Filed under: Reviews, Festivals
To learn about these daily JFL42 roundups, read the first one! Now, onto Wednesday's comedy shows, featuring Max Silvestri and the first night of Andy Kindler's midnight Alternative Shows.
While not entirely on my radar or on my list of things I had planned to check out, many of my friends were quite jazzed to see Max Silvestri, and I'm glad they brought me along. Silverstri's ability to craft long, progressively escalating stories was a delight to watch, and he was able to engage the early Wednesday night show with ease. Very charismatic and endearing, his solid joke writing earned him a new fan in me last night.
Audience Review: If I'm honest, a little tepid. Not incredibly responsive most of the show, though they had no reason not to be. Maybe it was early, maybe they've seen 16 shows this week already like me and were a little burnt out, I don't know. Everything got reactions, but I felt they could have given more. 6.5/10
It just wouldn't be JFL42 without a generous helping of Andy Kindler and the Alternative Show. I'm going to make a point to see as many of them as I can, as they never disappoint and bring in some of the top acts of the festival and locally to shine. This night we had Jake Whitehall, Hari Kondabolu, Beth Stelling, Sophie Buddle, Rory Scovel, and Judah Friedlander deliver amazing sets, and I'm sure the rest of the week will keep that momentum going and then some. Kindler himself deserves a ton of credit for continuing to host what is undoubtedly the best-running series of shows JFL42 puts on.
Audience Review: Those in the mood to be out at midnight on a Wednesday are a specific type of comedy nerd who know the score and are jazzed to be a part of something unique and special. With none of the tiredness or reserved nature that other crowds might have, the Alt Show has fostered a hardcore crowd that like their comedy weird, dark, and late. It's a pleasure to be surrounded by my people. A+
Tags: JFL42, Max Silvestri, Andy Kindler, Beth Stelling, Hari Kondabolu, Sophie Buddle, Jake Whitehall, Rory Scovel, Judah Friedlander, stand-up
J.D. Renaud is a writer, comedian, producer, and visual artist originally from Oakville, Ontario. You can follow his weird thoughts on Twitter at @jdrenaud.
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