From the Stage - FPIA

REVIEW: ROUND ONE - by Matt Bearden

I'm going to say it: I HATE writing reviews of the rounds I host.  There's just too much going on.  Come to think of it, I've actually written this before.  Wait; maybe I'm just thinking I wrote it.  Maybe I also just finished reading "McSweeney's" and so now I feel I have to write in that hyper-self-aware style.  Whatever it is, I'm sorry.  Maybe.  Here we go . . .

It's always nice to show up for an FPIA show 10 minutes before curtain (were Cap ever to have an actual curtain) and park right up front.  The downside, however, is walking into a shockingly empty showroom.  Double-ewe-tee-eff, Austin?  You realize they re-run "Intervention" don't you?  

I'll spare you a full contestant-by-contestant run down this week.  Honestly, I was too busy dancing for my $22 check to take any notes.  Essentially, I'm just giving you a sort of "hit moments" summary.  

The evening was devoid of train wrecks.  Huge disappointment.  In fact, the closest thing would be when I called an audience member a cunt 6 minutes into the 2.5-hour evening.  Let me assure you that said whisper-heckler was indeed behaving rather cuntily.  Still, that kind of harsh language right out of the gate almost always makes at least a few folks uncomfortable.  My bad.

The night was mainly an amalgamation of passable moments, highlighted by a few big breakouts, and then some thunder-drama when the names were read.

Every few years an act comes from the bowels of the OM list, finally gets a large and attentive audience, and uses it to his or her advantage.  Rich Gabe, Matt Willis, that guy who did the thing . . . all come to mind.  It really helps when such an act gets the magical, glorious 3 spot to boot.  Congrats to Faye Hair for stepping it up.

Ruby Collins killed it.  Dan French delivered a textbook set.  From there, it all gets a bit up and down.  Hit or miss.  

Irving Louis could really stand to hippen it up.  I get that he's a dad, and it'd be ridiculous for him to pretend he's some 20-something scenester.  Still, Louis C.K. is a middle-aged father, but uses it to his advantage.  Broaden your audience, Irving.

Alexander, Antoine, Dillon, DiPasquale, Lorka, Salinas?  While having some positive moments, all left the stage, and me, with a "so-what" feeling.  Take that to mean whatever you will.  (Bonus points if you take it to mean more than what I mean, then get really angry, let it bother you, and finally leave a bitter comment.)

Emily Persinger shocked everyone.  Her opening joke left me rolling my eyes.  "Here comes another "'Look at me, I'm 18' set," I thought.  Then, she blew me away.  Like a sort of de Tocqueville styled observer visiting age 30.  It's fun.  Then, she broke my 5-minute rule, and barely stumbled to the finish line.  I thought it would cost her.  Then again, it's called "Funniest Person".  Not "Best Comic".  So . . .

It's hard for me to dog Rabon, because we've known each other so long.  But . . . 

Rabon is in danger of becoming a populist; the exact sort of thing he constantly takes to task.  Railing against hippies?  New country?  They're safe bets, John.  Here's a challenge.  Turn your microscope inward.  Railing against a latter-day rockabilly movement that hopes to recapture a time that never actually existed?  There's gold in there.  Railing against greased hair?  ("It gets on my keyboard when I'm working customer service")  Now you're taking a bigger chance, and I think the audience will reward you.  Crappy daytime shows aside, look what it's done for Behrendt.  P.S.  I get the feeling I probably missed a pretty awesome panic-bar slam on your way out the front door?  I know.  I'm a dick.

Joe Shaffer needs a magic trick and a puppet.  Stat.

Stansbury continues to do well, but his content will constantly hold him back in any type of showcase. 

Full disclosure: I love Gilstrap.  However, I'd like to see a little more Gilstrap the person on stage, and a little less "Lance Gilstrap: Future!Science!Comedian!".  I think Gilstrap might too?  Maybe less flubs and stutters when your hands aren't bound by a script?

And so, back to French.  Tight a-to-b-to-c set.  Laughter grew.  Ended on an enormous crescendo.  The kind of safe, quality set bookers love.  So what went wrong?  Simple.  French has made a career of writing to middle America for acts like LarryTCG, Reep, Miller, "The Late Late Show" . . . but middle America doesn't judge FPIA.  In fact, Monday's judge's panel was an A+ comedy nerd panel.  (Margie no longer has to get flat foots to watch these things.)  But comedy nerds are never going to get behind snarkless, observational humor.  Heck, Sotelo just booked Maron, Mirman, Kroll, DBS, Garofalo, Leggero, et al to play SXSW.  Need I say more?  Simply put, "Needs more irony-bell."  At least, in a contest.

See everyone at Round Two.  I'm feeling less gracious.