From the hallowed halls of the University of Iowa back in 1975 came the Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre, a five man comedy troupe who found fame through great character and ensemble work -- plus some choice exposure on NPR and MTV. Bill Allard, Dan Coffey, Merle Kessler, Leon Martell, and Jim Turner comprised the Ducks -- though they may be more familiar under the names Dr.Science, Ian Shoales, Randee of the Redwoods (and others). The Ducks were a popular touring act, but in their adopted hometown of San Francisco they ruled comedy with appearances at top nightclubs throughout the 1980s. The Ducks put the troupe on hiatus as the 1990s arrived but they did reunite on occasion and mounted a celebratory 40th Anniversary farewell show and documentary. As always find extra cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows!
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One of the Duck's breakout stars was Merle Kessler's Ian Shoales, a mile a minute talker who could throw down the snarky truth about anything. Here Ian's take on the history of popular music. https://youtu.be/_ZjYndaMGW8?si=VvMG7GoSevmCC6kE
The Duck's had major exposure on MTV, partly through the musings of Jim Turner's Randee of the Redwoods -- we're pretty sure we saw him in the crowd at Autzen for the Dead back in 93. We're pretty sure he won't remember! https://youtu.be/NXFTIlhvUdY?si=rcgCO7cwhx1wuAmR
Because the Ducks had such strong characters it's easy to overlook their fine ensemble work -- this fun bit comes from a show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.https://youtu.be/IuRCdfRkgtI?si=ktiaZ5sP6U33u5TL
