It was another collection of great shows. I’m glad I went despite being a rather meh mood these days, but I have a note to remind me to get out there, don’t stay cooped up. I only did a couple nights.
Thursday:
Janeane Garofalo: I practiced spelling her name altogether since I’m accustomed to Janine and then vowels are unpredictable in Italian. In short, I think Janeane still has it as a comedian. She wasn’t as political as I expected, then again, I might was accustomed to her former Air America show. Was Janeane genuinely funny? Absolutely. More of the jokes were about being over 50 (I thought she was closer to my age, she’s more line with the Marc Maron and Dana Gould generation); life in NYC; wisely saving her money from how good the Nineties were to her (I don’t know, she was on a lot of TV in the Aughts I thought); and some self-deprecating material.
I didn’t like her stuff initially when I was younger. Not because she was a female comic, trust me, I used to enjoy Joan Rivers and Phyllis Diller growing up plus Shari Lewis. It was the indifferent attitude stuff she used to do. However, Janeane showed her range in numerous things in the Nineties (good and bad) through Copland, Larry Sanders, Reality Bites and of course…Ratatouille. I’m glad I finally saw Janeane live. Would I again. In a heartbeat.
Friday:
This evening was an opportunity to see a new venue I’ve never visited, the Townsend. It’s a pricey Congress Avenue bar across the street from the Paramount. In the back, there’s a small stage room! The back wall resembles a giant couch. Probably for sound dampening when a live bad plays. The mirrors on the wall make the back room/stage less claustrophobic.
The Next: I arrived early so I took a chance on the Townsend’s first show which was a collection of Austin’s best, up-and-coming comedians. A couple were past winners of Funniest Person in Texas (I think). Three I had seen before as openers or MCs for Cap City which made them known quantities (and they’re good, they’re certainly braver than I am). The host was Joe DeRosa, a pretty skilled guy who works on Inside Amy Schumer. The other local comedians I hadn’t seen were pretty impressive as they all gave us a taste of their best five-six minutes. Will any of them get as big as the A-listers who came to visit Austin? I wish I knew. Comedy and people’s tastes are unpredictable, fickle. I hope they all have success. There were some great zingers about Texas amongst them.
The Tinkle Twins: This was my main goal for Friday, seeing the show Dana Gould co-hosts with his friend Arden Myrin. From what I recall, they do this often in LA, probably to stay sharp, try out new material and have a good time with their friends. Did they entertain, absolutely. Their guests were other great comedians I have seen before: Jackie Kashian, Andy Kindler (he killed); some I have wanted to see: Erin Foley, Brendon Walsh; lastly those I’ve never heard of, namely Johnny Pemberton (he proved that most impressions of Matthew McConaughey are a variation of Bill Clinton and eventually if you put them together, you have proof of a singularity).
Hard to believe, this is Austin’s fifth festival in a row. Has Austin arrived? In terms of a comedy? Probably. I do hope to have the opportunity to attend again next year but with a couple friends in tow. Live jokes and laughter is contagious, the would could use more especially with what a butt-head year 2016 is panning out to be.