Yamil took a moment to chat with me about his one-man show and other aspects of his comedic career.

HLM: Your first one-man show, The Pretty Rock Project, is set to open this Saturday. What can you tell us about it?
YP: I’ve wanted to do a one man show for a while now. In 2004, when I moved to LA I started jotting down ideas, but I got preoccupied with other things and never got around to doing it. Then when I moved back to Miami, I re-started A Pair of Nuts in 2007 and things really took off for us, so again something else took precedence over doing a solo show. So now here we are in 2013, the Nuts are no longer a pair and I have no distractions, so I’m finally making it happen. I’m excited! Especially doing an interactive show where the audience gets to be up there with me.

HLM: Well, The Pretty Rock Project is marketed as: Interactive. Ingenious. Insane! How will the multimedia elements like video and social media mesh with your stand-up?
YP: It’s not all stand up, there’s also sketch comedy. It’s a hybrid comedy show that mixes various elements. Video is an element I started using with comedy back in 1997 when I started the Impromedy comedy troupe at FIU and kept doing it when I started A Pair of Nuts in 2003. The videos are used to give me time to change into a costume for the next sketch or segment and it keeps the audience entertained. As for social media, I’ll be using Twitter and giving out hashtags in a couple of segments. So if you’re coming to the show, be sure to follow me @ypiedra and get ready to tweet me!

HLM: You’re well-known not only as an actor, but as part of the former sketch comedy duo, A Pair of Nuts. What challenges did your one-man live show present that you didn’t find working with a partner?
YP: The biggest challenge was more the technical aspects than anything else—doing all new videos because I film and edit all my own stuff. The show is very media heavy, so my ass is in pain from being in an Ikea office chair and editing so many videos. And just in general, creating the flow of the show and how everything is going to run. I literally control every single cue during the show, from video to sound. The only thing I don’t control is the lights and whether the audience will laugh. Which they probably will because I look like someone who will murder them if they don’t.

HLM: Nice. Sounds like you’re in complete control of the creation and production process. That must create an incredible sense of fatherly pride. Which of the characters or sketches you created for The Pretty Rock Project stands as your favorite?
YP: It’s hard to say since the show hasn’t happened yet, but I really like “Lance Thunderstorm.” He’s an illusionist a la Criss Angel and David Blaine, except his tricks never go quite as planned. Lil Miss Tiny Tot is also fun to play; she’s a child beauty pageant contestant. And she was around way before Honey Boo Boo. I did that character a few times with A Pair of Nuts. They’ll be some familiar characters and new ones, too.

HLM: What are the most difficult aspects to your style of comedy?
YP: It’s very non-traditional and some people just don’t “get it.” Which I’m totally cool with cause I never wanted to be just a guy with a mic, I wanted more. I watch Steve Martin do his old routines and I see a lot of similarities. When I read his book, “ - Headline Miami

It was one of the most memorable moments from the Super Bowl earlier this month. Calvin Klein's Concept black and white ad is centered around a dark male figure whose body is nothing less than perfect. Set to a mechanical electronic track, the commercial is like a scene out of Fritz Lang's Metropolis combined with a heavy dose of engine oil and H.R. Giger. It is reminiscent of things futuristic, old, dirty, and beautiful all at once. The figure moves his body with calculated and precise movements, showing muscles as if they were built from steel twine.

And Yamil Piedra took a dump all over it to promote his latest solo project, The Pretty Rock Project.

Best known as half of Miami comedic duo A Pair of Nuts, Piedra peeled himself away from the team to star in a one-man show called The Pretty Rock Project. It takes place this Saturday at the Just The Funny theater in Coral Gables.

The Emmy Award-winning comedian says the show is an evolution of his standup. Rather than standing on stage telling jokes, a centuries-old style of entertainment, Piedra is bringing himself into the modern world.

The show boasts a modern and interactive format by pulling together social media, multimedia, and fan interaction. He'll be using Twitter hashtags, pulling fans on stage, and doing everything possible to break the fourth wall. Imagine it as a magic show for adults, except there's no magic, only the giant Piedra bullying his audience members into laughing.

Before the show, Yamil answered questions via email about his moving from a duo into a one man show, the interactivity concept, and a deeply personal question about Cheetos.

Is this a full blown orchiectomy (removal of a testicle), or are you just taking some time off from A Pair of Nuts?
No, I didn't have a Lance-Armstrongotomy performed on me. I just suddenly became allergic to nuts. Unfortunately the rumors are true; A Pair of Nuts are no longer a pair. After nine years, we decided it was time to permanently bring down the curtain on the Nuts. We did some pretty amazing things in those nine years, but all good things come to an end. However, the Nuts will live on forever on this thing called the Internet. The Nuts might be done, but I'm still going full force, hence The Pretty Rock Project.

Your one man show promises lots of interaction. Should we take that in a Gallagher sort of way? Should the first two rows be wearing plastic ponchos?
There will be no smashing of watermelons or chili cans, so leave your plastic ponchos at home. Or bring them if you want, you'll just look like an asshole in the audience.

It's gonna be interactive in the sense that I'm selecting audience members to come up on stage with me to be part of the show. This is a concept I've been wanting to do for some time now, so I'm really looking forward to interacting with these humans.

What's the best perk of being 6'4"?
The only perk is that I have a better view during parades. For the most part it's a nuisance. I get hit with rain first, I'm constantly being asked to grab things in high places, and it makes my penis look small. Wait, did I type that last part out loud?

When you were filming the promo video that's a spoof of the recent CK machine-man underwear ads, do you ever stop to think, "There is a lot of jiggling going on and I'm starting to wonder if this was a good idea"?
What do you mean jiggling? The video was an accurate representation of that CK model. Our bodies are identical, it's uncanny.

Do you want to keep running this type of a show, or do you see yourself going back to traditional stand-up?
Well, this show has stand-up in it. It's a hybrid comedy show that combines stand up, sketch comedy, short videos, audience interaction, and social media. Actually, what inspired me to do this type of show is social media. People on social media like to interact with celebrities, TV shows, and even fast food chains. They want to be part of the action, they want their voice to be heard, so I thought, "How 'bout a show where the audience not only sits down and watches, but can also get up and be part of it?"

I'm actually also using social media during various segments of the show and asking the audience to tweet me @ypiedra when I give them specific hashtags. For me, this show is all about evolving and giving the audience something different. I'm very excited about this new concept!

When eating Cheetos, do you wait until you finish before you lick your fingers clean, or do you take periodic lick breaks?
Neither. My fingers are stain repellant. - Miami New Times

It was one of the most memorable moments from the Super Bowl earlier this month. Calvin Klein's Concept black and white ad is centered around a dark male figure whose body is nothing less than perfect. Set to a mechanical electronic track, the commercial is like a scene out of Fritz Lang's Metropolis combined with a heavy dose of engine oil and H.R. Giger. It is reminiscent of things futuristic, old, dirty, and beautiful all at once. The figure moves his body with calculated and precise movements, showing muscles as if they were built from steel twine.

And Yamil Piedra took a dump all over it to promote his latest solo project, The Pretty Rock Project.

Best known as half of Miami comedic duo A Pair of Nuts, Piedra peeled himself away from the team to star in a one-man show called The Pretty Rock Project. It takes place this Saturday at the Just The Funny theater in Coral Gables.

The Emmy Award-winning comedian says the show is an evolution of his standup. Rather than standing on stage telling jokes, a centuries-old style of entertainment, Piedra is bringing himself into the modern world.

The show boasts a modern and interactive format by pulling together social media, multimedia, and fan interaction. He'll be using Twitter hashtags, pulling fans on stage, and doing everything possible to break the fourth wall. Imagine it as a magic show for adults, except there's no magic, only the giant Piedra bullying his audience members into laughing.

Before the show, Yamil answered questions via email about his moving from a duo into a one man show, the interactivity concept, and a deeply personal question about Cheetos.

Is this a full blown orchiectomy (removal of a testicle), or are you just taking some time off from A Pair of Nuts?
No, I didn't have a Lance-Armstrongotomy performed on me. I just suddenly became allergic to nuts. Unfortunately the rumors are true; A Pair of Nuts are no longer a pair. After nine years, we decided it was time to permanently bring down the curtain on the Nuts. We did some pretty amazing things in those nine years, but all good things come to an end. However, the Nuts will live on forever on this thing called the Internet. The Nuts might be done, but I'm still going full force, hence The Pretty Rock Project.

Your one man show promises lots of interaction. Should we take that in a Gallagher sort of way? Should the first two rows be wearing plastic ponchos?
There will be no smashing of watermelons or chili cans, so leave your plastic ponchos at home. Or bring them if you want, you'll just look like an asshole in the audience.

It's gonna be interactive in the sense that I'm selecting audience members to come up on stage with me to be part of the show. This is a concept I've been wanting to do for some time now, so I'm really looking forward to interacting with these humans.

What's the best perk of being 6'4"?
The only perk is that I have a better view during parades. For the most part it's a nuisance. I get hit with rain first, I'm constantly being asked to grab things in high places, and it makes my penis look small. Wait, did I type that last part out loud?

When you were filming the promo video that's a spoof of the recent CK machine-man underwear ads, do you ever stop to think, "There is a lot of jiggling going on and I'm starting to wonder if this was a good idea"?
What do you mean jiggling? The video was an accurate representation of that CK model. Our bodies are identical, it's uncanny.

Do you want to keep running this type of a show, or do you see yourself going back to traditional stand-up?
Well, this show has stand-up in it. It's a hybrid comedy show that combines stand up, sketch comedy, short videos, audience interaction, and social media. Actually, what inspired me to do this type of show is social media. People on social media like to interact with celebrities, TV shows, and even fast food chains. They want to be part of the action, they want their voice to be heard, so I thought, "How 'bout a show where the audience not only sits down and watches, but can also get up and be part of it?"

I'm actually also using social media during various segments of the show and asking the audience to tweet me @ypiedra when I give them specific hashtags. For me, this show is all about evolving and giving the audience something different. I'm very excited about this new concept!

When eating Cheetos, do you wait until you finish before you lick your fingers clean, or do you take periodic lick breaks?
Neither. My fingers are stain repellant. - Miami New Times