366 N La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

Our good friend Matthew  made sure that one LA experience we had was a Jon Brion show, so I felt absolutely horrible when Jim, Laura and I began dozing off early in the performance!! In our defense: we were totally jet lagged, it was warm and dark, and Brion was playing soft, Aimee Mannish piano tinkles that could easily be released on a collection of lullabies.

But things got wildly entertaining and even the most tired of us perked up when Brion began a mind-bending and mind-blowing cover of Tomorrow Never Knows complete with a Maria Callas video loop, his own looped drumming and guitar, and video of a great looking George Harrison. The rest of the evening consisted of more audience-requested covers (though none of mine took: Sex in the Kitchen, Pony, Thunder Road…) including a xylophone and audience participation version of Don’t Stop Believing, a trippy Wish You Were Here and a straight forward acoustic rendition Gigantic. It was invigorating and amazing to watch: every element of the songs he performs is created right in front of you. He’ll start on the piano, then drums, loop them then add guitar, loop that, they play around with video and voice… it’s totally amazing.

I had no idea what I was in for: admittedly a dunce when it comes to the modern soundtrack scene of Paul Thomas Anderson, I figured Brion was a comedian or something, but in fact he’s the highly respected genius behind not only the (PT) Anderson soundtracks, but the production of Aimee Mann, Rufus Wainwright, Elliott Smith, Kanye West, and Fiona Apple records!

At the new Largo location, the show seems to be almost monthly and sells out quickly; be sure to arrive on the early side to get pick up your tickets if you desire up close seats.

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Posted on February 28, 2010

in Theaters Nationwide

Demonic toys come to life, pork-themed three-part harmonies are mocked by Weird Al Yankovich, a Santa of David Lynch-caliber creepiness orders around pants-less elf boys, a toy dog named Gaylord rolls over, a nude doll haunts a little girl’s dreams, the Ding-a-ling toy universe with its King Ding shocks some poor kid – this is not your typical holiday viewing, but the selections from the ever charming Mike Nelson and crew of previous MST3K and current Rifftrax fame for their RiffTrax Live Christmas Shorts-stravaganza!

Performing live in Minnesota but projected in many theaters across the country (we watched from the Chelsea location), they riffed on several Christmas shorts. If you’re familiar with any of their shows and projects, you can imagine the hilarity.

Make sure you try out their Rifftrax on many beloved films, such as Cocktail, Glitter, and The Happening on their site.

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Posted on December 20, 2009

I've recommended the work of British comedian Daniel Kitson on this blog before (once right before we saw the amazing Stories for the Wobbly Hearted and another time just for the podcasts) and probably will again any time he makes a rare US appearance. His most recent (and completely sold out) show at Union Hall was part of The Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival (which ends tonight).

Kitson had death on his mind, which may not sound like a great centerpiece to a comedy routine, but his performances are beyond stand-up and he always manages to balance deep, real-life truths and jokes with poignancy and seamless hilarity. I dare you to find a gentlemen (or lady) more deftly combining poop jokes, stories about eating an entire cake and heartfelt memories of a recently deceased aunt.

At the risk of having to again watch the show on my feet because limiting seating fills so quickly, I have to strongly suggest you go to any and all of Kitson's future performances that you can. Beyond overuse of the word 'brilliant', the experience is a bit difficult to describe.

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Posted on September 21, 2009

I can probably just address this post directly to Mike Birbiglia since I know that he'll get a Google alert soon enough, and Mike (whose last name, even with concentrated effort, I have difficulty pronouncing correctly) let me assure you that this brief recommendation will not include any insults of your physique. In the hipster comedic universe, where the relatively unskinny Zack Galifinakis is the hottest man ever, I don't think you have anything to worry about anyways.

The one man show, Sleepwalk with Me, which many of you might recognize from the ubiquitous subway poster, is extremely charming and funny. Focusing on his own experiences with illness and an extreme sleep disorder that once had him jumping out of motel window in the middle of the night, the personal anecdotes speak to larger truths. I was laughing to the point of shaking several times, but be warned that the show is peppered with sudden emotionally poignant pitfalls that can even bring one to tears if, say you've had a few margaritas before entering the theater.

Playing at the intimate Bleeker Street Theater, we were able to get obstructed tickets for under $30 from Theater Mania but truthfully, the performance is well worth full price admission. Portions of the show have appeared on This American Life, but there's plenty of stuff you haven't heard on WBEZ.

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Posted on April 27, 2009