This story starts back a few years ago. For my thirtieth birthday, my brother got us tickets to see Spamalot in New Orleans. It was amazing. Easily one of the best birthday gifts ever, narrowly defeating getting Voltron toys as a kid. I needed to get him something or take him somewhere that would be lots of fun and laughs. When he turned 30 (last year) it was in Ghana. He reported a subdued birthday. I had to do something lively.
I'm a huge fan of Totally Biased with W. Kamua Bell. If you have not seen the show go here or here and let the funny wash over you. One of the great things about the show is that the writers (who are performers) do bits on the show. I enjoy the diverse voices and critiques on the "American" (white) perspective. Their jokes aren't from the same vantage point as other late night shows, which makes it more interesting.
Quick note: I found out about W. Kamau Bell and his show in the whitest, liberal way possible- NPR's Fresh Air.
When I got notification that Totally Biased was going on tour and stopping in New Orleans on the day before my brother's birthday, "Serendipitous!'" I exclaimed. I figured that my brother had not heard of W. Kamau Bell, but was believed it would be something he would enjoy. I was hoping that I could recpiocate the great gift he got me with a equally, yet different evening of riotous entertainment. When it was closer to the show, I found out the lineup- Guy Branum, Janine Brito, Hari Kondabolu, and the ring-master W. Kamau Bell. I knew this would be a great show.
I was right! We were laughing so hard that there were tears of pure joy. Each comic unleashed a fury of jokes from their unique perspectives. I think the lack of A/C unleashed the anger in Guy, who did more crowd work than any of the others- attacking and complimenting the audience within a single breath. Janine's Slam Poetry was brilliant. Hari's set was very tight and had the feeling that he was about to record an album or a special or a special album. W. Kamau Bell had a slightly different feel. It seemed that he was working out some new material in the beginning and ended with slightly older, refined materiel. It was fun watching him work through it. I'm not sure I could gush more about the hilarity of the show.
Afterwards, the comics came out to meet and greet the audience. When I pre-ordered the tickets, I bought my brother a shirt and told him he had to wear it to the show. The t-shirt was a picture of W. Kamau Bell and it says, "I Got a Fever And The Only Cure Is More W. Kamau Bell." Here he is with the man himself.
Slightly blurry, but the club was dark. W. Kamau Bell signed my brother's shirt and was a really nice guy. He even laughed at my poor attempt at humor. We also met Hari Kondabolu, who I actually knew of before Totally Biased. We talked for a few minutes, and I gushed (I might have had a beer or three) about how much I enjoyed his work. Here is a picture of the two of us. Did I mention that The Howlin' Wolf did not have A/C that night? I'm glistening slightly.
I need to quickly comment on my shirt. This is my Nerd Calling Card of sorts. It is a deep layer of geek. The shirt depicts Sheldon Cooper and Wil Wheaton dressed as Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer. If you understand these references- hello, my people.My brother does not get these references and is tickled about me proudly showcasing my nerd.
We also met Janine quickly on our way out. She was super sweet and understood part of my shirt (people recognize Wil Wheaton quickly, but struggle with Sheldon). To round out the night, Neal wanted to play a game. I took out a classic, easy to learn game. Here he is beating me in Ticket to Ride.
All in all it was a great night. My brother reported that he really enjoyed the entire evening and it was a great way to kick off turning 31!
Thanks to Guy Branum, Janine Brito, Hari Kondabolu, W. Kamau Bell, and Wil Wheaton (you get honorable mention for being on my chest and introducing me to Ticket to Ride) for creating a brilliant evening.
Until I ramble on again . . .
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