Never before have we needed a good laugh. I don’t mean just a chuckle or giggle. I mean a full-throated, belly shaking, wet-my-pants, can’t breathe—stop, I’m going to pass out— kind of laugh. That was our goal for the weekend and so we decided to visit a Comedy Club. Our choice was Comix on West 14th Street where two stand-up comics from L.A.—Maria Bamford (above) and Andy Kindler were scheduled to perform. And then, of course, there’s always the chance that some unscheduled comedian will pop up, hoping to hone his or her act. We love surprises!
Our first surprise was Comix itself. What a wonderful venue to see a comedy show! Large, well laid out, clean, with good food and excellent service. Right off the bat we were impressed. Besides the cover charge ($25 in advance and $30 that day), Comix has a two-drink minimum. We opted for a bottle of wine and some soda water. We had already eaten dinner (at Scarpetta, right next door. See our review under “Dining Around”), or else we would have ordered food. The burgers, salads, fish, and other dishes coming out of the kitchen looked very appetizing.
Flashing on the Comix screen was the advice, “Life’s Tough—Laugh More.” The show began right on time. Helen Holm, one of the Comix regulars, had the job of warming up the crowd. She poked fun at her own name, which gives no clue to the fact that she is a Korean-American. Jokes about her eccentric family were well received by the crowd. Then she introduced Maria Bamford.
As soon as she opened her mouth, we understood why Bamford is a popular choice for voicing various barn animals in animated fare like Stuart Little 2 and Charlotte’s Web II (both sequels). When she scrunches up her face, she almost looks like an adorable mouse. She radiates a kinetic energy—all through her fingers. Her hands emphasize, punctuate, and illustrate her many funny observations on life, growing up in Minnesota, moving to L.A. and performing in New York. She questions people who wear plastic bracelets advertising a cause. “People get to know you through what’s wrong with you. What about `s*** happens?’ Put that on a bracelet!”
The surprise guest turned out to be Jim Gaffigan (left), who co-starred with Ellen DeGeneres in her CBS sitcom, The Ellen Show, and has also racked up an impressive number of appearances on all the late night talk and comedy shows. His act centered on staying in a hotel. (We can certainly relate!) He said that people use a hotel concierge because they’re “too lazy to use Google.” The common concierge attitude: “How can I be condescending to you?” And he summed up our feelings upon checking into a hotel with a less than four-star rating. “You can’t give away a used mattress, but I’ll pay to sleep on one.”
Last up was Andy Kindler and, if truth be told, his act was a little slow getting started. But once he shifted into high gear, we were happy to be along for the ride. A Jewish guy from New York, Kindler played a fellow sportswriter and friend of Raymond on Everybody Loves Raymond. Kindler is famous for interrupting himself if he feels one of his jokes isn’t working. Fortunately, most of his jokes (even the ones about Hitler) did work and we ended the evening on a high note.
Never before has comedy been so popular. Even serious news shows routinely take clips from Letterman and Late Night to make a point and get a laugh. Comedians and comediennes have the power to influence an election. The comic’s best role, however, is to make an audience laugh and, for a brief time at least, forget its troubles. Comix did that and more. Comedy forever!
Comix
353 West 14th Street, just east of Ninth Avenue
212-524-2500
www.comixny.com
