Welcome readers to the second installment in the I'd Love
To Make You Laugh portion of Spork where I will be reviewing the
latest and greatest in the stand-up comedy world. This time I will be reviewing
National club comedian Tim Northern's second CD, Second CD.
Mr. Northern is a veteran in the college and comedy club
scene nationally as well as a finalist on CBS's Star Search. He can be
heard here locally on Denver's own Comedy 103.1, where he has not only been
highlighted as a performer but as host as well.
Word play! That is the best way for me to describe Tim
Northern's laid-back yet cerebral approach to stand-up comedy. Ben Stein has
been quoted as saying, "I love the fact that he assumes his audience has a
brain." Mr. Northern himself has stated, "That's what I'm striving
for. I provide two-thirds of the joke, and you provide the other third. It's
like 'do-it-yourself comedy." This sort of delivery is brave as it relies
on a crowd that is open to and ready to do some thinking.
The first thing I must point out about Tim Northern's Second
CD is the track listing. Do not pay attention to it as an indicator of
things to come as they are a joke in themselves and not reflective of the
material. Tim starts this set by giving the crowd a personal standing ovation
for being out on a Sunday night. He then begins to spin his magic at word play
by indicating to the crowd that he has just learned to read and while finding
it frustrating, ultimately jokes: "reading is cool man."
Things really get going with Tim's now famous take on Dr.
Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham and his musings on his newly found reading
skills. Observations on his midget brother the professional Foosball player,
rat poison intolerance, his deep love of pancakes and going on the
"patch" keep the listener’s mind working in tune with the audience.
Not only does Tim excel at word play but his impressions of
Richard Pryor, Samuel L. Jackson, Dyslexic Italians and others are truly a
fresh take on the "impression" genre. Tim's love life, issues with
the Internet and working in the community are next up as his famous "Tits
for Tats for Tots" campaign is born.
Bits such as Dyslexic Bob, getting healthy in the non-smoky
mountains with bi-polar bears, doing a show at the zoo and a Dead Poet's
Society Basketball game help round out a truly thought provoking 16 track CD.
As a bonus let the last track run and hear some hilarious out takes with Tim
Northern and son!
Recorded in front of an all-ages crowd in Louisville,
Kentucky by Joe "Dookie" Dutkiewicz and edited by Ross Duncliffe. Tim
Northern's Second CD is a must own for fans of clean cerebral comedy
with great word play. Available NOW in comedy section at Twist & Shout!
- Jeff
Albright
No comments:
Post a Comment