(26 March 2023, The Green Mill)
The night, headlined by Jonas Friddle's band, was over before the sun set. The band was earnest, and the comedy line-up was middlebrow, which is the fault of the genre as much the perpetrators, and perhaps is not a fault at all, for many in the audience seemed pleased. The genre was topical monologues intended to elicit laughter. To tool employed exceedingly often was the act of breaking certain perceived norms and taboos. The practice relies on the shared (with the audience) understanding of norms and taboos and the questionable premise that breaking a perceived norm or a taboo is inherently funny in a way that breaking a vase is not, and does not interfere with the story (if any).
The show is a great concept (Christopher Piatt's), and the city gets the comedians it deserves.
