Spent a good chunk of the day on the set of Minneapolis's Nick Swardson's upcoming Comedy Central sketch series - and he couldn't have been more generous. It's been a personal thrill covering Swardson over the years; I've been following him since his first month of doing standup at the Acme Comedy Club to watching him become part of the Adam Sandler franchise. Come Labor Day, he'll have his first lead starring role in a movie he wrote with Sandler. Swardson tells me it's about a child of porn stars who wants to follow in the family business.

We'll have more on Nick when we get closer to the TV show's debut.

Five-time Grammy winner Mary-Chapin Carpenter gave an intimate performance for about 100 of us. Great, moving show from an artist who got off the fast rack for a while. Hopefully, that will change with her upcoming CD, "Age of Miracles." No tour dates yet, but Carpenter told me she loves Minneapolis and spoke fondly of her performance at the Zoo. I'm guessing we were among the firsts to hear the new stuff, which, for the most part was terrific, particularly "Mrs. Hemingway," a tearjerker for the ages, and "The Way I Feel," which may be the poppiest thing Carpenter has written in a long time. She told me she almost left it off the CD because she didn't think it fit. Good thing it's on there because it sounds like a single.

The set list:

1) The Hard Way

2) Stones in the Road

3) I Have a Need For Solitude

4) Mrs. Hemingway

5) This Shirt

6) Zephyr

7) Grand Central Station

8) The Way I Feel

9) Passionate Kisses