Karina Rykman Improvises with Rory Scovel During 600 Minutes Residency in Brooklyn

Last night, Karina Rykman stopped by Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Union Hall for a surprise sit-in with Rory Scovel. Scovel, who made inroads with the jam community after a sidesplitting set at Phish’s Mondegreen festival last August, has been mirroring the music’s free-flowing ethos with a series of fully-improvised performances across the country. The acclaimed comedian has brought this format to new heights with his 600 Minutes residency at Union Hall: from Jan. 8-12 and 14-18, he’s been presenting a total of 10 sets of completely off the cuff stand-up, occasionally in the company of a musical guest.

Rykman, a lifelong New Yorker well known to the local scene, took the stage alongside Scovel on Jan. 16 and plucked along with her bass; together, the entertainers wove in and out of clarity with a bold no-net standup and music set. Rykman’s sit-in followed a featured performance in Relix’s 50th anniversary concert at Brooklyn Bowl, where she joined house band Taper’s Choice for treatments of Blues Traveler’s “Hook” and the grand finale of Jerry Garcia Band’s “Shining Star.” Legendary Phish bassist Mike Gordon, who also appeared at the Relix 50 celebration, was Scovel’s previous musical guest on Jan. 14.

Scovel’s 600 Minutes residency continues tonight and concludes on Saturday, Jan. 18. Find more information on the series here. Read a full recap of the star-studded Relix 50 concert here.