Amoebicorn

I just spent the third consecutive Tuesday evening - along with all those other tightarses - at another comedy festival show. I'd heard a lot of good stuff about Demitri Martin, but in truth I had absolutely no idea what to expect from his show. As one great singer-songwriter once said, "We wanted to put the intelligence back into rock." It would be pretty accurate to say that Demitri Martin has done the equivalent for comedy.

In contrast to other people I've seen in the past, Martin is softly-spoken, considered and surprisingly revealing. It's the only comedy show I've ever been to that's actually made me think. It actually left me feeling quite reflective - both during the show and afterwards, standing outside Melbourne Town Hall in the wet, gloomy night. Watching Demitri Martin is compelling, because he seems like someone who's at odds with the sort of person he actually is, and the person he'd like to be, yet after giving it more thought, doesn't really want that anyway. His self-awareness is refreshing, but doesn't cross over into self-absorption. And I wish my own neurosis could be as endearing as I found his to be.

The show itself is very structured with seemingly little improvisation (?). I initially found this structure unusual, but Martin knows how to tell a good tale and his "props" certainly add to the act rather than distracting from it. The premise of discussing his "disorder" (and the brilliant brain nook, which I'd love to have myself) is very appropriate given the sort of guy he projects himself to be. It's also nice to go to a show which in many ways, is quite philosophical and doesn't dwell on world affairs.

In short, unlike his red Michael Jackson "Beat It" jacket, Demitri Martin's show really works.