April 13 and 14 was the Black Mountain Institutes “Believer Festival” 2018. I’d never heard of this nerdy festival. Had I known, I’d have snatched up my tickets long ago. If it weren’t for a friend’s Facebook post promoting the COMEDY night, I would have missed out. Where was all the promo BMI? I’m on Facebook almost 24/7 – didn’t see any ads; and I know my nerdy interests are well documented on Facebook’s database. Because I was late to the party, I couldn’t attend the MUSIC or the POETRY events. Two things essential to my progress as a musician! That’s ok, though because I love to laugh, too.
Saturday night I was mostly primed to go out. I’d been discussing things with Alisha (the manifestation of my anxiety, aka my anxious friend) the last couple of days, so we were mostly good. What we weren’t good for was the time between “Songs of Love and Betrayal” and the COMEDY portion. Ya’ll, I’m sorry for skipping out on what was probably a great reading and Q&A. But what was I gonna do for four hours?! Alisha hates being unprepared for outings. To be honest, so do I.
Believer Festival’s COMEDY night had a solid lineup of guests and two inimitable hosts: John Hodgman and Jean Grae. I didn’t really recognize any of the other names except Aparna Nancherla – a comedian I saw in DC in 2012. She’s hilarious. Check her out.
Getting to the Fremont Country Club was easier than usual. I found good parking at the Fremont Experience garage – it’s the best place for your anxious friend to ease her concerns over parking too far from the action and paying for your spot in the middle of the street at night. Then I just walked like a boss down Fremont street. That’s my new attitude – walk like I own these streets instead of cowering at all the drunk and high fools.
PRO TIP: Google Maps has photos of most venues so you can scope out the parking and entrance situation so you aren’t pushing glass walls instead of the door (ahem, Downtown Cocktail Room).
I’ve never been to Fremont Country Club – only its sister venue, Triple B or Backstage Bar & Billiards. Its entrance is a little discreet, but the line around the block was a pretty good indication of where the door was. Inside is a magical assortment of randomness – plastic (?) statues of horses, cowhide on the pillars, chandeliers, clubby booth seats, a second level viewing area, and wide open space on the floor. It’s bigger than most dancefloors on the strip. And the stage had untold depths. The mouth however, was restrictively small. Our hosts had a hard time moving all the mics around.
Now, here are the perks and anti-perks of going solo. People who only go out accompanied gotta find two or more seats to be together. There’s always an orphan seat! And guess who gets to snatch that up and sit close to the front? This boss! The anti-perk? Some dickhead decided that he could fold his legs into my LEG SPACE. I kept kicking him out the way. Even his date pointed out his assumption that I’d be cool with his nasty shoe on my leg. We’ll call this the SPACE OF PRIVILEGE. Dudes – pay attention where you put your feet. To end on a perk, you can leave when you want, which is what I was about to do. Thankfully, I waited for my fave comic, Aparna, to take the stage.
HIGHLIGHTS
Jean and John have the kinda chemistry most wish they had with a cohost – they play well off of each other, understand each other’s beats, and know how to egg each other on. Their first bit was rapping and deconstructing the friendzoners sad anthem, Biz Markie’s “Just A Friend.” Interrupting at important intervals, Grae and Hodgman pointed out important inconsistencies in Biz’s narrative – he shows up to a woman’s dormitory only knowing her name is Blah Blah Blah; he describes this woman as wearing a skirt and pants at the same time; he has “friends” named Agnes and Agatha…suspect. The audience, naturally, chimed in at the chorus. It was a funny and woke bit that did it’s job of warming us up.
Nick Hornby pointed out that he’s one of only two white dudes in the lineup. He pointed that out. So he came out with white male nonsense during his time. It was a tale lamenting his choice to participate in an identity parade – a police lineup. Because he was a writer who wasn’t being published and wasn’t writing (we all get the existentialist crisis here), he decided to participate because it would be an experience that might help his writing. Before he started the meat of the lineup story, he sidebarred to point out that if feminists had their way, half the lineup would have to be women. Ok? The moral of the story, equally tone deaf, is that authors don’t need experiences to write. You know only a white dude would say that.
The main point of my attending this event was to see the underrated Aparna Nancherla. I see she’s starting to have her moment, and I’m so proud of her. In 2012 I saw her open for W. Kamau Bell at a DC synagogue. I knew I had to keep an eye out for her because she was funnier than the headliner (sorry W.). And tonight she was the funniest person of the lineup. Yes, funnier than Hodgman! She started her set with a call to introverts and those anxious friends everywhere – “I made it my goal this year to show up to things I committed to attend.” She spoke directly to me because that’s exactly why I was there! I committed to going out to this thing (and paid money to attend) and I showed up! She had great jokes about finance bros walking at the “pace of privilege”; the women’s march; Mike Pence and introversion and anxiety. Nancherla is so undercover – her jokes come at you in unsuspecting ways. And for someone who was just starting out six years ago, her sets weren’t trite boring shit that so many bro comics hackney their way through to mediocrity. I appreciate you, Aparna.
Filling spots in the show was two-song sets by Aimee Mann. Now, I recognize the lyrical brilliance of Mann, but man. She’s a mumbler, so I can’t appreciate her words in the moment. And her musicality is so equally monotone, I almost fell asleep. She ended the evening on a somnambulistic note. I don’t even remember leaving the Fremont Country Club.
CONCLUSION
I’m glad I went! And it was an evening well worth the $15. It inspired me to get to write this post and I chatted with a local icon about my music. I can’t wait for what’s in store next year – maybe you’ll see me perform. 🙂