Michael Showalter has an impressive comedy resume. He was a member of the now-legendary comedy troupe The State, who had their own sketch show on MTV in the 1990s. He's written and starred in films (Wet Hot American Summer) and directed films (The Baxter, which he also wrote and starred in). He was a member of Stella, another comedy troupe with their own show (on Comedy Central) alongside fellow State alum Michael Ian Black and David Wain. And now, at last, he's released his own comedy album: Sandwiches and Cats.
The album is a mix of traditional stand-up (recorded live in Chicago) and produced sketches. Because of Showalter's background, one would expect that the sketches would work best and might forgive some unpolished stand-up. It's frustrating, then, that Sandwiches and Cats finds the comedian uneven in both formats.
As a stand-up, Showalter is still finding his way. He hasn't yet quite figured out how to develop a bit or create momentum with his set (which could explain why it's broken up with sketches). Too often, his material is a little generic and far too mannered; when he continually repeats the word "bitter" (pronouncing it "bit-ter"), it's not because it's particularly funny -- it's because he thinks it's funny. He alienates the audience with that kind of self-consciousness just when he should be drawing them in.
Some of the album's sketches, like "Term Warner Cable" (guest starring Janeane Garofalo as the helpful automated voice driving a man crazy), are amusing because they apply logic where it shouldn't be applied. Unfortunately, there's no payoff -- just the amusing set up. Others, like the musical "We Had to Do the Show," are self-indulgent and, even worse, unfunny.
Still Showing Promise
That's not to say the album isn't without its bright spots. Showalter's extended riff on the decision for Starbucks to begin carrying DVDs of Akeelah and the Bee (and no other films) is very funny; likewise some throwaway observational stuff about washing hands after going to the bathroom, restless leg syndrome and the phrase 'athlete's foot.' But the funniest moment comes when Showalter realizes that a woman in the front row of the "live" portion has brought a cat with her (inspiring the album's title). Ever the improvisational master -- a skill that served him well during his sketch comedy days, no doubt -- Showalter launches into a long bit about the situation. The spontaneity of the moment and Showalter's genuine surprise and frustration make for the album's standout bit.
Showalter is a funny, funny guy -- no one could have been on The State and written Wet Hot American Summer and not be funny -- and there several moments on Sandwiches and Cats that suggest he's got a really good comedy album in him. It may just be that he put the album out too soon after venturing into stand-up; compared with the stand-up debut of his State-mate Michael Ian Black, I Am a Wonderful Man, Showalter's album feels a little amateurish and unfinished. I say this, of course, as a fan who was hoping for more and knows that it's possible. If there's ever a next album, I'll pick it up without hesitation and cross my fingers. Though Sandwiches and Cats has left me a little disappointed, it hasn't left me bit-ter.
- Album Release Date: November 13, 2007
- Label: Jdub Records
