By: Jen Paulson
I’ve found myself carrying a torch for comedians lately. While I will always do that for musicians, I also recognize the bravery of getting in front of a group of people with the seemingly simple task of making them laugh and leaving them entertained. You have to relate to a crowd and have a thick enough skin if you may not achieve that. And when a comedian can connect with a crowd, it’s magic.
There was an intimate crowd gathered at the Varsity on Friday night, and I look forward to them (hopefully) having more comedy shows there; it was the perfect venue for such a gig. I have been waiting for some indie-comedians to come through town, so when I saw that Maria Bamford was booked, I was absolutely psyched.
My introduction to the Duluth native was her spot on the concert film “The Comedians of Comedy” when it was shown on Comedy Central. Alongside Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn and Zach Galifanakis, she was able to stand out from the hilarious uber-geeks she performed with.
Ian Rans, from local cable-access talk show “Drinking With Ian,” briefly warmed up the crowd. He seemed a bit nervous and led the audience in a few rounds of warm up clapping. We had the honor of being there while both shows were being filmed for a upcoming and long overdue DVD release. So with a clap of that black striped thing, we did our jobs.
What sets Bamford apart is her distinctly high, childlike voice which, alongside her self-described brand of “Jokes-Slash-Stories,” attributes to a lot of her charm. At the same time, her voice may have been detrimental to her career over the years in terms of the coveted sitcom or movie deal. So maybe it’s not a surprise that her main theme of the evening was “disappointment.” It stemmed, she explained, from a bad festival experience that made her feel compelled to move home to Duluth and contemplate either quitting comedy or coming up with an idea for a sitcom. Her impression-driven act focused mainly on her midwesternly eccentric family. And since in stand up comedy, no one is safe, her materials included jokes about her parents, her sister, her agent and other Hollywood types, and an incredibly co-dependent friend with effortless success who is unable to handle daily life.
The set had a steady amount of laughter throughout. My personal favorites were depictions of separate run-ins with school acquaintances, one at the airport and the other involving her high school arch-nemesis at the Duluth Target.
The coolest part of the evening, however, is that when this performance comes out on DVD, you can experience the whole hilarious, slightly torturous thing for yourself.
Location Info:
The Varsity Theater
Artist Info: Maria Bamford
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