- Matt Braunger
- Matt Braunger: Teller of jokes, singer of songs.
Dudes tell jokes and then play a song with a really good backing band: Such is the conceit of Steve Agee and Brendon Small’s LA-based comedy show Baked. And I say dudes, because they were ALL dudes at last night’s Bridgetown iteration at the Doug Fir (an encore follows at the fest tonight WITH JANEANE GAROFALO). This is my chief complaint about the iteration of Baked that I saw, and I’m putting it right up front, because if Baked just had a slightly more diverse lineup, it would be close to perfect. Those dudes put on a good show! (TL;DR: All the more reason to go to tonight’s show, with JANEANE GAROFALO!)
Some real gems of the evening came from Matt Braunger’s set. Oh, Matt Braunger! Patron saint of introverted paranoiacs! I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone convey the secret fears of the deeply introverted quite like he does. Braunger recalled, in horror, an incident when, at a museum with his mother, he tried to point out Edvard Munch’s Scream painting, and accidentally shoved his fingers into the mouth of a strange man nearby. He also shared his first thoughts after a car accident—not, “My insurance better cover this!” or, “Whoa, that guy needs to learn how to drive,” but “Fuck! I gotta get out and meet someone!” You guys, I’ve had this thought. I’VE HAD THIS THOUGHT.
Braunger also shared some choice words for airline pilots whose “ummmmm….”-heavy PA announcements sound “like a hung-over mustache that crawled out of a cup of coffee.” “Gather your thoughts!” sniped Braunger, to uproarious laughter.
Other highlights from the night included an indignant tirade against Lars Ulrich from Jonah Ray, and the deeply weird sight of comedians ending their sets by picking up instruments AND KNOWING HOW TO PLAY THEM (mostly)! What wizardry is this? If you missed out, there’s another installment tonight. It’s one of those wacky conceits worth seeing for the spectacle alone.
Up next: BLARIA, with Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson! Hold onto your hats!