The Kids in the Hall: Live as We'll Ever Be at The Chicago Theatre 4/29/08
The performance of the aging veteran Canadian sketch troupe was nearly irrelevant to my enjoyment of their live show. Don't get me wrong, it was great. It was solid. Their performance sets them further apart from SNL as far as cutting edge, tight knit, and frankly, good.
Let me give an example of the types of post-show conversations I engaged in:
Co-worker: So what did you do last night?
Rb: I went and saw Kids in the Hall downtown.
Cw: Oh what's that?
Rb: They're a sketch comedy troupe from Canada, but they've got all these guys that made it in really weird disparate ways (references to Talk Radio, Lilo & Stitch, Bug's Life, SNL).
Cw: Oh. Now sketch, how's that different than Second City or SNL?
(Punch Cw in face with elitist fist)
Cw: Right I understand. Did you get the memo about punching at work?
(cops arrive)
I understand that not everyone got cable in the early '90s. And, being one myself, some folks don't get Comedy Central now. But other folks are just dumb.
At any rate, fast or slow to literalize that idiom, almost every "rule" of comedy and maybe even production was totally validated by this show. It wasn't a teary moment like the end of Speed Racer, but it gave me hope that if I keep plugging away and doing what I've done and push the story/script I too can be successful, provided I get discovered in Canada by Lorne Michaels, and get money thrown at me by New Yorkers and the Canadian government, and provided I stay with it for the money even after my ensemble parts ways, and if I rehash my most famous and overdone characters.
Joking aside they left me in awe with how good simplicity can be and I will be happy to scratch them off my mental list entitled: See Them Before They Die.
In that way, they share a spot with B.B. King, Weird Al, The Presidents of the United States of America, and Violent Femmes.*
*Footnote: In most instances, folks make the list without me knowing they should have been on it until after they've been seen. Currently Neil Young is the top act not viewed yet.
Let me give an example of the types of post-show conversations I engaged in:
Co-worker: So what did you do last night?
Rb: I went and saw Kids in the Hall downtown.
Cw: Oh what's that?
Rb: They're a sketch comedy troupe from Canada, but they've got all these guys that made it in really weird disparate ways (references to Talk Radio, Lilo & Stitch, Bug's Life, SNL).
Cw: Oh. Now sketch, how's that different than Second City or SNL?
(Punch Cw in face with elitist fist)
Cw: Right I understand. Did you get the memo about punching at work?
(cops arrive)
I understand that not everyone got cable in the early '90s. And, being one myself, some folks don't get Comedy Central now. But other folks are just dumb.
At any rate, fast or slow to literalize that idiom, almost every "rule" of comedy and maybe even production was totally validated by this show. It wasn't a teary moment like the end of Speed Racer, but it gave me hope that if I keep plugging away and doing what I've done and push the story/script I too can be successful, provided I get discovered in Canada by Lorne Michaels, and get money thrown at me by New Yorkers and the Canadian government, and provided I stay with it for the money even after my ensemble parts ways, and if I rehash my most famous and overdone characters.
Joking aside they left me in awe with how good simplicity can be and I will be happy to scratch them off my mental list entitled: See Them Before They Die.
In that way, they share a spot with B.B. King, Weird Al, The Presidents of the United States of America, and Violent Femmes.*
*Footnote: In most instances, folks make the list without me knowing they should have been on it until after they've been seen. Currently Neil Young is the top act not viewed yet.
Labels: 3D, chairs, cross-dressing; transvetitism, Jewish jokes, Wacky antics, Weird Al
posted by RB @ 9:33 PM
1 Comments:
At 8:10 AM,
Unknown said…
I was frankly amazed at how many times I had to explain to people who/what The Kids In The Hall were. I pretty much stopped telling people about seeing them live because each time I told someone and they weren't aware of who The Kids In The Hall were, I died a little inside.
Personal favorite part: Super Drunk. Those photos of Bruce and Dave from college/high school were priceless.
Personal least favorite part: Kathy as a meth'd-out tweaker. "Excuse me, Mr. Shark? You're late for your ten o'clock jumping."
Post a Comment
<< Home