Appearing at the majestic Academy of Music for two nearly sold-out shows on January 14, 2012, it was clear that Jerry Seinfeld has come a long way from his early Philly appearances as a stand-up comic like the one at the Bijou Café on Lombard Street in 1975 when he opened for Joe Jackson.
He has gotten some of the best breaks in the business - Johnny Carson’s seal of approval and his own network television sitcom “Seinfeld” that’s broken all kinds of records. He could rest on his laurels forever and never work another day in his life. But that’s not the case. He’s out on the road honing his craft, still working at the thing that he loves the most.
And we are all the luckier for it. His is a very upbeat, lively, PG-rated act, hitting on all kinds of timely topics for which we can all relate. The waves of technology that never stop, chairs, beds, cookies, being hydrated, how something we say “sucks” is often not far from being “great.” He used the example of eating an ice cream cone that suddenly falls to the ground. That sucks. And what do you do? You raise your arms in the air and sarcastically say, “Great.”
Coffee was a big topic. How we don’t drink it – we “have” it. “I’m having my coffee.” And we say, “What do you take in it?” He demonstrated the way people hold their coffee while walking to signify how important it is (arms straight out).
“Facebook completes the final whoring-out of the word book,” Seinfeld quipped, “The things we are reading on that site are far less important than anything we’d find in a real book.”
Another of his astute observations had to do with public restrooms. “Why don’t they make the walls between the stalls go all the way to the ground?” he asked, noting how embarrassing it is that others next door can see his pants on the floor. “And why are there those little gaps between the wall panels? Why are they doing this to people?”
That is the kind of conversation he could have been having with Elaine at the diner in an episode of the television show. But aside from his material being reminiscent of his TV show, he made no mention of it, or quoted any Seinfeld-isms that became famous. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But it is kind of curious that it never came up, even from any hecklers in the audience.
Toward the end of the 70-minute show, he offered some personal information. “I’m 57, I got married 12 years ago. I have three children. I married at the age of 45.” He talked about how life is different being married than being single. And that men are really just like advanced dogs. “Why do you think they call dogs, man’s best friend?”
Seinfeld always takes a friend on tour with him to open the show. Larry Miller, perhaps best known for his work in the film “Best of Show,” had the audience sufficiently warmed up with his 15 minute set.
Then, Seinfeld appeared, dashing across the stage, looking dapper in his dark gray suit and yellow tie. He is quite physical on stage, moving about with the microphone in hand, making grand gestures with his arms to accompany his ranting, and even at one point laid on the stage to emphasize a joke.
The tour continues through March 3 with seven more appearances in the US according to Seinfeld’s website.
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