By the time your peepers are grazing this text, the Funniest Person in Austin competition for 2009 will be nearing the finals stage at Cap City Comedy Club. That means: It’s like when you’ve smoked a joint of really kind bud down to a roach. So much of the good stuff, the psychoactive THC, is concentrated in that end. That means: Lucky you.
There’s something to be said for the nights of competition before the finals, too. Because, even then, many of the comedians trying to make you laugh, trying to impress the judges sufficiently to advance to the next level in the contest … about five-tenths of those hopeful smartasses will be worth watching. And another three-tenths will be, OK, not so bad, maybe eliciting a chuckle or two within the five- to seven-minute slot that each comic’s allowed. And another tenth will be meh. But then, almost as entertainingly in their way as the really funny performers, a final tenth of these aspirants to the FPIA throne will be so horrible, so thoroughly clueless as to what humor or being on a stage in front of people is about, that their performances will provide conversation fodder for years to come. “Dude, do you remember that one guy with the hat that time? That guy was so fucking lame! Ah, it hurts to even think about him!”
But now the contest is past that point for this year. The contest is at the point where only comics good enough to survive the initial rounds will be presenting their material to you – as effectively as they can, using whatever sort of firepower’s available in their, um, arsenal of japery. One after another, jester after jackanapes, parading their wisdom and wackiness and skewed takes on life for your pleasure in the big shiny room there in one node of the armpit formed by that near-confluence of Anderson and 183.
So you get all that and the opportunity to buy a few drinks to wash down the nachos or fried pickles or whatever your table’s sharing, and, especially in these budgetarily belt-tightened times, it’s quite the stand-up comedy bargain. Hell, it’s so good, it’s not even funny.
The Funniest Person in Austin Finals take place Monday, May 18, 8pm, at Cap City Comedy Club, 8120 Research. For more information, call 467-2333 or visit www.capcitycomedy.com.
This article appears in May 15 • 2009.