jennimi

It was one year ago tomorrow (365 days ago today) that Scott and I and a couple dear friends and fellow fans of Mike Birbiglia (that’s pronounced “bir-big-lee-ah”), headed on down to the Town Ballroom to see the young (yet somehow seasoned) comedian do his magic and get us all laughing and feeling his pain and yet even still laughing our arses off some more. Told my fave sleepwalking story that night (hotel and big lawn)… but I digress. The evening started nicely with wings and conversation, and a short drive to the venue. I don’t think the four of us were ready for the openers. You may have noticed I’ve placed a “demand Mike” embed on my site (go! demand!).

But….. let’s keep 103.3 The Edge out of things this next time, if there ever IS to be a next time. The radio station had obviously done no research on the Birbigs following, and with members of his FAMILY in the audience I am surprised he carried on with the show. Gross sexist humor? Uhm… not my (or most of the audience’s) thang. But of course he was a total professional and forged ahead, later showing his improv chops by calling the openers out, in that nice way he has mastered. If I recall there was one opener who was great, just to be fair. Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have said that thing about 103.3, maybe I should have said nothing. Well at least I wrote it down. Now, on to more positive things.

I discovered Mr. Birbiglia a couple years prior to the Ballroom gig on a Friday night (I am pretty sure), during grad school, while pretending to do homework but actually watching Comedy Central. Minutes in, and there was no actual homework gonna take place that night. I was hooked. There was something different about this guy… maybe it was the way he handled race, politics, and his own personal fears and anxieties without insulting my intelligence or his audience, while remaining highly accessible and un-Dane Cook like. His manner was mellow and his voice calm yet his stories had me falling off my couch with gut busting laughter and a sudden need to go to the bathroom. Held it til commercials though.

Mike Birbiglia can seriously tell a story, and many are from his own life. Richard Pryor comes to mind as a comparison. The two men are in many, many… many ways complete opposites except for their amazing abilities to recount their own frustrations, anxieties and embarrassing experiences, while evoking guffaws, snorts, and loss of bladder control. Genius! Soon after I got online and subscribed to his Secret Public Journal. It’s available via blog or email. I chose email at the time (and still prefer it) and soon discovered that the man (perhaps along with his team, which includes his brother), had mad writing skills. Bringing me to the newly released DVD: “What I Should Have Said Was Nothing: My Secret Public Journal Live in Concert.” I endeavor here to avoid spoilage, so if I am cryptic about the content and that frustrates, go buy or ask your library to buy the DVD.

I watched the special on Comedy Central, several times of course, but eagerly awaited the DVD release because: 1. No censoring. 2. More of Mike in concert (no cutting to commercials). 3. The extras, which any long time fan MUST SEE, and new fans MUST SEE. The DVD did not disappoint. It begins with an explanation of the origin of the journal and commentary about how everyone has a blog now. Yes? Tell me more Mr. Birbiglia… This geek at heart comedian (like fun you’re “medium man”!!!!!!) now appeals even more to a person who struggles to balance telling the true stories of her life with achieving and respecting privacy, being true to herself and her own sense of needing to share and create and write, and exploring her art out in the modern day version of the public square: the Web. We’re both Geminis and “what I should have said was nothing” is a recurring theme especially for us. Maybe I shouldn’t have just said that but, at least I wrote it down. We got the DVD soon after release and I have watched it 5 times now in preparation for this entry. On the 5th viewing I still managed to do my famous fall off the couch snort laugh. I’ll watch it again, and I’ll see something new in it again. And again.

Birbiglia is a Catholic raised Italian American from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, who’s got lots of issues, embarrassing moments, stories, bits he changes expertly with each new concert to keep things interesting, and fans - some of them weird (I promise, not me) - but most, as you can see on his flickr badge, are just nice friendly people. The special includes tons of new material, and the encore/extras give fans nods to the bits for which he’s become so famous, expertly given his signature “twist on the familiar.” “Sleepy Carl,” “Batter Up,”and “Old Mill Pond” are my favorite new bits (new for me anyway). The subtlety of his facial expressions has evolved over the years and his Dubya is one of my faves of all time. He brings out the guitar at the end to summarize all the happenings he’s just described and to encourage journaling. I so want to use the final quote from the song here… but what I should say is nothing. Go watch and listen.

Mike’s made it. It will be interesting to watch what is to come and I have faith there is much more to come. Finally, I got to meet Birbiglia last year after the show. Standing face to face with him all semblance of sentience disappeared and I shaked while asking him to please sign my journal. I always have a small notebook in my bag. My memory has it like this:

Mike: “What’s your name?”
Jenn: “Uhm… uhm… Jenn… right, Jenn”
Mike: “Is this your JOURNAL? That’s awesome.” Smiles.
Jenn: “uhm, uhm… yes… journal… journal it is… sorry about Buffalo… (other blabber, gibberish, anxiety, panic and shaking ensue)
Mike: “Here you go.”

The inscription is below and some nice links are collected at post’s end (if my title confuses just hover a sec). I admit, I am not objective. Mike’s humor has gotten me through some serious crap and instead of constantly blogging about the crap piles, in which I have indulged of late, it’s time I shared more about the things that inspire me. It’s time to get back to writing and laughing, and on a personal note I wish to thank Mike Birbiglia for the encouragement, and the reminder. I hope anyone out there who bumps into this post will give Mike a looksee if they haven’t already. Especially geeks (he’s got game) and bloggers, but don’t tell “medium man on campus” I said that, k? As always thanks for sticking with me. And I’m out.

Linkies:

• Mike’s web site
• MikeSpace profile
• Mike-ipedia
• Secret Public Journal home
• What I Should Have Said Was Nothing special, the dvd
• yum my Birbigs tag
• everybody’s yummy Birbigs
• everyone’s Birbigs images on Flickr

Update(s):

• May 8, 2008: Bought Birbiglia’s celebrity playlist on iTunes.  Like all good things, it has me laughing and crying.  Gives a little sense of from whence this young genius cometh, and expertly mixes music with comedy bits.  Search Birbiglia on the iTunes store and check it.  I am so glad I did.  It made me feel better.