There was a special feel in the air of Boston last night as hundreds came out to The Wilbur for the much-anticipated return of Boston comedy legend and WTF Pod host Marc Maron, who not only performed a headlining set to an eager audience, but also treated the city to a live taping of his legendary podcast.
The night kicked off with much-loved owner of The Comedy Studio, Rick Jenkins, giving the crowd a flawless opening set and treating us to some of his best ‘Did you hear who died?’ jokes that he’s become known for. Having worked so closely with Maron in the past, it was clear to see Jenkins’ delight in performing for his friend – and even clearer to see the audience’s delight.
Maron performed well over an hour of his trademark brand of neurotic, soul-searching humor, masterfully incorporating material from his latest release, This Has to Be Funny, with brand new rants and observations that left the audience in stitches.
“I think if you’re poor and you’re a libertarian,” Maron mused, “you’re a f**** moron.”
If you’ve never seen Maron’s energy on stage, you must change that – and soon. His comedic brilliance can be easily seen pumping through his veins as, even when sitting down, he can’t keep himself from moving (hummingbirds don’t quite move at the speed with which Maron taps his feet). I don’t think I’ve seen anyone work a crowd as well as Maron can, as he twice throughout the night called out a table of late arrivals seated right in front of the stage (and, ultimately, jokingly flirting with some of them).
As the early crowd patiently made its way through the massive post-show meet-and-greet line, a record-breaking WTF crowd wove a line around The Wilbur desperately waiting to be a part of Boston comedy history. The Boston Comedy Scene Examiner was lucky enough to be guided by Maron to the green room, where some of the biggest names in Boston comedy were happily reunited for the live podcast taping.
Kenny Rogerson, Tony V, Jimmy Tingle, Mike Donovan and Frank Santorelli all came out to join their friend Maron on stage for the taping, which was performed in front of the largest WTF Live crowd to date. Anyone who’s anyone in the local comedy scene came out to be a part of the monumental event – which I certainly will not spoil with much detail, as you’ll soon be able to become a part of it yourself when the episode airs in the coming weeks.
I’m fairly certain I’m not alone in saying that last night’s events made everyone who’s been involved with Boston comedy in the last twenty years swell with pride, and it’s certainly not an evening that will soon be forgotten.
The Magners Comedy Festival continues tonight with the Stand-Up Finals taking place at Nick’s Comedy Stop – come on out and support your favorite comics as they compete for a chance to win a trip to Glasgow, Scotland where they will perform at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival! Also tonight, after the finals head on over to The Wilbur for another amazing show with Tom Papa!
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