When the entire run of Gilmore Girls was added to the Netflix roster back in September 2014, comedians Kevin T. Porter and Demi Adejuyigbe were just a couple of nobodies in a crowd at LA’s UCB Theatre. They met there during a taping of the movie-trivia podcast Doug Loves Movies and, looking for a project of their own, turned to the WB dramedy about a mother-daughter pair for inspiration. On the podcast Gilmore Guys, Porter, already a superfan of the show, became Adejuyigbe’s guide as he experienced the series for the first time. The duo now have more than 150 episodes under their belt, and along the way they have brought on comedians like Beth Stelling, Jessica St. Clair, and Pete Holmes as guests, interviewed several members of the original show’s cast and crew, and achieved a level of celebrity in their own right.
Gilmore Guys is connecting with fans across the country on its current tour, which stops by Chicago for two shows that feature a discussion of episodes 612 and 613 of Gilmore Girls. But it’s not just a recap: Porter and Adejuyigbe kick off every live event with an elaborate musical number, and comedic guests keep things lively even through the series’ most dour moments.
And as with anything live, the joy is in the unexpected—on one of the first dates of this tour, a couple in the audience got engaged while the comedians reviewed the episode in which Luke and Lorelei got engaged. On the night when Porter and Adejuyigbe talked about Rory’s 21st birthday and her custom cocktail, the venue served the very same drink to the crowd. Based on the content of the episodes scheduled for the Chicago shows, there just might be a winter carnival in the lobby; or the entire audience might be called upon to put out an impromptu issue of the Yale Daily News.
One of the greatest outcomes of the Gilmore Guys podcast is the rapport between Porter and Adejuyigbe; the two started as acquaintances, but have built a beautiful bromance. It makes for a pairing as loving and witty as the Gilmore girls themselves.
Gilmore Guys Sun 3/6, 4 and 8 PM, Thalia Hall, 1227 W. 18th, gilmoreguysshow.com, $20, 8 PM show sold out.