Just for Laughs Chicago 2009: Michael Showalter - Review

June 21, 2009/The Lakeshore Theater

The first-ever Just for Laughs Chicago festival wrapped up with a stand-up show by Michael Showalter, he of the incredible comedic resume: The State, Wet Hot American Summer, Stella and the upcoming Michael and Michael Have Issues. Originally slated to be a joint performance with Showalter and fellow State member Michael Ian Black, but Black had to pull out due to a family obligation. Perhaps the lineup change had Showalter scrambling to fill the bill, as the resulting show seemed a lot more like "Michael Showalter and Friends."

Showalter kicked off the show by premiering a clip from his new show with Black, Michael and Michael Have Issues. It was a sketch called "Quiet Bob the Weatherman," and the title pretty much says it all -- it was about a weatherman who speaks too quietly. It wasn't really a home run, but it didn't need to be for me; I'm going to be watching the show anyway. Having said that, the sketch was still amusing -- though I'm sure it helped that I was buzzing from the newness of it (we were the first to see it!) and seeing Black and Showalter performing sketch comedy together again.

Showalter then introduced Owen Benjamin, a tall, goofy comic (who I actually remember from his small role in The House Bunny). He did some stand-up before sitting down at the piano and riffing some musical comedy, playing Journey songs to feel cool and jamming out some 18th century "hook-up" music. His whole set had a very relaxed, silly vibe that made him rather endearing; even when his material wasn't totally funny, Benjamin still was. You end up laughing because you like him so much.

Next up was Jessi Klein, who delivered the strongest set of the night. I knew Klein from her talking-head pieces on VH1 shows (chiefly Best Week Ever, but hadn't seen her perform stand-up before; she was really funny and incredibly dirty in just the right amount -- she had the ability to shock without making "shock" the point of her act. Better yet, she was original; I never felt her aping other comics of her generation. That would have been easy to do.

Kumail Nanjiani followed Klein with a slightly more uneven set, though still strong enough that I enjoyed it overall. He did extended routines on an outdated Coney Island rollercoaster and a new drug called "Cheese" (really just heroin mixed with Tylenol P.M.), the latter being the funniest of his set. He offered something different than both Benjamin and Klein, which made the show interesting; unlike other shows I've attended (even some at the Just for Laughs festival), none of the evening's performers ran together.

Headliner Showalter came back out to close out the show, and I wasn't sure what to expect from his stand-up. His album, Sandwiches and Cats (also recorded at The Lakeshore Theater) was uneven for me, but I remained optimistic. Rather than perform any actual stand-up, Showalter merely told a few stories -- a long one about adopting a cat, two short and unrelated stories about sexual intercourse and a bit where he read from an old yearbook. There's never been anything traditional about Showalter's comedy, and this was anything but traditional. I actually couldn't tell if he was just underprepared or if this is exactly what he wanted his act to be; either way, while it wasn't what I expected I won't say I didn't enjoy it. Maybe it's because I'm a Showalter fan or maybe it's because it was so different than the preceding acts, but even the slow spots (and there were slow spots and some long set-ups) managed to hold my interest.

If I was disappointed at all, it was that Showalter's set was roughly as long as the three preceding comics'. I had expected more from him, probably because the festival had advertised it as a Michael Showalter show and not just a showcase. I was bummed when the Lakeshore began giving him the light after less than 30 minutes, but maybe it's for the best; had his set gone on longer, it might have really unraveled. He closed the show by showing another clip from Michael and Michael Have Issues, this one about a store that only sells sweatpants to depressed, dejected men.

No, the Michael Showalter show wasn't what I expected it to be, but that didn't make it a waste of time. Each comedian found a different way to be funny -- or, at the very least, interesting -- and the show offered me something I didn't find anywhere else at the festival. After taking in as much comedy as I had over the course of five days, it was a welcome change of pace.

Grade: B-