Photos by Maryanne Ventrice:

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Natasha Komis is a straight talking, hard rocking girl from New Jersey. As the ubiquitous face of American Apparel ads for several years now, Natasha took her stunning looks and punk attitude to the television screen as a contestant on MTV’s reality show, “Paris Hiltons’ My New BFF”. Now she has her sights set on the music industry and will be performing live at The Studio tomorrow night with her band. Here’s what she had to say about all her newfound notoriety.
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From New York Times:
‘50 FIRST JOKES’

Eating black-eyed peas, being hung over, regrets — everyone has a New Year’s tradition. For the show “50 First Jokes” on Saturday, 50 comedians will start 2009 with a new punch line.

“Our rule is, you have to write your joke after the ball drops,” said Jiwon Lee, a stand-up comedian and co-producer of the event, now in its third year. After laboring over their bit for two and a half days, max, the performers — including Lizz Winstead, a creator of “The Daily Show”; writers from The Onion; and veterans of “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” and VH1’s “Best Week Ever” — have two minutes each of relay-style stage time to make the crowd and one another laugh. It’s harder than it seems.

“I distinctly remember that mine did not go well” last year, Ms. Lee said.

For the audience, she added, “It’s almost like being an insider, because you see these jokes being developed, and some of them aren’t very good yet.” But as her fellow stand-up and co-

producer Claudia Cogan (above left, with John F. O’Donnell and Ms. Lee at last year’s show) noted, deadlines breed creativity, and the room is supportive. “You have this built-in excuse to not do the best joke in the world,” she said, “so you can go a little bit outside yourself. It doesn’t have to work for the rest of the year, but if it does that’s wonderful. And there are definitely people who are still doing their joke from last year.”

Given the time constraints, topicality is usually big. The holidays and the economy will be hits, Ms. Cogan predicted. Ms. Lee said she was “sure there’s going to be a ton of Obama, maybe some Palin jokes,” but added, “We’ll know that they recycled that stuff if they bring out their Palin jokes.” (Recyclers are routinely heckled.)

Hours before 2009 began, Ms. Lee and Ms. Cogan admitted that they had jotted down some notes but were still looking for inspiration. “I was with my family for a long time,” Ms. Lee said. “I may go there if I get desperate. Or hopefully something really awkward will happen at the New Year’s party that I’m at.” Regrets! (Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show begins at 7 p.m., the Studio at Webster Hall, 125 East 11th Street, East Village, fiftyfirstjokes.info; free.) MELENA RYZIK

Afterwards Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad will bestow some groove upon your body: