Solid Sound Comedy 8/14/10

[thejokeexplained]

I haven't seen any reports on the comedy at the solid sound so i figured i would get one going.

 

I was fortunate enough to have a good seat for the Kristen Schaal performance and it was one of the many highlights of the Solid Sound for me.

It took place in the Hunter Center which was a great setting for stand up. It got me out of the sun for a hour and the comedy added a special option that you don't normally get with music festivals.

 

For those not familiar with her work she plays the part of a obsessive female fan "Mel" in the HBO series Flight of the Concords. I had figured her set would be heavy on her FOTC character, figuring she would play on the obsessive nature of Wilco fans, but Mel did not show.

 

Instead we got some rather funny raunchy solo bits about the "taint" and tales from a discarded NYC sidewalk mattress, complete with a mattress prop where Kristen poked her head through to make her the mattress.

She then brought out her comedy partner and very funny sidekick Kurt Braunohler. The duo was nominated for the prestigious IF.comedy "Best Comedy Show Award" in 2008 for their show "Double Down Hearts" at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Nice chemistry and timing between the two, doing bits about NYC lingo, comedy crowd work and their "day job" working for the Smithsonian Instutute for historical inaccuracies. Centered around a bit about the first phone call from Pocahontas and John Smith.

Needless to say it had sexual overtones spoofing on phone sex.

 

The show ended with a over the top and extended three min bit about, what they claimed their first gig a children's TV program in the late 70's called "Uncle Ben's Farm yard courthouse." Performing the first script they wrote for the show with Kristen madly dancing around the stage until exhausted while Kurt clapped wildly singing "Kristen Schaal 's a horse, Kristen Schaal 's a horse, well look at her dance, look at her go, look at her dance like a horse!" over and over and over... ending with the punch line "and that is how a bill becomes a law"

 

The only thing i think the band needs to address; if we are fortunate enough to get the solid sound next year with comedy. Is to mention either by signage or program notes, that the comedy is for mature audiences only. I saw family's dragging their children out of the Hunter like rats leaving a sinking ship!

 

Here is a mp3 file of what i captured. it's pretty funny even with out the visuals from the stage.

The files not edited and is only about 30 mb.

 

enjoy!

 

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ggncfp

 

 

[bouldermary]

i'm so glad that somebody posted something about comedy. i was thrilled that eugene merman was there as well as john mulaney. kristan schaal was new to me, but i thought she was a scream. i loved having the option to be inside (okay--i'm old) and i loved having so many different choices of entertainment. hope the comedy part of the festival remains--it was a high point for me (after wilco, obviously).

[willywoody]

How well was the comedy attended? We wanted to see some but were just too busy with the music and catching Nels describe his stompboxes.

[Preferred B]

The comedy was extremely crowded! I saw Hannibal Burress.

[phillyjon]

The comedy was extremely crowded! I saw Hannibal Burress.

 

you saw the funniest act, in my opinion... and they were all hilarious, so that's saying a lot.

[thejokeexplained]

i only saw the end of John's set and all of Kristen's set. Were any of the others suitable for younger audiences?

[Sandoz]

John Mulaney was hilarious. How awesome was it to take a break from the music (and hot sun), have a snack, and laugh your ass off?! I was laughing out loud! Good stuff.

[jrb]

I'm so bummed that we missed all the comedy! But...there's always next year

[phillyjon]

i only saw the end of John's set and all of Kristen's set. Were any of the others suitable for younger audiences?

 

Todd Barry might have been the most suitable for younger audiences, there was a 10 year old next to me cracking up the whole time during his set.

but no, no one else was. they should have had some signs up. not that i minded.

[Magnetized]

I may be the only one who feels this way, but I was disappointed in the one comedy performance I saw (Kristen Schaal). I had only heard of her and Todd Barry, but I checked out some youtube clips of the others before coming to the fest--I knew I was going to have to make some choices and wanted to miss music for only something I was pretty sure I would enjoy. I was looking forward to her set because of Mel from Flight of the Conchords, mainly, and I've always liked her with Jon Stewart. But to me the set was pretty much standard issue comedy--definitely funny in parts (mattress, pony dancing)--but there wasn't any kind of integration into the theme of the festival. Just felt kind of like a missed opportunity.

 

Maybe the other comedians would've been more to my taste, or maybe I just was more into the music and was antsy about what I was missing. But in my opinion, if they are operating on thin margins and need to consider cutting anything next year, I would consider cutting the comedy, or maybe having only one or two, on the same stages as the music, in between acts.

 

Another thought as to why the comedy felt like an afterthought, and why some people posting here were wondering about the age-appropriateness of the acts. We're not really used to seeing comedy acts in the middle of the afternoon, especially not adult oriented ones. And the comedians themselves are used to working late at night, so getting up and dong their act at 3:00 in the afternoon might have felt like weird vibes to them too.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Wilco Me

[thejokeexplained]

 

but there wasn't any kind of integration into the theme of the festival. Just felt kind of like a missed opportunity.

 

 

Agreed. if Mel would have showed, Kristen's avenue for improve and crowd interaction could have been something special. But the bits she did do were still pretty funny, and i would see her again if she did a local show.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

I don't know much about Kristen's stand up comedy or her FOTC character or anything. But maybe that's a character that she isn't allowed to "perform" in any other contexts?

[Magnetized]

I don't know much about Kristen's stand up comedy or her FOTC character or anything. But maybe that's a character that she isn't allowed to "perform" in any other contexts?

 

That's something I hadn't thought of, and it might well be true.

 

By the way, here's a compilation video of the Mel character on FOTC

 

[phillyjon]

That's something I hadn't thought of, and it might well be true.

 

By the way, here's a compilation video of the Mel character on FOTC

 

 

hah. great clips. i haven't watched that in a while. i forgot that Mel's husband was Gale from Breaking Bad.

 

Mel would have been good, maybe, for introducing bands and comics. but i don't think i could watch her for an hour straight.