Joel McHale Live

Joel McHale is officially my hero. Dave and I laughed our guts out watching his stand-up show last night at Abravanel Hall. It is a rare occasion that I ever laugh so hard that I cry, but literally, tears were dripping down my face! I kept thinking to myself, "What if I had missed out on this show?" It was just that much fun. Here we are--the last time both of us graced this place was in 2nd grade for a delightful performance of the Nutcracker. The building hasn't changed much, but the entertainment was a definite improvement.

The view from our seats

Anyway, I was originally a little skeptical as to how funny the show could actually be. It began with a warm-up comedian. I forgot who he was, but has done some Mad T.V., and a few other shows. He did great, and I wondered if Joel McHale would match up. Um, yes...he was so funny.

The first part of his routine was more like the Soup, poking fun at celebrites and bad television. Ryan Seacrest, Tyra Banks, Kim Kardashian, and the Hills cast were all highlights of the evening.
The second half of his act, he joked all about his wife, kids and parents. This was the best part of the show; I was bawling, my mouth hurt from excessive smiling, and my stomach muscles had never had such a great workout.

At one point, the spotlight controller guy failed to follow Joel around the stage (we're on a first-name basis now that we know him). In response, Joel began reenacting the Sound of Music (the part where the von Trapp family escapes the talent show and the announcer names them as the winners). He got the spotlighter to play along, and started spouting off, "The family von Trapp!..." He then pointed to an empty doorway, where the spotlight followed. He repeated this again, "Family von Trapp?" and the spotlight once again focused on the empty doorway. Hard to explain, but if you know the movie, you might understand the joke a little better.

I've been told from a few sources that the guy either reminds people of my good friend, Paul Sampson, or my darling husband, Dave. Watching Joel McHale live totally explains why. He is an absolute weirdo! No offense, I mean "weirdo" in a good way. His sarcasm is one of a kind, and his little mannerisms and movements just make you laugh. What a memorable night!